What’s the Big Deal with God’s Name? - I

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Wait. Do you really mean to invoke the name of the Most High God for your burger? God Almighty is worthy of all glory and honor. We are mere men and women under the umbrella of His divine authority. So how inappropriate is it to express some kind of disrespect or dishonor to God on high?

It's almost a question that doesn't need to be asked. Yet so many dishonor the Lord by using His name inappropriately. Does it bother God?

Well, today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie points out that transgression is mentioned in God's top ten list of commandments. So I was in the gym the other day. That might come as a surprise to some of you working out. And it was a rare moment because there were two other guys in the gym with me and we all happened to be named Greg.

This is a rare occurrence. There's not a lot of Gregs out there. And so we had a Greg-a-palooza. That's what it was. Or if you're from the 60s, it was Greg Stock.

But we laughed for a moment. Hey, we're all named Greg and nobody's named Greg. And it may be because of what the name Gregory means. It means rotting potato.

No, it doesn't. It actually means watchman. But there's a lot of the other names, more popular names. People will think so long and hard about what to name their children. I read the other day that the top names for girls right now are Emma, Olivia, Ava, Isabella, and Sophia. The top names for boys are Liam, Noah, William, James, and Oliver. Do any of you have kids with those names? Yeah. So these are popular names.

Here's the funny thing. A new name that's popular right now is Kylo because of the popularity of Star Wars. Kylo Ren. Wouldn't you want to pick a good guy instead of the bad guy?

I guess he's somewhere in the middle, isn't he? And now a new thing is people like to give their children geographical names like Austin, Dakota, Zaire, Dallas, Sky Ridge, Brooklyn. Very popular names. I'm wondering, has anyone named their kid Riverside yet? Here's our son Riverside. And here's his sister Pedley. Maybe it's not the most feminine name. We call her Pedley.

And here's our newborn San Bernardino. But his nickname is Burdoo. Burdoo.

Burdoo, come on. And then there are these demented parents that decide they want to torment their children with weird names that they have to live with. These are real names.

There's the Turner family. So what do they name their daughter? Page.

Hi, I'm Page Turner. Why would you do that to a kid? It's real. They did that to their kid. And then there's the Case family. So what else are you going to name your son but Justin? So he has to introduce himself as Justin Case.

How about this? The Arm family named their boy Carl. So he says, Hi, my name is Carl Arm.

Carl Arm, right? Crazy. And then the Bacon family. That's already a pretty unusual name. Bacon. So they named their son Chris. Middle initial B. Hi, I'm Chris B. Bacon.

Crazy. The Dover family named their daughter Eileen. Eileen Dover. Really people?

Really? A lot of people use biblical names to their children. We named our son Jonathan. Christopher as well. That's not a biblical name.

But Jonathan is. And you might name your son David or Abraham or Moses or Peter or Paul. Or name a daughter Mary or Sarah. Those are great names. It's great to have a Bible name. But there are some names you probably shouldn't use for your children. If you have a daughter don't name her Jezebel. But it's in the Bible. Yeah, but Jezebel is evil. Okay? And don't name your son Judas.

There's a little boy here. Judas. Judas. Middle name is Scariot.

Yeah, no, not a good idea. Never name your boy Lucifer ever. Here's little Lou. Siffer. Now that's a name for the devil.

Don't use that for your child. Names matter. Names define us. And God cares about His name a lot. So I want to look at now the third commandment. You shall not take the Lord's name in vain. I think this is one of the most misunderstood of the commandments. And it's probably one of the most easily broken commandments because it's so misunderstood.

One of the obvious ways is profanity. By the way, damn is not God's last name. But a lot of people will use the Lord's name that way to punctuate sentences. Ironically some people who claim to be atheists will use that phrase and even use the name of Jesus Christ a lot.

And I'm curious. If you're an atheist and you don't believe in God, why would you use the name Jesus Christ to make a statement? You'll hear people say, Jesus Christ. And if I hear someone say that, I'll react to it. I think more than any profanity that is the one. It offends me.

I know it offends God. I'll say something like, careful he might answer you sometime. Or, oh you know him too? He's my best friend.

So glad to hear you say his name. But I think in a weird way, when a person uses the name Jesus Christ, they're acknowledging there's power in that name. By using it even if they don't believe. Remember this about an atheist.

As C.S. Lewis said, even atheists have moments of doubt. Right? So I think when they use that name, they're acknowledging there's something powerful, something special in that name. In other words, if they hit their thumb with a hammer, they don't say Hare Krishna. Why not? Because there's no power in Hare Krishna. Or if they stub their toe, they don't say Buddha. Buddha.

No. No Buddha. There's no power in the name of Buddha. But there is power in the name of Jesus Christ because it's a name above all names. Philippians 2 9 says God has exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.

