“He Knows My Name”
Enon Baptist Association Pastor’s Conference
May 19, 2003 Robert S Hightower
I know as pastors you have tried to help people and it just doesn’t seem to work sometimes…
For some of you that was just yesterday and for some that will be today And I know how frustrating that can be
One day a kindergarten teacher was helping one of her students put on his cowboy boots? He asked for help and she could see why. Even with her pulling and him pushing, the little boots still didn’t want to go on. Finally, when the second boot was on, she had worked up a sweat. She almost cried when the little boy said, "Teacher, they’re on the wrong feet." She looked down and sure enough, they were. It wasn’t any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on. But she managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on - this time on the right feet. And it was only then that he announced, "These aren’t my boots." She bit her tongue rather than scream, "Why didn’t you say so?" like she wanted to. And, once again she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off his little feet. No sooner had they got the boots off then he said, "They’re my brother’s boots.
My Mom made me wear ’em today. "Stifling a scream, she mustered up the grace and courage she had left to wrestle the ill-fitting boots on his feet again. Helping him into his coat, she asked, "Now, where are your mittens?" To which he replied, "I stuffed ’em in the toes of my boots." The article ends by saying - Her trial starts next month.
Sometimes that’s what it feels like dealing with church members Well I hope that we don’t let them intimidate us or cause us to act in anyway but CHRIST LIKE but I know at times it is tempting
Coming here today is a little intimidating for me, standing in front of a bunch of preachers and bringing a Word from our Lord! What an awesome privilege and responsibility
I have only been in the ministry for 5 years and have not preached much the last year, and I am nowhere as qualified as most of you to stand here and tell you anything But the message I bring to you today is not mine I’m just the messenger boy I don’t know how many of you remember your first sermon but I do, mine was actually when I was 16 (that was like 10 years ago or something)
I was afraid I was going to run out of time when I got started But it was over in 7 ½ minutes and it started here goes and finished well that’s it
Some people have suggested that I go back to that style and time frame
And while my opening and closing may not be much different I have figured out how to add time in the middle So here goes and hopefully by lunch time I can say well that’s it The other night I was at a dinner and this verse was shared and I thought what a great place to start and finish today!
The scripture is found in 1 Cor 2:1-5 and it says
1 When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.
2 For I resolved to know nothing while I am with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
3 I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4 My message and my preaching are not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
Three things I trust that I will do this morning
· PREACH JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED
· COME IN MY OWN WEAKNESS
· DEMONSTRATE THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPRIT
I HAVE A FRIEND THAT REMINDS ME QUITE OFTEN IT’S NOT ABOUT ME AND IT’S NOT ABOUT US BUT IT’S ALL ABOUT HIM
· When we get discouraged
· When the church isn’t growing
· When the people aren’t following
Let me encourage you that
· if you are Preaching Jesus and Him Crucified
· if you are Preaching in His power not yours
· if you are Becoming less and He is Becoming more
It’s all going to be okay! No matter what’s going on with you right now! Because it’s not about us
It’s not even about our church It’s not about how we feel It’s all about Him
BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN HE’S NOT CONCERNED WITH YOU! OR THAT HE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON WITH YOU IN YOUR LIFE Just the opposite is true
I have asked Cheryl my wife to come and sing a song for you this morning Susie Thompson (Jeff’s Wife)
Michael (our oldest son) I have asked them to sing a song that I hope will speak to you in the way it did to me the first time I heard it Have Cheryl Sing:
He Knows My Name
I heard this song several months ago during a worship time at the Billy Graham School of Evangelism in Dallas The words from that song kept ringing in my head over and over.
· He knows my name....
· He knows my every thought
· He sees each tear that falls AND
· He hears me when I call...”
That should be a great encouragement to each of us this morning that NO MATTER where you are or what you are going through right now!
· We have a God that KNOWS
· We have a God that SEES
· We have a God that CARES
As I was preparing this message I got out my Bible and looked for the times Our Father called people by name. I found them All throughout the Old Testament and the New, the Lord well knew the names of each individual. There are too many instances to even number. BUT HE CALLED MANY BY NAME
It’s usually a good feeling when someone calls you by name. There is just something about hearing your name called out loud.
“Robert, it was nice meeting you...”
“Robert, can you help me with this?”
“Robert....”
I can’t quite describe the feeling it gives. But, I am sure you know what I mean.
I CAN remember a time when I didn’t like to hear my name called out and that was when my momma used my whole name… Even though our Father knows our whole name I am convinced that most of the time. He just calls us by our first name.
And He calls it in a soft and loving way just to comfort us!
