The Misuse Of God's Name Part 1

Christians know God's name is holy is not to be misused by swearing and cursing improper keeping his name, set apart was so important to God command about it with his finger on the tablet of stone from the Moody Church in Chicago this morning with Dr. Erwin Sir, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line after loser tell us about your message on the third commandment of misuse of God's name Dave when it comes to the 10 Commandments God takes what he has revealed very seriously and we should to the matter fact in this message. I'm going to tell a story that comes to us from the Old Testament were someone misused God's name and God commanded that he be stoned to death and what I want to help people to see is that God is not changed. He feels the very same as he did in the Old Testament when his name is misused under grace. He treats us differently but it's not because he has lowered his standards. These are the kinds of issues I discuss in the book I Britain entitled why holiness matters. The 10 Commandments Jesus and you for your gift of any amount. This book can be yours.

Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 and now let us humbly and reverently go to Sinai and listen to what God has to say what name do you think is used most often in America on the lips of Americans say will probably that of the president, all I wish that were true, but I doubt it.

I think it's the name of God couple of weeks ago one of my daughters was with some of her friends and I was just amazed at how one of the girls of the group is just saying God in every other sentence I suppose at least a half-dozen times in five minutes. Oh my God, my God, it's amazing isn't it.

And I was telling my wife that and she said well you know their children in our neighborhood that are even younger than that age 6 and seven where they come from homes where the name of God is used just routinely interjected into the middle of almost every sentence, and the little children grow up saying oh my God, it's amazing isn't it when God said so expressly in the third commandment, thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. The Lord will not hold him on punished who takes his name in vain, says the Scripture is very clear yet think of all the people that do some of you work with people like that constantly using the name of God in Jesus Christ just simply as ways to vent their frustration or their anger serious breach of what God has expressly said so in the series of Commandments we've come to the third.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain that I was thinking about this commandment and meditating on how I was going to treated I decided that what I would do is answer the question how how is the name of the Lord taken in vain by people what different ways can it be taken in vain. First of all, it can be taken in vain by careless oats, careless oats.

Now, of course, that from the beginning of time, almost men have always brought God in to witness a very formal old and there's nothing wrong with that.

We do that at weddings.

We say in the presence of God and these witnesses what were saying is, remember it's just not that there are witnesses present but God is looking in on this and he is a silent witness to what's happening there certain oaths that are taken where you raise your hand and you swear to God certain thing and there's nothing wrong with that, by the way I do notice that passage in Deuteronomy.

Perhaps you should turn to it attempts chapter Deuteronomy chapter 10, where the Scripture talks about the greatness and the glory and the wonder of God who executes justice for the orphan and the widow and shows his love for the alien but then it says in verse 20 is Deuteronomy chapter 10 verse 20 you shall fear the Lord your God, and shall serve him and cling to him, and you shall swear by his name. Nothing wrong with swearing by the name of God in taking a formal oath member.

The apostle Paul said in Romans chapter 9 verse 20 says I say the truth in Christ.

I'll lie not was almost like athing I'm calling Christ to witness this member Jesus and 26 chapter the gospel of Matthew standing before the high priest, the high priest said to thou, the son of the living God I/O Junior lead by the living God. Tell me. And Jesus said I am or he says thou hast said it so in a sense, Jesus was responding to a formal oath.

I adjure you by the living God, and we recognize that God is the one who knows all things. Therefore, it is only proper that an oath should be taken in his name. Parenthetically, I read somewhere some time ago that in Russia they are having problems with truth telling and they do see it to be a disadvantage not to believe in God because you see, God can never be brought as a witness in any kind of a swearing ceremony. Let's suppose you're a witness to an accident and you are to swear to tell the truth and because there is no God to whom you will ever have to give an account, nor is there any God who's going to spy on you and know that you're lying.

The incentive to tell the truth is somewhat irrigated under those circumstances, but the problem with oath taking was this during the time of Jesus. The Pharisees were taking an oath for everything and they wanted to take oaths that they could get out of. So what they did was they didn't swear by God.

They said I will swear by something less than God solidified break my bow. It's no big deal. They said I will not swear by God. I will swear by the temple. In fact they had all kinds of little laws. This is if you swear by the temple. It's really nothing but abuse whereby the goal that is in the temple. That's everything you swear by the altar, that's nothing but abuse whereby the gift that is on the altar boy that's very important than your health to that. That's a more important about and that's why in Matthew chapter 23 Jesus said to them, put all that aside for this reason that if you swear by the temple and you think you can get out of your commitment because it's only the temple.

Remember, you really you are swearing by the God of the temple. Jesus said, and he says if you swear by heaven, you are swearing by the God who made the heaven, and if you swear by Jerusalem. You are swearing by God because it is his footstool. Jesus so in unmistakable language. Jesus said just let your yes be yes and your no be no.

In other words, why always swear by somebody in an attempt to get out of your commitment.

