Hallowed Be Your Name
Matthew 6:9
OKAY – so we are in an in-depth verse by verse study of the Gospel of Matthew... (The King and His Kingdom)...
AND CURRENTLY – we are doing a deep dive into the most well-known prayer in the world, a prayer that Jesus unveiled in His Kingdom Manifesto, a prayer that His people have been praying for 2000 years ago.
A prayer that we know as the Lord’s Prayer.
NOW – so far we have looked at the first 7 words...
Our Father who art in the heavens
NOW THIS MORNING – we are going to look at the next 4 words in this prayer...
Hallowed Be Your Name
UNDERSTAND – in the bible there are many names for God and each name speaks to a different aspect of his perfect character.
In Genesis 1:1 God is called Elohim – This is a plural word that emphasizes God’s majesty, power and glory.
Elohim is the mighty creator God.
God is also called El Elyon – God Most High; this means he is a God who is high and exalted and can do great things. David wrote, “I will cry to God most high, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me.” When everything in your life is out of order and control, you need to know El Elyon.
In Psalm 91:1 - the Psalmist urges us to, “rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” El Shaddai, a name that speaks of God’s strength. Even when you have no strength you have not exhausted your resources because God says, “My name is El Shaddai.”
El Roi - the God who sees… LISTEN – even when you feel alone and like you have no hope – like no one cares, no one notices, God sees…
God is called El Olam – “The Everlasting God” (Gen 21:33) who is in no hurry and will take the time to do what is best for us…
Yahweh - is the most scared name for God, AND it speaks of His self-existence. “I AM WHO I AM” God told Moses.
Yahweh – shalom – “The Lord is peace”
Yahweh -rapha; “The Lord is our healer”
Yahweh -jireh; “the Lord will provide” (Gen 22:14)
NOW - those are just some of the names of God that we see in Scripture.
AND MGCC – understand God is very serious about His name. IN FACT - one of the commandments that Moses brought down from thundering Mt Sinai was..
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain,
(and listen this is so much deeper than using God when cussing..)
for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. - Exodus 20:7
Question - Why is God so sensitive about His name?
BECAUSE - a name is much more than an identifying tag that that we wear. A name represents three things: reputation, character, authority.
A Name Represents Reputation.
When somebody has a good reputation we say, "He's got a good name." When he's got a bad reputation, "He's got a bad name."
I MEAN - when I say a name you automatically think of the person’s reputation.
For example - what do these names bring to mind?
Hitler, Martin Luther King Jr, Elvis, Mother Teresa, John F Kennedy, Judas, Ted Bundy, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, George Washington...
A Name Represents Character.
In bible times when parents picked out a name for their child they didn’t go buy a book and pick out the coolest or most popular name… INSTEAD they would pick a name that had a special meaning
Jacob was so named because he had his hand on his brother Esau’s heel.. Jacob literally means “heel catcher.” Joseph first born was named Manasseh because God had help him forget all the trouble of his past life, Manasseh means, “forget”
Samuel means asked of God..” (Hannah).
UNDERSTAND – who you are (your character), cannot be separated from your name once they’ve been identified together.
AND – that is why many times in the Bible when somebody changed their character, when their life was changed, God gave them a new name.
Abram became Abraham,
Jacob became Israel,
Simon became Peter.
Saul became Paul
God would change their names because they had changed their character…
A Name Also Represents Authority.
When a police stops you he doesn’t say, "Stop in the name of Micky Mouse!"
No, he says "Stop in the name of the law." Why?
Because there is authority behind that name.
If you received a call from ________ while you were eating dinner you might have them call back later.
But if his name were Joe Biden you would probably take the call right then (whether you voted for him or not).
Names represent authority.
AND – God is the ultimate authority.
Jesus says that we are to pray that God’s name
THAT - His character, reputation and authority would be hallowed…
NOW - we don’t use this word ‘hallow’ much in our day,
BUT - it means to attach appropriate value to something.
It means giving something the honor that it’s due.
To Recognize its worth.
“Our Father, who art in the heavens, may Your name receive the honor that it deserves. May Your righteous character be seen in this world so that men and women will respect You, for who You really are and may they come to recognize Your authority in all things”
OKAY – so we are to hallow God’s name...
BUT HOW - do we actually do it.
I MEAN – it is one thing to pray these words, but what is our part in ensuring that God’s name is hallowed (holy, set a part) in this world
I would like to suggest three ways that you and I as God’s people can hallow His Name. We hallow His name...
When we gather to worship Him like we did this morning (I don’t know about you but there is no else that I stand and sings songs of praise to)
When we strive to understand more fully who God really is, as revealed in Scripture.
When we pursue holiness and strive to live a life that reflects His character and that brings honor to His name.
