Participants:
Series Code: AU
Program Code: AU000123S
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00:00 - I've gotta admit,
00:02 I really cringe when I hear somebody using God's name 00:05 as an expletive, as a swear word, 00:08 not because I'm some kind of prude, 00:10 but because it feels like a personal attack 00:13 on somebody I love and respect. 00:16 But let me just ask you this, 00:18 what's really behind the third commandment, 00:21 the commandment that prohibits such things? 00:25 [relaxing music] 00:32 [relaxing music continues] 00:41 [relaxing music continues] 00:45 Some of you might remember those payphones 00:47 that had a credit card slot, 00:49 the successors to the dime operated phones 00:51 that were around when I was a little kid. 00:54 This version allowed you to call long distance 00:57 without having a pocket full of quarters 00:59 or having to place a collect call. 01:01 So, one day, I was using a payphone in the lobby of a hotel 01:05 when my credit card suddenly got declined. 01:08 Now, that really, really bothered me, 01:11 because I'm not even the type to use credit 01:13 in the first place. 01:14 In fact, I'm pretty much credit-averse. 01:17 But I do carry a credit card 01:19 because it's almost impossible 01:21 to travel without one these days. 01:23 And when there's something wrong with a card, 01:25 I usually get on it right away. 01:27 I mean, in my Dutch universe, 01:29 having good credit is about the equivalent 01:31 of having a good reputation. 01:33 So, I called the company using the 800 number 01:36 on the back of the card 01:38 and they told me what the problem was, 01:40 the card was maxed out. 01:42 Now, that was impossible 01:44 because I hardly ever used the thing. 01:46 So, naturally, I asked them, 01:48 "Hey, tell me what I bought." 01:51 Well, it turns out that somebody had used my card 01:53 to buy a bunch of expensive stereo equipment 01:56 in some city I'd never even been to. 01:59 And get this, they'd actually physically been in the store 02:03 and swiped a real physical card. 02:05 Now, this was in the days 02:07 before everybody was using credit cards online. 02:09 So, the real option you had was to call in an order 02:13 and read the number out loud, 02:14 or show up in person and actually swipe a physical card. 02:20 Well, of course, the the charges were dropped 02:22 and my credit was restored when they realized it wasn't me. 02:25 But I've got to admit that it felt like a real violation. 02:29 Somebody out there was pretending to be me 02:32 and doing really dishonest things. 02:34 Now, this was before everybody started using 02:37 the term identity theft, 02:38 which is even worse than stealing a credit card. 02:42 Identity thieves take pretty much everything, 02:44 your ID, your Social Security number, 02:47 and now in some cases even the title to your house 02:51 if they can manage to forge a property deed. 02:54 What these people are doing 02:55 is taking something really incredibly valuable, 02:59 your name and your reputation, 03:02 and they're using these things in a dishonorable way, 03:06 which is exactly what you and I are doing 03:08 when we appropriate God's name 03:10 to accomplish something that we want. 03:13 When I was a little kid, 03:14 I was given the understanding that the third commandment 03:16 was really a prohibition against naughty language, 03:20 especially if you were attaching God's name to your cussing. 03:24 But I've come to belief since then 03:26 that it's a lot more than that, 03:28 that that was a rather simplistic explanation. 03:32 So, today, we're gonna unpack this just a little bit, 03:35 and you might wanna grab a Bible 03:36 and have it handy if you've got one. 03:38 And if you don't, 03:40 you can always head on over to voiceofprophecy.com 03:42 and look at some of 03:44 the great study Bibles we have available, because well, 03:46 some of them have extra wide margins, 03:48 which means you can take a lot of notes. 03:51 So, today, maybe let's start somewhere obvious, 03:53 Exodus Chapter 20, 03:55 which is the best known summary of the 10 Commandments. 03:58 And today we're gonna start right 04:00 at the very top of the chapter 04:01 because I wanna point out something really important. 