The Character of God

A deeper reason for the prohibition may be seen in the fact that God is the one living reality to Israel. That is why his name is involved in oaths, usually in the formula ‘as surely as YHWH lives’ (). To use such a phrase, and then to fail to perform the oath, is to call into question the reality of God’s very existence.

We must see today’s message through the lens of grace. Because we are studying the law if we don't, we are going to leave here today with a sermon on behavior modification.

Our goal in studying the law is to understand and apply it to our lives, but also to understand it, through the lens of grace, so that we can share it with others.

There are enough people in this part of the country that are trying to get people to change their behavior patterns. The Gathering Place isn’t concerned with that.

We want our people to know the law, but understand that we are powerless to fulfill it, which is why Jesus came. He did what we were not able to do; to live a sinless life, and by doing so he made a way for our sins to be forgiven which allows us to be able to join God in the relationship that He intended.

Because of our tendency to revert back to our old ways, I need your full attention today.

Make sure that you are hearing and receiving this through the lenses of grace.

As we dig in today we are going to see more than perhaps we have seen before and we need to make sure we are understanding correctly.

The last few weeks we have looked at the first two of four commandments that deal with how we relate to God.

Have no other gods before me.

Do not make an image of me

Today we are going to look at the third commandment that is found in verse 7.

Exodus 20:7 ESV

7 “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.

Read

Do not make the name of God worthless.

The common understanding of this verse, for most of us, is that we should not use vulgar language and especially not to use vulgarity along with God’s name.

The word “Shav” is translated here as Vain. I don’t often go into the definitions of the Hebrew word, but for the context of this verse, I think it is helpful.

This word is used in scripture to mean the following things.

Vain

False

Empty/emptiness

Falsehood

Lies

Worthless

Nothing

Destruction

Vanity

Now we are getting a true sense of what God is saying here.

If you are like me and only thought this referenced the words we choose to speak along with God’s name, doesn’t that seem like an incomplete understanding of this command?

In the context of words that we use, in the near east, it was common and permissible to both bless and curse in the name of your god.

To bless and curse in the name of Yahweh was a sign of worshipping Him.

Using the name of the Lord to curse or bless was usually in the formula “as surely as YHWH lives.”

By blessing and cursing in God’s name, they were bringing weight and validity to what they were saying.

Matthew 5:34–35 ESV

34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

James 5:12 ESV

12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Jesus, in later condemns this practice. The apostle James does as well in .

The emphasis of both being that if we will keep our word, it isn’t necessary to swear an oath by anything.

If we were consistently keeping our word, we wouldn’t have to bring validity to our statement by mentioning anyone else.

b. What we have often failed to understand is that “taking the name of the Lord in vain” is much bigger than just the language that we use.

The grander image that God is communicating here, and that we see as we look at the use of this word, is that we should not cause defamation to His name by the way we live. – PUT YOUR GRACE LENSES ON.

We have already talked about this on several occasions through this study.

The fact that how we live matters needs to become our new standard.

The cultural norm of living a different life Monday through Saturday and then being a Christian on Sunday cannot be how we live life.

This cultural norm is primarily why the world views Christians the way they do.

This is one of Satan's favorite tactics.

If you’ve read C.S. Lewis’, The Screwtape Letters, you know what I am referring too.

If He can get us focused on the mundane, making that a priority, and then having us be satisfied with only the appearance of spiritual life is a fantastic way to destroy the church.

When people tell you that they are interested in having a relationship with God, what they mean is they aren’t interested in having a relationship with the God that has been portrayed to them by cultural Christianity.

If people truly knew Christ, we would have to start house churches all over the world because all of them wouldn’t fit in the church buildings we have and we have many churches.

People do not show interest in God because of the church.

I grew up in the church, but as I studied this week, I was gut-punched by this commandment. This was brand new for me.

Just out of curiosity, raise your hand if you have ever been taught this commandment this way before.

I’m not making this stuff up. It’s in the text.

Check this out. Read with me

Mark 10:17–22 ESV

17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Have you ever noticed the commandments that Jesus calls out to him?

It’s the last six which deal with how we treat one another.

He doesn’t quote the first four, which deal with how we relate to God.

Have you ever thought about the fact that He has spent all his time, resources, and effort to make himself look good, but has neglected his relationship with God?

Have you realized yet that focusing on our perceived perception is precisely how most of us have spent our lives as “believers”?

We, like the rich young ruler, have spent all our time focusing on ourselves.

Let me say it this way. We have been living worthless, empty, vain, and false lives.

All the while, doing it in God’s name and dragging Him down with us.

God will redeem His name.

2. God will redeem His name.

John 2:14–17 ESV

14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

John 2:117

Side note: this is example two for my theory that Jesus had some cowboy in him.

Jesus was angry. He was mad because His people took an act of worship, a process that was intended to bring His people back into right relationship with Him, and made it worthless. Jesus dealt with it.

I would venture to say that the vast majority of the problems that are plaguing the church today find their roots in the breaking of this commandment.

People are living for themselves, calling it God, and eventually, God brings that darkness into the light.

I don’t want to go too far down this road because we don’t have time to deal with it today, but let me remind you that Jesus made it a priority to call out those that were misrepresenting God.

He will reveal the areas where we are vain, and we will have to deal with the consequences.

Before we leave this point today I do want to remind you of how Jesus responds to our sin.

The rich young ruler isn’t sent away.

In fact, look at Jesus response.

Mark 10:21–22 ESV

21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Jesus loved him.

He reveals the mans sin by using the law, but he offers fix the problem by inviting him to follow.

One cannot simply walk with Jesus and not learn what it means to be in relationship with God.

Jesus gives him the same offer that he gave to the other disciples.

The man chooses to leave.

He has made worthless things more important that God.

Motivated by Grace, our lives will show the world the truth about who God is.

I’m so excited for today because we have been praying for and are about to affirm a group of men and women that have heard and obeyed the call to serve the body in the roll of Deacons and Deaconesses.

They are choosing to live

These men and women have lives that are not wrapped up in serving their intrest.

They represent God well in the way they live their lives.

I wanted to take a few minutes today before we go through the affirmation process and remind us all what we learned as we studied what it means to be a Deacon or Deaconess.

Acts 6:1–7 ESV

1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

ii.

They are called by God to serve the physical needs of the body.

Philippians 1:1 ESV

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

There is a clear distinction between the roles of Elders and Deacons.

I am bringing this up because we view this differently than most other Southern Baptist Churches.

Elders oversee the spiritual needs of the body, and deacons and deaconesses serve the physical needs of the body.

Romans 16:1–2 ESV

1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.

Paul affirms Phoebe’s call as Deaconess. She holds that position based on her merit and not her marital status.

1 Tim 38-13

1 Timothy 3:8–13 ESV

8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

Qualifications of Deacons and Deaconesses

Dignified

Honest

Sober

Faithful

Full of the Spirit

Full of Wisdom

Full of Grace and Power

At this time, I am going to turn the service over to Glen to conduct the affirmation process.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.