South Valley Community Church

The apostle Paul, along with the majority of New Testament authors, knew that the book of Isaiah was essential to understanding Jesus and His gospel. “Isaiah’s prediction” noted in Romans 9 above is from the beginning of the Scroll of Isaiah. In fact, Isaiah’s first chapter can be viewed like a summary of what is contained in all of its pages. It is important that we look for terms and imagery used throughout the book and trace them throughout the series.

Why does Isaiah matter to us? After all, we are Christians, so why would this ancient Jewish prophet’s voice have any impact on us? If you review concordances, commentaries, or other biblical reference works, you will find that the books of the New Testament make direct or indirect references to the words of Isaiah more than 400 times. Do the math. If a typical New Testament (without commentary and footnotes) is less than 400 pages, then on average, you would see at least one Isaiah reference for every New Testament page. But it’s not just “quantity” that matters. The content of the Scroll had “qualities” that the New Testament authors and theologians found indelibly connected to the life and work of a humble carpenter who would become the hope of Israel and all the nations.

All the functions of a name—reference, revelation, and reputation—come together to carry a lot of weight. A nickname given by a friend or a foe can bring with it remembrance, sometimes in the form of encouragement, and other times as an anchor around one’s neck. We can see that these names of God carried significant weight in the memory of the people of God in the Bible and they still carry weight for us. As with all the names we have studied, YHWH Yirah or “God provides” can be seen not only as a life-granting reminder for the people of Israel, but also a pointer forward to the hope we find in Jesus.

Sometimes names can give a feel for one’s reputation and point to history. Think of figures such as Alexander the Great, Bloody Mary (Queen of Scots), or Vlad the Impaler. Though the name may not carry a wealth of information, it can speak of the renown (or infamy) of a person. In the Bible, there are many examples of names for God that do this. In Isaiah, it often speaks of the “Holy One of Israel” and in Jeremiah the “Lord of Hosts” but regardless of the book, these names carry a story, a memory of what God has done. One of the most powerful of these names is “El Shaddai” or what is sometimes translated “God Almighty.”

Sometimes names function as a simple reference, but other times they reveal something related to one’s character. For example, if you stop to help a stranded motorist with a flat tire, the motorist may call you a “hero” or a “savior.” Names can be a revelation about a person. YHWH Ra’ah or Rohi means “God is my shepherd.” A quick read of Psalm 23 will show what the author feels about the character of and relationship to this “Shepherd.”

We all have personal names. If you have forgotten yours, think back to that time you broke a lamp, stole a candy bar, or lied about your grade on that test. Our mother never forgot our personal name, in fact, in situations such as these she often included our middle name just to ensure no one else would be confused and think she was talking to them, right? Though there isn’t total agreement on meaning or pronunciation, four Hebrew characters make up God’s personal name to the Israelites—in English we would transliterate it to “YHWH” but in most English Bibles you will see “LORD” (in all capital letters). Think of this as a reference that is more specific than simply saying “God,” thus personalizing and differentiating Him from the gods of the surrounding nations.

Hank Hanegraaff serves as president and chairman of the board of the North Carolina–based Christian Research Institute. He is also host of the nationally syndicated Bible Answer Man radio broadcast, which is heard daily across the United States and Canada—and around the world via the Internet at equip.org. Hank is the author of more than twenty books, with more than a million copies in print. He is a regular contributor to the award-winning Christian Research Journal and an articulate communicator on the pressing issues of our day.

Jonathan Morrow is the Founder of Think Christianly, a web site devoted to promoting the Christian worldview--especially through the vulnerable post-high school years. He speaks around the country helping Christians understand what they believe, why they believe it, and why it matters. He speaks nationally at conferences, camps, churches, and retreats to youth and adults on Christian worldview and apologetics.

Mike Licona is associate professor of theology at Houston Baptist University and president of Risen Jesus, Inc. He has a Ph.D. in New Testament Studies from the University of Pretoria, which he earned with distinction and the highest mark. Mike was interviewed by Lee Strobel in his book In Defense of Jesus: Investigating Attacks on the Identity of Christ and appeared in Strobel’s video The Case for Christ. Through his ministry, “Risen Jesus, Inc.” 100,000 Christians have been equipped to share their faith using the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection.

Greg Koukl started out thinking he was too smart to become a Christian and ended up giving his life for the defense of the Christian faith. A central theme of Greg’s speaking and writing is that Christianity can compete in the marketplace of ideas when it’s properly understood and articulated. Greg has published more than 145 articles and has spoken on more than 40 college campuses both in the U.S. and abroad. He is an Adjunct Professor in Christian Apologetics at Biola University. Greg hosts his own radio talk show advocating clear-thinking Christianity and defending the Christian worldview.

Freedom Sunday by Gospel Centered Mission Focused

The Heart of a Father (Conclusion) Sam Whittaker 07.23.17 by Gospel Centered Mission Focused

1 John 5:13-21: 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. 18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who

1 John 5:1-12: 1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 Whoever believes in t

1 John 4:7-21: 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and G

1 John 4:1-6: 1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Close Encounters: Have you ever had one of those truly spiritual moments? Most of us remember at least one grace-filled, awe-producing moment. Though fleeting, they put giant smiles on our faces and fi

Matthew 1:18-25: 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus

1 John 3:11-24: 11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart cond

1 John 3:1-10: 1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of Go

Have you ever been to a zoo and watched a caged animal behave in awkward ways, like a panther pacing back and forth or an elephant swaying unceasingly? This stress-induced behavior has been cleverly named “zoochosis” but is also known as stereotypy. Matthew 6:25-34: 25 Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the ove