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Confession: I used to give my grandmother numbers to play the lottery. It wasn’t me who played the lottery – I was just a kid! But frequently when my gma took me to the store and she was purchasing lottery tickets, she’d ask me what numbers to pick.
Now, I can’t remember any time that she won any significant amount of money. So, it will not pay to ask me what numbers you should play. Further, as I’ve aged and understood how the lottery actually works, the lottery is an absolute waste of your money (fight me, haha!). I would advise that spending and investing your money would be better served in alternate sources.
But I’ve also learned something else. Lottery officials state that millions of dollars in prizes go unclaimed every year. Many people do not pay attention to the lottery results, misplace their ticket, or they simply decline to pickup on small payoffs. In fact, recently, someone won a record $2.04 billion Powerball ticket but that person never came forward to receive the reward.[1] In multiple states millions of dollar were waiting to be paid but expired. Giant jackpots and colossal cash payouts are frequently left unnoticed or overlooked.
The same is true for gift cards! Nearly 50% of U.S. citizens own on unused gift cards – and that % increases based on income – with the average value around $187 – that’s a total of $23 billion unused nationwide.[2]
On an even grander scale, God has a prize that is waiting for you that far surpasses any earthly treasure. God’s salvation is more valuable than gold, more prized than any fashionable jewels or refined gems. And for many, this incomparable gift is unclaimed, unrealized, unappreciated, and unfortunately for some unknown.
God has a prize waiting for you that far surpasses earthly treasures. God’s salvation is more valuable than gold, more prized than fashionable jewels or refined gems. And for many, this incomparable gift is unclaimed, unrealized, unappreciated, & unfortunately for some unknown.
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Illus: Almost every day we get a stack of mail with often times it containing credit card offers. When you open those offers it says something like, “You’re prequalified for a $10K line of credit”. This meant the credit card company was viewing me as credit approved and acceptable. However, the invitation did not give me automatic membership. In order to receive the credit card I had to complete the application saying actually I was in agreement. It would not be provided unless I accepted it.
God has prequalified you for eternal life by paying the penalty for your sins. However, He will only activate your account if you are in agreement to receive it. You must participate by grace through faith.
Today’s message will reflect upon the name of God that is precious and prevalent throughout both OT & NT.
EXAMINE: God is Salvation (Matthew 1:21)
God has over 60 names in the OT.[3] Our study on the names of God indicate that each name communicates about the character, the competency, and the compassion of God. God is known not just for who He is as The Almighty, but what He does in action.
- God is “Elohim,” which means “strong one.”
- God is “Adonai,” which means Lord or master.
- When God revealed Himself personally, His name was “YHWH” = “I Am that I Am,” or LORD.
- Additionally, last week we also reflected upon God’s name as “El Kabod” = God of glory. Glory is the weight and significance of who God is.
Today we want to reflect upon an additional name: Adonai Yeshua = The Lord is my salvation.
This name comes from a several different verses:
- Exodus 15:2 “The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation”
- Psalm 18:2 “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God in whom I take refuge, m shield, and the horn of my salvation”
- Psalm 25:2 “Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation, for you I wait all the day long.”
- Psalm 42:11; 43:5 “Hope in God… my salvation and my God”
- Psalm 88:1 “O LORD, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you.”
- Isaiah 12:2 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and will not be afraid, for the LORD God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”
- And many others…
The key is… God’s salvation is significant.
People today ask, “Are you saved?” And if you don’t have a religious background or are unfamiliar with the terminology, you probably are trying to recall circumstances: the fight you had at the bus stop, saved from a bad grade when the teacher gave bonus points, saved from almost drowning in a pool when you jumped off the diving board, or perhaps saved in a house fire or other extreme scenario??? But, the spiritual understanding of salvation is much more significant. It’s not just saved from a big bully or some stressful adversity. God’s salvation is rescuing from a destiny of eternal death to abundant hope and life.
Ephesians 2:4-5 “But God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved.”
This spiritual truth is on display in an earthly setting from Psalm 18:1-6
1 I love you, O LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. 4 The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; 5 the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.
This psalm describes the most formidable soldier as the Death Angel, and the most fearful enemy as the grave. The psalmist speaks about cords of death circulating with overwhelming waves of destruction and the snares of death on the doorstep. Imagine the striking fear and paralysis of taking a single step in any direction that could be your last.
Yet, in facing despair, the psalmist calls upon the LORD. His cry is more like a shriek for help.
And in this tense and trying moment, God hears.
God cares. God responds.