A guy by the name of Martin Luther had this to say about hallowing God’s name: “God’s name is kept holy when His Word is taught in its truth and purity, and when we as children of God lead holy lives according to it.”
AND MGCC – that is what I want us to send the rest of our time this morning doing... talking about our need to pursue holiness in order to hallow His Name.
QUESTION...
WHAT – thoughts immediately come into your mind when you think of someone pursuing holiness?
WHAT – thoughts do you think would come into the minds the average person in the good old US of A?
I MEAN – if you told the non-believers in your life (or for that matter) if you told your Christian friends, that you were going to ‘really’ get serious about pursuing holiness…
WHAT - would they think you were getting ready to do?
THEY – would probably think that you were getting ready to send all of the fun in your life an eviction notice…
AND - become a very ‘not fun’ person to be around.
UNDERSTAND – pursuing holiness has too often become nothing more than a bunch of ‘nots.’
NOT – drinking, smoking, dancing, playing cards, going to parties, watching certain movies, wearing jewelry, getting a tattoo, looking at porn, having sex before we are married, not cursing (at least not out loud)…
BUT LISTEN – the truth is we can be very good, proficient at all of the NOTS… AND STILL – not be holy…
IN FACT – there were a group of guys in Jesus’ day who had developed great skill in the ‘nots’... anyone remember
AND MGCC – I think that when it comes to this ‘holiness by nots’... God would say, ‘Yes, I am glad that you are not getting drunk and looking at porn…
BUT – let me ask you, do you forgive those who hurt?
ARE YOU - humble, gentle and kind, quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry?
Do you love your enemies? Are you patient with those who frustrate you? Do you put the needs of others before your own?
AND B/S - when it comes to pursuing holiness in the church, one of two things has happened.
WE HAVE – either pursued in the wrong way and have become legalistic and self-righteous. You know that ‘holiness by checklist.’ OR – we don’t really think about holiness, or even pursue at all.
I MEAN… It’s like we believe… that because we are saved by grace… THAT - pursuing holiness no longer applies.
THAT – obedience to the Word and Commands of God no longer really matter.
SURE – we know that the bible says we should live our lives in a certain way… but hey, we will never be able to be perfect… AND - besides it doesn’t really matter, because Jesus died for our sins.
YET – we read in Scripture...
For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
– 1 Thessalonians 4:7
NOW – the word holy basically means… ‘separated, set a part, God-likeness, Christ-likeness, a life lived differently than the world around us…’
God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. – 2 Timothy 1:9
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
– Hebrews 12:14
NOW – holiness is a huge topic... I mean throughout both the OT and NT holiness is talk about 600 times.
SO – there is no way that I can come even close to saying all there is to say about pursuing holiness this morning. BUT – I do want to accomplish 2 things.
#1 – Get us to think about personal holiness
And listen that goal is already being accomplished, right?. I MEAN – if you were not thinking of personal holiness before you walk through those doors, you are now.
#2 - Motivate every Jesus-follower in this room (with the help of the Holy Spirit and the Word of) to ‘begin’ the journey of chasing after a ‘personal-practical-progressive’ holiness…
PERSONAL (in our own lives)
PRACTICAL (we are actually doing something, living a certain way, like it is visible in our attitudes, actions and behaviors)
PROGRESSIVE (we are growing and maturing in our Christ-likeness, step by step… day by day)
AND LISTEN – a personal-practical-progressive holiness is one of the reasons why God saved us…
YES – He saved us because He loves us
YES – He saved us for His glory
YET – Ephesians 4 says;
For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. – Ephesians 1:4
Christianity is not just about what Christ has saved us from, but what He has saved us to.
AND MGCC – I will attempt to accomplish these 2 goals by unpacking a few statements… that I hope will answer some of the questions that many of us have in regard to personal holiness…
What pursuing holiness is not
Why we must pursue holiness
What pursuing Holiness looks like
How do we pursue holiness
NOW – about 1 pm yesterday I came to the conclusion that in order to due this topic justice we will only be able to unpack the first two statements.
I. What Pursuing Holiness Is Not…
A) It is not an option for God’s people
AND - it never has been. UNDERSTAND – God has always called His people to live distinct lives, separate lives…
I MEAN – anyone who has spent even a little time in the Scripture, will see rather quickly that God has always called His people to swim upstream… to be different… set a part from the world.
In Genesis 6-9; God calls a man named Noah to build an ark to save his family from a world-wide flood – WHY? Because Noah was different than the evil world he lived in… In 2000 BC – God called Abraham to leave; his homeland and his gods and become the father of a new nation… A PEOPLE - belonging to God.
