“Hello My Name is…El Roi”

April 27, 2014

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon Series on “The Names of God”

Sermon 16 of series-

“The Sacred Names of God: El Roi”

Genesis 21:1-21 The Message Bible

Acts 4:32-35 The Message Bible

Spangler, Ann: Praying the Names of God: A Daily Guide

“Hello My Name is…El Roi”

Let us pray…

God of Jesus Christ, give us a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Christ,

so that the eyes of our hearts might be enlightened. Help us to know the hope to which you have called us, the riches of the glorious inheritance in the saints, and the immeasurable greatness of your power at work in us. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

(—based on Ephesians 1:17-19, NRSV “Reprinted by permission from The Worship Sourcebook, © 2004, Faith Alive Christian Resources.”)

In the world in which we live there are so many ways we can locate stuff. We have GPS to locate where we are going. There are microchips that we put in or animals so that if they ever get lost they can be found. There are baby monitors so that we can know that our child is safe and sound. We need to know where things and family members are and that they are safe and sound.  Sometimes I want to put a GPS in each of the girls’ backpacks when they leave for school. Just to see where they really go each day… But is that all there is to life? Is that all we need to care about? Well…what about those who feel lost and alone? What about those who think that no one cares what happens to them? How can they have hope for tomorrow? Where can they find that feeling of being cared for and safe? Is there something we can do to help them feel that love? Does God really care about them?

Today I would like to talk to you about another name of God…a name that brings hope to those who feel hopeless… This is a name I am fond of and grateful for each day. The Name is El Roi…the God who sees me (or watches over me). The title El Roi reminds us of the God who numbers every hair on our heads and who knows the circumstances of our lives, past, present, and future. Nothing is hidden from him. God has been looking after His creation called human beings for a long time. There are many stories in the bible about God watching over His people. One that I really like is the one about Abram, Sari and Hagar that I read this morning.

Paraphrase the story of Abram, Sari, and Hagar… before Sarah became pregnant and she banished Hagar. God watched over both women. Hagar in the desert twice and remembered Sari.

Ann Spangler states in her book “Praying the Names of God: A Daily Guide”: “Even the most watchful parent has to sleep. But Scripture makes it clear God never slumbers, never looks one way while we head off in another, never misses a millisecond of what is happening on earth. It also assures us God is on the lookout for men and women who are totally committed to him. Why? Because he wants to strengthen their hearts as they serve him. If you are feeling weak in the face of life’s challenges, the best way to grow strong is to strengthen your commitment to Christ. Decide to obey fully, to follow completely, to keep your eyes fastened on him. Let El Roi take pleasure as he watches over you, and you will soon find your heart stronger and your confidence deeper without quite knowing how it happened.” As we trust our ever watchful God we are changed without even realizing we have. It is that natural…it really is that simple…and yes easier said than done.

In Psalm 139 David talks about God knowing everything about him No matter where he went God…El Roi…was there. David’s God is also Hagar’s God and our God too—the all-knowing, all-seeing God keeps his eye on us and watches over us by day and by night. If you have ever been tempted to believe that no one understands you or that no one cares about you, you will have to revise those thoughts in light of the God who revealed himself so faithfully to this desperate slave girl and her son. He is El Roi…our constant companion on our journey of life.

So you may say…Ok Pastor Ruth, this has been a great story for us about God’s provision but is that the end of the story? No it is not the end of the story. As a matter of fact God also provides for us through others…through the church. In the Book of Acts, we hear the story of the first church. Listen to how God used others to provide for His people…

Acts 4:32-35 The Message (MSG)

32-33 The whole congregation of believers was united as one—one heart, one mind! They didn’t even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, “That’s mine; you can’t have it.” They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them.

34-35 And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person’s need.

