32-There's Something About That Name

INSIGHT

When you hear the name of someone you love being spoken, are not your thoughts filled with pleasant memories and emotions? Doesn’t that person’s face fill your mind and you can only think about how much their presence has blessed you? The same emotions and thoughts are evoked when the name of someone you associate with negative feelings is spoken, unfortunately in a negative way, though. This goes to show you how much there is in a name. How much do you value your name? I’m not necessarily talking about what the name means, or if it’s a nice name or a weird one; I’m talking about the value others have learned to attach to your name. The special associations that are made when your name is spoken. Have you been careful to guard your name? To keep it from being a curse to others?

The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot. Prov 10:7

The deliverance of Israel was initiated by the revelation of God’s name to Moses.

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob--has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation. Exodus 3:14-15

God’s name was to be magnified among the nations at that time and forever more. It was time for the world to know who the Lord, God of Israel, was. The inner meaning of Yahweh--"I am the One who is"--emphasizes God's dynamic and active self-existence. Our Lord God is not the God of the dead, like some make Him to be, but He is the God of the living (Luke 20:37-38). As His name implies, He is to be sought in the present, not to be thought about for past issues or future requests. He does not dwell in the past and does not promise involvement in our life for the future only; He demands present attention and conviction. Present changes in your heart and mind¾not to be putt off for later (see Heb 3:7-9). As Jesus Himself declared, the ever-present nature of God dwelled in Him when He also said He was the Great I AM!

"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"

The Heart of God: The Third Commandment
There's Something About That Name...

Key Text: Exodus 20:7

"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”

Theme:

The name of God stands for the person He has revealed Himself to be. It was by God’s name that Moses was sent as His messenger; it was by God’s name that Israel was delivered out of Egypt with power and it was in the name of God that they were called to have a covenant with Him. Since God’s name reveals things about His character, any use of it that is irreverent and inappropriate shows disrespect and lack of understanding. As Jesus Himself prayed, God’s name is to be hallowed in your life; honored as holy. By word and by deed your life needs to show that the name of your God is “I AM”¾YAHWEH!!!

Application:

Here are some practical suggestions:

1. Think about God’s name. Do you not know that His mark is upon you? You have been sealed with His Spirit! Ephesians 4:30

2. God’s name is pure. If God’s name doesn’t sound right being attached to something you’re doing, saying or thinking, then it shouldn’t de done, said or thought of!

3. God’s name invokes intimacy. Begin each day with a prayer to be in sync with the Spirit. Let God amaze you by what He accomplishes through your devotion to Him. Be thankful and content with everything!

4. Develop a godly fear! Be aware that God is really with you and that He has saved you! Make Him the focus and center of your everyday activities!

May the Lord richly bless you!

Sermon Outline

Something About that Name...

I. God’s name reveals His essence...

       Psalm 29:2

   1. God has a name

   2. He first used His name in connection with the

       Exodus.

II. Jesus shares God’s name...

       Matthew 1:23

   1. God’s ultimate essence is revealed in Jesus

   2. His name is powerful. John 17:11

   3. His name is the highest. Phillipians 2:9-11

III. Swearing in God’s name???

       2 Samuel 2:27

1. Why was swearing common in the OT times?

2. God is the only sure thing in this universe.

3. Their integrity eroded as they didn’t keep promises

      not sworn in God’s name

4. Jesus teaches integrity by keeping your word.

      Matthew 5:33-37

IV. Profanity, Pretense and Presumption??!!

       Matthew 7:21-23

1. Self is praised

2. God’s will is not sought

3. God’s name is belittled

4. Hypocrisy reigns (see Matthew 23:1ff)

V. The name of the Lord is to be praised!

1. His name is to be feared

2. His name is to be honored.

3. Our life is to reflect the right use of God’s name.

Small Group Study

Warm-up:

When you think about the name of God, what comes to mind? What do your thoughts turn to when God’s name is spoken?

See To It Daniel 2:19-23

1. In this prayer of thanksgiving and praise, Daniel reveals many of God’s qualities. What kind of things did he attribute to God’s name?

2. What was he thanking God for in verse 23?

3. Now read verses 24-47. From verses 27 and 28, who did Daniel give credit to for being able to interpret the king’s dream?

Seeing It Closer 2 Timothy 3:1-9

1. What kind of people is the Apostle Paul speaking of in these verse?

2. According to verse 2, pride and selfishness is emphasized.

3. What does verse 3 and 4 say about these people?

4. Can you name a couple of things that supposedly have been done in the of God, but have turned out to be very selfish acts, to elevate men instead of God?

5. Is God the main motivation for these acts, or is it these qualities mentioned in the verses here?

6. Have you ever wanted to do something in God’s name only to discover that it was for your own purposes that you wanted to do this? What helped you realize that you were being presumptuous about using God’s name?

