Posting Guards ... Seasoning Words

722 is an interesting passage where Jesus Christ is telling the religious leaders. One day you will come to me and you will save more more.

Haven't we done all of these things I will be cast out demons, haven't we prophesied in your name. I haven't we performed miracles in your name and Jesus Christ. The judge will say I never knew you depart from is an indication men and women that there are people today who use the name of Jesus Christ, who cloak their ministries in the name of God who have no part of God. God's name is supposed to be magnified supposed to treat it with reference respect and give it high honor in our worship you and I both know that that's not always the case. Sometimes people miss use God's name and take his name in vain.

Working a look at this issue today. This is wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi were in one of our older vintage wisdom series called down from Sinai. Stephen was teaching through the 10 Commandments today we come to a commandment that prohibits us from taking the Lord's name in vain. This message is called posting guards seasoning's God is already addressing the way that we talk. And rightly so.

If you have been studying with us, you know that the first command had to do with the fact that God is preeminent and of God is preeminent in the second thing that would follow is that we worship him alone and those of the first two commandments.

And if he is prominent if he is preeminent in our lives. And if he is the only God we worship in the third command makes perfect logical sense and that is we will address him correctly. We will use the words that would honor him if he is, in fact, preeminent and prominent. If he is the God I worship then that will affect our speech that will affect the way that we talk. Why is this so high on his list why his name be so important in Scripture.

I think it's because whenever you address the name God or Jesus or Christ, whatever it may be when you address that name you bring the thought even though it's for a split second. All of the character in all of the quality behind the name is what the name represents go to other countries and finding Jesu is a very common name Jesus. However, in the context of the believer. In fact, the world will stand accountable to how they use that name because of all this behind his name. When we refer to him as Jesus or Christ or Lord Hebrew, times, names were very important, as you well know, they would name their children usually after a quality or a character characteristic that they would hope that their child would grow up to be like, they don't name them like so many do today where you look for that little jingle or something goes well with your last name or initials a look at all luggage or something like that your you're looking for a name that has something in it has deep residence and a quality of character that would hopefully be something that I will live up to fact I was reading the Puritans used to follow along the same thing and it would name their children usually names you've probably familiar with that they would name their daughters names like a charity which is very common in a very beautiful night charity and kindness and hope and faith, and I even read were one Puritans had named his daughter. Silence. I thought maybe have a rude awakening about 2 AM in the morning. She delivered to that, but all of these names are something that they hoped they would live up to well in Hebrew thought and this is where were going back to names were incredibly significant and and God's names are just as and more so, again, and when you use his name.

Be careful that you don't use it in vain is the third command prohibits does it really matter to God how he uses night on the book of Leviticus chapter 24, verse 11, there's the story of two men who are in at this point and do one of the guys. Evidently the one is losing. He blasphemes and he curses all it says it is and give us the expletives and just as he blasphemes and he curses and so there was a serious back then and they took command of the elders and I said what are we gonna do this man cursed.

He took God's name in vain, and God's answer was stone him now.

Fortunately, that course in this dispensation of grace is not the immediate practice. However, Ephesians chapter 5 gives these words exactly what Turner Ephesians chapter 5. You'll find that this command just as just as much serious important today as it did then. Although there is not immediate death notice what he says in chapter 5, verse four he says, and there must be no filthiness and silly talk or course suggesting which are not fitting but rather giving of thanks for this known with certainty that no immoral or impure person in the context with the talking about someone with that kind of mouth. He says that this person who is an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. An individual who lives in the name of God is constantly used in vain as well learn later in our study as a person was indicating that God is not prominent that God is not worshiped, and therefore his name is used in vain, indicating he is not God's will is very serious then and it is serious now effectively using name of God. We need to be prepared.

Worship. I think there are three ways today that people use God's name in vain. The first one is commonly thought of when we think of using God's name in vain and that is profanity. And I've written beside that using his name in the wrong context that there are three types or classes of people who take God's name in vain. By the way of profanity when you give them to you. The first I think is the uninformed.

This is the individual who is oblivious to what God is revealed about his name.

Perhaps a young person who has yet to understand the gravity of what they may be repeating reside of that is because I can still vividly remember in elementary school experience of my own life. When I got I think I was in third grade and I overheard some older boys saying some words and I remember as I heard them and then watch them. I thought you the way they acted without was kinda tough. That was up that must be big guy talk and I can remember having a crush on a girl. The only one I ever had except my wife. Obviously, and I thought this would be impressive if I talked to her that way.

