The Priority of Prayer

Welcome to this week's message from the church at Chelsea Westover.

Our core values are vibrant worship, intimate fellowship, fulfilling service, and clear biblical truth.

We pray that this message changes your life.

Let's tune in to today's message and see what God has in store for you.

We also want to learn to pray.

Remember when the disciples said, Lord, teach us to pray?

Why?

They had never heard Jesus, hey, they had never heard a prayer like Jesus was praying.

They had always heard the high priest's prayer and the religious prayers, the self-seeking prayers, but they had never heard a prayer like Jesus when he prayed to the Father.

And he was praying about protection and praying about fulfilling the needs and praying like you and I talk to each other.

And they said, We want to learn to pray like that.

That's how we want to learn to pray.

So we started out last week with verse 9.

And after this manner, in other words, as this example, therefore pray ye.

Here's your example.

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallow be thy name.

Now, last week we did our Father, which are in heaven, and we titled it the paternity of prayer, the fatherhood of prayer, or another way of putting it, the resting of prayer.

We rest in the arms of our Father.

Can I get an amen?

And right now, that's what we need to be doing.

When you're in the midst of a storm, you need to be resting in the arms of the Father.

And so that's very important.

So today, though, we're going to take the next phrase.

Hallow be thy name.

Wow.

Hallow be thy name.

And we've titled it The Priority of Prayer.

We've titled it another word you could say the reverence of prayer would be another way of titling the message.

And it's kind of like the first time in concert, Lauren Harris and Sandy Patty was at a big superconference at Liberty University, where I attended and was the dean of the seminary there for almost 12 years.

Went to school there for four years, seminary, my senior year, and then my seminary training.

But Lauren Harris and Sandy Patty were there, and they had a song that was number one for I don't know how many years, really, on the charts in the Christian circle.

And for some of you older folks, more mature, more wise, like us that are 50 and up, I'm 51 and hold it.

You're supposed to say, well, that looks, you look good.

Okay.

But hey, the title of the song was He's More Than Wonderful.

What a song it was.

And Lauren L.

Harris and Sandy Petty came together, and I'm telling you, there was a standing ovation, and I mean they kept on and on and on.

There was about 7,000 of us there, students and preachers and churches, and it went on and on, and they came back and they sang it again.

And guess what?

They kept on and on standing and standing and shouting.

And they came back and sang it again.

And I thought to myself, if there was any adulation, adulation and joy and reverence and honor, honoring, not honoring Sandy Patty and Lorne Al Harris, but honoring the God that they were singing about.

Amen.

And they were clapping and clapping, and I thought to myself, that is as close as example.

And they were clapping because Lauren Al Harris and Sandy had given their all.

They had given everything in themselves.

They laid it all out.

They gave everything they had because they were worshiping an awesome God.

And I thought to myself, that is as close of humanly speaking of what it means to hallow be his name.

That is the kind of honor and the glory and the adulation and all that we give should be given to him every time we come into his presence.

Wow, would that not change our prayer life?

And that's what we want to talk about in a small way.

That's exactly what it means to honor, to worship the name of God.

When we worship in our churches or alone, everything we do, the music, the teaching, the preaching, the singing, should be centered and focused on one thing, and that is the importance of praise and honor to an awesome God.

Now that's it.

Now, sadly to say, and I really believe this, out of the seven statements right here, in these 66 words that are mentioned in the Lord's Prayer, there's seven tremendous statements.

The one about prayer, hallow in God's name, is the least understood and probably the least practiced of all the other statements.

Hallow is an archaic word.

In fact, I've been surprised how all the different translations over the years have kept this word, Randy.

I really have.

Because, you know, it's an archaic word that's really misunderstood and really not applied very much in our lives and in our churches.

But they've kept it because of the beauty of the honor and the reverence of what it means to God.

It's such a high, lofty, uh, exalted reverence for God.

They've all kept it, which is powerful.

And it's the Greek word, and it literally means, well, first of all, the Greek word is hegiazzo, hegiazzo, and it literally means to be holy.

That's what the Greek word there means.

In essence, we could say, our Father in heaven, holy be thy name.

That's what we could say.

In essence, we could say, our Father is a holy God.

In fact, for the real meaning of the word means that God is so holy that He's been set apart above all other gods, any God, because there's only one God and He's the exalted God.

That's what it means.

It really does.

It means to be sanctified, set apart.

It means to be praised, it means to be adored.

That's what the word means.

But before we begin asking God, when we start praying, see what happens when we go into prayer, we immediately start asking God for things.

We do.

That's our normal prayer life.

You know, we come into God and say, Lord, uh uh, I uh I really need this.

Lord, I I know you're listening, so I need that.

And we just start going down our needs list.

And I know we're, I'm guilty.

I've done it, I do it, but that's not the way we're to enter in.

Notice what he said.

First of all, he puts God, the Father, our resting father, right here.

