WEBVTT 00:00:02.979 --> 00:00:08.820 Well, the athletes have played the games. Most 00:00:08.820 --> 00:00:14.380 did so in an honorably fashion. A few set records. 00:00:16.260 --> 00:00:18.820 There were some who won medals, but most did 00:00:18.820 --> 00:00:22.960 not. Only a few hundred, I suppose, out of the 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:28.039 10 ,000 or so athletes who competed. Some, like 00:00:28.039 --> 00:00:33.960 Cary Strug, Janet Evans, Mike Johnson, Dan O 00:00:33.960 --> 00:00:38.759 'Brien, have made names for themselves. And in 00:00:38.759 --> 00:00:41.679 doing that, they have become famous and recognized 00:00:41.679 --> 00:00:46.679 and will possibly reap huge financial windfalls 00:00:46.679 --> 00:00:50.200 as a result of that. And that raises a question, 00:00:50.219 --> 00:00:54.240 doesn't it, regarding the motives for Olympic 00:00:54.240 --> 00:00:59.219 achievements? It must be difficult for these 00:00:59.219 --> 00:01:02.719 great athletes to separate their love of the 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:08.480 sport from the allure of fame and power that 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:12.579 comes with great accomplishment. Is it possible 00:01:12.579 --> 00:01:19.519 to conceive of making a name for oneself unselfishly? 00:01:21.579 --> 00:01:25.280 Well, it's pretty hard to do so, I think. The 00:01:25.280 --> 00:01:29.319 human nature, sinful as it is, makes it nearly 00:01:29.319 --> 00:01:34.040 impossible to make a name for oneself unselfishly. 00:01:35.480 --> 00:01:38.560 But we're going to see today in God's Word that 00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:43.359 God has made a name for Himself and has done 00:01:43.359 --> 00:01:48.579 so with the highest motive. It is not wrong for 00:01:48.579 --> 00:01:53.849 God to make a name for Himself. For you see, 00:01:53.909 --> 00:01:58.569 for God to make a name for Himself is for our 00:01:58.569 --> 00:02:04.510 greatest good and for His highest glory. I invite 00:02:04.510 --> 00:02:07.829 you to open your Bible to Jeremiah chapter 32 00:02:07.829 --> 00:02:12.430 and verse 20 where once again we come to this 00:02:12.430 --> 00:02:16.330 prayer of the prophet Jeremiah as he shares with 00:02:16.330 --> 00:02:19.990 us his understanding of God, what he knows about 00:02:19.990 --> 00:02:26.199 God. And in doing so, he tells us what we ought 00:02:26.199 --> 00:02:30.819 to know about God as well. There is no knowledge 00:02:30.819 --> 00:02:36.060 that is greater than the knowledge of God. Jeremiah 00:02:36.060 --> 00:02:40.319 writes the word of the Lord when he says, don't 00:02:40.319 --> 00:02:43.960 glory in your riches, don't glory in your might, 00:02:44.860 --> 00:02:49.080 don't glory in your power, in your wisdom, but 00:02:49.080 --> 00:02:52.379 let the one who boasts, boast that he knows me. 00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:58.280 that he understands me. And so through this summer 00:02:58.280 --> 00:03:02.400 we have sought to understand God. We have sought 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:08.300 to know God as He is. He is a mighty God. And 00:03:08.300 --> 00:03:11.939 today we're going to see that God is mighty in 00:03:11.939 --> 00:03:19.580 renown. Regarding God, Jeremiah says, who has 00:03:19.580 --> 00:03:37.110 set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. It's 00:03:37.110 --> 00:03:39.189 easy to read over that part of the sentence, 00:03:39.389 --> 00:03:54.400 isn't it? We must not do that. His reputation 00:03:54.400 --> 00:04:00.659 can only be described by the word glorious His 00:04:00.659 --> 00:04:06.900 name he has made glorious And today as we think 00:04:06.900 --> 00:04:09.740 about this theme I want us to consider what God 00:04:09.740 --> 00:04:17.420 has done To make a name for himself and I hope 00:04:17.420 --> 00:04:21.180 we will leave here excited as well as challenged 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:28.420 with the role that He has given to us in carrying 00:04:28.420 --> 00:04:35.259 forth His reputation. Now there are two questions 00:04:35.259 --> 00:04:37.959 that I want to ask to open this theme to our 00:04:37.959 --> 00:04:42.100 hearts. What does it mean that God has made a 00:04:42.100 --> 00:04:48.600 name for Himself? And secondly, how has God made 00:04:48.600 --> 00:04:53.699 a name for Himself? Now once again, when we think 00:04:53.699 --> 00:04:56.939 of making a name for oneself, it's not necessarily 00:04:56.939 --> 00:04:59.800 interpreted by us in the most positive light. 