And I remember talking to her using the words that I've heard these guys say she was not so uninformed.

If I by the time she finished turning me and you think the National Guard and Bengal and I was in very serious trouble.

My only defense was. I didn't know I didn't know what it meant I did. From then on, I could never use that excuse again that only work once, but you see that's the case I think with people who are uninformed, perhaps younger people who don't know that God's name is sacred it is to be sanctified.

I really think that this is the smallest of all three classifications were to talk about is a thing of the heart of everybody. The reason they go after God's name. The reason neglect or Jesus or Christ is because written in their heart is rebellion and are seeking the highest form that they can, in effect, shake their fists, but if you are uninformed after the sermon, you will not be so you can use that excuse. Number two would be the uncontrolled the uncontrolled individual. I think that moment of fury or pain or disappointment when you smash your finger out with the hammer when you are cut off in traffic when you are cut out a promotion by someone else. And those words come out of your mouth. You are uncontrolled were not just talking about unbelievers. We're talking about the believer who is not controlled and it reveals himself in those kinds of situations. I think that's what David had in mind is all 143 when he said all God put a guard at my mouth, watch over my lips. He's literally saying a sentinel at the door of my lips. This means a lot to me because we used to play Little League growing up on the base there in Norfolk, which was the Navy town you have to drive your car past that little gatehouse where that military man stood, and he would watch all of the cars coming through it if you didn't have a bumper sticker indicating you were part of the military, you would be stopped and he leaned down and he'd ask what were doing in which they were to play baseball in a safe mantra and on the other side was a guard who would carefully watch everyone who would come out and if you were part of the military without a pass or he would let you out first thing that David is in effect saying post a sentinel.

Don't let anything past it in and around it that is not pleasing to you. Watch it carefully, because there may be something let go of it. That hurts the credibility or the security of this base and my character, so he says posting. I don't want to be in control effectively your song.

David will talk about setting a watch over his lips and it's interesting the context there, his son Absalom is in rebellion.

It is one of the most difficult times in David's life and it's at that time the David says God are my mouth because I don't want to slip. I want to say anything even in this terrible situation that would bring dishonor your name so there are the uncontrolled, you know, I believe, since we all could fit into that category.

I'm convinced the one statement that I read.

If we are in the habit of using God's name the right way. We will be less likely to use it the wrong way. It is developing the habit of referring to God and Jesus and Christ in the right context and that will protect us as we mature in Christ never uses name that's the last thing that would come out about during uncontrollable moments.

Brent then there is the third and that is the unsafe and I think that's the person uses God's name to kinda boast of the is independence J. Vernon McGee hello commentator is now in heaven said that he believed that if you tape-record everybody's conversation for a week in the playback you have enough evidence to determine whether or not they were a believer I think that the biblical thought, because in Colossians it says that one of the marks of a believer that sets him apart is his vocabulary. He says I want you to season your conversation with all someone it's calculated that there are 30 conversations a day.

You get involved 30,000 words every year you and I write 100 books, 200 pages long.

Each which means that you and I are authors.

We are rapidly filling up a library of our words and when we come into contact with Jesus Christ. We change perspective in the thing that sets us apart from the unbeliever is the way that we use words and especially how we use his name. I cringe it at someone who says they know Jesus Christ. And then I hear them using God's name in vain. In fact, to me that is already a flag why because Paul says this distinguishes us from the unbeliever is interesting. If you study the life of Peter. You remember when he was by the campfire warming his hands. He was about to deny Jesus Christ and you remember that servant girl recognized him and said a you are part of them are Galilean and he said no I'm not and and later someone else pressed him and then another pressed him, and finally, what did he do.

He cursed the soirée called down curses and isn't it interesting that no one else ever accused him of being part of the band and follow Jesus Christ.

That did it street talk to took care of any further accusations, he was off the hook. Is that an incredible implication is the way that we talked and tells the world that we are following Jesus Christ is one of the highest indicators of whether or not were part of his band so the uninformed, the uncontrolled and the unsaved that I believe is the classification of people who profane his name and that usually is what we think if we think of taking God's name in vain. But there are two others that I think A little closer to the church of Jesus Christ. The second is hypocrisy that is using his name for the wrong reason. Hypocrisy Mark chapter 12 verse 40 talks about the Pharisee and the scribe who for appearance quote for appearances sake offer long prayer. In other words, they are invoking the name of God to impress someone. How often do we do something, give fast or pray those are three things that are supposedly done in secret, as it work and there is something about her that we must let people know that were doing when we do we literally take his name in vain.

