Message of the Month by Pastor Paul November 2020
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
This message has been on my mind for a number of weeks and I have hesitated to share it because I wanted to be careful to approach it in the right way - but I cannot leave it any longer. It starts with a modern issue that gives me personally, very great sorrow and should grieve us as Christians to the core of our being.
Up until the last ten years or so, although worldly people have been using blasphemous words in their conversations for centuries, they were very rarely spoken in movies or on TV. However, these days almost every TV drama here in Britain and from some parts of Europe, plus many films coming out of Hollywood, have characters who use the name of our Lord and Saviour as an expletive and these productions are being seen and heard by millions of people – including children, around the world.
The producers and media moguls will no doubt excuse that by saying that they are just being true to real life. Alright then, if that is the case, there’s a big problem here – because it is a very serious thing to do with ultimately huge consequences.
Using the name of the Lord as a swear word and in other wrong ways is nothing new. It was an issue since the beginning of time – so much so, that one of the Ten Commandments is devoted to addressing it:
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God,
for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”
(Exodus 20:7 NIV)
Or as the Living Bible translates it:
“You shall not use the name of Jehovah your God irreverently nor use it to swear to a falsehood. You will not escape punishment if you do.”
Or the Message version puts it this way:
“No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter;
God won’t put up with the irreverent use of his name.”
Why do people use the name of the Lord in curses or as a swear word? There are other words that can be used – but I think that unbelievers use it deliberately to offend – in order to make the biggest possible impact. They choose to blaspheme because they can’t think of any other words that would be more shocking.
The dictionary definition of blasphemy is:
“The act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence to a deity,
or toward something considered sacred.”
The great irony of this is that by using the name of the Lord in this way, which is blasphemous – they are unconsciously acknowledging that He is God!!!
Therefore, they will be without excuse on the Day of Judgement – they will never be able to say that they did not know his name!
They don’t use names from any other religion – in fact they would not dare to do so. We have seen the consequences of that in France just this last month!
Yet no one seems to be phased at all when the name of the Son of the Living God is used in this way.
Christian leaders seem to just accept the status quo – and by highlighting this I am not wanting to stir up anger or incite recriminations against people.
By our (born-again) nature we as Christians are tolerant, loving and forgiving. We take our example from Jesus who said “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men” - including against Himself – (obviously only if there is genuine repentance).
I do however, think that as Christians when someone is using the name of our Lord in a blasphemous way, that we have EVERY RIGHT to politely ASK them NOT to do so in our presence – and be prepared to explain why. It could be a wonderful opportunity to witness and share the love of God with that person!
We could say something like: “Please don’t use that name as a swear word around me. That is the name of someone very important to me – someone I love very much. He’s my Lord and Saviour and I’d love you to know Him too.”
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So what is in a name?
For us as Christians we use the NAME OF JESUS in prayer, in claiming victories, in worship and praise – and it’s powerful in its effects. Why is that?
The NAME stands for the PERSON.
If I mention the name of someone you know, you will immediately either see that person in your mind’s eye or you will instantly hold together everything that you know about that person in your mind.
Their name stands for everything that person is.
The name of Jesus is so powerful because it stands for who he is.
As he was about to go back to heaven Jesus made the biggest claim of ALL TIME – He said the BIGGEST THING that ANYONE has EVER said! (Matthew 28:18-20):
“ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH IS GIVEN UNTO – ME.”
The ONE with all the rulership of EVERYTHING is called JESUS!
The NAME OF JESUS stands for the ONE who has ALL THE AUTHORITY in heaven and in earth!
And we are to go and make disciples of Jesus – baptizing them in His NAME.
And He has promised to be with us as we do that –
There’s no one else who has all the authority – so why follow anyone else?
We belong to the One who has - ALL THE POWER!
That’s why in the end…
At the name of Jesus every knee will bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2:10-11)
PRAISE THE NAME OF JESUS!!!!!!