Sermon – “Do Not Use His Name In Vain”

20 And God spoke all these words, saying: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of [a]bondage. 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor [b]serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting[c] the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. 7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. 8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. 12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. 13 “You shall not murder. 14 “You shall not commit adultery. 15 “You shall not steal. 16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— 6 then he need not honor his father [a]or mother.’ Thus you have made the [b]commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 ‘These people [c]draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

So this morning I will continue with the commandments week before last I began and covered the first two commandments and last week we took a break from that just because there’s so much to cover and this week we’re going to get to the third commandment do not use his name in vain do not use the name of the Lord our God in vain going to be reading from Exodus again I thought I would be God decided to go ahead and just read through all of the Commandments every time so that way will we should know them will have memorized by the time we get them done right. Maybe and maybe not right now OK So Exodus Chapter twenty verses one through seventeen again. And God spoke all these words saying I will pause again God spoke you know we have the scriptures and we I think all can agree that this is the inspired word of God I believe that he gave it to the Apostles and the prophets and the teachers that of old and they penned those words that God gave to them David who was a man after God’s own heart shared his relationship with God even the ugly things but it’s all of God but these words God spoke them spoke them to Moses saying I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage you shall have no other God before me you shall not make for yourself a carved image any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or does it that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth you shall not bow down to them nor serve them for I the LORD your God am a jealous God visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me but showing mercy. To thousands to those who love me and keep my commandments. Here’s the third one you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy six days you shall labor and do all your work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God in it you shall do no work you nor your son nor your daughter nor your male servant nor your female servant nor your cattle nor your stranger who is within your gates for in six days the Lord made to heavens and the earth the sea and all that is in them and rested the seventh day therefore the Lord bless the Sabbath day and how did it honor your father and mother that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God has given you children you want to live long. Honor your father mother. It may be that they’ll take you out and have honor your father and mother did I say it’s good to laugh and I’ve heard said I brought you in this world I can take it out of it’s a behavior. You shall not murder you shall not commit adultery you shall not steal you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor you shall not covet your neighbor’s house you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife nor his male servant nor his female servant. Nor his donkey nor anything that is your neighbor’s they got at his blessings to the hearing and read if His Holy Word and Pastor Harry thought he was going to have a day off but I’m going to ask a pastor he would have a prayerful. For your soul goes through the flesh for. God’s light. To say yes to look at. Only. That he brings you were involved. In the reason that you see you’re sure that we may walk. Very. Amen thank you brother and pastor here. You know as I began the Ten Commandments hopefully we came away from that person have a thoroughly understanding that we are to have absolutely no other gods before us we are not to fashion anything by our hands or the hands of any others that we are to bow before anything that we can create we are not the bow before and that we are called to worship Him alone only Him God the Father the Son and Holy Spirit the three are one because our God is a jealous God and if we warship any other thing we are cheating on him we are being unfaithful to him so hopefully we had a firm grasp on that the third command. You shall not take the name of the Lord God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. I tend to believe that there are probably many Christians out there I’d say many people but there’s probably even many Christians who neglect this third commandment they maybe just read them and just kind of skim right over that one may be considerate in significate that I believe every single commandment is significant very important and to be taken very seriously even this third one as I shared a couple weeks ago many years ago as I was still in the pulpit at central United Methodist there for a couple years I did a series on the Ten Commandments and I will confess before you today that I don’t think I did not and don’t think I know I did not give the third commandment the importance that it needs it is extremely important I think I kind of just briefly covered it I’m going to cover a little more third day. The Message Bible does a. Great job lining up with the Hebrew meaning of vain listen to the Message Bible is it’s the first seven is read no using the name of God Your God in curses or silly banter God won’t put up with their reverent use of his name Think about that God will not put up with irreverent use of his name the Hebrew word for vain is lost tough a word that means in an empty or thoughtless manner the source translates less sub as worthlessly or another source as worthlessly or thoughtlessly Now obviously we all are very aware of that too the use God’s name with a profanity we all know that that’s that’s terrible we know that we should not do that we know that that is forbidden right I mean we obviously we all know that I work with a man years ago he’s been retired he had a terrible habit of using God’s name followed by another name and not in a. Condemning way but I most of the time let him know that dam is not God’s last name. And he did he’d actually like I know Ana