Illus: In Connecticut four ministers were named Wright none of them were related. To avoid confusion:
• One was referred to as: “Minister Upright".
• Another was referred to as, “Minister Downright”.
• And another was referred to as, “Minister Outright.”
• And the fourth was referred to as, “Minister Forthright.”
Illus: One man, who happened to be named Smith, explained that years ago everybody's name was Smith, but as they got in trouble with the law one by one they were forced to change their name.
If that is true we sure have a bunch of outlaws here today.
But again, I want to remind you in Bible times a person's name was supposed to represent what they were. This was certainly true of God; His name stood for who He was, not who anyone might have just thought He was.
The Jews would rarely speak His name aloud because they felt they were not worthy.
Tradition has it that God's name was only mentioned once a year by the high priest on the day of atonement.
In reading the Scriptures it became customary to never to pronounce His name but to replace it with another Divine name which was regarded as more acceptable.
Illus: To help us understand the logic in this, we know how disrespectful it seems when a small child walks up to a grown up and call them by their name. They show the proper respect by substituting the first name for Mr. or Mrs.
The Jews understood God's name was to be spoken as one approached Him to worship Him, and not as an adjective to express some emotional feeling that we have that has nothing to do with worship.
The third commandment says, “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.”
Even though most names do not represent a person's character today, still, when one build a good, or bad, reputation, he is then known when his name presented, as being that kind of person.
For example, In Columbia, S.C. one man is honest and trustworthy. But when he buys something, he is denied credit. Why? Because there is another man in town who has the same name he has who has cheated people all over town. Every time he is denied credit he has to go through explaining to the people that there is another man in town with this name. They go back and do another credit report, once this is done he is given credit.
God is greater than anyone or anything on this earth, and He commands us to use His name only with the reverence He deserves. Sad to say, not many obey this commandment these days.
This is one commandment that can be disobeyed in many ways.
Illus: Often these days we hear people on television getting mad and screaming, “Jesus Christ!” They want to take Someone that is beautiful, holy, and altogether righteous and associate Him with something evil. They could use ten thousand other names, but they are determine to use His sacred name, because Satan wants mankind everytime he hears the name of God that He associate it with something evil, or not sacred.
We can expect these heathens to talk like that, but I remind you God gave the ten commandments to the children of Israel, His very own people, not to heathens.
We as God's children today, cannot help the way the lost world uses the sacred name of “God." But we can make sure their ignorance does not rub off on us.
Let me show you THREE ways we can transgress against His sacred name:
I. WE CAN TRANSGRESS GOD'S NAME THROUGH PROFANITY,
Look at "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.”
Profanity is the most useless sin a man can commit. Every sin a man commits he gets something for the sin, but when a man use profanity the only thing he accomplishes is a display of his ignorance in not being able to express himself in a proper way.
Paul wrote young Timothy and told him in the last days, "For men shall be blasphemers...”
It is believed by many we have more foul language today than any society that has ever existed. Did you know that America, the country that professes to be a Christian nation, has become known for her use of profanity more so than any other country today.
Illus; Up until the 50's you could hardly find a man who would curse in front of a woman or a child. Today it is not unusual to find men who have no respect for them whatsoever. In fact, now the women and children use as much foul language as the men do.
Illus: One man and his wife were in a restaurant out of town and a man and three women were sitting in the booth across the aisle from them. The man with the three women was telling dirty jokes and all three women were encouraging him with their laughter. He got very loud so the man, who was with his wife called him down. He paid no attention so the man had to call him down again. Instead of being considerate of the others around him, even though it was plain to see everyone around him was offended by the language he had been using, the man who had been using the foul language got angry.
In this day when people use foul language, using God’s name so freely, still a man's language will tell you what kind of man he is. He can pretend to be all kinds of things, but his tongue will give him away everytime.
Illus: When a person goes to the doctor when he is sick, the doctor has him to stick his tongue out. Why? Because the doctor can tell by how the tongue looks if certain things are wrong, or not wrong with his patient.
Some people will guard themselves from using profanity if they trying to impress someone, but if you are around them very long, they will eventually show their colors.
Illus: Maybe you have heard about the mule that always wanted to be horse. He went and had his ears clipped and pinned back. He began to associate only with the horses and none of them knew he was a mule until one day they heard him squeal like a mule.
Illus: That reminds me of the story of the farmer who was known for using so much profanity who was late for supper one evening. He had cursed mules so much, they would not budge until they heard him curse.
When he finally arrived home his wife asked him what took him so long. He said, “Well, on the way I had to pick the preacher up, and from there on, these mule of ours didn’t understand one word I said, I had to teach them a new vocabulary.”
Illus: If we hear a man speaking Spanish, we can safely assume that he is Hispanic. If we hear a man talk French we can safely assume that he is Frenchman. Likewise, when we hear a man using profanity and taking God’s name in vain we can safely assume that person is a person who rebels against God and has no respect for himself, others or the sacredness of God’s name.
We can transgress the Lord's sacred name by taking the Holy name of God an associating it with some curse word.
We can do it by using it in it a slang, such as. Gee, Gosh, and Golly.
