Well, can we turn to the book of Exodus chapter 20? The book of Exodus chapter 20. If you want to write something over this chapter, you could write these words, why I need God's salvation. Why I need God's salvation. I say that because the law is our schoolmaster that brings us to Christ. Paul would write that in the book of Galatians and the law of God does not save us the keeping of the law, but it does condemn us. It shows us our lost and sinful condition. And so as we come to read the moral law of God, the Ten Commandments, may God deal with our hearts and show us our guilt. And if you're not a Christian, that you'll come to understand that you have transgressed his law and that you do need God's salvation. So we're reading from the opening verse of the chapter. And so let's hear God's word. And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any grieving image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them. For I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work, But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is. And rest to the seventh day, wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's. And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. And when the people saw it, they removed and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear. But let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not, for God has come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. And the people stood afar off. And Moses drew near onto the thick darkness where God was. Amen. Let's bow our heads once just briefly in prayer. Father, Lord, we pray now for the help of the Holy Spirit. Lord, help, Lord, the preacher. Help those who listen to the word. Lord, we pray that we might experience, Lord, even what they experienced there in the book of Nehemiah, as we thought about on Wednesday night. that all were attentive, and all ears were attentive to the word of the law of God. Pray, Lord, that that will be our testimony, our experience in this place. Send, Lord, thy spirit, now we pray. Help, Lord, me. I ask of thee, touch my lips with holy fire. And may, Lord, all that is said and done today, may it bring glory and honor to thy name, and to thy name alone. For we offer prayer in and through the Savior's precious name. Amen. Commentators, you find them almost everywhere, on the radio, the internet. even on television and even among our circle of friends. You even find them in the Church of Jesus Christ. Commentators. A commentator is simply a person who likes to share their opinions with you and with others. Today you have such people as political commentators. These are people who inform us to all that's happening in the corridors of power, whether that be in Westminster, whether that be in the White House, whether that be in Stormont, political commentators. You've got sporting commentators and they simply provide a live commentary to some sporting event that is taking place. You've got news commentators and they like to give and supply reports and in-depth analysis regarding the news events of the day. You have Bible commentators who in a written form provide an explanation as to the meaning of Scripture. The commentary that such people make on a particular issue comes really to broaden our understanding and to increase our knowledge with regard to the subject matter upon which they are making their remarks. Well today I want to bring one final introductory message before coming to preach on the great names and the glorious titles that are given to the Son of God. And I want us today to think about God's commentary on His own name. God's commentary on His own name. What has God to say about his name. How does God expect us to treat his name? How does God expect us to use his name? And thus for these moments I want to preach, as I've said, a message that I've entitled God's Commentary on His Own Name. God's Commentary on his own name. Now it'll come as no surprise to you that God's commentary on his own name is found and is provided for us there between the pages of Holy Scripture. We find that God makes comment many times with regard to his holy and to his precious name. Now I spent this week looking at the 958 references to the word name that we have in the Scripture. Not only that, but I also looked at the 97 references with regard to the word names. that we find in the scriptures. And so today, I want to give you the fruit of my labors. Now, throughout the message, I'm going to give you many Bible references. And for that, I make no apology. I make no apology because all preaching must be based on the only infallible source of truth when it comes to the matters of faith and practice, the Word of God. And so I want to verify what I say by bringing you to many portions of God's Word. I'm not maybe expecting you to look them up. I would encourage you to do so. I would encourage you maybe to write them down if you have a pen or a piece of paper. But I want you to listen to what God has to say about His name, because we're coming to think about the names of His Son. We're coming to think about the names of the Son of God. And we need to approach this subject matter in a way that God would have us to approach it. And so what is God's commentary with regard to His own name? Well, in no particular order of importance, can I say in the first place, when it comes to God's own commentary on His own name, I find that God requires that His name is