00:05:01.740 --> 00:05:06.939 Because we think of the arrogant athlete. Or 00:05:06.939 --> 00:05:10.579 we remember the school bully who made a name 00:05:10.579 --> 00:05:16.100 for himself by punching others in the nose. Or 00:05:16.100 --> 00:05:20.120 we think of the pretentious real estate tycoon. 00:05:20.750 --> 00:05:26.050 who's made a name for herself or himself. Or 00:05:26.050 --> 00:05:30.750 we think of the self -worshipping entertainer 00:05:30.750 --> 00:05:35.170 whose name is in the lights. Or the imperious 00:05:35.170 --> 00:05:38.790 intellectual or the braggart in the carpool that 00:05:38.790 --> 00:05:43.529 you put up with every day of the week. When we 00:05:43.529 --> 00:05:46.649 think of making a name for ourselves, it's not 00:05:46.649 --> 00:05:49.310 interpreted necessarily in a positive light. 00:05:50.279 --> 00:05:56.600 But here we are thinking of God. Men love to 00:05:56.600 --> 00:06:00.920 make names for themselves and men do it with 00:06:00.920 --> 00:06:06.040 the wrong motive very often. We do that because 00:06:06.040 --> 00:06:08.939 we are separated from God and lost without a 00:06:08.939 --> 00:06:12.439 relationship to the Creator by which we could 00:06:12.439 --> 00:06:17.240 gain identity. And so without that relationship 00:06:17.240 --> 00:06:21.430 and the identity that comes with it, Lost men 00:06:21.430 --> 00:06:25.569 seek to make names for themselves. You understand 00:06:25.569 --> 00:06:30.529 what I'm saying? That is the way of lost mankind. 00:06:32.230 --> 00:06:34.509 And we see it in the Bible as early as in the 00:06:34.509 --> 00:06:38.329 book of Genesis. Look back with me in the chapter 00:06:38.329 --> 00:06:46.350 11 of the first book of the Bible. Here we have 00:06:46.350 --> 00:06:50.660 the record of humanity after there was a population 00:06:50.660 --> 00:06:56.540 explosion following the flood. In those days 00:06:56.540 --> 00:06:59.579 the whole earth used the same language and the 00:06:59.579 --> 00:07:05.100 same words. And it came about as they journeyed 00:07:05.100 --> 00:07:08.120 east as they found a plain in the land of Shinar 00:07:08.120 --> 00:07:11.019 and settled there. And they said to one another, 00:07:11.240 --> 00:07:13.759 come let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly. 00:07:13.879 --> 00:07:17.430 That is, make bricks with which to build. and 00:07:17.430 --> 00:07:20.149 they used brick for stone and they used tar for 00:07:20.149 --> 00:07:24.709 mortar and they said come let us build for ourselves 00:07:24.709 --> 00:07:29.509 a city and a tower whose top will reach into 00:07:29.509 --> 00:07:38.089 heaven and let us make for ourselves a name lest 00:07:38.089 --> 00:07:40.790 we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole 00:07:40.790 --> 00:07:45.930 earth so that's exactly what God said to do scatter 00:07:45.930 --> 00:07:49.470 abroad over the face of the earth. They said, 00:07:49.610 --> 00:07:52.629 we don't want to do that. We don't want to do 00:07:52.629 --> 00:07:56.129 what God says to do. We want to stay together. 00:07:57.149 --> 00:08:00.470 And we will build a city. And we're going to 00:08:00.470 --> 00:08:05.709 put a tower in that city by which we will reach 00:08:05.709 --> 00:08:08.069 to the heavens. Now they knew they could not 00:08:08.069 --> 00:08:15.430 reach heaven. What does this mean? Well, there 00:08:15.430 --> 00:08:18.009 are several possible understandings of it. The 00:08:18.009 --> 00:08:23.029 one that seems to fit the best, I think, is they 00:08:23.029 --> 00:08:25.329 were talking about building a tower from which 00:08:25.329 --> 00:08:31.910 they could observe the heavens. And what we have 00:08:31.910 --> 00:08:34.970 here is probably the very beginning of astrology. 00:08:36.929 --> 00:08:42.110 And the worship of the stars. And the following 00:08:42.110 --> 00:08:45.899 of the astrological signs. That was their intent 00:08:45.899 --> 00:08:51.340 in building this tower. It was in rebellion against 00:08:51.340 --> 00:08:54.659 God. They would not serve the Creator, but rather 00:08:54.659 --> 00:08:58.440 they worshiped what He had created. And they 00:08:58.440 --> 00:09:04.320 said, we will make a name for ourselves. You 00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:09.519 see, man seeks to establish his own significance. 00:09:11.049 --> 00:09:14.129 not in relation to the Creator, but on His own 00:09:14.129 --> 00:09:20.309 terms and by His own potential. Dr. John Piper 00:09:20.309 --> 00:09:27.289 has written, creation exists for man. The instinct 00:09:27.289 --> 00:09:30.629 of self -preservation in fallen man seeks fulfillment 00:09:30.629 --> 00:09:35.470 not by trusting God and thereby His name, but 00:09:35.470 --> 00:09:40.100 by employing His own human genius. thereby making 00:09:40.100 --> 00:09:45.820 a name for Himself. And that is the attempt of 00:09:45.820 --> 00:09:51.639 our culture too. We do not want to see ourselves 00:09:51.639 --> 00:09:54.899 in relation to God. We want to see ourselves 00:09:54.899 --> 00:09:58.919 in relation to what we can do, what we can accomplish. 