That at the name of Jesus Christ every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. So Exodus 20 verse 7 says you shall not take the name of the Lord in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. Power in that name. Salvation in that name. Because the Bible tells us in Romans 10 13 anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

And listen to this. There's healing in that name. In the book of Acts we read the story of Peter and another who are walking into the city of Jerusalem by a gate called Beautiful. There sits a man who is not able to walk. He's begging for money. Peter looks at him and says listen buddy, loose paraphrase, I don't have any money.

But I'll tell you what I do have. In the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walk. And Peter reached down and took that man by the hand and pulled him to his feet. And the man not only walked but he was leaping into the air and praising God. Now you hear a story like that and say well that's great for back then but I don't know that God still heals people today.

Actually he does. Because over in James 5 14 it says are any among you sick? Well then they should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. Jesus said in John 14 13 you can ask for anything in my name and I'll do it because the work of the Son brings glory to the Father.

If you ask anything in my name I'll do it. Now of course that's not carte blanche meaning whatever I pray for in the name of Jesus won't happen because God is so loving he won't answer all my prayers in the affirmative. Have you ever prayed for something you realized was a really stupid thing to pray for? And then later said Lord thanks for not answering that prayer. The Lord will overrule when he needs to but we're commanded and encouraged in scripture to pray for these things in the name of the Lord. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment.

Whenever you send a letter an email or post a comment on social media we read every word. I am very blessed to have rediscovered Pastor Greg's teachings. I used to listen to him when I was a state trooper in South Carolina years ago. About three months ago a local station picked up Harvest's messages and I heard Pastor Greg speak for the first time in 20 years.

I about lost my mind I was so excited. For whatever reason Pastor Greg has always been able to reach me and I thank the Lord in heaven he has made it so again. Since then I have found harvest.org become a Harvest partner and have the app on my phone so I never miss the daily devotionals or any of Pastor Greg's teachings. God is great and once again he has shown it to me. Thank you for your inspirational messages and reminding us that God has not abdicated his throne.

He has always been there is there now and always will be there. If your life is changed through Pastor Greg's teaching would you let him know? Just drop him an email at greg.harvest.org.

Again that's greg.harvest.org. Well we're considering the Ten Commandments today and specifically Commandment 3. Don't take the name of the Lord in vain.

Pastor Greg continues now. Why should I not take the Lord's name in vain? Well the answer is given in verse 7. The Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

This is no idle threat. It's simply a statement of fact. God is laying down an unchanging truth like the law of gravity.

If I step off a 30 story building I will fall to my death because of the law of gravity. And if I take the Lord's name in vain I will not be held guiltless. But some people go out of their way to take his name in vain. They go out of their way to mock God. They go out of their way to insult Christians.

Maybe you're one of those people and you think it's all a big joke. Careful now. The Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. It reminds me of the story of that boy king Belshazzar. Silly boy. Ascends to the throne.

Assumes all that power. And the first thing he does it gives a command to bring in all the goblets and the dishes and the cups that were used in the worship of God by the Jewish priests. And he says, bring those to me now. So they are set before the king and he fills them with wine and he gets all of his lords together and says, let's toast our false gods of Babylon. He was going out of his way to mock God. And the Bible says while they were doing this there was a hand seen writing on the wall. Just a hand. And it wrote the words, many, many tekel you farcen. Which means you have been weighed in the balances and you have been found lacking. Loose paraphrase. Party is over.

Your number is up. And that night Belshazzar died. Why? Because the Bible says don't be deceived. God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man sows that will he also reap. So we don't want to take the Lord's name in vain.

But how do we do this? One way we do it and we may not even realize it is when we always feel we have to swear to God about everything. You say, men come on believe me I'm telling you the truth. I swear to God it's true. Right? Or you say I swear on the Bible or even more I swear on a stack of Bibles. See if it's a stack you will have to believe me. Why would you have to ever say I swear to God it's true? Probably because you are not known to be a truthful person.

Right? So Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 537 said you have heard that the law of Moses says don't break your vows. And carry out your vows. You may eat to the Lord.

But listen to this. He says I say to you don't make any vows. Just offer a simple yes I will or no I won't.

That should be enough. If you need to strengthen your statement with a vow or your promise with a vow that shows something is wrong. If you say you are going to do it, do it.

Let your yes be yes and your no be no. So let me illustrate. Someone calls you up. You want to go to dinner? This is not one of your favorite people.

But they did offer a treat. So you said eh okay sure. You pick a place and then ten minutes before it's time to meet them your best friend texts you hey you want to get dinner?

Yes. So you go back to that other person. Sorry bro dot dot dot smile emoji. I am not going to make it because something came up. And you send it. Then you go down to the restaurant to meet your friend and that person you stood up is there.

