THE NAME OF GOD USED THE MOST BUT YOU CAN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE

WHITE BOARD - USE LIKE A BIG NAME TAG, MARKER
Flashlight with weak batteries

So last week we looked at how names sometimes tell us something about someone. Do you remember I talked about my brother in law who is very tall and loves to play first base. When a ball comes bouncing towards him, his long arms and legs help him catch balls other people can’t reach, and so his nickname is “Stretch” .In the Bible, names did more than identify someone. They told something about that person, like “Stretch” does for my brother –in-law, David.

Learning some of God’s names helps us know Him better. So here are some of God’s names:Strong creator (Elohim)YahwehGod Almighty (El Shaddai)Master/Lord – AdonaiThe Lord will Provide – Jehovah-JirehThe God who sees – El RoiThe Lord our Healer – Jehovah-ropheThe Lord of Hosts – Jehovah-SabaothThe Lord my Banner – Jehovah NissiThe Lord My Shepherd – Jehovah-RohiThe Most High – El ElyonAnd more and more…No wonder God needs a big nametag!

So let’s look tonight at just one of those names, but a really important one(circle Yahweh)God gives this name to us back when a man named Moses was a shepherd wandering in the desert. Can you get out your Bible and turn to the second book – Genesis, Exodus – and go to chapter 3

As we look at Ex. 3, we’re going to look at 2 things – first, what God says his name is, and second how he shows Moses what that name means by some things Moses sees:So let’s look at Exodus 3 – Up to this time, Moses has had a life without God. He was rescued from death as a baby when Pharaoh’s daughter gets him out of the Nile. He grows up in Pharaoh’s palace, but has to run away when he sees an Egyptian beating a Jew and kills the Egyptian. He leaves Egypt and flees into the desert where he begins the quiet life of a shepherd. And that is where we meet Moses in ch. 3.As he’s with his herds, (read 3:1-4)So let’s think about how God got Moses’ attention. What did Moses see?What is so unusual about this bush?

 Now if I had a match and I lit it, it would catch on fire, right? How if I let it burn, after a few seconds, what would happen? Right, the rest of the match would burn and it would go out. But what about this bush?Okay, so let’s keep this in mind. God tells Moses he has heard the suffering of the people and will deliver his people from slavery in Egypt and set them free, and he was going to send Moses back to Egypt to talk with Pharaoh. Since God is greater than all, he has the right to command us. Moses says – why me?

 Do you ever think – God, why do you call me to do things? I’m just an ordinary person. Moses thought the same thing. But God says – if you have me with you, you can do anything.

Let’s look at v. 13 - what Moses asked God? (v. 13)How did God answer Moses? – v. 14Does that sound like an odd name? Let’s think more about what God wanted to tell us about Him.Our Bible says – My name is I am who I am. That is my name.

(flashlight with weak battery)What’s going to happen to this flashlight soon if i don’t replace the battery? It will wear out. It needs power from somewhere else to keep it lighted. God is not like this. He never wears out, he never gets used up. Remember the burning bush? No matter how long it burned, it never burned up. God used that bush to teach Moses that God is like that – He never gets used up.

Yahweh – I am who I am – teaches us that God doesn’t need anything or anyone to be God. He exists all by himself. Everything we know wears out eventually, even rocks! Listen to this verse from Psalm 102:25-27:In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish but you remain, they will all wear out like a garment(show an old piece of clothing) Like clothing, you will change them and they will be thrown away. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.

Nothing is stronger than God to could make him change. What he was in the past, he still is today, and he will still be tomorrow.There are some very , very good things about God never changing, and never wearing out or getting tired. Can you think of some?

Why did Moses need to know this about God when he was called to do this huge job?This name of God – sometimes it’s called Yahweh, sometimes Jehovah, is the name most often used in the Bible. During Old Testament times, people honored this name of God so much that it was never, ever spoken out loud. Imagine that!If they were reading out loud a part of the Bible where Yahweh appeared, they would replace it with another word – Lord – because it was too great a name to treat with anything but fear and honor.

 Now isn’t it interesting that this most common name for God isn’t even found in our Bibles. It's everywhere and nowhere. What’s up with that?Even the people who print our Bibles treat this name, Yahweh, with respect, and use the word Lord, all in capital letters to show us this special name, Yahweh.

But now you know the secret. Any time you read the Bible and see the word Lord written in all capital letters - LORD - you know this is the very special name for God - Yahweh - the name that's everywhere if you know where to look!!