26-0823a Transcript

(1:54) The title of my lesson this morning is, For His Namesake. (1:58) And I think that there’s something that we need to be very cognizant of, and that is, (2:05) if you want to open up the heart of God, and if you want to touch a sacred staying, (2:14) the thing you need to be thinking in terms of is, for God’s namesake, or to glorify God.

(2:24) I say those things because it seems to be the thing that we need to be very conscious of, (2:30) and that is knowing how to please God and how to advance him, how to (2:41) bring him forward so people will be thinking in terms of God. As I reflect upon this, (2:51) I had Psalms 23 read in your hearing, and I would like to just basically make a brief (3:00) reference to it, because it is in Psalms 23 that the thought about God’s namesake being brought up. (3:11) If you look at it, and you have it present, the Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

(3:18) I’m reading from the New International Version. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. (3:24) He leads me besides quiet waters.

He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths (3:35) for his namesake. Isn’t that interesting? For his namesake.

What does that phrase mean? What (3:45) does that conjure up in your mind? He does this for his namesake, so that you might glorify him, (3:55) so that you might think good things of him, so that you might credit to him things that (4:02) is righteous and upright. When we reflect upon his namesake, notice what he does there. (4:11) He’s doing these things for his namesake.

His divine intervention, providence, and preservation (4:18) is being present here. The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me to lie down in green (4:25) pastures.

He leads me besides quiet waters. He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right (4:32) paths for his namesake.

He’s doing it because he wants us to think positive of him. (4:40) He wants us to think in terms of good terms, good things. And so as we reflect upon that, (4:50) I’m remiss to think in terms of the creation of the world.

(4:54) When God created the heavens and the earth, he took on some very strong responsibilities, (5:01) didn’t he? Did he abdicate them? Did he say, okay, I’m no longer going to be interested in (5:06) their welfare and their well-being? No, he continues to think in terms of the welfare (5:12) and well-being of the world, doesn’t he? And one of the things we’re told about is that God (5:17) thinks very highly of his creation. God thinks very highly of us, and he wants us to be with (5:24) him in heaven. And he does not desire that any should perish, but that all should come to (5:30) repentance.

He wants everyone to think good and have good minds of him. And so as we reflect upon (5:38) those things, notice, and I’d like to take, while we’re in Psalms, I would like to take a look at (5:44) 104, as we reflect upon what God does for mankind. He leads us in the wilderness for his namesake.

(6:00) Notice what God does. When he created the heavens and the earth, before he even put man on the face (6:09) of the earth, he made sure that man could subsist, that we could exist, that we could (6:17) do the things that he would create for us to do. So before he created us, he created the world, (6:26) and he had the seven days.

He did it in. And so the sixth day he created us, and the seventh day he (6:32) rested. And so as we reflect upon those things, he continues to look after his creation.

If he (6:41) ceased looking after his creation and its wealth and fare, we would think very ill about him, (6:47) wouldn’t we? A person needs to be responsible for what he creates, and we think in those terms as (6:53) far as our own children and our families are concerned, don’t we? So as we look at Psalms 104, (6:59) we see that God is continuing to be concerned about how he is viewed and how he’s thought about. (7:08) And so let’s take a look at that. Praise the Lord, my soul.

Lord, my God, you are very great. (7:16) You are clothed with splendor and majesty. The Lord wraps himself in life as with a garment.

(7:22) He stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on the waters. (7:30) He makes the clouds of his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his (7:37) messengers, flames of honor his servants.

He set the earth on its foundation. And here’s what God (7:44) is continuing to do and continuing to look after us. He has not abdicated.

He continues to look (7:51) after us. His divine intervention is providence. So he sets out in verse 5. He sets the earth (7:59) on its foundation.

He can never be moved. It can never be moved. You covered it with watery depths (8:06) as with a garment.

The water stood above the mountains, but at your review, the waters fled. (8:12) At the sound of your thunder, they took to flight. They flowed over the mountains.

They went down (8:17) into the valleys to the place you assigned for them. You set a boundary and they cannot cross. (8:24) Never again will they cover the earth.

He makes springs. Now here’s where he’s involved in the (8:31) world. Even today, he continues to look after our welfare, our well-being.

