Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Well, hello, village church East is so good to see you this morning. Uh, again, a lot of folks are texting online. We're excited.
Speaker 1 00:00:07 What about the fact we're back next Sunday. Hopefully you can be here to sign up and be a part of, uh, of our in-house service, uh, that we will be restarting next Sunday. Uh,
Speaker 0 00:00:20 I want to give you just an illustration as we begin this morning, because it's so personal
Speaker 1 00:00:25 To me, a lot of my meetings I held, I hold at Starbucks. I don't know what your view is of Starbucks. And we can talk about that
Speaker 0 00:00:33 Later if you want to. But anyway, that's I even call it my office sometimes because I'm there
Speaker 1 00:00:37 So much, let's say that you
Speaker 0 00:00:39 Decide that you want to have a meeting with me and you don't know me that well, you just know Craig from Carol stream and you have some ideas that you would like to share with me about how we can do more personal ministry, more community ministry in Carol stream. So you go to this Starbucks,
Speaker 1 00:00:54 We have, we have arranged. You've never seen me.
Speaker 0 00:00:57 You never met me. And you go there hoping that you will be able to identify
Speaker 1 00:01:00 Who I am. You know my name. So
Speaker 0 00:01:02 You come into the Starbucks and you see
Speaker 1 00:01:05 Three guys sitting there, three different tables. You go to the first table and you say, excuse me, is, is your name Craig? And I says, well, yes, it is. My name is Craig. And,
Speaker 0 00:01:15 And you say, Oh good. I was, I was hoping it was the right Craig. And you launch into your diatribe about how we should do more ministry to our neighbors in Carol stream. You have a lot of good ideas on how you want to do that. And then the guy just says, Hey, hang on a second. Hey, I think you got the wrong guy. I I'm the, I'm not the Craig. You're looking for I'm.
Speaker 1 00:01:32 I'm a financial advisor
Speaker 0 00:01:35 From downtown Chicago. You've got the wrong Craig. You feel very embarrassed about it. I'm so sorry. Your name was Craig. I thought, I thought you were the guy who was looking for I'm so sorry. You pull your chair back and you go to the next day
Speaker 1 00:01:46 Table where you see another guy sitting and you sit there. You, you, you, you lean over and you say, excuse me, is, is your name Craig? And they says, well, yes it is. And you think of yourself. What are the odds of having two Craigs in the same restaurant at the same time?
Speaker 0 00:02:01 Oh, this has to be the right person. So you pull up a chair and say, Oh, you wouldn't believe what just happened. I just sat down with this other guy, the guy, his name was Craig. I talked to him all about everything. We're going to be talking about, about a region into Carol stream. More, some ideas about being more of a community impact. And, and you launch into your diatribe, the guy, he goes, Whoa, hang on.
Speaker 1 00:02:18 I think you've got the wrong guy. I
Speaker 0 00:02:21 Sell cars in downtown Elgin. I'm not, I'm not the Craig you're looking for. And you're thinking to yourself, this is crazy. What is going on? That two Craig's in the same restaurant and totally embarrassed. You pull your chair away from the table and you go to the only other guy in the restaurant
Speaker 1 00:02:34 You're thinking of herself. What are the odds? This guy's name is going to be Craig too. So
Speaker 0 00:02:39 Come up and you're thinking yourself while it's my day to play the lottery. So let's give it a shot. So you say, okay, it's okay.
Speaker 1 00:02:44 Your name Craig. And I say, yes, my name is Craig. You go, okay, hang on a second. Are you the Craig that has, uh, the church in Carol stream? Are you the Craig that has one more
Speaker 0 00:02:55 Wife and four daughters that I read about online? Are you the Craig that has given your life to
Speaker 1 00:03:00 Working and serving the church, working for the church and serving the church? Or are you the Craig that has a passion for reaching Carol stream with the gospel of Jesus Christ? And I say, you, yeah, you, you have, cause I don't always go off. You have the right guy. That's right. And you pull up a chair and you sit down and say, Oh, finally I have found the right Craig, that illustration is how many of us think to ourselves? You probably think of yourself. You're in the Twilight zone. But that illustration is powerful because it represents how a lot of us talk to and about God, the difference was we're all named Craig, but only one of us was the Craig. You were looking for only one of us was able to be interacted with according to what you wanted to happen. The dialogue you desired to have this matters because you need it to find the right guy named Craig.
Speaker 1 00:04:03 You didn't need to find just some guy named Craig. You needed to find the right guy so that you could have the right conversation. Names matter names matter because they identify a person with a character or attributes and actions you needed. The Craig who has given his life to serving the community of Carol stream. You needed to Craig. That is a pastor. You need, you needed the right Craig and our names. Although they're unique. Our names only go so far. Our names matter when they're attached to our actions, our character and our attributes. Now let's look at how God gives the 10 commandments. This is our series that we're in right now. And before he begins anything in the 10 commandments, the very first verse as the children of Israel had been rescued from Egypt and they've made their way to Sinai. They're standing at the foot of Sinai.
