The Name She Gave I Kenyn Castaneda I Social Dallas

to share with you. When we launched our almost home campaign, we set out with a bold goal to raise $6 million so that we could break ground on our future church home. - We started our almost home campaign last year with a six letter word, social, and every letter represents $1 million. And because of your generosity and your sacrifice, we've watched God do what only he can do. And today, we're excited to announce that we are officially less than $1 million away from reaching our goal. - Let's go church. That means we are down to one letter, the letter L. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to take the L. And here's why this moment matters so much. On Sunday, November 15, we're believing that we will come together on Vision Sunday and celebrate the groundbreaking of our future home and construction will officially begin. But in order to do that, we have to finish what we started. - Yes, this has never been just about a building. It's about the people who will encounter Jesus inside of it because of you. - We're closer than we've ever been. We believe the best is still ahead. If this ministry has ever impacted your life, we want to invite you to partner with us. - Yes, visit socialdallas.com/give and select almost home in the giving options.

Or you can text the word give to 469-715-3755. - Let's take the L. Let's change the city because God loves Dallas. - Here's today's message. - Man, amen, amen. Are you glad to be in God's house? - Do you like who you're praising next to? Come on, this is the day that the Lord has made. Let's rejoice to be glad in it. I believe God's gonna do something special in this house today. If it's your first time in a long time, would you just give me a wave? I want to recognize you. Come on, amazing, amazing. I see you, I see you. Let's make some noise for our social global family. One more time that's watching from around the world. Social global, we love you. Let us know in the chats where you're watching from. You look good, church. You look like you have confident trust in the Lord. If you're new to social, that is our word for this year. And this year is almost over. Can you believe it? But all year, we've been declaring that we're gonna have confident trust in the Lord. And to remind ourselves that we declare Hebrews chapter 10 verses 35 through 37, every single Sunday, it's our verse of the year. How many ready to read it with uplifted, caffeinated voices?

Come on, y'all ready? Remember, you don't go until I say? Okay. So, remember the great reward it brings you, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised for in just a little while, the coming one will come and not delay. Do you believe it today? I believe the coming one is coming. (dramatic music) Well, social, I hope you're ready for the word, and I hope you're ready to be blessed by the word today. But if you know that October is Pastor's Appreciation Month, and I'm just so thankful, and I'll speak on behalf of Pastor Taylor, that we get to lead this church, and we feel the love and support of you. But please know that we do not carry the weight of this house alone. We have so many incredible pastors and elders who help shepherd, love, care for this body, and can I tell you, healthy churches don't happen by accident. They happen because a collective group of leaders choose to guard and protect the house, and so I just want to say thank you to every single one of our pastors and our elders, and I want you to let them know how much we love and appreciate them. Come on, y'all could do better than that. Shout out to some Rodidized who got our back.

I'm telling you, talk about the year of trust. I have learned a lot about trust this year, amen. And you're gonna hear from one of our pastors today. She is family. She's a blessing to my family personally, and to this house, you have heard Pastor Keenan lead Worsher. You've been on the other side of the songs that she has written, but don't get it twisted. She is a preacher of the Word of God. And I want to say this, so many times on this platform I'm in a season of life where I'm not just impressed with your gift. Who are you behind the gift? Who are you off the platform? And who she is off the platform is so much better than who she is on the platform. She leads with excellence. Anything that you give her, she's going to give 110%. If you're going to talk to her, you're going to get a word from God, just in conversation. She shared many midweek social studies, but this is her first time preaching on a Sunday morning. So social fam, I need you to put your hands together. Come on and give God some praise for Pastor Keenan. Pastor Neida as she comes to bring you up. Come on, can you make some noise for Jesus in the room? He is the name of every other name, his name is a strong tower. There is no other name by which we can be saved except for the name of Jesus. Make some noise in this room for Jesus. Are you grateful for the name? Are you grateful that you can call on the name? I'm so grateful. As Pastor Robert said, my name is Keenan, and I get to serve as a pastor here at Social

