Thank you for listening to the media ministry of the Puritan Reformed Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. If you are blessed by what you hear and would like to help keep our little church going as a ministry partner with your cheerful gifts, please listen for instructions at the end of this message. As you open your Bibles to Deuteronomy 12, and we prepare to hear the last sermon in Deuteronomy 12, Moses' sermon on the second commandment, not to have idols, not to serve in idolatrous worship. We're going to focus on the theme of it's all about honoring the name of God against the false names that come with idolatrous worship. Lifting up the name of the only true God, the name of the only Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to point out in the end of that section that we just sang in Psalm 115 that opens, not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but glory unto you and unto thy name. That's the heart of the problem with idolatrous worship. We're ultimately more concerned with the names of others than our own names. And a lot of it does relate to money. silver, gold, you know, our idols are just formed in different shapes, right? The other thing that I would say is if you notice at the end of that section it said, trust in the Lord. Because the concern is we're trusting in idols, we're trusting in the ways of the world, and often bringing those things into church worship indiscriminately. That was one of the sub-themes, to have discrimination. And we are ultimately bringing names of false gods through their false idols, false ways of the world into worship, that ultimately does not hallow God's name, which is the preface to the Lord's Prayer. Today, beloved, we are going to again close this section as it relates to the last sub-theme I want to look at with you in Deuteronomy 12, about the second commandment, no idols, no idolatrous worship, Moses explaining and applying it. We're going to look at verses 5, 11, and 12. As you'll see in your bulletin, Deuteronomy 12, verses 5, 11, and 12. Let me read them for you now. but unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there. Even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come." Verse 11. then there shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there. Thither shall ye bring all that I command you, your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the heath offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the Lord. And now verse 21. if the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to put his name there be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill all of thy herd and of thy flock which the Lord hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after." And what we are looking at as the last sub-theme And a good theme to close as we transition to the next commandment in the next chapters is God's name. Idolatrous worship has a lot to do about getting rid of other idols and the names associated with them. and only exalting the name of God. And if we would bring worship and things that are not what God commands, we're keeping alive and bringing the names of idols and the names of those false gods they represent and bringing in things into our worship, into our heart, before our eyes that are not of God and they compete and they drown out the name of God. When you try to speak about someone to another person, and you think they may know about the person, but you just struggle, you ever have their, I just can't remember their name, you know, so and so, what's their name, or no, not that John, or not that Peter, a different one, what's the last name again? When you can't remember their name, his or her identity remains vague, and it's almost as if they don't exist. When you remember their name, the person's identity is known and also distinguished from any other names. No, not those names. Get those names out of your mind. That's not them. Just this name. And that must be the focus of our worship, beloved. As we look at the last, there could be others, but the last one I'll focus on with you, sub-themes in chapter 12 of Deuteronomy, not having idols, no idolatrous worship. We must worship God the Lord Jesus Only in the way he wishes, so only his name is thought of and exalted in our midst. Not even our own names, other than the name Christian. You see, taking heed unto ourselves to not be engaging in idolatrous worship is all ultimately about identifying the true God as our God. Again, the main idea I'm focusing on today, taking heed unto ourselves to not be engaging in idolatrous worship is all ultimately about identifying the true God as our God. There's a lot of times when worship changes so much that there's a point where it might not be right to be calling it Christian. And sometimes the name Christian is even taken off or out. Sometimes there's people who go into a place and say, this isn't Christian. Whatever this is, this isn't Christian worship. Christ is not here. The name of Christ is not on this place, but that's the point. God says, I put my name on you. The gathering of my people, the worshiping community, the temple of the Holy Spirit. Verse 5 says, God places, He chooses to place His name upon the place where He wishes to be worshipped. In particular, the name is on His people. And so another sub-theme that I almost wanted to highlight, but I bring it together here, the Lord your God. That is a phrase that comes up constantly, just to give you a feel for it. Verses 7, besides verse 5, 7, 10, 12, 18, 20, 27, 29. So often, all through the scriptures, the Lord your God. That personal identity with the Lord, our good shepherd, the great shepherd of the sheep, the Lord Jesus Christ. He has placed his name on his people. He's placed his name on his worshiping