The Names of God: From Genesis to Revelation

Hey, we're Todd and Julie Mullins, Senior Pastors here at Christ Fellowship Church, and we're so glad that you're tuning in for service today. Yeah, Christ Fellowship is one church that meets in lots of different locations, including right here with you. Yeah, and our prayer for you today is that you would sense God's love for you. See, I don't personally know all that you're going through today and what you're up against, but God does. And He hears your prayers, and He knows your name, and He's right here for you today as you call out to Him. Yeah, thanks again for joining with us today. We love you, and we're praying for you. Good morning church, we're so glad you're here. It's a cold day, but it's warm in the presence of God, right? So if you're grateful for God today and what He's done for you, sing this out with us. Yeah, let's go. ♪ Oh yeah, through every trial ♪ ♪ Every trial, every battle that I face ♪ ♪ God, You've met me there with grace ♪ ♪ Every part has served Your will ♪ ♪ Through it all, You've been so, so good ♪ ♪ You kept Your word, like You said You would ♪ ♪ Your mercies are new every morning ♪ ♪ Your steadfast love will never end ♪ ♪ This hope won't fade in the evening ♪ ♪ Lord, how great is Your faithfulness ♪ ♪ Lord, how great is Your faithfulness ♪ ♪ Oh, how great is Your faithfulness, yeah ♪ ♪ Here and now, looking back on where I've been ♪ ♪ Still as good as You were then ♪

♪ There's no limit to Your love ♪ ♪ Through it all, You've been so, so good ♪ ♪ You kept Your word, like You said You would ♪ ♪ Your mercies are new every morning ♪ ♪ Your steadfast love will never end ♪ ♪ This hope won't fade in the evening ♪ ♪ Lord, how great is Your faithfulness ♪ ♪ Lord, how great is Your faithfulness ♪ ♪ Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa ♪ ♪ Lord, how great, how great, oh whoa ♪ ♪ Oh, what a great is Your faithfulness ♪ ♪ We serve a faithful God ♪ ♪ Oh, through it all You've been so, so good ♪ ♪ You kept Your Word, oh God, kept Your Word like You said You would ♪ ♪ Through every season, through it all, You've been so, so good ♪ ♪ Oh, it's all good to me ♪ ♪ Kept Your Word like You said You would ♪ ♪ Your mercies are new every morning ♪ ♪ Your steadfast love will never end ♪ ♪ This hope won't fade in the evening ♪ ♪ Oh, how great is Your faithfulness ♪ ♪ Your mercies are new every morning ♪ ♪ Your steadfast love will never end ♪ ♪ This hope won't fade in the evening ♪ ♪ Lord, how great is Your faithfulness ♪ ♪ Lord, how great is Your faithfulness ♪ ♪ Lord, how great is Your faithfulness ♪ How great is His faithfulness today? It outlasts everything. What great news.

Welcome to Christ Fellowship. I love the verse where it says, do you not know, have you not heard? He's the everlasting God. He doesn't tire or grow weary. He does not lose patience. His faithfulness does not end today. So can I tell you good news today? Even if you feel like you're in the shadow, even if you feel like you're on the highest mountain today, there is a target on your back. Psalm 23 says this, His goodness and mercy, His kindness follow you all the days of your life. You may think that the enemy has a target, but I want you to know the Lord holds you today. What good news for us as we stir our faith. Look around you. Come on, the church is alive and well. Pray that you feel encouraged today as we sing. So hey, if you're new with us and joining online, welcome, welcome, welcome. This is your invitation to bring an offering, a song to the Lord all over this place. Come on, can we sing together, encourage our faith? Amen, let's go. ♪ Oh yeah, you are still good as you were back then ♪ Hopefully call on His name today. Let's sing this together. ♪ I'm calling on the God of Jacob ♪