Getting To It:

“From foul mouthed pagans to fund raising preachers, the possibilities of emptying God’s name of its honor and power seem endless. In contrast to such a spirit, there is an attitude towards God that the Bible calls the fear of the Lord.”

This week's Quiet Times:

There's Something About That Name...

MONDAY

The holy and everlasting name of God was revealed ultimately by the person and work of Immanuel. Read Isaiah 7:14. What does the name Immanuel mean? (Look at the footnote for this verse in your Bible). Who was it, then, that was coming into the world? What was the sign of His coming? Look at Isaiah 9:6-7. What will this child be called, according to Isaiah’s prophecy? What kingdom is Isaiah talking about in verse 7? Does he mean David’s physical Kingdom? The Kingdom of Israel, or the Kingdom of God? Notice that the Kingdom this child was to posses would increase in peace forever! Could such an inheritance be attributed to a physical worldly Kingdom? Now read Matthew 1:18-25. Prophecy fulfilled! So far, we’ve seen many qualitative names given to Jesus, most importantly Jesus and Immanuel. Write Proverbs 18:10 on an index card and memorize it.

TUESDAY

Read the introductory pages of your Bible. If you have an NIV or a NAS, there’s usually an explanation for why the translators chose to translate God’s name as LORD in the pages of Scripture instead of YHWH, known as the tetragrammaton. If your Bible doesn’t have these introductory pages then ask someone who has an NIV or a NAS to let you read this part of their Bible. It is usually located in the preface. Do you believe that abstaining from pronouncing or writing God’s personal name is what the third commandment is all about? Think about what this name stands for. Read John 17:11. What was this name that the Father gave Jesus? What power does it hold for those who believe in it? You see, Jesus shares God’s name. The name of the God of Israel and the Word made flesh among us (Immanuel) is the same, all-encompassing, supreme name. Read Phillipians 2:9-11. what name is this that God gave Jesus? The name that is above every name? The answer is in verse 11: Jesus is LORD!!! The phrase “in the name of the LORD” is replaced all over the New Testament by “in the name of Jesus”. The name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is the same as the name of Jesus. Compare Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38. Write John 8:58 on an index card and memorize it. "I am" in the Greek is "ego eimi": I am, I have been, I will always be. Jesus declares himself to be The Lord Almighty!

WEDNESDAY

To use the name of the Lord in vain is to trivialize God’s very existence and dishonor what His name stands for. Read Leviticus 19:12. Look up the word profane in a good dictionary. What kind of swearing is spoken against of in this passage? Now read 2 Samuel 2:27. Is this man using God’s name in vain? In those days people used God’s name to validate their words. Since God’s very existence was the only and ultimate truth, people commonly used His name in oaths. Jesus teaches us, in the same spirit, that any oath or promise we make we should count worthy to keep so that we may be people of integrity. False swearing is considering oaths in God’s name as the only ones worthy to keep. This is a gross misuse of God’s name because of hypocrisy. Jesus accused the Pharisees of this very thing in Matthew 23:16-22. Write Matthew 5:37 on an index card and memorize it.

THURSDAY

The only time you hear people speaking the name of God outside of a worship service is probably when they invoke His name to condemn someone or something, out of anger or frustration. An angry man was using God’s name freely as he vented his anger toward a clerk in a store. Almost every sentence had a request for God to condemn something or someone to eternal damnation. The man had his eleven year old son with him, who wasn’t the least bit surprised about his dad’s behavior. An older clerk walked over to the situation and asked, “Pardon me, sir, but do you always do your praying in public? And so loudly? My God is not in the damning business, and you are giving this young boy the wrong idea about God: you are implying that God desires to condemn rather than to seek and save the lost.” Now don’t think that just because you don’t curse or use God’s or Jesus’ name in profanity you’re guiltless of using His name in vain. Matthew 7:21-23 reveals that those who invoke the holy name of God without pursuing a holy life are only being pretentious. The harshest words from Jesus are reserved for those people (see Matthew 23). Write Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 on an index card and memorize it.

FRIDAY

The people of God’s covenant community respect Him. When He speaks, the people listen; when He commands, they obey; when He is disobeyed, he does not hesitate to punish because He loves His people. There is a stability in the relationship between Him and His people that can never be in any other religion. YAHWEH is the same yesterday, today and forever. The beginning of knowledge and wisdom is fear. See Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; 2:1-5; 9:10; 14:27; 16:6. The very nature of the name of God is to be feared. Go back to Psalm 111:2-9. Remember the distinction that is made in the Scriptures. It is not a fear of terror, due to punishment, but an honor and respect out of what the Lord has shown Himself to be to His covenant people. (1 John 4:18). Write Exodus 3:14 on an index card and memorize it.