Dallas, and it is one of my greatest honors to serve all of you here at this house. If it is an incredible house, but did you know? We have the most incredible lead pastors, Pastor Robert and Pastor Taylor, y'all. I know that there are pastors, but can I just take a minute because they're also my pastors. I just want to say to you, Pastor Taylor and Pastor Robert, from the bottom of my heart, I am grateful for your leadership in my life. I'm grateful for what you've done for our family, my husband and I, and our girls. Your integrity is so inspiring, who you are behind closed doors. It causes me to pull in closer to Jesus, and I think if I pass the microphone around the whole room, everybody would echo this sentiment, that we have been built up in our faith in Jesus because of your obedience. So come on, can we honor them one more time? I love y'all so, so much. We have been in a series the past few weeks called Name Tags, Name Tags, and we're going to continue that series today. We've learned that it is important to know the names of God because his names reveal his nature, his names reveal his character. Pastor Robert just said it, "If you have a need, God has a name," and we are going to add another name to our list today. That name is found in Genesis chapter 16. If you would turn there with me, Genesis chapter 16. And we will start with verse number six. We are about to listen in. We are about to eavesdrop on a holy conversation. A conversation between God and the least likely person. Nobody in her society would have ever expected God to meet with her, and yet he does. And the conversation leads to a name. God meets with Hagar. Hagar is an Egyptian woman. He's Sarah's servant, you know, Abraham and Sarah, and she mothers Abraham's first son.

But let's find out the name that she gives to God. Let's read it together, Genesis chapter 16. But Abraham said to Sarah, "Behold, your servant is in your power due to her." As you please. Then Sarah dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her. The angel of the Lord found her, her is in Hagar, by a spring of water in the wilderness. Aren't you grateful that God finds people, even when they're not looking for him? The spring on the way to sure. And he said, "Hegar, servant of Sarah, where have you come from and where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing my mistress, Sarah." The angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress and submit to her." The angel of the Lord also, I'm grateful when God puts an also in there. The angel of the Lord also said to her, "I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude." And the angel of the Lord said to her, "Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael because the Lord has listened to your affliction. He shall be a wild donkey of a man." He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen." So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, "You are a God of seeing." For she said, "Truly here I have seen him who looks after me; therefore the well was called Beer Lehi Roy. It lies between Kadesh and Beretta." Hagar, the least likely overlooked Hagar is seen by God, but she's not only seen by God, she sees God, and she responds with a name. I want to tag a title to this message today and speak to you from this thought. The name she gave, the name she emphasized on the she, the name she gave. Let's pray. God, we thank you that you are a singing God. Would you bless your word today and open our hearts to receive what you speak, Holy Spirit,

in Jesus' name, and everyone said, "Amen and amen, you may be seated." God is remarkable, absolutely remarkable that I could even use that title today. It's remarkable because this is the only place in the entire Bible that you will see a woman confer or give a name to God. And of all the women that God could have chosen, he chooses Hagar. Hagar's place in society would have meant she had little to no authority, but God didn't mind. God didn't mind meeting with her. And the name Hagar gave, the name she gave is Elroy, Elroy, the God who sees me or the God of seeing. That is what she names God after the encounter. I remember when I named somebody, actually to somebody's, my husband and I have two daughters, Noah and Emma, and I remember the season of life when I was pregnant with them, not at the same time, though they are close in age, they could be Irish twins. I remember the season when I was pregnant with them. I remember, I didn't name them alone, by the way, I have my husband with me, and I remember us having conversation about what we would name our daughters. I remember dreaming of who they would become, what we wished for them, what we hoped for them, but we were, it felt weighty because we were naming them before we met them. And we hoped that the name we gave them would fit their character. That's what happened in the story of me naming my daughters, but that's not what's happening here in the text. Hagar is not naming God Elroy because she hopes he'll become the God that sees. She's not naming him Elroy because one day she wishes that he would see her. She's naming him Elroy because she's seen him and witnessed something about his character that let her know that you are the God that sees, and this name is suitable for you. That's why she names them Elroy, but I have two questions. God has two questions for Hagar, I thought I would have two questions too. God asks Hagar this, he says, Hagar, where are you coming from and where are you going? Where are you coming from and where are you going?

