THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT

PROGRAM AIR DATE: 10-18-20



LESSON TITLE: "A NEW NAME"



WELCOME

TODAY WE ARE BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD, THE BIBLE. THIS BOOK IS GOD'S LIVING WORD. IN ITS PAGES, WE ARE TOLD "FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD." IT IS IN THIS BOOK OF BOOKS THAT WE FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF MAN'S QUESTIONS AND NEEDS. THIS MORNING YOUR AREA CHURCHES OF CHRIST WELCOME YOU TO A PROGRAM COMMITTED TO THAT PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY AS WE PRESENT THE LIVING WORD. NOW HERE IS YOUR HOST, RAY SULLINS.



HERE WE ARE TOGETHER AGAIN ON A WONDROUS LORD'S DAY MORNING. PRIVILEGED TO SERVE OUR GOD IN SONGS OF PRAISE AND THROUGH THE STUDY OF HIS WORD. WE WELCOME YOU TO THIS TIME OF OFFERING TO GOD. I HOPE EACH OF YOU HAD A GREAT WEEK AND I HOPE YOU ARE READY TODAY TO THINK ON THINGS ABOVE, AND TO GIVE FULL ATTENTION TO OUR CREATOR WHO HAS DONE SO MUCH FOR ALL OF US. IN FACT, THIS MORNING WE WANT TO BEGIN BY TALKING TO OUR GOD IN PRAYER. WON'T YOU BOW WITH ME AT THIS TIME BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD.

PRAYER: OUR WONDEROUS GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE ARE SO THANKFUL BECAUSE YOU ARE A GREAT GOD, A LOVING GOD, AND A MIGHTY GOD. FATHER, WE ARE THANKFUL BECAUSE YOU HAVE GIVEN US EVERYTHING WE HAVE, PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL. AND FATHER, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED THAT WE MIGHT NOT ONLY LIVE NOW BUT THAT WE MIGHT BE A RECIPIENT OF ALL THE GREAT REWARDS OF THE LIFE TO COME. AND FATHER, WE ALSO ASK THAT YOU HELP US AND GUIDE US EVERY DAY THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THOSE THINGS THAT ARE RIGHT BEFORE YOU AND ULTIMATELY RECEIVE THAT GREAT REWARD OF HEAVEN SOMEDAY ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH THE GREAT GIFT OF JESUS AND YOUR LOVE, GRACE, AND MERCY. IN HIS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.

AT THIS TIME WE WANT TO GET STARTED BY SINGING OUR FIRST SONG OF THE MORNING. WON'T YOU ALL JOIN IN WITH THE CONGREGATION AT THIS TIME AS WE LIFT UP OUR VOICES TOGETHER, IN THE HYMN, "A HILL CALLED MOUNT CALVARY."



DEVOTIONAL



HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU GONE TO BED CRYING? PROBABLY ALL OF US HAVE AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. MAYBE YOU LOST A LOVED ONE, OR POSSIBLY YOU LOST YOUR JOB. MAYBE THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE WERE JUST CLOSING IN ON ALL SIDES. YES, OFTEN THE THINGS WHICH GET US DOWN ARE MAJOR THINGS IN THIS LIFE. HOWEVER, SOMETIMES WE GET UPSET AND CRY OVER SMALLER THINGS. MAYBE OUR GIRLFRIEND OR BOYFRIEND DROPPED US OR MAYBE WE HAD TO EAT SOMETHING WE REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO. YOU SEE, NO MATTER WHO WE ARE OR WHAT THE REASON IS, WHEN WE ARE THE ONES WITH THE PROBLEM, IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ON THIS EARTH.

I WANTED TO READ A VERSE THIS MORNING THAT REMINDS US THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO LET THESE THINGS IN LIFE GET US DOWN. IN PSALM 30:5, WE READ, "...WEEPING MAY ENDURE FOR A NIGHT, BUT JOY COMES IN THE MORNING." HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THAT OLD SAYING, "SLEEP ON IT, AND THINGS WILL LOOK BRIGHTER IN THE MORNING." WHERE DO YOU THINK THAT CAME FROM? THE GREAT PSALMIST DAVID KNEW EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO GO TO BED WITH PROBLEMS OR SINS THAT CAUSE US TO CRY. BUT HE ALSO REALIZED THAT IF WE WILL ALWAYS REFOCUS ON GOD, THESE THINGS WILL SEEM A LOT LESS IMPORTANT IN THE MORNING. BUT WHY? GOD IS THERE FOR US AND GOD FORGIVES!

