In the military, when a person first gets to boot camp their whole world turns upside down. I mean at one point you are sitting on a bus a little anxious but not too bad and then BOOM! Some dude gets on the bus yelling at you for just being alive or at least that is what it feels like.

A new place where things are all different can cause all kinds of issues, not only mental but physical also. Sometimes, things inside quit working for a few days and bathroom trips are not productive like they should be.

One of the recruits had that happen to them and when it is time to go. It is time to go. In the Marine Corps as well as in the Navy the restroom is not called a restroom, it is called the Head. And you don’t go to the Head, like you go to the restroom, you have to make a Head call. Everything you say to a drill instructor, starts and finishes with the word “sir”, so you would say, “Sir, Private Smith asks permission to make a head call, sir.”

“Private Smith, now is not the time to make a head call” said the D.I. “Sir, it is an emergency, sir.” “Well, if it’s an emergency, go.” Private Smith runs off and the DI calls him back. “I thought you said it was an emergency, why didn’t I hear your sirens?” So Private Smith runs yelling, “WOO WOO.” The drill instructor called him back again and said, “I don’t see your lights flashing, put your hands up and do this. (open and closing hands over and over)” So, from that point on, until almost graduation time, Private Smith’s head calls were in Emergency fashion.

There are things from boot camp/ basic training that I still remember because it was drilled into my brain. Some of it I have forgotten. Some of it I don’t pay attention to anymore. Any I think that we do the same thing with the bible.

Let’s read the main text found in Exodus 20.

The Israelites before the 10 commandments didn’t really have anything to follow. No laws or rules really to understand what was expected of them to help set them apart from the rest of the world. So, God wrote these out and gave them to Moses to give to the people.

Some very simple instructions that we sometimes don’t understand or don’t follow like we should. So, let’s jump right in with point number one.

1. God, and just God.

Exodus 20:3, Luke 4:5-8

There are two things that I never leave the house without or at least I try not to. One is my wallet and one is my cell phone. I can buy Diet Mountain Dew at a convenience store. If I leave the house and realize that I forgot my cell phone, depending on how far I am away from the house and how long I will be gone, I turn around and go back and get my phone.

Now I can justify it because I am the pastor and someone might have an emergency and need to get ahold of me, but come on. I go back because I have some really fun games on my phone or I might need to check Facebook.

Let me step on a toe or two. Have you ever checked social media while in church or Sunday school or Wednesday night bible study? Some of you will make excuses as to why you would get on Social media during church time, like well I am checking on a friend that isn’t doing well and they post stuff to their story, or fill in the blank. But excuses are just that, excuses.

When something takes your focus off of God, it then becomes your god. What are the chances that Satan is trying to get your attention at the same time that God wants to speak to you through whomever is speaking? What if the thing that you needed to hear, the instruction, inspiration, or blessing that you needed, you missed because you were distracted by a text message or a notification on your phone.

This scripture from the King James says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” And the New Living Translation says, “You must not have any other god but me.” You know, Satan is pretty smart. I mean he knows scripture very well. He knows how to twist it to try to trick us into believing the bible says something that is really doesn’t or that it doesn’t say something that it really does.

It doesn’t have to be a cell phone. It can be anything that comes between you and God. Everyone is different. I don’t know what might be your god, but Satan does. I don’t know what your god might be, but you shouldn’t have anything that takes away from our God in Heaven.

Which moves us to point #2.

2. Don’t place too much value on things.

Exodus 20:4-6, Matthew 6:19-21

How many of you would be honest enough to say that you have purchased something because you really wanted it and thought you could use it, but it either sits on a shelf, in a drawer or in the closet? Everyone except the liars.

Don’t raise your hands on this one. How many of you own several things that you have not used in over a year? How many of you have a shed full of junk that you don’t use? Maybe you have a storage unit with a lot of stuff in it.

I am not saying that there is anything wrong with that unless you are not able to pay your bills because you buy too much stuff. I am not saying that renting a storage unit is a bad thing either. If we buy too many things or if we buy beyond our means then what is left for God? But really the question that I want you to think about is what value do you place in things?

I remember when we started cleaning out the church a few years ago and there was an old picture of Jesus and we didn’t want to throw it away, because it was a picture of Jesus, but the picture was mildewed. We have had some old crosses that were bent, broken or falling apart that we had so much value in them that we didn’t want to throw them away. Guess what… we threw them away. Why? They are just objects.

The picture was not Jesus. The cross wasn’t the cross that Jesus hung on. The bible says, “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.”

We put too much value in things, let me tell you this cross was made by Dixie Haase, years and years ago, but you know what? If it falls apart or becomes a distraction, we will get rid of it, because nothing is more important than obeying God and following Him where He leads us. He

Moving on let’s look at point 3.

3. Do NOT misuse God’s name.

Exodus 20:7, Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 7:22-23

It hasn’t been that long ago that a church from Topeka, Kansas made the news…a lot. The church is the Westboro Baptist Church. They would show up at parades and funeral possessions with signs like, “Thank God for Dead Soldiers” “God hates Fags” “God Hates you” and even “Thank God for breast cancer”.

Many people have not actually got into conflicts with them, but they will show up in droves to block them in, so their buses can’t move, stood in front of them with bigger signs to cover the signs of hate.

Many people think that when God made the commandment, “Thou shalt not take the Lord’s Name in vain,” it only meant that you should not speak His name as a swear word. Man we really have let that one slide haven’t we. I mean I have heard soooo many people say, “Oh my you know who” as if it was no big deal, even people that say they are Christian. I am not judging anyone, but if God says don’t use my name in an inappropriate way, I am pretty sure that it breaks His heart when we do.

I think this verse goes so much deeper than what we say. I think that it goes into our actions. I John 1:6 says, “So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.” If we claim to be Christians and act like the world, when the bible tells us to be imitators of God, are we misusing God’s name in our lives? If you look at the King James version, “shalt not take the Lord’s name in vain” the definition of “in vain” is do it with no result, or no effect.

If you take on the Lord’s name it changes you to be committed to God like a wife is supposed to be to her husband and a husband is to his wife. Faithful, forsaking all others, in richer or poorer, all the time it should be evident in your life.

So, church, have you been misusing God’s name in your life? Are you speaking His name in vain? OMG, whether you say it or type it. Are you living like the world and taking His name in vain? Either we are God’s and He is the One and Only God in our lives or He isn’t our God at all.

Getting Back to Basics