04:04 Exodus 20, verse one, the Bible says, 04:08 "And God spoke all these words, saying, 04:11 'I am the LORD your God, 04:13 who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 04:15 out of the house of slavery.'" 04:17 Now, what you're gonna notice in most English translations 04:21 is that the word LORD is written with all capital letters, 04:25 and that's because the translators are letting you know 04:28 that the original Hebrew 04:29 is something the scholars call the Tetragrammaton, 04:33 the four Hebrew letters that make up God's name. 04:36 And those four letters, 04:37 as you probably know, are Yod-He-Vav-He, 04:40 or Y-H-V-H if you transliterate it into English. 04:45 Now, of course, Y-H-V-H is pretty hard to pronounce. 04:49 And back in the medieval period, 04:51 we invented the word Jehovah 04:54 as a pronounceable stand-in for the letters. 04:57 Then, in recent years, we kind of wandered away from that 04:59 and tried to be more accurate. 05:01 So, now you'll hear people using the name Yahweh instead. 05:06 The real truth is we don't know exactly how it's pronounced, 05:11 but we do know this. 05:12 The way God's name is used throughout the Bible indicates 05:15 that how you use God's name is not a trifling matter. 05:20 When God first met Moses at the burning bush, 05:22 He used this four-letter name 05:24 because Moses wanted to know what His credentials would be 05:28 if he went to go speak to the Israelites. 05:30 "When they ask who sent me, what should I say?" 05:34 Here's God's reply back in Exodus Chapter 3, 05:37 "God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.' 05:41 And he said, 'Say this to the people of Israel, 05:43 'I AM has sent me to you.'" 05:47 the name Y-H-V-H, or Yod-He-Vav-He, 05:50 is a form of the Hebrew verb to be. 05:54 And throughout the Bible, 05:55 God identifies Himself as a self-existent being, 05:58 which means that He's truly eternal. 06:01 He doesn't depend on anybody 06:03 or anything else for His existence, 06:05 but it's even more than that. 06:07 Everything else that does exist depends on Him. 06:11 And so, there's a sense in which the holy name also means, 06:14 "I will cause it to be," as in God is the Creator. 06:18 He's letting us know that the entire universe, including us, 06:22 is only here because He caused it. 06:26 So, as you can probably guess, 06:27 the identity of the Creator is not a trifling matter. 06:30 In fact, who He is, who He claims to be, 06:34 well, it's pretty important for all of us, 06:36 because you wouldn't be here without Him. 06:39 So, when God descends on Sinai to address His people, 06:43 He starts by reminding them 06:45 that the great I AM is speaking, 06:47 the one who led them out of Egypt. 06:49 The fact that he identifies Himself by name 06:52 at the very top of the commandments 06:54 the same way He did when He launched the Exodus 06:57 is a reminder that we are dealing 06:59 with the very Creator of the universe, 07:01 the all-powerful, all-knowing, omnipresent God. 07:06 Which brings me to the third commandment 07:08 where God draws a clear boundary 07:10 around how His name gets used. 07:13 Here's what it says in Exodus Chapter 20 and verse seven, 07:18 "Ye shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, 07:20 for the LORD will not hold him guiltless 07:22 who takes His name in vain." 07:25 Now, again, you'll notice this is not a small thing. 07:28 God says He's not gonna just let it slide 07:30 if you choose to take His name in vain. 07:32 And given the way that you and I tend to downplay sin, 07:35 especially in this day and age, 07:37 human beings are often tempted to consider the matter 07:40 of abusing God's name as a minor thing, 07:42 "Hey, it's no big deal," but God says otherwise. 07:45 It is not a trivial matter to Him. 07:48 God says He won't hold you guiltless if you do this. 07:52 Now, of course, you might think you got away with it, 07:55 you might think it didn't mean much, 07:57 but God disagrees and He says there will be a bill 08:00 to pay for that, but a bill for what exactly? 08:05 Just for using God's name as an expletive? 08:08 Well, clearly that's part of it, 08:10 but the issue runs deeper than that. 08:12 And before we take a really quick break, 08:14 I'll give you a little hint about what I'm gonna show you. 08:17 Taking God's name in vain has something to do with the crime 08:20 of identity theft. 