Speaker 1 00:05:03 God says to Moses, here is what I want you to tell the people start with this. I am the Lord, your way, your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. I am that God. Now you have been used to a bunch of different gods. You've come out of Egypt where you can pick a God galore, throw your money into a gumball machine. And they come out all different colors and shapes and sizes. I am the God who rescued you from Egypt. I am the God who heard your cries in Egypt. I am a God who made all things and rescued you as my people. I am the Lord. He identifies himself by what he has done for his people. You say that one more time. God identifies himself by what he has done for his people. This is the God of Israel. This is the God
Speaker 0 00:06:02 The Bible. And this is the God of the world today. And this is the only God responsible for their
Speaker 1 00:06:07 Rescue. And it's the only
Speaker 0 00:06:10 God we refer to today. When we talked,
Speaker 1 00:06:12 Talk about the God of scripture and his name is Yahweh. The third commandment is about finding the right God. The third commandment
Speaker 0 00:06:24 Is making sure we are talking to
Speaker 1 00:06:26 The right God. A lot of other gods take credit for stuff. A lot of other gods claim to do this and claim to do that. If you
Speaker 0 00:06:38 Looked at the God Poseidon, you would say he is the God
Speaker 1 00:06:40 Of the, what is the God of the sea. Or if you would look at Hercules, he's the God of strength. Or if you looked at, uh, all these different gods, you would say, these are the gods who represent blank. God is a God who represents all that. There is when we talk about,
Speaker 0 00:06:58 Oh God, we are uniquely talking about a unique God
Speaker 1 00:07:01 Of scripture who claims
Speaker 0 00:07:04 To be who he is based on his act,
Speaker 1 00:07:06 His character and his attributes. Only one, God is the God of the Bible. Many other gods may claim to be gods, but there's only one God in scripture, there's only one
Speaker 0 00:07:19 God credited with the creation of the world and the redemption of sins.
Speaker 1 00:07:22 Well souls only one God walked on the water
Speaker 0 00:07:25 Or only one God died and Rose again from the, from the grave and left behind an empty tomb.
Speaker 1 00:07:30 Only one God may be called the God. Now you may choose to serve all other gods, but there's only one God that we are referring to. When we talk
Speaker 0 00:07:41 About the God who introduced himself to Moses and now to his people,
Speaker 1 00:07:46 As a family at Sinai. And that's why the third commandment reads like this, 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. Now,
Speaker 0 00:08:06 Typically we would look at this verse and we'd say, what that means is dumped.
Speaker 1 00:08:11 Don't don't say bad stuff. Don't say four letter words. That's what that, that commandment means. It actually does not mean that it, it means so much more than that. The first commandment is about God's unique character, his character
Speaker 0 00:08:25 Wholly. The second is about his unique image. His image is Holy, no image.
Speaker 1 00:08:31 And his third about his name. God's name is Holy. It is unique. It does not attach itself to any other lowercase. God's don't give credit for what our God has done to any other thing, Isaiah 42 eight says this. I am the Lord that when you see LOR D that's Yahweh, that's the name of God. I am Yahweh. I am the Lord. That is my name. I will not give my glory to any other or praise to idols. Don't be given glory to buy all. Don't be given glory to Asher. Don't be given glory to dag on all these different gods of the nations around Israel. God is saying, I am God that I am Yahweh. That is my name.
Speaker 1 00:09:23 Be careful what you attach my name to now, we attach God's name to a whole lot of stuff. God attaches his name to some spectacular things like the creation of the world and miracles. And all you read about in scripture, God attaches his name to every blessing that comes. Every blessing that comes our way is from the God of lights, our God in scripture. But we attach God's name to a whole bunch of different things. Here's some ways we misuse God's name by attaching them to things. We use them in useless ways, meaningless ways, false ways, or even crass ways. Sometimes we use God's name in the manipulative form using God's name as a wish upon somebody else to manipulate God, to do something for us that he would not do. This is when we use God's name to damn something. That's why we do not use that term.
Speaker 1 00:10:25 What you're doing is you're calling on the name of God to do something that God would not do. That's why that term can not be used. It is used in, you are using God's name in a manipulative form. Reality is God's name is not to be used in a false way so that we can gain strength over somebody else. And that's what we do. When we use his name to curse something we're calling upon God's power to do something we want to do. It's simply manipulative. We also use God's name and meaningless ways. Listen, this is so we can get an edge. When we talk. We do this a lot in prayer, to be honest with you, how many times do I pray? And I finished my prayer in Jesus' name. Amen. And I forget what I even prayed about. I dunno, maybe that's just me or maybe, maybe not.