THE FIRST PART OF THE SAME VERSE WHICH WE JUST READ SAYS, "FOR HIS ANGER IS BUT FOR A MOMENT, HIS FAVOR IS FOR LIFE." GOD MAY NOT LIKE WHAT WE DO AND MAY EVEN BE ANGERED BY IT, BUT HE IS ALWAYS THERE TO ACCEPT US BACK AND TO FORGIVE US IF WE ARE WILLING TO DO OUR PART BY REPENTING. HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THAT THINGS ARE ALWAYS BETTER IN THE MORNING WITH GOD? WHY NOT RELY MORE ON GOD? COMMIT TO DOING HIS WILL AND YOU WILL FIND THAT THINGS ARE EASIER IN THIS LIFE. DECIDE TO "CAST ALL YOUR CARE UPON HIM, FOR HE CARES FOR YOU," 1 PETER 5:7. WE TRULY SERVE A GREAT AND MIGHTY GOD.

IN OUR STUDY THIS MORNING WE WILL AGAIN FOCUS ON OUR SERIES ENTITLED, "BEHOLD ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW." OUR SPECIFIC TOPIC TODAY IS, "A NEW NAME!" SO PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US AND IN A FEW MINUTES I WILL RETURN WITH THIS STUDY OF THE MORNING. NOW, LET'S JOIN IN OUR SECOND HYMN OF THE MORNING. THE NAME OF THE SONG, "UNTO THEE O LORD!"



LESSON

BY RAY SULLINS



WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU HAVE CONTINUED WITH US NOW AS WE GO TO GOD'S WORD TO CONSIDER ANOTHER LESSON IN OUR NEW SERIES THAT REALLY DEALS WITH THE IDEA OF ALL THINGS HAVING BECOME NEW AS CHRISTIANS. AND CERTAINLY THIS IS AN IDEA THAT WE FIND THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE BUT OUR THEME HAS ACTUALLY BEEN TAKEN FROM THE BOOK OF CORINTHIANS. IF YOU NOTICE THERE FROM SECOND CORINTHIANS CHAPTER FIVE VERSE 17 THE BIBLE THERE SAYS, "THEREFORE, IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATION; OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY; BEHOLD ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW." WE ARE GOING TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT THAT VERSE LATER IN THE SERIES BUT IT IS INTERESTING THAT AGAIN THROUGHOUT THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS THERE THESE IDEAS OF THINGS THAT ARE NEW. AND SO LAST WEEK WE LOOKED TOGETHER AT THE IDEA OF THE NEW COVENANT THAT WAS EVEN PROPHESIED IN THE OLD AND THEN HAD COME TO FRUITION THROUGH THE GIFT OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE SHEDDING OF HIS BLOOD AND THE ENACTMENT OF THAT COVENANT AT THAT POINT. WE ALSO NOW TODAY WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT THE IDEA OF A NEW NAME.