00:10:01.080 --> 00:10:03.700 And so our age is very much like that of Babel. 00:10:07.659 --> 00:10:10.799 It is an expression of independence from God. 00:10:12.679 --> 00:10:15.440 It is an evidence, indeed, of rebellion against 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:20.600 God. It shows the human heart saturated by sin 00:10:20.600 --> 00:10:28.740 and self. But when God makes a name for Himself, 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:37.009 it is an action totally untainted by sin. When 00:10:37.009 --> 00:10:40.950 God makes a name for Himself, it is a holy and 00:10:40.950 --> 00:10:46.509 good action on His part. What does it mean for 00:10:46.509 --> 00:10:51.909 God to make a name for Himself? Well, God's name 00:10:51.909 --> 00:10:57.269 is more than a title or a designation or a label 00:10:57.269 --> 00:11:03.129 that He gives us to put on Him. It means much, 00:11:03.149 --> 00:11:07.669 much more than that. When God makes a name for 00:11:07.669 --> 00:11:09.990 Himself, it's not just saying, here is what you 00:11:09.990 --> 00:11:18.129 can call me. God's name is really a disclosure 00:11:18.129 --> 00:11:25.269 of His nature. When God makes a name for Himself, 00:11:25.870 --> 00:11:29.250 He is telling us what His character is like. 00:11:31.850 --> 00:11:38.830 The names that He uses means something. And they 00:11:38.830 --> 00:11:43.330 tell us what God is like. And so for God to make 00:11:43.330 --> 00:11:46.590 a name for Himself means that He shows what He 00:11:46.590 --> 00:11:49.870 is like so that we might know Him, that we might 00:11:49.870 --> 00:11:55.669 worship Him. And that, my friend, as we learned 00:11:55.669 --> 00:11:59.029 last week, is man's highest good and chief end. 00:12:01.029 --> 00:12:03.730 You remember that Phil had us recite to him from 00:12:03.730 --> 00:12:07.950 the Catechism. What is the chief end of man? 00:12:08.970 --> 00:12:16.470 And our response was to know God. To know God 00:12:16.470 --> 00:12:21.509 and enjoy Him forever. And so for God to make 00:12:21.509 --> 00:12:25.509 a name for Himself is for Him to show His glory, 00:12:25.830 --> 00:12:29.309 to manifest His perfections so that we might 00:12:29.309 --> 00:12:34.850 know Him. That's our chief end. And so the greatest 00:12:34.850 --> 00:12:37.529 thing that God can do for us is to make a name 00:12:37.529 --> 00:12:42.690 for Himself. The best good that God can accomplish 00:12:42.690 --> 00:12:45.509 for us is to make a name for Himself so that 00:12:45.509 --> 00:12:50.769 we might know Him. And because of His perfections, 00:12:50.889 --> 00:12:55.710 it's His highest glory. Now, how has God gone 00:12:55.710 --> 00:12:58.370 about this process of making a name for Himself? 00:13:00.409 --> 00:13:06.240 We know what Carey Strugg did. and her courage 00:13:06.240 --> 00:13:12.480 in making that final vault that led our ladies 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:17.919 to a gold medal. We know what Janet Evans has 00:13:17.919 --> 00:13:19.960 done, not only this year, but for a number of 00:13:19.960 --> 00:13:25.440 years in swimming. And we know Dan O 'Brien from 00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:29.259 the decathlon. We know what they did to make 00:13:29.259 --> 00:13:31.659 a name for themselves. The question is... What 00:13:31.659 --> 00:13:37.299 has God done to make a name for Himself? Well, 00:13:37.299 --> 00:13:39.340 let me suggest several things. First of all, 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:42.460 God has made a name for Himself through the things 00:13:42.460 --> 00:13:47.200 He has made. In the creation of the universe, 00:13:47.360 --> 00:13:50.820 God has made a name for Himself. Again, in the 00:13:50.820 --> 00:13:54.379 book of Genesis, look in chapter 1 this time, 00:13:55.200 --> 00:13:57.179 the very end of the chapter to these familiar 00:13:57.179 --> 00:14:03.509 verses. Where it says in verse 26, God said let 00:14:03.509 --> 00:14:07.450 us make man in our image according to our likeness 00:14:07.450 --> 00:14:12.610 and let them rule over the fish of the sea and 00:14:12.610 --> 00:14:14.769 over the birds of the sky and over the cattle 00:14:14.769 --> 00:14:16.730 and over all the earth and over every creeping 00:14:16.730 --> 00:14:19.610 thing that creeps on the earth. And God created 00:14:19.610 --> 00:14:23.490 man in his own image. In the image of God, he 00:14:23.490 --> 00:14:27.850 created him male and female. He created them. 00:14:30.190 --> 00:14:33.110 In the things that God has created, He has made 00:14:33.110 --> 00:14:37.049 a name for Himself, not only in the inanimate 00:14:37.049 --> 00:14:41.809 things and in the animals, but in man and woman. 