08:22 Maybe you've had your identity stolen, 08:24 or maybe somebody spoofed your social media account. 08:27 So, during the break, think about the way that made you feel 08:31 and that awful feeling you get when you realize 08:34 that if people believe the imposter is you, 08:37 it might just ruin your reputation. 08:40 I mean, have you ever seen one of those messages 08:42 from one of your social media contacts, saying, 08:44 "Hey, if you get a new friend request that looks like me, 08:47 please ignore it?" 08:49 Why are they so concerned? 08:51 And why do corporations use things 08:52 like trademarks and copyrights? 08:55 Well, it's pretty obvious, isn't it? 08:56 It's so that nobody else can claim to be them. 09:00 I'll be right back after this. 09:03 [relaxing music fades] 09:06 - [Announcer] Here at The Voice of Prophecy, 09:07 we're committed to creating top quality programming 09:10 for the whole family, 09:11 like our audio adventure series, "Discovery Mountain." 09:14 "Discovery Mountain" is a bible-based program 09:17 for kids of all ages and backgrounds. 09:19 Your family will enjoy the faith-building stories 09:22 from this small mountain summer camp and town. 09:25 With 24 seasonal episodes every year, 09:27 and fresh content every week, 09:29 there's always a new adventure just on the horizon. 09:35 - When you buy a franchise, 09:37 you have to sign an awful lot of legal paperwork 09:39 that outlines precisely 09:41 how you're allowed to use the company's name and trademarks. 09:44 If you're going to open a McDonald's, 09:46 you need to look like a McDonald's, 09:48 and of course, you have to behave like a McDonald's. 09:51 Or if you're gonna open a 7-Eleven, 09:53 you need to behave like a 7-Eleven. 09:56 It's a matter of branding. 09:58 And wouldn't you know it? 09:59 Sometimes people wonder why we won't just let them use 10:01 the name of this organization, The Voice of Prophecy, 10:05 and it's for the same reason. 10:06 For almost a hundred years, 10:08 this organization has preserved a very pristine reputation. 10:12 People know what we are, 10:15 and in the world of the internet 10:16 where international boundaries don't really exist anymore, 10:18 it doesn't take very long for somebody 10:21 to cause significant damage by going out there 10:23 and pretending to be you. 10:25 I mean, some dishonest person could open a YouTube channel 10:28 and claim to be affiliated with us, 10:31 and they could spout a lot of religious nonsense. 10:34 And believe me, people try it, so we don't allow it. 10:37 And when we find somebody doing it, 10:39 we shut it down like yesterday. 10:43 So, what exactly does it mean 10:44 to take the Lord's name in vain? 10:46 Well, it actually refers to a number of issues 10:49 from taking frivolous oaths all the way down to 10:51 a person's general conduct. 10:54 And I think maybe we should start with this business 10:56 of oath taking. 10:58 There's a statement in the Gospels 11:00 where Jesus warns us about taking oaths lightly. 11:03 You find it in the Sermon on the Mount 11:04 in Matthew Chapter 5, 11:07 where Jesus sheds a lot of light on the deeper meaning 11:09 of God's moral requirements. 11:12 A lot of that sermon is like a commentary 11:14 on the 10 Commandments. 11:15 So, listen to what Jesus says. 11:18 "Again you have heard it was said to those of old, 11:21 'You shall not swear falsely, 11:23 but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' 11:27 But I say to you, do not take an oath at all, 11:29 either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 11:32 or by the earth, for it is His footstool, or by Jerusalem, 11:35 for it is the city of the great King. 11:37 And do not take an oath by your head, 11:40 for you cannot make one hair white or black. 11:43 Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; 11:45 anything more than this comes from evil." 11:49 Now, back in the day, 11:51 a lot of pagan cultures were used to swearing 11:53 by the names of their gods 11:54 in order to emphasize their credibility 11:57 when they were signing contracts. 