God uses others in our lives to look after us and provide for us. El Roi knows who can help us…who can be His messenger…who He can trust to be the voice of God in the wilderness. But…but…God’s ambassadors…you and I…must be willing to be used for and by God. We need to be God’s church…the church on fire for God and His plan. So what does a church like this look like? Well I think I answered that question in the reading from Acts.

a.     Unanimity of heart and soul→ verse 32 tells us that they shared everything. There were no ego trips…no “what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is mine”. They were all of one mind. Yikes…we have to share and be like minded with people…even those who drive us within our church family? Yes…

b.     Hearing of great preaching→ OK…I had to say that… The apostles gave great witness…passionate witness…of Jesus Christ. They told the truth and the facts of what they witnessed. Is that something we can do? I don’t know…I think I can do that. Just tell others about my witness of Christ in my life and the lives of others.

c.      Reception of grace→ God’s grace was upon them all. DO you think God is still in the habit of pouring out His grace on the faithful? Well…I think so. I have seen the grace of God fall upon this room many times. I have heard stories of God’s grace in life of people of this church.

d.     Love of fellow Christians→ They loved their brothers and sisters in Christ so much that they “sold the farm” so that the proceeds could be given to everyone. It was all shared. None had more or less but all was equal. I can’t believe that there are some churches that have been graced by large amounts of money and they don’t share with those in need and keep it for their rainy day. Well…it may not be their rainy day but it’s someone’s rainy day and we should do what we can, with what we can, to help all we can…

El Roi loves us no matter what. He sees all that we may go through in life and goes with us. He sees us worrying about our future and yet our future us un His hands if we would trust. He has numbered and knows ever hair your head. We never go alone. El Roi goes right along with us even though we may not feel Him, He is there. He wants us to be His image in the world. He wants to us not only to supply for the needs of others but to be His face of love. He wants us not only to be His ambassadors but to be the very voice calling out in the darkness of a world full of anguish and fear, worry and depression, loneliness and grief. How will you answer His call? Will you believe in the ever present source of all goodness or will you choose to believe the siren song of the world? We have choices to make. Maybe…just maybe we can be the church that once was. Maybe, just maybe we can be the voice of compassion and love. Perhaps this really isn’t the end of the story but the beginning of the journey with our Risen Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps maybe…you fill in the blank…

Let us pray… (Pray to El Roi)

Lord, I praise you for you know the whole story. From beginning to end, you see it all. Give me the humility to admit my limitations. For I   don’t always see the past accurately, my vision of the present is often blurred, and I am blind when it comes to the future. Help me fasten my eyes on you, trusting in your vision for my life and in your watchful care. Help us to be your presence in the world in which we live. Embolden us with the Gospel of Christ so that we may share with the passion of the first Pentecost believers. May we trust you more as we step out in faith and give you more of who we are. AMEN!

“Hello My Name Is Yahweh Tsidqenu”

April 20, 2014

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon Series on “The Names of God”

Sermon 15 of series-

“The Sacred Names of God: Yahweh Tsidqenu”

Jeremiah 23:5-6 Gods Word Translation

Matthew 28:1-10 English Standard Version

Spangler, Ann (2008-09-09). Praying the Names of God: A Daily Guide

A reading from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 28, verses 1-10. Listen to and for the Good News from God…

Let us pray…(Pray thanking God for Easter Sunday, for Illumination, the Spirit to work within us, the boldness to follow where the Spirit leads)

How many of you have ever had such good news that you just couldn’t contain it? I know I have. It seems as if I would explode if I didn’t share the news with someone…be it something about myself or someone else…I just can’t help but spread the news! How about if you had a great idea that would solve so many issues? It might be an easier way to do something or an idea that would help humanity…the possibilities are endless. There is no telling when we might have good news for some one. The only boundary that it may have is our own imagination. We might right now have some good news that needs to be shared. What’s stopping you?

          We have come to the end of our Lenten journey. We have visited the Upper Room and shared a meal and were given a new command from Christ…the command to love others not as we love ourselves but as Jesus loved and still loves us. We even sat at the foot of the cross and stood with those who stood by when Christ was put to death for all of humanity’s sake. But here…today…we celebrate Christ’s victory over death and joyfully…with enthusiasm…with all of our heart… can say “CHRIST IS RISEN”…YES HE IS RISEN INDEED! We can exclaim this because of what God has done…not what we have done.