I know I’m trying I’m trying to do better I just say without thinking well it was thoughtlessly right. That is not God’s last name we are not to use God’s name in that way but also sometimes we just flippantly use the name God we should know that we should do it reverently speak of it with thought with meaning with heart be careful how we use God’s name according to the Hebrew definition of he vain it is also using his God’s name in a way that is lip service lip service it is the lip service expression of faith offering him with our lips but there’s no heart there’s no relationship heartless acts of service I’ll give you the best example I can give you is from scripture Matthew fifteen verses three thru nine. And Jesus says and he answered and said to them Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition for God commanded same honor your father and mother and he who curses father and mother let him be put to death but you say whatever so whoever says to his father or mother whatever profit you might have received from me as a gift to God Then he need not honor his father or mother thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition hypocrites well did I say up Isaiah prophesied about you saying this people draw near to me with their mouth and army with their lips but their heart is far from me and in vain they worship me teaching as doctrines the commandments of men their heart is far from me so that is so are it in vain as taking the Lord’s name in vain when we only honor him with our lips and not with our heart not with our actions in a study of the Ten Commandments the famous Puritan Thomas Watson cites twelve ways in which we take God’s name in vain among them are using God’s name irreverently professing his name and not living according to our profession worshipping him externally but not in heart misusing his word falsifying your promises speaking without care for the honor of God It is a serving analysis intended not to micromanage our behavior but to show us the third commandment permeates the whole of life Jesus’ words in verse eight next permission from Thomas Watson clearly describes a person who claims to be a Christian though their claims are only with lip service there is no change in our hearts I was talking with the kids a small inning about being born again that was the lesson for this morning and ask him Do you know what it means to be born again you’re right. I’m afraid answer I’m afraid my answer might sound stupid so I grab a Rowan’s arm and I put everything like he’s trying to get it back I’m like I’m not going to hurt you like you know poor bird like what’s this pulling up when he skin their life skin I’m like it’s French it’s flesh it’s not a word skin but it’s flesh and then you feel something solid in there what’s that well that’s yeah so there was listen flesh and bone right we was all born wants a flesh and bone right but we must be born again all of the Spirit and have likened it to the wind you can’t see it and you can’t see the spirit but we know that the spirit is here we know the Spirit is within us so we must be born again a change in our hearts born anew that old man is done away with if we just give lip service and there’s no change that’s taking God in vain not honoring him. You know there’s many of the good old Shonda up looking good Saturday or Sunday morning but there’s no change of heart they only look good on the outside. Some might think well you know it’s not so bad to profess to be a Christian but really not live it well professing it not living it is taking his name in vain because your faith in profession is empty if we’re not living it if we’re not living it it is empty it is thoughtless if you profess to do it and do not live it then you are hypocritical as I was traveling this week I had the radio on listening to a pastor name a green Rodgers many He’s probably heard of it and he had a great message and he was speaking about hypocrisy and he said you know he said I dared Hollywood he said they have a Cademy awards every year he said and no give awards out to the the best playwright the the best directors the best actors in various you know and and fiction and adventure diff many different things he says you know everyone watch them and these these guys make guys and gals they make great money pretend in the BE somebody they’re not a great actor you know they don’t make millions of dollars pretending to be somebody they’re not but he says you know what you know we’re the best actors are reset in the churches all around the world today some of the best actors are set in the churches all around the world today because they’re pretending to be somebody they ain’t they’re pretending to be a Christian but there’s been no change of heart they’re pretending to be all that but they’re they’re not obeying him they’re not following his ways. Whenever you look up the Greek word for hypocrite it’s hypocrite Hippocrates in it’s meaning is to be a performer acting under a mask you know you’ve probably seen those masculine to handle you can grab that mask and well you can put on a happy face or you can put on a. Wicked looking face or you can put on a you know whatever hide behind that mask how many people today are hiding behind that mask pretending to be somebody they really aren’t whenever a husband and wife enter into the covenant of marriage I’m talking about a marriage the way God intended they make a covenant to do what to be faithful to one another for the rest of their lives to be faithful to be trustworthy to know that you’re not going to go out and cheat on it on your spouse your husband or your wife you know in most cases the wife will take the name of the husband talking about the last name correct I know that there are some today that choose to keep their own last name but for example care whenever we was married she gave up her last name and took my name when she signs a check today reports your name she writes Karen Higson her maiden name care went down so things would have been reversed and the husband was to take the wife’s name out of been Ronald McDonald. Not. We’ve joked about that for years. Since I said it would not have been out of refuse to see me up here now my happy clown Ronald McDonald. Here’s where I’m going with this when that woman takes her husband’s name. If she were to become unfaithful and go out and cheat on him she has taken his name in vain she has dishonored her husband she’s dishonored him so that is taking his name in vain using it in vain in the same way when we make a covenant with