12:00 Of course, the fact you need solemn pronouncements 12:03 to underline your integrity says a lot about who we are 12:07 as human beings, because as you know, 12:10 anytime somebody has to really emphasize 12:12 that they're honest, 12:14 that has a way of making you doubt whether or not it's true. 12:17 The ancient Jewish philosopher, Philo, 12:19 described the problem like this. 12:20 He said, "That being, which is the most beautiful, 12:24 and the most beneficial to human life, 12:26 and suitable to rational nature, swears not itself, 12:29 because truth on every point is so innate with him 12:32 that his bare word is accounted an oath. 12:36 Next to not swearing at all, 12:37 the second best thing is to keep one's oath, 12:40 for by the mere fact of swearing at all, 12:43 the swearer shows that there is some suspicion 12:46 of his not being trustworthy." 12:49 So, in other words, 12:50 the best possible reputation you can have 12:53 is to have people think you're honest, 12:55 that when you say something, 12:57 everybody can take it to the bank. 12:59 The next best thing, according to Philo, 13:01 is to swear an oath. 13:03 But if you're really adamant about doing that, 13:05 it makes a lot of people just suspect, 13:07 maybe you aren't all that honest. 13:10 Back in the ancient world, 13:12 people would invoke the names of their gods 13:14 when they were entering into a solemn contract 13:16 in order to make the penalty 13:18 for breaking that contract seem all the more serious. 13:22 They were basically saying, 13:24 "May my god punish me severely if I don't keep my word." 13:28 And of course, invoking the name of Yahweh 13:31 is very serious business. 13:33 You wanted to be very careful if you did that, 13:35 because God insists that His name is holy 13:38 and He expects us to treat it with the utmost reverence. 13:42 So, the Pharisees and other religious experts came up 13:45 with all these little loopholes they could use to swear oath 13:47 that didn't actually involve God's name. 13:50 They would swear by Jerusalem, 13:52 or they would swear by the heavens, 13:53 or they would swear by the earth. 13:55 And Jesus told them, "Look, these are loopholes, 13:58 and loopholes are pointless." 14:00 Why? It's because character is what matters. 14:04 I mean, these were the people who adopted God's name. 14:07 They publicly identified with Him. 14:11 "Your words were found," said Jeremiah, "And I ate them, 14:14 and Your words became to me a joy 14:16 and the delight of my heart, 14:18 for I am called by Your name, O LORD." 14:22 Again, that's Yahweh. 14:24 In other passages, 14:26 we discovered that the temple was also called by God's name, 14:28 and so was the city, and so were all the people. 14:32 It's as if God gave His people His personal credit card 14:35 along with His signature. 14:37 He allowed them to identify with Him so closely 14:41 that He actually called them by His own name. 14:44 So, let's think about you and me. 14:47 You might not take a vow 14:49 that actually mentions the name God, 14:51 but the fact that you identify as one of His people means 14:54 that your character needs to represent Him every bit 14:57 as much as your words. 14:59 And wouldn't you know it? 15:01 There's a well-known scene over in the Book of Revelation 15:03 where John sees God's covenant people standing 15:06 on Mount Zion, the Holy Mountain, 15:08 and they have the Father's name written in their foreheads. 15:12 Just listen to what it says. 15:14 "Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, 15:18 and with Him 144,000 who had His name 15:20 and His Father's name written on their foreheads. 15:24 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, 15:27 for they are virgins. 15:28 It is these who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. 15:31 These have been redeemed from mankind as first fruits 15:34 for God and the Lamb, 15:35 and in their mouth no lie was found, 15:38 for they are blameless." 15:42 You see, in the biblical world, 15:44 your name was more than just a label. 15:46 It was supposed to be a summary of your character. 15:49 Parents chose names for their babies very carefully 15:52 because they were praying 15:53 that their children would grow into the character described 15:57 by the name they chose. 