The heart speaks
7 “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
Names are important.
What did the guy who got scratched by a cat get called.
That’s right
Claude!!!
Names are important – Johny Cash used to sing a song about a boy whose Father named him Sue. Your name is important and you may be a little sensitive when people get it wrong. Particularly if they get it wrong just to annoy you.
Ever see a see- saw? Children sit on them and one end is up and then the other end is down. Well if little Mary the good kid is on one end and little Louise the not so good kid is on the other end of the see saw, then, either Mary is up or Louise is up. They Can’t both be up at the same time.
I think this third commandment is like this you are either on the up side or the down side of this commandment.
This commandment has two parts: 1. A negative expressed, that we must not take God's name in vain; that is, cast any reflections and dishonour on his name
.2. An affirmative implied. That we should take care to reverence and honour his name.
Proverbs 16:22-23 “The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent, and their lips promote instruction. Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
Both sides imply a blessing – that blessing is something that I think we all can have and it is a blessing that can change our lives.
DL Moody tells the story of a man who turned up at his open air meetings on a horse and gig one of the finest you would see.. That man came each night and would leave in a hurry. Moody inquired as to who the man might be. It turned out he was the wealthiest man in a one hundred mile radius and a man who curse and swore and used the Lord’s name in vain.Eventually Moody decided to visit this man even though he was warned that the man would curse him. Moody brushed this objection aside saying that only the Lord could allow him to be cursed so he went.
The man came out and confessed he had a wonderful Christian wife and seven lovely children but he had a problem with cursing. Just the other night.” He told Moody “ He had cursed his wife in front of visitors and was always using the Lord’s name in vain.” Moody told him that He, personally, hadn’t had to stop swearing even though he had once sworn himself but once he was “In Christ” the swearing literally dried up.
He persuaded the man to get down on his knees and to give his lfe to Christ. This the man did.
Then Moody told this wealthy man to come to Church and to confess what had happened – This also the man did and Moody was there to hear it.
Thirty years later he met the same man who told him he had continued to follow Christ and hadn’t sworn since.
The Curser became a blesser Mary became Louise if you like.
God too would want to bless your mouth and mine. Do you realise that we often curse God’s people with our tongue when we talk scandal and gossip and in so doing we use the Lord’s name in vain?
James chapter 3 verse 5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
So let us consider this matter.
What does disobeying this commandment look like?
I was at the rugby Stadium in Dunedin the other night and someone used the name of Jesus as a swear word. It was loud harsh and penetrating and wrong. It penetrated my soul and I never felt at home at that stadium from that moment on – my night had been ruined.
The whole object of swearing is the thought that you might convince someone of your sincerity by giving your word with God’s name attached. Swearing in our culture is a mixture of Blasphemy and cursing. Neither look good in the life of a Christian. Jesus clarifys this really important issue:-
(Matthew 5:34-37)
But I say to you: Do not swear at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God, nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King, nor by your head, for you cannot make one hair black or white. When you say, Yes, let it be yes; and when you say, No, let it be no. Anything which goes beyond that has its source in evil.
You see the problem with swearing in anyway is – It’s source is the devil or the flesh.
The third commandment says : "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" (Exodus 20:7).
When Heather and I married – I took her name and she took mine. Now if I took Heathers name and was unfaithful to her I would have taken her name in vain. If I cursed her and swore about her and even behaved in a way that betrayed our marriage – then I would have taken her name in vain.
I think God is saying this is not just about what you say but how you live. When you gave your life to Christ you became part of the bride of Christ, His Church. Now I know that the power of Jesus’ blood washes away our mistakes and sins but we are not to live our lives in vain.
If I were Louise the girl up on the see saw I think the question I would need to ask if I am dishonouring God with my mouth or my life. What is in my heart?
Luke chapter 6 Tree and its Fruit
…44"For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. 45"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.
Matthew Henry comments on this passage. The tree is known by its fruits; may the word of Christ be so grafted in our hearts, that we may be fruitful in every good word and work. And what the mouth commonly speaks, generally agrees with what is most in the heart. Those only make sure work for their souls and eternity, and take the course that will profit in a trying time, who think, speak, and act according to the words of Christ.
Now I can have all kinds of religious talk but my heart needs to be right with God it is a matter of the heart.
Andrew Murray asks the question:- Why do so many Christians never know that doing God’s will is the very first duty of the Christians life, indispensable to its health and safety?
But many people drift away and turn their hearts to other things
. Proverbs 31:26 “She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.”
Some years ago I wrote this illustration in a sermon
There was a canoe drifting down a river - the occupant was enjoying his trip and was particularly being refreshed by the scenery as it passed by.
After a while he found he could steer the canoe with his hands - so he threw the paddles overboard. Someone from the bank yelled at him about such a dangerous pursuit - but he just laughed.
