Word of Salvation – July 2010
BEARING THE NAME, John de Hoog
(Sermon 4 in a series on the Ten Commandments)
Text – Exodus 20:7
Reading – Daniel 9:1-19
God has invited you and me into a covenant relationship with him. In that invitation, he says to us, “You can have my name upon you.”
Have you thought about that?
If you adopt a child, you give that child your name. [Take some examples of adopted children that you and the congregation know about.] You can have my name upon you. That’s what the Lord God does for us.
Listen to these words from Numbers 6:22ff. “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Tell Aaron and his sons, “This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: ‘The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face towards you and give you peace.’”’” These are familiar words. But now, listen to the next few words in vs 27. “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” In the covenant relationship, God puts his name on his people.
In the New Testament, Jesus commands us to make disciples of all nations. He commands us to invite people everywhere into a covenant relationship with God. And what are we to do in symbolising that covenant relationship? Matthew 28:19 “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, puts his name on us. We are baptised into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are bearers of his name.
In Acts Chapter 5 the authorities arrest the apostles. They are furious that the apostles have been preaching in Jesus’ name. Vs 40 “They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name . 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” (Acts 5:40-42) The apostles bear the name of Jesus Christ, they preach in his name and they rejoice that they can suffer for the name. The people of Jesus soon came to be known as Christians – Christ-ians. They gladly take the name of Christ, the name of God on themselves.
Do you bear the name of God? Has God put his name upon you? How are you going at living with that name upon you?
God gave us the third commandment because his name must be honoured. Exodus 20:7 “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”
Let’s proceed under two headings: 1. The third commandment is very broad; 2. What happens to us reflects on God.
First, the third commandment is very broad. Let’s think about what the third commandment actually means. What is the sin condemned in the Third Commandment? Traditionally, we think it has to do with profane speech, cursing, swearing and blasphemy. You go the football and you hear the crowd swearing and saying “Jesus Christ,” and you think, “There they go, using the Lord’s name in vain again.” That’s how we usually think of it, isn’t it!
The fact that we think about it that way is unfortunate, because the Third Commandment is not concerned first of all with these sins. Yes, of course it is wrong to use words like “Jesus Christ” and “God” as swear words, but that is not what the Third Commandment is chiefly about.
The best translation of the Third Commandment is “You shall not carry about the Lord’s name in vain.” The Hebrew word I’ve translated “carry about” is nasa’, a common word which is used 655 times as a verb in the Old Testament. It means to lift up, to raise, to carry, even to wear. It doesn’t mean “to say, to speak or to utter”. The words used to express the third commandment do not mean in their immediate sense, “You shall not speak the Lord’s name in vain.” They mean, “You shall not carry about the Lord’s name in vain”, or, “You shall not lift up and bear about in your person the Lord’s name in vain”.
Has God put his name upon you? Have you given your life over to Jesus Christ to love and serve him? If you have, how are you going at bearing God’s name?
You shall not claim God’s name upon you in vain. The word translated “vain” means empty, nothingness, of no substance. It is often used to express God’s opinion of idols – they are empty, they are nothing, they have no reality. To carry about God’s name in vain is to treat God as if he were nothing, as if he were as empty as an idol.
The third commandment deals with the sin of nominalism, formalism, hypocrisy, having the mere appearance of religion. It is claiming to be a “Christian”, claiming the name of Christ, but living like the world. God says, “I will not hold anyone guiltless who claims the name of Christ in vain”. To come before God and to bear his name merely in the outward sense, without the real inward heart of it, is a sin that God greatly detests. God will not hold you guiltless if you take up the name Christian in an empty way.
We are the public face of Christ, the bearers of Christ’s reputation in the world. How terrible, to bear that name in vain, to treat that name as an empty thing!
Do you see that this is far more serious than simply uttering some particular words or names thoughtlessly or profanely? There are surely millions of people alive today who would never dream of speaking the name of God in profane speech, but whose lives every day are a breaking of the third commandment.