Speaker 1 00:11:14 Maybe that's you too, but we have a tendency to pray in the name of Jesus to pray in the name of God, claiming that our deepest desires are what we're praying for, praying in his name, but not realizing that what we're doing is using his name in a meaningless way. Claiming that our deepest desires is our desires and maybe not God's listen, Jesus wouldn't even use God's name in this way. When Jesus prayed, he said he begged God to get him out of the crush. You remember that in the garden, if you would remove this cup from me, nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done. Don't use God's name in a meaningless way. It's not an incantation. We, we, to be careful that we don't use it. Meaninglessly like when somebody sneezes and we say, God bless you. I want to do we really mean, God bless you. It's amazing
Speaker 0 00:12:05 How much we in our culture throw around the name of God. And we don't put it where it deserves to be. A lot of times we use God's name as a magical
Speaker 1 00:12:14 Formula. The more we use it, the more we'll get what we want. We also use it in useless names, maybe to describe an emotion that I'm feeling. I hit my finger with a hammer and I use the name of the Lord. We use it in meaningless ways to express disgust or anger or fear. This is using God's name and attaching it to an emotion. So I can selfishly use that emotion and underline the emotion with the name of God. It's useless way to use God's name. We also use it in a selfish way. Using God's name makes me sound stronger. Did you know that we have a tendency to magnify our power by using the name of God by God, I'm going to swim across the English channel. Okay. You're going to swim across English channel. Chances are Craig. You're not going to make it by God. I'm going to do it. We have a tendency to attach his name to our desires, to give it more oomph in a selfish way. James five
Speaker 0 00:13:18 Well says, but above all brothers do not swear either by heaven or by earth or by anything.
Speaker 1 00:13:22 I think, uh, any other oath, let your yes. Be yes. And your no be no. So that you may not fall under condemnation
Speaker 0 00:13:30 Or people that should be known by their word. They don't need to drag God's name into it.
Speaker 1 00:13:34 They're promising to do. We should be people that keep our vows. If you promise to do something you should follow through, because that's what God would do in your main, in the image of God. And you're trying to be Christ to those people around you, but don't attach God's name to something you may not be able to do. Well, Craig,
Speaker 0 00:13:53 About using God's name and an oath is that wrong. Like we just had a president inaugurated
Speaker 1 00:13:56 This past week. He put his hand on the Bible and he promised, uphold the constitution. And then he swore an oath and the oath when something like, so help me, God. Now, if you listen to that, that actually is a good oath. Because what
Speaker 0 00:14:14 You're saying is I will do the best that I can
Speaker 1 00:14:18 With God's help now whether or not
Speaker 0 00:14:20 He meant it or any, any person means that when they put their hands on
Speaker 1 00:14:23 Bible that's between them and the Lord. But for us making an oath is not necessarily a bad thing. As long as we're making an oath based on what God's will is or what God's power is working through us. When
Speaker 0 00:14:39 We say that we are going to do it. So help me, God,
Speaker 1 00:14:43 We state our intent, but we give the credit to God. We can't do anything without God's help. When we say by God, I'm going to do it. We're using God's name in a selfish, meaningless vein way. This is using God's name to give my pride more punch. I can do it. And we're not meant to be using God's name in order to give our pride more punch. The last one is abusive. This is to presume upon God's will. When Moses went to Pharaoh, God said, tell Pharaoh to let my people go. And so when Pharaoh, when Moses went to Pharaoh has said, thus, sayeth the Lord. That's the King James version, Bubba Moses did was right. He said, this is what God said to do because God said to him to do that said for him to do that. When Moses went to Pharaoh, that was his, that was his right to do that.
Speaker 1 00:15:39 That was his commissioned by God. He had the, he had the ability and the right to speak in the name of God. We however do the same thing. But without God's permission today, we all have a tendency to say, God told me this. What you're saying is I want to do this. And I'm attaching God's name to it to make it sound better. You're using God's name in an abusive way. I've had people come up to me and say, you know, Craig, God's given me a word for you. That's the moment I shut down. Because when somebody tells you, God gave them a word, they're attaching God's name in a useless way to something. They want to give them more power.
Speaker 1 00:16:25 God told me I've heard this before. God told me to leave my spouse. Don't ever say that because that breaks God's will in scripture. God told me to leave this church. I've heard that too. Listen, if God's speaking to you in the middle of the night, please write it down. We'd love to add it to scripture. It would be a great little addition for our Bibles reality is that using God's name to initiate an abusive action in this way only, only is for the purpose of gaining power over them to abuse that relationship and get them to do what you want them to do. We break this commandment on a regular basis. Maybe you're thinking to yourself, well, Craig, that's, that's pretty strong. That's pretty, pretty stringent.
Speaker 1 00:17:15 God's name is like his image. It is like his character. It is Holy. And it is to be used in a Reverend way. The problem is we have so been impacted by our culture. We throw it around and we don't even think about how we're using it. And if I get anything out of you this morning, it's just maybe a moment to pause and reconsider how we use the name of God. Have you ever been in a situation where somebody has just thrown around the name of God in an abusive or vain way or selfish way? And it just makes you feel totally. Yeah. Uncomfortable. Does that ever happen to you? That's happened to me or using God's name in a cursing way or just using God's name and abuse in an abusive way, a vain way.