He makes springs pour (8:39) water into the ravines. It flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of (8:46) the field.

He’s looking after his creation, the animals, and those that he created. He’s looking (8:52) after everything he created. They get water to all the beasts of the field.

The wild donkeys quench (8:58) their thirst. The birds of the sky nest by the waters. They sing among the branches.

He waters (9:06) the mountains from his upper chambers. The land is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes (9:13) grass grow for the cattle and the plants for people to cultivate.

Notice what he’s saying there (9:20) about what God is continuing to do. Even today, not just at the creation of the world, not after (9:28) the flood in those days, but he’s looking after yours and my well-being. That bread that you have (9:36) in your kitchen is provided with the providence of God.

The meat that you eat is provided there (9:43) by the providence of God. The air that we breathe is there by the providence of God. (9:50) The water that we drink is there by the providence of God.

He continues to work in our lives. If it (9:57) wasn’t for his involvement in those particular things, we would soon wither up and die. So (10:03) he makes grass grow for the cattle and plants for people to cultivate, bringing forth food (10:10) from the earth, wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that (10:18) sustains their hearts.

The trees of the Lord are well-watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. (10:26) There the birds make their nests. The stork has its home in the junipers.

The high mountains (10:32) belong to the wild goats. The crates are a refuge for the hybrids. He made the moon to mark the (10:40) seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.

You bring darkness, it becomes night. And all the (10:47) beasts, notice here the involvement of the beasts in their movement, and all the beasts of the fifth (10:53) force prowl. The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.

(11:01) Where do they seek their food? Who do they give their credit to for food? They seek their food (11:09) from God. The sun rises and they steal away. They return and lie down in their dens.

Then people go (11:17) out to their work, to their labor until evening. How many are your works, Lord? In wisdom you made (11:27) them all. The earth is full of all your creatures.

There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with (11:35) creatures beyond number, living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro in the (11:44) Leviathan which you formed to frolic there. All creatures look to you to give them their food (11:52) at the proper time.

When you give it to them, they gather it up. When you open your hand, (11:59) they are satisfied with good things. When you hide your face, they are terrified.

When you (12:06) take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send your spirit, they are created (12:13) and you renew the face of the ground. May the glory of the Lord endure forever.

May the Lord (12:21) rejoice in his work. He who looks at the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and (12:28) they smoke. I will sing to the Lord all my life.

I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. (12:36) May my meditation be pleasing to him as I rejoice in the Lord. But may sinners vanish from the earth (12:44) and the wicked be no more.

Praise the Lord my soul. Praise the Lord. So as we reflect upon it, (12:53) it’s for his namesake.

God wants us to think in terms of good things for him. The things are done (13:01) with his well-being in mind. So as we reflect upon the namesake, how many times do we see that (13:08) phrase given into the Bible? I don’t know.

I’m going to share with you a couple of them. (13:15) We know that when the Israelites were in Egypt and they were enslaved there, (13:22) God brought them out and they were praising God and they were giving God all the glory before they (13:28) were on the banks of the Red Sea. But then all of a sudden, we see the Egyptian army coming after (13:36) them and they are tearful.

And so he has Moses strike the Red Sea and it parts and they go over (13:44) on the other side and they’re praising God and they’re giving God the glory. And they’re saying, (13:50) praise his name, glory to the God. And so then we see that after the Red Sea closes up on the (13:58) Egyptian army and swallows them all up, we see that all of a sudden they’re out in the wilderness.

(14:04) And as they are out there in that wilderness, they’re fearful for their lives, their well-being. (14:10) Why are we out here? Is it because there wasn’t enough graves in Egypt for us to die and be (14:16) buried in? No, he brought us out here for this. So they turned on him and they turned on him real (14:22) bad.

And so at one time, it’s not the only time that they turned on him. They turned on God and (14:28) then all of a sudden God says to Moses, Moses, step aside. I’m going to kill him and I’ll raise (14:38) up a people from your seed.

What does Moses do? He appeals to the name of God and he turns to God (14:50) and he appeals to them for the mercy, his mercies to be upon the Egyptians. And as he’s looking at, (14:57) as Moses is dealing with them and appealing to him, how does he appeal to him? He appeals to his (15:04) name, his namesake. What is the way in which he appeals to him? He says, God, if you do that, (15:15) if you kill all of those people, the world who is looking at us and know that we are out here in the (15:27) out of Egypt, but you could not get them to the land of paradise.

