The Names of God Experiencing God as El Elyon Genesis 14:11-24 11 So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. 12 They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way. 13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people. 17 After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;

20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ 24 I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.” Psalm 9:10 “And they that know your name will put their trust in you; For you, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” We first met God in Genesis 1:1 as Elohim.  God is all I need;  He has all I need;  And He is doing all I need done. In these messages we first meet and seek to know God by His name, then experience Him by that name, and then learn to praise Him with that name. We met God by His name El Elyon in Daniel 4 though the testimony of a great king by the name of Nebuchadnezzar.

By this name we meet God and find:  His Position over us in Supreme  His Power over us is Sovereign  His Plan for us is Simple – o Acknowledge Him as Sovereign o Admit Our Sins o Accept His Salvation The first man to meet God as El Elyon is Abram. God - The Most High God El – God; El – God; Yon – The Most High Abram came from Ur of the Chaldees, It was a land of many gods… He came to Canaan, At the crossroads of the world with his heart filled with the message that there is one God, and you can know Him and have fellowship with Him by faith…. Was not easy when Abram moved to Canaan. It was a land of much conflict between many kings.. The land was contested often between the kings…. Many wars and battles… We see this in Chapter 14 of Genesis… Lot and Abram had parted company – Lot went to Sodom… Abram went west and a little north … As this land was being so hotly contested, some of the kings had joined forces and swept down on the cities of Sodom and Gomorah – near the Dead Sea today….

And carried off Lot and his family and all their possessions. Abram heard of this and gathered his men and joined forces with some others and overcame the enemy and rescued Lot and the others from Sodom and all their goods. On his way back home, it was there that he met God as the Most High God for the first time in history… Genesis 14 Some Observations That Could Radically Revolutionize Our Lives 1. The Forgotten Dimension of Your Success Today everywhere people are interested in the subject of success. Book on the subject are best sellers… Success is the hot topic of our generation… we want to succeed. There is nothing particularly wrong with being successful. God wants us to be successful….to succeed… Problem is though, many today are not looking for God’s plan for their lives but what you believe are the marks of success and then go for it. Most appear to man and his nature and are humanistic. The forgotten dimension of success…

Abram had the possibility of falling for some of Satan’s most sinister and subtle ploys at the very height of his success. Abram has become a force to reckoned with over night. His family has grown, his possessions have grown and now with his small army overcome a powerful enemy and rescued the captives which include his nephew Lot and his family. So now even has more increased his wealth.

Maybe I don’t really need to check up with God any more…Maybe I don’t need to trust God as much any more… I have some security now…good things going for me… Now there is carelessness in the matter of Christianity…. Days when your heart was hot for God and then success came your way…

I would like to suggest to you that Abram was open to temptation in at least three areas. If your goal is to succeed or right now and you are setting in the seat of success…in business, home, school…

This is my church… my business… my kingdom Pride, Possessiveness and the Partial obedience..

Here are three temptations you will face!

Illustration of pastor visiting man in his church who had become successful in business and didn’t have time to come to church.

A. To be Proud – Look what I’ve done…. Anyone can be tempted at this time…. B. To be Possessive – I have a right to do with what I want with what I have gotten. I have a right to enjoy my possessions. One of the most dangerous times in the history of a company or a person is when they have finally succeeded….you become more interested in the product and the programs you produce rather than the people that you were serving… C. To be Partially Obedient – the downside of success… I’m am so successful.. I am doing so well… maybe I should start calling the shots in my life from now on…

Obedience is either complete obedience with God or it is Disobedience…. Does this really happen with people – Christians… Moses and the rock – told to strike the rock Told to speak the next time to the rock… but now he partially obeyed and struck the rock…. Moses and after all he did…. And he lost the privilege of entering Canaan…because of partial obedience Joshua…. And the Gibeonites…. Instead of consulting God after tremendous success of crossing Jordon and conquering Jericho…

