Summary: First night (Monday) of a revival series focusing on 2 Chronicles 7:14.

So if you have your Bible, please turn with me to:

Text: 2 Chronicles 7:14

“If MY people which are called by MY name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek MY face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land.”

Subject: What Does It Mean To Be Called By God’s Name

In the very first verse, of the very first book of the Holy Bible, the Word of God reveals that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This is telling us that God stepped out into darkness and planted his feet onto nothingness. And while suspended there in the middle of nowhere He hung the sun high up above the earth and said with his mighty voice, “Let there be light.” Can I get a witness?

Then God took the moon and the stars, and He placed them in such a way that even in the darkness, a little bit of light would just keep on shining. God went as far as placing other celestial bodies, millions of light years away, and putting them into solar systems that we can not even see with the naked eye and some of which man may never be able to reach. Yes, my brothers and sisters, God created this world and everything that he wanted in this world.

But what amazes me the most is that after creating all of the animals and insects; all of the flowers, plants, and trees. After creating the land and the waters, God even took time out of His busy schedule as Creator of everything, to create a living being called man after His own image. Oh I wish I had some help up in here?

God created man in His own image—After His own spirit— After His own righteousness—After His own likeness— After His own power— After His own ability. And verse 27 lets us know that although there was only man at this time, this first man was a very special man. The bible reads “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.” Man was created a perfect being, consisting of both male and female.

But God decided that man needed a helpmeet and separated woman out of man. And how many of you know today that anything God does is perfect? Whatever he does is pure. Whatever he does is without spot, wrinkle, or blemish. And knowing this we must also know that GOD did not make any homosexuals or lesbians. Because He did not make an Adam and Steve or an Ada and Eve. But he created Adam and made Eve and they were perfect.

We all know the story of how they sinned against God and were cast out of the Garden of Eden. How they were cast out of paradise because of their disobedience to God. And you know what: they were cast out without ever knowing the name of GOD. And the first thing that we must address if we are to understand what it means to be called by His name, is the question of what His name really means in our lives. Pray with me for a little while.

In biblical times, a name was more then just a personal means of identification. Names conveyed authority. They showed character and issued promise. They even displayed a certain fate and/or destiny. Human names carried a great meaning, but God’s name encompassed his whole identity. It expressed his power and his omnipresence. His name clearly defined his relationship to His people.

Consider David if you will (over in the seventeenth chapter of First Samuel) when he was confronted by the giant Goliath. He relied upon the authority of God’s name, for I can hear David saying “I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” Can I get a witness?

When the Psalmist Asaph asked God for deliverance in the 79 division of Psalms, Asaph told God that he sought deliverance “for the glory of” God’s “name” and “for” His “names sake,” Asaph appealed to God’s concern for the reputation of His name among the pagan nations.

Solomon in his infinite wisdom wrote in Proverbs 18:10 that “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” Solomon was referring to the protection that God’s name affords us who believe in Him.

Even Jesus, in teaching us how to pray, said “Hallowed by thy name.” In other words, He was calling on us to worship and reverence the God’s Holy Name. Can I get a witness?

The second question that we must ask in considering our being called by the name of God is What is God’s name. What is God’s name?

In the book of Exodus, I can remember God calling on Moses to go down into Egypt to deliver the children of Israel from bondage. But Moses was smart enough to know that if he went down to the people, he needed to know who it was that was sending him to do the task that was laid before him.

You know how we are. If someone comes to your house and tells you that somebody sent them there, for whatever reason there may be, the first thing we are going to want to know is the name of the person who sent them. Am I right about it?

So Moses asked God the question “Who shall I tell them it is that sent me.” And it is here that most of us would expect GOD to answer with some brilliant, magnificent, and colorful namea name that would be above all other names. But instead He tells Moses to tell them that I AM THAT I AM. Tell them that I AM has sent you. Before anything was I AM. Before anything came to be I AM. Before time ticked or tocked I AM. And you know what? If God had stopped there, that name would have been more than sufficient. Because the present-tense of that name keeps His name in the present. It makes is everlasting and eternal on earth and in the heavens.

But the Bible tells me that there are other names by which God has revealed Himself to us.

After He revealed his name to Moses as I AM, he later introduced Moses to His personal name of Jehovah in Exodus the 6th Chapter. It is from this name that we arrive at some very specific names for the Lord our God. Abraham, even though he was not exposed to the name of the Lord, referred to him as Jehovah-jireh. Which means the LORD will provide. If you don’t know that the Lord will provide, you ought to take the time to try Him out sometime and see for yourself, won’t He come through when you need Him to. Have I got a witness?

Moses called the LORD Jehovah-nissi, which means the Lord my banner. Moses knew that no matter where he went; no matter what dangers he faced; no matter what burdens he had to bear, the LORD would always walk in front of him, just like a banner or a battle flag; keeping him safe from hurt, harm, or danger. Ain’t God alright?

Over in Judges the 6th Chapter, Gideon called on the Lord as Jehovah-shalom. Meaning the LORD send peace. How many of you know today that the LORD is a peace maker. If you are having difficulties in your marriage, you ought to call on Jehovah-shalom. Have I got a witness?

If you’re having problems with your mother or your father, your sister or your brother, your aunt or your uncle, or even some low-down scoundrel cousin of yours, you ought to stop feuding with your family and call on the peacemaker. Am I right about it?

Because if you call on the name of Jehovah-shalom, peace will come raining down. Ain’t the Lord alright?

It doesn’t matter where you are. It doesn’t matter what way you do it. It doesn’t even matter when you do it? But wherever you are, you can call on the LORD and He’ll be right there. Yes, he will.

For I heard Ezekiel call on the LORD as Jehovah-shammah, which means God is there. And if you find yourself in a troublesome situation, just stop what you’re doing and call on the Lord and He’ll be there. If you find yourself battling evil, and it seems like men have deserted you, don’t you fret, and don’t you fear, but call on the name of the LORD and He’ll be right there. Can I get a witness?

But let me tell you, my brothers and sisters, every now and then, it may not be a provider that you will have to call on. It may not be a banner that you will need marching in the front of you. It may not be a peacemaker that you need standing by your side. You may not even need to know that God will be right there.

But every now and then, you need to know that you’ve got a Savior who will always be right there. Oh Lord.

Well, brother preacher, how do you know that there’s a Savior that will always be there when you need Him. Well one day a long time ago, I found myself in the middle of a storm, I looked to my right and nobdy was there. I looked to my left and nobody was there. I looked all around me and nobody was there to help me out of my storm. I was lost and could not find my way home. Oh Lord.

But then I remembered something that mama had told me. Ain’t God Alright?

I remembered that there is still one more name that we as children of God can call on in times of trouble. Can I get a witness?

For the Bible tells me that there is no other name under the heavens given among men, whereby a man shall be saved. Ain’t the Lord Alright?

You can call Him in the morning. You can call Him in the noon day. You can call Him in the evening. You can even call Him in the midnight hour. But whenever you call on Him, wherever you call on Him, however you call on him JESUS, JESUS, JESUS will be right there. Oh Lord.

For the Bible tells me that He came down through 42 generations. (CLOSE).