We use it for the wrong reason. It is the start.

It is to be impressive. So they would pray long prayers for appearances sake. I wonder how many come to church for appearances sake, that is hypocrisy that using his name for the wrong reason, which I believe is taking his name in vain. Matthew chapter 7 verse 22 is an interesting passage where it's in effect, the judgment, and in Jesus Christ, is telling the religious leaders. One day he will come to me and you'll save more more avidly done all of these things heavily cast out demons avidly prophesied in your name. I have it. We perform miracles in your name and your name and Jesus Christ. The judge will say I never knew you depart from me as an indication men and women that there are people today who you use the name of Jesus Christ, who cloak their ministries in the name of God who have no part of God hypocrisy that is was .4 God when they say I really never knew you even though you use my name.

I think we need to be careful how we use God's name is believers.

Be careful men and women that you and I don't uses name at the drop of a hat. Just to defend our position. Be careful when you say I prayed about that. Be careful when you say God led me to do that, God told me to do this. Be very careful because you are invoking the name of God as defense can remember that thought his ways are not my ways. His thoughts are not my thoughts be careful to bring into alignment with your ways character and quality of God on never forget riding the bus to school and college I went to liberty for year. This is before they had a campus and we were would write an old school bus to a public school and we were sitting on the bus I was sitting beside the scale and that she is just gotten engaged and at that point in time I was full of questions and I I got remember talking to her about it she said yeah were I'm just so excited that God let Dustin to do this and I said why do you really know that inner this is the time and and this is the guy and that she said well you'll never going that night the boy she's going to see it written in the sky or something and I'm taken note. She said my my fiancé and I were at the mall and we went into a jewelry store in the ring that I liked for Karzai who would question that must be God's will for you in Ohio with its first 4050 years you know the real careful when we talk about God as if we know God wants us to do something and not that we cannot know or be certain in our hearts, but there are a lot of people who are using his name to defend their causes when their motives are wrong.

The third final is insincerity.

This is using his name with the wrong attitude. There are three ways.

First of all, using his name without reference, I think this is that the expressions you understand the context of what I'm saying here. It is the person who says things like God Almighty or O Lord, O God, God is using his name without a tone of reverence. It is pulling his name into something without arriving until attitude asthere is name is reserve. He said, in effect, set apart my name before the nations. That is, make it special. When you use it. Make sure it's a special time or to reverential. It is in a slang word is somebody's name. The Hebrews were so careful of his name that they only spoken once a year and it was not everyone who spoke and it was the high priest on the day of atonement that would that would verbalize the name Yahweh once a year now. We bask in the light of grace, that we can come and say his name freely. I wouldn't want to go back to just sailing once a year, but must not become so trivial and trite with his name that we use it for everything. Whether the cars stopped the dinners burned or whatever is not of God's name is not I think it's interesting as well that we we use Jesus's name. All too freely. One thought that has struck me reading in preaching to the gospel of Mark. And then of course Paul's epistles and I want you to notice carefully. We can debate this and that this is just a safer thought.

It is a rare thing for someone after the resurrection of Jesus Christ to use just the name Jesus pick that up. You read the epistles and it is always the Lord Jesus is always Jesus Christ the Lord Jesus Christ. I think there is a subtle implication there that these men knew now he is resurrected. Let's attach to his human name his deity. Be very careful it is. And hey, Jesus is Jesus Christ is the Lord Jesus the Lord Jesus Christ. There is another way that we can use his name and sincerely that is using his name without reason.

Using his name without reason I think of already illustrated that way when the supper is burned or whatever. You pull his name into a context where it has no business being there is just no reason to use his name like that. Develop a habit affect husband's wife that I nudge each other and check each other out when you say that around the house. If you do say something else that your wife's name. Oh, Cindy, or whatever. I will go for don't say his name. That'll straighten you guys out in the third. I think this is so fairly important. Using his name with repetition. It's interesting in the pagan context whenever they wanted to get the attention of their God. They would repeat his name over and over and over. You remember when when the prophets of bail were on the mountain, they repeatedly called out his name. Remember when the Ephesians of repeatedly called out great is Artemis or Diana great is Artemis or Diana. They constantly said that trying to invoke her attention. Trying to get Bales attention.

We don't go to somebody to get their attention and say hey Jo Jo Jo Jo Jo hey Frank Frank Frank Frank not be selling.