And then you have that awkward moment. You said you would do it. You should do it.

Let your yes be yes and your no be no. When you commit to do a job. Whatever business you are in. You commit to do a job.

Do it well. Christians should be the hardest workers. They should have the most integrity.

They should be the most honest people. First there. Last off the job. Putting in the extra work. Going the extra mile.

I bring this up because I have seen Christians use their faith as an excuse for laziness. Hey why aren't you doing your job? Aren't you supposed to be sweeping that floor? Well the Lord just like directed me to pray.

Well the Lord might be directing me to say goodbye to you and hire somebody else in your place. I don't know. If you are going to do it. Do it well. How about marriage? We commit ourselves. To that man or that woman. That is a commitment for a lifetime. And if you are not willing to make that commitment for a lifetime. Do us all a favor and stay single.

But I see even Christians are people that claim to be followers of Jesus. Bailing out of a marriage when it starts to get hard. Listen. Every marriage is going to get hard. Every marriage is going to have its challenges. Yeah but you don't understand Greg. We have irreconcilable differences.

Every couple has irreconcilable differences. But the Lord can help you sort through these things. You have made a commitment. Honor your commitment. And single people don't rush into marriage. Just don't. As Benjamin Franklin said, Keep your eyes wide open before marriage and half shut afterwards. But far too often it is the opposite.

My eyes are half shut. Or you say he is my project. I am going to fix her. Don't go into a marriage to fix somebody. Hate to break this to you.

They are probably going to get worse. If you can't love them as they are. And you want to make them into something else.

You are going to be sorely disappointed. Look for a spiritual person. Look for a godly man. Look for a godly girl. That is even more important than how attractive they are.

I get attractiveness and I know that we are drawn to each other in that way. But that spiritual commitment to Christ is so important. And take your time when making that choice. And then once you make it keep that commitment.

Another way we take the Lord's name in vain is by not mentioning it at all. You know maybe someone will come up to us and say, Man I see that you are just such a loving husband or wife. I see you with your kids. I see how hard you work. How honest you are. How compassionate you are toward people in need.

I admire you so much. What is your secret? And you say, well I tell you what. I drink a glass of milk every morning. Seriously?

Well I do drink milk Greg. Yeah but that is not why you are that way. I am not saying that. The Lord has done this in my life.

Right? I wasn't always this way. But Jesus Christ came into my life and changed me. I am not perfect but if you see something like that in my life that you admire that is the Lord. You can take the Lord's name in vain by not bringing His name up at all.

The phrase in vain means it is empty, idle, insincere, or frivolous. Don't use the Lord's name in an empty, idle, insincere, or frivolous way. Some people will say the Lord's name over and over without any awareness that they are saying it.

Like they will say, hey how are you doing? I was just walking down the street. Praise the Lord. And then I got a burger. Praise the Lord.

And then I was just thinking about you. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Stop. Stop. Stop saying that so much. I don't know what. Praise the Lord.

Ok. I am glad you are praising the Lord. But are you? Are you really praising Him? Are you thinking of the Lord God when you are saying that? Or is that just like an empty cliche?

Or you are doing it in an idle, insincere manner? Another way we can take the Lord's name in vain by just saying oh my God all the time. It is a default expression. Oh my God. Oh my God. Right? Or you text OMG. OMG.

OMG I just had the most amazing burger. OMG. You know. Wait.

Wait. Do we have to drag God into this? I mean do you really mean to invoke the name of the most high God for your burger?

Right? So that is an empty way. That is sort of a frivolous way. Don't use the Lord's name in a frivolous way. Now if something happens you hear bad news or something else and you say, oh my God that is different. You are calling out to God.

But some people just punctuate sentences with oh my God or OMG. Another way that we do this is by using God's name for personal gain. You know people start businesses and they want people to know they are Christians. This is my gardening service.

It is called God's gardening service. Ok. Ok. Are you any good? Well it is God's. Yeah but are you good? Do you do good work? Or do you just use the name of the Lord to get business?

I mean if you are going to use His name I hope you back it up. Christian carpet cleaners. Yeah well I don't want my carpet cleaned by nonbelievers ever.

Only a Christian should do it. I mean great. Do good work.

Be honest. And sometimes people will use the name of the Lord to get a sale. A number of years ago I was looking at some truck somewhere and the car salesman was cussing up a blue streak.

I mean lots of profanity. And then he says to me so tell me what do you do for a living Greg? He said I am a pastor. He went oh. And then he literally said praise the Lord. I am like oh please just stop. I liked you better the old way.

At least you were just being what you were and now you are being fake. Hallelujah. You know the Lord spoke to me through my devotions today.

That I would make a sale to. Just stop. Don't use God's name. Don't use it in an insincere or a frivolous way. Pastor Greg Laurie is showing us the practical application of the third commandment today on A New Beginning.

