Sheep in pasture

Sheep in pasture
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Tuesday, June 3, 2014

“Hello My Name is…El Shadday”

June 1, 2014
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Sermon Series on “The Names of God”
Sermon 21 of series-
“The Sacred Names of God: El Shadday”
Genesis 17:1-2 Names of God Bible
1 Samuel 17:45-47 Names of God Bible
Ephesians 1:15-23 Common English Bible
  Spangler, Ann Praying the Names of God: A Daily Guide



Let us pray… (Pray for God’s illumination of our hearts, minds and souls.)
1 Samuel 17:45-47 Names of God Bible
45 David told the Philistine, “You come to me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Yahweh Tsebaoth, the Elohim of the army of Israel, whom you have insulted. 46 Today Yahweh will hand you over to me. I will strike you down and cut off your head. And this day I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals. The whole world will know that Israel has an Elohim. 47 Then everyone gathered here will know that Yahweh can save without sword or spear, because Yahweh determines every battle’s outcome. He will hand all of you over to us.”

As we continue our journey of learning about and praying in the Sacred Names of God, we have heard many names for God…names of strength, names of compassion, names of hope and of peace. There are a couple of names of God that make me think of His vast power. These names talk about how unsurpassed our God is. We have even sung to one of those names this morning. 
The other was said by David as he battled with the giant Goliath. These two names are El Shadday and Yahweh Tsebaoth…God Almighty and Lord of Host… How awesome it is that our God is both of these and so much more.

Ann Spangle in the Praying the Names of God: A Daily Guide states that:
“The Lord of Hosts is a title that emphasizes God’s rule over every of “the host of heaven,” it is usually speaking of celestial bodies, though the phrase can also refer to angelic beings. The word “host” can also refer to human beings and to nature itself. When you pray to Yahweh Tsebaoth, you are praying to a God so magnificent that all creation serves his purposes.
Yahweh Tsebaoth (yah-WEH tse-ba-OATH) is a title of great power. It occurs more than 240 times in the Hebrew Scriptures, reminding us that all of creation, even in its fallen condition, is under God’s rule and reign. At times Scripture speaks of the Lord of Hosts leading a great army. Cherubim and seraphim; sun and moon; stars and sky; rivers and mountains; hail and snow; men and women; animals, wild and tame— all these worship the Lord and are at times called to fight on his behalf.”
Wow…everything…everything…in Heaven and on earth bows down to the Lord of Hosts to our powerful and mighty God. Nothing can  stand beneath His power. What a mighty God we truly do serve…

And we have the name El Shadday…God almighty! (I personally love this name of God. It reminds me of the Great and Awesomeness of the God I serve. It gives me hope when It seems as if there is no way out. It  gives me peace on those nights when I may be worrying about the next day. It gives me joy in knowing that my God bring me through whatever comes my way and we will have victory together…)
Ann Spangler talks about El Shadday in stating that:
“God revealed himself as El Shadday, God Almighty, to Abram and told him of the everlasting covenant he was establishing with him and with his descendants. Until the time of Moses, when another divine name was revealed, the patriarchs considered El Shadday the covenant name of God. When we pray to El Shadday, we invoke the name of the one for whom nothing is impossible.
The Hebrew El Shadday (EL shad-DAI), often translated “God Almighty,” may literally be translated “God, the Mountain One.” Since many of the gods of the ancient Near East were associated with mountains, early translators may have made an educated guess regarding its meaning. Like the mountains themselves, God is seen as strong and unchanging. El Shadday reveals God not only as the one who creates and maintains the universe but who initiates and maintains a covenant with his people.”
Our awesome, strong, God maintains His covenant…He stands strong…even if we do not at times, even if we turn away, even if we are frail and weak, our God is as strong as the mountains in which He created…