Saul the king… Was potentially a great king… but in 1 Sam. 15 partially obeyed…. And lost it all…. Is it possible that Abram would have been tempted with pride, possessiveness and partial obedience.. Surely no, not Abram the father of the faithful, he wouldn’t be tempted… but he was.. In all three areas… Pride… Lied about his wife… went to Egypt…Abram was not perfect…. And who knows what might have happened here in Genesis 14 if Abram would not have meet God as El Elyon… Maybe some of us have forgotten this side of success… and you are facing these temptations… And you are living a hit and miss Christian life… 2. The Faithful Dedication of Your Sovereign Your sovereign – El Elyon… God the Most High God… Is it possible that He would do something to stop you in the midst of your success to keep you from going on into pride, possessiveness and partial obedience…

For the same reason Dan 4 was dropped in there… I believe we have found a man whom God wants to use mightily just like He wants to use you…. And me…as a testimony of faith… but the very moment that success comes along…and then the temptations of pride….come and so God faithfully dedicates Himself to hammering away at our lives…. The faithful Dedication of your Sovereign… What is His Plan… as El Elyon A. He is first Going to Come to You… Abram…Gen 14:18 Melchizedek comes to him…. God comes to him… didn’t wait for Abram to go to Him… God is meeting with you in your problems. B. He is going to Confront you with The Truth … Gen 14:19-20 C. He is going to Call for a Decision…. We don’t know all that transpired there… but we do know that Melchizedek shows up.. Abram is on his way home…The children are tired… animals, dust…and Melchizedek asked for an offering…. What if Abram would not have responded … said “out of my way…I’m on my way home…” What if…???? God would have done this fourth thing….

Why is this mentioned in Gen 14 about Melchizedek and this thing about tithing…why is this just dropped in here like this…

D. He would have Continued to Chasten Him … Read about this in Dan 4 with Nebuchadnezzar when he was driven out to the fields like a beast for

seven years…God says, “I’m going to keep you there until you acknowledge me as the Most High God….” Maybe you are wondering why especially when you were doing so well, why all the props have been knock out from under you…. More problems than you ever had. .. God has stepped in and stopped you and check you out to see if you would acknowledge Him as El Elyon.

Abram says that he will give tithes in all that he possesses… And then this messenger from the Devil has some deceiving words for Abram… look at his words… This is why God is on your case, because He knows that Satan is going to be so forceful in his deception… Abram had just given a tenth to Melchizedek Vs. 21 king of Sodom says: wait a minute….before you do that….

3. The Forceful Deception of Satan If God doesn’t get on your case when you are confronted with pride, possessiveness, partial obedience… If God doesn’t:  Come to You  Calling you to a decision  Confronting you with the truth  Chastening you if you don’t decide right… Then you are in big time trouble, because Satan has a very forceful way of deceiving you.

A. Notice Satan’s Persistence – He tracked him down out there in the middle of nowhere… B. Notice Satan’s Plan Look, you give me what you don’t want, and I will give you what you do want…” Lets you and I work this out together… Some people here today have already gone this far…God confronted you with the truth. And you did not acknowledge God as El Elyon..and you have made a deal with the devil….

The King of Sodom shows up… from a wicked perverted society…shows up first to meet Abram… with all his retinue

I know that this business is wrong but it will make me a living…I know this is a little underhanded, but its no big deal…everybody does it… I know that is not what the Lord wants but.. I know I’m compromising but after all…

The king of Salem also show up…...Melchizedek

The story of Bernie Maddox

Notice in Genesis 14:17

Its as if you have turned from Melchizedek priest of the God Most High and listened to Satan… sounds pretty good…. You give me…not a bad deal. That night Abram went home and was thanking God as El Elyon for getting there first. Now What was at stake here: 1) Whether or not Abram would be called Father of faithful. 2) Genesis 14:22 “raised my hand to Lord Most High… I can not make a deal with you….” I want people to look at me and say, “Only God could do that…” 3) One final word… When a person meets and God and confesses that name…(Genesis 22 Elohim – Jehovah Jireh) Now God in Genesis 15:1 Now Abram meets God as Jehovah Adoni – A New Name for God… 4) Some of us today need to let God be Supreme and Sovereign and Accept His Simple Plan.. and lift our hands to God and acknowledge Him as El Elyon.. and meet Him in a new and living way…..