The Name of God Is on Us

You know, the Third Commandment. Do not take the Lord's name in vain. We've learned it in Sunday school, and we tend to trivialize that particular command. And we do not understand the depth of that command, and what it actually means for the salvation of mankind. And what that command means for the firstfruits, those who God have called out of this world, to walk a certain way, and behave a certain way, and speak a certain way. And when we hear the command in Exodus chapter 20 and verse 7, Exodus chapter 20 and verse 7 says, "...you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold guiltless anyone who takes his name in vain." And a lot of people read that, and they think, well, we shouldn't use euphemisms for God's name, and that's true. We shouldn't text, and we're texting messages, OMG, because that is taking God's name in vain, and it's true. And our understanding of the command ends there. Okay, got that one down. Checkmark by that command. I don't say the name of God in any kind of exclamation, and therefore I'm done with that command. And it means so much more than that to deep this command, and it has to do with salvation, the salvation of others. We'll get to that. The name vain, according to the Brown driver brig, the word essentially means, not to get too technical, it means false, empty, or worthless. False, empty, or worthless. Don't take the name of God and make it worthless. That's what that command is actually saying. Instead, by implication of this command in Exodus 20, we are supposed to honor God's name. Do the exact opposite of making his name worthless, or empty, we're supposed to make it full, and worth everything. Psalms chapter 33 and verse 8, New Living Translation. Psalm chapter 33 and verse 8, the NLT says, let the whole world fear the Lord. Now that word fear, interesting word, how pretty much there's no English word that it can be translated into correctly. Because it doesn't mean just be afraid, but it's similar to afraid. And it doesn't just mean respect or have awe for, because that just doesn't jive with the meaning of that particular word. When that word says fear the Lord, it means to be struck with absolute respect. Like if you were shocked by a taser, and it was instantaneous, you're awe-struck. That's what that word means. So there is no real English word, and we read the word fear, but it doesn't mean cower in fear. It means be absolutely struck in amazement of how awesome God is. Let the whole world be struck with amazement over the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of Him. Psalm 145. Psalm 145. Turn over just a few pages. We'll read verses 1 through 3. Also in the New Living Translation. Psalm 145 in verse 1. A psalm of praise of David. I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. Not only are we not to take God's name and make it worthless, we are actually to praise His name. Verse 2. I will praise you every day. How often are we to praise Him? Every day. I will praise you forever. Great is the Lord. He is most worthy of praise. No one can measure His greatness. Why do we praise God? No one can measure His greatness. And everything we have and are is because of Him. Remember Acts, chapter 17? Let's go there. Acts, chapter 17. New King James this time. Acts 17 in verse 28. Why do we praise God? We owe everything to Him. I know this is a review. Don't worry. We'll get to the point. Bear with me. Stay with me. Acts, chapter 17 in verse 28. For in Him we live and move and have our being. Also, as some of our poets have said, for we are also His offspring.

We are to honor God, not take His name in vain. Two opposites. The world takes its name in vain. Even when they do things in His name, they do their own things and they call it of God. Brethren, we are to honor God with our words. That's probably the most obvious way of breaking the third command. And I have noticed that many of us break that command in this congregation. We verbally take God's name in vain. I hear it all the time, and we need to quit doing that. This sermon, we're going to go way beyond that. That is scratching the surface of this command, but we don't even always get that right. That's the funny thing. So, you know, there are euphemisms and I don't want to say them. I could. It wouldn't be taking His name in vain, to give you the examples. But the one particular one that I would love to point out to you, because this congregation, not all of us, but some of us say all the time, is gosh. Right? That is definitely a euphemism for the name of God. And when you say, look it up, Google it, you have no idea how profane a saying you are saying when you say G-O-S-H. The G-O stands for God. The S-H stands for a very similar word, a very common word that begins with S and H. Yes, that is what you're saying when you say, gosh. Stop saying that. It's better to just say the word God and take your punishment from God than to go farther and add a cuss word at the end of it. Bet you didn't know that. I looked it up one time. I was doing a teen Bible study. You're kidding me! I thought that's what Gomer Pyle said. That's an innocent word. No, it's not. So, we're supposed to honor God with our lips, with our words, praise Him, not make His name empty. But there's so much more than that, brethren. This command has to do also with our actions, with everything that we do. Now, I read the Scripture not too long ago. I want to go back to it and read it as the basis of this sermon as well. Colossians chapter 3 and verse 17. Colossians 3 and verse 17. And whatever you do in word or deed, notice the next phrase, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, when we do something and we are a baptized member in the church, we have taken the name of God and Jesus Christ on ourselves. We are, we have the name of God on us. Consider Exodus chapter 20 again. Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. When you are baptized, when you're a part of this church, even if you're just visiting regularly, you are taking on the name of God. Everything that you say and do reflects His name, His reputation, His glory and honor.

