Commandment #3 Ex 20:7

We had such an awesome message this morning that I wanted to share some of it with you. We are currently in a sermon series on the 10 commandments. As a preface, the sermon series started with the question why did God give us rules to follow? Quickly followed by, why do we give our children rules to follow. Is it to be mean? Is it to exert some sort of power or control over them? Not at all, we have a relationship of love with our children and we did it for their protection. Not rocket science to figure out that as Children of God, our Father gave us rules because he loved us and wanted to protect us. Rules without relationship leads to rebellion.

Today's sermon was on the 3rd commandment.

Ex 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.
Growing up I was always taught that this meant purely do not cuss. I did have one teacher that took it farther and said Gosh Darn it was just as bad as using the more profane version, as it was a slang way of saying the same thing. Today's message made me really evaluate whether I have been right all these years. This commandment appears before don't kill, don't commit adultery, don't lie, etc..

I still believe that it refers in part to our language but also to our actions. From the sermon it goes much deeper, into the intent of the heart. To illustrate let's look in Acts 3:36 - 4:11. The story begins with a righteous man named Joseph who sold a field and gave all of it to the church. Ananias & Sapphira also sold land but only gave part of the land to the church. So what was the problem? It was their land to do with as they saw fit. Right? They lied and said they gave the whole amount in the name of God. The intent of their heart was to deceive those in the church so they could receive the praise of men for the sacrifice of selling the land and giving the money to the church.

The Jewish leaders of the old testament were so afraid of breaking this commandment, that even when just reading the scripture they would insert the word Lord for God, so they wouldn't risk using the name of God incorrectly. They created traditions around the laws, and over time those traditions were treated as laws. For instance they would dedicate everything to God that they owned. This is good right? Well according to "Tradition", they would then shirk their responsibility to take care of their parents in their old age, because it was no longer theirs but God's. Even though God's commandment was "Honor your Father and your Mother." They became more obsessed with following the rules, that they no longer had a relationship with God. So much so that when Jesus, The living breathing Son of God, showed up they didn't recognize him and openly criticized him, that he did not follow the "traditions" of the elders.

So as we become involved in church activities, and service projects, etc. we need to keep in mind are we doing this for our God we love, or ourselves to look good in the eyes of our fellow man.

The sermon concluded with this verse.

Micah 6:8 "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

I was reminded of a song by Michael W Smith, Cross of Gold. The song talks of a Cross of Gold, but I see the application to our lives in general.

Where do you stand
What is your statement
What is it you’re trying to say
What’s in your hand
What’s in your basement
What’s in the cards you don’t play
Are you holding the key
Or are you intending
To pick the lock of heaven’s gate
It’s confusing to me
The message you’re sending
And I don’t know if I can relate
Chorus:
What’s you line
Tell me why you wear your cross of gold
State of mind
Or does it find a way into your soul

Is it a flame
Is it a passion
A symbol of love living in you
Or is it a game
Religion in fashion
Some kind of pahse you’re going thru
We all travel the extremes
From cellar to rafter
Looking for a place in the sun
So I’m trying to see
What you’re headed after
But I don’t know where you’re coming from

Chorus bridge: (spoken)
For some it’s simply something to wear around your neck
Just a chain
Jewelry
Is it decoration?
Is it an icon
Or proclomation?
An icon of what?
What?
For some it’s simply something to wear around your neck
Just a chain
It means a lot more than that to me