What does a stubbed toe; a double-fault in tennis and a burnt casserole have in common? They all represent opportunities for an unfortunate name game when we replace one name with another—a greater for a lesser. When unfortunate things like double-faults happen, some of us mutter under our breath or out loud, “G.D, it” or “Jesus Christ”.Now, I’ve been known to miss a serve or two and utter my choice word: “Dag-nabit-rabbit”. But it pales in comparison to the choice words a guy I play with uses when he goofs up. Every word is “Jesus Christ, this” and “G.D. that”. It hits me like a punch in the gut. You might be saying, “What is the big deal? It’s just words. Right? Wrong. Consider this: what if every time someone cuts off someone else in traffic, they holler out your name, “Angie, you?” or when they drop their cell phone in the toilet, they holler out “Well I’ll be a Janice Bynum”. They have reduced your name to a curse word, thus rendering it to nothing. Closer to home, what if the last name of your denomination is replaced with a lesser word? Instead of saying “Disciples of Christ, you say “Disciples of Stubbed Toe,” or “Disciples of Dropped Phone,” or Disciples of the Double Fault.
You wouldn’t be ok with that? Neither is God. We need to take seriously the name of God because names mean something. Olin means king. Natasha means “beautiful” in Hebrew”. Angelina means “messenger” in Greek. Mark means “war-like. God’s name has meaning, too. He takes His seriously, so much so, that He made it the third commandment of the Ten Commandments—NNV. It stands “No name in vain.” Why you should not take God’s name in vain?
Exodus 20:7 is our link to the third commandment of what I call Commandgram—a relook of the Ten Commandments in current terms. Since Moses went up Mount Sinai to receive the law etched in stone by God’s lightning thumb, God has been texting man with some serious messages. None more serious than how we are to handle His name.
Turn to Exodus 20:7. There we will see that NNV is a caution not to make God’s name nothing, to make something special trivial. Secondly, God cautions there will be consequences to trivializing His name. The Ten Commandments is not about rules, but a relationship with God. He wants to be our God and we, his people. He wants us to carry His name like He has carried us with care.
So, get out your phones and text your friend who needs some care: NNV…more later. When they it you back, explain to them: NNV means TLC—the Lord cares.
First, NNV is a caution not to make God’s name nothing, not to make something special, trivial. We see the warning in verse 7a:
7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain,
First, “to take” (hs'n", nasa) literally means to raise up, lift up or carry. That word is used in Exodus 19:4 to describe
how God carried Israel out of Egypt like an eagle, who lovingly protecting and carrying her babies with TLC. God’s name should be carried with the same care like an eagle. When you care about something, you carry it differently. You don’t drag it in the dirt, twirled like a baton or spit it out of your mouth. You don’t “wave it the air like you just don’t care.” You cradle it. God does not want his name to be drug in the dirt like it’s empty.
That’s what vain (aw>v' shav) means—empty. To carry God’s name any kind of way is to say: God is nothing. God had done nothing therefore you owe him nothing. But God did do something for Israel—freed them from Egypt. And He has done something for you. Therefore, his name can’t mean nothing.
Abraham’s name means he would be the father of many. God didn’t call him “One who shoots blanks”.
Moses’ name means deliver. God didn’t call him “One on lockdown”.
Peter’s name means rock. Jesus didn’t say, “Upon this sand I will build my church.
When Moses asked God in the burning bush what is His name, God said “I Am that I Am.” In essence, God is a fill-in-the-blank-God. His name reflects what you need Him to be. Just fill in the blanks.
When you need provision, fill in the blank: “I am JEHOVAH-JIREH—the Lord Will Provide". He provided water from a rock, chicken from the sky and bread from heaven.
When you need healing, fill in the blank: “I am JEHOVAH-RAPHA—the Lord Who Heals". He healed a Syrian general from leprosy with seven dips in the Jordon River.
When you need victory, fill in the blank: “I am JEHOVAH-NISSI—the Lord Our Victory Banner". He gave David victory over Goliath; Bartimaeus victory over blindness and Jesus, victory over death. Has he given you victory over your enemy?
So Church, carry the name of God with TLC because of He has carried you with the tender loving care of an eagle. So, text someone NNV who needs some care. When they hit you back, tell them there is a name above all names, that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. Don’t take this name in vain. Don’t make something special, trivial because NNV means TLC—the Lord cares.
Second, God cautions there will be consequences to trivializing His name. God promises that if you play the name game with His name, you will lose. Look at 20: 7b
for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. 20: 7b
To trivializer God’s name is to be tried and found guilty of perjury. It’s akin to putting a hand on a stack of bibles in God’s court, to take an oath to “tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” but then lie on God’s name. The oath is rendered empty.
With hand on bible, Marion Jones sworn on the name of God, that she was not juicing on steroids when was crowned the fastest women in the 2000 Olympics. Evidence proved otherwise. The consequences: her name as Olympic winner was rendered to nothing, her victories erased. She wasn’t the first to lie on God and deny his name. Judas denied Jesus with a kiss in the garden. Peter denied Jesus with a lie in a court yard, warming by the enemy’s campfire.
The lies that come from our mouths reflects what is in our hearts and how our lives misrepresent His name according to Matthew 15:18.
Matt. 15:18 "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.
But when we live up to His name as the Christians we are called, we carry the TLC of God in our hearts like TunDe Hector and Chris Wright—my good-feel story of the week. TunDe ran out of gas and was down to her last five dollars. As she walked to the gas station miles away, Chris spotted her, picked her up, filled up her tank, and renewed her faith. Three years later when Chris was looking for someone to provide special care for his mother who was suffering from Parkinson’s disease, they hired a home health care nurse who showed an extraordinary level of care for their mother in her initial visit. The nurse was Tunde. They didn’t recognize each other at first, but then it came to them. TunDe and Chris had met before. TunDe continued to show Chris’s mother extra special care till her passing. She was there for the homegoing service, leaving her own birthday celebration. When Chris learned TunDe was in need of tuition help to fulfill her dream to become an OB-GYN RN, he orchestrated a fundraiser for her. $43,000 dollars later, TunDe’s dream came true. Great things happen when the TLC of God is carried with special care like on wings of eagles.
So, carry the TLC of God in your heart and living:He is called the Bread of Life. Feed someone.He is called the Light of the World. Light a candle against darkness. He is the Resurrection. Live a “knocked down, but got up” life.
But if you choose to play the name game and trivialize the name of Jesus, and not carry his name into your life, you will miss the blessings of being His namesake like TunDe and Chris. So, text someone with NNV. When they it you back, tell them NNV is about TLC. Trivializing his name is a missed opportunity to fly like an eagle.
CONCLUSION:
NNV is a caution not to make God’s special name trivial. Secondly, God cautions there will be consequences if you do. You miss the blessing of blessing others in His name.
Many think it is no big deal to make God’s name a little nothing, to make it equivalent to a stubbed toe or a missed free throw. But the third Commandgram—NNV—is a big deal. It’s not about a rule, but relationship. NNV is God’s way of saying TLC—the Lord cares. His wings are wide enough to carry you.
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