Bearing the Name of God
Notes
Transcript
I know that I typically read from the NIV, but I want to read from the ESV for today.
Please open up your Bible to Exodus 20:7.
In this chapter we find what we call the ten commandments, or the decalogue.
Let’s check out one of the commandments.
Exodus 20:7 says,
“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.
Let us pray.
I don’t know about you,
but one of the worst things I have heard somebody say to me
or to some other Christian is,
And you call yourself a Christian!
I mean, it’s one of the worst things I have ever heard,
because, as a Christian,
I am supposed to represent Christ,
and there are only so many people who represent Christ
in our work or school or family,
so we have a big responsibility of representing Christ.
and yet, people tell us,
And you call yourself a Christian!
They probably said this because we were caught cheating on a test,
or saying a bad word,
or said something mean,
or a dirty joke,
or acted in some inappropriate way.
Others know that you’re a Christian,
and see you act up.
So they say,
And you call yourself a Christian.
Or maybe a friend would say,
“See you’re not better than the rest of us.
You’re one of us.
I always knew you never changed.
You were just acting holier-than-thou,
but nothing really changed...
You hypocrite!”
It’s pretty humiliating.
We are supposed to demonstrate that we are Christians.
But yet people say,
And you call yourself a Christian!
Perhaps, instead of saying that,
they say,
“You’re not a real Christian”
A REAL Christian wouldn’t do what you just did.
A REAL Christian wouldn’t listen to the music you listen to.
A REAL Christian wouldn’t dress like you dress.
There are so many things that “REAL Christians” do,
but it seems like you just don’t do them.
...
Of course,
we shouldn’t let what others say define us.
We are all on a journey,
and they don’t know our private progress.
But, here’s a question Christopher Wright, a missionary posed:
How could you bear witness to being a follower of Jesus, if you were just as “worldly” as all the other young folks?
You know,
if you live like the world,
like nothing has changed your life,
people will see no reason to follow Jesus.
If you are just like them,
there’s no need for them to follow Jesus,
as evidently,
according to your lifestyle,
Jesus is unable to change your life.
What we believe about God should influence how we live.
The belief of God’s people needs to change the behavior of God’s people.
If you call yourself a Christian,
you need to behave like a Christian.
If you cling or bear the name of Christ,
you must depart from iniquity.
Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.
And we might think that part of turning away from wickedness is following the Ten Commandments.
Many of us have heard of the ten commandments.
We might know them by heart,
probably in the KJV.
You probably heard this.
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.
What does this mean?
Not taking the name of the LORD in vain.
By the way,
LORD—in all caps—means God’s covenant name--
Jehovah or Yahweh.
So what does it mean not to take the name of the LORD in vain?
Many of us have thought that this means that we do not use the name of God or Jesus or Christ as a swear word,
or in any kind of exclamation.
And while we shouldn’t do these things,
This command means so much more than not saying “Jesus” as a swear word,
NOT LESS, but more.
I recently read a whole book on this verse.
It was written by Carmen Joy Imes.
She’s a professor.
And she said that a better rendition of this verse is this:
You shall not bear the name of the LORD thy God in vain.
She looked at the Hebrew,
looked at the context,
and she concluded
that this verse was about bearing the name of God
the name of Yahweh,
and everyone can see that we bear the name of God.
It’s visible.
It’s an ethical and missional responsibility.
We should not take lightly to bear the name of God in vain.
One of the weaknesses of the modern church is that it has neglected the teachings of bearing God’s name.
Bearing God’s name was important to the nation of Israel,
and it was important to Christ, the Apostles and the early Christians.
The early Christians looked at the Old Testament,
would have looked at the story of Malachi,
looked at the commandments,
and they found them relevant to them.
---
Unfortunately, many Christians think they could live without the Old Testament.
---
Living without the Old Testament would have appalled Jesus, Paul, and Peter.
Saying,
“Oh, we’re just NT Christians, not OT.”
No,
we need to stop doing that.
The ethics of the Old Testament,
the teachings of the Hebrew Scriptures,
the story of the Hebrew Bible is connected to the gospel of the New Testament.
And this teaching about bearing the name of the LORD hinges both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
I think that people can benefit now from studying the OT.
We need the OT to truly understand Jesus and his work.
It’s not a dichotomy.
It’s not either the old testament or the New testament.
No they go together.
And we should see that the story of the Old Testament is also part of our story.
---
We will be looking at Moses on the mountain,
Sinai is the mountain’s name.
The ancient Israelites were there and met their God, Yahweh.
None of us have been to Sinai, I think.