Be careful there is anything pietistic about his name is no magic formula and I think it is used irreverently if it's used as some kind of formula I repeated over and over again. Maybe I'll get his attention. His death, he heard you the first time. I think that's a very irreverent use of his name. Using with a reference without reason with repetition only give you three things about his name and never change the way the application number one reverencing his name is our highest purpose Psalm chapter 34 verse three Davis is open magnify the Lord with me. Let us exalt his name together. Fact one of the corporate pursuits of colonial Baptist Church is that we can magnify his name together, let us exalt his name together.

Let's set this name apart. Let's give it a special place. Let's use it in a special way of worship. One of our pursuits as a body of believers.

Secondly, representing his name is our honored position may redo this passage in Corinthians 520 from the amplified says this so we are Christ's ambassadors, that is, we represent his name, God making his appeal as it were, through us. We, as Christ's personal representatives you for his sake to lay hold of the divine favor now offered you would be reconciled to God. And it is worsening that we go in the name of Jesus Christ as his honored ambassadors third, revealing his name is our heavy pursuit. The third command in Exodus chapter 20 verse seven where he says do not take my name in vain is much more than prohibition is much more than say don't do something he is going far beyond that I believe in saying set it apart, reverencing reveal it represented give it give us something other than a commonplace position given a special place with only reverence it represented.

We try to reveal it.

Matthew chapter 28 the great commission says go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name the name of the father son and Holy Spirit that was Stephen Davey as he continues through his vintage system series down from Sinai Stephen, when you first preach that you were fresh out of seminary voice sounds like it is sure does well, that was a lot of 30 years ago or so, and God is continued to bless his word over these many years. You know Scott, this is an important time.

Actually when you mention seminary maybe think of the fact that were registering now for fall classes at shepherd's theological seminary.

That's right, Shepherd seminary is a fully accredited graduate school training, men and women for a lifetime of Christian service registrations are now taking place in earnest. God is choosing to bless Shepherd seminary with tremendous growth and that you know if your listening right now you've wondered, could I take an online course right from my home to accredited yes you can.

Could I earn a degree online absolutely may be elected to move here to carry the Raleigh Cary area in North Carolina and if you're a wisdom listener. We actually have a something that you worked on Skype and in recent days, yes we do. We have a discount code that you can use to receive a free application to shepherd's theological seminary when you go online to fill out your application if you use the discount code wisdom your application fee will be waived. Stephen, in addition to moving here to carry. There's also other locations where you have campuses right with teaching sites, one in Tampa Florida one in Laramie, Wyoming and one in Bryan Texas and then of course we have students write from their home who take courses online through assuming that these are live interactive courses. Every class I teach by the way I teach creative Bible teaching.

I teach pastoral theology I can.

I can see that student on my laptop and he can see our class get waivers handed me and I can I can answer his question, I could turn them off if I want to buy the way.teasing II would like to its is live interaction with our students, which makes a tremendous difference. You're not watching the DVD friend you're not watching something that was recorded three years ago. This is live zoom and and all you need is a computer that has a little camera built in your live right in the classroom with me.

It might be that you just want to take a class or two or a Stephen said you might want to pursue a degree.

But if you want to go deeper in your study and knowledge of God's word. We really encourage you to think about shepherd's theological seminary.

If you go to our website you'll find a set wisdom online.org scroll to the very bottom of that page and you're going to see a link to shepherd's theological seminary.

So again, just go to wisdom online.org scroll all the way to the bottom of that page. Click on the link and you can learn more about the school and don't forget that discount code if you decide to apply. Use the word wisdom in your application fee is going to be waived. Scott, I find it interesting by the way that 10 to 15% of our student body at Shepherd seminary comes from listeners to wisdom. And that's exciting affect our youth pastor right now the church were on pastoring the shepherd's church.

He came as a result of of radio. In fact, his mother began listening to me and told him about it and he checked it out and said you know that's how I want to preach. I want to be expounding the word of God. Verse by verse and he's been to our seminaries. A graduate and now is on our staff, so it's exciting to know that God is using radio to introduce people to deeper study through a graduate program that prepares them for a life of ministry.

So if you or someone you know is interested in a graduate level education and Bible theology counseling program. There is a Dr. of Ministry program and again you can do this in pursuit of a degree or just take a class or visit wisdom online.org were so glad you joined us today were going to go back to the vintage version Stephen out here to voice the as we continue through this series. Next time come back and join us for that right here on wisdom