♪ Whose love endures through generations ♪ ♪ I know that you will keep your covenant ♪ ♪ I'm calling on the God of Moses ♪ ♪ The one who opened up the ocean ♪ ♪ I need you now to do the same thing for me ♪ ♪ For me ♪ Oh, can we declare we need You, Jesus, today? Oh yeah. ♪ Oh God, my God, I need You ♪ ♪ Oh God, my God, I need You now ♪ ♪ How I need You now ♪ ♪ Oh rock, oh rock of ages ♪ ♪ I'm standing on Your faithfulness ♪ ♪ On Your faithfulness ♪ ♪ Oh, it's one I'm standing on ♪ ♪ I'm calling on the God of Mary ♪ ♪ Whose favor rests upon the lowly ♪ ♪ I know with You all things are possible ♪ I'm calling on. ♪ I'm calling on the God of David ♪ ♪ Who made us shepherd boys through ages, yeah ♪ ♪ I may not face Your light, but I've got my own shines ♪ ♪ Oh God, my God, I need You ♪ ♪ Oh God, my God, I need You now ♪ ♪ Oh, I need You now, oh rock of ages, yeah ♪ ♪ Oh rock, oh rock of ages ♪ ♪ I'm standing on Your faithfulness, oh rock of ages ♪ ♪ I'm standing on my faithfulness, on my faithfulness ♪ ♪ Oh God, my God, I need You now, how I need You now ♪ ♪ You're my all creation, yeah ♪

♪ Oh, I call out Your name, I'm standing on my faithfulness, on my faithfulness ♪ ♪ Yeah, oh, it's a solid foundation, oh, Your faithfulness, oh, You stay the same, You never change, oh no ♪ ♪ You heard Your children then, You hear Your children now ♪ ♪ You are the same, God, You are the same, oh, do You believe that today? ♪ ♪ If You answer prayers now, and You will answer now, You are the same, God, You are the same, God ♪ ♪ You are providing then, You are providing now, You are the same, God, You are the same, God ♪ ♪ You move in power then, You move in power now, You are the same, God, You are the same, God, You are a healer then, You are a healer now ♪ ♪ You are the same, God, You are the same, God, You are a Savior then, You are a Savior now, You are the same, God, You are the same, God ♪ ♪ Oh God, my God, I need You, oh God, my God, I need You now, how I need You now ♪ ♪ Oh my rock of ages, yeah, oh my rock of ages, I'm standing on Your faithfulness, on Your faithfulness, oh God, my God, I need You now, oh God, my God, I need You now, how I need You now ♪ ♪ Oh my rock of ages, yeah, oh my rock of ages, I'm standing on Your faithfulness, on Your faithfulness, oh God, my God, I need You now, oh God, my God, I need You now, how I need You now ♪ He was a healer then, He is faithful now. He was a healer then, He is a healer now. He was providing then, and we believe He is still providing right now. He moved in power then, and He is moving right here and right now. We serve a faithful God, and I don't know what you walked in here with, but the kingdom of God is not just made of words, but of power. Our worship is powerful, our prayer is powerful, and in this moment, I want to lift up everything in this room to the name above every other name. Oh God, we need You, can we pray together? Lord, we thank You that You are consistent. Thank You that You are faithful through generations. You were good then, God, You are good now. You answered prayers back then, God, You are answering right now. God, You heard Your children then, and You hear Your children now. God, we lift all our cares to You. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives as we dwell in Your house. Lord, we thank You. In Jesus' name, amen. Come on, we gather, Lord, most high. Your hidden glory in creation now revealed in You, O Christ. What a beautiful name it is. What a beautiful name it is. The name of Jesus Christ, my King. What a beautiful name it is. ♪ This, nothing compares to this ♪ ♪ What a beautiful name it is, the name of Jesus ♪ ♪ Jesus, Jesus, oh ♪ ♪ You didn't want heaven without us ♪ ♪ So Jesus, You brought heaven down ♪ ♪ My sin was great, my sin was great, Your love was greater ♪ ♪ Why separate us now, what a wonderful name it is ♪ ♪ What a wonderful name it is, the name of Jesus Christ, my King ♪ ♪ What a wonderful name it is, nothing compares to this ♪ ♪ What a wonderful name it is, the name of Jesus ♪ ♪ What a wonderful name it is, the name of Jesus, Jesus ♪ ♪ Jesus, Your name is most powerful ♪ ♪ Jesus, You're the King of kings and Lord of lords ♪