Everything we do, we are not to honor God with our lips only, but we are to take His name and honor it with our actions. We're called to do good works for a very good reason, and it's not just personal. Our personal walk through salvation is important and would be enough, but that's not our calling. Our calling goes beyond that. And in Titus chapter 2 and verse 1, Paul is speaking to Titus, a young minister, and he gives him instruction on how people are to behave.

And in Titus chapter 2, we'll read verses 1 through 8. As for you, Titus, again, new living translation, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. Teach older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect and live wisely. Why are we doing this? Why do we exercise self-control and try to live wisely? The name of God! Because everything we do and say, the name of God, is being taken. Is it taken with honor, or is it taken and made worthless and empty? Teach older men to exercise self-control and to be worthy of respect and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and practice. Similarly, teach older women to live the way that what? honors God. Our actions reflect God, and God intends for us to honor Him with our very lives. They must not slander, he says. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. Not constantly consuming and getting, but giving to other people the truth, the way. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and pure, to work in their homes, to do good, to be submissive to their husbands, and then they will not bring shame on the Word of God. What we do reflects on God. His name is literally on us, and that third command has so much more weight. When we understand it's way more than making a slip of the tongue and using a euphemism that we've used all our lives, and it's just so difficult to get out of the habit of. We all have habits. Some people have that habit. You need to overcome it. But that's just scratching the surface of this command. The third command actually has to do with the salvation of mankind. That's why it's in the Big Ten. It's why it's there. It's actually not a Sabbath school, or when you were a kid, a Sunday school command. It's one of the Big Ten.

Verse 6, in the same way, encourage young men to live wisely. And you yourself must be an example to them in doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do, notice this, reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Now, he said that to a young minister, but it applies to all of us. Everything that we do should reflect the seriousness of the gospel. We are a living example of that gospel. Verse 8, teach the truth so that your teaching can't be criticized. And then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us. Let's skip down to verse 14.

Speaking of Jesus Christ, Paul says, he gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds, or in King James, to do good works. That's our job. That's our calling. Our calling is to take the name of God and honor it with everything we do and we say. God puts his name on his people. This isn't a new message. I realize that. If you've even read the Bible before, you've read this. Today is just a reminder sermon. Let's go all the way back to the first five books of the Bible. Let's go to the book of Numbers and see this was God's intent from the very beginning, that his people bear his name. God risks his own reputation on us. What a trusting God! He will guide us and he will help us. We just need to take this seriously. Numbers 6, starting in verse 23, speak to Aaron. So, Aaron Thompson, I hope you're listening. No, just kidding. Speak to Aaron and his son, saying, This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them, the Lord bless you and keep you. Interesting. Interesting that it starts this way. God's talking about putting his name on us, and the priest was to bless the congregation with this blessing. The Lord bless and keep you. God will guide us if he's risking his own reputation, his own name, on you and me. All we have to do is take it seriously, and he will help us to magnify, to glorify, to honor his name. The Lord bless and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. You know what? We might slip up with our tongue once in a while, and we need to quit doing that. But he is gracious. You haven't been struck with lightning yet. Neither have I. He's so kind.

The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. And we're about to go to the Feast of Tabernacles and celebrate that peace that will come on the whole world. Verse 27, So they shall put my name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them. God's name is on Israel, and we are spiritual Israel. And his reputation is sitting right square on your shoulders. Do not take it in vain. Do not make that worthless. That's what that command says.

You know what's interesting, brethren? The Feast of Tabernacles is where God puts his name also. When we go to the Feast, not only is his name on us, but it is there. Where we go, it's amazing.