And he says, and by the way, you you and I have to learn how to talk to the Father.

And the way we talk to the Father, before we start with our needs list, we start thanking him for all that he is to us and what he's done for us.

I have a little acrostic, the word prayer.

I'm gonna give it to you today.

P-R-A-Y.

And the letter P stands for praise him.

You start your prayer with praising him.

And that is exactly what he's saying here, we are to do.

And what you're saying when you say, Hallow be thy name, you're saying, Father, we acknowledge your worth.

We ascribe, hey, we acknowledge your worth.

We ascribe to your holiness, Lord, we glorify your name.

Whether you eat or drink of whatsoever you do, watch, you do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10, 31.

That's exactly what hallow be thy name literally means.

And it, hey, we're not looking at just the you look not just the words of his name, but who the name represents.

And that brings me to my first point.

How do we hallow be his name?

Number one, by the way, does everybody have a uh guide, a worship guide?

Anyone that does not have one, brother Larry back there, here we go.

Right up here.

We need one.

One over here, Larry, one over here.

In fact, run right here.

Anyone else?

You can take mine.

You got one, Larry?

Okay.

Got over here?

Okay, got one.

Everybody got one.

Because this is gonna be good.

This is gonna be good.

So, number one, we hallow his name by rehearsing who he is.

Rehearsing who he is.

No person, no religion, no church, no denomination will ever rise higher than their concept of who God is in worship.

Can I get an amen?

Is that not true?

Hey, until you understand who we're coming, let me say something.

If you ever grasp what we, if we grasp what I am about to preach this morning, I'm telling you, it will change your whole worship experience, whether you're doing worship cooperatively or whether you're doing it individually.

You will have a life-changing prayer life.

Guaranteed.

Because it's changing mind right now as I've just started preaching and studying and refreshing my heart of all the principles and concepts of all that God is.

So look at it.

Here we see we have, hey, in fact, it is sad that we have confused the roles of worship in most modern churches.

We really have.

We have made the congregation the audience.

Hello?

Ah, hello.

We've made the congregation, you guys, the audience.

And so we come in here, man.

We get our band, our praise team, our choirs, and I love it.

That's part of worship, is the the in worship God in spirit, truth, spirit.

It's it's what we just experienced, and and uh words that exalt him and praise him and exalt his name.

That's part of hallow be thy name.

We do that.

That's in, but hey, well, it's not for those to get up here and try to impress you as an audience.

Now I'm gonna teach you something.

Buckle up, folks.

What we should do is we come in here, and we are the ones that are participating in worship, and God is the audience.

That is radically different than what you see in most churches.

Every one of us ought to be singing, every one of us ought to be praising his name, every one of us ought to be praying, every one of us ought to be sharing our hearts to him.

I mean, I can be there with 2,000 people.

I've been there or at liberty.

I used to just get there and get all by just me and God.

I'm just a singing away.

I can't sing, all my family can, I can't sing, but I'm singing.

Why?

Because Scripture says yeah, I don't have to sing, it just says make a joyful noise.

And I can do that.

Amen.

Now, people around me are kind of do like this every once in a while.

That's right.

But but we, hey, we are the participants.

God is the audience gonna get an amen.

And that's the way it's supposed to be.

And why is that?

Because, are you ready?

Look, we see those who are speaking and singing and teaching and praying and preaching are for his benefit, God's benefit, and God's enjoyment.

Do you understand that?

When you understand you come to praise him for his enjoyment, you're gonna have your heart right.

You're not gonna be still fussing with your wife when you walk in the door.

Amen.

You're gonna be apologizing.

You're not gonna leave her in the car and run here.

Hey, God bless you.

How you doing today?

Hello.

Why?

Because you're worshiping him.

The God of all gods, the God that saved you, the God that changed you.

Oh, he says that listen, John 4 says the hour and the time is coming when we're gonna worship God.

Hey, hey, all of us are gonna worship God in spirit and in truth.

Now, watch, because God the Father seeketh such to worship him.

John 4, 23 and 24, did you hear me?

God wants you to worship him.

He wants you to participate in worship to him.

He likes it.

He likes it.

Say this with me, church.

God likes my worship.

Let's say it a different way.

God loves my worship.

Amen, Sandra.

You got it, girl.

Hey, that's what it's all about, folks.

And we see that.

And why is that?

Okay, let me tell you why.

Everything that happens in a worship service is to honor the name of God.

Now, when you understand who he is, I think you're gonna get a little, even the Pentecostal, hey, even the Presbyterian could get a little Pentecostal.

Amen.

Somebody said, Aren't you, you your church is getting lively.

I said, Well, the Bible says that we're to be lively stones.

You didn't know that, did you?

This ain't the Bible! Yeah, it is.

You're not to be dead.

You're to be somebody said, Aren't you worried about people getting out of hand?

Let me tell you something, folks.

It's a lot easier to cool down a fanatic than it is to raise the dead.