♪ Name above every other name ♪ ♪ Death could not hold You, the veil tore before You ♪ ♪ Lord, You silenced the boast of sin and grave ♪ ♪ The heavens are roaring, the praise of Your glory ♪ ♪ For You are raised to rise again ♪ ♪ You have no rival, You have no equal ♪ ♪ Now and forever, God, You reign ♪ ♪ God, You reign ♪ ♪ Yours is the kingdom, Yours is the glory ♪ ♪ Yours is the name above all names ♪ ♪ What a powerful name it is, what a powerful name it is ♪ ♪ The name of Jesus Christ, what a powerful name it is ♪ ♪ What a powerful name it is, nothing can stand against ♪ ♪ What a powerful name it is, the name of Jesus ♪ ♪ What a powerful name it is, the name of Jesus ♪ ♪ What a powerful name it is, the name of Jesus ♪ Come on, let's fill this room today. All honor, all power, all glory, it is due His name today. Hey, I hope that stirred your faith a little bit today. I know Pastor Todd, he is chomping at the bit. He's got a fresh word for us today. But hey, we wanna encourage you. We're gonna be singing a new song over. I know, I know, he's ready to come up. Hey, we're gonna be singing a new song in this season as we lean in to a new series. So I want you to stay standing, lean in before Pastor Todd comes up to preach this message. All right, so we're gonna teach it to you today. Church, we love you, let's go.

Hey, let's go. ♪ And I know a name ♪ ♪ That can silence roaring waves ♪ ♪ I know a name ♪ Wow, it sounds like they already know it. ♪ That can empty out a grave ♪ ♪ I know a name ♪ ♪ It's the only name that saves ♪ ♪ And is worthy of all praise ♪ ♪ I call you Jesus ♪ ♪ I call you, I call you healer ♪ ♪ Risen and reigning forever ♪ ♪ Something comes out of the grave ♪ ♪ Every time I call you Jesus ♪ ♪ I call you, I call you Savior ♪ ♪ Worthy of glory forever ♪ ♪ Something comes out of the grave ♪ ♪ Every time I call your name ♪ Oh, there's power. ♪ I have a key, yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ With dominion over death ♪ ♪ He holds the key, yes, he does ♪ ♪ In his holy nails, God is ♪ ♪ He is the heel ♪ ♪ God has crushed the serpent's head ♪ ♪ Resurrected, great I am ♪ ♪ He called you Jesus, I call you, I call you healer ♪ ♪ Risen and ready for power ♪ ♪ Something comes out of the grave ♪ ♪ Oh, every time I call you Jesus, I call you, I call you ♪

♪ Savior, worthy of glory forever ♪ ♪ Something comes out of the grave ♪ ♪ Every time I call your name, chains break, troubles wake ♪ ♪ Every time I call your name, the gates of hell shake ♪ ♪ The gates of hell shake, every time I call your name ♪ ♪ Chains break, troubles wake, every time I call your name ♪ ♪ The gates of hell shake, every time I call you Jesus, I call you, I call you healer ♪ ♪ Every time I call you Jesus, I call you, I call you healer ♪ ♪ Risen and ready for power, something comes out of the grave ♪ ♪ Oh, every time I call you Jesus, I call you, I call you ♪ ♪ Savior, worthy of glory forever, something comes out of the grave ♪ ♪ Something comes out of the grave, every time I call your name ♪ Come on, call the name of Jesus today. There's nothing like the name of Jesus. The name above every name. Gates of hell shake, dry bones are gonna wake up, chains are gonna break every time we speak his name. Amen. Well, you can be seated across all of our Christ Fellowship locations. I just wanna welcome everybody joining us today at Christ Fellowship. You guys braved the bitter cold this morning. You did it. Don't tell me Floridians can't do hard things. We can, right? Right? And I also wanna welcome everybody joining us online, especially those up north that are snowed in today and you're joining us for church.

