If you're able we stand as we open up God's word today?
We will begin in Exodus 20 verses 4-6. Hear the word of the Lord.
READ FROM THE BIBLE
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:4-6 ESV)
PRAY
The big truth is: How we worship Jesus matters as much as to God as Who we worship.
Last week we learned that the bible is several true stories telling one, over arching story. We learned that there is one God over all creation. He is a God who made a covenant to save, preserve and set apart a people for Himself. It is to these people that He gives his law. The Commandments reveal the nature of God.
He says, ‘I am the Lord your God’ the One who rescued you (Exod. 20:2).
Which tells us he is a loving God who pursues us, finds us and saves us.
We learned that Jesus and the father is one. Jesus used this “I am” statement made by God to Moses to describe Himself. He said
“Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58)
These words of God in the first commandment and in John’s remind us that Jesus the One true God deserves our worship. As we come to the second commandment today we must keep in mind the first.
The first commandment speaks of worshiping the correct God, whereas the second speaks of worshiping God correctly. Worship God correctly brings us to our text today in Exodus 20:4-6. What does is mean to worship Jesus alone with all our heart, mind and soul? We will begin today with what it is not.
Exodus 20:4-6
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:4-6)
God has created us in His image and likeness. Part of that likeness is the ability to create. God loves to create and nowhere in His word does He try to inhibit that with one exception. He does not want us creating things that serve as objects of worship to Him. I believe that God appreciates creativity and artistry but He will not tolerate idolatry.
He begins by saying;
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
In Exodus 20 verse 4 He covers it all. We are not to take anything in the air, on the ground or in the sea and create an object that represents God to worship God. He says there is only One God and I will not share my worship with something you created with your hands. If you we're here last week we know that God had saved his people from Egypt. God's people have been held captive for multiple generations there and began to worship multiple gods just as the Egyptians did. Their experience in Egypt with lead God's people to want to form an image to worship. As a matter of fact as in Exodus 32 you can read how Moses is with God. Moses is taking a long time to return so his brother Aaron decides to throw a bunch of gold into a pot, melt it down and make a golden calf. Listen to what God says to Moses
They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.” (Exodus 32:8-10 ESV)
Moses pleaded with God not to destroy His people and God granted His request remembering his covenant.
We many good reasons for this not worshiping idols but the one God specifically mentions here is his perfect love. Look at verse 5
You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God,
First God’s love is shown here in His jealousy. (Exodus 20:5 a)
Jealousy is hardly defined as expression of perfect love toward others. In our culture jealousy is generally tied to sin. Simply wanting something that doesn't belong to you. However, when something really does belong to you. Philip Ryken says
“A holy jealousy is one that guard someone's rightful position” Philip Ryken
The closest example of this would be a marriage between a husband and a wife. I made a covenant with my wife that I would love her exclusively until death do us part. There is no other earthly relationship that I will make this covenant with lest I break this covenant. It would make me extremely jealous to see my wife in the arms of another man. In the case that this would happen it would lead to so much pain and turmoil. God feels the same way about his church. He is made a covenant with his church. His love is exclusive. His jealousy is not insecure, crazy, and possessive like sinful human jealousy. Rather His jealousy is the perfect example of love and devotion to his bride, the church. He wont share His love with another especially an idol that you created.
Verse 5
...for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:5-6)
The warning here is that fathers that refused to love God passionately and the worship Him properly are in complete opposition to God and it will not be overlooked. The consequences of their sin will be passed down to generations. This is evident in the church today. Idol worship exist in the church today more than we realize. The church is tempted to worship God the way we want Him to be rather than the way He actually is. We have this tendency to emphasize the things we really like about God we like and then minimize or worse eliminate the things that we don't like.
We love and worship the God of grace and forgiveness. We love and worship the God who provides. We love and worship the God who cares and comforts. This is not a true representation of God but rather a fabrication of a god that we crafted in our own heart, mind and soul. It is rather easy to love this image of God with all our heart, mind and soul because this god caters to me. Which reveals the true god that we worship which is self. We are guilty of idolatry when we create any false image of God. There are some who have fabricated a completely false image of God in there minds without any reference to scripture whatsoever.
We read in Acts 17 where the Apostle Paul went to Athens. A city that he describes as “Full of Idols”
We won’t get into the story deeply but listen to Paul as he addresses their idols and tells them about the One true God.
Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for
“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of your own poets have said,
“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed… (Acts 17:16-34)
I love that Paul didn’t try to pick apart everyone of their idols. Rather he proclaims God and Jesus. The good news in Exodus 20 verse 6 is that because of His steadfast love to thousands this pattern of sin and idolatry can be forgiven and as an act of repentance we can choose to love God and keep His commandments.
Speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well Jesus said.
You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:22-24)
To worship God rightly we first have to understand that God is spirit.God transcends all of creation and because He is spirit nothing in His created world is to take the place worship. To worship God rightly we have to do it in truth. Jesus is the One True God who transcends His creation. God has revealed Himself to us in scripture and it is in Jesus that we find the fullness of God.
We will close with the Apostle Paul’s words to the church.
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. (Colossians 2:8-10 ESV)
How you worship matters as much as who you worship today.