00:14:43.029 --> 00:14:48.830 God has showed us something of Himself, and especially 00:14:48.830 --> 00:14:55.690 in man and woman. Never think of human beings 00:14:55.690 --> 00:14:59.679 as some evolved animal. That is to blaspheme 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:09.080 the name of God. God has made a name for Himself 00:15:09.080 --> 00:15:15.919 in human beings who are created uniquely in His 00:15:15.919 --> 00:15:18.899 image to show us something of what He is like. 00:15:21.039 --> 00:15:24.080 Our friend John Piper again says, since God made 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:28.710 man like Himself, Man's dominion over the world 00:15:28.710 --> 00:15:34.389 and his filling the world is a display, an imaging 00:15:34.389 --> 00:15:40.250 forth of God. God's aim therefore was that man 00:15:40.250 --> 00:15:45.490 would so act that he mirror forth God who has 00:15:45.490 --> 00:15:49.450 ultimate dominion. Man is given the exalted status 00:15:49.450 --> 00:15:53.870 of image bearer. Not so he would become arrogant 00:15:53.870 --> 00:15:58.809 and autonomous. but so he would reflect the glory 00:15:58.809 --> 00:16:02.470 of his Maker whose image he bears. God's purpose 00:16:02.470 --> 00:16:05.629 in creation therefore was to fill the earth with 00:16:05.629 --> 00:16:12.149 his own glory. And so God has made a name for 00:16:12.149 --> 00:16:16.029 himself in the creation of the universe and most 00:16:16.029 --> 00:16:20.710 particularly, human beings as man and woman. 00:16:26.319 --> 00:16:28.600 Let me suggest, secondly, that God has made a 00:16:28.600 --> 00:16:30.879 name for Himself through the nation that He has 00:16:30.879 --> 00:16:35.360 redeemed. I am thinking of the nation of Israel 00:16:35.360 --> 00:16:38.840 and her deliverance from Egypt. Turn with me 00:16:38.840 --> 00:16:41.740 to the book of Isaiah, chapter 63, where this 00:16:41.740 --> 00:16:53.639 is most clearly stated. Isaiah 63. Well, we'll 00:16:53.639 --> 00:16:55.779 pick it up in verse 11, the last part of the 00:16:55.779 --> 00:17:01.840 verse, where it says, Where is he who put his 00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:06.480 Holy Spirit in the midst of them? Now Isaiah 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:11.819 63 12, who caused his glorious arm to go at the 00:17:11.819 --> 00:17:16.940 right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before 00:17:16.940 --> 00:17:20.559 them to make for himself an everlasting name. 00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:27.319 who led them through the depths. Like the horse 00:17:27.319 --> 00:17:29.900 in the wilderness, they did not stumble, as the 00:17:29.900 --> 00:17:32.779 cattle which go down into the valley, the Spirit 00:17:32.779 --> 00:17:37.059 of the Lord gave them rest. So didst thou lead 00:17:37.059 --> 00:17:41.720 thy people to make for thyself a glorious name. 00:17:46.369 --> 00:17:49.109 Now God is telling us what he has done to make 00:17:49.109 --> 00:17:51.690 a name for himself. The first thing is that he's 00:17:51.690 --> 00:17:54.069 created everything, and especially human beings. 00:17:54.309 --> 00:17:58.490 Secondly, he says, I want you to look back in 00:17:58.490 --> 00:18:01.549 the record of the Old Testament, and I want you 00:18:01.549 --> 00:18:05.029 to see what I did in delivering my people. How 00:18:05.029 --> 00:18:10.029 I split the waters of the Red Sea, and they went 00:18:10.029 --> 00:18:13.009 down into the sea as cattle going down into a 00:18:13.009 --> 00:18:18.160 valley. And He gave them rest on the other side. 00:18:18.180 --> 00:18:22.299 He gave them safety. And so He made a glorious 00:18:22.299 --> 00:18:25.599 name for Himself. My friend, that is God's reputation. 00:18:26.500 --> 00:18:31.460 That is God's reputation. He is the God who can 00:18:31.460 --> 00:18:36.420 split the oceans. He is the God who can deliver 00:18:36.420 --> 00:18:39.720 His people from a hopeless situation and give 00:18:39.720 --> 00:18:47.049 them new life. That is the God. who has made 00:18:47.049 --> 00:18:53.609 a name for himself. Third, let me suggest to 00:18:53.609 --> 00:18:55.750 you that God has made a name for himself through 00:18:55.750 --> 00:19:01.410 the victory he provided. And here I think of 00:19:01.410 --> 00:19:04.650 his driving out the Canaanites before his people, 00:19:04.750 --> 00:19:07.690 so as to give them the land of Abraham, Isaac, 00:19:07.730 --> 00:19:12.150 and Jacob. To see this, I want you to turn to 00:19:12.150 --> 