TABOO // WK6 // OMG God s name in Vein // 12.12.12 INTRO: What s in a name? When you actually sit down to think about what s in a name or the weight that a name holds it really is amazing o Names give people and things meaning o A name gives an Identity and allows others to identify them. o A name will trigger a memory or an emotion o A name describes someone or something o We have a first, middle and last name o We have nicknames o We have cool names o We have weird names o We call people names The World s Longest Name: PP SLIDE Mr. Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Uncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Zeus Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff Senior. Who was born in Munich in 1904 and lived in Philadelphia for most of his life. o I wonder how long it took him to learn how to spell it lol o Can you imagine his pour mom having to yell that name? lol The World s Shortest Name: PP SLIDE Ly O of Wichita, KS Parents have the all-important task of giving their children their name the thing that will identify them with the rest of the world! Some parents put a lot of thought into their kid s name, and some well not so much Here are some names that at the time were no big deal, but today are bring on a whole new meaning... lol. PP SLIDE for each one SUE AGE (1929) CONSTANT PAIN (1881) KITTY LITTER (1851) LETTICE SPRAY (1633) My fave TURD COLLAR (1821)
Now maybe you don t have such a unique name as one of these, but I would bet that you have wondered or know what your name means ME: I know that I have wondered what my name meant, and it was right around the time where I was trying to figure out what God was calling me to be in my life. I had been struggling with not knowing if I should pursue youth ministry or if I should be doing something else o And for some reason that particular week I had been wondering what my name meant o Well that Saturday I was attending a church service when a man, who I had seen before came up to me and before he could say anything I reached out my hand and introduced myself o Man Do you know what your name means?... Molder of Lives o This was a key peace in the confirmation I was looking for on pursuing youth ministry o Come to find out that Clayton really means Clay-Settlement lol, but at the time ist didn t matter because YOU: What about your name? does it accurately describe you or some qualities you possess? o Ask a couple students to share what their name means Now it may not be as important today as it was in history, but people named their kids a curtain name because of the meaning and purpose behind the name not because the name sounded good GOD: Take the bible for instance: Abram - Abraham: When God made a new covenant with Abram, he changed his name to Abraham because he will be the father of many nations. PP SLIDE: Genesis 17:5 says, What s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. Finish read vs 6-8 o The people of God would come through the line of Abraham! What a purpose and meaning! Saul Paul: In the New Testament we see this happen when Saul s name is changed to Paul
Before becoming a believer Saul was a Pharisee. He opposed Christians and wanted to get rid of them. He approved the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7:58, and continued his persecution of Christians in Acts 8. Saul becomes a believer in Atcs 9, but isn t until Acts 13 when his name is changed from Saul to Paul It is believed that he changed his Jewish name Saul to the Gentile equivalent Paul so that non-jews (gentiles) would accept him more easily. Jews were intensely hated throughout the Roman Empire and very few Gentiles wanted to listen to or be around Jews. God called Paul to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles what an amazing purpose! o PP SLIDE: 1 Timothy 2:7, For which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle. I am speaking the truth in Christ, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. But what about the creator of names himself? What about His name? WHAT ABOUT GOD? In the Bible God is given the names: For Example PP SLIDE: Elohim Authority El - Mighty One El Shaddai Almighty Adonai Master But these are more like titles that describe God; He really only has one name PP SLIDE: Exodus 3:13-14 But Moses protested, If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, The God of your ancestors has sent me to you, they will ask me, What is his name? Then what should I tell them? 14 God replied to Moses, I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you. 15 God also said to Moses, Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations. What is God s name? I AM PP SLIDE He is Elohim Authority I AM. He is El - Mighty One I AM. He is El Shaddai Almighty I AM. He is Loving I AM He is Just I AM The reality is that even the word God is not his true name it is a title. o It would be like me saying my name is Person. Actually the word god is a common phrase used to refer to deities in general for example