In Psalm 18, we discern multiple names of God
- Adonai Tsuri = “LORD is my rock”; A rock resembles: strength & stability, a permanent presence, an unshakeable foundation, an unchanging faithfulness; an unwavering protection. We praise God that on Christ the solid rock we stand, all other ground is sinking sand!
- Elohim Pawlat = “God my deliverer”; who fights your battles and leads you to safety.
- El Misgab = “God is a fortress”; a place and home of refuge (cf Dan 59:17; Dan 11:38).
- El Mawgane = “God is a shield”; an armed defender.
- Yahweh, Elohim Yeshua = “The LORD, God of salvation”.
- El Shama = “God who hears” God listens and is attentive to the cries of His people. (cf Ex 2:24; Ps 17:6; Rom 8:26; Heb 4:14-16)
God hears us because of Jesus.
In the opening of the NT we read:
Matthew 1:20-21 20 Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Joseph and Mary did not choose the name of their baby; it was commanded from heaven (Lk 1:31; Mt 1:21). Why did God send an angel to order these parents to name their child “Jesus”?
The name Jesus was common through the 2nd Century AD (cf. Col 4:11). For this reason, people distinguished one another by a person’s hometown – “Jesus of Nazareth,” or their parental name – “Jesus, son of Joseph the carpenter.”
Even further, in Hebrew Yeshua is also known as “Joshua.” Yet, in the Greek Iēsous, then Latin Iesus, translated into German and then English, as Jesus. Both names mean “Yahweh saves.” So, the very name given to the Son of God is “Jesus – Savior.”
Isaiah 43:3, 10-11 “For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior (Yeshua/Jesus)… before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior.”
So, the divine mandate to call this male child “Jesus,” is indicative that He is equal to God and is our cherished Savior!
The name Jesus is special to us as God-fearers and Christians. It’s a name we love to hear, as it tells me of the Savior’s love, who died to set me free; it tells me of His precious blood, the sinner’s perfect plea.
There’s no sweeter name than Jesus. Acts 4:12 says, “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
And God’s salvation is the overarching narrative, or scarlet thread, of the whole Bible. One person recently asked: “Using 4 words, how would you describe the Bible?”
People wrote…
- Greatest book ever known. (But it didn’t start as a book and it’s great even among unknown books)
- Your creator loves you. (Too much “you.”)
- The word of God. (wasted filler words “the” “of”)
- Jesus fulfills God’s promises.
Jesus fulfills God’s promise to reverse the curse of sin.
Adam & Eve considered God’s way were restrictive and neglecting satisfaction. They thought they were wiser and knew better than God. So, they doubted God’s goodness and disobeyed God’s design. This is the essence of sin.
Yet, Jesus is the greater Adam.
Romans 5:12 12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Theological happenings
Imputation: God crediting to one’s account – whether sin for judgment, or righteousness for forgiveness. So, we are sinners because we are ‘in Adam,’ and we can be declared forgiven if we are ‘in Christ.’
Justification: Just as if I’d never sinned. It’s similar to imputation but is God’s means to forgive our sin, which is only justification by faith. Religious deeds, moral efforts, or good works cannot save.
God saves us through the sinless life of Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Micah 7:18-19 “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.
19 He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”
Illus: I heard a story about a man who was smart and successful in life. His name was Marvin, and he graduated and became a prestigious lawyer. He lived in a high-rise apartment building in the city. One day Marvin was walking down the few blocks on his way to work, and he saw a group of homeless men on the streetside. One of the men looked vaguely familiar, and he peered into the man’s face and asked, “Sir, do I know you?” The disheveled man glanced upwards and said, “Marvin, this is Shawn. I sat next to you in Mr. Everly’s science class. We were also on the same football team.” Marvin replied, “Shawn, it’s so good to see you. Obviously, you have had some challenges, but I would love to help you today.” Marvin took out his wallet and wrote Shawn a check for $1K. “Shawn, please receive this gift and I hope I helps you get a fresh start, my friend. Take care.” Marvin went on about his day. A week later, Marvin sees Shawn at the same spot on the street. “Shawn, what happened; what did you spend the money on?” Shawn replied, “I never cashed it. I was afraid if I went to the bank they would look at my appearance and clothing and question where I received the check. So, it’s still in my pocket.” Marvin replied, “Shawn, that check is not valuable because of your appearance but because of my signature.”
Likewise, God’s offer of salvation is not valuable because of your presentation or accomplishments but because it has the endorsement of Jesus’ righteous blood and resurrection power.
- Start each day saying, “I’m a child of God the Father. As God has been gracious toward me, so I will be gracious toward others.”
Jesus fulfills God’s promise to reverse the curse of suffering.