reverenced, hallowed, feared, and honored by His creatures. God requires that His name is reverenced, hallowed, feared, and honored by his creatures everything regarding god is holy and that includes his name in psalm 111 verse number nine we read these words holy and reverent is his name holy and reverent is his name in the book of isaiah thus saith the high and holy one god is holy and his name is holy. Those names are simply the descriptions of his person and of his attributes and therefore we as Christians are to use his name in a holy and in a reverent manner. To use any man's name in a careless or a disrespectful manner dishonors that particular man. And if that is true of sinful creatures, how much more is it true of the sinless creator? The taking of God's name in vain. One way in which his name can be dishonored was a matter that God came to personally address when he gave his Ten Commandments to Moses and to the children of Israel and to the world on Mount Sinai. In that third commandment of the Ten, God declares, thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." To take God's name in vain is really the negative way of saying that that name must be held in utmost awe and used wholly in thought and in word and in deed. It is not to be used in a flippant way. It is not to be used in a manner that is disrespectful or dishonoring to the name, but rather His name is to be held in honor and with awe and with due reverence. A.W. Pinkie wrote this commandment, speaking of the third, prohibits all dishonoring thoughts of God, all needless, flippant, profane, or blasphemous mention of Him, any irreverent use of his word, any murmurings against his providence, any abuse of anything by which he has made himself known. The shorter catechism, it will give us a summary of what is required and what is prohibited in the third commandment. The third commandment requires the holy and reverent use of God's names, titles, attributes, ordinances, word, and works. The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of anything whereby God maketh himself known. When we come to take God's name in vain, we do so whenever we speak irreverently of his name. When we take to ourselves that name as a Christian, and we fail to live up to that name, we come to take His name in vain. We come to take His name in vain when we use God's name in idle talk. We come to take His name in vain when we worship Him with our lips, but our hearts are far from Him. We come to take His name in vain when we pray to Him and yet we do not believe in Him. We come to take His name in vain when we swear by God's name. We come to take God's name in vain when we put God's name to something that is sinful, something that is wrong. We come to take His name in vain when we speak ill of God. How many a person has said, God told me to do this, God told me to do that. And what God told them to do was contrary to Scripture. That is taking God's name in vain. Blasphemy. And profanity is certainly a common way by which God's name is dishonored. This is whenever His name is used in a meaningless way, used carelessly as an expletive expressing surprise or anger or disapproval or hatred or deceit or any other human passion. You'll hear it on the work site. You'll hear it in your place of work. The name of Christ, the name of God being taken in vain. Turn on your television, watch some movie, listen to the radio, and you can be dead on sure that it's not Mohammed's name that's being taken in vain, but rather it is the name of the one who holds that person's next breath, who holds their soul in the very palm of his hand. Rather than God's name being used in a disrespectful way, His name is to be reverenced. His name is to be hallowed. His name is to be feared. His name is to be honored by His creatures. You think of the very first petition in the disciples' prayer. Jesus Christ gave His disciples a patterned prayer. by which they were to pattern their future prayers, giving us a kind of an outline, a sketch, a skeleton, with regard to what our prayers are to be like. And you think of that very first petition that is offered, and Christ encourages the disciples to offer, and encourages us to offer as we come to pray. Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. That's the first petition. Hallowed be thy name. That word hallowed. comes from a Greek word which means to venerate. It comes from a word that means to revere. It comes from a word that means to sanctify. Set apart thy name. That's the prayer. Set apart thy name above all other names. Set thy name apart. You see, God's name is to be hailed in the highest regard by all. Did you know that even up until this day, The name of Jehovah is so revered by the Jew that they will not even speak that name, lest they mispronounce it, and thereby they take it in vain as they see it. And so they use and employ the term Adonai. Every time the name Jehovah, the word Lord, appears in the Old Testament scriptures, they will not speak that name. Such is their reverence, such is their fear, such is the hallowedness of that name. They will not speak the name of Jehovah. We do not ascribe to that when it comes to the covenant name of God. But let us approach His name with the reverence that it deserves. In Psalmist David, he prayed a prayer that we could all do well to pray even today. You'll find it there in Psalm 86 in the verse 11. Teach me thy way, O Lord. I will walk in thy truth. Unite