AND UNDERSTAND – everything about this new nation, was to be separate in regard to the world…
(diet, dress, worship, lifestyle..)
AND CHECKOUT – what God told Moses to say the people shortly after their deliverance.
Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” - Exodus 19:3-6
ISRAEL – you have seen my power, you have experienced my deliverance... Now I want you to live for me.
AND PETER – said this to us as Jesus-followers
You must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:14-16
WE… ‘must’ be holy... set apart, separate, God-like, Christ-like... we must live lives noticeably different then the world around us… B/S - it’s not an option.
Pursuing Holiness
B) It is not the means to our salvation
YOU KNOW – I think that one of the reasons why, we don’t pursue holiness is because we think that it in some way would undermine God’s grace. Like we are saved by grace and not by works.
BUT UNDERSTAND...
The grace that saved a wretch like me, is the grace that is intended to transform a wretch like me…
NOW – really like how the writer of Hebrews words it...
For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. – Hebrews 10:14
IN OTHER WORDS – when we surrender to Christ’s sacrifice through... Faith, Repentance and Baptism we are viewed as perfect in God’s sight (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
– Acts 2:38
AND – once we are perfect in God’s sight we then begin to live from that a holy life.
UNDERSTAND – it is our position in Christ that enables us to begin to live like Christ.
Pursuing Holiness
C) It is not mere rule keeping
AND LISTEN – the word ‘mere’ is critical in that statement…
BECAUSE – pursuing holiness is never less than obeying God’s commands. AFTER ALL – Jesus did not say, “if you love me, you will give up on rules and religion and do whatever feels right…” INSTEAD – He said… If you love me, you will keep my commandments. - John 14:15
BUT - like we already said, it’s all to easy to turn the fight of faith into ‘holiness-by-checklist. WHERE – we take care of a few bad habits and develop a couple of good ones, and we’re set...
HOWEVER - the problem with this approach is…
#1 – is usually doesn’t take in consideration the condition of heart, which is what Jesus says defiles us
(unless your righteousness)
#2 – ‘holiness by checklist’ it can be very selective.
AS – Kevin DeYoung writes in his book, ‘The Hole In Our Holiness (filling the gap between Gospel Passion and the Pursuit of Godliness)
It’s all too easy to turn the fight of faith into sanctification-by-checklist. Take care of a few bad habits, develop a couple good ones, and you’re set. But a moral checklist doesn’t take into consideration the idols of the hearts. It may not even have the gospel as part of the equation. And inevitably, checklist spirituality is highly selective.
So you end up feeling successful at sanctification because you stayed away from drugs, lost weight, served at the soup kitchen, and renounced Styrofoam. But you’ve ignored gentleness, humility, joy, and sexual purity. God has not really gotten to your heart. – Kevin DeYoung
YEAH – we can end up keeping our very selective holiness checklist while ignoring ‘the weightier matters’ like...
gentleness, humility, joy, mercy, forgiveness, grace, compassion and justice …
Pursuing Holiness
D) Is not the way of the world
MGCC - we’ll never make progress in holiness if we are waiting for the world to throw us a party in honor of this pursuit.
AND UNDERSTAND - when I use the word ‘world’ (I am not simply talking about the people around us)...
INSTEAD – I am referring to everything that opposes the will of God. THINK – of this way...
Worldliness is whatever makes sin look normal and righteousness look strange.
AND LISTEN B/S - ‘worldliness’ is a serious problem.
IN FACT - the Bible says that “if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).
NOW - Christians used to talk a lot more about worldliness and fear its creeping influence.
Today, however, if you talk about dressing in a worldly way or spending your money in a worldly way or seeking worldly entertainment you’re bound to see some rolling eyes and hear some barely muffled laughter.
Kevin DeYoung writes...
Worldliness is what our grandparents were uptight about. We have a planet to save and no time to concern ourselves with such trivialities. We simply don’t believe that friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4).
Many Christians have the mistaken notion that if only we were better Christians, everyone would appreciate us. They don’t realize that holiness comes with a cost.
Sure, you can focus on the virtues the world likes. But if you pursue true religion that cares for orphans and promotes purity (James 1:27), you’ll lose some of the friends you were so desperate to make.
Becoming a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, requires you to resist the world which wants to press you into its mold (Rom. 12:1–2).
Saving yourself for marriage, staying sober on Friday night, turning down a promotion to stay at your church, refusing to say the f-word, turning off the television—these are the kinds of things the world doesn’t understand. Don’t expect them to. The world provides no cheerleaders on the pathway to godliness.
Pursuing Holiness
E) It is not about ‘separating ourselves’ from the world
AND – isolating ourselves from the world, you know, hunkering down in our little Christian fortresses.