Another name for God is Yahweh Tsidqenu (yah-WEH tsid-KAY-nu)…The Lord is our Righteousness. We are not righteous on our own but it is the Lord. And because of His great love for us…the work that was done on the Cross…we are made righteous! Because Christ Has Risen…HE has Risen INDEED! Righteousness isn’t a popular word in our culture. Yet righteousness is essential to our happiness because it involves being in right relationship or right standing with God. To be righteous is to conform to God’s character, fulfilling our responsibilities toward him and others. But even though this righteousness is vital, it’s impossible to achieve, no matter how much we long for it. It comes only as God’s gift through faith in his Son. In the Jeremiah from this morning, the prophet Jeremiah predicted the coming of a King who would be called the LORD Our Righteousness (yah-WEH tsid-KAY-nu). Jesus fulfilled this prophecy by restoring our relationship with God through his life, death, and resurrection.

          But is that the end of the story? Are we to just say our thank you’s and good bye’s to the Cross of Calvary? Or, is there something more? My answer is NO! This is not the end but only the beginning of the story, the beginning of the new life…the beginning of a new age. Christ went to the cross not just to save you and me but to save all of humanity and there is so many who need the hope and forgiveness of the cross I just can’t imagine Jesus wanting us to keep it for ourselves. God wants all of humanity to be saved and we are here to share the good news so that it is. That’s part of mine and your mission here…part of the purpose of why we were created…to love, to share, to be Christ for the world. You see I know this to be true…that God wants all of humanity to hear the message. When Jesus died on that Friday so long ago He didn’t just lay there with nothing to do until Sunday morning…Resurrection Day. On Holy Saturday He descended into Sheol and ministered to those who had died before His amazing love on Good Friday. God wanted even those who were already dead to have the chance for the redeeming grace found in Christ Jesus…

          There are so many in the world who feel that they have nothing but death ahead of them in life…they don’t know that there is victory over death in Christ and this victory is and will be ours through and by faith. We will all face death at some point in time…we will all experience the death of a loved one at some point on our journey of life and faith…we may even experience death to old things in our lives…death to things that just don’t “work for us anymore.” But, death is not the end…it is a beginning of another chapter in our lives that’s called eternity…death can make new things spring forth in our lives and the lives of others…

          You see…the old way of dealing with sin with animal sacrifices had to die in order for God to bring about a new life for His people. It wasn’t really working anyway. In order to spring forth with a new life that would make His people glad and rejoice in His salvation the sheet spread over the nations…over the people of God…needed to be removed. Death needed to be swallowed up forever…now we are not talking about the physical death but the death to the spirit that was present because of sin. Death, O death, where is thy sting?

          This promise was accomplished through the death and RESURRECTION of Christ that we heard about in the Gospel of Matthew I just read. Victory over sin and death…victory in Jesus! Even though Jesus had told the disciples He would be back…He would rise again after His death, they still didn’t understand until it was accomplished on the first Easter Sunday morn. Death, O death, where is thy sting?

          OK Pastor Ruth…how do you know these things are true? How can we know that Easter is true? Well let’s play some CSI and look at the facts of this case… (Who are you, who, who, who, who…Who are you, who, who, who, who…I really want to know…who are you, who, who, who, who?) Give us the facts…only the facts Pastor…

a.     Circumstantial evidence…empty tomb® The stone was rolled away. Now this was not just your every day typical stone but one that probably took a few men to put in place. They wanted to make sure that none of Jesus’ followers came and took the body and then claim that Jesus had risen from the dead like He said He would. When the women got to the tomb it was empty. The burial cloth that Jesus was wrapped in was sitting there with no body underneath. They looked and did not find Jesus there.

b.     Witness of God’s messenger (angel)…the witness of the Word®Angels were messengers from God. Some had good news like what was told to Mary the mother of Jesus and Joseph His father. And some were not such good news like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Angels were frightening to us humans being all shiny…glowing with the Glory of God…so I don’t blame the solders being frightened. But the messenger of the Lord said Jesus had risen from the death and if that is God’s message then…

c.      Experience of the living Christ…he is to be seen in Galilee®the women saw Jesus. The angel told the women that they would see Jesus in Galilee…but even better than that. They saw Jesus on their way back to tell the disciples what the angel had told them. The best news ever was when Jesus was actually seen…in public none the less…by others. These “sightings”… did nothing but only confirm Jesus’ victory over sin and death. They say that seeing is believing and did they ever see. Death, O death, where is thy sting?