my heart to fear thy name. Unite my heart to fear thy name. How do we come to fear God's name? How do we come to fear the name of God? How is such a fear cultivated in our lives? Could I suggest to you that a reminding of ourselves with respect to the punishment that is annexed to the third commandment would go a long way when it comes to cultivating this fear that we ought to have for the name of our God. For it goes on to say, with regard to the third commandment, thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. That's the commandment. Now here's then the punishment annexed to the commandment. Here's the threat of punishment that God gives for the Lord. Will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Now that will cause you to fear. take the name of God in vain, to employ his name in a disrespectful way, to attach his name to something that is forbidden in scripture? For you to live in a way that does not honor the name God has said that he will not hold us guiltless, that taketh his name in vain. Dare we take God's name in vain? Dare we dishonor his name in any way when God has made this pronouncement that he will avenge those who take his name in vain, that he will visit that individual with his judgment that has taken his holy name in vain. The one who profanes God's name will face the punishment of God on that day of judgment, for we are told that every idle word shall man give an account of on that day of judgment. I say, sinner, is this your sin? Maybe this is your sin. Maybe this is the sin that you're most culpable of. You're known for your profanity. You're known as one for your swearing, for taking the name of Jesus Christ in vain, the name of God in vain. Maybe that is your particular sin. That's your, as it were, your Achilles heel. Well, let me implore you to repent of that sin just now. And instead of employing your tongue to use it as profaning the name of Christ, use it to praise His name. And so God's name is to be reverenced, to be hallowed, to be feared. It is to be honored. That's what God says about His name. When it comes to God's commentary in His own name, we come to see in the second instance that God desires that His name is known. God desires that His name is known. We're in the book of Exodus. Turn back 11 chapters. I was trying to do them as to Exodus chapter 9. You see, this was the very reason why God raised up Pharaoh. and executed his judgment upon him. Why did God raise up Pharaoh? Why does God raise up any wicked man? Why does God permit such a man to live in this world? Well, it was so that His name, that God's name, would be known throughout the entire world. Six plagues have already passed, the seventh being healed. Well, it's on its way, and Moses was sent to Pharaoh to communicate a message to Pharaoh from God. Now let's read it. Exodus 9, verses 15 and 16. For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence and thou shalt be cut off from the earth and in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up for to show in thee my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth this is god's commentary with regard to his name what does god desire with regard to his name that his name would be declared his name would be published his name would be proclaimed throughout all the earth and that's exactly what happened god inflicted egypt with plague after plague And then would destroy Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea. Psalm 136 verse 15 tells us that Pharaoh and the army was destroyed in the Red Sea. Whenever God came to do that, his reputation, his name, his fame spread throughout the entire known world. How do I know that? Well, I know that it at least reached Jericho. all the way from Egypt up to Jericho. Now remember there were no news apps, there was no television, there was no radio, and yet a message came to the citizens of Jericho with regard to what God had done on the other side of the flood because Rahab She reports to the two spies who come in to spy out the land. This is what she comes to declare in Joshua 2 verse 10. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites that were on the other side of Jordan, Shehon and Og. whom ye utterly destroyed. And so God's theme was spread far and wide in the aftermath of Israel's supernatural deliverance from the house of bondage. By his deeds, by his works, God got himself a name. And brethren and sisters, that's what we need. that God again would get Himself a name, that God's name would be known, not only known in this district, but throughout the entire world, that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. You know, beloved, God's not a bit interested in my name, and He's not a bit interested in your name. And He's not only interested in our names being known, but what He is interested in is in His name, and that His name would be known. God's name being known. The name of Christ, our Savior, that precious name, that saving name. I ask the question, are we spreading abroad His name? Are we making His name known? Or are we making our names known? Or are we making His name known? Are we making His name known to those who have never heard about His name, far and wide, in this nation and beyond? Oh, that we will do all that we can to have His name known. We think of David whenever he stood before Goliath, that all the earth may know that was his desire, that was the thing that motivated God's servant to stand against