What's Your Name?

God put this message on my heart a few weeks ago, and I'm glad to have the chance today to share this message with you. The title of my message is “What's Your Name?”

Let us pray.

Dear heavenly Father, we're just so thankful that we have the opportunity to come before you, Lord, in this building, in this house of yours, Lord. We don't have to worry about any people rushing in here and dragging us out, or different gangs or the police Lord. That we can, in this country, we can worship you in peace, Lord, and we praise you and thank you for that, Lord. Lord, we thank you that we can come forward with our tithes and offerings to bless you and bless others, Lord, in our church and in our community. Lord, please open the ears to hear and the eyes to see and the hearts and minds open to hear your word, Lord, and we just praise you and thank you for that in Jesus name we pray.

Amen

What's your name? What are the voices you hear telling you you're not worthy, you're not a good person, you'll never amount to anything, you're lazy? We all experience thoughts or voices telling us that we are not good, that we are not loved. These thoughts and words come from many sources: parents, teachers, friends, enemies, Satan, etc. Maybe you had a parent who told you you were not wanted or that you would not amount to anything. Maybe a teacher told you that you were not smart enough to pass their class, friends who have said things that hurt you and betray you, all these things that happen stay in our minds. The old saying sticks and stones may break your bones, but names will never hurt you, is not true. Words hurt and then cause lifelong damage to so many people, including Christians, who become identified with what other people think or call them. Some people see themselves through others' eyes, not through their heavenly Father's; they seem to forget that what really matters is how they are seen in God's eyes. I have heard these things many times in my life. I've been called lazy, shy, not wanted, dumb, and told I won't amount to anything, so I understand how you and others feel.

I have borrowed some of the lyrics from the song "Fear Is a Liar" by Zach Williams and changed the word "fear" to "Satan."

When he told you you're not good enough, when he told you you're not right, when he told you you were not strong enough to put up a good fight, when he told you you're not worthy, when he told you you're not loved, when he told you you're not beautiful, you'll never be enough. Satan, he is a liar. When he told you you were troubled, you'll forever be alone. When he told you you should run away, you'll never find a home. When he told you that you were dirty and you should be ashamed, when he told you you could be the one that Grace could never change, oh Satan, he is a liar.

We are told to live and die by the world.

We allow the world to define us; we let the world dictate how we should behave. The world tells us to live in darkness, the world tells us to live a life of sin because it's okay. We allow television, computers, and cell phones to rule our lives. Those who live in the world tell you they are happy and that everything is okay, yet behind closed doors, they are searching for something; they're not happy, and everything is not okay. They are struggling and hurting; there's a chief accuser of the world, and that is the devil. Are we allowing Satan's lies to enter our hearts and stay there? The devil is out to steal, kill and destroy… he can do that with words.

We are all called to an exclusive personal relationship with God. We are to let no other lover take God's place. The good news is that God will not tolerate other lovers, however loving and lovable they are, coming between God and us. For God knows that all the other lovers, however loving or lovable, cannot finally satisfy the longings of our hearts. All other lovers leave us unfulfilled. We are made in such a way that only the infinite God can satisfy our finite hearts. We are not only made by God, we are made for God. We are created in such a way that only the infinite, holy, all-powerful, all-wise, ever-present, merciful, personal God can fill and fulfill our finite hearts. Did Jesus only love the worthy ones? No, he loved Mary Magdalene, who had seven demons. In Mark 16:8-10 in the NIV, starting at verse 8: “trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone because they were afraid.” The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9 to 20 “when Jesus rose on the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalene out of whom he had driven seven demons she went and told those who had been with him and who are mourning and weeping. 11 When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.