Hallelujah! Amen.

Amen.

Give me the fanatics every time.

I'll be right there with them.

Amen?

That doesn't scare me at all.

Not at all.

There are eight compound names for God in the Old Testament.

Are you ready?

Jehovah Tiskanu.

Jehovah Tiskanu, the Lord our righteousness.

Woo! Jeremiah 23, 6.

Jehovah Kaddish, the Lord who sanctifies.

Exodus 31, 13.

Jehovah Shalom.

The Lord who is our peace.

Judge 6.24.

Jehovah Shema.

The Lord is there.

He never leaves us.

Judges 6.24.

Jehovah Rapha.

That's what we're praying for all those that need healing.

The Lord who heals.

Exodus 15, 26.

Jehovah Jirah, the Lord will provide.

Genesis 22, 14.

Jehovah Nisi, the Lord my banner, or another way, and another powerful way of saying it.

The Lord my victor.

The Lord my protector.

Wow, that's good.

And then Jehovah Raha.

Raha.

Which means the Lord who is my shepherd.

Do you get those?

Almost?

Which one did you not get?

You getting them?

Okay, get them.

Jehovah Tiskanu, Jehovah Kadish, Jehovah Shalom, Jehovah Shamah, Jehovah Raphah, Jehovah Jirah, Jehovah Nisi, and Jehovah Rah.

The Lord who is my shepherd.

Now, here's where it really gets good.

Wow, those are big names.

Those are big theological names.

Yes.

But let me tell you why they're that, hey, when you get these, and that's why I put them down for you.

I want you to keep them because now you're going to understand everything that God is to you.

Now listen, everything that God is to you and will be to you are wrapped up in these eight compound names of God in the Old Testament.

Everything.

Now somebody else say, Amen.

Everything.

For example, are you ready?

We honor God's name when we realize that his names reflect how he meets our needs.

His names reflect how he meets our needs.

Now watch this.

For example.

For instance, because I am a sinner, by the way, if you hear and you don't believe you're a sinner, you're in trouble.

You're in more trouble than the sinner.

Amen.

How many of you, anybody here believe you're not a sinner?

How many of us believe we're all sinners?

Amen.

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

That's what the book says.

All my righteousness is as filthy rags.

Amen.

Isaiah 64, 6.

Romans 3, 10.

Okay, with that said, because I'm a sinner, I need, guess what?

I need who?

Jehovah Tiscanu.

The Lord is my righteousness.

Who himself perish sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness by whose stripes we're healed.

Can I get an amen?

Secondly, because I have a holiness problem in my life, that means I mess up a good bit.

Nobody said amen to that.

I'm not out here by myself.

Amen.

As anybody else messes up like I mess up?

Can you say amen or oh me?

Thank you.

Man, you had me scared here for a minute.

Mine.

But now notice, because I mess up, I have a hole in this problem.

Guess who I need?

I need Jehovah Kaddish, who is my sanctification, who sets me apart when I get saved.

He sets me apart.

And 1 Peter, whoo, I'm about to have a running spell.

And 1 Peter 2, 9 says, hey, that he has placed me, he sets me aside, and I'm a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar, a peculiar people that God has set aside and taken me out of the darkness and put me in the light.

Wow, that's good.

I need that.

2 Corinthians 7.

Let us purify ourselves.

Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

How do I do that?

Jehovah what?

Kadesh.

Because He's my sanctification.

He has set me above.

Hey, I have an anxiety problem.

Anyone else have a worry problem?

Anxiety problem?

Yeah.

And if you you didn't raise your hand, you should have raised it because I know you.

You have one.

Amen.

And trust me, I have one.

Amen.

You can't be as hyperactive as I am and not have anxiety.

Because I never get, I it never gets done quick enough for me.

So I have an anxiety problem.

So who do I need?

Jehovah, what?

Shalom, the God of peace.

The God of peace.

My peace I leave with you.

My peace I give unto you.

Not as the world gives, give I unto you.

Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

John 14, 27.

Peace, my peace.

Hey, here's another one.

Every once in a while I have a lonely problem.

You ever get lonely?

Now some might say, how do you, Pastor, have a lonely problem?

You know everybody.

That's true.

I go to Walmart, it takes me three hours to leave.

In fact, I've learned all of to do visitation for this church.

I just go to a law Walmart and sit down at uh service desk.

Not service desk.

Right there where everybody walks in by uh subway.

I just give me a cup of coffee and say, hey, welcome to CCW.

Come on in.

Susan would not let me go to Walmart with her when she has to shop.

She says, I'll take my car.

Because it never fails.

You know I'm gonna be there.

And the thing is, I like it.

I d you know, I'd like to be interrupted.

But but how do you get lonely?

Well, what do you mean by loneliness?

You ever been in a place where you really thought nobody cared?

Huh?

Part of that anxiety there, too.

But let me tell you who's behind all that, Satan.