The people of Israel were there over 3,000 years ago.
They spoke a different language than us.
They lived differently
Had different values, customs, and concerns.
However, we are united to their story through Christ.
I pray that you would see this biblical story and recognize that this is your story.
I know that some of you have read the Bible.
You get to Sinai in Exodus.
And it gets boring because there are all of these laws,
that might seem harsh, irrelevant, primitive, cruel.
But these laws are important.
Hopefully, you remember the story of the exodus.
God had delivered the Israelites from Egypt through the leadership of Moses.
The slaves were free.
And they started traveling through the wilderness.
They were hungry and thirsty.
They eventually arrived at Mount Sinai.
Moses climbs up to meet with God on the mountain.
The people and God meet.
...
And God gives them.... rules?
Could you imagine Moses.
“Uh… Lord?
Isn’t this the part where you bless us?
Or give us food?
These people have been on a journey,
and you’re giving them rules?”
couldn’t God just have waited.
But these rules were important.
These rules would show the world that Israel was wise and understanding.
Wisdom.
Through the law.
Yup.
The Hebrews,
the Israelites,
had fled Egypt.
They were children of Abraham,
and the group consisted of a mixed multitude:
It consisted of refugees and former slaves who were seeking a better life.
It wasn’t easy leaving.
They wondered whether they were safe.
They asked about where they were going.
They wanted to know what they would eat,
and who’s in charge.
They desired to know who Yahweh, the God of Moses was,
and what he expected of them.
On their journey to their destination,
they were in a process of liminality.
Liminality
The word liminality is used to talk about things that are, like, in limbo.
Like you standing in a doorway,
you’re neither in the room, nor out.
We all experience liminality.
Like all moms,
they were all pregnant at one point.
a pregnant woman—she enters liminality.
She’s like a mom while she’s pregnant, but not yet.
Liminality is usually temporary,
but it can last for a while.
A lot of immigrants and refugees experience liminality.
They lack papers to work legally
or to even stay in their host country,
always feeling like an outsider,
yet being part of the country,
never knowing if they should put down roots or start packing.
Colleges and schools create liminality.
Students are expected to enter this passing phase.
You learn the ropes,
and just when you get used to it,
you graduate
(BTW, I’m graduating next Sat ;)
...
The nation of Israel was in a liminal space.
The wilderness and their time at Sinai was temporary.
Just like school, the wilderness was supposed to prepare Israel for when they entered the Promised Land.
Israel had been liberated from slavery in Egypt,
but they had not arrived at their final destination.
They had left everything in Egypt.
But like how were they supposed to survive?
They felt vulnerable and uncertain.
They didn’t know how to live under God.
So God was not in a hurry to take them out of liminality.
HE kept them there until they’re ready.
And to prepare them, God spoke to them.
And gave them the Torah, the law,
for leadership,
guidance,
protection,
and provision.
God invited them to begin walking in a new way by trusting him.
In this liminal space,
the Israelites could hear the voice of God.
...
Trust in God is not automatic.
It’s a process.
And God spends time with the Israelites so that they could learn.
He works patiently with the Israelites.
A lot of the times,
the Israelites fail to trust,
but God is patient.
God had Moses partner with him.
I hope you know the story of Moses.
It’s a beautiful story.
Moses was a Hebrew,
a descendant of Abraham.
In Egypt, Pharoah decided to kill all of the Hebrew babies.
But through a series of fortunate events,
Moses was delivered and grew up in the royal palace of Egypt.
Eventually, Moses fled Egypt and became a shepherd.
As a shepherd, he found a burning bush.
God spoke through the burning bush.
God reminded Moses about the covenant,
the berit that
he had made with Abraham.
God was still faithful.
He would deliver the Israelites.
And God was going to use Moses to deliver the Israelites.
Moses asked,
“Who am I to do this?”
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
And God responded,
And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
I will be with you.
Moses asked God, “Who am I?”
And God says, “I will be with you.”
Carmen Joy Imes said,
It doesn’t matter who Moses is. It matters only that God is with him.
It didn’t matter who Moses was,
what he had learned in the royal palace,
it didn’t matter that he was a shepherd.
God wasn’t like,
hey you have learned a lot in the royal palace.
Instead,
God only said,
I will be with you.
I will be with you,
and that’s enough.
That’s enough for Moses to get up,
and go to pharoah,
and deliver the Israelites from slavery.
I will be with you.
Sounds a lot like the last words of Jesus in the Great Commission.
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
I am with you always.
That’s enough to do anything.
That was enough to help Moses deliver the Israelites from the Egyptian world power.
