9-24-2022 Edgewater Seventh Day BAPTIST Pastor Keith “GOD Knows Our Name” Romans 16;3-15, Nahum 1;7

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Miz KJV Only

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9-24-2022 Edgewater Seventh Day BAPTIST Pastor Keith “GOD Knows Our Name” Romans 16;3-15, Nahum 1;7
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In Romans chapter 16, the Apostle Paul lists 28 people he is sending greetings to. Most of them we don’t know except for Prescilla, Aquella and Rufus, the son of the man who helped carry the cross of Jesus. These are basically the only ones that we would consider important. All the others that are mentioned are easy to forget because there are no famous stories of their great accomplishments or any other mention of their name in the Bible. Paul mentions each one of these by name because the Holy Spirit told him to and God wanted them to be in scripture.

This tells me that God knows your name. He knows our names and that’s a comforting thought. Just as God knew the names of each one that was part of the church back then, He knows the names of each and everyone that is part of the church today. God has always known his people by name. In the Old Testament, the prophet Nahum said in Nahum 1;7 that the LORD knows them that trust in Him. In 1 Corinthians 8;3 it says if any man loves God, the same man is known by God. Also Jesus said “I am the good shepherd and I know my sheep”. God knows us. Every detail He knows. Before we were formed in our mother’s womb, every hair was counted. He knows us and the Lord know us by name. All people are significant and deserve our attention. God knows you and He knows your name. He knows your name because you are important to Him. There is no one that is unimportant to God.

When Jesus chose his twelve disciples, none of them would have been impressive to us. Most of them were uneducated workmen, fishermen or tax collectors. These are not the type of people I would have called to start my church. I would have chosen more impressive people if it had been my church I was starting. These were not impressive people and God Himself is usually not impressed by impressive people anyway. I Corinthians chapter one tells us that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty and not many noble people are called. God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not to bring to nothing the things that are. This is so that no human might boast in the presence of God.

It is not the high and mighty, rich people that impress God. But it is the people who humble themselves before Him. Those who honor God with their lives and who trust Him. Those who believe what He says. These are the ones that impress God and they became the servants of the Lord. God didn’t mention the pew sitters and He didn’t waste ink on folks who just showed up. God doesn’t save us so we can just sit around like baby birds and get fed. He saves us so we can learn to feed and care for others. God saves us so we will have a purpose in our lives and so our lives will have meaning. There is nothing more meaningful in this world then serving the All Mighty God. The people mentioned in Romans 16 were workers for the Lord. Some even had church services in their homes. They saw the value of a life lived for God and they believed His promises were real. They served God and God honored them by telling us their names.

For all eternity their names are listed in our Bibles because God wanted us to know their names. As far as I can tell there are not any preachers mentioned in the list of people except Acquilla. No one is identified as an elder or a prominent teacher. The church is not about some famous teacher or preacher. It is not about powerful elders or deacons. The church is made up of people who don’t worry about power and position. It is made up of people who don’t need a title. The church is made up of ordinary, everyday people like you and me. People serving our God and serving one another. These are the folks who make God’s church a real church. The church, the people of God are a family.

The Bible teaches us as a family to love one another, honor one another, live in harmony with one another and don’t judge one another. We are to accept one another, teach one another, serve one another in love and be kind to one another. We are to encourage one another and offer hospitality to one another. Our love for the Lord and our love for one another is what sets us apart as Christians and as children of God. We are so glad that we are a part of the Family of God.


AMEN