R912 The Hallowed Name of God

God has an encouraging word for you and me today through the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton and his message on the hallowed name of God. That's right, in just a moment we'll head to Matthew chapter 6 as we open God's Word together to understand what Dr. Don calls the most intriguing instruction that Jesus gave to all of us about coming to the presence of God.

That's coming up in just a moment. We want you to know that we'd love to pray you through today. Whatever's going on in your life, our prayer team's available at 866-899-WORD.

I know I say that fast, let me slow it down. It's 866-899-9673, and as Dr. Don would say, we would be honored to be one of your 2 a.m. friends to call. Let us pray with you anytime we stand ready to do so. We believe in the power of prayer and would love to connect with you. Now let's open our hearts to God's Word and Dr. Don Wilton on today's message. Now you'll need your Bibles this morning in Matthew's Gospel in chapter 6. The life and ministry of the Lord Jesus. And today we're going to be looking at a most intriguing instruction that Jesus gave to all of us when we come into the presence of the Lord.

You can read it there for yourself. In Matthew chapter 6 in the second part of verse 9, Jesus said when you pray, this is what needs to be the focus of the content of your prayer right up front. Hallowed be thy name.

I want to speak to you today on the hallowed name of God. Now you'll be interested to know that that word hallow, you're quite right, it's an old English term. You'll find it fairly commonly used around the time of Shakespeare. You'll also find it fairly commonly used around the time of the great kings, Richard the Lionheart, even Henry the Eighth, mostly in Great Britain.

And it was a, it's an archaic English word that has never lasted substance. And it literally means to make holy. When you use the word hallow, you are saying I am make holy. But we need to understand something here because when Jesus was teaching his disciples, he wasn't saying to us every time you pray you need to say hallowed be thy name. You see the Lord's Prayer is content driven.

It's not telling us what to say. It's telling us Jesus is trying to teach us how to come into the presence of a holy and a righteous God. Now if God is holy, which He is, we need to present ourselves to Him from the perspective of our own human inadequacy and sinfulness by acknowledging His holiness because that's who He is. Now in life today we use that, we use wonderful terms.

The Honorable Mr. so-and-so, the Honorable Mrs. so-and-so. And we use terms of majesty. We even designate terms of holiness to religious people. But there is only one person who is holy and that is God Himself in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. And there is something rather interesting here that Jesus was saying to his disciples because the word holiness or hallowedness or to say hallowed be thy name really has within its context three functions and I want to talk to you about these three functions just at the outset of this remarkable prayer. Now remember my dear friends here Jesus was gathering His disciples and He said when you pray you need to begin. Our Father which art in heaven, we talked about that, but then you need to say hallowed be thy name.

Why? Because it has three functions. Number one, it serves as a warning. You might say to me, Pastor what do you mean? Jesus was warning us. When you say hallowed be thy name, Jesus was warning us about something. He was warning us concerning the manner with which we come into God's presence. He was warning us about our attitude. Now folks please don't misunderstand me at this point. I believe that we need to do whatever it takes to reach our world for the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't you?

If I was to ask a question here today, you don't need it, it's just a rhetorical question. Are you as believers in Christ willing to do whatever it takes to reach your sons and daughters for Jesus? If you say yes, then you and I have got to be willing to do some things that we don't necessarily make feel comfortable in and of ourselves, right? We've even got to sing some ways that we may not be comfortable with.

We might have to dress in some ways that we may not be comfortable with. I even know of some churches that they've introduced cappuccino machines into the worship, you know, and you can sit there now and while you go to church you can reach over and pop pop pop pop. Here comes the cappuccino. You know, who else? Anyone for a latte? Now folks let me tell you, I don't know that I'm prepared to go that far and I want our chairman of deacons.

I'm not making that recommendation and there's a reason why I'm going to say that. Whilst I'm going to say to you that we need to do whatever it takes. Paul said I'm willing to be all things to all people that by all means I might win some. Jesus said watch out when you talk to God. Watch out when you come into his presence. Be very careful how you use the name of God.