I would like to read to you another piece of Scripture that talks about…tells how…awesomely powerful our God is. The scripture talks about his powerfully of God’s power…so to speak. It is found in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 15-23. Listen to how Paul explains God’s power to the people of Ephesus…
“Ephesians 1:15-23 Common English Bible (CEB)…
Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians
15 Since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, this is the reason that 16 I don’t stop giving thanks to God for you when I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, will give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation that makes God known to you. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart will have enough light to see what is the hope of God’s call, what is the richness of God’s glorious inheritance among believers, 19 and what is the overwhelming greatness of God’s power that is working among us believers. This power is conferred by the energy of God’s powerful strength. 20 God’s power was at work in Christ when God raised him from the dead and sat him at God’s right side in the heavens, 21 far above every ruler and authority and power and angelic power, any power that might be named not only now but in the future. 22 God put everything under Christ’s feet and made him head of everything in the church, 23 which is his body. His body, the church, is the fullness of Christ, who fills everything in every way.”

Our God is all powerful…but what kind of power is it?
1.     It is power above every earthly or heavenly power – There is nothing that is above His power and grace…no situation…no battle we fight…no worry we have…no addiction…no…fill in the blank… is above Him. He is El Shadday…He is  Yahweh Tsebaoth and nothing or no one can change that fact…
2.     It is power in us who believe – verse 19 tells us that God’s power is work among and in us…the power of that piece of the divine in us that works in and through the Spirit that God has gifted us with. What power and might God could work in us and through us if we would believe…trust and obey.
3.     It is power for us who trust in Him - What mighty things God has in store for His children if we would but open the gift of the cross and all that comes along with it. Some people have accepted the gift and never open it…others may have accepted the gift and opened it but have just put it aside…while others have opened the gift and hold on to it so tight and are afraid that if they share it they will lose it. This power from God is a gift that never stops giving…never runs out…think about that…maybe we, as Christians, need to release God’s power in order to see God’s glory…just saying…
4.     It is power channeled through and for the church – verse 22 and 23 kind of says it all. It is power given to the church to “go out and make disciples”…given to be the hands and feet of Christ..given to be that healing for the broken, batter and torn…it is given to be that light in the dark chaos of the world in which we live… It is not something that is squandered or hidden away. So many people seem to forget that fact. Think about it. A candle cannot be put in a box and be expected to continue to burn. After a while it will go out…lack of oxygen. It is the same with the gift of power of the Holy Spirit. If we keep it in a box…if we keep it in our church building…if we keep it to ourselves…eventually is will go out for the lack of air. This gift from God is a moving and breath thing (the breath of God) and it needs air…it needs to be set free to flow where God needs it to flow…to those who have been stifled by the breath of sin and death. It is the power of God within us…maybe…as Christians…we should not be so power hungry….maybe we shouldn’t be asking for more power within the church if we don’t plan to use it…then again perhaps if we decide to use our power for good and not ….

Beloved church of Christ, body of Christ, you who are the fullness of Christ, we have a mighty and strong God who created all things…is within all things and is above all things. How awesome is that…but even more awesome is the fact that this same Almighty God El Shadday… is the same as He was yesterday…is today and will be in the days to come…and is full of power that He wants to share with us today. How will you use the power that is given to all who believe? We serve Yahweh Tsebaoth…the Lord of Hosts,  how will we honor His call on our lives? Will we be the “powerhouse” church or will be the “powered down” church for God? Only you and I can answer that question but perhaps if we, as the body of Christ, would work together to blow a gale force wind of God’s power, maybe then we would see all those false gods…those false temples that humanity has erected, come tumbling down…Maybe…just maybe…perhaps we would…

Let us pray…
El Shadday, God Almighty, thank you for your great and awesome power. You never grow weary, You never give up, and You always do what you promise no matter what. Help us today to stop running after the security that the world offers, and to start running after your kingdom instead. Reign over us. Use us. Make us single-hearted, intent on one thing, pursuing your will. Yahweh Tsebaoth, LORD of Armies, please calm our fear and anxiety. You know everything that is going on in our lives right now. Please stretch out your hands to save us, and help us to rest in the knowledge that you are with us even in the most frightening of circumstances so that we may move forward in your power and might.
( (2011-09-01). Names of God Bible (with direct verse lookup), The (p. 30). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.)

Amen!

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