Sermon Tone Analysis

*/TAKING GOD SERIOUSLY/*

Exodus 20:7

 

We're in part three today looking at the Ten Commandments in this series.

We're going to look at the third commandment that I can summarize in one sentence:  God says, “Take My name seriously”.

Paul Dickinson has written a book called Names.

He has a hobby of collecting strange and unusually names.

He says sometimes names seem to be prophetic.

Recently there was a Montreal window washer who died by accident, falling as he was washing windows.

His name was Will Drop.

Others, he says, seem destined for certain occupations.

Joe Bunt became a baseball coach.

Dan Druff became a barber.

Jeff Treadwell became a podiatrist.

Goforth and Ketchum, two guys, became police officers and partners.

O'Neill and Pray became partners in church equipment.

A plaster contractor, Will Crumble.

What's in a name?

God says there's a lot in a name when it's His name.

In the third command in Exodus 20:7 He says, “/You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”/

Why is God so sensitive about His name?

God says that your name represents three things:  reputation, character, authority.

It represents your reputation.

You've heard people say, “He's making a name for himself.”

When somebody has a good reputation they say “He's got a good name.”

When he's got a bad reputation, “He's got a bad name.”

When I say a name you automatically thing of his reputation.

Hitler, Billy Graham, Elvis.

A name represents your character.

What you are cannot be separated from what your name is once it's identified together.

In the Bible they would often name children after certain character qualities like Honest, Justice ... so that it would represent their character.

Many times in the Bible when somebody changed their character, their life was changed, God gave them a new name.

Abram became Abraham, Jacob became Israel, Simon became Peter.

God would change their names because He said it represents your character.

Your name represents authority.

When a police stops you he says, “Stop in the name of the law.”

Why?

Because there is authority behind that name.

If you received a call from a George Brown while you were eating dinner you might have him call back later.

George Bush

But if his name were George Bush you would probably take the call right there.

Names have a representation of authority.

God says when you misuse My name it's no little deal.

It's a big deal because you're defaming My reputation, My character and My authority and you are using it flippantly.

Exodus 20:7b “.../I the Lord will punish anyone who misuses my name!”/

 

George Barna did a survey recently and found that 66% of all Americans admit having taken the Lord's name in vain.

But everybody, including me, is guilty of breaking this command.

There are many, many ways that we misuse the Lord's name other than swearing.

Some people curse because /they are trying to feel tough, macho/.

They try through bad language to manufacture a tough image.

So when I say, "Locker Room talk," you know what I'm talking about.

Movie producers sprinkle profanity all the way through their films - in order for that film to achieve a lower rating - an R - because that is seen to be the most sophisticated, most mature.

I have never yet seen a person spewing obscenities who looked sophisticated and mature.

Still others may curse because they simply /cannot find any other way to forcibly express themselves./

Someone has described "profanity as the attempt of a feeble mind to express itself forcefully."

*People who dishonor the name of God can be placed in one of three categories.*

1.

The first category includes those individuals who *MISUSE GOD'S NAME OUT OF IGNORANCE.*

They are uninformed, completely oblivious to what the Lord has revealed in His Word concerning the use of His name.

Perhaps they are unchurched and have not had any teaching on this subject.

Perhaps they've never read the Bible for themselves.

Whatever the reason, they're not aware of the seriousness of what they're doing.

Perhaps some of you have slipped into the careless use of God's name.

After all, it's commonly used in school, in the marketplace, in the neighborhood.

Perhaps you have been unaware, though, that this is a grievous sin-a sin so serious that in the Old Testament it led to death.

In this matter there is no room for ignorance.

It shows an utter contempt for God.

That a man can take the precious name of Jesus or the name of Holy God, mix that name with the muck and the mire and the slime of the sewer, take it upon his lips in some vile oath, shows that he has disregard for God.                                    rebuke a person, didn't mean anything

Sometimes when you rebuke a person about his profanity, he will say, "Oh, I didn't mean anything by it."

Now listen, he has taken the name which is above every name, the name of Jehovah God, the name by which the blind were given sight, the name by which deaf ears were made to hear.

The name by which the dead are raised.

The name by which we are saved, "Neither is there salvation in any other name, for there is no name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved" than the name of Jesus.

He takes that name and says, "Oh I didn't mean anything by it."

And HE IS CONDEMNED IN HIS OWN COURT.

What he is saying is, "God is meaningless to me.

Why, I can take his name and not even mean anything by it."

Profanity is wicked and foolish.

Now I am not trying to justify sins.

But when a man sins in another realm, at least he gets something in return.

man steals.

I am not justifying sin.

But when a man steals, he gets what he steals.

When a man commits adultery, he satisfies his lust.

When a man commits murder he may get revenge or so he thinks.

BUT WHAT DOES A MAN GET WHEN HE CURSFS, JUST ONE THING-THE JUDGMENT OF GOD.

It is the fools sin.

It is like a fish who bites a hook with no bait on it.

At least when a fish bites a hook he gets a mouthful of worm.

What particle of good has profanity ever done.

If you have dishonored God's name in ignorance, I challenge you right now to implore His forgiveness and commit yourself to obedience.

Decide right now that you're never going to profane His name again.

You are no longer ignorant.

2.  Some people profane God's name because they don't know any better; others do so simply because *THEY CAN'T CONTROL THEIR TONGUES.

*They know the Ten Commandments forbid profanity, and they fully intend to obey them, but sometimes they just lose control.

In fits of anger or frustration, when they're cut off in traffic, when they hit their thumb with a hammer, when the baby cries at night-they slip.

They lose control and use God's name carelessly.

For these people, profanity is the exception, not the rule.

They are crushed when they realize they've dishonored God's name.

They know they have sinned and they repent immediately and ask for God's forgiveness.

The Bible openly acknowledges the difficulty of controlling the tongue.

James 3:7-8 /All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue// Yet God says that we must control it./

We must make every effort to use our tongues for honor, not for dishonor.