Good to have you with us. And for those of you local that think you're snowed in, you're not, you're okay. You can get here. We have services later today. You can get in the room next Sunday. We're glad you're with us though, joining online. And would you help me welcome all the men and women of the United States Armed Forces joining with us today. God bless you, we love you. We are kicking off a brand new series today entitled Who is God? Looking at the different names of God and what they tell us about our God. And the reason this is so important is because the more you know God, your faith is gonna get stronger, your worship is gonna go deeper. You're gonna be emboldened with a supernatural confidence because you understand who your God is. It helps you understand who you are. In fact, what you're gonna see is that where we've been over the last several weeks in Ephesians 3.20, this exceedingly abundantly more life that God has for you. The only way that you and I experience that in our life is as we begin to grow in our understanding of who God is in our life. In fact, you're gonna see how where we've been

in these last four weeks is hinged together with where we're going these next four weeks. You can only experience the exceedingly abundantly more that God has in store for you as you grow in knowing who he is and what he has for you and what he wants to do in you. So today I wanna unpack the first name in the scriptures that God gives himself to reveal himself to us and the first name that a person gives to God and what that tells us about our God. The next week is Super Bowl Sunday. So the one and only coach Mullins is gonna be bringing the word, teaching us about Jehovah Nissi, our banner of victory and how that you can have victory in no matter what situation or battle you might be up against. And I'm sure he's gonna teach you He's gonna throw a few football stories in there, how you can win the Super Bowl. so make sure you get back and bring somebody with you next Sunday. Then on week three, I am so excited to be preaching about Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides, and what you and I can do to actually position ourself to receive the provision of God and the things that we do that actually prevent us from receiving the provision of God.

So make sure you're back for that. Then week four, probably the most important of the weeks, we're gonna study the name Jehovah Sidkenu, the Lord our righteousness. And the reason this is so important is because Jehovah Sidkenu is actually what allows us to have a relationship with God. He makes us right with God. It is like the story of grace wrapped up in a name. But before I jump into that today, some of you may have heard that we had a pretty big week in the life of the Mullins family when our son, Jefferson, and his wife, Cassie, gave birth to their first little baby girl, Adeline Grace, which means Julie and I are grandparents. Woo! Yay! And we are completely smitten by this little girl. Like, I didn't even know what the word smitten meant, but now if you look it up in the dictionary, you're gonna see my face going. Like, it's all I do. She's sleeping, she's burping. I'm just like, whatever she's doing, I'll let you know. You know, for the last couple of months, I had people asking me, Todd, what is gonna be your grandpa name? And I was like, I don't know, but it ain't gonna be grandpa because I don't feel like a grandpa. I gotta, I don't know.

I gotta work on, you know, Todd something. I don't know. I was trying to pop a tea. I don't know what I was coming to, nothing seemed to fit. And then I was with some friends that had come over from Israel. We were having a meal with them just a couple of weeks ago. And they asked me the question. I said, I don't know. They said, well, do you know the Hebrew name for grandfather? And I said, I don't. And they said, it's Saba. Like Abba for daddy, but Saba for grandfather. And it means to surround or to come around. And I'm like, that's me. It's like permission to hover in a name. I get to surround and come. It also means you've been around a while, but I like the, you surround, right? That's who I am. And you may say, well, Todd, why are you telling me this? Well, first, I just wanted a reason to talk about my granddaughter for a minute, because I'm thinking about it right now. But secondly, I wanted you to know that I wanted to choose a name that actually revealed something about my nature and who I am and how I'm wired that connects with who I want to be.

And in a much deeper, more profound way than that, God's names reveal who he is. They tell us something about who he is and the way he wants to relate to us as his kids. See, in the Bible, names were like autobiographies. They actually tell us something about the one who is being named. So God's names reveal his nature, his character. It's a revelation of who he is and how he wants to relate to us. Isaiah 52, verse six, God says this. He says, I will reveal my name to my people and they will come to know it's what? Power. They will come to know there's power in God's name. And the more you get to know the names of God, there's gonna be a revelation of power in your life. It's gonna produce a strength inside of you. Proverbs 18, 10 says the name of the Lord is a strong tower. Say that last part with me. The righteous run to it and are safe. So as you truly get to know the names of God and what they represent in your life, it actually is gonna provide safety to you and security for your family and your life and your future. And the fact that God shares his name with us in scripture tells us that he's not a doctrine to be studied. He's a person to be related to. He wants a relationship with us. As you study through the scripture,