IN THE BIBLE, THERE ARE SEVERAL TIMES EVEN UNDER THE OLD LAW AGAIN AND THE NEW LAW WHERE THERE IS THIS DISCUSSION OF A NEW NAME. AND THAT CERTAINLY SHOULDN'T BE THAT STRANGE TO US BECAUSE AS WE GO THROUGH THE BIBLE, WE KNOW THAT NAMES ARE IMPORTANT. WE NOT ONLY KNOW THAT IN THE BIBLE BUT WE KNOW THAT IN OUR DAILY LIVES. IF WE DIDN'T HAVE DIFFERENT NAMES HOW WOULD WE BE PROPERLY IDENTIFIED? OR IF EVERYONE WAS CALLED RAY HOW WOULD YOU KNOW WHICH RAY THAT INDIVIDUAL WAS? OR EVEN THOUGH THERE MIGHT BE MANY RAYS AND I'M ABLE TO HAVE MAYBE ALSO A FIRST NAME, JERRY RAYMOND SULLINS, AND SO THOSE THINGS AGAIN IDENTIFY ME AND SEPARATE ME FROM THE MAJORITY OF OTHERS BECAUSE OF THE UNIQUE NAME THAT I WEAR. AND THERE MIGHT BE A FEW OTHERS THAT HAVE THAT NAME THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTRY OR MAYBE THE WORLD BUT NOT MANY BECAUSE OF THE DISTINCTION OF THAT NAME. AND SO NAMES ARE IMPORTANT! I WANT TO NAME THAT REALLY CAUSES ME TO BE KNOWN OR TO STAND OUT AND THEN I WANT TO DO GOOD SO THAT MY NAME IS AN HONORABLE NAME AND A NAME THAT PERHAPS MAYBE OTHERS MIGHT EVEN WANT TO HEAR OR LOOK TO AS SOMETHING THAT IS GOOD. I KNOW THAT I WEAR THE NAME OF MY FATHER, THE EXACT NAME. EXCEPT I AM A JUNIOR AND THEN I HAVE A SON. OF COURSE, YOU KNOW TREY AND TREY WEARS THE SAME NAME BUT HE IS JERRY RAYMOND SULLINS THE THIRD. SO THAT NAME CERTAINLY THEN MIGHT MEAN SOMETHING, NOT ONLY IN RELATIONSHIP TO HERITAGE, BUT ALSO IN RELATIONSHIP TO IDENTITY. BUT THEN MY FATHER GOES BY JERRY, I GO BY RAY, AND THEN TREY GOES BY TRAY BECAUSE OF THE THIRD. SO EVEN THERE WE FIND DISTINCTION.

NOW IF WE GO INTO THE BIBLE THIS WAS THE SAME. YOU MIGHT RECALL WITH ME BACK IN GENESIS THERE IN CHAPTER 17 WHEN ABRAM HAD NOT ONLY BEEN CALLED BY GOD EARLIER IN CHAPTER 12 BUT HERE AS IT IS BEING REITERATED IN CHAPTER 17 GOD ACTUALLY TELLS HIM I'M NO LONGER GOING TO CALL YOU ABRAM BUT YOUR NAME WILL BE ABRAHAM BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO BE THE FATHER OF MANY. OR AS WE WELL KNOW THE PROMISE THE FATHER OF ALL MEN OR MANY NATIONS IS THE CONCEPT. BUT THEN WE ALSO KNOW THAT SARAH'S NAME WAS CHANGED IN THE SAME CHAPTER. LATER JACOB, AFTER COMING BACK FROM HAVING BEEN UP AND LIVING WITH HIS FATHER-IN-LAW AND BRINGING HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN BACK DOWN TOWARD THE LAND OF CANAAN YOU MIGHT RECALL THERE IN CHAPTER 32, WAS TOLD THAT YOUR NAME WILL NO LONGER BE JACOB BUT YOUR NAME WILL BE ISRAEL. WHICH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE LATER WE KNOW THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND THAT CERTAINLY WAS GIVEN TO THEM BECAUSE OF THE HERITAGE OF THEIR FATHER JACOB WHOSE NAME WAS CHANGED TO ISRAEL. AND SO THE ISRAELITES ARE DESCENDENTS OF JACOB WHO IS A DISTANT DESCENDENT OF ISAAC WHO WAS A DESCENDENT OF ABRAHAM. YOU SEE HOW IMPORTANT NAMES ARE?