the Lord our God we take his name for example if we say some hair and say I’m Harry I’m a Christian Ron Barber I’m a child I’m a daughter of the Living God. I’m John I’m a Christian I’m care I’m a child of the In God whichever you want to say we take his name when we profess to have a relationship for him professed to know him we take his name upon us so if we are on faithful to Him We are cheating on him we are taking his name in vain bringing dishonor upon him. We do not want to dishonor our God. He is a holy God we are not only to honor him with our lips but with our actions whenever we misrepresent Christ either intentionally or through ignorance of the Christian faith as proclaimed in the scriptures we take his name in vain Luke six forty seven says but why do you call me Lord Lord and not do the things which I say and then in Matthew seven twenty one three twenty three Jesus says not everyone who says to me Lord Lord So enter the kingdom of heaven but he who does the will of My Father in heaven he that is a do or many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in your name have we not cast out demons in your name and done many wonders in your name and then I would declare to him I never knew you Depart from Me you who practice lawlessness remember the meaning of vain emptiness thoughtlessness there is no relationship you say I never knew you because you never knew him in John seventeen What is it to have faith in the relation it is to know him to honor him imagine so many people so many things that were done in His Name done selfishly though Adrian Rogers also spoke when he was speaking to hypocrites about how the religious leaders were never was time to give alms they had little trumpets they had these little trumpets they would go and they would go into the city square and they would blow that trumpet and all the poor people would come running and then they would give their arms to the poor one of the bow the trumpet. To make themselves look good they wanted everybody to see them giving their arms. And they’ll go stand on the corner and pray for everybody they hear Francis it’s wonderful to pray in this wonderful to pray before people but it better be with the right heart. Not to make yourself look good but those who are fun out of God. Give your arms to glorify and honor God not yourself don’t try to make yourself look good but honor him some say one says Lord Lord how excellent is your name in all the earth who have set your glory above the heavens Philippians two nine and ten therefore God also has Holly exalted him and given him a name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every name will bow and every Yeah every nation about those in heaven and of those in earth and those under the earth that at that let every tongues to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father the Lord’s prayer begins with addressing God with this phrase How would how to live be your name he is holy a reverence for God and His name should be present in our prayers in our time in our life with him the Vicar as one nine hundred twelve says and you shall not swear by my name falsely nor shall you profane the name of your God I am the LORD there is never a reason that we should swear falsely that we should swear at the name of the Lord Jesus and let your yes be yes and your no be not we do not need to swear by his name Spirit led believers will bear the holy fruits of the Spirit which are love joy peace longsuffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance we might add Peter’s list from second Peter one five to seven with his comment that these be in you in a bound that you they may make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ we can bear God’s name honorably as we walk in the Spirit the Holy Spirit. A believer who is not obedient to the spirit is bearing God’s name disgracefully fruit fruitlessly and in vain. Our only hope of burying God’s name in a manner that will produce the fruit that is required by his people is to live by the Spirit and in the spirit. You know the world’s attitude towards God is saved is shaped in fashion by how they see us living that that’s sick and for a moment the world’s view of God is shaped by how we live our lives before them. Are we live in a way that on hers or God that brings reverence and glory to Him or are we taking his name using his name in vain or lies brothers and sisters are the only Bibles that many will see. How are we living in our you being that walking scriptures for many are you loving them or are you judging them are you having compassion on them. Or you blessing them are you praying for them that they see Christ in you to be the most simple way to put it we are Christ’s hands and feet we are the light of the world we are that we should be that city shining on a hill. The name of the Lord is holy and he is holy he is a holy God The name of the Lord is a representation of His glory His Majesty his supreme deity we are to esteem and honor his name as we revere and glorify God himself to do anything less is taking our God’s name in vain. We are to revere him in reverence. Yes we can come into his house and we can laugh we can enjoy one another’s company but let’s don’t thoughtlessly use his name and again it’s not just what we speak so that’s where I don’t think I gave it its due diligence when I preached on it before it’s how we live I know that there are all those our neighbors our coworkers our friends they’re watching us every single day they’re watching to see how you respond to things how you react to things or you quick to anger or you slow down Are you quick to spout out revenge or an accusation whenever someone makes an accusation against you or you kind you know before we love our enemies that’s like keeping coals upon. We shouldn’t do that with a thought Oh I’ll get even with them no we do it with a heart that God wants us to have a heart that loves you know Jesus was accused of hanging out with centers and scribe yet the taxpayers are yet tax collectors and sinners I’ll get it thanks for your help or care. He’s accused of hanging out with the you know the on wonderful Z. of the world instead of hanging out with the religious people. Isn’t that not a move ample for us. Yes it is to be hanging out with them and share in His love being his love to them that’s what we’re to be church to do anything less if we call ourselves God’s children is using his name in vain it’s a lot deeper than what you might have considered at the beginning right what it means to use his name in vain a man.