15:59 And you'll notice that when God revealed His name to Moses, 16:02 again, on Mount Sinai, 16:03 He did it by describing His character. 16:07 You'll find that in Exodus Chapter 34, 16:10 A name was a very sacred thing. 16:13 And to be identified by God's name meant 16:16 that you belong to Him, 16:17 and He expects your behavior to reflect His character. 16:21 That's why we find God's name written on the foreheads 16:24 of His last day people. 16:25 It's not a tattoo, it's not a computer chip, 16:28 it's a reflection of the way your mind has been reshaped 16:32 by the very character of God. 16:35 And if you really want your life to reflect the name 16:37 and character of God, 16:39 then being truthful is a really good place to start. 16:43 So, Jesus says, 16:44 "Look, it's not just your language that counts, 16:46 it's also your character. 16:48 So, let your yes be yes and your no be no." 16:52 And to this day, 16:53 there are all sorts of Christian groups 16:55 that actually refuse to swear any kind of oath 16:57 based on that statement. 16:59 And what they'll do in a courtroom 17:01 is affirm their intention to be truthful 17:04 instead of swearing to it. 17:06 And honestly, I find that pretty admirable, 17:08 because most of us would rather be known as someone 17:11 who is always, always, always honest. 17:15 Now, I'm not convinced that the statement 17:16 from Jesus completely precludes the taking of all oaths, 17:20 because you'll notice He still expects His audience 17:23 to perform the oaths they've taken. 17:26 And we have all kinds of biblical examples of oath taking 17:29 that are clearly within the bounds of what Godly people 17:32 are supposed to do. 17:34 For example, the Apostle Paul swore an oath 17:37 on more than one occasion. 17:38 And even God confirmed His own word with an oath 17:41 in Hebrew 6, verse 17. 17:44 In Numbers 30, verse two, and Deuteronomy 23:21, 17:48 we discover that God expects us to keep our oaths. 17:53 So, it wasn't exactly oath taking 17:55 that was outright forbidden. 17:57 What Jesus was trying to teach us 18:00 is that our character should be such a close reflection 18:03 of God that you don't need an oath at all. 18:07 So, in one sense, taking God's name in vain is a reference 18:11 to the ancient practice of oath taking. 18:13 And if you're going to attach God's name to your promise, 18:18 you better be sure you mean it and you keep that oath, 18:22 because of course, God always, always, always, always, 18:27 always keeps His word. 18:29 I'll be right back after this. 18:32 [relaxing music fades] 18:35 - [Announcer] Life can throw a lot at us. 18:37 Sometimes we don't have all the answers, 18:41 but that's where the Bible comes in. 18:43 It's our guide to a more fulfilling life. 18:46 Here at The Voice of Prophecy, 18:48 we've created the Discover Bible Guides 18:50 to be your guide to the Bible. 18:52 They're designed to be simple, easy-to-use, 18:54 and provide answers to many of life's toughest questions, 18:57 and they're absolutely free. 18:59 So, jump online now or give us a call 19:01 and start your journey of discovery. 19:04 - There's an old story 19:05 that a good friend of mine used to tell 19:07 about Alexander the Great. 19:09 Apparently, somebody caught one 19:12 of his guards sleeping on duty, 19:14 and so they dragged the poor guy in front of 19:16 the great Macedonian general. 19:18 "We caught this guy sleeping, sir." 19:20 And of course, that was a really serious thing, 19:23 because it often met the death penalty. 19:26 By sleeping on the job, 19:28 you'd actually endangered the lives of your fellow soldiers. 19:31 It wasn't taken lightly. 19:33 So, apparently, according to the story, 19:35 Alexander looked this guy over up and down and said, 19:38 "What is your name, soldier?" 19:41 And for just half a moment, 19:42 the man suddenly felt a little bit of hope. 19:43 Maybe he wouldn't be killed for his transgression. 19:46 "Oh, sir, it's Alexander. 19:48 My name is like your name." 19:51 The Great general was quiet for half a heartbeat 19:53 and then said, "Well, either then change your name 19:57 or change your conduct." 19:59 And you know, that's really what's at the heart 20:02 of the third commandment, it's the issue of identity theft. 