AND THEN WE EVEN GO INTO THE NEW TESTAMENT AND I THINK IT'S QUITE INTERESTING, YOU MIGHT RECALL WITH ME THERE, SEVERAL OF THE DISCIPLES AT TIMES WERE EITHER GIVEN NAMES OR NAMES OF DISTINCTION, ONE OR THE OTHER REASONS, BECAUSE THERE MIGHT'VE BEEN MORE THAN ONE JAMES. AND SO WE SOMETIMES HAVE A CLARIFICATION OF WHICH JAMES OR JUDE WAS BEING DISCUSSED. AND THEN ALSO WITH PETER. YOU MIGHT NOTICE WITH ME IN JOHN CHAPTER ONE AND VERSE 42 AS PETER IS BEING ADDRESSED BY JESUS, THE LORD HIMSELF, HE SAYS, "'YOU ARE SIMON THE SON OF JONAH. YOU SHALL BE CALLED CEPHAS.'" AND THE CONCEPT OF CEPHAS IS MORE OF THAT CONCEPT ABOUT A STONE. CERTAINLY AS MANY OF THE OTHERS LOOKED TO HIM AS A STONE. AND CERTAINLY THEN WE MIGHT ALSO WONDER WHY HE WOULD'VE WANTED HIS NAME TO BE CHANGED. SOME THINGS WOULD BE OBVIOUS IN RELATIONSHIP MAYBE TO THE CONCEPT OF PETER. SIMON PETER WASN'T MAYBE THE GREATEST OF MEANINGS OR THE BEST NAME BUT THIS IDEA OF CEPHAS EMPHASIZING MORE THE STABILITY OF PETER AND REALLY THE PURPOSE THAT HE SERVED. AND I ALSO FIND THAT INTERESTING BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO TO AFRICA AND AS MANY OF YOU KNOW I DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO AFRICA AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR, AND AS I GO THERE, MOST AFRICANS HAVE VERY LONG NAMES BUT WHEN THEY BECOME A CHRISTIAN MANY OF THEM TAKE WHAT'S CALLED ALSO A RELIGIOUS NAME. AND SO THEY WILL ALSO TAKE A NAME LIKE JACOB OR ABRAHAM OR SOME GOOD RELIGIOUS NAME. AND THEY OFTEN GO BY THAT NAME IN AND THAT SINCE AFTER THEY BECOME A CHRISTIAN BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE KNOWN BY A GOOD NAME. THEY WANT THAT NAME TO PERHAPS PROMOTE THEM OR TO RESOUND BEFORE OTHERS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT KNOW THEY LOVE GOD AND THEY SERVE GOD. OH, THE IMPORTANCE OF NAMES.