Now folks let me tell you something, there is a cancer sweeping across these United States of America. Someone has their home made over and they get a brand new home and they get introduced to the brand new home and nine times out of ten a very fine family walk in and the first thing they do is say oh my God. An athlete hits a home run and half the stadium says God that's a good shot. And how many times do you and I not hear our people around us wherever they are using God's name in any manner that they choose.

Are you one of those people? You're one of those people who uses phrases like God it's hot today and God knows and God this and God that and God the next thing and I haven't even got to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And when Jesus gathered his disciples around and they said Lord teach us to pray what the disciples were saying is master would you tell us not just what to say but how we are to come into the presence of someone who is God who's King of Kings and Lord of Lords what are we to do? And Jesus said when you pray when you come into his presence you must hallow the name of God. That's a warning because it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God. Folks some of us need to straighten up when it comes to our attitude toward God whether we're in the church or whether we're out in the sidewalks whether we're in our homes whether we're watching a movie whether we're driving a motorcar be very careful when it comes to our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ and when Jesus gathered his disciples around he said hallowed be thy name.

Let that be a constant warning to you about who you're talking to. The second function is that it serves as an indicator. Now when I think of the word indicator I think of a little blinking light on my motorcar. Boy wouldn't it be nice if some people knew that that's actually what you put on when you suddenly take a right turn in the road.

They're very useful instruments actually if anybody's listening. You know when you're driving along just having a good time and all of a sudden the person in front of you decides to turn left or switch lanes. I know it's never happened to you and especially not in South Carolina and you're just driving merrily down I-26 or the 85 and just suddenly here he comes. You see folks when you hallow the name of God, God gives to us a blinking light. He says use it. Why is this an indicator? It's an indicator to hallow the name of God because it serves to tell you that a change is about to take place. Jesus was making an announcement when he said hallowed be thy name. He said I want you to know that when you talk to God you'll never be the same again.

You may turn left, you may turn right, you may proceed, you may stop, you may turn around, you might make a u-turn but I'm gonna guarantee you that when you talk to God you'll never be the same again. Watch the light it's flashing. Something's about to happen.

Be warned. Well there's a third function when you hallow the name of God. It not only is a warning and an indicator but it's an acknowledgement. It's an acknowledgement. Now some of you are going to say well pastor you are so old-fashioned I mean you are just on another planet you should have been born alongside Noah and catch up with the times.

You're still floating on your ark. I'm one of those people that I, folks I just believe that we need to respect one another. I believe that boys and girls I believe that you need to respect your elders. You don't walk up to your elders and just call them by their first name.

You don't just walk up to me and say hey Don how you doing if you're a child or a teenager. You don't do that. That's got no respect. Moment you do that to me I know that you've got no respect. Guess what it usually means you've got no respect for yourself.

Right? Doesn't matter how you grow up or how cute you feel. Oh man I don't go for all this. Let me tell you when you're dealing with somebody who is your elder you address them. I still believe in saying yes ma'am no ma'am please sir thank you sir.

I still believe in those basic human etiquette traits. Now folks if I believe that how much more when I come into the presence of Almighty God ought I not to acknowledge who He is. Now folks I want you to think about how we talk to God. Hey old man I just told you it's hot out here.

Are you listening? You better get off your pedestal. You're my little favorite genie. I'm just gonna rub you and take you out of a box. Give me a miracle.

Who do you think you are? I demand your attention. Hey God I'm gonna tell you what I'm gonna do with what you've given me. Jesus was saying something.

I tell you as I began to study this folks I want you to know I wanted to just crawl around because I know how many times I've disrespected the Lord. See that word there that phrase it's an action. It serves a threefold function.

It's a warning. It's an indicator and it's an acknowledgement and it carries with it really four ideas. Reverence, very important. Honor, very important. Glory, very important and obedience. Well we could talk about those four ideas that are carried in essence in what Jesus was teaching us.

We can talk about them for a long time. That word reverence is something we've forgotten about. By the way reverence is not being quiet.