By the way, God is not asking this because he doesn't know. We're talking about the God who sees, he knows everything. But up until this point in the narrative, nobody has ever let Hagar speak. Up until this point in the narrative, nobody has asked Hagar any questions. Abraham never asked Hagar, do you want to go through with this plan? Sarah never asked Hagar if she wanted to go through with this plan, but God gives her an opportunity to speak. God gives Hagar a voice, now that got me excited, because that means I don't have to have a certain status and society to have a voice with God. I don't have to be a part of a certain tax bracket, I don't have to look a certain way, I don't have to dress a certain way, I don't have to be the most intelligent, the most gifted, the most qualified, I don't have to memorize every single scripture to have a voice with God. Thank you, author of Hebrews, that says I can come boldly. (crowd cheering) So you want to know Elroy, he gives a voice to you. He gives a voice to you, and she uses that voice to answer his first question. She says, "I'm fleeing from my mistress, Sarah. This is where my first question comes in." Is God, if you're a God of seeing, and you are, why would you tell her to go back? I have questions. My second question has to do with the choice of animal. Of all the animals that God could have used to describe Hagar's unborn son, he chooses a donkey, God, you couldn't have chosen a lion, or a tiger, or maybe a bear. He doesn't. I have questions, but Hagar doesn't have questions. It's actually quite the opposite. Hagar is left in awe after this conversation. Nothing about the conversation offended her. And ultimately she goes back, she obeys.

There must be something I'm not seeing that Hagar sees about Elroy the God of seeing. And so let's go back. Let's go back. Where is she coming from? Two weeks ago, Pastor Robert preached a message called, "99 is not too late." You remember that message? It was so good. It introduced us to Abraham and Sarah, and he introduced us to Hagar. Do you remember '86? '86 was the age of Abraham when Sarah got the idea in her head to help the promise of God along. She helps the promise of God along by offering Hagar as a wife to Abraham. This is ancient surrogacy, but I don't want you to be mistaken. Hagar never signed up for it. She didn't get a check from it. She had no choice in the matter. But the plan works, Hagar gets pregnant, Sarah gets upset, and things get heated in the house of Abraham. Sarah walks up to Abraham and she blames him, and it was her plan from the beginning, but she blames him, human nature, human nature. And immediately Abraham disassociates from Hagar. We saw it in the text. That's your survey in your power. You know when you're upset with like your brother, then it's all your other siblings. You're like, "That's your brother. I don't want anything to do with them." Abraham doesn't want anything to do with Hagar. It's funny. That wasn't the case just a few verses ago. But right now when it's inconvenient, he wants nothing to do with her.

And he tells Sarah, "Do whatever you want to Hagar." The Hebrew actually says, "Do what is good in your own eyes." And immediately when I hear that, I breathe in deep, because biblically, when people do what is good in their own eyes, it never goes good. It never goes good, because it's our eyes. It's Sarah's eyes. I don't know if Sarah wore glasses. I don't know if that was a thing back then. But I do know Sarah had lenses, invisible lenses that sat in front of her eyes. Lenses that were shaped by her cultural background, you know, we all have them. I have them literally, but some of you don't have them literally, and you ought to praise God for that. But every single person in the room has lenses in front of their face, lenses through which you experience the world that you're looking at. And our lenses are shaped from our cultural backgrounds. Our lenses are shaped from our upbringing. Our lenses are shaped from education. Our lenses are shaped from our achievements. Our lenses are shaped from our trauma and our pain. And so it causes us to interpret the world differently. That's why we can't define what is good. Because we all have different interpretations of what good means. We can't even agree. Some of you in the room like Starbucks, I don't, but you think it's good. How can we agree morally on what's good? And so Sarah is looking at Hagar through lenses of her pain because Hagar can do something that Sarah can't and she gets pregnant. And Sarah sees Hagar now as a threat to her own identity.

