Let's pray this morning.
Lord, we ask that as we open your word this morning,
as we look just at this one verse,
small and yet it's huge,
about how we are to lift up,
how we are to handle,
how we are to live by your name.
Lord, we pray that you would help us
to grab a hold of this,
to understand this,
correct us where we have messed up,
forgive us for where we have sinned,
encourage us through your command
because you love us.
And we pray all these things in your name.
Amen.
You can be seated.
What names of God should we not say in our conversations?
God, Jesus Christ.
How about OMG?
Jeez, golly.
How about using God's name
when we see something really awesome
or really shocking?
How about if we don't use it at all?
There are obvious names for God
that we as Christians should not take lightly.
And we should avoid saying many of them
in a lot of the context
in which we currently do.
But my goal this morning
is not to spend the next 30 minutes
going over all the names
that we should and should not say.
This command is much more than that.
If all we see in this commandment,
or any of the commandments,
is just a list of do's and don'ts,
then we're going to miss out on a whole lot.
Through the commandments and the laws,
God was revealing his character
and purpose to the Israelites.
He set his love on them
and he set them apart.
And for that reason,
they were called to respond to his commandments
with obedience.
With the goal being
that they would be a reflection of God
to the nations.
How about us?
How about Christians after the New Testament,
after Jesus lived and died and rose again?
What about the Ten Commandments
and the laws for us?
Do they apply?
Yes, they do.
But in a different way.
They're still God's words.
They're still his commandments
and they still reveal his character and will.
But we see them through Jesus Christ.
The Ten Commandments
and the refining of those
through Jesus' teachings
aren't just good rules
for good citizens.
If we are sons and daughters of God,
if we are in his family,
then we have been given
through Jesus Christ,
the power of the Holy Spirit,
a new heart
and power
to obey these commandments.
Okay,
that's just our intro.
In case you were out
for a couple weeks
just to bring you up to speed.
Let's dig in.
The third commandment,
we're going to start with
the command
part of the commandment.
That's the first half
of verse seven.
If you look at it,
it says,
you shall not take the name
of the Lord,
your God,
in vain.
This morning,
in order to help us
get a fuller understanding
of what God is saying
to his people
and to us,
we're going to break
that phrase down,
that first half
of the verse down.
You shall not take.
Now when we hear that,
you shall not take,
and it's combined
with name of the Lord,
we often and rightfully think
about the things
that we shouldn't say.
Right?
It's about God's name.
We hear that command,
do not take,
and in our mind,
we think,
don't say.
And that is true,
but there is more
to this command
than just our words.
And we don't want
to limit what God
is trying to warn us
about for our good.
To take means
to carry
or to use.
Think of the phrase,
take up your cross
and follow me.
It involves
a mental acceptance
of our call.
It involves
a heart understanding.
And it also involves
physical action.
All those are
in the words.
Another example is,
I wish he or she
would take those words
to heart.
This means
to acknowledge
or to be affected
by something.
So it's thinking,
right thinking
about something,
and then it's tied
to an action,
how we would
apply that.
The point
is that this commandment
includes more
than just the words
that we say.
Our thoughts,
our heart attitude,
our actions,
they all come
into this.
And we'll talk
about that
more in just
a few minutes.
You shall not take,
that's the action,
and next we have
the object
of that action.
the object
of this commandment,
and that is
the name
of the Lord,
your God.
Now,
names have meanings.
It seems
in our culture,
at least
here in
America,
that
the meaning
isn't quite
as important.
It's good,
but it's more
about what the name
sounds like.
It's more about
finding a name
that's a little
different and unique.
We don't want
a popular name
that's been used
for 30 years.
We want something
a little different.
Maybe change
the spelling of it
a little bit,
right?
That's pretty common.
How we feel
about a name
is related
more with
thoughts and
experiences
than about
the person.
More about
what we think
about when we
hear that name.
So,
to a larger
degree,
the practical
meaning
of someone's
name
comes through
a variety
of things,
right?
It comes
through
what they've
done
or how we've
been treated
or some
experiences
that affect
that meaning
to us.
So,
in a way,
we're creating
a meaning
for a name.
It's not actually
the meaning,
but there's
something in our
thoughts that's
being created
for that person
and their name.