See, he's putting in your mind nobody likes you.

Everybody's against you.

They didn't invite me to go.

They don't love me.

I didn't get invited to eat.

I'm still upset with Darren not invite me yesterday.

No, I'm joking.

I'm joking.

I'm joking.

No, but that's what I'm talking about.

If I got upset about everything in this church that goes on that I'm not a part of, I'd live my life.

I'd have ulcers unbelievably.

No.

But now watch.

Wait.

When you feel lonely, now watch.

When nobody cares, are you listening to me?

When you feel like nobody cares, that's why watch this.

That's why watch this.

This is good.

That's why we have who?

Jehovah who?

Shema.

Who's always there?

You know, next time you get lonely, why don't you just start talking to God about it?

I did that this morning.

I felt distant this morning.

I feel like, you know, I'm praying so hard and nothing's happening.

And I felt distant.

You know where I went?

I went to Psalms 31.

God took me right to Psalms 31 with David.

You got to read that.

You feel lonely, you go to Psalms 31.

He talks about how David was having some tough times.

But then David started, you know what he started doing?

He started worshiping God.

He started hallowing his name.

He started praising him.

Again, go back to praising him, worshiping him when you get lonely.

By the way, he's a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Amen.

He's there.

When nobody else is there, he's there.

What about when you've gone through some sickness and desperately need Jehovah Rapha, which we know with many of you, and David right now needs him.

Jehovah Rapha, the God that heals.

I love Exodus 23, 25.

Serve the Lord with all your heart, and he will bless thy bread, and he will bless thy water.

And then he says, God says, and I will take sickness away from thee.

He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement, our peace was upon him.

Say it with me.

And what?

With his stripes we are what?

That spiritual and physical healing.

Both.

Both.

Not just one, for some of those that just say, well, that's just spiritual.

Well, I got news for you.

You get healed spiritually, it'll sure help you physically.

Amen.

It's amazing what a good attitude does for sickness.

Do you know the Bible says laughter is like medicine?

Why do you want to pay all that money for medicine?

Just go, ha ha ha ha.

Woohoo! Yeah.

Just get it out.

Amen.

Don't look at me like that.

Amen.

You start getting mad, just start laughing.

I'm gonna kill you.

No, I'm joking.

Look at it, Carolyn.

You liked that one, didn't you?

Yeah, Jessica Mulkey.

When we have needs in our family, guess who we have?

Jehovah Jirah, the Lord that provides when we have needs in this church.

Guess what?

The Lord will provide when you have needs in your job.

The Lord will provide when you have needs in your own life.

My Lord will provide.

My God shall supply all your needs.

All.

What's that little word all mean?

All.

All your needs according to his riches and glory.

Through Christ Jesus, can I get an amen?

Philippians 4.19.

So you got Jehovah Jirah, the one who provides.

And then if I want to seek affirmation and direction for my place in the kingdom of God, guess what?

You've got, hey, you need Jehovah Nisi, the Lord my banner, the Lord my protector, the Lord that's going to keep me and guide me.

When I see the banner, I think about the cloud in the day and the fire at night that took care and led the nation Israel in the Old Testament.

Can I get an amen?

I need Jehovah Nisi.

And because of all that life is a journey, would you say life is a journey?

Can I get an amen?

You know who we need?

There's only one left.

Who do we need?

We need our shepherd, Jehovah Rah.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in still, I mean in green pastures by still waters.

Hey, you know what a shepherd does?

I was saying about this, Rick, for all you pastors.

Listen to me.

All you that are in full-time ministry.

He leads, he protects, and he cares for his sheep.

I have Bill Gother's three pictures of a shepherd.

One, the shepherd has his staff and he's leading the sheep.

Two, he has his staff and it's raised back and he's fighting off the wolves.

And picture three, he's sitting down on a stone and a rock, and he's taking those little lambs and those sheep, and he's putting the bomb of Gilead on the cuts and the bruises.

He's caring for them.

He's loving on them.

That's what a shepherd does.

Amen.

And I teach that every week to me and to Rick and to all our ministers here.

I said, we got to love our people.

We got to shepherd our people.

Do you realize sheep wander off?

And you don't say, wow, here, here's some church.

They're just not saved.

They're just not saved.

If they love God, they'd be here every Sunday.

Folks, you have spiritual Christians, mature Christians, and you have carnal Christians.

Amen.

You have babies.

And babies, they all wander off real quick.

Have you ever had a child while they're growing up and you turn your back, where are they?

They're gone.

I was over there talking to Zach the other day, and we looked up, and that little girl darted walking around fixed getting the road.

They're gone.

You gotta care for them.

You gotta you gotta bring them into the fold.

You gotta grow them up.

You gotta feed them.

Amen.

So, hey, when somebody's not here, that's why.

And by the way, this church does a fantastic job, but we can always do better.

When you see people are missing, you don't say, well, Pastor, where's so and so?