And she deals with her harshly. In no way does this excuse Sarah's behavior. It explains it, but it doesn't excuse it. She was a promise holder, but she was still a human. You can still make mistakes. Not everything that Abraham and Sarah did was condoned by God. God still used them. I'm grateful that God uses broken people. But there were other eyes on Hagar and I praise God for that. Sarah's eyes weren't the only eyes looking at Hagar and deciding what was good for her life. How do I know? Because in the beginning of the conversation, God's opening the conversation saying Hagar, servant of Sarah, before Hagar ever named God, he already knew her name. Don't be mistaken. This is the first time Hagar's being introduced to God, but it's not the first time God's being introduced to Hagar. He says, servant of Sarah to let her know, I see where you've been, I know you. Don't ever think that you loved God first. He loved you first. He makes the first move. He saw you first, he knew you first. And that's the case here with Hagar and he tells her to go back. But he tells her to go back

because he sees what's going to happen. He says, go back and I will multiply your offspring. He sent her back with hope for her future. It meant that you're not going back to die, Hagar, you're going back to live and your legacy's gonna live. 'Cause this text, I rest so with that first question because why would God send her back? It wasn't because he was condoning Sarah's actions. He was securing Hagar's future. She was pregnant in the wilderness, vulnerable. And she needed a place to stay while she was pregnant and God saw her. Now I wanna take a moment to tell you today, this text is what we call a descriptive text. It means that the narrator is letting us know what happened in Hagar's life. It's not prescriptive. It's not telling you that this is how your situation is gonna be. If you are familiar and if your story resonates with Hagars, God is not telling everybody to go back. You have to look at the one who looks at you and say, God, what do I do in this situation? Because the point of this text is to teach you that he's the God who sees. It's not to teach you that you stay in something that is dangerous or abusive. (audience cheering) And we have to know that today.

But God meets her. He meets her on a road to sure. I think it's super ironic in the English language. She's on a road to sure, but she's really not sure about quite anything. 'Cause she answers the first question, she doesn't answer the second question. She answers where are you coming from, but she doesn't answer where are you going to. He meets her though, scripture says, between two places at a well. One of the places was called Kadesh. This speaker will be Kadesh, okay? This is Kadesh, say Kadesh. He meets her between Kadesh and Bared. Say Bared. He meets her in the middle. Kadesh was in a basis in the middle of the wilderness. It became a very significant place for the Israelites in their story. Because they would find refuge there in the midst of the desert. They could find help. Bared, on the other hand, we don't know much about the location, but the name, some scholars believe it to mean hail, H-A-I-L, hail. And most of the time in the ancient world, they would name a place by what happens there. So they think it's possibly a stormy place. So God meets Hagar somewhere between holy

God meets Hagar somewhere between holy and hail right in the middle. Not because God couldn't have met her in holy. Not because God couldn't have met her in hail. But it is oftentimes in the middle of what you're going through. And you need a reminder that God is the God who sees you. That God is the God who knows you. So He meets her right in the middle. In the middle of the job loss, in the middle of the loss of the loved one, in the middle of the divorce, in the middle of uncertainty, in the middle of it, all God is right there. He's right there somewhere between what is holy and what is hail. Somewhere between where He's taken you and where He's brought you from. Somewhere between Texas trust and 10-1-10 technology boulevard. God is right. God is right in the middle. Letting you know He hasn't lost sight of you even if you lost sight on Him. He's right in the middle. Say He's in the middle. He knows where you're at and He knows where you're going. And I remember one time I was going not to Gaddesh or Beretta. I was going to New York City and I was going with my high school. I was in vocal ensemble in high school. If you've seen the show Glee, it was kind of that type of situation. And we're going to compete. But what I was most excited about was to see the city that I had only ever seen through a TV screen or heard about through lyrics on a song. I was so excited to see the Empire State Building. I was so excited to see the Statue of Liberty. I was so excited because I'm a foodie, y'all. I was so excited to eat some of that New York pizza.