people to be a people peculiar from the world, distinct, different. He is also the Lord God, quote, of thy fathers. Verse one, think about our surnames. Our identity comes from the surname, the last name that we have from our fathers or from our husband. It is our identification. It says who we are, how we've been raised, who we have been raised to be, especially as covenant children. And therefore it says, the Lord thy God of thy children, verses 12, 18. And there's more of that in there. There is identity with God as our father over his children, his people, his names on us. He doesn't want us sharing someone else's name. A wife does not take on the name of two different men as it relates to a husband. He's jealous for our complete devotion, our complete and total identification with Him by bearing His name, which is holy. And we are to represent it in being holy. And our worship is to hallow His name in being holy, worshiping exactly as He tells us to. And reformation of worship, getting rid of idolatrous worship, is to preserve the very name of your God and your Savior. So may God give you and me a heart for it, not pride, but certainly passion, appropriate sanctified passion, that we care very much about real, pure worship, even if they will call us Puritans, even if they will call us Puritanical, because we care about the name of our God. And we do not want him to share his glory with any other name. And that's what idolatry does. He puts his name, verse 5, on their tribes. Another grouping of the people, the 12 tribes of Israel, which each has a name with a banner over their camps around the tabernacle. It's the names of the 12 tribes of Israel and the names of the 12 apostles that are built into the New Jerusalem in Revelation. At verses 11 and 21 of our text, we see God's name is on the temple. He places it on the people. It's a personal thing, connection. He places it on the temple. It's the place of worshiping Him in person. No other name can be tolerated. No other place, nothing with another name of any of these false gods. In these places, they are going to take over in the promised land. It's all got to be destroyed. The names have to be destroyed as if they don't exist, because they don't exist. And as we know with Nehemiah, if they don't listen to God, they'll be in a place of exile and the danger of actually not existing. If they don't preserve the name of God, then what is one of their biggest problems? Turning to the idols of the world. Even built into this chapter, then tell me now, how did they worship their idols? Maybe I'll try that out. Oh, we'll mix it with stuff and say, this is our God who got him out of Egypt, right? There's such a danger of doing that to the point where you could lose your name. And that's Nehemiah's concern tonight. We'll see the shame on our name, which is a reflection on the name of our God, who says in chapter 1 verse 9, God will return us. The prayer is let us go back to the place where you have placed your name. And so how we worship reflects on the good name of our God or the removing and forgetting about it and then our own identity as we bring in the names of the world doing the things of the world. We must worship and exalt God so as to exalt his name. That's why we're concerned about nothing of idols and no idolatrous worship. He's not commanded. Look ahead to Deuteronomy 26 verse 2. Let me read into it with verse 1. And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein, that thou shalt take of the first of all thy fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land, that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name. That's why we'd never enter into any worship place that's false worship. Among many other reasons, we're not going into a place that would challenge the name of Jesus or God in anything that pretends to be worshiping. And we don't want to be confused to have that name placed on us by our presence there. Because we want to be known as Christians to having the name of Christ. And so much of what we do with worship will be about that one way or the other. You see, this is what revival, repentance, reform, restoration, reconciliation is all about. Again, Nehemiah 1 verse 9, bringing us back, rediscovering your law, rebuilding the church, the place of your people, and the place where you dwell in the midst of them and worship in the temple is about where your name is. But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandment, and do them, though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. That's Nehemiah 1, verse 9. His prayer, God would bring them back for that purpose, and he's referring to Deuteronomy. Richard Gamble says a major element in Deuteronomy, God's faithfulness emphasized in the revelation of this name, Yahweh, Jehovah, capitals all the way, L-O-R-D, which expresses his aseity. He's completely independent, but he's also a faithful covenant God to his people. Gamble goes on to say there is a focus on the divine name in the historical books. So beloved, while dedicating the temple, Solomon prays when they're in the promised land. And by David's preparation, Solomon has the offering up and asking God's blessing on the temple. And then he does dwell in an amazing manifestation of his glory. He prays in 1 Kings 8.29, that thine eyes may be opened toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, my name shall be there. that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. And spoken in the Davidic covenant in 2 Samuel 7 verse 13 about Solomon, but more importantly, looking ahead prophetically about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who teaches you and I to pray, hallowed be thy name, is read. He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. Beloved, you are God's house. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose name is Emmanuel. God with us. He's the true tabernacle. He's tabernacled among us in the flesh and we are his temple and with whom he tabernacles God with us. We must not have any other name come near the door of the church, near the door of our hearts as we worship him. He bears your name on his breast. And you should be thankful that he has written your names in his book of life, that you'll be worshiping him in the eternal temple, in the new heavens, in the new earth, in the new Jerusalem. And you show this to be true by worshiping God in spirit and in truth, for God is a spirit and such he seeks to worship him. So I remind you that Jesus teaches us in the Lord's prayer, the very first petition, the very first request is hallowed be thy name. I'd like to give you the Westminster larger catechism question and answer 190 to spell that out for us. in the first petition, which is, hallowed be thy name, acknowledging the utter inability and indisposition that is in ourselves and all men to honor God aright. We pray that God would by his grace enable and incline us and others to know, to acknowledge, and to highly esteem him. his titles, attributes, ordinances, word, works, and whatsoever he is pleased to make himself known by and to glorify him in thought, word, and deed, that he would prevent and remove atheism, ignorance, idolatry, profaneness, and whatsoever is dishonorable to him, and by his overruling providence direct and dispose of all things to his own glory." Psalm 115. Indeed, Psalm 115, as you sang, is a warning about the foolishness of idolatry in much of the first section. But it emphasizes at the beginning what is the real concern. Excuse me, verses 1 through 3. Not unto us, O Lord. Not unto us. Notice the repetition for a reason. Because when people want to bring in things that God has not commanded to worship, it's about us, it's not about him. The worship wars never ask the question, what does God want? They demand what I want. And that's idolatry. It's about us, not him. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory. For thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? But our God is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. See, there's a concern there. If we have idolatrous worship, we'll look like the idols. Nothing will happen for us just like the idols, because they can't do anything for us. And people will start to say, where's their God? It must not be a real God. Because we're concerned for our name, and the names of the false idolatrous worship we bring in of others, which crowds out the name of God and of Jesus. And eventually, we don't have them with us. And we're warned about that. Idolatry will crowd out the name, idolatrous worship will crowd out the name of Jesus with our own names that refuse to take on the name of Christ. This is why the regulative principle of worship matters. What is that again? What God chooses, a major theme in this chapter, is what we do. And what He does not choose, we do not do. And we do not bring anything from all these other places where we're going to be, which He warns about in the end of the chapter. Oh, tell me about what they used to do. Maybe I'll do that. We don't do any of that. We offer only what God commands. We do nothing He doesn't command. The regulative principle of worship proclaims the true God's identity in contrast to the idolatrous worship of false God of self-absorbed humanism. Idolatrous worship exalts our name by our own chosen place, our own chosen time, our own ways of going about it rather than God's name. You ask anybody why they want or don't want something in worship. Why they want and expect something or they don't want to have something expected of them. And it will never be about a concern for God. It will always be a concern for themselves. And that is idolatrous. Plain and simple. That is about my name. not God's name. The regular principle of worship is about hallowing God's name within and without us, before us, ourselves, and before the world. Where we hold up the banner of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus you must destroy all other names of the idols that are in your heart. That's where it starts. Look at verses 2 and 3, back in chapter 12. What does God want us to do with idols? Well, what happens every time there's a real reformation and revival in the scriptures and in church history, this is what happens and we're afraid to do it. Because we're more fearful of the names of others than we are of the name of God. And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire. And ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. shall not do so unto the Lord your God. You won't do those horrible things. Excuse me, verse 2. You shall utterly destroy all the places wherein the nations which ye shall possess serve their gods upon the high mountains and upon the hills and under every green tree. But notice in verse 3, you'll destroy the names. I don't even want their names there. I don't even want any memory. It shall be completely wiped out. No competition. I did not deliver you from Egypt with the ten plagues to prove there is no other god but me to go into this place with all these false gods and their idols and pick up their practices and bring down my name and eventually crowd it out. I want you to destroy everything about their idols that's left behind, that brings up and conjures the names of their false gods. I don't want anything at all in your midst. So notice, we exalt God's name where he puts his place on it, while also getting rid of the names of the false gods and their idols. J.G. McConville says this, the effect of destroying the accoutrements of worship at a place is to destroy the name of the God worshipped