Moses would take Israel to the same mountain where he met God.
And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
At mount Sinai, the Israelites would worship the LORD.
...
At the burning bush,
Moses learned about God’s name.
God revealed his name.
This is pretty significant.
Most gods were known by a nickname,
and were distant.
Knowing the proper divine name offered access to power.
The Legend of Isis and Re
In the Egyptian Legend of Isis and Re,
one god tries to get control of the other,
but they could only do so by knowing the other’s true name.
Yahweh, the LORD
whenever you see the LORD capitalized, remember it’s referring to Yahweh.
Yahweh instead of being like the distant pagan gods.
Yahweh doesn’t hide his name and keep his distance,
instead he reveals his name to Moses.
And therefore,
Yahweh is inviting Moses into his counsel.
They’re on a first-name basis.
No more Mr. President or Mr. God.
Now,
it’s Yahweh.
...
Yahweh, God, partnered with Moses and delivered the Israelites.
And he takes them to the mountain,
and what is the first thing God preached to this community of slaves?
In Exodus 19:3-6
God said
Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
Look at the type of intimacy God shows.
I carried you on eagles’ wings.
I brought you to myself.
You will be my treasured possession.
My segolah.
You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
The Old Testament is beautiful.
We see God’s grace!
Yahweh had military victory over Egypt.
He triumphed over Egypt and freed his people.
Yahweh loves (ahav) Israel so much that he carried them on eagle’s wings.
He keeps them safe.
And Israel will be his special treasure.
In response,
Israel should have represented him.
And the Israelites didn’t have to guess how they would represent God.
No, God gave them the Torah.
He gave them the instructions.
It’s a good thing.
It was supposed to help the Israelites understand their role in this world.
God spoke the Torah so that the Israelites wouldn’t have to do guesswork.
He told them straight up.
The Torah was a gift.
God had already saved Israel,
and now this is how they would live their lives.
...
Now let me be clear,
since we are talking a lot about laws.
The Torah was not meant to give Israel salvation.
Israel was already saved since God had delivered them from Egypt.
Obedience to the law did not bring salvation.
But the law, the Torah
were fences within which life could flourish.
They made the Israelites different so that other nations could see the character of Yahweh and what he expects.
...
Carmen Joy shares a story about her son attending his annual awards assembly at his school.
His fifth grade assembly was pretty significant because his teacher, Mr. Andries, was retiring after 38 years of teaching.
He was a very good teacher.
But his last words to the students at the assembly were, you might say, mundane.
Mr. Andries said,
“Don’t forget.... to make your bed.”
It was his daily mantra.
And he thought that if children start with small things, like making their beds,
they would be disciplined and grow, inch by inch.
But still,
“Don’t forget to make your bed.”
It seems pretty anticlimactic.
And it might feel that way when we read the exodus story.
God picked Moses.
Partnered with him.
Showed his wonders.
Destroyed Egypt.
Delivered the Israelites.
And now they’re at the mountain.
At the climax.
And God… gives… them laws?
Again, the Old Testament was written in Hebrew.
It didn’t use the English word law.
Instead, think Torah.
A good translation for Torah is instruction.
Don’t think of the western form of law.
When we think of law that way,
we think of legislature that indicates either required or prohibited behavior,
that cops and other governmental agencies enforce.
Ancient law didn’t work the same way.
It was at times hypothetical and was supposed to give wisdom.
Think maybe of law as wisdom.
The instruction, the torah, invited the Israelites to live a life worth living.
With the giving of the torah,
we see a father giving instructions to his children.
Yahweh giving instructions to Israel.
It’s something personal God gave to Israel,
gave to Israel, not to the church.
And it consisted of the Ten Commandments, the Decalogue.
Here they are
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
“You shall not murder.
“You shall not commit adultery.
“You shall not steal.
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
The first command is
I am Yahweh your God, so...
You must have no other gods and
You must not make an image.
Exodus 20:2-6 is the first command, although others would split it differently.
The first command says that Yahweh, the God of Israel is the only God.
Therefore, Israel is to worship only Yahweh.
There are a lot of options of what we could worship today and then,
but worshipping Yahweh is the only legitimate deity deserving of worship.
The second command is about taking the Lord’s name in vain.
I really just want to focus on the second command for today.
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
That’s the NIV translation.
As I said in the beginning,
many think that taking the Lord’s name in vain means using the word “Jesus” or “God” as a swear word.
Maybe at your house,
you couldn’t use “gosh” or “holy cow” bc they were too irreverent.
And I mean substituting swear words thinly veiled exhibit the same toxicity.