And I am convinced that as busy as we are in the ministry if we would just slow down and be still for just a minute we would hear Him call and we would know that He is GOD And we would remember what that really means
In my search through the Bible for names, I ran across several stories that I want to remind you of this morning. As I was thinking about names
I remembered a story about our youngest son Stephen
Cheryl told me about a conversation she had with Stephen when he was about 3 or 4 years old. She was addressing some cards or invitations and decided to find out how much Stephen understood about what she was doing. So she asked him, Stephen “Where do you live?” And he answered “At my new house,”
She said, she agreed, that he was correct, and asked if he knew on what street he lived. He said “Ridgeway,” and he was pleased with himself and she was surprised. Then she asked, “What is your last name?” There was a pause, and then he blurted out, “Joshua Stephen! “Well, that is your first and middle name, but what is your LAST name?” After a long pause. Finally he said,
“Come Here! Joshua Stephen Come Here!”
Well. . . if he didn’t exactly know who he was, at least he knew where he should be.
Sometimes I think it would do us more good if we knew where we should be instead of exactly who we were! But I am pleased to remind you this morning that we serve a God that not only knows
· where we are (He knows)
· where we are going (and He knows)
· who were are, (Because He knows our name!)
The first person that He knew and called by name was Adam You know the story well,
After God had created a beautiful place for them to live and provided them with everything they could ever need He only placed one restriction on them and that was to leave just one tree alone that was in the center of the Garden But not unlike us and our people today the very thing that we were not supposed to have is the very thing they were drawn to. And you know the story of the sin and the fall and that brings us to Gen 3:8-10 after they had sinned
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
9 But the LORD God called the man, ADAM "Where are you?"
10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."
Aren’t you glad that we serve a God that when we sin and when we hide that He come looking for us!
Not to punish us but to restore us
When Adam was in Sin God Knew his name
When Adam was ashamed God Knew his name
When Adam was running from Him God Knew his name
When Adam was embarrassed God Knew his name
Even when Adam was disobedient God Knew his name
I like a phrase that I learned from Paul Burleson that says “there is nothing you can do to make God love you any more and there is nothing you can do to make God love you any less” God still knows your name! So this morning when you are discouraged guess what He knows your name This morning when you are confused He knows your name When you are hurting He knows your name When you want to give up He knows your name He knows my name.... He knows my every thought He sees each tear that falls AND He hears me when I call...”
The next person that came to mind was Abraham. These are all stories that you are familiar with but there is an aspect that we will miss if we are not careful What a great story of God knowing someone by name. I am working through a Bible study right now with a new believer called CREATED TO BE GOD’S FRIEND It is a study about the life of Abraham Man what a privilege to be called by name but even more so to be called God’s Friend, That is my desire each day… God called Abraham by name, many times. Abraham is usually a great example for us because unlike most of us almost every time God called his name he not only heard but he obeyed I’ll just remind you of a couple of times that God called him by name. In Ge 12 God called him by name and said Abraham I want you to pack up your family and your belongings and I will show you where to go We have a hard time packing up and leaving when we know where God wants us to go many times but Abraham obeyed even when he didn’t know all the details. This morning God is speaking to some of you and you are hesitant because you don’t have ALL THE DETAILS. Let me encourage you to just be obedient when you hear our Father call your name.
Then in a time when even Abraham didn’t understand but he knew that God was once again calling him by name In Ge 22 God said Abraham, and Abraham said Here am I One lesson we can learn from Abraham that would do us good this morning is the fact that when God called his name he was always listening I am convinced that we often miss when God calls our names because we are too involved in THE MINISTRY instead of the RELATIONSHIP In vs. 2 “Then God said”
2 … Abraham "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."
3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey…
Abraham obeyed immediately And you know the story how he was obedient even when it didn’t make sense But I can assure you when you hear Him call your name and you know that it is Him leading
it makes it a whole lot easier to do even the stuff that doesn’t make sense to us This last part is so very important because if Abraham hadn’t been listen he may have very well missed the most important call in his life During a time that Abraham may have been confused During a time when he didn’t know why this was happening to him During a time that he may have been unsure of life itself His missing God calling him by name could have been devastating You know the story how Abraham took his son Isaac and place him on the altar and was about to kill him And in vs 11 it says GOD KNEW HIS NAME!
11 the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" (LISTEN TO HIS RESPONSE) "Here I am," he replied. 12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
I WONDER HOW MANY TIMES WE AND THOSE AROUND US SUFFER BECAUSE WE DON’T HEAR WHEN HE CALLS OUR NAME! I can’t help but think that as Husbands and Fathers and Preachers and Leaders that is most important that we always be listening for Him to Call Us By Name
Not just for us but even for those that we serve and lead. Many others that God called by name
· Moses, Noah, Jonah, Elijah and David
In times of obedience as well as disobedience In times of comfort and in times of pain In times of running from God as well as time of running to God
One last verse and I will close Ps 139:1-4
1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
2 Cor 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
· He knows my name....
· He knows my every thought
· He sees each tear that falls AND
· He hears me when I call...”