So,
to demonstrate
this,
think about
the likelihood
of someone
wanting to
use one of
these famous
names
that have
nice meanings.
How about
for a boy,
a name that
means noble?
That sounds
pretty good,
but would you
use Adolf?
How about
for a girl,
you want a name
that means
delicate?
That sounds
good,
but you wouldn't
use Delilah.
Or the
praised one.
That would
be good,
only no one
wants to
call their
child Judas.
None of
those names
would probably
be on any
of our
top tens,
and yet
their meanings
are good,
but what they
represent is
not good
because of
what has
happened,
because of
different
experiences
and how
someone has
lived their
life.
in ancient
times,
however,
they were
often picked
because of
their meaning,
and we see
this throughout
the Bible as
well.
They were
picked because
they were
associated with
a purpose,
or maybe a
specific
physical
characteristic.
Think of
Esau.
Esau and
Jacob.
Esau was
born
hairy,
and so
his name
Esau
means hairy.
quite fitting.
His twin
brother was
named because
it means
tricker,
or one
who
overachieves
because Jacob
was holding
on to his
twin brother's
ankle when
he was born,
trying to
get a one
up on
his brother.
So his
name is
fitting.
Moses means
taking or
drawing out
from the
water,
because he
was.
And then
we have
some names
that were
given for
a specific
purpose.
These were
ones that
God actually
gave,
one from
Abram to
Abraham,
which means
exalted
father.
Sarah,
Sarah to
Sarah,
which means
a woman of
high rank,
princess.
Isaac was
giving the
name because
of his
parents'
old age,
and his
name means
we'll laugh.
when they
found out,
they will
laugh.
And then
of course,
we have
multiple
references to
the greatest
name, and
that is of
Jesus Christ.
Matthew
1.21
says,
you shall
call his
name Jesus,
for he will
save his
people from
their sins.
Names
carried with
them certain
characteristics,
and they had
a purpose.
In our
context,
here in
Exodus 20,
when God
says,
the name
of the
Lord,
your God,
he is
pulling
together not
only a
name.
He is
pulling
together his
character.
He is
pulling
together past
promises and
power.
Everything that
has to do
with him,
the I am
that I am,
was being
brought together
in this
name.
Remember what
has taken
place up to
this point,
right?
You have
his appearance
in the
burning bush.
You have
his control
over nature
in the
plagues.
You have
the deliverance
of the
Israelites.
You have
the desecration,
the destroying
of the
Egyptian army.
You have
food and
water supplied
to the
Israelites
when there
was no
food and
water.
And he
brings them
to Mount
Sinai,
where they
get to
see just
a glimpse,
but a
powerful glimpse
of God's
presence as
the mountain
shakes.
And he
reminds them
that I
am the
Lord,
capital L,
capital O,
capital R,
capital D,
Yahweh,
your God.
We have
just a couple
verses that
we're going to
look at as
we're thinking
about the
name of the
Lord.
Psalm 8,
verse 1.
When David
says,
O Lord,
all capital
letters again,
our Lord,
what he's
saying is
one God,
the true
God,
the God
of Israel,
that is
our God.
Revelation
1.8,
I am the
Alpha and
the Omega,
says the
Lord God,
who is
and who
was and
who is
to come,
the Almighty.
Psalm 83.18,
that they
may know
that you
alone,
whose name
is the
Lord,
are the
most high
over all
the earth.
God is
telling them,
I am
the Lord.
I am
Yahweh,
who made
a covenant
with your
father,
Abraham,
and that
is my
name.
Continuing
that command,
you shall
not take
the name
of the
Lord your
God
in vain.
That
describes how
the name
of the
Lord
should not
be taken
in vain.
In vain
means empty
or pointless,
meaningless,
to have
little or
no effect.
The Hebrew
word is
translated
misuse.
And I
think the
amplified
version does
a good job
of getting
very strongly
to the
point,
in vain,
that is
irreverently,
in false
affirmations,
or in ways
that call
into question
the character
of God.
This is a
serious offense.
Let's look
at the very
first occurrence
of this sin.
Genesis
chapter 3.
You don't
have to
turn back
there.
I'll just
summarize it
for you.
Adam and
Eve are
in the
garden.
God
tells them
they can
eat of
any tree
that they
find,
except one.
One tree
in the
middle.