Goliath, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Oh, that God would be known to have his name known. I say, if you're making your name known, it's time to stop that. It's now time to make his name known, spreading abroad his name, spreading abroad his fame that's God's commentary on his name that's what he desires with regard to his name that his name would be known throughout and declared and published throughout all the earth missionaries are doing that today our media ministries of our denomination they're doing that today through let the bible speak and radio programs and in television broadcasts they're making his name known through the internet that we now have God's name being made known from the rising of the sun to the going down of the sea his name is praised because his name is known that's what God desires for his name that his name is known when it comes to God's commentary in his own name we come to see thirdly that God ascribes certain qualities to His name, and this will cause us to fear His name. When we think of them, now for time's sake, I'm just going to give them to you. I'm going to just simply list these qualities, and I'm going to give you one Bible reference. There are a multiplicity of Bible references I could give you, but I don't want to overload you, as it were, or overload even my own mind. And so I'm going to give you the attribute The quality, and I'll give you one reference that backs up what I say. When we come to the scriptures, we find that God's name is holy. We've already mentioned that. 1 Chronicles 1 verse, or sorry, 1 Chronicles 16 verse 10. Glory ye in his holy name. Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. His name is holy. Not only that, but his name is glorious. 1 Chronicles 29 verse 13, Now therefore, our God, we thank thee and praise thy glorious name. His name is a glorious name. Not only that, but his name is an excellent name, and we sung that in our opening psalm. That's why we sung the psalm, not simply to sing a psalm. But in order to tie it in to today's message, O Lord our God, how excellent, or the word is this, how majestic is thy name in all the earth, who has set thy glory above the heavens. His name is holy, His name is glorious, His name is excellent, His name is eternal. Psalm 135 verse 13, thy name, O Lord, endureth forever, and thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations. It is an eternal name. Not only that, it is a terrible name. Psalm 99 verse 3, let them praise thy great and terrible name, for it is holy. His name is worthy. It's a worthy name. James 2 verse 5, Do not they blaspheme that worthy? The word is precious or admirable name by which ye are called. There were those who were blaspheming. The worthy name, the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ. His name is great. Jeremiah 10 verse 6. What world leader, what statesman, what celebrity, what renowned academic, what scientist, what sports person could you say has a name that is holy, glorious, excellent, eternal, terrible, worthy, and great, and all at the same time there is none. God's name transcends. It is above all other names. And this is what Paul comes to write when he writes concerning the name of Jesus Christ when he comes to write the Philippian believers, he will write these words in Philippians 2 verse 9 through to 11. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, speaking of his son, and given him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father no more higher no more holier no more honorable name is there in this world than the name of God and that is why whenever God comes to make a commentary on his name we come to find a fourth thing Because God's name is higher than every other name, holier than every other name, more honorable than every other name, we come to find that as God makes commentary on His name, we come to find fourthly that He requires that we give glory to His name. Only the highest name deserves the highest glory. Only the highest name deserves the highest praise. And thus we are to glory in his name. All glory is to be ascribed to the name of our God. We find such a requirement set forth. In passages such as 1st Chronicles 16, 29, Give unto the Lord the glory, Jew, unto his name. Bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. In Psalm 29, verse 2, Give unto the Lord the glory, Jew, unto his name. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Psalm 96, verse 8, Give unto the Lord the glory, that is Jew, unto his name. Bring an offering and come into his courts. Did you notice? As I read those three references, did you notice where and when this glorying of God's name is to primarily be done? It is to be done in the house of the Lord when we come to worship Him. Each of those three verses, they speak about coming and worshiping God and bringing an offering and being in the courts of God. And therefore, this is where we are to glory in his name. Primarily, as we gather corporately for the purpose of worshiping God, we come to ascribe glory, the glory that is due to his name, because we meet in his name. where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. And so we meet in his name, aye, and we sing about his name. We sang his name today, the name of Jesus Christ, and we pray in his name. We ask in His name, we'll be coming to that, and we read His name and His word, and we give our finances to spread abroad His name, and when we