Folks don't misunderstand that. Boy the angels would have a real rough time with that. God celebrates the presence of the angels.

The Bible says that their singing is thunderous. So don't get all self righteous with me. Don't start all this legalism stuff and if we're gonna be Reverend we've all got to come and sit in here like the frozen chosen and all look each other like we trying to get over something bad. We coming into the presence of God to celebrate.

Somebody say Amen. Reverence is an attitude of the heart. It's an expression of the soul.

It's lifting high the name of Jesus but it's knowing that you're coming into the presence of the King of Kings. I saw man in uniform. I walked up to him.

I do this all the time. I know you do too. I just walked up to him. I didn't know him from a bar of soap and I said to him, sir thank you for wearing that uniform. I honor you.

That's what I told him. I said I just honor you and he said thank you so much. Now folks if I can honor somebody who wears the uniform of the United States of America how much more ought I not to honor my Heavenly Father? It means that I'm coming into his presence hallowed be thy name. I'm invoking the glory, the Shekinah presence, the outpouring of the radiance of God my Heavenly Father.

Forgive the interruption. We'll be back with the rest of today's message the hallowed name of God in just a moment but Dr. Don insists I remind you that we're not here just to present the gospel just to share these great messages but to have a conversation and we'd love to hear from you. You can go straight to our website and email us. Connect with us on socials at TEWonline.org. I suggest you consider if you're on Twitter and Instagram following Dr. Don Wilton. You'll find the links there or just follow our ministry as well and also we're here for you on the phone line at 866-899-WORD.

That's 866-899-9673. Now back to today's message with Dr. Don. And then it carries with it the idea of obedience. I tell you if the Queen of England were to walk in here folks I would call her your majesty whether or not I agreed with her.

I would call her by her title and I would in a sense revere and honor and glory her position but there is implicit in that a willingness to be subservient to and fall down in obedience to. When Jesus said pray hallowed be thy name he was giving to us an insight into our willingness to be obedient to the one who is holy and righteous. Well what happens when we hallow God's name? Look at this with me. What happens? That's the question.

What actually happens? Well there's there's four or five things. Number one when we hallow God's name we affirm God's faithfulness. I love that. Great Him, great is thy faithfulness O God my Father. By the way you know I look at our people here even in Spartanburg and I think about the extraordinary faithfulness. Do you know that one of the prime attributes of God is his faithfulness? Listen to what the Psalmist says in Psalm 9 10. Those who know your name will put their trust in you for you O Lord have not forsaken those who seek you. He is faithful so we affirm his faithfulness when we hallow his name. Number two we praise his righteousness.

A righteousness is a marvelous attribute which is central to the heart and to the holiness of God. In Psalm 7 and verse 17 I will give thanks to the Lord according to his righteousness and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. So we praise God's righteousness. Number three we elevate his status.

I love that. We elevate his status. Don't you love Psalm 20 and verse 7? Some boast in chariots some boast in horses but we will boast in the name of the Lord Most High.

Some boast in chariots and some boast in horses but we will boast in the name of the Lord our God. You see when we hallow the name of God Jesus wasn't saying every time you pray you need to say hallowed be thy name. What he was saying was you need to affirm his righteousness. What he was saying you need to praise his faithfulness.

What he was saying is you need to elevate his status. When you hallow the name of God you know what you're saying? You're saying Lord God in heaven my Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name. I want you to know that there's none like unto thee.

I'm going to the only one. You've got the answer to everything. You are life. I turn everything over to you. But number four we invoke God's attributes. We invoke God's attributes.

Now folks this is an incredible study here. Here's Jesus with these disciples and he says hallowed be thy name. When you hallow the name of God you invoke his attributes.

Watch this. You bring out everything in God. You know can I tell you something silly?

You're gonna say oh man you're just so... When a teenager walks up to me, a teenager walks up to me and says hello pastor. By the way that's my favorite designation.

You know because it's a scriptural thing. I love being called pastor. Hello pastor.