Pastor, where's so-and-so?

I don't know.

Sometimes I don't.

No, most of the time I do.

If you miss three times, I know it.

And I'm coming to get you.

Because I love you.

And I I gotta get you and bring you back.

You may be hurting.

You need caring.

You need taken care of.

You need something that.

Amen.

We're here to help.

That's what we're here for.

We love you.

Now, if you don't want a church that loves you like that, you don't want to be here.

We're gonna take care of you, we're gonna love you, and we're gonna grow us up together.

Can I get an amen?

That's why we're doing these new classes.

And by the way, we're gonna start How to Keep the Love in Your Marriage, June, four Wednesday nights in June.

We're gonna do it again.

It was such a success.

And if you're interested in going through that, how to keep the love in your marriage, sign up so we'll know.

We ran out of room in our room, so we're gonna get a bigger room.

But we'd like to know.

Uh, and uh, and most everybody didn't miss but one night.

I think most everybody made all four nights.

And that's awesome.

It was unbelievable.

So we're gonna do it again in January.

Then we're gonna do it again, and then in the fall, we're gonna do a series on uh on Wednesday nights on the home.

We hey, we're tired of Satan destroying our homes.

Can I get an amen?

I told you we're gonna attack, and we are.

And if you, hey, but now we can't force you.

Listen, if I could take you and lock you up for about six weeks and make you memorize scripture in the morning, memorize scripture at lunch, memorize scripture at night, go to church, go to chapel.

That's why I love Liberty University.

All those kids did was eat, sleep, and go to church.

But it worked.

Tennessee Temple, it worked.

Look at Rick and Heather, it worked.

Look at me, it really worked.

Amen.

My kids, it worked with them.

I told them, I said, you got two choices about school.

You go to liberty, I pay.

You go anywhere else, you pay.

Guess what?

They were led the Lord to go to liberty.

They didn't have any money to pay.

Amen.

So, and then when we get to the New Testament, are you ready?

Man, this is good.

I needed this this morning.

The Bible calls God by all these wonderful names in the Old Testament.

But the most precious name of all is found in the New Testament.

His name's Jesus Christ.

By God has revealed Himself to us through Jesus Christ.

Remember last week we talked about how he had to really express his love, that he had to send his son so that we can learn to understand that new meaning in John 13, that by this kind of love I'm gonna love you.

And then you're gonna love me and love disciples like I love you, and by this shall all men know that you are my disciples by your love.

In John 13, 34 and 35, Jesus Christ came.

Now, watch.

Just as God's name in the Old Testament meets all our needs, listen to what Jesus' name does in the New Testament.

Jesus calls such name as the bread of life.

John 6.

Hey, the living water, John 7, the way, the truth, and the life, John 14, 6, the resurrection, the good shepherd, hey, the true vine, the bright morning star, the Lamb of God, the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley, and the door.

All these names relate to who Jesus is to us.

The names of God in Christ.

We just don't list them to memorize them, but we get little pictures of all that He is and who He is to us.

That's beautiful.

You need to study the names of Jesus, just like that song.

Just like that song.

There is no other name.

There is no name that compares with Jesus' name.

So, we hallow his name by rehearsing who he is.

Number two, we hallow his name by respecting his greatness.

God is uncommon, he's extraordinary, he's unearthly, he's separated from sinners, undefiled, holy, hey, unique, uniquely different, and he is above all.

Though it is true that God is our Heavenly Father, our Abba Father, our Daddy, and what a beautiful picture that is.

But the very first thing we pray in this prayer keeps us focused on his greatness when we say, Hallowed be thy name.

That's what it does.

It keeps us focused on his greatness.

Isaiah 9, 6, for unto us a child is born.

Here's this greatness right here.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.

And the government shall be upon his shoulders.

Can we all get an amen for that?

I've just quit watching news and government.

It's a mess.

It's God help us.

I just go to this verse and I'm saying, God, that's not my problem, that's yours.

Zap them all.

No, I don't pray that.

I don't, I don't.

David told them, David told God, kill them all.

I'm glad God didn't listen.

When God was ready to kill them all in the Old Testament, old Moses said, No, no, no, God, don't do that.

Please don't do that.

Take me or let hey.

And so you can't think it, but you gotta think it long.

Get it out.

Get it out.

Get it out.

But hey, for unto us a child is born, unto us the son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders.

But now watch.

And his name shall be called.

Ready?

Wonderful.

Oh, wonderful.

Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

That's why he's so great.

And those names right there, hey, relates to everything I've preached with all the Jehovah names, all the Jesus names.

They're all right there in those five wonderful names.

Wonderful.

He's more than wonderful.

He's marvelous.

Amen.

That's him.

That's who he is.

That's who he is.

We hallow his name by respecting his greatness.

Number three, we hallow his name by relinquishing control of our lives.

Hmm.

Here's a hard one.

This one gets a little tough.