listen to the preacher, he should come to exalt His name. And thus we come in all of these aspects of worship, we come to glorify His name. In song, in worship, in prayer, in the preaching of the word, His name is glorified, and that's the only name that we want to bring glory to. We don't want the glory in the name of ourselves, of a preacher, of a church, but in the name of God, in the name of our God, we are to give glory to his name. Now, did you give glory to his name today as you sang his praise, or were they just words on a page, or were they those words, were they the expression of your heart? you came to worship God precious name oh how sweet hope of earth and joy of heaven precious name oh how sweet may it be so oh the precious name of Jesus how it thrills our souls with joy he will comfort and guide you may God help us to glorify his precious name the bible commentator Matthew Henry he wrote if we would and hearing and praying and other acts of devotion receive grace from God, we must make it our business to give glory to God. Well, let us glorify His name as we gather for worship, but let us glorify His name in our day-to-day living, Monday through to Saturday, as we live out in the world, not just when we gather for worship in this church, but may we live to the glory of His name and may we glorify His name. As God makes commentary on his name, he reminds us in his word that salvation is found in his name alone. Now there's something, that is something that we can glorify and give glory for, the salvation that is found in him. Many of the verses are familiar to you. I'll remind you of them. With regard to salvation found in no other name, I'm sure many of them are coming to you just now. John 1 verse 12 but as many as receive him to them give he power to become the sons of God even to them that what believe on his name. Acts 4 verse 12 neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Acts 10 43 to him give all the prophets witness that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 11, and such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name. Have you believed on his name? Have you called on his name? Why not? Whatever holds you back, whoever holds you back, let me encourage you to forget about them and to call upon the name of the Lord and the one who bears that name, for it is Christ who saves. And we approach Him as we call upon His precious name. As God makes commentary on His name, we find something else. He reminds us that all prayer is to be offered in Jesus' name. since Christ is the only mediator between God and man. When we come to pray, we come to pray in Jesus' name. The Savior made promises to those who ask in His name, and you'll find those promises in John's gospel. In John chapter 14, and the verses 13 and 14, it says, And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son, If ye ask anything in my name, that will I do. John 15 verse 16. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain. And whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he will give it you. John 16, 23 and 24. We read, and in that day ye shall ask Can I say that praying in Jesus name is a lot more than simply using his name at the start of a prayer and closing your prayer off in Jesus name? When we pray in Jesus name it means As we come to God in prayer in the name of Christ, we're really laying all the stress upon His merit and upon His work for us. Praying in Jesus' name means praying with the authority of Christ behind our asking and asking the Father to act upon our prayers because we come in the name of His Son. You children maybe are sent to the headmaster and you come in your teacher's name. Such and so has asked me to speak to you, Mr. Horace or whoever it is, my schoolteacher, and you're coming in their name. He is not going to give that child something if they simply, as it were, ask They're coming in the name of someone greater than them. And thus we do, in prayer, we're coming in Jesus' name. We're asking in that precious name. And so as we pray in Jesus' name, what we're really doing is that we're praying according to the will of God. We're attaching the name of Christ to our prayers. We come to ask then the question, could I put the name of Christ to my prayers? What I'm praying for is an agreement with God's revealed will. Beloved, let us not think that coming in Jesus' name is some kind of magic formula by which we get our prayers answered regardless of whether or not it is in conformity with his will. No, we come in his name because as we pray, we are praying according to his will. And thereby we can take the name of Christ and we can apply that name. Now I'm asking in Jesus' name because I'm praying according to your will. And I'm taking now that name and I now present that name. And it's as if Christ is taking my prayer and he's now presenting it to the Father. The name is employed to give weight to the prayer. We come in Jesus' name. I draw your attention to one final thought when it comes to God's commentary on His own name. There is authority and there is power in that name. There is authority and there is power in His name. We come to see the authority and the power in God's name when David approaches Goliath of Gath. There in 1 Samuel chapter 17 in the verse 45, David says to Goliath on that occasion, When David came against Goliath in the name of the Lord of hosts, he was reminding the giant that he was coming with all of