          Today, Easter Sunday, is not the end of the story. Without the Resurrection there is no hope for life beyond the grave, no assurance that God is on control, no guarantee that love is greater than hatred. We have the best news ever to share. There are those out there who haven’t heard the good news and it is our commission to share this news with all who will hear. Are there people in your lives or mine that need a little bit of good news? Are there those around us that are suffering with the penalty of sin that need to be freed from their oppressor? Are there people in our lives that are frozen in fear because of their uncertainty of their future of the future of their loved ones? Share the good news…shout it from the roof tops…give others a hope for the future. CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! Christ has conquered death for you and for me…for all of humanity! Yahweh Tsidqenu is the Lord of righteousness and it is through Him we receive the crown of glory…it is through Him that we are made clean…it is through Him that we are worthy…it is through the love that was shown on a dark Friday long ago that we are able to shout loud Alleluia’s. Alleluia He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

Let us pray…

Father, We admit that we have sinned and fallen far short of your glory—of your purity, your justice, your integrity, your mercy, and your love. We have no right to stand in your presence, except by the grace of your Son through his offering of love on the cross. Thank you, God, for drawing us back when we were so far away. Help us to hunger and thirst for righteousness on this earth— that all men and women might return to you and give you glory through the love and power and mercy of your Son, Jesus Christ…

Amen

A Teachable Moment…

Maundy Thursday

April 17, 2014

Exodus 12:1-4, 11-14 the Message Bible

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 the Message Bible

John 6:47-51 the Message Bible

Psalm 116:1-6, 12-19 the Message Bible

We have almost come to the end of our Lenten journey together. On our journey we have learned that through Jesus, God pours out so many blessings but the most important is the free gift God Salvation only found through Jesus. As Psalm 116 said, God heard our cry for help...He heard and came to help, He knew our need for a Messiah. God did not come and help in the form of a Davidic king taking Rome by storm but in the form of a helpless babe who grew up to be the King of all kings freeing all of humanity from a fate worse than death...freeing us from our sin. How interesting it is that He would come in the form of a helpless babe to help us in our helplessness of sin...He became like us to conquer for us...And this gift...is absolutely FREE!

We now enter the upper room where Jesus taught His disciples then and now one of the most important lessons in His ministry. There was one last thing He needed to show them…example for them…before He completed His work on the cross. Jesus took something that they were taught as they grew up…the Passover Seder…and turned into something new…something different. They were taught that the Seder was a remembrance of how God delivered the Israelite's from the tyranny of the Egyptians as is stated in the Exodus scripture I read this evening. Now this new thing was about remembering Jesus and His teachings…about remembering how Jesus acted and to go and do likewise.

        At this Seder, Jesus did something that a teacher would never have done. Instead of having others wash His feet…instead of claiming the rights of one was above others…Jesus did a new thing. He was the one who washed the feet. Taking on the posture of a servant instead of being served, He taught the disciples and us to live a new way…one that puts others above our selves.

        I can understand how Simon Peter felt…he knew who Jesus was. Peter understood that Jesus was special. Peter felt unworthy of Jesus washing his feet but Jesus told him that if He didn’t, Peter could have no part of what Jesus was doing…this new way of life. In taking on this new lifestyle… of a servant…Jesus also gave them and us a new commandment. To love others not as our self but as Jesus loved. To be willing to put aside self and take up theirs and our own cross and follow Jesus’ example.

