TAKING GOD SERIOUSLY
Ten Commandments That Build Strong Families - Part 3
Exodus 20:7
We're in part three on THE Ten Commandments that Build Strong Families. The third
commandment can be summarize in one sentence: God says, "Take (ME) and My name
seriously".
What's in a name? God says there's a lot in a name when it's His name. In the third command in
Exodus 20:7 He says, "You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God."
Why is God so sensitive about His name? God says that your name represents three things: your
reputation, your character, and your authority.
It represents your reputation. When somebody has a good reputation they say "He's got a good
name." When he's got a bad reputation, "He's got a bad name."
If I said Donald Trump, how do you respond to that name? What does his name say about his
reputation, his character and his authority?
If I say Billy Graham, how do you respond to that name? What does his name say about his
reputation, his character and his authority?
A name represents your character. What you are cannot be separated from what your name is
once it's identified together. In the Bible they would often name children after certain character
qualities like Honest, Justice ... so that it would represent their character. Many times in the
Bible when somebody changed their character, their life was changed, God gave them a new
name. Abram became Abraham, Jacob became Israel, Simon became Peter. God would change
their names because He said it represents your new character.
Your name represents authority. When a police stops you he says, "Stop in the name of the
law." Why? Because there is authority behind that name.
If you received a call from a John Doe you might tell him call back later. But if his name were
Charles Stanley, Billy Graham, or Mother Theresa (if they were still alive) you would probably
take the call right there. Names represent authority.
We sing a song called “SAY THE NAME”
The words say:
Say the name of Jesus
Say the name so precious
No other name I Know
That can calm your fears and dry your tears and
wipe away your pain
When you don't know what else to pray
When you can't find the words to say
Say the name
God want us to take his name seriously?
II. HOW CAN I USE GOD'S NAME CORRECTLY?
God promises blessing when you use His name correctly. "If you honor and reverence My name I
will bless you with success, with prosperity, with health, with peace of mind, with good
relationships" and on and on. God says take his name seriously.
1. REVERENCE GOD'S NAME CONTINUALLY
Treat it with the utmost respect. Use it carefully. Use it lovingly. Use it as an act of worship.
Don't just let it slip out flippantly. When you say "God", mean it in your heart.
Ps. 29:2 "Give to the Lord the glory due His name." Honor God's name.
Father is one of God’s favorite names. While on earth, Jesus called God “Father” over two
hundred times. In his first recorded words Jesus explained, “Didn’t you know that I must be in
my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). In his final triumphant prayer he proclaims, “Father, I give you
my life” (Luke 23:46). In the Gospel of John alone, Jesus repeats this name 156 times. God loves
to be called Father. After all, didn’t Jesus teach us to begin our prayer with the phrase, “Our
Abba”?
Abba was an everyday word. It was a homely family-word. The equivalent would be Poppa,
Daddy or Dad. It is right for you to call God your Creator, indeed He is. You speak truth when
you call Him your Master, indeed he is. It is appropriate for you to call Him your King, Lord and
Sovereign God. But if you want to touch his heart, call him by the name he loves to hear. Call
Him Abba. Call him your Father.
A pastor tells the time he spent several days in the old city of Jerusalem. He says one afternoon,
while in a crowd he heard the voice of a small child. “Abba!, Abba!” He turned and looked.
There was a young girl, perhaps four or five years of age. She had become separated from her
family. As the people were rushing pass, she stopped and got afraid. “Abba! Abba!”
From out of nowhere, her father appeared. By looking at his hair and clothing, I knew, he was a
Hasidic Jew. When he heard his daughter cry Abba!, he had realized that she was separated from
the family. I watched closely; I wanted to see what an abba would do.
He hurried over to her. Nothing was going to stop him from reaching his daughter. He
immediately lowered himself to her level. He held her close. He then looked at her in the face
and brushed away the tear. He gave her a firm word. He then stood and lifted her up. She
wrapped her arms around his neck and legs around his waist. He held her as they descended the
ramp. When he stopped at a busy street, she stepped off the curb, so he pulled her back. When
the signal changed, he led her and her sisters through the intersection. In the middle of the street,
he reached down and swung her up in his arms and continued their journey.