We are in a series within a series. A sub-series called 10 within our larger collection of messages on the life of Moses. If you missed any part of Pastor Greg's insight today, you can catch up by listening online at harvest.org. Just look for the title What's the Big Deal with God's Name? Or to get a CD copy call 1-800-821-3300.

That's 1-800-821-3300. And then we are so excited to make available a gripping book called Beyond Valor, a World War II story of extraordinary heroism, sacrificial love, and a race against time. It's a book by our friend John Irwin, who writes of the actions of his own grandfather. On a routine mission to Koreama, Japan, a bomb erupted in his face on board a B-29 Superfortress. And that plane began to go into an immediate dive. My grandfather in that split-second moment had a choice to make, save himself or try to save the lives of his crew. His answer to that call and the choice that he would make would define his life and generations of lives and lead to the fastest presentation of the Congressional Medal of Honor that we know of in our nation's history. The Medal of Honor really is synonymous with heroism, but people think of it different ways. What, John, would be your definition of a hero? Well, I mean, we have so many heroes amongst us.

I mean, ultimately, I think heroes are those that have the courage and the character to choose others above themselves in moments of extreme pressure. It's a moment of self-sacrifice. It's a moment of, you know, as Jesus said, there is no greater love than the one that would lay his life down for his friends. And all of these acts, they're driven by love. They are extreme acts of love, is what I've found.

And so I think that there are extreme acts of love anywhere. I love the definition of the Medal of Honor in terms of heroism because it applies to us all. And it's a biblical concept. It's to go above and beyond what is required of you. Go further, do more. As Jesus said, if someone asks you to walk a mile, go too. And the idea that our nation and our faith compels us to go beyond, and that should be one of the marks of a Christian and is a mark of a hero, is to do more than is required of them. And you don't have to be, you know, a soldier to do that. There can be heroes amongst us anywhere.

And again, I just think that it's such a statement in the sort of self-serving, narcissistic generation that I grew up in, honestly, and that my children are growing up in. And to see that heroism is to put things that are more important above yourself, to serve a purpose and a cause greater than yourself, and to put the needs and lives of others ahead of yourself and serve that. That's something that I think we all need to be reminded of.

And that's one of the virtues that make us American, that we shouldn't forget. You know, I was thinking of how your grandfather was humble and he didn't think of himself as a hero, and I thought of Micah 6-8 where the Lord says, He has shown you, O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you, to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. And, you know, what does God really want us to do? He wants us to do justly, to do the right thing, to love mercy and walk in humility. And, you know, a true hero won't go around and tell everyone they're a hero.

They'll just do what they do and then they'll move on with their life and live their life and give credit to others. And I think that even that is another mark of true character and true heroism, that you're not, you know, shouting it from the rooftops, but you're just a doer. It's shown by action, not just by words. And so if you're moved by this story, and I'm sure you are, of John Irwin's grandfather, Henry Irwin, known as Red, because he had a thick mane of red hair. Read this amazing story. The book is called Beyond Valor. It's a story of a true American hero, but also it's a story of a man who was motivated by his faith.

And the last thing he said to his grandson, or at least the last thing his grandson, John, remembered in their conversation was he quoted Jesus in John 14-6 where he said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father but by me. Because of the sacrifice of Henry Irwin, many people are alive today. And so this is a story you need to hear, and it will inspire you and encourage you as well. Yeah, that's absolutely right, and it's a privilege to be able to make this book available to you. And it's a privilege to be able to make Pastor Greg's studies available to you each day as well. And if you can invest so these programs can continue, we'd like to send you the new book, Beyond Valor.

The subtitle is A World War II Story of Extraordinary Heroism, Sacrificial Love, and a Race Against Time. Thanks for your donation that helps us reach even more people, especially at this important time when people need hope. Write us today at A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514. Or call 1-800-821-3300, 1-800-821-3300. Or go online to harvest.org.

And by the way, the book is scheduled to be released on August 18th, but we have some advanced copies available right now, so be the first to own a copy of Beyond Valor. Hey everybody, Greg Laurie here, inviting you to join me every weekend for what we call Harvest at Home. It's a church service, it's a worship service, it's a Bible study, and it's wherever you want it to be. In your home, in your car, sitting on a beach, walking down the street, watching it on your phone, wherever you are, you can take it with you and be ministered to every weekend. Join us for Harvest at Home at harvest.org. Well next time, more about the practical insight we can glean from the Ten Commandments. Join us next time on A New Beginning with Pastor Greg Laurie. This is the day, the day when life begins The preceding message from Greg Laurie was made possible by Harvest Partners, helping people everywhere know God. Sign up for Pastor Greg's free daily email devotions at harvest.org.