You’re appealing to God’s name (15:38) and they’re saying they’ll ridicule you. They’ll ridicule you. God relents.

He knows the way. (15:50) And so he forgives them and he takes up the Egyptian or the Israelites and he’s appealing (15:57) to his name. When we’re faced with problems and situations, do we approach God with the (16:09) idea in mind that we’re appealing to his name? Did you realize that if he solved your problems (16:17) and if he solved your situation, he would be showing himself strong? (16:25) And God wants to show himself strong.

There’s no question about that because he showed himself (16:30) strong when he brought the Israelites out of Egypt and showed himself strong several times (16:37) throughout the scriptures. And he wants to show himself strong, but he also wants the world to (16:44) recognize his benevolence and he wants the world to recognize his mercies and his grace. (16:53) And he wants the world to be able to praise him.

Paul in one of his letters, and it’s in (17:00) 2 Corinthians, and I believe it’s chapter 8 or 9, where he’s talking about how he’s (17:09) applauding the churches at that time for bringing up a collection for the Israelites who are (17:16) starving to death. And Paul is saying, you bring that money down to Jerusalem and they’re going to (17:24) be able to dispense that water, that money out and be benevolent. And the people that they’re (17:30) going to be benevolent to are going to be doing what? Praising your name.

They’ll be praising (17:38) God’s name. And so in that respect, many times when we are in a situation, the world knows it. (17:49) Our friends know it.

They know, our family knows that we are in a situation. And so we’re praying (17:57) to God and we’re asking God, God, glorify your name. How are we going to glorify our name? (18:07) Remember, Jesus is talking, he’s facing the time that he’s going to be dying.

And we pick up with (18:18) him in John the 12th chapter, I believe it is. Let’s take a look at John the 12th chapter. (18:33) He’s there facing the fact that he’s going to die.

He knows he’s there. He just had the (18:43) triumphal entry into Jerusalem. And he’s had his confrontation with the priests and the Sadducees (18:50) and the Pharisees.

And he is saying there in verse 23, the hour has come for the son of man (19:00) to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, (19:07) it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

And anyone who loves (19:13) their life will lose it. And anyone, well, anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it (19:18) for eternal. And so he goes on and he talks about, now my soul is troubled, verse 27.

(19:28) What shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. No, it was for this very reason I came for this, (19:36) not to this hour. Father, glorify your name.

What is he asking? In other words, (19:46) what Jesus is going to go through, he’s going to present the very act that’s going to save you and (19:55) I, the sacrifice that pays the debt that man owes to punishment. Jesus is going to pay that for us. (20:06) And so he’s saying to God at this time, glorify thy name.

So he says in verse 27, (20:18) now my soul is troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. No, (20:23) it was for this reason I came to this hour.

Father, glorify thy name. (20:31) And how is he going to glorify his name? It’s for God’s namesake that he is going to go to that (20:39) cross, isn’t he? Because God wants us to know his love for us. He wants us to know that he (20:49) is going to give his only begotten son so that we could be saved.

And he wants us to be able (20:57) to recognize the fact that what God, what Jesus is going through is God’s way of glorifying his name. (21:04) And it’s for his namesake that Jesus is going to go through this cross. (21:10) And it’s for his namesake.

So he says, I came to this hour, Father, glorify your name. (21:17) Then not many people recognize this fact, but this is one of the events oftentimes overlooked (21:23) where God’s voice comes from heaven. I don’t know how many people hear it.

(21:30) But I know Jesus hears it because it says here in verse 28, then a voice came from heaven. (21:40) I have glorified it and will glorify it again. The crowd that was there heard it and said it (21:48) thundered like others and an angel had spoken to him.

God’s name is being glorified (21:59) by Jesus. He is doing what God asked him to do, and he’s doing it pleasingly in a willing way. (22:10) And he’s doing it because he wants to do it.

The Hebrew writer points out that Jesus went (22:17) to the cross gladly, knowing full well that his action was going to provide us with the salvation (22:23) that we need, the justification that we need in order to be right in the sight of God. He knew that. (22:32) So he’s saying, I’m going to glorify your name all by myself.

