Scripture: Numbers 27:1-7
CHEERS
VIDEO – thumb drive
When I was a kid and tried “Near
Beer” non-alcoholic beer, it tasted what I would imagine urine would taste
like. The first time I tried a “real beer” 3.2 alcohol content, I didn’t feel a
lot different. Beer is an acquired taste. And there are not only many brands of
beer, there are different types of beer: Ales, Lagers, Stouts, Porters, and
Malts. Beer is big business: In 2015, the U.S. beer industry (sold) 207
million barrels of beer – equivalent to more than 2.8 billion cases of
24-12 ounce servings.
Why are we talking about beer? It
could be just a clever ‘hook’ for a Father’s Day sermon, or it may suggest
something a little more important. Remove the Baptist stigma of alcohol for
just a moment and think about one of the more positive things about beer. It is
often a part of socializing – especially with guys and therefore; Fathers. You
might picture a father and grown son on a fishing trip drinking a few beers
together. Or maybe you picture the old sit com “Cheers” with Cliff sitting on
his bar stool, Sam behind the bar and in walks the next character and everyone
greets him with one word: “Norm”. The social aspect says the place where I
drink beer is the place where everyone knows my name.
I want to invite all Fathers, in
fact all men and boys to enjoy a beer after the service together where we can
get to know each other’s name a little better. A root beer that is…in fact a [PIC of Dads root beer]
Dad’s Root Beer.
Getting to know people is difficult for many. We are often
shy and not sure what to say and bad at remembering a person’s name. I was
going to find a list of names from the bible that are difficult to say and even
harder to remember and jokingly have you try to remember them – like:
SLIDES
for each of the names in blue
Isaiah’s son? Mahershalalhashbaz
The King of Mesopotamia? Chushanrishathaim
Joseph’s Egyptian given name? Zaphnathpaaneah
A king of Assyria? Tilgathpilneser
A king of Babylon? Berodachbaladan Berodach + father’s name Baladan
King Saul’s grandson taken care
of by King David? Mephibosheth
But I decided against doing something like trying to have
remember or even know who those people are. So we won’t do what we just did. As
I was looking for something like that I opened my bible to Numbers where I knew would
be lists of names and I happened to open to chapter 27 – one which I had recently
read. I could not believe…what one part of it said…related to today’s message. Numbers
27:1-7 The daughters of Zelophehad
son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh,
belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph.
The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.
They approached the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and stood before Moses,
Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly, and said, “Our father died in the desert. He was not among Korah's
followers, who banded together against the Lord, but he died for his own sin
and left no sons. Why should our father's name disappear from his clan because he had no
son? Give us property among our father's relatives.” So Moses brought their case before the Lord and the Lord said to him, “What Zelophehad's daughters are saying is right. You must
certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father's relatives
and turn their father's inheritance over to them.”
This was a
monumental step forward for women. But the importance is their passion to not
allow their father’s name to disappear. Even if others forget – God ALWAYS
knows my name! We can go back 5 generations and beyond that we have no idea who
is responsible for our being here…but God knows their name. People 6
generations past us won’t remember who we are (although they will have even
greater technology to see and hear us) but still, God will know our name. The
bible confirms over and over that God almighty who created the Universe, knows
you.
Isa 43:1 But now, this is what the Lord says — he
who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by
name; you are mine.”
Ex 33:17 And the Lord said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am
pleased with you and I know you by name."
Jer 1:5 "Before I
formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I
appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
Ps 139:1-6 O Lord, you have searched me and you know
me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in —
behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too
wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
John 10:14-15 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me”
It feels good when someone knows your name. It means you are
valued enough to have them remember. Imagine how valued you are by God that he
knows your name. But take caution, it is not enough that God knows your name,
but that your name is written with the blood of Jesus in the Lamb’s book of
life.
Rev 20:12-15 Another book was opened, which is the book
of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in
the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave
up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he
had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of
fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of
life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
There is good
news for those who claim the name of Jesus!
Lyrics “He Knows My Name”
I have a Maker / He formed my heart / Before even time began
/ My life was in his hands
He knows my name / He knows my every thought / He sees each
tear that falls / And He hears me when I call
I have a Father / He calls me His own / He'll never leave me
/ No matter where I go
He knows my name / He knows my every thought / He sees each
tear that falls / And He hears me when I call
Not everyone
had a good Father. But we all have the Father God who loves us through his son,
even as Jesus is recorded saying from glory in the book of Revelation:
Rev 3:4-6 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their
clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who
overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name
from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name
before my Father and his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches.
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NEW Cheers Video at end of Monday Message Recap