This way of hallowing God's God moves into our personal domains.

Listen to what Martin Luther, great theologian, great godly man.

Listen to what Martin Luther said.

God's name is hallowed among us.

Now what?

God's name is hallowed among us.

This is so good.

When our doctrines, and doctrines means teachings, when our teachings that we believe and that we've been taught and we've studied and we believe them to be true, match up with our living.

Huh?

Do you believe God's holy?

You can say it all day, but when you start living out the holiness of God in and through your life, that is when you are hallowing be his name.

I didn't think I'd get an amen there.

Huh?

Yeah.

When you say, well, God is love, well, it's not being hallowed out until you are loving people like Christ loves you.

Well, what does he say in 1 John?

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

Can I get an amen?

1 John 3.18.

And that's why I love this church.

I mean it.

I'm telling you, folks, thank you, thank you, thank you.

I love you so much.

The way you respond when there's a need, when people aren't here, you check on them when there's when somebody gets sick or somebody passes away or somebody's needs help, needs food, whatever.

Y'all respond.

And our our small groups together, y'all just respond.

You take care, our seniors, our amazing grades take care of one another, our uh uh the other small groups take care of one another.

And that's what we're gonna build as we're growing, and now we're gonna have more Bible study class rooms back down there.

We're gonna have eight or nine beautiful, nice ones.

We're gonna build this unity and this discipleship.

It's called shepherding.

We hallow his name by relinquishing controls in our life.

Mm-mm.

That's good.

That's good.

Listen to what David said.

Let the words of my mouth, Psalms 19, 14, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

That's what you ought to be living.

Is that not good?

Is that not good?

Is that not good?

Oh man, that's good.

Let my walk be seen in such a way.

Let my business dealings be seen in such a way.

Let my conduct, myself in the marketplace be seen.

Let my interaction with my family, let my relationships with my neighbor be seen in such a way that they see the love of Christ in us that they know we must be a Christian.

You know, it doesn't take me long to be around people, to see the love of Christ in them.

Hello.

Let me also say this.

It doesn't take me long to see the flesh in them.

Amen?

Listen to me.

You cannot be a spirit-filled Christian and walk around with a bad attitude.

If you do, that's the worst testimony.

Hey, if you're gonna do that, me included, I'm talking to me.

Okay?

If you're gonna do that, don't tell anyone you're a Christian because they wouldn't believe you anyway.

Amen.

Hello?

You okay out there?

Hey, I'm guilty too.

I'm talking to me.

We hallow his name.

Number four by recognizing his presence in all of our lives.

Hmm.

When we are constantly aware of the presence of God, when we live every day in light of the fact that he's our God and he's a personal God, he's our daddy, he's our father, we bring glory to his name.

Look at what David wrote in Psalm 16:8.

Psalms 16:8

You'll love this.

I have set the Lord always before me.

I have set the Lord always before me.

Now watch what he says.

Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Woo! In other words, when I'm walking with God, you can't make me retaliate against you.

Now, can you imagine that?

Wouldn't it be something different if all of a sudden your wife said something and you said, I still love you, honey?

Or maybe your husband said something that's more likely me to say it than Susan.

And Susan said, I don't care, I still love you.

She said that a time or two.

You're not gonna make me mad.

Now that's not the way I'm talking about reacting.

I'm filled with a God, Spirit of God, I love God.

You're not gonna make me mad.

I don't care what you say.

No, that's the wrong attitude.

Amen.

You with me?

You ever done that?

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

You see, I hey, hey, Pastor Danny's everywhere.

I see everything.

That's a joke, too.

We hallow his name by recognizing his presence in all our lives.

Then the last thing.

Number five.

Now look at this.

We hallow his name by rehearsing who he is, we hallow his name by respecting his greatness, we hallow his name by relinquishing control of our lives, and then number four, we hallow his name by recognizing his presence in all of our lives, and then there's an outcome.

And here's the outcome.

Boy, this is good, and I'm through.

How hallowing his name changes us.

Oh, it does.

But we all with a unveiled faces, beholding as in a mirror the word of God, we allow the Holy Spirit to constantly change us day by day, month by month.

I've not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread.

Can I get an Amen?

Psalms 37, 25?

Oh, wow.

So how do we do that?

How do we do that?

Here's how we do it.

Hallow be his name is worshiping.

And worship enhances my appreciation, love for God.

When we start entering into our prayer time by praising him, hey, it enhances our love and appreciation for God.

Psalms 34, there's another one.

Psalms 31, actually, Psalms 31 through Psalms 35, you gotta stay there.

When you're down and out and you're dismayed and discouraged, stay there.

It brings you out.

It starts out by saying, I will bless the Lord at all times.

His praise shall continually be in my heart, in my mouth.

And verse 2, my soul shall make its boast in the Lord.

Verse 3, O magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt his name together.

Wow.

