Honoring God's Name

Turn with me in your Bible in Exodus chapter 20, and we want to look at what it means to honor the name of God.

Exodus chapter 20, verse number seven, says, you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. For the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes his name in vain. Tonight we want to talk about that statement. Then we want to talk about the sentencing that comes along with breaking. that command, and then, of course, summarize all that we have said into three simple principles. But first of all, the statement itself.

Notice with me three things. First of all, it's negativity. Second of all, its identity. And thirdly, it's vanity.

First of all, it's negativity. The Bible says, you shall not take. Thou shalt not. take. Again, it's another commandment that's stated in the negative. And you begin to think that God was kind of a negative God because he states all these commands or most of them in the negative. But it's not because God wants to berate us with do's and don'ts, and it's not because he wants to constantly bombard us with what we do wrong. It's simply because he wants to bless our lives. And the bottom line of all the commandments is that God loves you And because he loves you he wants what's best for you and for your family And when God redeemed us he did not redeem us so that we might crawl and cringe under instead of rules But that he might enable us to live the abundant life Which when doing the rules come easily to follow Second of all, which you notice its identity.

It's identity. Thou shalt not, the next phrase, take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain. When you talk about the name of God, you're talking about that which expresses the character of God, who he is. All the great names in the Bible. The name of God describes who he is and declares what he does. Let me give you some examples.

There's power in the name of God. 1 Samuel 17, a very familiar story. If you've grown up at Sunday school, if you know anything at all about the Bible, you have some kind of idea about David and Goliath and how David came against the Israelites, and he was the Philistine, of course, and wanted to destroy the armies of God. And it says in verse number 41, 1st Samuel 17, then the Philistines came on and approached David with the shield bearer in front of him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him.

For he was but a youth and ruddy with a handsome appearance. And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog that you should come to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine also said to David, come to me. And I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field. Then David said to the Philistine, you come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin. But I come to you in what? the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel whom you have taunted.

This is the greatest victory known to man, David conquering Goliath. And he did it in the name of God. Why? Because there is power in the name of God. There is victory that comes through the name of God. John 14, 14 says, if you ask anything in my name, I will do it. If you ask anything in accordance with who I am, according to my character, according to my attributes, in a fall in line with my will, then I will do it. Colossus 317 says, and whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.

So whether you go to work, whether you go to school, whether you rear your children, whatever you do, you are to do it, in the name of Jesus Christ because you see there's power in that name if you want to be powerful at work you've got to do it in the name of Jesus Christ if you want to be a powerful testimony at school you've got to do it in the name of Jesus Christ you can't do it under your name under your parent's name but only in the name of Jesus because that's where power comes so we've seen where there's pardon in the name of Jesus there's peace that comes through the name of Jesus there's power in the name of Jesus There's also protection in his name as well.

Proverbs 1810 says, The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run to it and are safe. Now that's a great verse. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. And the righteous ones are the ones that run to that tower. They climb to the top of it, able to look around and see all that's happening. Why? Because they have a brand new perspective on life. If you've ever been to a tower and you're able to climb up on top of it, and see all around the valleys and stuff it's it's a great sight to see once you get up top Well the righteous run to the tower because the name of Jesus is like a strong tower Turn with me over to Psalm 91 Psalm 91 one of our guys that works with our youth staff said said to the youth one time that listen if you ever get in trouble Don't die on 9-1-1 turn to 9-1.

That's Psalm 91 verse 1. That's good in it Psalm 91, verse 1 says, he who dwells in the shelter of the most high will abide in the shadow of the almighty. Now, folks, that's 9-1-1, right there. And then it goes and says in verse 2, I will say to the Lord, my refuge and my fortress, my God and whom I trust, for it is he who delivers you from the snare of the trapper. Verse number 14, because he has loved me, therefore I will deliver him. I will set him securely on high because he has known my nether.