        Jesus taught the disciples many lesson as they learned from their Rabbouni. We continue to this day to remember those lessons by reenacting the Lords Supper. This too was a new thing that night when the celebrated the Passover meal together. You see not only did Jesus become their servant and gave that servant example to them, He also changed the meaning behind the whole “Lords Supper”. It not only was a remembrance of what God did in Egypt but also what God did in Christ Jesus...He became that Pascal Lamb...He proclaims that He is the “Bread of Life” as in the John scripture from tonight. You know John the Baptist knew exactly who Jesus was. In John 1:29 John proclaims that Jesus is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” The disciples then and now celebrate this meal that Jesus offers so that we may live life with Him. Through Him there is life eternal instead of a life of death. Through His death and resurrection we have new life in Christ...1 Corinthians reminds us that each time we celebrate...reenact this meal, we are drawn back to the Upper Room and suit with Jesus. May we always cherish these moments and never get to the point that we become so familiar that we just go through the motions and miss out on the God inspired moment in the Upper Room...

        So...now Jesus gives one of His final lessons at this meal in the Upper Room. They and we are called to live in a new and radical way…much different than the world around us as Jesus’ disciples. Now...they and we are called to serve...to set aside ourselves our titles...our degrees...our self-interests...our ego's...we are called to not see color...we are called to not see economic realities...we are called to be a house of prayer and not a house of despair...we are called to be the hands, feet, voice and image of the Servant of the Lord. We are called to roll up ourselves and get involved with a hurting world that needs acts of Radical Hospitality.

        We are called to love unconditionally. We are called to serve others with the love and joy that Jesus did. We are called into the family business, as beloved children of the Most High God. We are called to be Christ to the world. Imagine what the world would be if we were more interested in the family business than branching out on our own? Maybe the world...humanity...needs to return to its original form and walk in the cool of the evening with our God? What to do you think would happen if you and I would unconditionally be the hands and feet of Christ? Just imagine.

“Hello My Name is…Ish Makaboth”

April 13, 2014

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon Series on “The Names of God”

Sermon 14 of series-

“The Sacred Names of God: Ish Makaboth”

Isaiah 53:7-12 The Message Bible

Isaiah 50:4-9a Complete Jewish Bible

“Hello My Name is…Ish Makaboth”

Let us pray…

Loving and Gracious God, full of compassion and love, You are the giver of all that is good and perfect. We thank you for this day that we can slow ourselves down and bask in Your word. As we sit at Your feet, we ask that You would help us understand the message for us today through the Spirit that You have placed within us. May that Spirit move within us so that we may see the light of your word. May we come away from our encounter with You this morning changed people of God. Speak to us Lord within the darkness of life, we are anxious to hear Your voice within our hearts and see the light of your glory.

Have you ever had so much sorrow over something or someone that it feels as if your heart is actually going to break? Have you ever been to a place like that and it feels as if you will not survive through your pain? When you are in the midst of this suffering and pain, we can feel as if we are all alone. No one can understand the pain and anguish you are feeling. You feel as if you are at the bottom of a dark, deep pit and there is no way out. There is no one who will come with a light to help you find your way out. Who will come and sit with you through this season of your journey and help you find a way out?

Today is Palm Sunday. Today we celebrate Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem with waving Palms. The people knew that Jesus was special. They were sure that Jesus would be the one to save them from the tyranny of the Romans. Jesus was the Messiah that would free them as David would. Or was He?

We are continuing on our journey of learning the Sacred Names of God and praying in that same name. We have learned so many names for God it is very fitting that our Sacred Name of God is Ish Makaboth…Man of Sorrows…as we enter into Holy Week.