Now, now you understand when he said, let us exalt his name together, what he means by that, with all the names that we've just studied and realized, all that he is to us, right?

Amen.

Isn't that good?

Now you understand why David's having a spell.

Because he understands who he is.

Powerful.

He's, hey, he's Elohim, the God as creator.

He's El El El Yon, God as sovereign, ruler of the universe.

El means God.

Elion means most high, most exalted.

Number the second thing it does, not only does it enhance our appreciation and love of God, but it expands our vision of God.

You know why I'm convinced?

And I'm talking to myself too.

You know why we don't do more for God?

Because we don't understand that we can do more for God.

Our vision is limited.

And you know why our vision is limited?

We don't know God.

Because if we knew what I just preached to me and you, and that He is all that I just taught us He is to us, what could we not do if God told us to?

Somebody say that's good, preacher.

Thank you.

Is that not true?

What does nothing mean?

Nothing's impossible with God.

Mark 10, 27, with men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all things are possible.

Wow.

Wow.

We limit.

That's why it says in Proverbs 29:18, where there's no vision.

Proverbs 29:18

Now let me tell you what that word vision means there.

Where there's no revelation, where there's no revelation of God, the people perish.

You know what that means?

Where the people don't understand who God is, they perish.

Well, that's good.

They perish because they don't know who he is.

But when you know him, can't he bar the door?

Can I get an amen?

Nothing is impossible.

I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.

Philippians 4 13.

Job put it this way.

I know.

This is so good.

Thank you, Lord.

I know that you can do all things, and nothing can be kept from you.

Job 42, 2.

Nothing.

And another translation says, I know that you can, your will and anything you want to do, you can do, and your purpose cannot be defeated.

That's pretty good.

Your purpose cannot be defeated.

But you got to understand that.

You got to know that.

I love the story of the Israelites when they were in Kadesh, Barnea, Numbers 13.

Moses sent out twelve spies.

Twelve, one of each tribe.

They came back and they said, Oh, there were two types of answers.

They came back.

Ten of them.

The majority came back.

That's why I never believed.

Hey, don't always count on the majority.

Most of the time in the Bible, the majority is wrong.

Just a thought, but that's true.

Hey, hey, we can't go into the promised land.

Those giants make us look like grasshoppers.

But oh Caleb and Joshua, they they and you know, I thought about that.

When that Caleb and Joshua saw those giants, you think they might have been a little afraid?

Who knows?

I don't know.

I'm gonna ask him when I get to heaven.

I'm gonna have a good talk with Joshua.

Joshua's one of my favorite characters.

But I like Caleb too.

Caleb was 80 years old, and hey, he said, I'm gonna take that mountain.

I've been waiting 40 years to whip those giants.

Let me have them.

So I don't think Caleb was very scared at all.

But say they were frightened a little bit, but then you know what all of a sudden, if they were, for God's not given a spirit, spirit of fear, but the power of love, right, just bold as a line, Proverbs 28.

You know what all of a sudden he said?

Yeah, they may be bigger and we may look like grasshoppers, boo-hoo-hoo, but with God, we grasshoppers are gonna jump on them and beat them like a drum.

No screar.

Hey, because we know what they giants look to God.

They they're no problem for God.

They said, let's take it.

But guess who won?

The majority.

And they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, and only the kids 20 years younger, 20 years old and younger, and Joshua and Caleb were the only older folks that went into the promised land.

They died in the wilderness 40, 40, hey, 40 years going around in circles.

They were 15 miles from the promised land.

You don't know how close you are to fulfilling what God's called you to do.

And the reason you haven't experienced that jubilation yet, and that excitement, and that peace, and that contentment yet, because you're wandering in the wilderness and you're right there because you've denied the revelation of God.

Let God's revelation, let God come in, and He'll make something wonderful and beautiful out of your life.

And thirdly, worship eclipses my fears.

When you got God, you don't have fear.

Can I get an amen?

Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

And then worship energizes my work.

I like that.

You get excited.

Why?

Because I remember reading about Andrew Murray, who said that sometimes he had so much to do, he had to add an extra prayer, I mean an extra hour of prayer so he could get it done.

Instead of worrying about all you got to do, hey, how many times have you gotten up, I have, and run in?

I'm so busy, my list is so long, I say, I'll pray later.

I gotta go to work.

That's the worst thing we could do.

You go to prayer first, then go to work, and everything will take care of itself.

Can I get an amen?

I'm not talking about being lazy and late and all that.

Get up, get on your knees, then go to work.

Amen.

Get up, get on your knees, get in the word, then go to work.

And watch how your day works out.

And then worship encourages my spirit.

Isn't that the truth?

And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of grace, to his word of grace, which is able to build you up.

God is spirit.

They that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth.

It is the spirit that quickens the flesh profits.

Nothing.

These things that I speak unto you, they are spirit, listen, and they are life.

John 6, 63.

Oh, that's good.

And then the last thing, worship, exhaust.