Somebody else was excited about New York pizza, okay? But what I was most excited about was to ride the subway. I was. And we were staying in Jersey, so we were going to have to ride the subway every single day. And I got my Metro card. You would have thought it was a credit card because I was ready to swipe that thing. I'm like, "Come on, let's get on this subway." And so when we got on the subway, it was everything I could. Oh, it would be. The sights were amazing, the sounds were amazing, the smells were amazing. But as I was sitting there, I looked up and I saw this phrase across the top of the subway. And this was some time ago. I won't tell you when it was, but I was a junior in high school. And it said a phrase that I had never heard before. It said, "If you see something, say something." I was so intrigued to ask my teacher, "Why do they have that everywhere on the subway?" And he told me it was the authorities encouraging people that if they saw suspicious activity to report it, to keep everybody safe. You know that saying now, that saying has since spread all over because there is an epidemic within humanity called the bystander effect, where we will all see something, but we will say nothing. We all see something and we do nothing. The goal of the campaign was to move people beyond observation into action. The goal of the campaign was to move people beyond just noticing something and to take responsibility for what they noticed. That is how humanity sees things, but that is not how El Royce sees things. When God sees something, he says something. When God sees something, he does something. I can prove it to you.

He saw that there was a gap between humanity and himself. He saw it and he took responsibility for it. And he sent his son into the earth to die in our place. And you know the story. Because when God sees something, he takes responsibility for the people that he sees. When God sees Hagar, he says something to her. He says something to her in Genesis chapter 16 verses 11 through 12. It says, "The angel of the Lord said to her, 'You have conceived and will have a son.' This man will be like a wild donkey. His hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand will be against him. He will settle near all his relatives. So this brings me to that second question that I had. Why of all the animals did God choose a donkey? Why? Because in my 21st century brain, when I think of a donkey, I see these two little donkeys that my husband and I see every time we go on a walk throughout the neighborhood. And they're cute and we get to feed them carrots. That's what I see in my mind. But remember, the Bible isn't from our time. That is not the image that Hagar would have had in her mind. Scholars say that if you want to think of the type of donkey that Hagar may have been thinking of, you can think of the zebra. That's a better animal to think of, but I think we can get a better definition than that. Because the God that calls him a wild donkey describes the wild donkey in another holy conversation with Job. Look at what God says in Job, chapter 39, who sent the wild donkey out free and who opened the bonds of the swift donkey to whom I gave the wilderness as his home and the salt land as his dwelling place. He laughs at the turmoil of the city. He does not hear the shouting of the task master.

He explores the mountain of his pastors and searches after every green thing. That's how God describes the wild donkey. And I think I'm starting to get a little bit of clarity on why God called Ishmael a wild donkey. He says he's looking at Hagar and he's sending her back. He knows exactly what he's sending her back to. Back to a life where she doesn't have a voice or she doesn't have a choice or she has somebody telling her what to do every single day. But when God calls Ishmael the wild donkey, it's as if he's looking right at Hagar looking at her as she's looking at him. And she's saying, Hagar, your son, his life is going to be different than yours. Hagar, your son is not going to know what it's like to have everybody make a decision for him. Hagar, your son is not going to know the shout of the task master because you have lived your whole life under somebody's hand. Your son's not going to live that way. So you're going back now, but I'm leading your family into a life of freedom. So when God sees and says the wild donkey, he's telling Hagar, Ishmael, he's going to be a free man. And it's no wonder Hagar is amazed. It's no wonder, she says, You're the God who sees. This is not in the text, but I can imagine in my mind. One day when Hagar is tired, physically tired, her soul is exhausted, I could imagine. Imagine with me. I can imagine her looking up and seeing a wild donkey, and I can imagine her thinking to herself. I wish I was like that donkey, free, wild, thriving, able to do whatever he wants. And though that part isn't in the text, what is in the text is her fleeing, Sarah. Do you know how much confidence and boldness it takes to run away not knowing where you're going to go?