Name. Psalm 34 verse 3 says, oh, magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together. It is a privilege to praise the name of God. And I've gone through all of that to say this. If you don't trust him for protection, if you do not rely on him for power, if you do not have peace through his name, if you do not receive pardon because of God, you have taken his name in vain. That's the point. If you rely on anything else for your power, you take his name in vain. If you rely on anything else to protect you, you take his name in vain.

If you praise anything else other than God, you take his name in vain. Which leads us to our third point.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Which leads us to our third point, it's vanity, meaning empty of content, meaningless.

Alan Redpath said that this way. A man uses a name of the Lord in vain when he himself in his life is not true to the revelation of that name. That's convicting. You see, man is made in the image of God. And anything he says or does that does not reflect God's image treats God as if he is worthless. Therefore, taking the name of God in vain. treating it as if it doesn't matter. So you see all of us are guilty, aren't we? That's what you've got to see here tonight. We're all guilty of taking the name of the Lord our God in vain.

I like what Charles Spurgeon said. He says this, what is the value of the grace we profess to receive, which leaves us exactly the same kind of people as we were before we received it? An unholy life is an evidence of an unchanged heart, And an unchanged heart is an evidence of an unsaved soul. You see, when you go through life and you live differently than the character that indwells you, you're telling God that really he is worthless to do what he says he can do. How do he take his name in vain?

One is very obvious, profanity, right? Whenever you profane the name of God, whenever you damn somebody else, what you have done is you have misrepresented God, because God is not in the business of damning people's lives. God's in the business of saving people's lives, right? He's not winning that he should perish, but that all should come to repentance. So whenever you damn another person to hell, what you've done is misrepresented God in who he is, because that's what God came to do. He came to save people from their sin.

The next one, frivolity. I like that name. Frivolity. Frivolous. Now it's going to get real convicting here in a second, so just hold on to your hats.

Sitting in my office writing these things up, I was so convicted I didn't even want to come to church tonight. But my wife said I had to be here, so I'm here. The commandment is not just concerned about swearing in profanity, but when you use the name of God carelessly, when you use it lightly, you take his name in vain. Over in Ephesians chapter 5, verse number 3, Paul says these words, but do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you as is proper among saints and there must be no filthiness and silly talk or coarse jesting which are not fitting but rather giving of thanks no coarse jesting no foolish talking no careless talking about who God is people say all they oh my God every people say that oh Lord Now it's one thing to say, oh Lord, because you're really meaning it.

Oh, Lord, have mercy on my soul. It's another thing to treat it in a very careless, lighthearted kind of way and say, oh, my God. You see? But you ever tell a joke about God? The silence is absolutely deafening this room. You know, two guys went to heaven, you know? They said before God and God said, you know, no, no, no. You ever tell a joke like that? whenever you tell a joke about God in heaven you take his name in vain did you know that? I want to know something on judgment day when you stand before God there ain't going to be anybody laughing it's serious time when you stand before God let me tell you something that's where reality is the rubber has met the road per se and everything's going to be exposed for what it is but so many times and I myself included want to tell jokes about this and about that and about heaven and about God and all reality my friends it's not a joke because people are dying and going to hell every day which leads us to our second main point the sentencing back to Exodus chapter 20 the judge his judgment and justice For the Lord will not leave him and punish who takes his name in vain.

The judge, of course, is the Lord God, right? Second Corinthians 510 says, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone will receive that which has done in his body, whether it be good or whether it be bad.

And that verse specifically is written to you and me as Christians. And one day we will all stand before God's judgment seat. and what God's going to do is he's going to judge that which is good versus that which is bad. The word that is used for bad is the word that's neither moral nor ethical and it has no reference at all to evil or sin it is simply referring to something that has no lasting value, something that is worthless, something that is valueless. And so when we stand before God, he is going to judge that which was worth full and that which is worth less and weigh the two and that which is full of worth will give you your crowns and glory will be put on display and that of course which is worthless will be burned up and shrivel away no matter who you are if you take God's name in vain you will not be held guiltless because you have sinned against Almighty God in fact over in Leviticus chapter 24 listen to what is said in verses 10 in following.

