#blessed Week 3: Named & Claimed Message Summary: A name is a claim of ownership. When your name is on the car title or the strap of the backpack, it’s yours. As a result, you care for it, keep it in sight, and protect it from danger. God does the same thing with us. Through the blessing of baptism, he puts his name upon us, claiming us as his own and filling us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ✦ Numbers 6:26 — “….the LORD turn his face toward you…” ✦ Genesis 1:1 — “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” ✦ Exodus 34:5-6 — Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. ✦ Genesis 3:9 — But the LORD God called out to the man. ✦ Takeaway 1: God really, really, really loves you. ✦ Exodus 3:13-14 — 13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” ✦ Numbers 23:19 — God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? ✦ Takeaway 2: God’s love for you will not change. ✦ 2 Samuel 7:18 — Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: “Who am I, Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?” ✦ Takeaway 3: You have immeasurable worth to God. ✦ Numbers 6:27 — “So, they will put my name on the Israelites and I will bless them.” ✦ Isaiah 43:1 — “Fear not for I have redeemed you, I have summoned you by name!” ✦ 1 John 3:1 — See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! ✦ Takeaway 4: You belong to God’s family. � Planting Jesus Roots GATHER — New Testament believers have used the blessing at the end of the worship service for hundreds of years. Why would Christians place it there? How do these promises of God touch your life? GROUP — The Aaronic blessing is not just for worship services. Could the facilitator use it at the close of your Life Group after prayer? Should the facilitator use it? What message would that send? GROW — The Aaronic blessing is poetical masterpiece! Three words in the first sentence. Five in the second and seven in the final sentence (seven is the number of completeness). The name LORD (God’s covenant name) is repeated three times. It’s like a megaphone repeating the promises of God louder and louder! How do these words strengthen your faith? GIVE — Understanding how God has blessed you and continues to bless you, how does this influence your time, talents and treasures? GO — If you have found peace with God through Christ, who in your circle of friends could you share it with? Homework: Ruth 1