Name Above All Names Series

Dakota Community Church

July 20, 2014

Name Above All Names

Summer Series at Dakota: The 10 Commandments

Exodus 20:7

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.

Introduction: Is it Right to Teach Law to Christians?

Is it right to be focusing on the law if it constantly reminds us of our sinfulness.

Shouldn't we be focused on our worthiness as new creations?

How can I soar like an eagle if I’m constantly surrounded by all this turkey talk?

Shouldn't I be like Joyce Meyers who claims she is not a sinner? After all I was once just a sinner saved by grace but now I’m the righteousness of God in Christ!

Aren't we supposed to think on positive things?

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Is it true that you are without sin? Is lying about that in any way excellent or commendable?

This passage is nothing about positive thinking foolishness; it is about sound gospel teaching.

You are the righteousness of God in Christ but you are also still only a sinner saved by grace.

"Simul Iustus et Peccator”

We are now simultaneously justified and sinner. Not a little of each or 50/50, 100% both; God sees you as his righteous child in Christ because of Christ’s righteousness imputed to you and at the same time you wrestle with sin as long as you are in this body as a result of the fall.

As soon as you deny the reality of your sinfulness you begin to drift from relying upon Christ.

Jeremiah 16:6-12

Both great and small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried, and no one shall lament for them or cut himself or make himself bald for them. 7 No one shall break bread for the mourner, to comfort him for the dead, nor shall anyone give him the cup of consolation to drink for his father or his mother. 8 You shall not go into the house of feasting to sit with them, to eat and drink. 9 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will silence in this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.

10 “And when you tell this people all these words, and they say to you, ‘Why has the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? What is our iniquity? What is the sin that we have committed against the Lord our God? ’ 11 then you shall say to them: ‘Because your fathers have forsaken me, declares the Lord, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law, 12 and because you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me.

Notice that God’s people are unaware of their guilt, they see no reason for the coming judgement, they cannot understand why anything bad would happen to them and so they trust (and support) the lying prophets while rejecting Jeremiah who actually speaks the Word of God.

One of the most serious indications that a people have wandered far from God is that they no longer see themselves as guilty before His perfect Holiness.

If I see myself as mostly good, I can happily occupy myself with minor behavioural tweaking and self improvement projects only in light of the reality of God’s holiness and His demand for perfect holiness from me do I spend my days clinging to the cross with eyes fixed upon Christ and his work on my behalf.

What does it mean then to take the name of the LORD in vain?

Many believe that taking the Lord’s name in vain refers to using it as a curse word, however, there is much more to it than that.

To understand the severity of taking the Lord’s name in vain, we must first see the Lord’s name from His perspective.

God’s nature and His attributes, the totality of His being, and especially His glory are reflected in His name.

Psalm 8:1

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

Psalm 111:9

He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever.

Holy and awesome is his name!

Matthew 6:9-10

Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name . Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.