The sin of taking His name in vain, is that we do not show the proper respect that we should show for His greatness. When others who hear us use His name this way they will soon have the wrong concept of God.
Illus: Suppose you have never seen a rose in your life. Then I show you a rose for the first time. However, when I show you the first rose you ever saw I call it by another name, I call it a tulip. The next time you see a rose, you say, “Look, what a beautiful tulip!” You may go the rest of your thinking a rose is a tulip.
When I take God's name and use it improperly, a person may go all his life thinking that God is no one special, otherwise I would not use His name as a curse word as I express my anger.
God did not want Israel to misrepresent Him. He had brought them out of bondage. Other nations were watching. God commanded, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord Thy God in vain...”,
II. WE CAN TRANSGRESS GOD'S NAME THROUGH HYPOCRISY.
Many Christians would never dream of speaking a word that would blaspheme the name of the Lord.
Those same people however, tell everyone they are Christians while they conduct themselves in a sinful manner. Their actions speak louder than their words in blaspheming the name of the Lord.
Paul wrote to Timothy and said the time would come when men would speak, "...lies in hypocrisy having Their conscience seared with a hot iron,” (I Timothy 4:2).
HOW CAN THEY SPEAK LIES, IN HYPOCRISY?
They can do it because the Bible says Their conscience seared with a hot iron
Illus: Some men who have to do hard work with their hands, their hands become so callused they cannot feel things like others who hands are sensitive.
Many are like this. They can speak harsh things and it does not bother them in the slightest.
We can display hypocrisy through our ACTIONS and our WORDS.
Illus: In 1971, French taxpayers were shocked to learn that their Premier had not paid any taxes between 1966 and 1969. He, in fact, asked the tax bureau for an $800 refund. It was all perfectly legal, as the Premier had taken advantage of the exemptions contained in the country's inequitable tax laws. However, what angered the people was that they had grown accustomed to hearing this Premier exhorted them to sacrifice for their country and its economy while at the same time he was not willing to do what he was asking them to do.
We see so much hypocrisy today!
For example, many today profess to be Christians in church but out in the world they take His sacred name and completely mis-represent Him with their sinful life-style.
Illus: Suppose someone took your wallet and went all over town using every credit card that you have, pretending to be you. How would you feel?
How do you reckon God feels when so many call themselves Christians while speaking lies in hypocrisy in the lives they are living.
Illus: In June of 1991 the scandal of Jimmy Swygert and a harlot appeared again on national news. What a disgrace his life was to the Lord God! Men like Larry King on CNN took that story and with great delight tore Christianity apart on the television screen.
Comedians for months did the same thing daily. God's name was no more an object of mockery.
Notice what God has to say to these, "...For the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain, “
A man may curse God's name and speak lies in His name in hypocrisy. But he can mark it down, one day and perhaps sooner than he realizes, he is going to have to give account to God for abusing His sacred name.
III. WE CAN TRANSGRESS GOD’S NAME THROUGH EMPTY PROMISES,
When people are in trouble, they are quick to call on God. There is nothing wrong with that.
The problem comes when many who recognize His greatness in time of distress, transgress His greatness when the times of distress have subsided in their lives.
For example, during the Persian Gulf Crisis their were mothers and dads who called upon that sacred name when they thought their sons or daughters were facing death. But now God has become a forgotten name, and likely will stay forgotten until the next time they need Him.
Illus: Some of you here today have called upon that sacred name from hospital bed and you promised Him there you would serve Him if He only raise you up. He has answered that prayer but now some have forgot about that sacred name they called upon.
Illus: There are some here who once faced financial difficulty and you called upon that sacred name for assistance. You promised Him if He would help you that you would be faithful each week to place at least the tithes that belong to Him, in the offering plates. He has answered your prayer and still to this day you have not kept your promise.
How would you feel, if your telephone rang tonight and someone called your name wanting your help? He promised you if you would loan him a thousand dollars he would be faithful to give it back. As time goes by, that person who called upon you no longer is in the distressful situation and now he will not do what he promised to do.
We can transgress the name of God by calling upon Him for the help that we need but not keep the vows we made to Him.
Conclusion/summary: We can transgress His name through profanity, hypocrisy, and through empty promises.
Many folk take God's name in vain and they say, "I did not mean it, I was having fun.”
There are somethings that are to sacred to treat lightly.
God did not want mankind to think of Him as Someone be taken lightly.
Israel was to remember that God brought them out of bondage and was leading them to the land of promise, He wanted them to obey His command, "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.”
God's name, and the things of God, should always be dealt with the greatest respect an reverence.
He is not "The man up stairs," He is a Holy God that worthy of all the respect that we can bestow upon Him. Our SPEECH, our ACTIONS, and our PROMISES should reveal that we reverence Him.
I. WE CAN TRANSGRESS GOD'S NAME THROUGH PROFANITY.
II. WE CAN TRANSGRESS GOD'S NAME THROUGH HYPOCRISY.
III. WE CAN TRANSGRESS GOD'S NAME THROUGH EMPTY PROMISES.