Listen to the way Jesus speaks about the third commandment at the end of his Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
…Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognise them.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Have you ever thought of these words as unfolding the third commandment? They do. We bear God’s name. A false profession, saying one thing and living another, brings dishonour on God’s name, and leads to disaster.
Many will say to Jesus on the day that he returns, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?”
Such people speak the Lord’s name properly and reverently – they say, “Lord, Lord”. The repetition of the name means they have emotional engagement – they cried at the rally the other day, it was so moving! They have honoured the name of the Lord by prophesying in the name of the Lord and doing miraculous works in the name of the Lord. But what will Jesus say to them? “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:22-23). They have broken the third commandment. They have claimed the name of the Lord, they have become emotionally engaged in being Christian, they have used his name reverently and in powerful works… but Jesus has never known them.
This is such a serious warning, isn’t it! It’s possible to have your theology right, it’s possible to be deeply moved by Christian things, it’s possible to devote your life to activity and amazing work for God, and yet to never be one of God’s people, to build your life on sand.
What does Jesus say about how you know you are one of God’s people? In vs 21 of the passage in Matthew 7, Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father in heaven.”
People who break the third commandment take the name of Jesus on themselves. They call themselves Christians. But they ignore the will of God. They think that to obey God is unnecessary.
Paul warns Timothy about such people, describing them as “having a form of godliness but denying its power”. Paul’s verdict on such people? “Have nothing to do with them!” (2 Timothy 3:5). Strong words, but Jesus wants nothing to do with them either. In Revelation 3:16 Jesus threaten to vomit out of his mouth those who are lukewarm about the faith. Jesus is revolted by those who falsely and hypocritically take up his name.
Now don’t get me wrong, it is a detestable habit to use words like “God” or “Jesus Christ” profanely, without any content. You know how it goes. “Oh my God” becomes simply a way of expressing surprise, and “Jesus Christ” becomes a reaction to hitting your thumb with a hammer. The use of these words in this way is indeed highly objectionable, but the third commandment is aimed at people upon whom God has put his name. His reputation is at stake in how we bear God’s name! Do not bear God’s name lightly, without any gravity or weight or glory. Bear it well!
So we see why Jesus places, right at the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer, that first petition, “Hallowed be your name.” There will be a time when much of the Lord’s Prayer will be useless and out of date. In heaven we won’t need to pray, “Give us our daily bread,” because there’ll be no more hunger. In heaven we won’t need to pray, “Forgive us our sins,” because there will be no sin. In heaven we won’t need to pray, “Lead us not into temptation,” because the tempter, the devil, will be defeated and locked away forever. But the hallowing of God’s name will go on forever. That will be the great task of heaven. We will forever be singing to God’s glory and praising him for his greatness. We will forever be involved in hallowing his name.
The big question that the third commandment places before us is this: Are we really Christians? I like to think of the third commandment as the most Australian of the commandments. It’s commanding us to be “fair dinkum” about God! We are called to love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength. If we do not wish to do that, we should forget about it and stop playing around with religion. Uncommitted Christians, whose heart and energy and intellect and experience and gifts and money are not in the Lord’s work at all, make Jesus vomit. They are the bane and great weakness of the church today.
Stand before the spotlight of the third commandment and heed the warning attached to it.
1. The third commandment is very broad; To press this home, see quickly our second point. 2. What happens to us reflects on God.
2. What happens to us reflects on God. In Daniel Chapter 9, Daniel prays one of the great prayers of the Bible. Jerusalem and the temple have been destroyed, and Daniel is in exile in Babylon. He prays for Jerusalem and he prays for God’s people. Listen to how he prays! Daniel 9:17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favour on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.” (Dan 9:17-19)
Do you get Daniel’s prayer? O Lord, your city and your people bear your Name! If you let your city and your people be utterly destroyed, then your Name will suffer. People will imagine that you were not powerful enough to maintain your own honour! Moses prays this way too, Nehemiah prays this way, Jesus prays this way. O Lord, may your name be hallowed, may your kingdom come, may you be honoured. Work in us, work through us, save us for your glory, for your honour for the sake of your name!