Speaker 1 00:18:09 Do you know why it makes you feel uncomfortable? Here's the difference? You know, God, they probably don't. So to them, it's just another word. They don't think about the third commandment at all. You don't even have to think about the third commandment. The situation is this. You love the God who has that name. Just like going into Starbucks and seeing three Craig's sit there. Three men, all named Craig and you come in, there's only one Craig that meets the criteria for what you're looking for. And once you found him, you are initiated into a reality. When you meet the God of scripture and you realize who he is and you realize who you are and he initiates a relationship with you. That name means the world. That's why when you get into a situation like that, you feel extremely uncomfortable because the one you love, his name is being misused used in vain.
Speaker 1 00:19:17 Here's the point church. We should carry God's name. Like we love them. We should carry God's name. Like we love him. God gave us his name so that we could use his name. When Moses said to God, he said, all right, I'll go Farrah and tell him to let your people go. But who am I supposed to say? Sent me what God am I talking to? And God said, here's my name? It's Yahweh. I am. That's my name. When you go to Pharaoh, you tell him the, I am told you, let my people go and we are to use God's name, but we are meant to use it in a way that he intended for us to use it. That's the trick. That's the point we can use God's name all we want for the reasons God gave us to use it in times of uncertainty.
Speaker 1 00:20:11 Here's some verses and there's more than just these, but here's a couple Psalm nine in verse 10, and those who know your name, that's us church. We put our trust in you for you all Lord have not forsaken. Those who seek you. We put our trust in the name of God. And so we can and cry out to him in times of uncertainty because we trust that name. And times of peril, Proverbs 18 says the name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it, and they are safe in times of need. Romans eight 15 for you did not receive a spirit that makes you a again to fear,
Speaker 0 00:20:48 But one, you have received the spirit of SunChips
Speaker 1 00:20:50 By him. We cry Abba father call out God's name. You have every right as a child of God to call on God's name in times of praise, we just did it several times. This morning already Psalm 148 says, let them praise him.
Speaker 0 00:21:07 Name of the Lord for his name alone is exalted. His majesty is above the heavens and the earth call out on the name. When we say there is no other name, but the name of Jesus, we are using that name in the way that it's in
Speaker 1 00:21:19 And to be used. We're meant to praise the name. We're read to, to see the name as a strong tower refuge. We are renter. Rhonda would in times of peril and in times of need, we are meant to use a name, just all that we
Speaker 0 00:21:30 Want to, but be careful how you carry the name of
Speaker 1 00:21:32 The one you love. God's name, reflects relationship, carry it. Like you love him. Few ways that he, this name means relationship
Speaker 0 00:21:44 To us. It talks about an intimate
Speaker 1 00:21:46 Relationship. Have you ever noticed how the knowing somebody, his
Speaker 0 00:21:50 Name is like how the initiation is begun, how they initiate the relationship is initiated. Like you'll walk into a room and you'll go, hi, I'm Craig.
Speaker 1 00:21:58 It's like you sh you share your name as an initiation of the relationship. Hi. Hi, I'm George. What's your name? We walk into the relationship by giving our name to the other person and God gives his name to us because he wants to have a relationship with us. He doesn't keep it from us. He's not transcended so that we may not know him. He gives us his name. He calls us the people of his name. God's
Speaker 0 00:22:29 Name has given to us so that we can find a relationship
Speaker 1 00:22:31 With us. That's an intimate
Speaker 0 00:22:34 Relationship that we may not
Speaker 1 00:22:36 Have known before we know him. I don't, when I was growing up, I knew several girls named Beth. You probably have similar experiences, but all these girls
Speaker 0 00:22:50 And Beth, as I was growing up, they were friends or acquaintances, or I, I met them at school. There's a bunch of people,
Speaker 1 00:22:57 But then I met Beth. I met V Beth, the Beth that made a difference in my life. The Beth that I gave my life to the Beth that gave me four beautiful girls to the best that I have chosen to spend my life sharing experiences with. I met Vee Beth. And after I met the Beth, that name takes on a whole new meaning for me, all the other Beths there's still exist, but they're acquaintances. I'm talking about the Beth. And that name means more to me after
Speaker 0 00:23:35 So many years of marriage, 28 years of marriage than it did. Even at the beginning,
Speaker 1 00:23:42 I'll say to you, well, I'll have to check with Beth before I make that appointment with you. Or the worst thing is if I know Beth is disappointed with me, you see the name carries an intimate relationship. The name means so much to us because we love this one person. This name carries a weight in my life. When I say Beth is the love of my life. I don't mean any other Beth. You know the Beth, I'm talking about the Beth, my wife church, carry God's name. Like you love him.