Don't
eat that
one.
You
will die.
Cool.
One tree.
Don't touch.
Everything
else good.
We got it.
But we
all know
what happens
next,
don't we?
The serpent,
the great
deceiver,
shows up
and approaches
Eve.
He says,
you shall
not surely
die.
Satan
takes God's
word and
his character
and he
twists it.
It is in
that moment
that he
takes the
Lord God's
name in
vain and
he doesn't
even have
to say
God's
name.
He
takes God's
name and
his truth
and his
power as
creator of
the universe
that he
just recently
created
and Satan
lowers it.
He
empties it
of its
full
perfection
and authority
and he
calls God's
character
into question.
Taking the
truth of what
God says
and surrounding
it with
a lie
and with
doubt.
Proverbs
12,
22 says,
lying lips
are an
abomination
to the
Lord,
but those
who act
faithfully
are his
delight.
We can
see another
example of
taking God's
name in
vain.
If we
look at
Matthew
chapter 15
in verses
8 and
9,
it says,
these people
honors me
with their
lips,
but their
heart is
far from
me.
In
vain do
they
worship
me.
Teaching
as
doctrines
the
commandments
of men.
He's
saying,
you take
things that
you want
to talk
about and
you make
them godly.
You act
as if you
are holy
and godly
and you
are not.
You build
up your
own beliefs
and your
own
teachings,
but you
don't know
me.
You don't
love me.
We say
that we
love God,
but do
we?
Will we
do whatever
he calls
us to
do because
our love
for him
is greater
than anything
else?
Do we
love like
he loves?
And do
we hate
what he
hates?
We praise
him on
Sunday,
but to
the world,
what do
we worship
Monday
through
Saturday?
We don't
want to
listen or
empty the
name of
the Lord
through our
words or
through our
actions.
We are to
revere and
to fear
him.
We are to
love and
to serve
him.
We are to
lift up and
fill up the
name of the
Lord, to
praise his
name, not
to empty
it of
anything.
Jesus points
out the
importance of
this command
when he's
teaching his
disciples how
to pray.
In Matthew
6, verse
9, he
says,
Our
Father in
heaven,
hallowed be
your name.
Jesus is
showing us
how we
should regard
the holiness,
the
powerfulness,
the
gloriousness,
the
overallness
of God's
name.
We should
be praying
for God's
name to
be hallowed.
Now we
need to
understand that
that doesn't
happen in
the world
unless it
first happens
in each one
of us
personally.
We aren't
praying for
something to
happen out
there.
The world
would be
hallowed if
it's not
hallowed here
first.
So we're
praying for
the
hallowedness,
the holiness,
the separation,
the specialness,
the protection
of God's
name in
us first.
That's what
we're praying
for.
And we
are praying
that God
through the
work of
the Holy
Spirit
would change
our hearts.
Our hearts
are not
holy by
nature.
They're
sinful.
And so
as Christians
we pray
that through
the Holy
Spirit
that our
hearts
would be
changed.
Changed
so that
God
would look
greater
than the
world.
Romans
10
13
For
everyone
who calls
on the
name of
the Lord
will be
saved.
He
chooses
us.
His
spirit
opens
our
hearts.
We
don't
do
that.
We
can't
save
ourselves.
I was
thinking
about the
song
when we
get to
heaven
and our
eyes are
transfixed
on Jesus'
face.
It only
does that
because he
loved us
enough
to change
our
hearts.
His
spirit
opens
our
hearts.
His
spirit
gives
us
the
spiritual
ability
to
call
on
his
name.
Acts
4
12
There
is
salvation
in
no
one
else.
No
one
else.
No
other
God.
No
other
works
that
you're
going
to
do
will
you
find
salvation.
That's
a name
I don't
want to
lessen.
That's
a name
that God
doesn't
want us
to
lessen.
And
that
brings
us
to
the
consequence.
The
second
part
of
verse
7.
For
the
Lord
will
not
hold
him
guiltless
who
takes
his
name
in
vain.
The
Christian
standard
Bible
says
the
Lord
will
not
leave
anyone
unpunished
who
misuses
his
name.
He
holds
us
guilty
for
taking
his
name
in
vain,
for
using
his
name
flippantly,
void
of any
of the
power
and the
awesomeness
and the
salvation
and the
love
that should
come
from
his
name.