00:19:24.430 1 Chronicles 17. God is telling us about his 00:19:24.430 --> 00:19:28.750 reputation. And here he uses the words of David 00:19:28.750 --> 00:19:32.890 who is praising the Lord. Verse Chronicles 17 00:19:32.890 --> 00:19:40.190 and verse 21. Well let's back up to verse 20 00:19:40.190 --> 00:19:42.609 where David says, Oh Lord, there is none like 00:19:42.609 --> 00:19:47.069 thee, neither is there any God besides thee, 00:19:47.390 --> 00:19:49.309 according to all that we have heard with our 00:19:49.309 --> 00:19:52.910 ears. In what one nation in the earth is like 00:19:52.910 --> 00:19:57.210 thy people Israel whom God went to redeem for 00:19:57.210 --> 00:20:02.230 himself as a people to make thee a name by great 00:20:02.230 --> 00:20:05.769 and terrible things in driving out nations from 00:20:05.769 --> 00:20:10.009 before thy people whom thou didst redeem out 00:20:10.009 --> 00:20:14.369 of Egypt and so you see God's reputation is not 00:20:14.369 --> 00:20:16.650 only linked to the creation and to the redemption 00:20:16.650 --> 00:20:20.880 of Israel from Egypt but from the conquest of 00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:24.240 the land, the victory that He gave His people. 00:20:25.960 --> 00:20:28.559 Now those Canaanites had lived there for hundreds 00:20:28.559 --> 00:20:30.720 and hundreds of years. They were there in the 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:37.079 days of Abraham. And then the time came for them 00:20:37.079 --> 00:20:42.640 to be judged for their evil, and for God to give 00:20:42.640 --> 00:20:45.039 that real estate to His people Israel. And so 00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:49.900 He drove them out before His people. And God 00:20:49.900 --> 00:20:53.700 says, that's my reputation. I've made a name 00:20:53.700 --> 00:20:58.759 for myself in giving my people victory and rest 00:20:58.759 --> 00:21:06.240 in the land that I promised them. But, alas, 00:21:06.440 --> 00:21:09.200 the people that God redeemed and gave the land 00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:15.799 to were not always faithful to God. Indeed, there 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:18.039 were times when they worshipped the gods of the 00:21:18.039 --> 00:21:22.079 nations around them, and God disciplined them. 00:21:23.839 --> 00:21:27.680 And they would come back to God. And then the 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:30.880 cycle would be repeated again and again. And 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:32.839 if you know your Old Testament, you know I'm 00:21:32.839 --> 00:21:38.039 describing for you the book of Judges. When everyone 00:21:38.039 --> 00:21:40.380 did that which was right in his own eyes, there 00:21:40.380 --> 00:21:43.680 was no king in Israel, and the Lord was not allowed 00:21:43.680 --> 00:21:48.859 to be their king. They refused him. And yet, 00:21:49.180 --> 00:21:55.859 God did not reject utterly his people. And that 00:21:55.859 --> 00:21:57.920 brings us to the fourth way in which God has 00:21:57.920 --> 00:22:00.740 made a name for himself. It is through the preservation 00:22:00.740 --> 00:22:08.539 that he promised. You see, God made a pledge 00:22:08.539 --> 00:22:14.819 to Abraham that He would preserve His seed and 00:22:14.819 --> 00:22:17.460 bless the whole world through Abraham's seed. 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:24.000 God had promised to preserve the descendants 00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:27.740 of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and He did. I invite 00:22:27.740 --> 00:22:34.960 you to turn to 1 Samuel chapter 12. And here 00:22:34.960 --> 00:22:43.619 we have the words, of Samuel. And he says, beginning 00:22:43.619 --> 00:22:49.920 in verse 20, Do not fear you have committed all 00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:53.500 this evil, yet do not turn aside from following 00:22:53.500 --> 00:22:57.700 the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 00:22:58.380 --> 00:23:00.900 And you must not turn aside, for then you would 00:23:00.900 --> 00:23:04.559 go after futile things which cannot profit or 00:23:04.559 --> 00:23:09.079 deliver. because they are futile. For the Lord 00:23:09.079 --> 00:23:15.960 will not abandon His people on account of His 00:23:15.960 --> 00:23:22.660 great name." You know what Samuel's saying? He's 00:23:22.660 --> 00:23:29.720 saying God's reputation rests on you. And so 00:23:29.720 --> 00:23:33.440 even though you have done evil, stop it. Worship 00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:38.099 the Lord. God will not abandon you because of 00:23:38.099 --> 00:23:42.099 His great name, because the Lord has been pleased 00:23:42.099 --> 00:23:47.200 to make you a people for Himself. And so through 00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:52.980 the preservation that He pledged, God made Himself 00:23:52.980 --> 00:23:59.500 a name. And to this day, to this day, there are 00:23:59.500 --> 00:24:04.940 Jews in the world. And there is a nation of Israel 00:24:04.940 --> 00:24:08.579 that has been restored in these last days according 00:24:08.579 --> 00:24:15.519 to the word of God's prophecy. That is God's 00:24:15.519 --> 00:24:19.319 reputation, my friend. He's made a name for Himself. 