Sermon for 12/4/13 "What's in a Name?"

Sermon “What's in a Name?”

Isaiah 62, Colossians 1

What’s in a name?

 People adopt names for use on the Internet sometimes.

 “Christian” name

 Change of name at marriage

 Corporate entity

 when a pet becomes a family member

 the chair with a name

Isaiah 62

 Forsaken

 Desolate

 Sought Out

 Married

 Holy

 Redeemed

Colossians 1

 alienated

 reconciled

How does this re-naming happen?

God has loved his world, his creation, the people he created.

 separated by sin

 forsaken

 desolate

By his coming as a human, Jesus, God the Son, we are confronted with

 Immanuel, God with us

 Jesus, the deliverer

 Messiah, the anointed one

As we trust in Jesus, he adopts us. We become

 sought out

 married - taken to his side

 holy - set apart

 redeemed - bought back from destruction

 reconciled - put into a right relationship

What’s your name?

Lord, take us who were not your people and make us see our name, our identity, our hope in you. Flood our world with the hope that you give, the adoption as your children, our eternal destiny.