Now we have sort of touched on this Name of God…Ish Makaboth…when we talked about the Servant of the Lord. I had read the first part of Isaiah 53 a couple of weeks ago but today, I read the “rest of the story”. The part I read today reminds us of Holy week and what Jesus would suffer by the end of the week. We begin this week with the cry of  Hosannas and end it with shout of “Crucify Him!” As a matter of fact, after Jesus had His triumphal entry, He went away and looked over Jerusalem and cried over it there are two times that we hear about Jesus crying, one was over Lazzareth and the other over Jerusalem… He was full of sorrow because the people just didn’t understand who He was. They were all happy and excited that Jesus was going to be the Messiah but it was a different type of Messiah than they wanted. They wanted one who was full of violence and retribution but what they had was one full of peace and compassion. Matthew 20:26-27 tells us “But that’s not the way it’s going to be among you. Whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant. Whoever wants to be most important among you will be your slave.” Jesus wept because He knew that the people wanted blood but what they didn’t realize that it would be His blood that would redeem and save them.

But there is something about this whole “Passion Week” that amazes me. It was how He reacted within His suffering. I would like to “unpack” that statement for you by first reading Isaiah 50 verses 4-9a. Now I would like for you listen to the words I am reading and tell me if you could have acted the same as Jesus did…read from the Complete Jewish Bible…

Now I don’t know about you but I don’t think I could have acted the same way. When I am hurt my first reaction is to hurt back…I am only human. I think we all want to see our oppressors  come to some kind of judgment. Remember last week we talked about Shophet…the Righteous Judge…we at times have a hard time waiting for our Judge to drop the hammer down on those who hurt us… But listen to how a servant of God reacts…how they take suffering.

1.     Daily hears God’s voice strengthening them – verse 4 tells us that the servant of the Lord spends time with Him each day. Each day they are taught by God on what to do and they receive strength in the words God has for them. They are able to face each day knowing that God is with them. How much time do we…you and I…spend each day searching out God’s voice? How much time do we spend each day listening for God’s instruction for our lives? How excited are we each day to sit at the foot of the cross and just be…basking in the love and compassion that flows down from it?

2.     Willing accepts suffering – verse 5 tells us that the servant of the Lord “accepts their circumstances” because they know God is with them…that everything that happens is “Father Filtered.” Now this is hard. When we go through “the valley of the shadow of death”, how do we react? Do we trust that God will see us through or do we try to trust on our own strength and might to see us through? Do we run away from adversity or do we meet it head on with and through the strength of God?

3.     Endures suffering patiently – The servant of the Lord knows…is confident…that God will save them from whatever they face, as it says in verse 7, so they sit and wait and take their refuge in Him. Ok…there are times when we are going through a tough time on our faith journey and we just can’t see the “light at the end of the tunnel.” How do we react in these times? Do we turn to God and His Word to remind us of His promises or do we only focus on what is ahead of us trying to think of a way out? Do we look for comfort in the Word of God or in the world in which we live? I don’t know about you…but when I am going through these times of trial…it is hard for me to be patient. I want it over “yesterday”.

4.     Trusts in God to deliver them from suffering – The servant of the Lord takes it all. The insults, the wounds, the innuendo’s…whatever comes their way. They have a “tunnel vision” on God and will not be moved. They know in the end they will triumph as in the second part of verse 7. And the church says REALLY Pastor Ruth… how the heck do you expect us to take whatever people dish out to us. People are mean…humanity is cruel…how can we just sit by. Well…no one said it was going to be easy but with God on our side how can we not win?

I think my favorite part…the part that gets me through those tough times is what the rest of the scripture read this morning reads…My vindicator is close…God is close by ready to help me. Because of this fact, who can condemn me? If God is for us who can be against us…who can stand against us. Can somebody give me a GLORY!

 So…why suffer? Is not the question, because we live in a fallen world where there is suffering and despair. We don’t choose to suffer unless we are paranoid or have a martyr complex. It is not for us to choose. Suffering is a “cross we must bear.”  The true question is how we suffer when it comes as it will come to everyone of us. Are you in a season in your journey where you feel that you are suffering either by your own hand or by someone else’s? Do you feel like you are in the Sahara Desert with nothing but wide spread scorching sand? Are you looking for an oasis that you can come to and rest for a while? Beloved…Jesus our Lord and Savior suffered. He knows what you are going through. But you see Jesus Suffered, died and was buried. But on the third day He rose again and He will help you rise again from your valley of the shadow of death. He is waiting to cause healing rain fall upon your parched soul…the Healing Rain that falls down from the cross of Calvary. Find your rest, peace and hope in the One who has been there before…our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Come and dance in the rain of mercy, peace and redemption. He is always there waiting for you to join in the dance of life with Him

Let us pray… (Pray to Ish Makaboth)

Amen!