If you have good character, you can just simply say yes and that's enough, that's the end of it and I would much rather have a promise made by a person of character because I know that promise will be Than someone who would swear on a stack of Bibles that he's going to do something and have bad character so Jesus said let your yes be yes and your no be no.

And don't swear by anything if you're going to swear and make an oath, swear by God but realize that that's an important oath and God will not hold you guiltless if you violate it.

I was thinking about this and I thought how many times have you heard people say will by George.

I'll never do that. I don't know why George is the one that happens to have the be the target of people saying by George dawned on me when you say by George God would say you are really saying it by the creator of George, so don't say by George. Just do it. You don't have to switch say you know I swear that the fish was 3 feet long. Don't bother. People will believe you anyway so just say it was 3 feet long and the V and that one way that we can take God's name in vain.

Undoubtedly, is by careless oats bringing God into situation somewhat flippantly when we decide to make a promise or we make a remark that we think people won't believe but there's a second way that we can take God's name in vain and that is by careless speech, careless speech that's the person who uses the name of God, and he just throws it into conversations and over and over again why God God God to God and he does it oftentimes and there two different categories of people here.

One is the person who does it, in defiance of God. It's the person who knows right well what this commandment says that he wants God to know that he is standing up to God and he wants his friends to know that he's really tough and nobody is going to tell him what to do, so he can swear if he wants to swear something like a teenager who smokes in front of his parents for the first time up until that time he's been smoking in the car.

He smokes in the alley, but one day he comes in when they're in the living room and he sits down and he takes and likes the cigarettes and he takes the biggest and the longest drag that he's ever taken and then he blows smoke out all the way from the couch to the kitchen door and what he saying is, guess what mom and dad. I don't care what you say anymore. I'm my own person. Now I can smoke if I like it do anything. That's the way some people swear they use God's name because they are defying him.

They want everybody to know that they are standing against him, and they could care less what the third commandment say whatever I like the red. But there's another category of those who swear perhaps not deliberately and defiantly. But the swear flippantly that the kind of people who perhaps were brought up in a home where there was a lot of swearing or they began to swear as teenagers and it became such a much a part of their speech that constantly there saying the name of God. Now whenever you talk to people like that. And I've done that they will say this though sick, you know, I'm not even aware of what I'm doing, you need to say, I swear. They'll say I don't even know that I'm aware of it.

How could that be breaking the commandment when I'm doing it so innocently I don't I say to people like that and you better smile when you say this say that that is the alternate insult to God the ultimate insult to God. I need at least the person who swears defiantly, who swears because he wants God to know that he is standing in opposition to God. He at least is giving God enough respect to know that God exists and he knows what he's doing but just think of the person who rolls the word God off his lips constantly, day in and day out, hour by hour, and isn't even conscious of the fact that he is doing. How low can you think about God to use his name like that and not given any thought. So you see we can't get around it.

Just because we say that we are doing it thoughtlessly. That's certainly is using the name of the Lord your God in vain.

No question about and what an insult to the Almighty to say I'm doing it and I'm not even thinking about it even marks was not an atheist. He believed in God, but he hated the God in whom he believed, and so he stood in opposition against God, but he had enough respect for God to know that at least he had to be stood up to the person flippantly uses the name of God doesn't even give got that much credit. Could I say parenthetically here that last night I decided to look in the dictionary. Did you know that the word G has many meanings but one of the meanings is it is a euphemism for Jesus is other people's IRG but one of the meanings is a euphemism that means that instead of saying the real thing you use a substitute that is a little softer, then there is the word God. The word gosh has only one meaning, and that is a euphemism for God. So instead of saying God. Some people say, gosh, and they don't realize that that is just a substitute.

It is a way of of softening the hardness of saying God. Now if you're guilty of saying that you say will I didn't know that I will accept your word for it.

But guess what you do now you do now thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain can be done by careless files can also be done by careless speech. I'd like to suggest that there's 1/3 way that this can be done and that is by a careless life, careless life. What I mean by that is this, that if we identify ourselves with God. We are really standing along with God. We say that we believe in God we trust God we love God we serve God we are Christians. Then, when we begin to live inconsistently with that we not only take God's name in vain because of our own lives, but usually we cause others to do the same. Look at David second Samuel 13. You need not turn to it. While I think maybe we should. I want you to see this in the text of Scripture second Samuel chapter 13, because this is a very, very important passage and it is indeed chapter 12 but the Bible says this but when Nathan came to David. It's in here.

I can tell you that much. It is in here when Nathan came to David he said David, the Lord has taken away your sin. However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord, to blaspheme the child also but is born to you shall surely die. That's the first what God is saying is he saying David because you lived inconsistently with my name you took my name you are known as a man of God, and now because of your adultery and your murder.

You are acting in a way that dishonors me you are causing the enemies of the Lord, to blaspheme.