20:06 We've looked at the matter of oath taking, 20:07 how God takes His reputation very seriously. 20:10 So, if you're gonna swear by the name of God, 20:12 you'd better keep your word, 20:14 because you've made God your involuntary accomplice, 20:18 you've dragged His reputation into the equation. 20:21 It'd be like one of your friends making a big promise 20:23 on your behalf without your consent. 20:26 It's the sin of name dropping, 20:29 using God to make yourself seem more credible. 20:32 And of course, because you're a sinner, 20:34 God's name almost always gets dragged through the mud 20:37 when you do that. 20:39 So, is God afraid that you're gonna somehow embarrass Him? 20:43 Well, not exactly, 20:45 because the cross of Christ tells me that God was willing 20:48 to suffer the very worst humiliation to save you. 20:52 The reason the third commandment is so serious 20:55 is because the entire human race has broken trust with God. 20:58 And now, in His plan to save us, 21:01 God is asking us to trust Him. 21:04 And when you and I throw shade 21:06 on God's absolutely trustworthy character, 21:09 it has a way of driving other people away from Him. 21:12 I mean, just look at the reputation 21:14 that organized religion now has. 21:16 We've earned some of that, to be honest. 21:20 And that was really the issue back in Jeremiah's day. 21:23 The people of God were supposed to be a light 21:25 to the whole world. 21:27 The temple was supposed to become, the Bible says, 21:29 "A house of prayer for all peoples," 21:33 but instead, the Israelites denigrated the temple 21:36 and made it less than it was supposed to be. 21:38 So, why was that a problem? 21:40 Well, the temple was a portrayal of God's love and mercy. 21:44 It was a transcript of His character. 21:47 And if you obscure God's image, 21:49 you're gonna rob people of the hope 21:51 that God wants them to have. 21:53 God told Jeremiah, 21:54 "They set up their abominations 21:56 in the house that is called by my name, to defile it." 22:00 And now, God has chosen to place His name on us, 22:05 if you can believe it, 22:07 to identify with us so closely 22:09 that people will start to see Him when they study us. 22:13 It's one of the reasons I find it so despicable 22:16 when famous TV preachers behave badly. 22:19 It's not that they're embarrassing the church, 22:21 and believe me, they are, 22:23 it's more that they're bringing shame to the name of God, 22:26 and it's shame that God clearly, clearly doesn't deserve. 22:32 If you are gonna call yourself a Christian, 22:35 and it's a word that literally means in Christ, 22:38 if you're gonna call yourself a Christian, 22:40 you're claiming to represent Christ's values 22:43 and His character, 22:44 and that's a duty that nobody should take lightly. 22:47 If I call myself a Christian 22:49 and then go out and live like the devil, 22:52 well, that's a good example of taking the name 22:54 of the Lord in vain. 22:57 But then you know, it goes even deeper than that. 23:00 When you work in religious circles like I do, 23:02 sometimes people will try to convince me to do something 23:06 and they'll suddenly invoke God 23:08 in order to persuade me to do it. 23:10 They'll ask me, "Hey, preach on this topic, 23:13 or endorse this book that I've written, 23:15 or endorse this album I've recorded." 23:18 But instead of just asking, 23:20 they try to convince me by saying something like this, 23:22 "God told me to ask you this." 23:26 Really? Did God really tell you that? 23:29 Or do you hope I can't refuse you 23:31 if God is attached to the request? 23:35 Now, personally, I do think that God still asks people 23:38 to do things, 23:40 but usually it's a matter of your conscience prompting you. 23:43 He's trying to get you to do something. 23:46 If you're gonna suggest that God told you 23:48 to tell someone else to do something, 23:51 well, you're claiming a kind of prophetic status, 23:53 and I'd be really careful with something like that. 23:57 And I know I'm not alone on this. 23:59 I think I might get more of it 24:00 because of what I do for a living, 24:02 but if I were to hazard a guess, I'd say that most of you, 24:05 if you happen to go to church, 24:07 have experienced something like this. 24:10 There just seems to be this subset of people 24:12 who want to claim that God is driving everything they want, 24:16 and they seem to think that the rest of the congregation 24:18 has no choice but to go along with them 24:21 if they say that God is pushing this idea. 24:25 Now, to be fair, 24:27 I've had any number of occasions when I'm absolutely certain 24:31 that God is prompting me to do something. 