That is what an abba does. Isn’t that what God has done for us? When we wandered away, he
found us. When he found us, he lowered himself to our level. He brushed away our tears. He
gave us a word of correction. He picked us up and he is leading us home. You have an abba.
I know what some of you are thinking. Yeah, God does that for some people. For good people.
For strong people. Not me. I’m just ho-hum. I’m just average. I’m just measly old, little old,
common, ordinary me.
Really? Because I read something else. According to what I read in the Bible, you are anything
but ordinary. I read that when you said “yes” to Jesus, he said “yes” to you, that when you gave
him your heart he returned the favor and gave you his.
I read that your Abba “has blessed [you] with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in
Christ” (Eph. 1:3).
That you are a “new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new”
(2 Cor. 5:17).
I read that you “have obtained an inheritance” (Eph. 1:11).
You are “...heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17).
I read that you are: “an ambassador of Christ...” (II Cor. 5:20) “...the fragrance of Christ...” (II
Cor. 2:15) that you are being “.... transformed into the image of Christ” (Rom. 8:29).
I read that you have been “delivered . . . from the power of darkness and conveyed . . . into the
kingdom of the Son” (Col. 1:13). I read that “...no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John
10:28).
Normal? I don’t think so. I read that if you “Ask, you shall receive, Seek and you will find.
Knock and the door will be opened to you” (Mt. 7:7). “Whatever you ask in the name of your
Father that will be given unto you” (Jn. 16:23).
I even read this: “Greater is He who is in you than He who is in the world” (I Jn. 4:4).
You used to be normal, ho-hum, and average. No longer. You are not who you used to be! You
are:
? God’s child (John 1:12)
? Christ’s friend (John 15:15)
? a member of Christ’s body (1 Cor. 12:27)
? a saint (Eph. 1:1)
? redeemed and forgiven of all your sins (Col. 1:14)
? complete in Christ, lacking in nothing (Col. 2:10)
? free from condemnation (Rom. 8:1–2)
? God’s coworker (2 Cor. 6:1)
? seated with Christ in the heavenly realm (Eph. 2:6)
? God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:10)
? a citizen of heaven (Phil. 3:20)
? adopted into God’s family (Eph. 1:5)
? born of God, and the evil one cannot touch you (1 John 5:18)
? You have been bought with a price... you belong to God (I Cor. 6:20)
? You cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom. 8:35)
It seems to me that your Abba has high affection for you! If you have taken on the name of
Christ, then you have clout. When you speak, God listens. When you pray, heaven takes note.
What you bind on earth is bound in heaven. What you loose on earth is loosed in heaven. Your
prayer impacts the actions of God.
Why? Because you are a child of God. And you have a good father...a good, good father.
You need to reverence God name continually. Reverence involves not only protecting God's
name but knowing it. Ps. 9:10 "Those who know your name will trust in you..."
God has many names, well over 100 names of God in the Bible, each one of them reveal a
different aspect of God's character -- love, justice, holiness, the things he's promised to care for.
The way you get to know God is to get to know the names of God. If you only know one name
you don't know God very well. There are lots of names that describe God in the Scripture and
the better you know them the better you're going to trust Him and the better you're going to love
Him.
When you get to know God's name and reverence Him on a daily basis there are enormous
benefits to your life. "You God have given me the blessings you reserve for those who reverence
your name."
2. REPRESENT GOD'S NAME CLEARLY
II Timothy 2:19 "A person who calls himself a Christian should not be doing things that are
wrong."
Our lifestyle can misuse the name of God. If you call yourself a believer act like one. Don't drag
Christ's name through the gutter by your lifestyle. Your walk needs to match your talk.
If you're a believer you represent God. There are two reasons why many people never come to
Christ. First, they've never met a Christian. Second, they met one and it was a Christian in name
only who but there was no difference in their lifestyle. If you claim to be a believer, a Christian,
and use God's name and aren't any different you're a bad advertisement. We must represent
God's name clearly. Our walk must match our talk, so people are clear Who we worship.