Exodus chapter 34 introduces it. Exodus chapter 34, starting in verse 23. We read this all the time, but let's take it in the context of the Feast of Tabernacles. Exodus chapter 34, New King James, verse 23. Three times a year shall all your men appear before the Lord, the Lord God of Israel. For I will cast out the nations before you and enlarge your borders. Okay, so it's talking about a time of peace. And going to the Holy Days to remember that time of peace.

And that's what you and I are about to do. Neither will any man covet your land when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times a year. Notice that when we go before the Lord, we give an offering and rejoice, and his name abides there. So, let's go to Deuteronomy. Let's see which one I want to go to. Yeah, okay.

Start Deuteronomy chapter 12. We'll start in verse 10, then we'll move to verse 27. Deuteronomy chapter 12 and verse 10. But when you cross over the Jordan, and dwell in the land which the Lord your God has given you to inherit, he gives you rest from all of your enemies round about so that you dwell in safety. Tell you what, the Jews are not dwelling in safety right now. The whole world is not dwelling in safety right now, but we're going to the Feast of Tabernacles in a time that pictures when we will dwell in safety, when this Scripture will be fulfilled.

Then there will be a place where the Lord your God chooses to make his name abide. And there you will bring that I command you your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes. He's talking about going to the Feast of Tabernacles, and his name abides there. The heave offering of your hand, and the choice offerings which you shall vow to the Lord, and you shall rejoice before the Lord. We are not to go there and be somber, and be mourning, and sing funeral dirges. This is the Feast. We are to be happy. But God's name is on us and on the place where we go. And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, and you and your sons, and your daughters, and your male and female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates.

And since he has no portion nor inheritance with you. And then skipping down to verse 27. You must offer your burnt offerings both meat and blood on the altar of the Lord your God, and the blood of your other sacrifices you must pour out on the altar while you eat the meat. Pay careful attention to all these things that I am commanding you to do, that it may always go well with you and your children after you, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.

And when the Lord your God eliminates the nations from the place where you are headed, and you dispose them, I'm sorry, dispossess them, and you settle down in their land. So, God puts his name on you and on the place where we are about to go, and we are not to take that lightly. Do you know what would happen to God's reputation if we took that flippantly?

It's happened many times in the past. If you remember, Mr. Petty has talked about this before. I remember incidents of this where there are drunken parties, and I don't think any of us are going to do that, but just by example, what does that do to the name of God? How much damage does that do to his name, to his reputation? And therefore, how much damage does it do to the people who see that bad example?

It's like drinking poison. Solomon said this, Proverbs chapter 26 and verse 6. Proverbs chapter 26 and verse 6. Again, I will read this from the New Living. Interesting. If God puts his name on us, it's like his message is being spoken through every word and every action that we do or say or do. Proverbs chapter 26 and verse 6. Trusting a fool to convey a message is like cutting off one's feet or drinking poison.

If God sends his message through us, if he puts his name on us and he puts his name in the place where we go and we play the fool, it's like giving poison to the community where we go. That's why the sermonette was so excellent this morning. Spot on. And that scripture that he read in Isaiah. It's exactly what we need to hear.

And you know, brethren, God will not take that lightly, not for a second. In Malachi chapter 3 and verse 5, he says, Malachi chapter 3 and verse 5, I will come to you in judgment and I will be quick to testify against those who practice divination, those who commit adultery, those who break promises, those who exploit workers, widows, orphans, or refuse to help the immigrant in this way show that they do not fear me. And remember that name fear means to be struck with awe. When we go to the feast, we are to be struck with awe of God.

We are not to take his name in vain, and his name has been taken when we associated ourselves with his church and when we go to the feast.

So your actions say so much more than your words, and your life represents the name of God, the reputation of God. Everything that you say and do, everywhere that you go, you are an ambassador for Jesus Christ. Why does God do this? Why would he risk putting his reputation on imperfect people? He knows what he's doing. God's good at everything that he does. He knows what he's doing. He has very good reason for putting his name on us, and he's trusting us with that name, because he's going to do something great with it through us. Ezekiel 36. Starting in verse 17. New Living Translation for the slides. Ezekiel 36 verse 17. Son of man, when the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by the evil way they lived. The third command is so much more than just our words. But brethren, it is our very life. It's the way we live. To me, their conduct was as unclean as a woman's menstrual cloth. They polluted the land with murder and the worship of idols, and poured out my fury on them. Murder and violence against other people can also be translated, according to Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, as despising other people. Being mean to them. Being rude to them. As we read in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, the love chapter. Love is not rude. And the worship of idols is covetousness. Always getting. Idolatry is self-exaltation. When you're worshiping an idol, you're promoting yourself. You're saying, nobody's in charge of me.