IN – my opinion there has been way too much of that…
When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. – 1 Cor 5:9,10
MGCC
We are to ‘salt’ and ‘light’ in a world of darkness and decay.
UNDERSTAND – God’s wants us to take our holiness not to some Christian Mountain fortress but into the darkness...
OKAY... pursuing holiness is...
II. Why We Must Pursue Holiness
AND LISTEN – the ‘why’ behind something we are asked to do has always been very important to us, right?
I MEAN – even when we were little kids when someone would tell us to do or not do something, the first word out of our mouth was, why?
Don’t stick your fork in the light socket – why?
Don’t ride your bike in the street – why?
Wash your hands before you eat – why?
Don’t throw your little brother down the stairs – why?
You need to go to bed – why?
You can’t date until your 16 – why?
Don’t pee in the neighbors front yard – why?
AND – do you know what?
I’m not sure that we ever quite grow out of that...
I MEAN – everyone likes to know ‘the why’ behind the things we are asked to do...
SO - in keeping with this innate desire to know why - let me give you some reasons why you should choose to hallow God’s name by pursuing holiness.
We must pursue holiness
A) Because We love God
QUESTION – has someone ever asked you to do something for them… and one of the main reasons that you did it was because you love them? SURE – you have?
I MEAN – if Laurie asked me to run to Walmart and get her something at 2 am, I would probably do it? Why because I love her... AND – if you called me up at 2 am…
No. I don’t love you that much, sorry.
QUESTION… – do you love God? Awesome, me too!
WELL – God has asked you as one of His people about 30 times in Scripture to be holy? Do you love God?
If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
- John 14:15
We must pursue holiness
B) Because we do not want the way we live to bring dishonor to God’s Name
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. - Exodus 20:7
OKAY CHECKOUT – what God said to his people, who were exile after the Babylonians crushed the Jewish nation;
I was concerned for My holy name, which had been dishonored by My people throughout the world. Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord, I am bringing you back again but not because you deserve it.
I am doing it to protect My holy name, which you dishonored while you were scattered among the nations. I will show how holy My great name is – the name you dishonored among the nations. - Ezekiel 36:21-23
God said that the Israelites had dishonored his name everywhere they went. How?
By claiming to be “God’s chosen people” yet living in a way that God was contrary to who God had called them to be.
And because of this, the other nations around them respected the name of the Lord less.
QUESTION...
DO - God’s people dishonor His name today?
Do they at times; say or do something, that does the exact opposite of Hallowing God’s name?
Do God’s people ever do things or act in ways that cause people to respect God less…?
Someone has rightly said;
Too often we have cringed at unbelievers who use God’s name in an expression of cursing, but how much more damage is done when a believer malign God’s name by His actions and attitudes.
As Christian we wear God’s name - and when we take that name and live against God we have taken His name in vain.... Karl Rahner wrote in the Wittenburg Door –
The #1 cause of atheism is Christians. Those who proclaim Christ with their mouths and deny Him with their lifestyles is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable..”
They claim to know God but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good....” - Titus 1:16
MGCC - whenever we live out our lives in a way that is NOT Christ-like, we are not hallowing our Father’s name.
UNDERSTAND - when you pray “hallowed be thy name”, you are asking God that you would always remember whose child you are, and you are asking that His Name would be honored by the way you live.
We must pursue holiness
C) Because it is absolutely possible
On October 28, 2010...
God gave me powerful analogy I have never forgotten…
I had just fixed my coffee, put in the sugar and the creamer… and sat down to drink it and it tasted nasty.
Problem – I forgot to stir it up…
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. – 2 Peter 1:3
We must pursue holiness
D) Because holiness is life in all its fullness
It is the life we were created to live…
It’s who we really are.
We must pursue holiness
E) Because it brings God glory
UNDERSTAND – when we are holy… when we live the lives we are created to live it brings glory to God.
AND LISTEN – bringing Him glory is why we were created.
Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.’” – Isaiah 43:7
QUESTION – how does living a life of holiness bring glory to God? UNDERSTAND MGCC...
Our personal, practical, progressive holiness reveals to the world what God is like and how life can be lived.
UNDERSTAND – just as the heavens declare God’s glory so can our lives!
UNDERSTAND B/S - we are a reflection of the character of ‘Our Father’ in the eyes of a watching world.
THEREFORE - to pray "hallowed be your name"... is to say,
"All right, Father, I hereby give up sin as best I can, and I will live each moment of my day (every word and every action) in such a way, Father, that your name and who you are will be honored.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT – it is one of the great mysteries of God, that he has allowed the holiness of his name on this earth to be bound up with the character and conduct of his people, of you and of me.
I MEAN – come on, how awesome that we can play a part in hallowing the name of the great and near God.