the different names of God, there are three foundational names of God that are repeated over and over. Now, there are many names and we're gonna be hitting on several of them over this next month together, but three that you'll see repeated. The first is Elohim, which means powerful, almighty God. Then you'll see Jehovah or Yahweh, that's the same, means personal and present God. And then Adonai, which means Lord and ruler over all. And over the coming weeks, we're gonna be unpacking more of these names, but I wanted to start in the beginning. I actually wanted to go back before the beginning because the very first name that God reveals of himself to us is found at creation. In Genesis 1.1, it says this, in the beginning, God, and the word used. There is Elohim created the heavens and the earth. In the beginning, Elohim was timeless. He was omnipresent. In the beginning, Elohim already was, even though it was the beginning. He was already there, creating everything that is or that ever would be. So he stands outside of time, outside of creation. In the beginning, when there was only chaos and void, Elohim was there creating the heavens and the earth. And this is significant, that God would choose this name

to be the first name to introduce himself to us. Not savior, there's nothing to be saved yet. Not covenant keeper, there hasn't been a covenant given yet. But Elohim, and the definition of Elohim is the strong one, the all powerful creator, the supreme God, that out of nothing and out of chaos, he creates everything with just his spoken words. Let there be, and there was. Psalm 33 says, by the word of the Lord, the heavens were made, he spoke it, and it came to be, he just opened his mouth. And there were galaxies out of complete lack, out of complete nothingness, out of complete chaos, God created, which tells us there is nothing too chaotic. There's no situation that's too far gone, too broken. There's no place of emptiness in your life that Elohim cannot speak into and bring order and life and direction, because that's what he does. Think about it, oceans stop where he tells them to stop. Stars stay in place where he commands it. He rules over nations and nature. He rules over history and humanity. There is nothing outside of the scope of his control and his authority in our lives. And the reason I believe it's so significant that God chose this name, Elohim, to be the first name that he would demonstrate who he is to us is so that we could learn to trust him. He's in control, he's Elohim, he's all powerful. There's nothing that's outside of his control or his ways.

He's Elohim, I can trust him. See, this isn't just a theology he's giving us, he's giving us a mentality of understanding who he is so that we can trust him. It's more than a title or a position, it's a perspective for us to live our lives by, that he is Elohim, he is in control. Before there was anything, there was him. He is, and it's not just telling us who God is, he's trying to help you understand who your God is. Your God is in control. Your God is all powerful, your God is almighty. There's nothing your God cannot do. My mom taught me a song when I was like four years old, my God is so great, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do. That got in me when I was four, Elohim, so I can trust Elohim no matter what I'm going through. So if Elohim created everything out of chaos and disorder, then there's nothing that you will ever face in your life, no problem, no situation that he cannot speak order into, speak direction into. And see, this is important because one of the greatest anxieties of our generation is the feeling like life is out of control. Whether that's on a personal level, in our family, or with situations, or financial level, or just even culturally what's going on in the world, things feel out of control. But scripture begins right here by anchoring us

to this truth that before there was chaos, there was Elohim. So even when life feels chaotic, when life feels uncertain, our certainty does not come from this ever-changing, ever-crazy world that we live in, but from the unchanging, all-powerful God that created the world that we live in. See, if Elohim can hold the galaxies together, honey, he can hold your life together. You don't have anything to worry about, right? And you don't need all the details because you know the designer, right? You don't have to have every answer, you know the architect that put it all together. So when plans fall apart in your life, and prayers seem to go unanswered, or there's a season that you're in that feels like it should be over by now, you know that Elohim is still creating. He's still speaking, he's still forming, he's still making it happen, even when you can't always see it. See that it's happening. Remember, his name reveals his nature. Elohim, all powerful, in control, creator, God. So my question for you is, what have you maybe been stressing out about? What has been keeping you up at night? What have you been worried about? What have you been trying? You've been trying to control it,

and today, you need to trust in Elohim, the one who controls everything. So if Elohim is the first name that God uses to describe himself to us, what is the first name that a person uses to help us know God in scripture? And who is that person? You might think it was Adam and Eve, no? Wasn't even Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. It was actually a servant girl that had a revelation of God, and her revelation becomes the first name given by a person to God to help us understand God. Let me give you a quick history lesson. In the book of Genesis, we read about the story of Abraham and Sarah, and the tension they have in trusting Elohim to fulfill the promise that they've been given, because the promise has been delayed. God has promised that he was gonna make Abraham the father of many nations. The only problem is, Abraham was old, 75 years old. Sarah was barren, there was no children, no future, nothing in sight that could ever fulfill this promise. And Sarah feels the weight of the waiting. She feels the disappointment in the delay, and so she decides to do something about it and take matters into her own hand, which reminds us that often our faith is challenged