00:24:23.019 --> 00:24:28.980 But now I want us to think in terms that are 00:24:28.980 --> 00:24:33.450 New Testament. and how God has made a name for 00:24:33.450 --> 00:24:38.950 Himself under the new covenant. And to do that, 00:24:39.049 --> 00:24:41.569 I invite you to turn to the Gospel of John, the 00:24:41.569 --> 00:24:45.450 12th chapter. By the way, I'm leaving out a lot 00:24:45.450 --> 00:24:48.309 of things. There would not be time in one sermon 00:24:48.309 --> 00:24:51.150 to give all of the references by which God made 00:24:51.150 --> 00:24:55.849 a name for Himself. But in the Gospel of John, 00:24:55.990 --> 00:24:58.289 the 12th chapter, we have another reference. 00:24:59.170 --> 00:25:04.130 regarding God glorifying His name or His reputation. 00:25:05.990 --> 00:25:11.069 Verse 27. Jesus says, my soul has become troubled. 00:25:12.369 --> 00:25:15.930 And what shall I say, Father, save me from this 00:25:15.930 --> 00:25:19.109 hour? You see, the hour had come for the Son 00:25:19.109 --> 00:25:22.250 of Man to be glorified. His death was imminent. 00:25:23.769 --> 00:25:27.130 He says, what shall I say, Father, save me from 00:25:27.130 --> 00:25:31.230 this hour? But he says for this purpose I came 00:25:31.230 --> 00:25:35.009 to this hour and then he says father glorify 00:25:35.009 --> 00:25:41.569 thy name He says father exalt your reputation 00:25:41.569 --> 00:25:50.869 in the world father exalt who you are And there 00:25:50.869 --> 00:25:56.250 came a voice out of heaven I have both glorified 00:25:56.250 --> 00:26:03.450 it and will glorify it again. God says in response 00:26:03.450 --> 00:26:09.190 to His Son, I have laid my reputation out. I 00:26:09.190 --> 00:26:12.289 have upheld my reputation. I have glorified my 00:26:12.289 --> 00:26:17.109 name and I will do it again. And what I submit 00:26:17.109 --> 00:26:20.609 to you that through the Son that He gave, through 00:26:20.609 --> 00:26:26.470 the Son that He gave, God made a name for Himself. 00:26:28.359 --> 00:26:32.579 He made a name for Himself that He is both holy 00:26:32.579 --> 00:26:40.480 and righteous and just and will deal with sin 00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:47.660 and that He is merciful and gracious in providing 00:26:47.660 --> 00:26:53.279 a Savior for sinful men. Oh, how God made a name 00:26:53.279 --> 00:27:00.000 for Himself at the cross. But I must go on. For 00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:02.819 God has made a name for Himself, or will make 00:27:02.819 --> 00:27:06.039 a name for Himself through something else that 00:27:06.039 --> 00:27:08.559 has yet to occur. And to see this I invite you 00:27:08.559 --> 00:27:20.599 to turn to 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. 2 Thessalonians 00:27:20.599 --> 00:27:26.950 chapter 1 in verse 9. Paul says in these who 00:27:26.950 --> 00:27:29.930 do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 00:27:29.930 --> 00:27:34.710 will pay the penalty That is for their disobedience 00:27:34.710 --> 00:27:39.369 The penalty of eternal destruction away from 00:27:39.369 --> 00:27:43.089 the presence of the Lord and from the glory of 00:27:43.089 --> 00:27:48.769 his power When he comes to be glorified in his 00:27:48.769 --> 00:27:53.920 saints on that day and to be marveled at among 00:27:53.920 --> 00:27:59.660 all who have believed." What is he saying? He 00:27:59.660 --> 00:28:03.140 is saying that God is going to advance His reputation. 