I'm in charge of myself. That is idolatry. And God gets very angry at that, he said in verse 18. So in verse 19, I scattered them to many lands to punish them from evil way that they live. So God takes this very seriously. But why does he do it? Why does he risk it? If there's a risk of hurting his name, he's doing something great through you and me. But when they were scattered among the nations, they brought shame on my holy name. For the nation said, these are the people of the Lord, but he couldn't keep them safe in his own land. And when we mess up, we don't just mess up for ourselves. We don't just mess up for the San Antonio congregation. We don't just mess up for the United Church of God. All of that pales into insignificance when we realize we're messing up the name of God himself. Why would he risk that? Then I was concerned for my holy name, on which my people brought shame among the nations. Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the sovereign Lord, I am bringing you back. Not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. You know, there was a time when we all brought shame to God, but we repented and we were baptized and we received his Holy Spirit. And we go to keep his feasts because he commanded it and we trust him. And brethren, he has confidence in us as well. Verse 23, I will show how holy my great name is. Why does God give his name on us? And why does he put his name at the Feast of Tabernacles, where we're going? Because he, through us, is going to show his other children, who he loves very, very much, how great he is. It's not that we deserve it. It's not that we're all that in a bag of chips. We're better than everybody else. We're not! And we know it. But his name is on us. And we go and everything we do will be seen. Oh, there's that church group. Wow, there are happy people. Wow, they're great tippers. I got the order wrong and they didn't yell at me. I think I got the order wrong. You can correct it. I'm not saying don't make them make it right. If your steak is cold, you're paying 20 bucks for it, make them make it right. Do it kindly. Don't jip the waiter the tip because the cook messed up. You know? The name of God is on us. The hotel might charge you for extra towels. Actually, there is one hotel in Galveston that charges for towels. You know what? Five-thirty in the morning, if you don't have a fresh towel and you haven't had a cup of coffee yet, you might be tempted to forget the name of God is on your shoulders. You want me to pay what? No, no. Remember, God is making His name great through you. The name on which, continuing on in verse 23, He says, I will show how holy my great name is, the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness, God says, through you, before their very eyes says the sovereign Lord, the nations will know that I am the Lord. That is what the third command is about.

It's not about texting O-M-G. That's just scratching the surface. Taking God's name in vain erodes the validity of the gospel message, the very message that God is using to bring many sons into salvation. That's a big deal. It's a big command. That's why it's one of the Big Ten. Rejoice when we go to the feast. I am so excited to go to this Feast of Tabernacles. Have a great time, but be a good messenger of the way of God. His very name is on you, wherever you go. And you would be surprised how many people know that you are part of that group, that religious group, on which the name of God resides. So no drunken parties and no yelling at people and all that stuff. We know that. We know that. Have fun, but don't be overbearing or loud or pushy. You know those dinner parties that you can't even eat your meal if you're sitting beside them. They're so loud and laughing. Even if they're not drunk, you think they're drunk, because they're so hysterical. Have a good time, but remember that there are other people around you. Let everybody else eat dinner, too. Be courteous to hotel staff and restaurant staff and anybody who serves you. Taxi cab driver, whatever.

I think I'm going to buy a Hawaiian shirt. I don't know why I said that, but I think I'm one of those loud gaudy. Is that my pastor? Doesn't he know the name of God is on us? Hey, it's Galveston. It's beach. I think I'm going to buy a Hawaiian shirt. Be aware that you may be overtired or you may be stressed, especially towards the end of the feast, from all the activity. So keep in mind that the name of God is on us, and that third command is huge towards the preaching of the gospel. So everything we do, brethren, Colossians 3, and whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Have a great feast of tabernacles. Be safe and see you back here on October the 10th. Well, hopefully, I'll see a lot of you in Galveston. Take care.