Let's not be mistaken. Hagar is a strong woman. The year she meets God and she tells Hagar, your son is going to be a wild donkey. Don't think that what you're going through is going to be generational. The God who sees can change. Just one generation, he can change your family's story. Because he's Elroyi, the God who sees. (gentle music) For she said, "I have now seen the one who's seen me." She may not have had the two seer, but she's got the one. If you can count on the one, you don't have to count who doesn't see you. Because if God is in your corner, you are the majority. You don't have to worry about whose eyes are overlooking you. You don't have to worry about who doesn't know your name. You don't have to worry about any of that. Because the one El Roy E has his eyes on you. El Roy E knows where you're going. El Roy E knows where he's taking you. El Roy E has good plans for you. Plans the props for you not to harm you. That is the God that we serve. El Roy E saw Hagar because he's the God of seeing and he's the God of seeing her through. God kept his promise and we have it written for us in Genesis chapter 21. Look at this. Let's look at it together. God was with who? The boy. And he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Peron and his what? His mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt. Now let me bring context. The boy is Ishmael. Wait a second. That means the mother is Hagar. Everybody say hi Hagar. You've come a long way Hagar. We've come a long way from the middle of two places. We've come a long way from the well. We've come a long way from Abraham's house. We've come a long way from Sarah's abuse. We've come a long, long, long way. And he really is a wild donkey of a man, isn't he? He's living in the wilderness. And his mother took a wife for him. Oh, Hagar, the one who had no choice in who she would be given to as a wife. That Hagar? She had no choice but now? She's out here choosing wives for her son? She's choosing a wife for her son. Something that a woman wouldn't have done back then. Hagar is doing. Don't tell me that L. Ray doesn't see the lonely. Don't tell me that L. Ray doesn't see the broken. Don't tell me that L. Ray doesn't see the one that is marginalized and oppressed.

He sees everybody. He knows your name. He calls you by name. It doesn't matter where you've been through. L. Ray has a bright future for you ahead. He really is a wild donkey of a man, isn't he? And Hagar is free because that's what happens when God sees you. He frees you. Can you stand to your feet and bow your head and close your eyes? I have some people I want to pray for in here today. I love that Hagar named God's character and that she didn't just name the well because that means his name isn't just just stuck at a location. He is always El Rui. And so if you're in the room and you're one of these two groups, the first group, you're somebody who has been treated harshly by someone who didn't see you the way that God sees you. You may have faced harsh treatment, abuse, abandonment. I want you to know that there are other eyes on you and they're the eyes of God, El Rui. The other group I want to pray for is if you are in the middle of a situation right now and you feel like God is far from you. I want to pray for you that God would open up your eyes to see him because it's not at the point that you see him that he's there. He's already there. He's been looking. We just have to pray that he opens our eyes. So if you are in one of those two groups, can you raise your hand in this place? I want to pray for you. Hands are going up all over. Raise your hand nice and high. God, I pray for all these hands that are lifted in this place. El Roy, you are the God who sees. I pray that you see them. I pray that you see them through. I pray that you free them, God. I pray that you open up their eyes to know that you've been looking at them the whole time. And that you care for the lowly. You care for every person in every circumstance, Lord. And that you draw them closer to you. You can put your hands down. I want to pray for one more group of people.

If you are in this room and you have never let the God of sea into your heart, Jesus is the God who sees. He sees a woman at a well in the New Testament. He sees the disciple before the disciple ever physically locks eyes with him. He loves you first. He gave his life for you. He saw something and he did something for you. If you are in the room and you want a relationship with Jesus, the God who sees you, the Bible says, today is the day of salvation. If you hear his voice, do not harden your heart. If you want a personal relationship with Jesus, can you raise your hand in the room? I want to pray for you. I want to pray for you. I see your hand. I see that hand. Come on, I want to pray for you. Let's all pray this together. Say, Jesus, I thank you that you are the God who sees. I thank you that you died on the cross for my sin. Jesus, King of my heart, come into my life. Be the Lord of my life in Jesus' name. And everyone said, amen and amen and amen. Come on, can we thank God and thank Pastor Keaton for that word today? Come on, were you blessed by that word today? Somebody say he sees me. Thankful for God who sees. Thankful for God who will meet you in the middle of a holy place

and a place that feels like I'm going through hell. Come on one more time, help me thank God. And Pastor Keaton, what a word, what a word. [MUSIC PLAYING]