And I’m trying to see how much time I (22:45) got left here. Let’s go to the Philippians, the fourth chapter, almost talking about the fact that (23:11) he is a servant of God. And we’re going to be talking about servants tonight.

(23:18) Now he is a servant of God, and he’s been doing the things that he does (23:26) to glorify God in his behalf. And so he’s pointing out to him, to the Philippian letter, (23:37) let’s pick up in verse 14. And he’s complimenting the Philippian church because they’re picking up (23:43) contribution and supporting him.

And they have just made a contribution to his support. (23:51) And he says in verse 14, it was good for you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians (24:00) know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, (24:08) not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only.

(24:14) For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. (24:23) Not that I desire your gifts that I desire is that more be credited to your account. (24:31) I have received full payment and have more than enough.

I am amply supplied. Now that I have (24:37) received from the gifts you sent, they are a fragrant offering in acceptance, sacrificing, (24:45) pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in (24:55) Christ Jesus.

Many times we will hear, I can do all things through him who strengthened me. (25:07) And my eyes are deceiving verse 10. Let’s pick up with that.

I’m rejoiced greatly in the Lord (25:17) that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no (25:23) opportunity to show it. I’m not saying this because I am in need or I have learned to be (25:29) content, whatever the circumstances.

I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have (25:38) plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or (25:45) hungry, whether I’m living or in plenty or in one. I can do all things.

I can do all this through him (25:55) who gives me strength. Oftentimes when I hear that particular phrase, I think that it’s being (26:02) offered out of context. I’m not knowing exactly what Paul is saying there.

I can do all things (26:10) through him who strengthened me. In other words, you and I can face problems within our lives. We (26:19) can be unemployed.

We can be employed. We can be unhealthy. We can be healthy, whatever it is.

(26:28) God, what Paul is trying to tell us, God is going to look after you. He’s going to meet your needs. (26:37) He can help you weather it.

He can help you through it. In other words, I can do all things (26:46) through God who strengthened me. And why has God strengthened Paul? Why has God strengthened you or (26:55) me? He wants to show himself strong and he wants for his name to be glorified.

And when good things (27:04) happen to us, our family recognizes it. When good things happen to us, our friends recognize it, (27:12) our acquaintances recognize it. And what God is looking for is for people to give God the credit (27:19) for your improvement or for how he dealt with your particular situation.

And so here I am. (27:30) And many of you know what my own particular situation is. I can endure this because God (27:37) gives me the strength to walk through it.

The situation that you find yourselves in, (27:47) it can very well be a test from God to see whether or not you will throw your arms up and say, okay, (27:54) I give in. I’ll go the way the world does. Or you can turn to God and seek God’s help (28:02) in giving you the strength to get through this particular problem.

(28:05) God wants the glory and it’s for his namesake that he is doing the good things for you. (28:15) And it’s for his namesake, because he has not forgiven us or forgotten us rather, (28:20) that he wants us to become his children. He wants to adopt us.

He wants us to look forward to being (28:30) with him in heaven. One of the things I pointed out, and I’d love to point this out, (28:36) in the Colossian letter, Paul points out that one of the reasons why people are turning to (28:42) Christianity, one of the reasons why people are becoming Christians and being baptized for the (28:48) remission of their sins, rise and walk in the newness of life, naming Jesus as their Lord and (28:55) Savior, and putting him on in baptism, is because of the promise that God holds out to them. (29:04) What is the promise that God holds out to us? Heaven.

Paul says that’s the reason why people (29:15) are turning to Christ, because we are. The only hope the individual has of going to heaven (29:24) is in Christ. And that’s God’s mercy, that’s God’s grace, and that’s God’s gospel.

(29:36) And if you’re here this morning and have not responded to the offer that God is holding out (29:42) to you to become a child of God and to look forward to a promise in heaven, we’d like to (29:47) extend to you the opportunity to respond to that invitation to become forward and name Jesus as (29:51) your Lord and Savior, and to be baptized for the remission of your sins. I’d like to encourage you (29:58) to do so. Altogether, as we stand and sing. (29:59)