Now the son of an Israelite woman whose father was an Egyptian went out among the sons of Israel. And the Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel struggle with each other in the camp. And the son of the Israelite woman blasphying the name and cursed. So they brought him to Moses. Now his mother's name was Sholameth, the daughter of debris, of the tribe of Dan. And they put him in custody so that the command of the Lord might be made clear to them then the Lord spoke to Moses saying bring the one who has cursed outside the camp and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head then let all the congregations stone him and you shall speak to the sons of Israel saying if anyone curses his God then he shall bear his sin moreover the one who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the alien as well as the native, when he blasphemes the name, shall be put to death.

There is judgment upon those who take God's name in vain. It's only by God's grace that when that happens today that you're not taken out behind the barn and stone to death. Right? Yet the Bible does tell us in Matthew chapter 12 verses 36 that by your words, ye shall be judged, and by your words, ye shall be condemned. Even the idle words, it says. The idle words that come out of man's mouth will be judged. And the justice? Oh, there is just, because God is just. For the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes his name in vain.

That's everyone. In fact, if you don't admit your guilt before God today and fall down in your hands and knees and beg for pardon from your sin, if you don't pray today and admit your guilt, you will admit your guilt one day. And if you are here this evening and have never done that, you need to do so. Because if you don't do it today, you will do it tomorrow. But for those of us who have come before God and said, Lord, I am guilty. I have dishonored your name. I have treated you in a frivolous kind of manner.

God, I have treated you as if you never even existed in my family. God, I have treated you as if your name means absolutely nothing to me. Then we can claim the blood of Jesus Christ who cleanses us from all sin. But may we not go on taking his name in vain. treating him as if he means nothing to our lives and so in summary I want to give you three principles to help you and your family honor the name of God number one think on his name think on his name turn with me to the book of Malachi the third chapter, Malachi chapter, Malachi chapter three.

God wants us to think on his name. Listen to Malachi 3, verse number 16. Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for those who fear the Lord and who what esteem his name. Someone has said God's got three books. The book of Revelation, which is the Bible, the book of redemption, which is the land's book of life, and the book of remembrance. And that book is reserved those who fear him and think on his name.

If you're going to honor God, you've got to spend time thinking on his name. Paul said it well in Philippians 4-8. That a thing which is honorable, right, pure, lovely, attractive, excellent, praiseworthy, let your mind dwell on these things. You see, when your mind becomes idle, Satan uses that, to get you to think of all kinds of things, doesn't it? And I'm going to step out on a limb here and say that when you don't think on God's name, you forget him. And when you forget him, you will take his name and make.

Because his character will not be living out through your life because you'll be thinking about something else. Either yourself, your sin, something that's more important than God. You've got to think on his name. You say, so, well, we've got to go through whole day just thinking about Jesus? Thank you. Yeah, that's about it. Paul says, think on the things that are honorable, that are praiseworthy, that are excellent. What do you think about? Think back over today, what has consumed your thinking?

What has your mind dwelled upon? What captivate your attention? If it's not God, then you've got to go back to last week's commitment. It is a God. It is an idol because it becomes more captivating than God is. And you're saying, well, nobody can live like that. Nobody is all consumed with God. Nobody's always thinking about God. That's true. And that's where the marvelous grace of God manifests itself in such a tremendous way. And God says, I forgive you.

But try again. The wonderful patience and love of our God. Peter says it this way. Gird your minds, he says. Over in 1 Peter chapter 1, he says this, first number 13.

Therefore, gird your minds for action. Keep sober and spirit. Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Here's your responsibility. If you're going to be holy, as God himself is holy, you've got to gird your mind. That's an oriental term. Use of when you gather up your robe, your long skirt, and you're wrapping around your waist, and between your legs so that you can run or work, A strenuous kind of activity. That's what it means to gird up your mind.

