My sermon notes for Sunday morning, Sept. 19th as we walk through the book of Deuteronomy. Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. They are provided to help you follow the sermon as you listen each week. The church provides a live stream of the service each Sunday at 10:45 on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/firstbaptistavonpark/ We also provide the services through our website by Sunday afternoon at www.fbcap.net
Deuteronomy 5:11 – 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.
INTRO:
This verse should not take us too long to figure out. The name of God is very important. Our usage of His name is very important and to be taken seriously.
Exodus 3:13-14 – [13] Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” [14] God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (ESV)
Matt 6:9 – Our Father in heaven, hallowed by Your name.
Therefore the why and how we reference His name should be taken very seriously and reverently.
Notice the text. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain
- Vain – empty, worthless, no good purpose
Our Words matter, our words are powerful, and if not careful our words can be sinful.
- James 3:8-10 – but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. [9] With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. [10] From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
HIS NAME IN VAIN
Profane and Irreverent way
- What we would call cursing.
- Said out of anger and disgust
- Crying out in sinful disbelief and questioning
- To confirm a fact. To make an oath.
- “God on our lips and the devil in our hearts” – Thomas Watson
Flippant and Superficial way
- Empty and meaningless phrases.
- Words just rolling off our lips.
- Not intending harm, but yet spoken
Hypocritical way
- Claiming His name and acting differently
- Professing one’s faith, yet not living the life
- Titus 1:16 – They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
- Romans 2:24 – For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
- Worship with our lips, yet not meaning them with our heart
- Matthew 15:8-9 – This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; [9] in vain do they worship me
Authoritative way
- Using His name to as a sign of authority, approval, and confirmation
- “God has told me”
- “God has given me a peace about it”
- To confirm (As an oath – Matt 5:33)
- “I swear to God”
HIS NAME TO PROCLAIM
Psalm 81:1 – Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob!
Psalm 29:1–2 – [1] Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. [2] Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.
Acts 4:11–12 – [11] This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. [12] And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (ESV)
Romans 10:11–13 – [11] For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” [12] For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. [13] For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (ESV)
Philippians 2:9–11 – [9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, [10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (ESV)
Bill and Gloria Gather – There Is Something About That Name
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus; there’s just something about that name
Master, Savior, Jesus; like the fragrance after the rain;
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let all Heaven and Earth proclaim
Kings and Kingdoms will all pass away,
But there’s something about that name.
SCRIPTURE:
James 3:1–12 – [1] Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. [2] For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. [3] If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. [4] Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. [5] So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! [6] And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. [7] For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, [8] but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. [9] With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. [10] From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. [11] Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? [12] Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. (ESV)
Titus 1:10–16 – [10] For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. [11] They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. [12] One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” [13] This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, [14] not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. [15] To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. [16] They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. (ESV)
Romans 2:21–24 –[21] you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? [22] You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? [23] You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. [24] For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (ESV)
Matthew 15:7–9 – [7] You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: [8] “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; [9] in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (ESV)