Speaker 0 00:24:22 He wants us to have an intimate relationship. He also wants us to have a representative relationship. This relationship needs to be one that represents him in the right way,
Speaker 1 00:24:30 Way. I don't know about you, but I've been in situations where people have used my name in an improper way to kind of, to kind of get a little edge over a conversation. Have you ever had your name misused in some way by somebody else? Here's how it might go. Someone
Speaker 0 00:24:49 We'll try and represent you and use your name to underline something. So for me,
Speaker 1 00:24:53 It would be like, Hey, this
Speaker 0 00:24:54 Group gets together and I'm not with them. They say, Hey, can we install a swimming pool at fountain view? So we can have baptisteries
Speaker 1 00:25:00 In there. And everybody
Speaker 0 00:25:02 Around the table goes, that's the dumbest idea I've ever heard. We can't install a pool
Speaker 1 00:25:06 In the, in the room at fountain view. So again, a Baptist baptisteries we're not going to do that. And you feel like,
Speaker 0 00:25:11 Ah, wait a second. I'm losing this battle. Hang
Speaker 1 00:25:13 On. Craig said we could, we should install a baptistry. So you're using my name to put more oomph into what you want. It's a misrepresentation of our relationship. Jesus talks about
Speaker 0 00:25:32 People that use his name this way all the time. In fact,
Speaker 1 00:25:34 In the end, some people will stand before God and they will be accountable to how they used his name. Improperly in Matthew
Speaker 0 00:25:42 You're seven verse 22. On that day, Jesus says many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name,
Speaker 1 00:25:48 Name, and cast out demons in your name and do mighty works in your name. And then will I, Jesus says declare to them. I never knew you depart from me workers of lawlessness. We would never use God's name in a way that misrepresents who he is because we love the name. We love the God who is named Yahweh few weeks ago, a man prayed in Congress. First Congress of the new year. We mentioned this before
Speaker 0 00:26:33 Congressmen, and he started out the prayer by talking to the Lord,
Speaker 1 00:26:37 Even quoted scripture. And you're thinking to yourself, ah, finally, a politician that bows the knee to God. And as he went through the prayer, he finished with addressing Brahma, the God of the Hindus and any other gods, we pray. Amen. He's the same one that said a woman. You see, we look at that. And we, when we do stuff like that, we admit, we do not know the God of scripture. You may call him God, but he's not the God we love. He's not the God we serve. He's not the God you find in the Bible. God shares his place and his position and his name with no other gods using God's name in a way that mess represents him is to admit, you don't really know him at all.
Speaker 1 00:27:35 Number three, God wants us to carry his name in a way that reflects a knowledgeable relationship. When I was in church, growing up after church was over, I was a kid. I was a boy. And so what all boys do after church, you'll run like crazy through the church building to crawl under the pews. You dive off the pews. It's what you do. You're a boy. So my dad grabs me and pulls me to the side and says, what in the world are you doing? I go, dad, everybody's doing it. Every everybody's doing the same thing. And my dad says, yeah, they may, but no Jarvis's run in church. You there my name. So cut it out.
Speaker 1 00:28:19 See, in scripture, we're meant to know God in such a way that we would know what God would want and what he wouldn't want, what he loves and what he doesn't love, what he expects and what he doesn't expect. Like my relationship with my dad. I knew what, what he wanted. And after that, I'd better do it. No more running in church building. You are Jarvis and Jarvis is don't run in church. God's name has power, glory, holiness actions of love, all attached to it. When you use God's name in a way that does not elevate his glory and elevate his love and elevate his majesty, you are using God's name in a way that is not meant to be used. You are bringing his name down so they can be used in a manipulative abusive, some sort of different way than he intends for his name to be used.
Speaker 1 00:29:06 I love when David Cameron came against Goliath, do you remember that story? David comes against GoLive. Glycine is out there and he's, he's knocking people down and he's bragging about his God. He's bragging. He's a big fella and he's standing out there with his javelin and his and his shield. And all the soldiers of Israel are cowering in their tents, praying to God that he'd have a heart attack or something. Just get, get Goliath off the field. There's Sean, come on. Let me take me all. I'll take you all on your puny. Scrawny, little Jewish people caught out here and they're all scared to death.
Speaker 1 00:29:40 David shows up, he hears Goliath, boasting and bragging, bragging about his gods. Being greater bragging about his idols, being greater and mocking. The God of Israel. David says, I'm not going to have any of this. And he comes out, little guy comes out with his stones and his sling, and he stands out there. And he says, David said to the Philistine, you come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin. But I come to you church in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. David knew what that name meant. David knew what the power that was in that name. David knew what that name should mean to be at the end of the day. It meant no giants Mach the name of God. David knew God and David went out against the giant in the name of that.