It’s not advisable to use God’s name as a swear word--
dishonoring God in any way is a serious matter.
But this is not what this command is talking about.
What some people have called the Name Command.
Maybe if we look at it through the translation Carmen has,
we could make sense of what the command means.
You must not bear (or carry) the name of Yahweh, your God, in vain, for Yahweh will not hold guiltless one who bears (or carries) his name in vain.
It’s not just about speaking God’s name,
but it’s about bearing God’s name in vain.
This command is about bearing the name of God well.
It’s about representing God’s name, God’s person, well.
Yahweh puts his name over the nation,
the nation has the name of Yahweh,
and it had to bear the name of God well.
This command is a warning about bearing the name in vain.
It’s more than just not saying,
“Oh, Yahweh!”
when somebody cuts you off on the freeway.
Or disgruntling “Jesus Christ!” when you don’t get what you want.
Keeping this command changes more than just what we say,
but it changes how we live.
It changes everything about how we live.
The Israelites were supposed to bear God’s name,
and bearing God’s name meant to live differently from the surrounding pagans.
The Israelites had God’s name;
therefore, they are different.
And the other commands follow from this idea of bearing God’s name.
If Israel bared God’s name well,
they would rest,
rest on the Sabbath.
They would honor their parents,
especially their mom’s on mother’s day.
They would not murder.
They would not commit adultery.
They would not steal.
They would not give false testimony.
And they would not covet.
God gave his name to the Israelites.
The Israelites essentially had an invisible tattoo on them that said, God’s
They had to bear that name well.
...
At Sinai, Israel discovered their role.
And their identity and calling.
...
But Israel would fail to bear God’s name well.
They would actually break the name command.
They would bear God’s name in vain.
But God knew that this would happen.
So he set up a sacrificial system.
A day of atonement,
which would prefigure what would come in the New Testament.
And the priests of Israel would regularly tell the Israelites a prayer that we know pretty well:
The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
“ ‘ “The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.” ’
“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
Israel would be regularly reminded that they bear God’s name.
The priests would pray this prayer.
And they would put God’s name on the Israelites.
The Israelites had belonged to Egypt.
They had Egypt’s name imprinted on them.
They were branded as part of Egypt’s property.
But now they belong to Yahweh.
They willingly belong to Yahweh.
They bear his name, dedicating their lives to his service.
And their new master is determined to bless them and treat them lovingly.
...
Everyone is looking at Israel.
Seeing what type of God their master really is.
The Israelites have a great responsibility.
Others should be able to tell just by looking at Israel that they belong to Yahweh.
What they wear, what they eat, how they treat one another,
who they are intimate with, how they do business,
all these areas should reflect Yahweh.
If they failed to represent God’s name well,
Yahweh’s name would be at stake.
...
And to be honest,
Israel failed to honor God.
As we saw in Malachi,
Israel cheated,
abused the powerless,
gave God cut-rate sacrifices.
The nation of Israel was not bearing the name of God.
They were no longer distinct.
They blended with the nations.
However,
even though the Israelites bore the name of God dishonorably,
God still wanted Israel to identify itself with him.
Look at what God said through the prophet Isaiah:
Some will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’;
others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
and will take the name Israel.
The prophets proclaimed that a great spiritual awakening would occur!
Some Israelites will make their allegiance to Yahweh,
by getting a tattoo on their hand that says layahweh,
belonging to Yahweh.
Even if the Israelites were acting like they didn’t have a God,
there will be a day when it’s evident that Israel belongs to God.
...
So,
you’ve probably heard me talk about the Israelites and them bearing Yahweh’s name.
And you might think,
“Oh this is an OT thing.
Kinda cool to think about,
but there are no immediate ramifications for me.
This not relevant to me.”
But it actually is.
This theme of bearing God’s name is present throughout the NT.
The name appears in the Lord’s Prayer:
Jesus teaches us to pray to sanctify the Father’s name.
We are to make the Father’s name known.
We are committed to honoring God’s name.
And then in the NT,
we also see ‘Jesus’ name being used as God’s name would be used.
In fact, according to Acts 4:12, the name of Jesus is the only saving name:
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
What’s so special about the name of Jesus that there is salvation in his name?
Matthew 1:21 might give us some insight
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Mary would give her baby the name Jesus,
because he would save.
The name Jesus means “Yahweh saves.”
Because Mary’s son and Yahweh would save his people from their sins,
Mary’s son’s name would Hoshea, Jesus, “Yahweh saves”!
The name of Jesus does not replace the name of the LORD, the name Yahweh.