Hey, exhaust my enemy.

You make him tired.

Instead of him taking you out, let's take him out.

Can I get an amen?

Let's take Satan out.

How do you do that?

Stand, hey, stand in hallow be thy name.

Stay in the word, the revelation, the vision, staying in the word, the sword.

Do you know you only have one offensive weapon?

The word of God?

Ephesians 6?

Stay in the word.

Stay in learning who he is and allowing him to do what he wants to do in you and through you.

And folks, you will put Satan to run.

I like, as I close, what King Jehoshaphat did.

And we need to follow the example of King Jehoshaphat, who set the worship leaders at the head of the army as they went out to battle.

Do you know that?

He put the word, you said, man, I don't know if I want to be a worship leader.

No, he put them out there because he knew.

Hey, the worship and praise, hallowing the name of the Lord is a critical part in spiritual warfare because they know Satan hates worship.

Let me repeat that.

Satan hates worship.

Amen.

So this morning.

Here's the invitation.

Is God in Jesus Christ being hallowed in your life?

In your family?

In your business?

In your school?

Students?

Are you really walking in that classroom and in those hallways in school as a living testimony, an example of all that God is?

I'm telling you, you can change your school.

We saw that happen my senior year at Worth County High.

A couple of us got radically saved, and we watched the whole football, football.

Let me tell you what happened.

Actually, it's our junior year.

I was just sharing this with somebody.

I don't even remember who I was sharing it with.

Can I have some water, honey?

My junior year in high school was when the integration took place all over the country in schools.

And our little town, Sylvester, Georgia, never had one racial problem, but let me tell you why.

Because when our schools integrated, several of us football players, or a handful of us, had just gotten saved in a revival.

And there were some of our African American brothers that were, had been saved recently on the football team.

And fortunately, we happened to be some of the more gifted players on both teams that came together.

And we fell in love with each other because of the love we had for God.

And we made a covenant together on our football team that we were going to be an example and we were going to help God show, hey, that God so loved the world.

He loves the red, yellow, black, and white.

They're all precious in his sight.

And we're going to take the lead.

And we took the lead and we went on to be the region champions, our junior and senior year.

Hey, hey, so we were the talk of the region, and you know what?

We prayed, we would get out on our knees and pray, we would witness, and we never had one bit of trouble.

Because, see, our audience was God Almighty.

We wanted to please Him.

We wanted to please Him.

So we made a difference in that little town.

We really did.

We really did.

That's what we want to make a difference in Chelsea, Westover, and Birmingham and every can I get an amen?

And we are.

You know what everybody says when they walk in these doors?

You people?

When I go and visit them, you know what they say to me?

Pastor Danny.

We've never seen the diversity in a church like yours, a new church.

We've how do you do that?

I said, we don't do it, God does it.

But I said, I tell you what we did when we started this church.

We had a David and I had a heartbeat.

We had a heartbeat to build a New Testament church for God's people.

Not interested in the color, not interested in their education, how much money, none of that matters.

What we were interested in, people coming to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Jehovah, Jirah, the Lord that provides, Jehovah Shalah, Shammah, all the Jehovah's, all the bread of life, the living water, the bright morning star, the lily, that they would know Him, that I might know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering being made.

Here it is, church, conformable unto His image.

Philippians 3:10.

Philippians 3:10

That's what we wanted.

And that's what God's doing.

Amen.

You want to be a part of that?

Most of you do.

That's why you're here.

And I love you so much.

And I'm gonna tell you something.

If we don't allow Satan to get in here and mess it up, now he can do that.

And he tries every day to get in the doors.

That's part of my job is to protect this sheep.

That's why I have to every once in a while get the old rod out and start swinging something.

My rod's this right here.

And I'll tell you, I sharpen it every day.

Every day.

Because that's what does it.

You should know the truth, and the truth what?

Should set you free.

But if we you hadn't seen anything yet, folks.

I really believe that.

Thank you for being a part of it.

If you're interested in being a part of this church, a covenant member.

We're gonna start a covenants class in two weeks.

Another covenants class on Wednesday night before we start the marriage thing again.

Two weeks, you go through two classes on Wednesday, night two nights.

There's four classes.

We take you through who we are, our core values.

You can sign up and go through it and be a part.

Be a part of our church.

We'd love to have you.

We'd love to have you.

By the way, next week, next week's Mother's Day, we're baptizing.

You need to follow the Lord in baptism.

We're dedicating our children to the Lord, the babies and the older children to the Lord.

It's gonna be a beautiful Mother's Day.

Don't miss it.

Beautiful.

Thanks again for tuning into this week's message.

We pray that your life has been changed.

If you would like to find out more about us, visit us on our webpage at thechurch at cw.com.

You can also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at TheCurch at CW.

Need prayer or more information?

Send us an email at office at the church at cw dot com.

We hope you have a wonderful day, and again, God bless you.