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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