In
commandment
number
two,
we
learned
how
God
is
a
jealous
God
and
how
we
treat
him
and
talk
about
him
makes
a
difference.
As
a
Christian,
as a
child
of
God,
we
want
to
live
a
life
that
reflects
his
character.
Not
our
life
or what
we
think
he
should
be.
And
that
can't
happen
if we
dishonor
him
with
how
we
talk
about
him,
about
how
we
use
his
name
or
how
we
misrepresent
who
he
is.
When
we
do
that,
we're
disobeying
God's
command
and
we
stand
guilty
and
punishable
before
him.
Now
we
aren't
talking
eternal
punishment
like
going
to
hell.
This
verse
is not
saying
that
your
salvation,
if
you're
a
child
of
God,
God's
name
in
vain.
But
it
does
say
that
we
are
held
accountable
for
how
we
speak
and
how
we
treat
God's
name.
What
does it
mean
that
the
Lord
holds
us
guilty?
It
means
that
he
will
not
let
the
sin
go
unpunished.
Now
remember,
these
commandments
are not
directed
towards
the
world.
These
commandments
are
directed
towards
God's
people.
Those
who
don't
love
God,
who
don't
believe
God,
they
don't
care how
they
use
God's
name.
Their
hearts
are
closed.
They
don't
love
him.
They
don't
want
to
live
for
him.
The
punishment
for
their
sins
is
still
laying
on
them.
Their
punishment
is
eternity
from
God.
Eternity
in
hell.
If
that's
you
this
morning,
I
want
to
invite
you
to
come
and
seek
me
out.
Seek
Sean
out.
Seek
someone
else
out
here
that
we
can
talk
and
pray
with
you.
I
want
you
to
know
this
salvation.
I
don't
want
all
of
your
sins,
the
penalty
for
that
to
continue
to
lay
on
you
because
there
will
be
a
time
where
that
penalty
is
going
to
come
due.
But
if
you're
one
of
his
own
children
and
you're
misusing
his
name,
if
you're
devaluing
his
character,
then
he will
discipline
you.
He
does
discipline
and
punish
his
own.
Notice
that of
all the
commandments,
this is
the
only
one
that
specifically
assigns
a
consequence
to
the
offender.
In
the
second
commandment,
we saw
punishment
that was
directed
towards
future
generations.
Yes,
but this
one
points
to
the
one
breaking
the
commandment.
If
you
struggle
with
that
idea
of
God
punishing
you,
or
maybe
you're
thinking
that
was
the
Old
Testament.
God
doesn't
work
like
that
now.
It's
all
about
grace.
I want
to share
with you
two
verses
in the
New
Testament
that
will
help
make
that
more,
make
that
help
that
make
sense
to
you.
The
first
one
is
1 Corinthians
chapter
11
verse
30.
That
is why
many
of you,
this
is when
he's
talking
about
taking
communion
and
taking
it
in an
unworthy
fashion.
He says
this
is why
many
of you
are
weak
and
ill
and
some
have
died.
But
if we
judged
ourselves
truly
we
would
not
be
judged.
But
when
we
are
judged
by
the
Lord
we
are
disciplined
so
that
we
may
not
be
condemned
along
with
the
world.
There
is
punishment
for
those
who
live
against
God's
commands
and
it's
for
the
purpose
of
keeping
them
from
condemnation.