“Hello My Name is…Ebed Yahweh”

March 30, 2014

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

Sermon Series on “The Names of God”

Sermon 12 of series-

“The Sacred Names of God: Ebed Yahweh”

1 Samuel 16:1-13 The Message Bible

Isaiah 53 The Message Bible

Let us pray…

Loving, gracious all knowing and giving God, we thank you for this day that we have come into Your house to hear Your Word. We thank you for the Spirit of Truth that You have placed in each of us. We pray that by that same Spirit You would open Your word for us so that we may better understand how You would have us live out our sojourn here on this earth. May the meditations of our minds and hearts and the words of our mouths be pleasing to You our God…our Rock and Redeemer. Amen

Have you ever bought anything just because of its looks? Have you ever looked only at the outside of someone or something only to be disappointed by what’s really on the inside? There are so many things that look good on the outside but upon a closer look…it is not what it seems. How are we to know what is good and what is not if we can’t tell by looking at it? How are we to figure out how God would have us see things? Can we look at things through the eyes of God?

We are continuing on our journey of learning the Sacred Names of God and praying in that same name. We have prayed to the one true God…our Elohim…we have talked about and prayed to El Elyon who is the Most High God…we have come to realize that our God is the everlasting, eternal God…our El Olam. Our God is our Redeemer…He is Go’el. We know that our God is El Emet the God of Truth and as we follow our Rabbouni…our teacher we are lead in the light of God’s Truth.  As we follow our Rabbouni, we discover a new name for Him, Ebed Yahweh, for He is the Servant of the Lord.

Now I asked how we are to find what is good in God’s eyes? How do we see through the Eye’s of God? What does God see that we may not see from first glance?  Does God even see things differently than we do? Well…I think we can get some insight as we look at 1 Samuel 16:1-13.  Listen to what the Scripture is saying and see if you can pick out how we can see through the eyes of God…I am reading from the Message Bible this morning.

God Looks into the Heart

16  God addressed Samuel: “So, how long are you going to mope over Saul? You know I’ve rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your flask with anointing oil and get going. I’m sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I’ve spotted the very king I want among his sons.”

2-3 “I can’t do that,” said Samuel. “Saul will hear about it and kill me.”

God said, “Take a heifer with you and announce, ‘I’ve come to lead you in worship of God, with this heifer as a sacrifice.’ Make sure Jesse gets invited. I’ll let you know what to do next. I’ll point out the one you are to anoint.”

4 Samuel did what God told him. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the town fathers greeted him, but apprehensively. “Is there something wrong?”

5 “Nothing’s wrong. I’ve come to sacrifice this heifer and lead you in the worship of God. Prepare yourselves, be consecrated, and join me in worship.” He made sure Jesse and his sons were also consecrated and called to worship.

6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Here he is! God’s anointed!”

7 But God told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.”

8 Jesse then called up Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. Samuel said, “This man isn’t God’s choice either.”

9 Next Jesse presented Shammah. Samuel said, “No, this man isn’t either.”

10 Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel. Samuel was blunt with Jesse, “God hasn’t chosen any of these.”

11 Then he asked Jesse, “Is this it? Are there no more sons?”

“Well, yes, there’s the runt. But he’s out tending the sheep.”

Samuel ordered Jesse, “Go get him. We’re not moving from this spot until he’s here.”

12 Jesse sent for him. He was brought in, the very picture of health—bright-eyed, good-looking.

God said, “Up on your feet! Anoint him! This is the one.”

13 Samuel took his flask of oil and anointed him, with his brothers standing around watching. The Spirit of God entered David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life. Samuel left and went home to Ramah.