not only by difficulty, but by delay. So Sarah comes up with a plan, and this plan was acceptable back in this day. She proposed that Abraham would have a child through her servant, Hagar. And Hagar wasn't even consulted on this. If you read the scripture, we don't read that Sarah meets with Hagar to discuss the plan, to see if she's okay with it, see how she feels about it. Are you okay with sleeping with my husband? Because Hagar didn't have a choice. Hagar, I want you to see this, Hagar didn't have a voice. She was completely unseen and unvalued in this story. Now we read that Abraham agrees, he doesn't put up a fight, and Hagar conceives. And what they hoped would relieve the tension only ended up creating more of it. And so Hagar becomes pregnant. Sarah becomes angry at Hagar and begins to mistreat her to the point that Hagar now runs away pregnant into the desert. And this is where you pick up the story in Genesis 16, verse seven. The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert. Let me pause. Anytime you see the term angel of the Lord in the Old Testament, Bible scholars and theologians will tell us

this is actually a theophany. This is the pre-incarnate Christ showing up on the scene. He's showing up in scripture before he actually shows up in Bethlehem. So this is Jesus, right? So God, think about it, God, not just some little angel, God finds Hagar on the run, which tells me God can find you. No matter where you try to run and hide, he can chase you down. Wherever you're, whatever you're hiding under, he can find us. He can find that lost son or daughter that's running today. He knows exactly where they are. That spouse that you think is too far gone. No, no, no, no, no, God can find anybody. So he finds this overlooked, unseen servant girl in a time where she was only seen as a possession, only viewed as a piece of property. God finds her and he sees her differently. And the angel asks her, hey, what are you doing here? Where did you come from? And where are you going? Now, by the way, anytime God asks you a question, it's not for his benefit. He already knows the answer, right? He's trying to get you and me to wake up to something that's going on in our life and help us understand, how did we actually get here?

And the angel says, why are you in this place? This dry, forsaken place, Hagar. You know that your provision is not in this place. There's no hope for you in this place. There's no future for you in this place. Why is it so many times we run to places, we run to people, we run back to addictions, we run back to things where that is not where our provision is. That is not our place, that is not our future. God does not want us to go there, but we run there to a spiritually dry wasteland that isn't a part of God's plan for our lives. It's where Hagar finds herself. And Hagar tells him, I'm running away from my mistress. I'm running away from the pain. I'm running away from the misunderstanding. I'm running away from the hurt. So many times, we have a tendency to run away when things get difficult, don't we? Life gets a little hard, we run away. Marriage gets too hard, we want out. Job demands get too high, we quit. We keep running. Can I tell you, if you keep running away, you will never discover what God has put on the inside of you that he actually wants to birth through you, so stop running away. Then the angel of the Lord told her, in verse nine, go back to your mistress and submit to her.

The angel added, I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count. He also says some things about her son, Ishmael, about being a wild like a donkey and a lot of hostility between his brothers, which is all being played out today, all in the Middle East, but I don't have time to go there. I want you to look at her response in verse 13. After the angel of the Lord speaks to her, she says, you are El Roy. In this place, have I actually seen the one, say it with me, who sees me? You are El Roy. In this place, right here, have I actually seen the one who sees me? El Roy, the first name given to God by a person recorded in Scripture. And El Roy literally means the God who sees me, spoken by a person who was completely unseen, spoken by a person who is completely overlooked and undervalued, unseen by man, but seen by God, right here in this desert. This pregnant slave girl gets a revelation. God sees me? God cares about me. Do you see how incredible this is? That the all-powerful, all-mighty God of the universe sees you, it's, when I was studying this again this week, it's like, it's unimaginable. The God, the God, the only one true living God sees me, sees you.