Speaker 1 00:30:39 God, not only an intimate relationship, a representative relationship, a knowledgeable relationship, but it's also a valued relationship. We need to declare the value that we have in our relationship with God. When we use his name, it needs to be in a valuable way. The Jewish people is talking to took out an incredible responsibility. They wouldn't even say the name of Yahweh. If you look in, in the Torah it's L dash dash dash, they would not even use the name of the Lord because it was such a valuable name. And when they would come across it in their readings, they would just have a Holy hush because they didn't want to speak the name. So fearful of breaking this command, they were obsessed with the risk of degrading, the name you see, because when you really know God, when you really know God in an intimate way, in a representative way, in a knowledgeable way, you value that name.
Speaker 1 00:31:38 It means the world to you. John Calvin says we must regulate our minds and our tongue source never think or speak of God in his mysteries without reverence and great soberness and never in estimating his works to have any feelings toward him. But deep veneration, even when Jesus used the name of God, he used it with great care. Do you remember when Jesus taught his disciples to pray? Why did he start like he did? Do you remember the Lord's prayer? Our father who? Art in heaven give us this day. Our daily bread. Is that correct? Nope. Our father who? Art in heaven. Holy is your name or hallowed? Is your name? Why did he stop? Why did he park there? Why did he take a moment and talk about the vault? The value of the name is because God wants us to understand this is a Reverend name. It's a Holy name. And we are to use it that way. Even in our prayers, we live in a world today that does not have a relationship with God. So they do not value the name of God. The abuse of the name that we hear regularly only highlights this for us. So how should we handle it? What should we do when we hear the name of the Lord taken in vain?
Speaker 1 00:33:05 My advice is no judgment, no judgment. Why is that? Because they don't know the God, you know, they don't understand the God they're abusing. They don't understand the relationship they can have with this. God, they don't understand the lengths. This God has gone to, to show them his love. They don't understand to them. He's just another God, it's just another name. Jesus. It doesn't mean anything. Our job is not to change people, but to help them see what that name really means. The Holy spirit does a change. We don't. And so we can help them see what it really means. We can set and should set church. We can set and should set the example for them. Carry God's name. Like you love him.
Speaker 1 00:34:00 Carry God's name like you love. So what only have two for you today? Number one, remember when you use the name, you acknowledge all our great God has done. Whenever you use the name of God, you acknowledge everything his might has accomplished. Believers are meant to utilize the name on a regular basis. Call upon the name of the Lord and you will be saved. Your name is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and they are saved. Jesus said, ask anything in my name and I'll do it. We are meant to grab the name and to use it on a regular basis. Not to be afraid of it. Don't be paranoid about using this name, but after today, be careful when you do use it. There's nothing magical about the name. It's what the name represents. It's who the name represents.
Speaker 1 00:35:00 When I speak of God, I'm speaking of the God that created all things I see with just a word. When I'm speaking of God, I I'm. Speaking of the God who gave me all things to enjoy. When I'm speaking of God, I'm speaking of the God who can split the sea with his word. When I'm speaking of God, I'm I called? I'm speaking to the God who calms storms, kills giants, answers, prayers. When I'm speaking of God, I'm God. I'm speaking of the God who gave me a family who gave me my health, who with his breath holds me together. I'm speaking of the God who gave me my, my blessings, my children, my life, and my love for fly fishing. I'm speaking of that, God, when I speak of God, when I speak of God, I'm speaking of the God who gave me my own, his only son for my salvation. That's the God I'm talking about. I'm speaking of the God who promises me, turn it in heaven with him, regardless of what a moron I am.
Speaker 1 00:35:59 My life is to honor that name. That's the God I love. And that's the God who has given me the ability to love him. I know of a name, a beautiful name. That angels brought down to earth. They whispered it low one night, long ago to a maiden of lowly birth. That beautiful name, that beautiful name from sin has power to free us. That beautiful name, that wondrous name, that matchless name is Jesus. That's the God I speak. Number two, God attaches his valuable name to everything. That's his. This is good. All the works that God has done, he attaches his name to I am the God who brought you up out of slavery. I'm the God who rescued you from Pharaoh. I am the God who created all things with a word. God attaches his name to everything. He does all the works that he has done. He says, this is what I have done. And he signs his name for us to give credit for anything in our lives to any other thing is to abuse the name of God. We thank God, not our lucky stars. And the thing that has become more popular now is to say, the universe has blessed me or the universe has done this or the universe. Can you imagine how that hurts? The heart of the God who blesses us?
Speaker 1 00:37:37 God attaches his name. Not only to his works, but he attaches his name to his son. Jesus Christ. Jesus. Very name means Yahweh saves. Did you know that Jesus' name in Hebrew is Joshua? There's a lot of Joshua's today and Jesus. There's a lot of Jesus's through the, through the, uh, through the years. I think there's some Jesus's in my wife's school right now and they're named Jesus, but there's only one. Jesus who bears the name. There's only one. Jesus who claimed to have the same name as a God. We serve in John eight 58. Jesus said to them truly, truly I say to you before Abraham was, I am, do you know what he did there? He gave himself the name of Yahweh. God, I am. You want to know why? I know that because the next verse says they all picked up stones and were ready to kill him for abuse.