AND THAT'S WHY WHEN EVEN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT THE GOD OF ALL SPOKE TO, FOR INSTANCE AS IS RECORDED IN ISAIAH, TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND HE TOLD THEM ABOUT A DESIRE THAT HE HAD THERE TO GIVE THEM A NEW NAME. I WANT YOU TO NOTICE WITH ME HERE AS HE'S REFERRING TO THE CONCEPTS OF ZION AND SALVATION AND THE ASSURANCES THAT GOD WAS TRYING TO GIVE TO HIS PEOPLE. AS WE LOOK THERE AND THE THINGS THAT ARE SAID AND CERTAINLY GOD HAD HIS UPS AND DOWNS WITH THE PEOPLE AND HIS DISCOURAGEMENTS AS WELL AS HIS HAPPIER TIMES BUT HERE HE IS TRYING TO AGAIN CHALLENGE THEM TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT. AND THEN WITHIN THAT TEXT NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS IN VERSES 1 AND 2, "FOR ZION'S SAKE I WILL NOT HOLD MY PEACE, FOR JERUSALEM'S SAKE I WILL NOT REST, UNTIL HER RIGHTEOUSNESS GOES UP FORTH AS BRIGHTNESS, AND HER SALVATION AS A LAMP THAT BURNS. THE GENTILES SHALL SEE YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THE KINGS YOUR GLORY. YOU SHALL BE CALLED BY A NEW NAME, WHICH THE MOUTH OF THE LORD WILL NAME. AND YOU SHALL ALSO BE A CROWN OF GLORY IN THE HAND OF THE LORD." YOU SEE THERE THE IDEA OF A NAME. A NAME THAT CHANGES. A NAME THAT IS HONORABLE. A NAME THAT IS RESPECTFUL. AFTER SO MANY YEARS OF DISRESPECT, SO MANY YEARS OF NOT DOING WHAT GOD SAYS AND TURNING AGAINST THE WILL OF GOD AND BEING INVOLVED IN SIN AND SERVING OTHER GODS AND BEING INVOLVED IN PAGANISM. WHAT IS IT THAT GOD SAYS? IN THAT DAY, THEY'RE GOING TO SEE RIGHTEOUSNESS IN YOU. YOU'RE GOING TO SHINE AS A BRIGHT LIGHT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND A LAMP OF GOD IN SALVATION AND THEN PEOPLE ARE GOING TO KNOW THAT NEW NAME! NOT ON THE OLD DINGY OR THE DIRTY NAME, THE NAME OF THE DIVISION OF OLD BUT THE GOOD AND THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE PURE NAME OF SOMEBODY WHO IS OBEDIENT TO GOD. WHO IS HOLY? WHO IS FOLLOWING GOD? ISN'T THAT EXCITING TO THINK ABOUT! IT CERTAINLY IS! IS THAT NOT SOMETHING THEN THAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED EVEN IN AND THROUGH JESUS CHRIST IN THE FACT THAT JESUS CAME TO THE EARTH AND SEALED THAT NEW COVENANT AND HE ENACTED THE COVENANT WITH HIS BLOOD? HE PURCHASED THE CHURCH BY THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD AS WELL, ACTS 20:28. AND THEN AS WE SEE THAT, HE GIVES OPPORTUNITY OF SALVATION THROUGH THE BLOOD. WHAT IS IT THAT HE DOES? HE GIVES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO WEAR HIS NAME. AND SO AS JESUS COMES TO THE EARTH EVEN BEFORE HE DIES WHAT DOES HE HAVE? FOLLOWERS. WHAT DOES HE HAVE? DISCIPLES. PEOPLE THAT ARE CALLED DISCIPLES OR FOLLOWERS OF THE WAY. THOSE WHO ARE FOLLOWING THE CHRIST; THE MESSIAH.

AND THEN EVENTUALLY EVEN AS WE GET TO ACTS CHAPTER 11 AND THERE IN VERSE 26 WE EVEN LEARN THAT THE DISCIPLES THERE WERE FIRST CALLED CHRISTIANS IN ANTIOCH. AND THE IDEA OF CERTAINLY THE WORD CHRISTIAN, THE VERY ROOT OF THAT WORD BEING CHRIST ITSELF, BUT BEING ONE WHO DOES WHAT? WHO WAS A FOLLOWER OF, A DISCIPLE OF, CHRIST. ONE WHO WAS TRYING TO WHAT? EXEMPLIFY THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS, THAT BRIGHT LIGHT OF SALVATION THAT WAS EVEN SPOKEN OF AS WE READ THERE FROM THE BOOK OF ISAIAH. A NAME THAT WAS WORN OF HONOR AND DIGNITY AND PURITY AND AGAIN PERFECTION ACCORDING TO WHAT GOD WANTS, THAT WHEN THE WORLD SEES US THEY DON'T SAY THE INJUSTICES OF THE WORLD OR THE WICKEDNESS OF THE WORLD OR THE SINS OF THIS WORLD. WHAT THEY SEE IS GOD. WHAT THEY WANT TO KNOW IS GOD. WHAT THEY WANT TO FOLLOW IS OUR CREATOR.

SO THE NAME, THE NEW NAME, THE GLORIOUS NAME, THE BEAUTIFUL NAME OF A CHRISTIAN, A FOLLOWER OF GOD, A DISCIPLE OF GOD, ARE THESE PRECIOUS TERMS THAT TIE US TO OUR VERY CREATOR AND GIVER OF LIFE THAT HELP THE WORLD TO KNOW THAT WE ARE HIS CHILDREN. SO YOU MIGHT THEN THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT I WEAR, NOT ONLY MY GIVEN NAME OF A PHYSICAL SENSE, BUT I ALSO WEAR MY NAME OF A SPIRITUAL SENSE. SO THAT WHEN THE WORLD HOPEFULLY THINKS OF MY WORLDLY NAME, RAY SULLINS, THAT THEY ALSO THINK OF THE CHRISTIAN NAME, THE GLORIOUS NAME, THAT THE TWO ARE TIED TOGETHER AS ONE GIVING HONOR AND GLORY TO OUR CREATOR. THAT ULTIMATELY THEY MIGHT KNOW WHO I AM BUT ULTIMATELY THAT THEY MIGHT KNOW WHO GOD IS IN AND BY THAT NAME.

