#3 Carrying God’s Name

Exodus 20:7    |    Sermon Resources    |    4 October 2020

 

Sermon Summary

When it comes to the third commandment — to not take God’s name in vain — we tend to think “I’ve got this one covered!”  We will see, however, that this commandment is about much more than just the words we use.  

Listen for the following ideas in this week’s sermon:

  • Law (10 Commandments) not the basis of our salvation
  • Hebrew word nasa [to take or to carry]
  • Psalm 8:1, Psalm 20:7, Matthew 6:9, Acts 4:12, Romans 10:13, Philippians 2:9-11
  • Quote from JI Packer,“What is forbidden is any use or involvement of God’s name that is empty, frivolous, or insincere.”
  • Principle of what is forbidden, opposite is commanded 
  • 5 ways we break the commandment: (1) By cursing in God’s name, (2) By trivializing God’s name, (3) By leveraging God’s name for our own agenda, (4) By living inconsistently, (5) By engaging in superficial worship
  • How the law is not a ladder but a mirror
  • Matthew 5:17

 

 

Discussion Questions

  1. What does it mean to “take” the Lord’s name in vain? In what ways is this commandment about more than just our speech?
  2. Why is this commandment such a big deal?
  3. What do we learn about God from this commandment? What do we learn about ourselves?
  4. There are a number of ways we break this commandment – Pastor Billy listed 5 ways in the sermon this week. Spend some time discussing each one and considering how each one is relevant for you:
  • By cursing in God’s name
  • By trivializing God’s name
  • By leveraging God’s name for our own agenda
  • By living inconsistently
  • By engaging in superficial worship
  1. Which of these 5 ways most hits home for you?
  2. How does a deeper understanding of what the third commandment is about lead us to Jesus?

Sermon Audio

Sermon Video