How Do You Take God's Name In Vain?

How Do You Take God’s Name in Vain?

Exodus 20.7

(Exodus 20:7) Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

What is this verse telling us this morning?

Not to curse using God’s name. Now I did not come to preach this morning about cussing.

I came to preach this morning about taking God’s name in vain.

This means saying His name in an off the cuff remark, like saying Jesus Christ when you see or hear some bad news.

It is like saying, Oh God! When you hear or see something bad. It is like saying Jesus! When you mash your finger or stub your toe.

You see, anytime we say the name of the Lord outside of worship, witnessing, Bible Study, and Prayer, we are most likely guilty of taking His name in vain.

God’s name is to be revered, and be respected more than any other name upon the face of the earth.

After all, at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God has given Jesus the name that is above every name! The name of Jesus is the only name that a man can call on and be saved!

We all need to watch our mouths!

But this is not the message that I have to bring to you this morning either.

What I have to say this morning, may offend some people. What I say this morning will probably speak to every person here that is a true born again believer.

What I have to say this morning is there is another way of taking God’s name in vain, that more times than not, is completely overlooked in the lives of us that call ourselves a child of God.

How many of you would sit back and allow someone to deface, degrade, desecrate the name of your father or mother?

How many Christians do the same thing to the name of God, by the way that they live?

Preacher, I think that you are way out of line. There is nothing that I DO that takes God’s name in vain!

Well, I want to show you from scripture some things this morning that might make you take a step back, and evaluate “How you take God’s name in vain.”

Paul in Romans 2.24, says, For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

In AD 19, four Jews convinced a young Roman convert, to make a huge donation to the Jerusalem Temple.

They misappropriated the money for their own use and created a scandal that resulted in the expulsion of the Jews from Rome by Emperor Tiberius.

Paul was saying that God’s name was blasphemed among the pagans because of the behavior of Christian worshippers.

That only proves that the lost people took God’s name in vain.

i.e. Cut off in traffic and wreck. You wrecked the other guy didn’t. Who’s fault is it.

You see, the way you live and conduct your life can and does take God’s name in vain.

What are some things that you do that is in essence taking the name of the Lord thy God in vain?

• TV/Movies

• Off color jokes

• Gossip

• Lack of Church attendance

o No excuse for being lazy!

o No excuse for just not coming to God’s house.

o The only reason that I believe will justify not coming to church is when you are physically unable or providentially hindered.

Stop lying to yourself and others about why you don’t come to church—GOD knows the real reason! You lost your WANT TO and replaced it with I Just Can’t!

Unbecoming conduct as a Christian. How many of you realize that this is a big one.

This one is even mentioned in the constitution and by-laws of this church.

Did you know that according to the C & BL of this church,

church discipline is supposed to initiated because of tattling, back-biting, excessive anger, and use of alcoholic beverages?

Did you know that according to the By-Laws of this church that ALL members are EXPECTED, first of all to be faithful in ALL duties essential to the Christian Life; and also to ATTEND HABITUALLY the services of the church...

If you confess that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, and you go against the Christian principles of the Constitution and By-Laws of this church (which are by the way, based on the Bible); then you are taking God’s name in vain by the way you conduct yourself as a Christian.

When we worship with our lips and not with our hearts, we take His name in vain.