I THINK ANOTHER THING THAT REALLY HELPS US WITHIN OUR DISCUSSION AS WELL IS THE CONCEPT OF CHILDREN OF GOD. IF YOU WILL THINK ABOUT THAT FOR JUST A MOMENT IT IS A BEAUTIFUL CONCEPT. BECAUSE THERE SEVERAL TIMES, REALLY HUNDREDS OF TIMES IN THE BIBLE, BUT SEVERAL TIMES IN RELATIONSHIP TO OUR PURPOSE OF UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE BEEN CALLED SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY IT IS BROUGHT OUT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. AND IF YOU'LL NOTICE THERE FIRST OF ALL WITH ME IN FIRST JOHN AND CHAPTER THREE, IT IS HERE THAT JOHN REALLY HELPS US TO SEE WHAT WE ARE BLESSED TO BE! WHAT WE HAVE BEEN LOVED TO BE! AND VERSE ONE OF FIRST JOHN THREE SAID, "BEHOLD WHAT MANNER OF LOVE THE FATHER HAS BESTOWED ON US, THAT WE SHOULD BE CALLED," WHAT? "CHILDREN OF GOD." OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL NAME! WHAT A FRESH NAME! WHAT A NEW NAME! WHAT A GLORIOUS NAME THAT I AM ABLE TO DO WHAT? WHAT GOD WANTS. HE EVEN GOES ON TO SAY THERE THAT THE WORLD DOES NOT KNOW US BECAUSE HE DID NOT KNOW HIM. THE WORLD MAY NOT LIKE THE NAME AND MAY NOT LIKE WHAT THEY SEE BECAUSE OFTEN WHEN WE LIVE RIGHT AND WE STRIVE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE WE KNOW THAT THE WORLD IS CONDEMNED BY THE GOOD LIVING THAT WE LIVE. IT BRINGS TO LIGHT THEIR DARKNESS. ISN'T THAT WHAT LIGHT DOES? IT EXPOSES THE DARKNESS? ISN'T THAT WHAT PAUL SAID? AND SO, WHEN WE DO RIGHT IT MAKES OTHERS FEEL LIKE THEY'RE NOT OR TO BE AWARE THEY'RE NOT DOING RIGHT. SO WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD AND WHAT GREAT LOVE WE HAVE TO WEAR THAT NAME. IF I AM THE CHILD OF GOD, WHAT DO I WEAR? THE NAME OF ROYALTY, THE NAME OF GLORY, THE NAME OF HONOR. BECAUSE MY GOD IS THE KING OF KINGS, THE LORD OF LORDS. MY GOD IS YAHWEH. MY GOD IS THE GOD WHO HAD BROUGHT INTO EXISTENCE ALL THE UNIVERSE AND HAS BREATHED INTO MY BODY THE BREATH OF LIFE AFTER CREATING MY BODY. OH WHAT A GLORIOUS CHILD OF GOD THAT I AM AND HOW WONDERFUL THEN THAT SHOULD BE TO EACH OF US.