00:28:03.960 --> 00:28:07.740 He is going to glorify Himself. He's going to 00:28:07.740 --> 00:28:12.700 glorify His name in the return that He promised, 00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:18.059 the return of Jesus Christ. For on that day, 00:28:18.059 --> 00:28:21.880 at the appointed hour, there will be a release 00:28:21.880 --> 00:28:27.529 of divine energy that is described as flaming 00:28:27.529 --> 00:28:34.309 fire. And with that, the sun will make his entrance 00:28:34.309 --> 00:28:41.950 into our dimension. And his glory will be seen. 00:28:44.710 --> 00:28:47.289 And the saints who've been glorified will be 00:28:47.289 --> 00:28:54.420 with him. And all will marvel at the glory of 00:28:54.420 --> 00:29:01.619 the Son when He returns. Oh, how God's reputation 00:29:01.619 --> 00:29:05.920 among all will be known on that day. God will 00:29:05.920 --> 00:29:12.500 make a name for Himself. But I have one other 00:29:12.500 --> 00:29:15.259 reference that I want us to turn to before we... 00:29:15.230 --> 00:29:17.769 stop our exploration this morning in the Scriptures, 00:29:17.950 --> 00:29:28.109 and that is Ephesians chapter 1. And we might 00:29:28.109 --> 00:29:30.829 reference just one other text as well. Ephesians 00:29:30.829 --> 00:29:34.289 chapter 1 verse 6. Well, we'll start in verse 00:29:34.289 --> 00:29:38.690 5 where it says, The Father predestined us to 00:29:38.690 --> 00:29:42.130 adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself. 00:29:44.440 --> 00:29:49.559 according to the kind intention of His will, 00:29:50.440 --> 00:29:55.640 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which 00:29:55.640 --> 00:29:59.380 He freely bestowed on us in the beloved." What 00:29:59.380 --> 00:30:03.920 is he saying here? He is saying that God is praising, 00:30:04.220 --> 00:30:07.859 He is lifting up the reputation of His grace 00:30:07.859 --> 00:30:13.000 by what He has done in calling you and me to 00:30:13.000 --> 00:30:18.099 Himself. God is advancing His reputation through 00:30:18.099 --> 00:30:23.640 the people that He's called. That's the seventh 00:30:23.640 --> 00:30:27.779 way I want to talk about it. God is advancing 00:30:27.779 --> 00:30:34.160 His reputation through you and through me. Now 00:30:34.160 --> 00:30:36.480 we have looked at some amazing events in the 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:39.420 Old Testament. We have looked at the work of 00:30:39.420 --> 00:30:42.480 the cross. We've looked ahead to the return of 00:30:42.480 --> 00:30:46.539 Jesus Christ. And now, I think we see the most 00:30:46.539 --> 00:30:49.539 amazing of all the ways in which God has made 00:30:49.539 --> 00:30:53.619 a name for Himself. It is through you and me. 00:30:55.519 --> 00:30:59.380 He has predestined us to be like Jesus Christ, 00:31:01.759 --> 00:31:05.319 to the advance of the glory, the reputation of 00:31:05.319 --> 00:31:11.450 His grace, and the angels' marvel. And throughout 00:31:11.450 --> 00:31:15.029 all eternity, they will be marveling at the grace 00:31:15.029 --> 00:31:18.109 that God has demonstrated, what He has shown 00:31:18.109 --> 00:31:29.150 about Himself in you and in me. God is advancing 00:31:29.150 --> 00:31:34.049 His renown through His people. And not only to 00:31:34.049 --> 00:31:39.410 the angels, but to the world. Because you see, 00:31:39.529 --> 00:31:42.430 in contrast to the paganism and the false religion 00:31:42.430 --> 00:31:45.829 of the world, God is calling out a people for 00:31:45.829 --> 00:31:52.210 His name, right? For His reputation. And through 00:31:52.210 --> 00:31:57.549 the holy living of those people, He is advancing 00:31:57.549 --> 00:32:02.430 His reputation in the world. Look in 1 Corinthians 00:32:02.430 --> 00:32:06.549 10 -31, and I think this will be the last time 00:32:06.549 --> 00:32:09.900 I have you turn to a reference. This morning 00:32:09.900 --> 00:32:15.220 first Corinthians 1031 It says whether then you 00:32:15.220 --> 00:32:23.440 eat or drink or whatever you do Do all for the 00:32:23.440 --> 00:32:29.460 reputation of God The glory of God that's the 00:32:29.460 --> 00:32:34.420 point Whether you eat or drink or anything that 00:32:34.420 --> 00:32:39.420 you do realize that in doing that It is your 00:32:39.420 --> 00:32:44.240 opportunity to advance God's reputation in the 00:32:44.240 --> 00:32:54.420 world. God is mighty and renown. How does it 00:32:54.420 --> 00:32:57.680 make you feel to know that He intends to extend 00:32:57.680 --> 00:33:01.400 the reputation He has established through your 00:33:01.400 --> 00:33:08.789 life? That God's purpose right now in August 00:33:08.789 --> 00:33:17.430 of 1996, is to advance his reputation in your 00:33:17.430 --> 00:33:20.970 office, in your store, in your neighborhood, 00:33:22.950 --> 00:33:25.990 through your life, through your words, through 00:33:25.990 --> 00:33:30.869 your actions, through your attitudes. That's 00:33:30.869 --> 00:33:36.230 pretty humbling, isn't it? I remind you of the 00:33:36.230 --> 00:33:44.319 words Peter, who says, you are a holy nation, 00:33:45.940 --> 00:33:49.319 that you should show forth the praises of Him 00:33:49.319 --> 00:33:56.799 who's called you out of darkness, moral darkness, 00:33:57.259 --> 00:34:02.819 to His marvelous light as holy living. He says, 00:34:02.859 --> 00:34:07.660 you are a special people, you have been Set apart 00:34:07.660 --> 00:34:12.619 by God that you should show forth the praises 00:34:12.619 --> 00:34:15.119 of Him. What is that saying? That you should 00:34:15.119 --> 00:34:21.760 advance His reputation. That you should show 00:34:21.760 --> 00:34:29.480 His renown to the world. Because He's called 00:34:29.480 --> 00:34:33.059 you out of the darkness to walk in the light. 