Wrap it all up. Get it all together. And begin to think about God. Don't let your mind be hanging all over the place. Don't let your mind hang loose. Gert it up together. Wrap it tight so you can be ready for action so you can be holy as God himself is holy. The New Testament calls us to the mental discipline of right thinking. We're to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. think on his name. If you want to honor the name of God and not take his name in vain, treat it as if it is absolutely worthless, then you've got to think on the one who is your creator, who is the majestic God in the universe.

You've got to think on his name. And second of all, you've got to take his name. You've got to take his name. Acts 1126 says, The disciples were called Christians first, in Antioch.

When we call ourselves Christians, we take his name. We take him, don't we? Clause 3.17, whatever you do, do all in the name of Jesus Christ. That's taking Jesus with you. You've got to take his name. So wherever you go, whatever you do, whatever you say, let those who name the name of Jesus Christ depart from iniquity, 2 Timothy 219. If you name the name of Jesus, then gird up your mind. think on him and take his name with you that's what the Christian does that's what the believer does today had a wonderful opportunity to talk to a man about Jesus Christ and he came to see me and and when it was all said and done you know I said you know we got to talk about your relationship with the Lord tell me about your relationship with Jesus Christ well there was no relationship with Jesus Christ so I said well let me let me tell you something and of course his wife had done died and my wife had died some years back.

So I said, you know, I did a funeral last week, and I talked about the dead and how blessed the dead are. Let me share a verse with you.

That's about blessed are the dead. And Revelation 1413, my favorite funeral text. I'm not sure those who go to the funeral really get excited about the dead being blessed, but you want to really get a focused in on God. And, of course, you go to ecclesiastes, and you talk about, you know, how it's better to be in a house of mourning than this is to be in a house of feasting. It's better to be here at a funeral parlor than it is to be in Vegas. Now try to get that across to people who had a funeral procession, and they just don't understand that.

But the writer of Acquisites goes on to say, because this is the end of all man, and the wise take it to heart. And I said, my friend, you're going to die. You could die today. The question is, where are you going to spend eternity? And went through the plan of salvation with him. And I said, do you want to give your life to Jesus Christ? He said, yeah, he goes, I do. I want to make a commitment to Jesus. I want to give my life to Jesus. I want to take him. Is that good? My friends, when you become a Christian, you take his name.

And you've got to take him with you wherever you go. Any kind of relationship you're in, any kind of conversation you're in. No matter what school you go to, no matter where you work, take his name. I had a friend. What a guy goes to our church? Was asked to move from one job to another job. He's the vice president for home video operations from. Paramount Studios. He said, he came to me, we were at another church together, he said to me, you know, should I take this job? I said, you're asking me?

He said, yeah, I'm asking you, you're my pastor. Should I take this job? I said, well, how much is it pay? I said, well, as far as I know, Hollywood needs Jesus as much as everybody else needs Jesus. And if God's open in the door, and there are no red flags, and there's nothing that's going to make you compromise, your stand for the gospel, take the job. Well, he took the job, and God has used him in a mighty way to bring so many people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Just because he took the name with him to Paramount Studios.

Are you taking the name? That's what it means to honor him. Think on his name. Take his name with you. And lastly, tell his name. tell his name remember Acts 541 and 42 Peter the apostles we've been talking about on Sunday mornings it says they had left the council rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for his name you see when you tell his name it's going to cost you And that's what keeps most of us from speaking about the name of Jesus. But there is no other name. Under heaven, give it among men whereby you must be saved.

Acts 412. There is no other name. So you've got to think on the name. You've got to take the name and then you've got to tell people about the name of Jesus. Why? Because one day, every man, every woman is going to bow the knee. before the name, aren't they? Philippians 2, verse number 10. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess the name of Jesus Christ. If you really want to honor God and not take his name in vain, then you tell his name to a world that so desperately needs to know how not to dishonor God.

May God give you wisdom as you seek to honor you.