PAUL TO THE ROMAN CHURCH SAYS SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR OVER IN ROMANS CHAPTER 8. AND HE AGAIN TIES THE CONCEPT TO THE LOVE OF GOD AND THE GLORIOUS AND PRECIOUS GIFTS FROM GOD. BUT THERE IN ROMANS CHAPTER 8 BEGINNING IN VERSE 16, I WANT YOU TO NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS. HE SAYS THAT THE SPIRIT AND THAT MEANS THE HOLY SPIRIT BEARS WITNESS WITH OUR SPIRIT THAT WE ARE WHAT? CHILDREN OF GOD. BUT THEN NOTICE THIS, VERSE 17, AND IF CHILDREN THEN HEIRS. HEIRS OF GOD AND JOINT HEIRS WITH CHRIST. OH ISN'T THAT AGAIN A BEAUTIFUL IDEA! HEIR, A CHILD. ONLY A TRUE CHILD RECEIVES THE INHERITANCE. RECEIVES THE HEIRSHIP OR WHAT IS TO BE GIVEN TO THE DESCENDENTS WHEN THE FATHER IS GONE OR HAS DIED. AND WE HAVE THAT AS WHAT? CHILDREN OF GOD. WE WEAR THAT NAME. WE ARE KNOWN. WE ARE KNOWN - WE ARE KNOWN AS IF WE HAD BEEN BORN BY BLOOD. BUT WE HAVE BEEN BOUGHT BY BLOOD. WE HAVE BEEN ADOPTED THE SCRIPTURE SAY. WE HAVE BEEN ENGRAFTED INTO THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD. ANY PARENT THAT IS ADOPTING A CHILD WOULD TELL YOU THAT THEY LOVE THAT ADOPTED CHILD AND FEEL THAT THAT CHILD IS EVER BIT AS MUCH AS THEIR OWN CHILD AS ANY OF THEIR NATURAL CHILDREN. ISN'T THAT WHAT GOD FEELS FOR US? ISN'T THAT WHAT HE THINKS OF US AS CHILDREN? THOSE WHO AGAIN WEAR THE NEW NAME? AND FINALLY THERE YOU MIGHT ALSO LOOK LATER IN REVELATION CHAPTER TWO VERSE 17 AND CHAPTER THREE AS JESUS ADDRESSES A FEW OF THE CHURCHES. AS HE SPEAKS TO THEM THAT THEY SHOULD OVERCOME AND THAT THEY DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND THEY ACCOMPLISH THE GOAL THAT HAS BEEN SET BEFORE THEM, THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE REWARD. BUT ONE OF THOSE VERSES IN FACT BOTH TEXT INDICATE IT BUT ONE OF THOSE VERSES SAYS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE A PILLAR IN THE TEMPLE OF GOD AND WE ARE GOING TO WEAR AND BE GIVEN A NEW NAME.

YOU SEE, THOSE WHO ARE RIGHTEOUS, THOSE WHO SERVE, THOSE WHO LOVE GOD, THOSE WHO PUT HIM FIRST, THOSE WHO ARE FAITHFUL, THOSE WHO ARE AWARDED WEAR THAT NEW NAME. WE ARE TO WEAR THAT NEW NAME BOLDLY, PROUDLY, AND IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS THE WORLD TO SEE GOD AND TO KNOW HIM AND TO FIND SALVATION AS WELL. ARE YOU WEARING THAT NAME TODAY AND ARE YOU WEARING IT BOLDLY FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR CREATOR?



CLOSING COMMENTS



WHAT A WONDROUS TIME WE HAVE HAD TOGETHER IN PARTICIPATING IN THE THINGS OF GOD. I HOPE WE ALL HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED THROUGH OUR TIME SPENT TOGETHER. PLEASE REMEMBER, YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN US EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AT 730, AS WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THIS SERVICE OF GOD.

NOW LET ME ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT TODAY'S LESSON? MAYBE, YOU WOULD LIKE A FREE TRANSCRIPT, FREE CD, OR DVD OF THIS PROGRAM? POSSIBLY, WE COULD ASSIST YOU WITH FREE BIBLE MATERIALS OR FREE BIBLE CORRESPONDENCE COURSES? NO MATTER WHAT YOUR NEED IS, PLEASE CONTACT US AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:

The Living Word

2540 N. Kansas Expressway

Springfield, Mo. 65803



Many of these materials are also available on our website:

That address is: www.thelivingwordprogram.com



Or if you prefer, you may call us at:

(417) 869-2284



WHAT A BLESSING IT IS FROM GOD TO WEAR HIS NAME AS HIS FAITHFUL CHILDREN. MAY WE ALL STRIVE TO LIVE UP TO THIS PRECIOUS NAME WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN, THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SHOW FORTH THE GLORY AND PRAISE NECESSARY TO OUR CREATOR!