God looks at the inside not the outside as the world has its view. What matters most is the inside. I for one praise God that He looks at the inside. If He were to look at the outside of me…if He looked at me from the worlds view…I don’t think I would be where and who I am today. We, as Christians, need to have a heavenly view of the people and the situations around us. If we don’t look at things through God’s eyes we can tend to be discouraged at the things we see. But we have hope because our eyes that can see the good…we can have a heavenly view verses a temporal view.

When the Jewish people were looking for a Savior they looked for someone that the world would have a Savior. They were ;looking for someone to take Rome by storm. But God had someone very different in mind for a Savior. He had our Ebed Yahweh in mind…our Servant of the Lord…some would call Him  Ish Makaboth…The Suffering Servant or Man or Sorrows …but that is a sermon for a couple of weeks from now…

So let’s look at the word servant through the eyes of God. Now…servants were seen as slaves to someone. Though the Israelites were not considered God’s slaves, they were considered his servants, freely putting his interests before their own, confident of his care and protection. Prophets, judges, and kings were called servants of God in the Bible. Scripture speaks of  Moses, Joshua, Hannah, David, Isaiah, Mary the mother of Jesus, and many others as God’s servants because they lived a life of faithful obedience. We too are Gods servants. We are out there doing the work of God, putting His kingdom before our own, trusting that He will use us and take care of us as we work in His fields.

 In ancient times, a servant’s status was directly related to the status of his master. To be a servant of the King of Kings, then, is the greatest of privileges. It is no surprise to discover that the word minister, derived from a Latin word, and the word deacon, derived from a Greek word, both mean “servant.” There are passages called Servant Songs in Isaiah and they all speak of a mysterious Servant who would bring justice to the nations. Through his suffering, this Man of Sorrows, or Ish Makoboth (ISH makuh-BOTH), would redeem many. The Jews may have understood this as a reference to Israel, while early Christians understood these passages as messianic prophecies pointing to the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. By becoming one of us, Jesus suffered both with and for us. He was the Servant, Ebed (E-bed), beyond all servants.

What if Jesus had pursued a life of pleasure and comfort? No doubt he may have lived to a ripe old age. But we wouldn’t know, because history would have forgotten him. Who cares about a person who lives only for himself? That’s not the God we worship, not the Lord we follow. But that is not what happened. He became that perfect servant, even unto death. But Jesus is the Ebed Yahweh, who has served us in the most profound way possible, by allowing himself to be nailed to a cross so that we might have life and have it to the full. Praise God that we have that kind of Ebed Yahweh…that Servant of the Lord…who made room for you and me in the Kingdom of God…so that we may be redeemed by His blood…so that we too may become that servant of the Lord.

Yahweh protects the souls of his servants. All who take refuge in him will never be condemned. (Psalm 34:22).

But that’s not the way it’s going to be among you. Whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant. Whoever wants to be most important among you will be your slave. (Matthew 20:26-27)

Do people judge you because of what they see on the outside? Do people not even give you a chance because of things you might have done in the past even though you may have changed on the inside? Or even worse, do you judge people only by what you see and not give them a chance? Perhaps we, as Christians, need to put on our eternal glasses so that we can see people and situations through the eyes of God. Maybe then we can turn the tide of despair and hopelessness…maybe we can learn to give others the benefit of the doubt…I have been on the side of people judging me by the outside and it is not a happy place to be. Maybe you are looking for a real Savior that can bring you a new and improved life? Ebed Yahweh is there for us. He may not look like what the world would consider a Savoir but then again God doesn't see through the eyes of the world but He sees through the eyes of compassion and love. He is there waiting for humanity to decide that it needs a real Savoir…someone who would save them from the darkness all around.  Maybe, just maybe, as we look through the eyes of compassion we can lead others to the Ebed Yahweh that they need. We need to lead them to the Ultimate Servant, our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Maybe then we the world would finally find the peace and wholeness that it desperately needs. But it begins with a new “world view”…it begins with you and me. Then maybe, just maybe…

Let us pray… (Pray to Ebed Yahweh)