the authority of God behind him. And he was coming. with all the power of God with him. God has sent me and God will deliver me from thine hand. And we all know what happened to Goliath. David went with the authority of God's name and with the power of his name. We come to see the authority and power of God's name when Elijah came to pit the name of Jehovah against the name of Baal, and that great showdown on Mount Carmel. God's servant challenged the prophets of Baal, 1 Kings chapter 18, 24, to call on the name of your gods, call on the name of your gods, call them by name, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And we all know what God answered by fire, Elijah's God. the power of his name. We come to see the authority and the power of God's name when the apostles came to exercise their ministries. The 70 disciples that Jesus Christ sent out there in Luke's gospel. We come to find in chapter 10 that they return with a report and they tell the Lord Jesus Christ that the devils were subject to them through his name. Paul commanded the evil spirit that had taken hold of that young damsel girl in Acts 16 verse 28, to come out of her. And then he uses this phrase, in the name of Jesus Christ. Whenever Peter dealt with the lame man at the beautiful gate in Acts chapter three, he said, silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee in the name of Jesus of Christ of Nazareth. Rise up and walk. power in his name we come to see that the baptizing of new converts was to be done in the name or by the authority of the father and of the son and of the Holy Ghost. When the disciples preached regarding repentance and remission of sins, it was to be done in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, according to Acts 24 verse 47. And the Thessalonian believers were commanded in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to withdraw themselves from every brother that walked disorderly. Paul said, I command you, in the name of Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourself from every brother that walketh disorderly. He was giving authority, the authority of God's name. Oh, the authority and power that accompanied the ministry of these men. Yes, an unjudgment day we come to see the authority and the power of his name. I've already read the verse, Philippians 2, verse 10, that at the name of Jesus, Every knee should bow of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. What a name! What a name! It's the name of our God. There's authority in His name. There's power in His name. Oh, that you would know that power. May you know that saving power, the saving power of His name. Lest you stand in the judgment and at his name the knee will bow, but then it will be too late for you, and he will then confine you, and he will condemn you to everlasting burnings in the place where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched. In light of all that I have said about the name of our God, I draw your attention, if you're a believer, to one final verse. It's found in 2 Timothy 2, in the verse number 19. In 2 Timothy 2, verse 19, we read these words. It's the second part of the verse. And let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. You, as a Christian, have taken on his name. God requires of you and me to depart from iniquity, to depart from sin. We are to shun it. We are to desist from it. We are to flee from iniquity and from sin. We have taken His name, and thus we are to depart from iniquity. Let everyone, boy, girl, teenager, young person, adult in this house, let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. May God help you. May God help me not to do anything or to say anything that would dishonor or bring shame to his precious name. As we come To consider then now the names of the Son of God in coming weeks. May we do so in light of what we have said today with regard to God's commentary on His name. May we approach the subject matter with the reverence, with the respect, and with the awe that it deserves that we are taking to our lips the very name of the Son of God, His names. his titles. May God help us to fear his name and may we spread abroad his name from day to day for Christ's sake. Amen. Let's bow our heads in prayer together. Oh God our Father we come to thee in the name that is above all names in the name of Christ our Savior. We bless thee for the precious name Jesus Christ, thou shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sin. Lord, we thank thee that there's salvation in no other name but in his name. We pray, Lord, that we might glorify thy name. We might honor it. We will not take it in vain. Lord, that we might be those who, as those who bear his name, even in this community. Oh God, that we will depart from iniquity. private sin, public sin. O God, may we be those who bear his name in a manner that is glorifying to him. May we praise his name. May we honor his name. May we publish his name. Lord, may we know power in his name as we come to exercise ministry. O gracious Father, come, exalt thy name and thy name alone. Lord, send a breath of heaven for thy name's sake, and be pleased, Lord, in these days to work, and Lord, bless now our homes and our families as we part one from another, and may the love of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of God the Holy Spirit be with us all until we meet again in this house this evening, for we offer prayer in and through the name