Instead, Jesus’ name announces that Yahweh has come to save his people.
There’s not a disconnection between Jesus and Yahweh.
Jesus is seen as Yahweh’s representative (and Jesus is Yahweh/Jehovah).
The work that Jesus does is done because Jesus has come in the name of the Father.
I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.
In Jesus, we see what Israel should have done.
In Jesus, we see a person who is wholeheartedly bearing God’s name honorably.
In Jesus, we see a human who is fully committed to making God’s name known.
Every action that Jesus did is marked with the name of the Father.
Jesus reflects the the behavior and character of God,
just as the Israelites should have represented God.
Jesus passed the test Israel failed.
In the wilderness,
Jesus defeated Satan.
Jesus passed the test we all failed.
And then,
the followers of Jesus began to elevate the name of Jesus.
The early church used Jesus’ name as the Old Testament used Yahweh’s name.
From the OT to the NT,
reverence transferred from Yahweh to Jesus without explanation or apology.
And full of God’s Spirit,
Peter preached the first sermon of the church.
He quoted Joel 2:32
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors
whom the Lord calls.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord,
anyone who calls on the LORD, Yahweh, will be saved, but then Peter starts saying in the name of Jesus.
Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
No other name but Yahweh and no other name but Jesus save.
Peter is convinced that Jesus of Nazareth is Yahweh in the Flesh, Immanuel, “God with us.”
Therefore, the people of God call on Jesus’ name,
are baptized in his name,
perform healing in his name,
teach in his name,
do signs and wonders in his name,
proclaim his name,
have faith in his name,
and receive forgiveness in his name.
There is a shift:
The focus turns from the name of Yahweh to the name of Jesus.
Philippians 2:9 says that God gave Jesus the name that is above every other name.
(don’t read)
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
Because Jesus has finished all the work the Father had given him,
God has given the name that is above every name.
...
Jesus finished all the work the Father had assigned him
BUT
he didn’t finish all work.
Jesus finished all the work the Father had assigned him
BUT
he didn’t finish all work.
In fact, Jesus has left work for us, his disciples, to do.
We are commissioned to carry out his mission.
Look at what the Lord said about Paul, a disciple of Jesus:
In a very literal translation
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;
Paul was an instrument of Jesus to bear his name.
We as disciples are to do the same thing:
We are instruments who bear the name of God.
We sing, worship, serve, live,
as bearers of God’s name.
Do whatever it takes to bear God’s name well,
even if it means dying on a cross.
Bearing the name of Jesus means that we have the task of reflecting Christ through our behavior.
Carmen Joy said:
While Israel’s task had been to bear Yahweh’s name among the nations, the church is now to bear Jesus’ name among the nations.
We are ambassadors of Christ.
We are his emissaries.
We do life in the name of Christ.
And in the name of Jesus,
we are supposed to make more disciples,
by baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
and teaching them to obey.
We are Jesus’ representatives.
And it’s not easy.
We have challenges.
We live in a world where bearing the name of Jesus is hard.
In school, it’s hard.
Even if you’re in a Christian school, it’s hard.
The scholar that I have been referencing, Carmen Joy,
she shared her experience as a Christian within a Christian school.
You would think it’d be easier to be a Christian in a Christian school, right?
That you wouldn’t face persecution or judgment for bearing the name of Jesus, right?
I wish that was the case,
but I have witnessed students tease other students for listening to Christian music.
Carmen Joy shared that she felt a lot of pressure to stop taking her faith so seriously.
She was teased a lot.
“God” was a topic reserved for Sunday school and Bible classes,
but was unwelcome on the playground.
She was called,
“a Goody two shoes,”
when she talked about following Jesus.
And it’s hard to handle that.
Maybe we haven’t experienced that but we do feel pressures from friends and family to represent God in a way that is less than honorable.
We sometimes believe that following Jesus would eliminate struggle,
but that’s not the case.
However, the good news of the Bible is that Jesus is with those who bear his name.
We have his presence.
And it’s beautiful.
But it’s only available for those who bear his name.
It is only available for those who are under his name.
you can be under his name.
Yes, God’s name was only available for the Israelites at first,
but now Gentiles, non-Israelites, are invited.
You are invited.
It is a big responsibility taking God’s name,
but it is the best decision you could ever make.
And we are here, we are small,
but we are here to help one another.
All here who are in Christ have this invisible tattoo.
We are marked with his name.
And while we mess up in bearing his name honorably,
we sometimes bear his name in vain,
God is willing to forgive us.
We are forgiven people who strive to bear God’s name well.
This week bear God’s name well.