If we had two pianos. One middle C, there would be another middle C that would resonate and what he saying is, is that your life has impact and when you disobey God under the name of the authority of God, you cause others to drag the name of God into the dirt from the standpoint of humanity, you are causing them to blaspheme. Now that's what can happen very easily. It's when we ourselves take the name of God and say that we are Christians and then cause others to blaspheme because of the way we live down in Texas.

There's a seminary in Dallas and I happen to have graduated from it many years ago and since that time there've been many other students, and I'd like you to listen to the story of one of those students who wrote these words while working as a salesman for a large company.

I met a girl named Liz who was in charge of phone solicitation. She was an attractive young woman, but use profanity that would embarrass any sailor smoked one cigarette after another and lied to the customers. One day she stopped me and asked you go to Dallas seminary don't you.

I was shocked. Then she really dropped the bomb. She said I guess you're surprised that I would know about the seminary. Well, I'm a Christian to lie, go to a Bible Church in one of your professors is the pastor by this time he says I was ready to be peeled off the floor. Then she said I guess you wonder why I don't act like a Christian. He said I managed to "well yes, she said the reason I don't act like a Christian is because of the bad witness I would be if these people knew that I was a Christian. It is better that they not know that I am a Christian what you were told in today's society should always try to find some good in everybody. If you look long enough and hard enough you'll find it so we take our magnifying glass here and and let's take a look at Liz there is something good about her. Yes, it's true that her conduct is despicable and she might not even be a Christian.

I need to talk that. But there is one good thing about or it is quite true that it would be a very poor testimony of the employees around her, knew that she was a Christian if she is, it is indeed much better that they not know with that we agree. She does have some insight to see if there's somebody here today and you lie and you don't tell the truth and you swear at work. I don't tell people that you're a Christian, help us don't don't don't say that I'm a Christian and if they ask you where you go to church. You know I mean if you're lying already anyway add one more lie to your sin and say that you know you job us.

You just don't remember: temporary amnesia.

Say you know sometime in the distant future. Mably in the next couple of years it'll come to me, but just at this moment I get a handle will my friend, this is Pastor Luther and I sure hope that you understand what I was trying to say there is some Christians who are such a terrible witness to the gospel that it would be best if people didn't know that they were Christians and by the way in their lives. As in our lives. Holiness matters were living at a time when you can go to any Christian church and hear a sermon about love and we need to hear sermons about love. But the love of God and the grace of God cannot be understood unless we also recognize and to the best of our ability understand the holiness of God talking about some very, very serious matters. Matters that are often neglected in our culture and in our churches.

That's why I've written a book entitled why holiness matters.

The 10 Commandments Jesus and you as you write, or as you connect with us for this book. Would you please remember that we are dependent upon your prayers and your gifts. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 thanks in advance for your generosity.

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Their members of the running to win the family 1-888-218-9337 it's time now for you to ask Pastor looks her question about the Bible or the Christian life.

Understanding the Bible's teachings about the future can get complex, Frank found that out and has a series of questions for our resident Bible expert, Dr. looks her number one, when will those who go into the millennial kingdom at Christ's second advent be judged. Will Frank. There is no doubt number one that everybody is going to be judged someday. Either is a believer or an unbeliever.

So even though we don't know exactly when the people who are in the millennial kingdom will be judged.

It does appear that all unbelievers appear at the great white throne judgment which follows the millennium, but we don't know exactly when the Christians who are in the millennial kingdom will be judged. So even though the Bible is silent on that point, we have to believe that there is a judgment that will take place. Okay Pastor his number two will they be given an eternal body like Christians will have no question about it. You know the Bible says that there is a resurrection unto eternal life, and there's a resurrection unto shame and damnation. But everybody's going to be resurrected and so again.

Even though the Bible might not specify a resurrection at the end of the millennial kingdom. We have to believe that there is going to be a resurrection for all those who die in their earthly bodies and that resurrection will take place. Undoubtedly, at the end of the millennium, and in that way everyone for all of eternity will have eternal bodies okay number three for those who are alive at the end of the millennium, how will they survive the destruction of the heaven and earth by fire. Will Frank bill survived at the same way we will be. Namely, we will have eternal bodies. We will not be on the earth when it is judged by God when it is re-created when the fireworks seems to consume what I say seems because second Peter chapter 3 does indeed indicate that that's the way in which God is going to do it and we will be somewhere else because all that I can say is that even though the earth is going to be restored and re-created human beings live eternally. So we will not be a part of that destruction.

Thank you Frank for your questions. Thank you, Dr. looks for your answers. If you'd like to hear one of your questions answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor lutes or or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us at running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 commandment to not take the name of God in vain goes to the core of his nature and the heart of respecting him as creator to many of us casually dishonor God's name and as will see breaking this commandment is very serious. Next time I'm running to win more lessons we can take home from another of the 10 Commandments lessons on how important God's name really is running to win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your race of life.

Thanks for listening.

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