When Adam & Eve disobeyed the LORD, immediately they experienced consequences. First, they experienced the inward heavy feeling of guilt. Guilt and shame infiltrated their marriage that created dissension. They forsook each other and the shadows of sin hovered over and haunted every aspect of life – physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually.
Sin’s curse created hardships that were meant to be peaceful and fulfilling. And those hardships escalated into pain, grief, and suffering.
Romans 8:20-23 “creation was subjected to futility… in bondage and corruption… groaning in pains… and not only creation, but we ourselves groan inwardly”
Yet, Jesus who entered our world was not immune to struggle or suffering. Jesus offers us hope, knowing the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed… and God is working all things together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:18, 28).
Illus[4]: An oyster suffers affliction when it gets a grain of sand lodged inside its shell. The sand becomes lodged and irritates the oyster. It’s like a thorn in the side, resulting in ongoing irritation. To comfort their anguish, an oyster creates a liquid coating to cover the grain of sand. Layers upon layers repeatedly coat the sand. The coating doesn’t remove the sand but it does bring it comfort. Over the course of time, the coating produces something that many in our world prize and view valuable. A pearl is the byproduct of an afflicted oyster. Pain results in precious and priceless beauty.
Likewise, God permits us to endure hardship or experience suffering to produce something indispensable. God redeems our trials and tribulation to become more like Jesus.
- Learn a mantra and live the mindset: “All things under Christ’s feet.” People of faith trust that God is supreme and sovereign. Their trust is in God’s power and their confidence is in His compassion. Believing all things are under Christ’s feet means nothing will surprise or thwart God’s plan. Therefore, we can take hope our suffering will be a grand story in the redemptive work of Jesus.
Jesus fulfills God’s promise to reverse the curse of separation.
Adam & Eve’s sin created separation from God and decay of our world, inclusive of death. Eden was lost and the presence of God was no longer a blessing. People’s fear of God drove them away rather than attracted them to the Lord. God’s discipline was viewed as hurtful rather than valuable for eternity.
Isaiah 59:2 “your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”
Yet, God was relentless to pursue His people. God promised an offspring to come that would conquer death and restore Eden. God gave instructions for establishing a Tabernacle – a mobile place where the people could meet with God. Later, God gave permitted a fixed Temple to be built that would represent His presence on earth.
- Ps 18:6 From God’s temple he heard my voice.
But where is God’s temple? Solomon built a temple in Jerusalem. But God wanted His temple to be a “house of prayer for all nations” (Isa 56:7) but the OT Jews substituted worship into religious hypocrisy; exchanged righteousness for tolerated practices of evil; and replaced compassion for injustice toward the poor and strangers (Isa 1-2; 58). So, God permitted this temple to be destroyed (Jer 52:12-13). Many years later, a second temple was reestablished, but it too was profaned (Mal 1). This continued through 1st C. Judaism where God sent His only Son to tabernacle among His people (Jn 1:14; 2:19-21). Through Jesus’ sacrifice, He opened the temple veil that we can approach God in prayer any time and any place (Mt 27:51; Heb 4:14-16). And in the new heavens and new earth, there is no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple (Rev 21:22). So, we need not rebuild an ancient building in a precise place. Our bodies are God’s temple (1Cor 6:19-20) and we take God on mission when we pray and take the good news of Jesus everywhere we go.
“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives life and breath to all humanity” (Ac17:24-25).
Mt 1:21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
John 1 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
- One practical way you can recognize Jesus reversing the curse of separation is to celebrate Advent with spbc starting Dec 1, commemorating the arrived presence of Christ.[5]
APPLY/THINK
I imagine the past few days has been spent with family and friends. Many families and friend groups enjoy playing games together. One familiar game to many is called: Scrabble. This game involves tiny tiles of individual letters with each player having 7 tiles. Players are to take turns organizing tiles to create words. Separately, the tiles are jumbled letters that do not make any sense. But when the tiles are intentionally placed together they not only create words but they communicate clarity.
Likewise, Christians are to intentionally organize their life in a way that expresses clarity the message of truth and grace. If our lives are disordered with the wrong priorities, then others will never be able to make sense of Jesus.
Today, let’s join our hearts, our hands, and our voices to say
Jesus, All my hope and strength is in you.
Take my weakness, my weariness, my sin.
Become my Lord, my Savior, my friend.
[1] https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/forgotten-lottery-tickets-mega-millions-keeps-growing-but-many-jackpots-are-going-unclaimed/3253676/
[2] https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/unused-gift-cards-survey/#key-insights
[3] https://growinggodlygenerations.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/god-has-a-name.pdf
[4] Adapted from Tony Evans book of illustrations: suffering.
Growing Godly Generations 