David wrote in Psalm 8, who is man, that you're even mindful of us. Hagar, Abraham didn't see you. Sarah doesn't wanna see you, but God, ooh, God. God sees you. I wanna tell somebody today, God sees you. He sees you. You are not unseen. You're not unwanted. You are not forgotten. You are known by God. You are loved by God. You will not die in that desert that you might feel that you're in today. God's got you. God's chasing after you. He's right there for you. He is El Roy, the God who sees. That God, he sees you, which means you're not forsaken. He's with you wherever, whatever you're going through, every tear that you've cried, he's seen you. And this is so huge that this is the first name that God would choose to be recorded in Scripture of a person's revelation of who God is. Don't miss this point. This is so significant because God could have wanted the very first name to be Sovereign King, which he is. He could have wanted the first name that a person would grasp the understanding of to be ruler of the universe.

But he chose El Roy, the God who sees, the God who sees you, the God who sees me, the God who cares, the God who is close and personal. And I believe that God chose this because he wanted to reveal something so significant to us that no matter what situation you might be going through in life, no matter where you find yourself in life, no matter how alone or forgotten that you might feel in life, you are not alone, you are not forgotten. He comes after you, he'll chase. God will chase after you when you get yourself in a spiritual wasteland or desert. Hagar got herself where she is, right? But God chased after her. God came after her and God will chase after you. He meets us, listen to me, he meets us right where we are. So when you were in the middle of that trial, that betrayal, El Roy was right there. He's. surrounded you, he carried you, he provided for you. When you were feeling abandoned, you weren't abandoned, no, no, no, Elroy was right there in the middle of the problem, right there in the middle of the pain, saying I see you, I've got you, I'm here for you, I'm gonna carry you through whatever you're going through. Isaiah 43, God is speaking and he says this, do not be afraid, I have ransomed you, I have called you by name, child, you are mine, so when you go through the deep waters, I will be with you,

when you go through the rivers of difficulty, you will not drown because Elroy is gonna be there, when you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up, the flames will not consume you, I know it's gonna feel like it's gonna get hot, but the flames are not gonna consume you, for I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior, he's got you, he's with you, he sees you, let that sink in this morning, God sees you, which by the way, if God sees you, you can deal with somebody else not seeing you, right? I mean, think about it, if God sees me, I don't care if they don't see me, who cares, right? If God sees you and knows you, what do you care about that group of kids at school that don't see you or the people at work that don't see you or your boss doesn't see all the work I do, it's okay, God sees you, Elroy sees you, Elroy's got you, right? He knows every hair on your head and for some of us, he's using division and subtraction, but he knows they're all up there, right? He sees you, he knows every thought, he's seen every tear that you've cried, so don't you ever believe the lie that you don't matter, don't you ever believe the lie that your life doesn't count, you matter, you matter to God, you are seen, that lie is from the pit of hell, if you ever feel that, hear that bounce around,

it is your enemy trying to keep you from your destiny, trying to take you out before you ever get started, know where that is coming from, because God says, I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future, that is God's plan for your life, but what I want you to understand that this revelation, Elroy, the God who sees, this revelation was birthed in persecution, this revelation of Elroy, the God who sees me, right? Didn't come on this mountaintop experience, Hagar was in a valley, she was desperate, so this revelation came out of desperation, and this is important because most of the time, most likely your revelation of God is not gonna come from a mountaintop experience, it's gonna come when you're in a valley calling out for help, it won't come in a moment of praise, it'll often come in a season of pain, it won't come when everything seems right, it's gonna come when everything feels wrong, when you feel like you're in trouble, in trial, because you know what, that's where God shows up, he shows up right in the middle of our troubles, and our trials, in fact, scripture tells us in Psalm 46 verse one, God is our refuge and strength, and ever present help in time of trouble, do you have that verse, Psalm 46 one,

