Sermon: Hallowed Be Thy Name
Scripture: Matthew 6:9
In this week’s lessons, we learn more of who God is, and what it means to hallow His name.
Theme: None Like Him
And what about that greatest name of all, the Lord Jesus Christ? In Him all other names are combined. In Him all of the characteristics of God are made manifest. One hymn writer has written:
O could I speak the matchless worth,
O could I sound the glories forth
Which in my Savior shine,
I’d soar and touch the heav’nly strings,
And vie with Gabriel while he sings
In notes almost divine.
I’d sing the characters he bears,
And all the forms of love he wears,
Exalted on his throne:
In loftiest songs of sweetest praise,
I would to everlasting days
Make all his glories known.
If we do that, then we shall be truly hallowing God. And we will be giving Him that place in our lives He deserves.
Do these names and their content describe your own feelings toward God? They do not exhaust Him, but they remind us that there is none in the universe like Him. We have called him Elohim, El Elyon, Jehovah, Jehovah Jireh, Adonai, the Lord Jesus Christ. But He is also the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is the Ancient of Days, seated upon the throne of heaven. He is the child of Bethlehem, crying in a manger. He is Jesus of Nazareth. His titles are Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. He is the righteous judge of the universe. He is our rock, and our high tower.
What more can we say of our God? Can we say that He is the Way? Certainly, for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the source of our life, the sustainer of life; He is life itself. He is the light of the world, the bread of life. He is the good shepherd, the great shepherd, the chief shepherd. He is the Lord of hosts: He is the King of kings. He is the faithful One. He is love. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, of Moses, David, Isaiah, Elizabeth, Anna, Simeon, and John the Baptist. He is the God of Peter, James, John, Timothy, Apollos, and Paul. And He is not only their God, He is my God.
Is He your God? If so, you can raise your voice with those of all generations of the Christian Church and sing to His honor:
O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!
My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name.
Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb,
Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Savior come;
And leap, ye lame, for joy.
Study Questions:
What is considered the greatest name of all? Why?
Review the names for God given in today’s study. What can you learn from the Bible about them?
Prayer: Ask the Lord to help you increasingly to hallow His name in your life, and that others would see the Lord’s glory through you and honor Him.
For Further Study: Jesus gave us this prayer as a guide for what our own prayers should include. But there is another prayer Jesus offered, just before his arrest and crucifixion. Download and listen for free to James Boice’s message, “The Real Lord’s Prayer.” (Discount will be applied at checkout.)