The truth is that there are people all around you that are watching and evaluating your speech and
your actions and they're checking to see how you're different and how you're different in your life
style. So guard your mouth, guard your actions.
3. RELY ON GOD'S NAME COMPLETELY.
Ps. 33:21 "No wonder we are happy in the Lord. We trust His holy name."
Whatever you do you should do it in the name of the Lord, trusting and relying on His name.
Jesus said, "If you ask anything in My name I will do it." Why do we pray "In Jesus' name"?
The Bible says, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified
in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:13-14 NIV). God
wants to answer your prayers, but he also wants you to ask in Jesus’ name.
What is so special about Jesus’ name? Honestly, for a long time, I had no idea. I’d hear
everybody end prayers with, “In Jesus’ name. Amen.” I thought maybe it was a signal that the
prayer was about to end, like a spiritual sign-off — “10-4, good buddy” — or the way the great
20th Century news anchor Walter Cronkite would end all his broadcasts by saying, “And that’s
the way it is.”
Some people think “in Jesus’ name” is kind of a mystical password that gets you access to God:
“Here are all my requests. By the way — codeword: ‘In Jesus’ name.’”
What in the world does it mean to pray “in Jesus’ name”?
I heard a story once that illustrates it well. A pastor friend took his young son and about 14 of his
son’s friends to a birthday party at the carnival, where he bought a roll of tickets. He stood at the
entrance of every ride, and as the kids came by — his son and the 14 friends — he gave each of
them a ticket. At some point during the day, he looked up and realized there was a little boy that
he’d never seen in his life with his hand out, asking for a ticket. He asked him, “Are you with my
son’s party?” No. “Why should I give you a ticket?” The young boy turned and pointed to the
man’s son and said, “Your son said you’d give me one.” So, the man gave him one.
Here’s the point: I don’t have any right to get answered prayers from God. I owe him a lot, but he
doesn’t owe me anything. But when I come and ask God for requests, I don’t ask on my own
merit. I come on the merit of Christ. I just say, “Father, I’m coming to you because your Son said
so. I’m coming because of what Jesus Christ has already done for me on the cross. He’s promised
that I can ask in his name, so that’s what I’m doing right now.”
I don’t think it’s necessary to say “in Jesus’ name” at the end of every prayer if you’ve got the
right attitude, but I think it’s a good idea. Why? Because it reminds you why you have the right
to pray — because Jesus is your mediator and has made a way for God to hear and answer your
prayers.
Acts 4:12 "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven by which
we must be saved."
John 20:31 "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His
name." You can pass from death to life, from judgement to forgiveness in His name.
Science says we need 4 basic elements to live:
1. WATER
2. AIR
3. FOOD
4. LIGHT
They’re right. We find everything we need in Jesus. He’s named the:
1. THE LIVING WATER
2. THE BREATHE OF LIFE
3. THE BREAD OF LIFE
4. THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Son of God, the Lamb of God, the Resurrection and the Life, Alpha and Omega. Phrases that
stretch the boundaries of human language in an effort to capture the uncapturable, the grandeur of
God.
God’s has so many names because he is so wonderful, no one name can describe him. Except,
there is one name– Jesus. A name so typical, if He were here today, his name might be John or
Bob or Jim. He was touchable, approachable, reachable. “Just call me Jesus,” you can almost
hear Him say. Those who walked with Him remembered Him not with a title or designation, but
with a name—Jesus! It’s a beautiful name and a powerful name.
It’s important that you believe in the Name of Jesus, because in his name he promised we would
have power to do his will:
Mark 16:17-18 The Message (MSG)
17-18 “These are some of the signs that will accompany believers: They will throw out demons in
my name, they will speak in new tongues, they will take snakes in their hands, they will drink
poison and not be hurt, they will lay hands on the sick and make them well.”
God says take me seriously! Believe in my ability to take care of you like a father, believe in my
ability to protect you, rescue you, guide you, deliver you and believe that I have a purpose for you
and that I will help you fulfill that purpose.
As you believe in the Name of Jesus, your family will also Trust in HIM and join in your faith.
Because “The day is coming when at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue
will confess that He is Lord!”