God is our refuge and strength and ever present help in time of trouble, God is ever present, that means he is always present in trouble, but think about what happens when we get in trouble, we try to get out of trouble, we run from trouble, we hide from trouble, we don't want trouble, we get out of there, but God is saying, I'm right here in trouble, I'm right here in the middle of your trouble, so when we're running out of trouble, trying to get away from trouble, we're actually getting away from God, who's actually ever present in trouble, and there are some things you only learn in trouble, you can't learn it any other way, but when you're going through the trouble, and then all of a sudden you meet God in the middle of your trouble, you're like, oh, I didn't know, yeah, now I know, what you're gonna see in scripture, so many of the names of God come out of a time of crisis, not from a place of comfort, it comes when people come to the end of themselves, and God shows up to reveal himself to them in a whole new way, the revelation comes out of desperation, Abraham, when he learned about Jehovah-Jireh, when he was in a place of desperation. on a mountaintop. And he was at the end of himself

and in a place of complete surrender. Then he figured out and he saw God is the provider. Gideon understood God to be Jehovah Shalom, my God of peace when he was paralyzed by fear. Moses discovered that God is Jehovah Nisi, my banner of victory when he was worn out from the battle and that God showed up and took care of him. And then here Hagar found God to be El Roy, the God who sees as she was all alone in a desert place. I can tell you for Julie and me that it's been in our moments of crisis and trouble that we've actually come to understand who God really is. Personally for me, times where I've been in battling seasons of maybe discouragement or doubt, it's been in those moments that he is Jehovah Nisi, my strength and my victory that I can't rely on myself to power through that I have to trust in him and rely on him. That there have been times when I have needed direction to make a decision and I didn't know which way to go. And he shows up as Jehovah Raha, the Lord is my shepherd to guide and direct. Years ago when we had spent all of our money on some therapy stuff for Jefferson and we needed more money for medical things and we didn't have it, supernaturally Jehovah Jireh showed up and stuck money in my pocket. It was like, what? It's in those moments of need and lack and trouble

that we find a greater revelation from God, not on the mountaintop. There's things you learn on the mountaintop, but you really begin to understand who he is from the valley. So the first name that we see that God uses, Elohim, to help us know his power. But the first name that a person uses, Elroy, to help us understand that he's personal. He's personal, not just powerful. And he longs for this personal relationship with you and me that every day changes us from the inside. And the more that you get to know him, the more you get to know life and truth and strength and your life doesn't end up looking the same because you know and are known by God. See, God is not anonymous. He's not a concept to be studied. He's a person to be known and he has a name. All throughout the Bible, we see his name. In Genesis, he is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides. In Exodus, he is Yahweh, the great I am. In Leviticus, he is the God who sets us apart so that we can dwell within him. In Numbers, he is Jehovah Nissi, our banner of victory. In Deuteronomy, he is Yahweh Echad, the one and only God. In Joshua, he is the commander of heaven's armies. In Judges, he is Jehovah Shalom, our peace. In Ruth, he is our redeemer. In Samuel, he is the rock. In Kings and Chronicles, he is Yahweh Melech,

the God who reigns over all. In Ezra and Nehemiah, he is the God who rebuilds. In Esther, even though his name is not spoken, he is present, proving once again, he is El Roy, the God who sees. In Job, El Shaddai, almighty, all-sufficient God. In Psalms, he is Jehovah Raha, the Lord is our shepherd. In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, he is Chokmah, the source of all wisdom. In Song of Solomon, he is the lover of our souls. In the prophets, he is Yahweh Tzidkenu, the Lord, our righteousness. And then, after centuries of silence, God chooses to reveal himself once again. But this time, not through a burning bush, not through prophets or pillars of fire. This time, through the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the name that's above every name. Jesus, that person that is given to us, right? He's on every story. He's on every page, from Genesis to Revelations. In the Gospels, he is Emmanuel, God with us. In Acts, he is Yahweh Ruach, who pours out his spirit. In Romans, he is the God who justifies. In Corinthians, he is the God who reconciles. he's our freedom. In Ephesians, he's our father. In Philippians, he's our joy. In Colossians, he is the supreme authority over all. In Thessalonians, our soon-incoming king. In Titus and Timothy, the source of our strength. In Philemon, our reconciliation. In Hebrews, our great high priest. In James, in first and second Peter, he is our living hope. In the book of John, he is love. In Jude, he is our protector. And in Revelations, church, lift up your eyes.

He is the Alpha and Omega, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Yes! And dominions, all powers and positions your name. He stands above them all. Hear the angels cry. Holy, all creation cries. Holy, you are lifted high. Holy, holy forever. Holy, to the king of kings. Holy, you will always be. Holy, holy forever. Well, you will always, you will always be. Holy, holy forever.