Or they come up to me and say hello Dr. Don or they come up and say hello Dr. Wilton or hello Mr. Wilton and they come up to me. You know what that does to me folks? It doesn't cause me to say oh yes you know look at me. I mean here's one of the serfs coming up to talk to me.

You know I'm just so important. Doesn't do that. Do you know what it does folks? It endears me to that young person. It makes me want to just put my hand on them and it makes me want to just... Can I use this term? Makes me want to be down on their level of youthfulness. It brings out the best in me. But when a teenager walks up to me and says hey Don what's up man? This is what it does to me okay.

I want to get him and go to the ballpark and watch a game. You know mom and dad if you ever had your kids just walk up to you and just diss you in front of somebody else, talk to you disrespectfully in front of other people. You want me to tell you about a kid who's going nowhere fast? A kid who's going nowhere fast is a kid who doesn't know how to talk to mom and dad respectfully.

Respectfully. And talking to your parents respectfully invokes their attributes. It brings out the best mom and the best dad.

The moment a child or a teenager speaks to a mom or dad respectfully as mother and father, that mother or father by instinct just wants to pour out that dadness and that momminess all over that child. It invokes the best of the attributes that God has given to them in that context. And if you go and study the attributes of Jesus Christ who is the full manifestation of the name of God. In John chapter 17 and verse 6 in the Lord's Prayer, Jesus said I have revealed your name to those that you have given to me out of this world. I wish we had time go and study these names of God. Adonai, Jehovah means the Lord our sovereign. El Elyon, the Lord most high. El Olam, the everlasting God.

El Shaddai, the God who is sufficient. Jehovah Elohim, the eternal creator. Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our banner. Jehovah Nissi means the Lord our banner. Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our provider. Jehovah Nissi, the Lord our banner. Jehovah Rapha, the Lord our healer. Jehovah Shalom, the Lord who is our peace. And when I come and I hallow the name of God, I am invoking His peace and His protection.

His banner over me is love. I am invoking the God who provides for me and who shields me and who gives to me all that only God can give. And Jesus said you need to hallow the name of Almighty God. I believe my friends in the United States of America today, we are on a slippery slope because the name of God is being desecrated. You cannot see a movie today without them discrediting and blaspheming the name of God. In our churches today people are using the name of God in every other way. And Jesus said when you pray you'd better hallow the name of God.

If you don't hallow His name you will never invoke the attributes of who God is. It's not good enough when we have a hurricane to run back to our churches and say, oh God help us, when all we've done is desecrated the hallowed name of God. Do we not get it? Wake up America! Wake up!

Wake up! What have you been saying to the Lord? How important is it to you? See what happens when we hallow God's name my beloved friends. We express our acknowledgement of God. It is remarkable when we come before God in honesty, in openness, and ready to change.

Ready to become the men and women of God that the Lord has called us to be. I pray that you have a grounding in your life like I do. I remember the day that I said yes to Jesus Christ and nothing has been the same since that moment. But if you don't would you take a moment and listen to this the perhaps most important few seconds from our pastor Dr. Don Wilton. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ? Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now? Dear God, I know that I'm a sinner and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross. Today I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart. In Jesus name. My friend I welcome you today into the family of God.

This is exciting news. If God stirred your heart give us a call 866-899-WORD is where we'd love to put some resources in your hands absolutely free as you walk in new life in Christ. As a matter of fact that number is all about prayer as well. Prayer is a special gift from God. He knows us. He loves us.

He hears us. He wants us to come to Him in prayer. We would love to pray with you and pray for you. The encouraging word has a 24-hour live prayer line. You can call 866-899-WORD and talk to a live person who would be glad to pray with you. That's 866-899-9673. The encouraging word is a viewer and listener supported ministry.

Thank you for listening today. Well the prayer line is such an important part of who we are and whether it's on the phone or on our website remember we're connecting keyboard to keyboard as well at www.tewonline.org. That's our website. A number of resources right there for you. TEWONLINE.org. Let's connect today.