The Names of God | Week 3 | 5 October 2025 | Gavin Calver

It’s a joy to be together, celebrating the unity and diversity of God’s people across the UK. The Evangelical Alliance exists to unite the church in reaching the lost and to give the church a clear, effective voice in the corridors of power. Being evangelical simply means holding to the authority of Scripture, the centrality of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the necessity of personal conversion, and an active engagement in the world. No single stream of the church can change the nation alone; we need each other, and our unity is a powerful witness.

We live in a culture that prizes individualism, but the church is called to be a connected body—deeply rooted locally, yet part of a national story. Our collective voice matters, especially as we speak up for truth and the exclusivity of Jesus in a world that often wants to silence or marginalize faith. There is a great freedom in the UK to share the gospel, and we must use it boldly, knowing that if we don’t, future generations may not have the same opportunities.

Turning to Exodus 15 and the name Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals, we see Israel’s journey from miraculous deliverance to bitter disappointment. Even after witnessing the parting of the sea, the people grumbled when faced with bitter water. This reveals how quickly we can lose sight of God’s faithfulness and slip into complaint. Yet, God’s response is not to scold but to heal. He instructs Moses to throw a piece of wood into the water, making it sweet—a powerful image that points forward to the cross, where Jesus transforms our bitterness into life.

God reveals His nature most profoundly in the wilderness. He is not just the God who delivers or fights for us, but the God who heals—physically, emotionally, and relationally. Healing is not always instant or as we expect, but God’s presence is with us in our pain, carrying us through and restoring us. Sometimes, the healing is miraculous; other times, it’s the grace to keep going, to turn our pain into praise, and to move from bitterness to wholeness. We are invited to trust Him, to surrender every part of our lives, and to believe that He is still Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals our bodies, our hearts, our stories, and our relationships.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Unity in Diversity: The church’s strength lies in its unity across denominations and backgrounds. No single stream can transform a nation alone; it is our collective witness, rooted in the essentials of the faith, that brings lasting change. This unity is not just organizational but spiritual, reflecting the heart of Christ for His people. [01:52]
• 2. Thankfulness Over Grumbling: Even after experiencing God’s miracles, it’s easy to slip into complaint when new challenges arise. Cultivating a thankful heart, even in the wilderness, shifts our posture and opens us to God’s ongoing work. Thankfulness is a spiritual discipline that transforms our outlook and deepens our trust in God’s faithfulness. [15:21]
• 3. God Heals, Not Scolds: When we falter or grumble, God’s response is not condemnation but grace and healing. The story of bitter water made sweet by a piece of wood is a vivid reminder that God meets us in our pain, not with rebuke, but with restoration. This points us to the cross, where Jesus turns our bitterness into hope and life. [16:24]
• 4. Healing Is Holistic: Jehovah Rapha’s healing is not limited to the physical; it encompasses emotional wounds, broken stories, and fractured relationships. God desires to bring shalom—wholeness and peace—into every area of our lives. Sometimes healing is immediate, sometimes it’s a journey, but always it is rooted in God’s loving presence with us. [20:20]
• 5. Surrender and Faith in the Wilderness: True healing often requires a deeper surrender to God, especially when answers don’t come as we hope. The wilderness is not a place to pitch our tents in bitterness, but a place where God reveals His character and invites us to trust Him afresh. Even when healing doesn’t look as we expect, God’s grace sustains us and transforms our pain into praise. [25:40]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:27] - The Evangelical Alliance: History and Purpose
• [00:58] - Redeeming the Word “Evangelical”
• [01:27] - The Four Marks of Evangelical Faith
• [01:52] - Unity Across Denominations
• [03:21] - Influence in the Corridors of Power
• [04:15] - The Importance of Individual Membership
• [05:12] - The Power of a Collective Voice
• [06:55] - What Does It Mean to Be Evangelical Today?
• [07:24] - Freedom to Share the Gospel
• [08:39] - Praying for Unity and Influence
• [10:17] - Jehovah Rapha: The God Who Heals
• [12:48] - Grumbling After Miracles
• [15:21] - Cultivating Thankfulness
• [16:24] - God’s Healing Response
• [19:46] - God Reveals His Nature in the Wilderness
• [20:20] - Holistic Healing: Body, Heart, and Relationships
• [23:59] - Relationship Over Legalism
• [25:40] - Healing Through Surrender
• [27:58] - Personal Testimony of Healing
• [29:34] - God Wants to Heal Every Part of Us

Bible Reading

Exodus 15:22-27 (ESV) —
> Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.

Observation Questions

1. What was the Israelites’ immediate reaction after experiencing the miracle at the Red Sea when they encountered bitter water at Marah? ([12:48])
2. How did God respond to the people’s grumbling at Marah? What specific action did He instruct Moses to take? ([16:24])
3. According to verse 26, what does God reveal about Himself to the Israelites for the first time in this passage? ([19:46])
4. In the sermon, what is the significance of the piece of wood (or log) that Moses throws into the water? ([19:09])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think the Israelites so quickly shifted from celebrating God’s deliverance to complaining about their circumstances? What does this reveal about human nature and faith? ([13:25])
2. The sermon says, “God doesn’t scold, He heals.” What does this teach us about God’s character, especially in how He deals with our failures and disappointments? ([16:24])
3. The log thrown into the water is described as a pointer to the cross. How does this image help us understand the way God brings healing and transformation to our lives? ([19:09])
4. The passage and sermon both talk about God’s healing being holistic—physical, emotional, and relational. Why is it important to see healing in this broader sense, and how might this change the way we pray or support each other? ([20:20])

Application Questions

1. The sermon highlights the importance of unity in the church, saying that “no single stream of the church can change the nation alone.” In your own experience, what are some barriers to unity among Christians, and what is one practical step you could take to build unity with believers from different backgrounds? ([01:52])
2. The Israelites grumbled even after a miracle. Are there areas in your life where you find yourself complaining despite God’s past faithfulness? What would it look like to intentionally cultivate thankfulness this week? ([15:21])
3. The speaker shared a personal story of pain and disappointment, yet chose to trust God’s goodness regardless of the outcome. Is there a situation in your life where you need to surrender your expectations and trust God’s character, even if things don’t turn out as you hope? ([17:52])
4. The sermon says, “God doesn’t scold, He heals.” When you are struggling or have failed, do you tend to expect God’s condemnation or His grace? How does this expectation affect your willingness to come to Him with your pain? ([16:24])
5. Healing is described as sometimes being miraculous and sometimes as the grace to keep going. Can you share a time when God’s healing in your life didn’t look the way you expected? How did you see His presence or grace in that season? ([25:40])
6. The wilderness is described as a place where God reveals His character and invites us to trust Him afresh. Are you currently in a “wilderness” season? What would it look like to invite God into your pain and allow Him to bring healing or transformation? ([19:46])
7. The sermon challenges us not to “pitch our tents at the place of bitterness.” Is there an area of bitterness or disappointment you’ve been holding onto? What is one step you could take this week to move from pain to praise, trusting God as Jehovah Rapha? ([25:40])