Ten Conversations: How To Take God Seriously
You must not have any other god but Me
You must not make for yourself an idol
You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God
Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy
Honor your father and mother
You must not murder
You must not commit adultery
You must not steal
You must not lie
You must not covet
Everything God commands ultimately comes back to relationships, not rules.
Exodus 20:7 (NLT) You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse His name.
Proverbs 22:1 (NIV) A good name is more desirable than great riches.
They identify who we are.
They influence how we’re perceived.
They often carry meaning/purpose.
Matthew 1:21 (NIV) You are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.
At its core, this command is about how we treat God.
Genesis 2:19-20 (NLT) So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. 20 He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals.
Exodus 3:13-17 (NLT) “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is His name?’ Then what should I tell them?” 14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me…” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is My eternal name, My name to remember for all generations.”
“I AM” is pronounced Yahweh in Hebrew.
God’s name is holy because God is holy.
“You shall not carry the name of the Lord your God in an empty, false, or worthless manner.”
We misuse God’s name when we speak it carelessly.
Jesus:
“an exclamation of surprise, or strong expression of disbelief, dismay, disappointment.”
“the founder of the Christian religion.”
Psalm 29:2 (NLT) Honor the Lord for the glory of His name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness.
Psalm 34:3 (NLT) Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt His name together.
Psalm 111:9 (NIV) He provided redemption for His people; He ordained His covenant forever—holy and awesome is His name.
Matthew 6:9 (NLT) Pray like this: “Our Father in heaven, may Your name be kept holy.”
We misuse God’s name when we commit spiritual forgery.
Jeremiah 23:21 (NLT) “I have not sent these prophets, yet they run around claiming to speak for Me. I have given them no message, yet they go on prophesying.”
Leviticus 19:12 (NLT) “Do not bring shame on the name of your God by using it to swear falsely. I am the Lord.”
And lastly, we misuse God’s name when we live inconsistent lives.
“It doesn’t matter how high you jump on Sunday; it matters how straight you walk on Monday.”
Titus 1:16 (NLT) Such people claim they know God, but they deny Him by the way they live.
By the way, we live our lives, we are either bringing honor or dishonor to His name.
Matthew 5:16 (NLT) In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT) Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.
Exodus 20:7 (NLT) You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse His name.
We respect God’s name because of His actions.
Job 38:2-6 (NLT) “Who is this that questions My wisdom with such ignorant words? 3 Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. 4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you know so much. 5 Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? 6 What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone?
“God is God, and we’re not!”
We respect God’s name because it has power.
Acts 4:1-12 (NLT) While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. 2 These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. 3 They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning. …5 The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem… 7 They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, 9 are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? 10 Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. 11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ 12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
We respect God’s name because of His character.