there. John Currid, in ancient Near Eastern thought, what had no name had no existence. Getting rid of idolatrous worship, you see, gets the name of false gods out of you, which is what God says He will do when He brings about revival, when He brings about the Redeemer. Zechariah 13 verse 2, And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered. And also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. Do you imagine in the new heavens and the new earth that God will tolerate any false worship or any idols or their names? Then why would we now in this place of worship? And why does our nation, that claims to be Christian, but it's not because it's not in our Constitution. You will hear everyone, I just heard somebody say it the other day, we are a pluralistic nation, and that's good. We all have a right to religion. We all have a right to our, they're not thinking, these Christians speaking, false idols and false gods. And we point to that as that's good, so that we can have our God, and we can have our freedom to worship. No, it should be a nation that rules out false idolatry, and will not tolerate it as a nation, and favors real Christianity alone, and only the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and only Christian worship. There are ways that that can play out, but let's not kid ourselves. If we want God's blessing on our nation, we need to redeem His name. the worship of his name. And we can't call ourselves a Christian nation when we happily tolerate and even promote pluralism. Pick your God, choose your idols, and have at it, so that I can have my God. That is syncretism, beloved. It's not gonna be here in the new heavens and the new earth. The only people here will be those worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ, who has his name on their foreheads, his name in their hearts, and their names on his. Nothing else will be tolerated in God's presence. Why would we do so now? Why would we, leading this church, be concerned about other people's names here? Now think about this, to get rid of these trees and these groves. A lot of these places were places, the high places often spoken of, trees, groves. Now remember, does that mean I can't go sit under a palm tree? No! Discernment. Remember, we studied that. That's one of the big things we need to have discernment of in this chapter. But there are times when it's been given an idolatrous meaning and place and name, these places of groves where they'd go to worship. And the word grove in the Hebrew, verse 3, is literally plural for Asherah. Same thing in Deuteronomy 16.21. The grove is literally the plural for Asherah. Asherah is a false goddess. very much in their worship, represented by these trees and all these things that need to be cut down, so the very name in the tree ashram is gone. John D. Curd explains, the main fertility goddess is depicted as a sacred tree. in this place they're going to take over. And all of the remnants of that fertility goddess worship in the groves, even the name Hebrew Grove for Asherah are there. And so God says, cut it down. Burn these groves where false worship grows. And their names are promoted. John Kurd says, God's command is emphatic. You shall certainly destroy is a double verb in the Hebrew. That's a lot of times when God is emphasizing, we may have it very or much or mighty. It's actually the same word twice in Hebrew. Destroy, destroy. And again, beloved, it needs to start with the idols of our heart. Pray God shows you the idols of your heart and destroy them. Kill the old man if you will vivify the new. J.G. McConville writes, the revelation of his name to Moses in Exodus 3 at the burning bush, and later referenced in chapter 6 of Exodus, is located precisely in the context of that great paradigmatic act of deliverance that is narrated in that book, and that becomes crucial to the entire Deuteronomic paronesis. The name of Yahweh, therefore, is about who he truly is. His name is revealed. Who do I say has sent me? Tell them I am has sent me. Remember Jesus has said seven times in the Gospels, I am. He reveals himself by who he is in his name, which is completely witnessed to by how you and I worship. Behavior can be idolatrous, James 2 verse 6, but ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? That's New Testament, folks, and it's connected to the oppression of the poor. I heard someone misrepresent certain texts and scriptures on a topic on a Christian radio program recently. It's the New Testament, just as much as the old. And how we treat the oppressed has everything to do about whether we're being idolatrous or not for the power we wish to have instead, including over them. And that is not Holding up God's name, it says you are blaspheming the worthy name by which you are called, which is Christian. McConville says the name in question there is Christ, and the place is the people of God. We can be idolatrous worshiping what we focus on and what we talk about and how we often go against everything that God says and what is our identity and come into worship and make it about something else that it really isn't and that is to take Christ's worthy name in blasphemy. Acts chapter 2 verse 38, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Just as Jesus says in the Great Commission, baptizing them in the name of the Trinity, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, because the name represents His propriety of us, ownership, identity. Acts chapter 4, verses 10 to 12, Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised up from the dead. Even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone, which, by the way, quoting a psalm, which was set at naught of ye builders, which has become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Citing