Speaker 1 00:38:28 For blast. For me, Jesus is saying, I am the God that you have been looking for them. The God that you have been worshiping the people in Jesus' day knew this because of the triumphal entry in Matthew 21, 19 nine says all the crowds that went before him and were all following him were shouting Hosanna to the son of David. Bless it. As he who comes, what does it say? Church in the name of the Lord, people knew what Jesus claimed. He came in the name of Yahweh and Jesus made claims to be the same as God. In fact, God, the father signs his name to Jesus' life. Three times in scripture, he says verbally so people can hear it audibly. He says, this is my beloved son in whom I am. Well-pleased not only that, but God, the father offers his plan of salvation.
Speaker 1 00:39:25 Only through Jesus Christ. First John five 11 says this. This is a testimony. God gave us eternal life. And this life is where church in his son, whoever has the son has life. Whoever does not have the son of God does not have life. You got to think Jesus' name is elevated to a pretty prominent place here. And in case you're thinking that's not high enough. Let me take you to one more verse in Philippians two, where God elevates Jesus' name to the very position of God, of God. We worship Philippians two. Therefore God has highly exalted Jesus and bestowed on him. The name that is above every name so that the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven on earth and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God. The father, you see Jesus' name is God.
Speaker 1 00:40:19 That's why we call God. The father, God, the son, God, the Holy spirit. We worshiped the God who created all things who is active in all things and who has shown himself to us as Emmanuel God with us in the person of Jesus Christ. So we Revere that name, the name of Jesus. We finished with one more thing. Church, God signs his name to you. God signs his name to his works. God signs his name to his son and God signs his name to us. That's pretty amazing. When you buy a house and you stop paying for that house, you will have visitors come to your house and demand your house back. And you'll say, wait a second. I don't want to get my house back. And they'll say, you have to give your house back and you'll say, prove it. And they'll say, is this your signature?
Speaker 1 00:41:26 And you'll say why. Yes it is. And they'll say, then you're in, you're in trouble. You're not following through on your commitment. You see when you sign your name to something, you're claiming that thing as your own, you're responsible for it. It holds value to you. God does the same thing for us. When we decide to follow Jesus Christ, he signs his name on our life. Did you know that God signs his name? And he says, this one is mine. I've signed my name. Craig belongs to me. He says, you'll be disliked because my name is on your life. You'll be hated by all in Matthew 10 verse 22. For my name's sake, you can pray in my
Speaker 0 00:42:14 Name because my name's on your life. My name's sign
Speaker 1 00:42:16 On your life. So pray in my name, John 14,
Speaker 0 00:42:20 14, we already said this verse. If you ask anything in my name, Jesus,
Speaker 1 00:42:24 I will do it. When we gather, we gather in his name tomorrow. Next week, when we get together for church on Sunday and this room is full again, thank God we will gather in the name of Jesus Christ. Matthew 1820 Jesus says where two or three are gathered in the name of the father. In my name, there I am among them. Jesus signs his name to our lives. When we gather, we gather in his name and if you're his, you are getting to heaven. Oh, sorry. I forgot the baptize. One. When we baptize, we baptize in his name. I'm sorry. I messed them up in the back. Go there for make of
Speaker 0 00:43:05 Disciples, baptizing them in the name of the father and the son and the Holy spirit. When we pray, when we baptize, when we gather in his name and if you're going to get to heaven, the only way you're going to do that is if his name is signed on your life, you're only going to get to heaven. If you
Speaker 1 00:43:18 Bear the name, act
Speaker 0 00:43:21 12, their salvation, and no one else for there is no other name under heaven. Given among men whereby
Speaker 1 00:43:26 We must be saved. It's pretty important. The name wouldn't you say, so carry God's name. Like you love him. I've gone golfing a couple of times in my life. Sometimes I'll get paired up with different people, colorful individuals once in a while,
Speaker 0 00:43:48 While I'll go as a twosome and we'll compare it with another twosome. This one particular time I was out golfing. We enjoyed the first three holes and the guys that we were playing with, I knew it was going to be a little weird because they came with the shirts, cut off their sleeves, you know? And they, they had, uh, they had, they had just come back from Monte carte money, uh, no, uh, new Orleans
Speaker 1 00:44:06 Beads around their necks. And uh, and then some, some, uh,
Speaker 0 00:44:11 Drinks in their cart. So I knew it was going to be a colorful morning. And by the time we got to the third hole, they were, they were well into the,
Speaker 1 00:44:19 They were swearing. They were cursing. They were laughing. It was, it was, it was comical. But by the time we got
Speaker 0 00:44:26 After the third hole, then they wanted to know a little bit about me and my partner. And you know what they said, one of the first things I said are so, so,
Speaker 1 00:44:32 Uh, what do you do for a living? And I said, well, I'm a pastor. And that pretty much shut down the rest of the day. They didn't say anything to us after they were on one side. And we were, I think they intentionally, if I, if I, uh, if I sliced, they would hook just to stay away from us on, on the golf course. It's interesting. Once people know that you bear the name, how the conversation changes deep down, everyone knows there's something special about the name of Jesus Christ church. Deep down, everyone knows there's something special about the name, the name of God.