Hebrews
chapter
12
verses
10
and
11
For
they
disciplined
this is
speaking
of
earthly
fathers
for
they
disciplined
us
their
children
for
a
short
time
as
it
seemed
best
for
them
but
he
disciplines
God
disciplines
us
for
our
good
that
we
may
share
his
holiness
for
the
moment
all
discipline
seems
painful
rather
than
pleasant
but
later
it
yields
the
peaceful
fruit
of
righteousness
to
those
who
have
been
trained
by
it
God
knows
we
are
sinners
but
he
desires
us
to be
holy
and
so
he
patiently
teaches
us
he
walks
through
life
with
us
correcting
us
when
we
go
off
the
path
helping
to
grow
us
in our
godliness
and our
Christ
likeness
and
yes
that
does
mean
disciplining
us
when
we
don't
obey
or
when
we
need
correction
now
we
aren't
given
an
exact
punishment
for
misusing
God's
name
it
wouldn't
be
helpful
if
we
had
a
chart
and
on
this
side
all
the
words
of
God's
name
that
you
put
on
this
side
are
all
your
punishments
having
that
would
only
drive
us
towards
a
life
of
legalism
God
desires
his
people
to
live
holy
as
he
is
holy
and
that
happens
when
we
set
our
hearts
and
our
minds
on
him
not
follow
a
list
as
we
read
and
learn
about
him
and
his
word
as
we
talk
to
him
through
prayer
as
we
live
for
him
trying
to
do
what
he
desires
of
us
his
name
is
honored
and
praised
and
in
that
we
are
protecting
ourselves
from
misusing
his
name
the
point
that
I
want
to
end
with
is
the
last
one
and
that
is
the
cause
for
this
commandment
now
we've
already
talked
about
some
of
the
reasons
for
this
commandment
but
I
want
to
make
sure
that
we
leave
with
the
right
idea
about
God
as if
we
leave
here
today
and
our
thoughts
about
God
is
that
he
is
cold
and
distant
some
overlord
who
can't
handle
someone
else
talking
bad
about
him
and
he's
just
looking
to
squash
anybody
who
doesn't
follow
his
commands
that
couldn't
be
more
further
from
the
truth
and
it's
that
thinking
that
will
harm
and
limit
our
relationship
to
God
if
that's
how
we
view
him
and
it
will
also
affect
how
we
share
the
good
news
of
salvation
with
others
now
understand
that
God
is
God
so
if
God
gives
us
a
commandment
and
doesn't
want
to
give
us
a
reason
we
just
obey
it
because
he's
God
but
he
doesn't
do
that
I
think
of
a
child
as
they
come
to
you
and
they
have
a
question
or
they
want
to
do
something
and
you
say
no
maybe
it's
out
of
irritation
that
you
don't
want
to
be
bothered
with
it
but
then
they
follow
up
with
why
not
and
sometimes
in
the
moment
our
reason
is
just
because
that's
a
horrible
reason
to
a
child
you
can't
debate
that
there's
no
substance
there
and
so
the
awesomeness
about
God
is
he
doesn't
leave
us
with
just
an
empty
because
I
said
so
his
commands
are
because
he
loves
us
the
purpose
of
this
commandment
was
not
to
protect
the
Lord
it
was
for
the
protection
of
his
people
it
is
for
our
protection
if
his
name
is
emptied
of
importance
if
it
is
disrespected
if
his
gift
of
love
and
protection
to
the
Israelites
and
to
us
our
salvation
if
it
is
not
valued
if
his
power
is
belittled
if
his
presence
among
us
is
just
pushed
aside
then
what
does
that
say
about
his
very
nature
of
I
am
who
I
am
his
character
is
missed
by
his
people
his
character
is
misrepresented
to
all
of
humanity
and
that's
why
he
gives
us
this
commandment
why
does
God
want
us
to
treat
his
name
special
as
a
name
that
is
above
all
names
because
it
is
why
treat
his
name
as
if
it
has
power
if
it
changes
lives
if
it
heals
if
it
comforts
if
it
loves
if
it
is
true
truth
and
honesty
because
it
does
let
us
not
lessen
the
name
of
the
Lord
who
has
saved
us
let
us
lift
him
up
daily
as
the
one
who
has
lifted
us
up
daily
let
us
pray
God
we
thank you
for
your
commandments
they
sometimes
seem
like
they
can
be
hard
and
cold
God
we
pray
that
you
would
help
open
our
hearts
and
our
minds
to
the
love
that
you
have
put
into
these
commandments
for
us
for
our
good
Lord
help
our
lives
to be
affected
by
this
may
we
live
in
a
way
that
lifts
up
your
name
because
it
saves
because
it
is
above
all
names
because
you
are
power
because
you
are
love
because
you
comfort
us
that
is
the
salvation
and
the
hope
that
we
need
that
is
the
salvation
and
hope
we
need
to
give
to
the
world
God
we
pray
that
you
would
just
make
that
solidify
that
in our
hearts
and our
minds
today
Lord
may
we
serve
you
with
your
name
lifted
up
this
week
Lord
we
pray
in
your
name
Amen