the Old Testament about God, Paul writes in Philippians 2, 9-11, Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. And your worship has everything to do about exalting the name of Jesus Christ as the only Lord and Savior. When we allowed syncretism and bringing in of other things, we're bringing down the idea that Jesus alone saves. Because we're worshiping, we're putting our trust and hope in something other than Jesus in the very worship. We're more interested in what others will say about us than what we say about the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, fellow Christians, O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. Psalm 34, verse 3. Wear His name well, beloved. Worship Him in a way that respectfully hallows his name in the midst of we his temple. Like a good wife does her husband in her speech and in her behavior, especially in his very presence. And especially not bearing false name, false witness against it elsewhere. Are you embarrassed? To be identified with Christ in this world has a lot to do with how you'll come in and out of worship here. Are you concerned to hold back on identifying as a Christian in the marketplace? If so, is that not bringing idolatry into your worship as you approach the Lord's day? After your six days of work when you don't want to identify yourself with it, He bears your name in heaven. Proclaim his name everywhere before you enter here to express true love. Acts 11 verse 26, And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians. First, in Antioch, what are the people of God called in the New Testament? Christians. Why? Because they bear the name of Christ. And they will not follow the ways of the world and say Caesar is Lord. They will only in the marketplace say Jesus is Lord. So that as they approach worship, that's the truth coming from their heart. This must be Christian worship here. He chose you and he chooses how you are to worship in your approach and in your participation. To hallow his and his father's good name. Dillard and Longman write, for God to place his name on a place or nation is also to imply his ownership of the world, of Israel, and of her land. In Deuteronomy, where the emphasis is on possessing the land and on Israel's covenant with God, expressing God's presence through His name reminds the nation of His ownership and dominion. Beloved, as you are concerned with purity of worship here, you are concerned and acknowledging Christ's domain is everywhere, and especially here and especially over you. You identify with Christ and you act accordingly. Acts 26 verse 28, Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. Beloved, don't almost be persuaded and fake it that's idolatry, and it's idolatrous worship. Be a Christian, in and out of this place, knowing wherever you go, you're part of the temple of the Holy Spirit. And he's coming back to consummate the kingdom, and he promises, you confess me before men, I'll confess you before my father. But the opposite's also true. You're embarrassed of my name, I'll be embarrassed of your name, and I won't remember it at judgment day at my return. in and outside of worship, no idolatry, no trusting in anything else, no exalting the name of anyone else but God. First Peter 4 verse 16 instead, Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God on this behalf. Identify with Christ's name as a Christian everywhere, so that you enter here, and if you have to suffer for it, you're doing it for God's glory. It is thus lovely to think about placing God's name in our children's names, such as the names that include Yah or El. Dillard and Longman write one other thing. Deuteronomy refers to the name of God 21 times. 21 times Deuteronomy brings up the concern of the name of God in our text today and how we exalt it and protect it by getting rid of and destroying idolatry and idolatrous worship which we carry with us in our hearts. This will lead to Moses next sermon on the third commandment that we begin next week. in chapter 13. But I would turn with you back to Deuteronomy 5 and revisit that as we close. Look at Deuteronomy 5 verse 11. This is how it all relates. Idolatrous worship takes down the name of God. Purity of worship lifts up the name of God and we are commanded to hallow his name. Look with me at Deuteronomy 5 11. This is where the next sermon by Moses will focus. The third commandment, 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. Beloved, worship in the way of the people of the way. Another phrase in the scriptures, that is worship in the way that glorifies the name of Jesus who is the way. Wear Christ's name well in how you worship him. And that is the message for you this morning on the text, focusing on the theme of idolatrous worship being gotten rid of, purity of worship being focused on and maintaining, is to lift up and exalt only the name of your God. Wear Christ's name well in how you worship him. Let us pray. Forgive us, Lord God, for how we bring idolatry in our hearts into this place, into this gathering where your name is especially placed. O Lord, forgive us for how we bring in things into our worship that are not from you, but because we care more about the names and reputations of others than our own. But we pray together now, Lord, that our worship and our lives in and out of the temple will be not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name be glory. As we forsake lifeless idols that can do nothing for us, and we trust in you and your name alone. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. And if you prefer to send your support through the mail, please make your check out to Puritan Reformed Presbyterian Church and send it to Puritan Reformed Presbyterian Church, 6374 Potomac Street, San Diego, California 92139. Thank you.