Speaker 1 00:45:09 When they stubbed their thumb, they don't say, Oh, Buddha. They don't say, ah, Mohammad, they use God's name in vain. Why? Because deep down, everybody knows there is some power in that name. Everyone knows there's something special about the name. They don't need to be rebuked. They needed to be introduced to the real author of that name. The real person of that name, the real God who holds that name. It's like the world's in Starbucks and there's a million tables. And there's gods that everyone it's up to us to help them go to the right table and say, this is the one true God. This is why I love the main, this is what he has done. This is who he is. This is a person I love. And this is why you may abuse the name because it doesn't mean anything to you. But to me, the name means everything.
Speaker 1 00:46:16 How precious the name of Jesus Christ is in church. May that reverence start with us. Let's pray, father, God. I am grateful that you have introduced us to you. You have loved us first so that we could love you. You have initiated a relationship with us first. We never saw you, but you sought us. You stuck your hand out and introduce yourself as the God who loves us so much that you gave your son to die for us. So you could have a relationship with us. That is the God we serve. That is a God. We love. We live in a world that abuses the name because they don't know it. They don't understand the significance of the name, but we do father. And it tears us up. When we hear your name, misused, the father, may we start first in our own backyards. And we be careful in how we use the name using it, boldly running to it in times of need, seeing it as a strong tower and refuge claiming all of the blessings of Jesus Christ because of the name, knowing that you have your name written on our lives, and we can cry out to you whenever we want to, we can even call you ABA, father, our father, give us grace to know how to handle, how to live in a world that doesn't understand that value, that intimacy, that knowledge, that relationship, and help us to be able to lift up the name and introduce somebody to the real God.
Speaker 1 00:47:54 Maybe through it, you have been gracious to us and we ask that you would continue to be, as we seek to live the lives, like you have signed your name on them in Jesus name, come to communion. We finish every Sunday, uh, by doing communion. And the purpose we do that is because we want to make sure that the gospel is clear, plain, simple. One more time. We can just drive that nail home. If you're at home, we're not meeting at least this Sunday, not yet. So I'd encourage you to go grab some juice out of the fridge or whatever you got in the fridge. If you don't have any juice, just want whatever, just get some liquid and grab a Cracker or something out of, out of the pantry. And the reason we do this is because there's nothing magical in the item. There's nothing magical about what we give you versus what you have at home. There's nothing magical about it. What makes a difference is what it represents. And for us, it represents this God that we've been talking about. It represents this God who came to us in the form of Jesus Christ. It that represents to us God incarnate walking among us. It rep it represents to us the fact that the disciples literally talked to God and Mary raised, God blows me away. The thing of thoughts like that.
Speaker 1 00:49:25 But for us, we don't see Jesus in a physical form. And so when we take communion, the bread represents, the Cracker represents the body that Jesus came to us in only so that we could Pierce it only so we could make holes in it only. So we could see the blood flow from it. And the juice that we drink represents that blood, that flowed for us. Because without that blood, we have no forgiveness of sins. So we eat and we drink together as a church. You're at home, we're here in this place. We eat and we drink together because it is our reminder that without Jesus, without this one, God, we're all in a terrible place. This God came to us, lived among us, showed us a perfect life, died a perfect death. And three days later, he Rose from the dead. He Rose from the dead with a perfect glorified body. And he walked among us and he did miracles even after that, all for the purpose so that we could know him better. So we could know who he is so we could bear his name better.
Speaker 1 00:50:38 And so when you take communion today, my encouragement to you is spend some time and give God. Thanks for giving us such a visible picture of the invisible God in the person of Jesus Christ. The name that is above every name. I want to give you a few moments this morning, just about your head. If you've never understood the plan of salvation and you, this is all new to you and you don't understand even how you can, uh, have a relationship with Jesus Christ that would get you into heaven. I'd encourage you. Write me a text, jump online, just write something there. We will get ahold of you. Um, and we, I will have a conversation with you. We live to answer these questions and no question is silly or stupid. All questions are good. So if that's you, I'd encourage you to do that this morning for the rest of us, that know Jesus, those of you that are home, please join us this morning.
Speaker 1 00:51:36 As we take communion together, as a family, I'll do the same because pastors are the same sinner saved by grace by Jesus Christ. I'm going to give you a few moments this morning just to bow your heads, you at home. If you would just take a moment of silence with your, with your crew, or if you're by yourself, bow your head, spend some minutes with God this morning and just thank him for being who he is to you, this amazing God and maybe rededicate your life to using that name in an honorable and reverence way. Would you do that this morning?