24:33 I mean, if you're going to believe the Bible, 24:36 then you have to believe in the work of the Holy Spirit. 24:39 And one of the Spirit's key activities, 24:42 according to scripture, is to generate conviction. 24:45 So, yes, I'm convinced that God has prompted me 24:49 to do things, 24:51 but to suggest that God is speaking through you 24:54 to get someone else to do something, 24:57 well, you better have some compelling proof, because I mean, 25:00 why wouldn't God just talk directly to that person? 25:04 I'm convinced that when we drag God into our desires 25:07 as an unwilling accomplice, 25:10 it's another form of taking God's name in vain. 25:13 You're invoking God where He did not speak. 25:16 And it's not much different than behaving badly 25:18 while wearing the label believer. 25:22 I'd be very careful before you tell someone, 25:24 "This is what God wants," 25:26 because at the heart of the third commandment 25:27 is a prohibition against dragging God down to our level. 25:32 I'll be right back after this. 25:34 [relaxing music fades] 25:38 - [Announcer] Dragons, beasts, cryptic statues, 25:42 Bible prophecy can be incredibly vivid and confusing. 25:46 If you've ever read Daniel or Revelation 25:49 and come away scratching your head, you are not alone. 25:52 Our free Focus on Prophecy Guides 25:54 are designed to help you unlock the mysteries of the Bible 25:57 and deepen your understanding of God's plan for you 26:00 and our world. 26:01 Study online or request them by mail, 26:03 and start bringing prophecy into focus today. 26:07 - Most of us kind of like to do a bit 26:08 of name dropping sometimes, because hey, 26:10 when you meet somebody famous, 26:12 you want your friends to know it 26:14 because you quietly hope that your own stock value rises 26:18 if they connect you to somebody prominent. 26:20 You're riding a celebrity's coattails. 26:23 And here's the interesting thing, when it comes to God, 26:25 He doesn't actually mind if you do that. 26:27 He doesn't mind if you claim to know Him. 26:30 I mean, if you listen to the remarkable statements 26:32 from the Bible, 26:33 I mean, this one from the book of Hebrews, Jesus, 26:36 He is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, 26:40 "I will tell of your name to my brothers 26:42 in the midst of the congregation." 26:44 Think about that. 26:45 The supreme Son of God, 26:46 the very fullness of God and human flesh 26:49 is not afraid to identify with you. 26:52 And honestly, if you were God 26:53 and looked at us morally corrupt human beings, 26:56 would you be willing to identify with us? 26:59 I mean, think of all those distant family members 27:01 who share your name and you kind of wish they didn't. 27:04 But the Son of God has such profound love for you. 27:08 He doesn't mind descending to our level to claim us. 27:11 He even calls us by His own name. 27:15 It's a gift that deserves 27:17 the very highest respect you can muster. 27:20 And the Bible says that someday soon, 27:22 the name of Jesus will command 27:23 the highest honors ever paid to anybody. 27:26 And imagine that, Jesus, the Son of God, 27:29 the Creator of the universe, 27:31 allows you to use His name, 27:34 the name that will be exalted above all names, 27:37 every knee bow, every tongue confess. 27:40 That urges me to take the matter of calling myself 27:44 by Christ's name, a Christian, very seriously, 27:48 because if we're gonna use His name, 27:50 we need to use it in a way that the world sees Him in us 27:54 and recognizes that we actually know Him. 27:58 Thanks for joining me again this week, 28:00 and this has been another episode of "Authentic." 28:03 I'm Shawn Boonstra. We'll see you next time. 28:07 [relaxing music] 28:15 [relaxing music continues] 28:22 [relaxing music continues] |
Revised 2025-04-07