00:34:35.079 --> 00:34:40.280 I think it is an amazing thought to consider 00:34:40.280 --> 00:34:45.500 that God has entrusted His reputation in the 00:34:45.500 --> 00:34:52.400 world to you and me. And how that ought to affect 00:34:52.400 --> 00:34:59.039 the way that I live. How that ought to influence 00:34:59.039 --> 00:35:07.170 how I treat my fellow workers. To recognize that 00:35:07.170 --> 00:35:10.190 I'm carrying His reputation to the places that 00:35:10.190 --> 00:35:17.650 I go. To understand that His reputation is linked 00:35:17.650 --> 00:35:27.389 with the things that I do. God entrusts His name 00:35:27.389 --> 00:35:35.960 to you. And He says to you and me, be holy. for 00:35:35.960 --> 00:35:44.719 I am holy." Stuart Briscoe writes these words. 00:35:47.119 --> 00:35:49.739 It is sometimes not adequately understood what 00:35:49.739 --> 00:35:52.980 is included in the divine call. For instance, 00:35:52.980 --> 00:35:56.519 when some people read God has called us into 00:35:56.519 --> 00:35:59.920 fellowship with His Son, they could think that 00:35:59.920 --> 00:36:03.820 the call of God is an invitation to enjoy a relationship 00:36:03.820 --> 00:36:08.269 with His Son. and nothing more. It would be a 00:36:08.269 --> 00:36:11.730 serious mistake to assume that the call of God 00:36:11.730 --> 00:36:17.090 is solely a generous offer from God for undeserving 00:36:17.090 --> 00:36:22.650 people to have a nice time with Jesus. The invitation 00:36:22.650 --> 00:36:28.489 is also a summons. By all means rejoice in the 00:36:28.489 --> 00:36:30.769 fellowship to be enjoyed with the Lord Jesus, 00:36:30.769 --> 00:36:33.929 but not at the expense of ignoring the summons. 00:36:34.730 --> 00:36:39.230 to live a holy life without which the fellowship 00:36:39.230 --> 00:36:42.869 would not be real and true. There is no freedom 00:36:42.869 --> 00:36:46.889 for individuals to go to God's garden party other 00:36:46.889 --> 00:36:50.489 than on the conditions outlined, and these include 00:36:50.489 --> 00:36:54.750 the call to be holy. Living a holy life is no 00:36:54.750 --> 00:36:58.829 more an optional extra for the called than is 00:36:58.829 --> 00:37:01.610 behaving appropriately for those who respond 00:37:01.610 --> 00:37:06.460 to a royal invitation. In responding to the call, 00:37:06.639 --> 00:37:09.460 accepting the invitation, there is an acknowledgement 00:37:09.460 --> 00:37:16.340 of what is involved. God has called you, says 00:37:16.340 --> 00:37:25.800 Peter, out of darkness into light. He has called 00:37:25.800 --> 00:37:29.480 us to show forth His reputation to the world. 00:37:31.139 --> 00:37:38.000 And surely as we come to the Lord's table, and 00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:45.400 we remember what Jesus has done for us, and how 00:37:45.400 --> 00:37:48.599 he has established the reputation of God in the 00:37:48.599 --> 00:37:53.300 work of his cross. Our hearts must be humbled 00:37:53.300 --> 00:37:57.760 and broken, and we must cry out to God afresh, 00:37:58.159 --> 00:38:02.920 O Lord, you know my sins, forgive me of my sins. 00:38:05.360 --> 00:38:12.420 and renew a heart within me for holiness. Renew 00:38:12.420 --> 00:38:18.860 within me, Lord, the vision to show forth your 00:38:18.860 --> 00:38:24.380 reputation to the world, to glorify your name, 00:38:24.519 --> 00:38:27.820 for you are a God who is mighty and renowned. 00:38:29.900 --> 00:38:40.309 Let's pray. To me this is a very convicting message, 00:38:42.349 --> 00:38:45.989 that this God who is mighty and renowned entrusts 00:38:45.989 --> 00:38:51.690 to me and to you the privilege of extending his 00:38:51.690 --> 00:38:57.710 reputation into the world. Let us determine in 00:38:57.710 --> 00:39:02.909 our hearts that we would do nothing and say nothing. 00:39:04.489 --> 00:39:07.389 that would bring a stain to the reputation of 00:39:07.389 --> 00:39:12.829 God, that would cause the world to look at us 00:39:12.829 --> 00:39:20.550 and say terrible things about God. But because 00:39:20.550 --> 00:39:29.190 God is holy, let us be holy. Father, will you 00:39:29.190 --> 00:39:32.309 please, by your Spirit, impress us in our hearts? 00:39:34.059 --> 00:39:40.179 and do it so permanently that our lives will 00:39:40.179 --> 00:39:49.559 be forever changed. And this we pray in Jesus' 00:39:49.940 --> 00:39:50.119 name.