Presently he put his book down and decided to have a sleep.
Someone had said there was a massive waterfall - downstream but he was perfectly sure that it was miles away.
His hand dangled in the water.
The sun smiled on his brow - a gentle breeze ruffled his hair and kept him cool.
In his dream he could hear a roar. Was it an airplane?
Was he dreaming about a truck?
No it was real - he looked up spray and mist marked the edge of the waterfall - just metres away.
Panicking he looked around for his paddles but they had been thrown overboard.
He started to paddle with his hands but in seconds the current had swept him downstream and over the edge - gone - lost for ever.
Drifting in a river with a huge waterfall will do that!
The book of Hebrews says:-
HEB 2:1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
If you are reduced to having problems with the tongue then I think the first thing that you need to do is to examine your heart before God.
Look deep inside your heart and ask Jesus to change you.
The second thing you can do is to establish great God given goals. Walk in God’s dream for your life. When you do you will bless and praise God – swearing will not be a possibility.
What great acts of love can you do this week? How can Christ inspire you this week?
Get a dream that is filled with love and love that dream –act like Christ live like Christ and watch your tongue be transformed by love.
Steve Goodier says " Both the hummingbird and the vulture fly over our nation’s deserts. All vultures see is rotting meat, because that is what they look for. They thrive on that diet. But hummingbirds ignore the smelly flesh of dead animals. Instead, they look for the colorful blossoms of desert plants. The vultures live on what was. They live on the past. They fill themselves with what is dead and gone. But hummingbirds live on what is. They seek new life. They fill themselves with freshness and life. Each bird finds what it is looking for. We all do.
The mouth does speak what the heart is full of can I encourage you to get god’s vision fresh for this week.
Thirdly – We need to understand that setbacks are only temporary.
Much cursing or swearing happens because we are affronted by something bad that has happenned.
When I ran out of petrol this week I could see it as an opportunity for a walk in the country or a disaster a time to bless God and praise him
It was also a great opportunity to meet up with Murray and Hilary Kelso.
Romans 8:28New International Version (NIV)
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.
You can either walk down the road and complain to God in such a situation or you can bless Him.
Paul himself knew this he said.---
"For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life."--II Cor. 1:8.
and
"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body."--II Cor. 4:8-10.
Yet he still rejoiced in the Lord.
---
The winds of trouble are nothing new to God’s people.
Paul was shipwrecked and beaten with stripes. Peter was sent to prison. John was exiled at Patmos. James had his head cut off. David fled from Saul. Samson had his eyes put out.
Psalm 34:19
19 The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all;
Paul said in I Corinthians 10:13
13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
,
Do you remember the second part that was positive that we can take out of this subject?
.2. An affirmative implied. That we should take care to reverence and honour his name.
As we praise God great things happen.
Our situations are transformed and we see beauty where there was devastation all around us.
Jesus said in John 16
, “In this world you will have trouble”. But that trouble often leads to beauty and great events.
If you do not believe me look at the cross!!!
Are you tempted to give up on God to stop blessing him to use his name in vain?
Trouble often preceeds blessing Steve Saint was five years old when his father, Nate Saint, was killed by the Waorani Indians in Ecuador. The story of their deaths is told in Elisabeth Elliot’s book Through Gates of Splendor
—many of the Waorani became Christians. And as teenagers, Steve was baptized by two of the men who had killed his father—in the Curaray River next to the beach where the killings had taken place.
Steve Saint was invited by the Waorani to come live with them Later, he started I-TEC to “enabl[e] indigenous churches to overcome the technological and educational hurdles that stand in their way” I-TEC’s most famous invention is the a “flying car” developed to help Christian workers reach “frontier” areas.
Then two years ago Steve had an accident and became a partial quadraplegic.
Steve who can now walk and stand but in incredible discomfort says. There is good now, but not all is good. . . . You know, stand up, and that’s the worst, standing up is just agony in the morning, you know, trying to get these stilts, ’cause I can’t feel from my waist on down . . . and I can’t feel most of my arms, and I certainly can’t feel my hands. . . .
I was privileged to meet Saint several years ago when he was working with Global Disciples on portable dentistry for the most unreached people groups of the world.
Trouble often preceeds blessing
The thing about Steve is he is a man who blesses his God at all times you can too if you will observe these three things:-
1.If you are reduced to having problems with the tongue then I think the first thing that you need to do is to examine your heart before God.
Look deep inside your heart and ask Jesus to change you.
Proverbs 16:21 “The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction.”
2.The second thing you can do is to establish great God given goals. Walk in God’s dream for your life. When you do you will bless and praise God – swearing will not be a possibility
3. Understand.Trouble often preceeds blessing
In the see saw of life keep God’s positive side up and let the loser sink to the bottem!!!