o Thor, the god of thunder o Baal, the idol pagan god. o Allah, the god of Islam But because we believe in the one true and only God we can say God and know that it encompasses all of His titles of who He is This is why when we refer to false gods we use a lower case g and when we refer to Yahweh we use an upper case G it gives distinction. Why do I tell you all of this? Well because of this verse PP SLIDE: Exodus 20:7a You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. Now the common understanding of what this means for us is When you lose your temper don t yell out God s name. or His son s name haha. Or stub your toe OR LET ME PUT IT IN THE WAY WE USE IT 2DAY OMG! I don t know about you, but in growing up I was not allowed to say God or O my God in my house! I remember people saying to not even hint at it Like don t even say gosh Or Gees Or Oh my Goodness o Because it was too close to actually saying Oh My God. The Jewish leaders looked at it like this in a way also Long after the 10 commandments were written In the Hebrew culture there were men whose only job was to copy and re copy scripture (the ancient txt of the OT) o It wasn t like copy a friend s homework o There was an art a science behind it. They would make copy after copy so that none of God s word would be lost over time o As the men were copying, whenever they would come to writing God s name they would actually use a separate ink and a separate pen to write His name o The name of God was that sacred and holy to them and they wanted to honor God even in writing His name! o They didn t want in any way to defile or degrade God s name In the time of Jesus, there were names of God that you weren t even aloud to say out loud. o In fact they would actually come up with names for the names you couldn t say just to make sure that they don t misuse the name of the Lord
o If you don t say it you can t misuse it The reality is this was not what the 3 rd commandment was talking about Don t get me wrong I do not believe that this means it is ok to say Oh my God or Jesus Christ in a degrading way o When we say this we are not trying to honor God so if we are not honoring him than we are dis-honoring him. But I think it is important that we all understand what God is really telling us when he says o Exodus 20:7a You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The KEY word here is MISUSE. What God is saying is Do not associate God s name with something that God is not, or will ever be associated with. o PP SLIDE: It is also saying, Don t use God to give you leverage in accomplishing your own agenda. To get your way. This is Misusing the name of the Lord! ILLUSTRATION: MS students wanting to be upstairs with the HS students For like a month I have had these MS girls come up to me and ask me if they could join the HS for youth group? o I would tell them NO o And without missing a beat they would say, Well Dan said we could. Oh really? Than have Dan come up and tell me it is ok and I will let you, and they never would... They were MISUSING Dan s name. They were using Dan for their own personal gain! Ex-girlfriend: I kinda knew the relationship wasn t going any ware We were like 2 weeks into dating, and we were hanging out one night and she looks at me and says, The first time I saw you God told me you were the one I was going to marry. I don t know if she genially thought that or if she was using it to get me, but needless to say that girl was not Angela! o She was misusing God s name! This has been going on for ever since this commandment was written! The Hebrew people became so focused on not misusing God s name that they missed the meaning of the commandmen, and soon began to use the name of God for their own personal gain and in doing so they misused His name!
o Story of Jesus in the Temple: becomes furious with the religious leaders turns over tables why?! PP SLIDE: Luke19:45-46 Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. 46 He said to them, The Scriptures declare, My Temple will be a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of thieves. o They were misusing what God established the temple to be for their own gain, and in doing so they were misusing His name! WE: AND THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON EVER SINCE! The Holy Wars o Killing thousands of people in the name of God! People blowing up buildings & killing people b/c God told them to People leaving families b/c God told them to Here is what I want us to hold onto 2night o PP SLIDE: When we misuse God s name, we belittle (put down) the power of God s name, and disrespect Him. This means saying Oh My God or Jesus Christ or using God for your own personal gain o Jesus Name encompasses God s full Character: PP SLIDE: Philippians 2:10-11 that at the name of Jesus 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. o Jesus has the full GLORY OF GOD. The name that we should use with the greatest of respect PP SLIDE: Acts 4:12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. YOU: When was the last time you said, OMG Oh my God and it wasn t because And it wasn t bc you were shocked by what someone did. And it wasn t bc you were surprised or caught off guard And it wasn t bc you were made Or because you stubbed you toe or hit your head on something And it wasn t bc you were trying to get your way Or you had a personal agenda
I guarantee if you begin to think of God in a more honoring way by how you speak and act you will soon realize just how amazing he really is And you will begin to honor what He said in PP SLIDE: Exodus 20:7a You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God.