What happens to us who bear God’s name reflects on God! God himself expresses this as the reason he will hear Daniel’s prayer and bring Israel back from exile into the Promised Land. In Ezekiel 36, God speaks amazing words! He explains that he sent his people out of the Promised Land in judgment against their sin, just as he said he would. Vs 19 “I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered through the countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their actions. 20 And wherever they went among the nations they profaned my holy name, for it was said of them, `These are the LORD’s people, and yet they had to leave his land.’
21 I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone. 22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. 23 I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.” (Eze 36:19-23)
What happens to Israel reflects on God. If God leaves them defeated, his name will suffer.
The same thing applies to us, the New Testament church. Ephesians 2:10-11 has these amazing words: “His intent [God’s intent] was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
How does God make known his wisdom? How does he demonstrate his eternal purpose? Paul says that he does these things through the church! When God wants to show the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms something of the greatness of his eternal purpose in Christ, what does he do? He points to the church! This is what I’ve done! Look at the glory of what I’ve done in Christ! Look at the church!
What happens to us reflects on God ! There is a tremendous determination on the part of God to work in this way. God will be honoured through his people, his name will be honoured, his name will not be used in vain but will be used in truth, that’s his plan, that’s his determination, and nothing can stand in the way.
The only question that still hangs in the balance is this: Will we share in that blessing? Will God point to us when he is demonstrating his glory and the honour of his name? Will God say to the angels and the demons and the heavenly authorities, “Look at my church of South Barwon [substitute your church’s name]. Look at them, and see my glory, see how great I am. Look at them. Aren’t you amazed at the greatness of my name?”
Will we share in that blessing? The answer is in the third commandment. Do not bear God’s name in vain, bear it well!
God pointed to Job in that way. He said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no-one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” (Job 1:8) Imagine being someone God boasts about!
Young men, does God point to you and say, “Look at these young men in South Barwon. See the greatness of my gracious work in them, and see my glory in them. Look at the way they treat the young women as honoured sisters, at how they use food and drink, at how they use the boundless energy I’ve given them, at the way they enjoy music and communications technology without compromise; look at their lives! It all points to the greatness of my work in them.”
Young women, does God point to you and say, “Look at these young women in South Barwon. See how they devote themselves to purity in their relationship with young men. See how they dress and talk and encourage each other, see how they refrain from gossip and foolish talk. See how they honour young mothers among them; see how they plan their priorities. Look at my glory and greatness expressed in them.”
Boys and girls, does God point to you and say, “Ah, it’s wonderful how the boys and girls of South Barwon bring me praise and glory. Look at how they honour their parents and other adults, look at how keen they are to learn about me. My grace is being expressed in their lives even when they are so young.”
Older men, does God point to you and say, “Consider the older men in South Barwon. Look at the legacy they are leaving for future generations. It’s wonderful how they are not giving in to cynicism and passivity like so many men their age; see how they continue to serve. My grace is being expressed because they continue to hope in me even as their bodies age and the disappointments in life accumulate. That’s my grace at work, to my glory.”
Older women, does God point to you and say, “Consider the older women in South Barwon. Look at the way they have committed themselves to serving and training the younger women, consider how they are passing on their wisdom to children and grandchildren, mark well the way they encourage their husbands. None of that’s natural; it’s my work, to the honour of my name.”
Pause
There are two questions to answer today. Do you bear the name of Jesus Christ? That’s easy. But you can have the Lord’s name even on your lips: “Lord, Lord,” and yet be unknown to Jesus Christ.
The second question gets to the heart of it. Do you bear the name of Jesus Christ well? Here is what Jesus wants for you: To enjoy the immense blessing of God himself pointing you out as one who demonstrates the glory of his name. Don’t settle for anything less.
Amen