Have you ever wondered, “Why do I find myself in mess after mess after mess?” Several weeks ago, I shared with you that God uses troubles… to protect us.
Maybe you’re headed in a wrong direction or find yourself in a place you shouldn’t be in. God will arrange some trouble to come to remove us danger. God uses troubles to protect us and … to inspect us.
We’ve talked about this before. Imagine yourself as a pot, a glass container, a vase. Troubles come and push us over. What is on the inside ends up on the outside. What’s supposed to come out is love, joy, and peace. What often comes out is resentment, anger, and worry. God uses troubles to protect us, to inspect us, and… to correct us.
It’s this last point that we’re concerned with today. It’s a good thin to go to God and ask Him, “What’s the reason I’m facing this particular mess?” A failure to follow the first commandment fully will result in a messed up life. Here’s what God says:
… do not… walk after other gods to your own ruin…
Jeremiah 7:6
The first commandment is, “You shall have no other gods before Me” If we do have other gods, then we add ruin our own lives. The Hebrew word for ruin is ra’. It’s translated in various places as distress, misery, injury, adversity. You want to insure misery and adversity for your life? Just walk after other gods! You want a messed up life? Just have the wrong god!
We don’t want to go there, do we? And God doesn’t want us to go there either. That’s why He says, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Today, as we think about our lives in light of the 1st commandment, we’re going to see…
How to be rescued from ruin
Text – Exodus 20:1-3, p. 56
Series – God’s Top Ten: 10 Timeless Truths for Life
Even a casual look at current morality will lead us to see that our world is hurtling blindly down the dead-end road of moral relativism. We are witnessing the moral bankruptcy of our “free” society. We need a guide to point the way back to sanity, restoration, and life.
Tucked away in the pages of the Bible are truths that can reawaken us to the timeless absolutes of right and wrong. We call the truths the Ten Commandments. They are a guard for healthy, holy living. Just 177 words in the Hebrew OT. Just Ten commands. But who’s going to say, “God, You missed one!” Who’s going to say, “I think we ought to add an eleventh… or twelfth?”
Some people say that these commands are out-of-date and out-of-style – that we’ve left them behind. George Barna says that one out of every five adults maintain that the Ten Commandments are not relevant for people living today. The problem is not that we’ve left the Ten behind. The problem is that we haven’t caught up with them! They are still out ahead of us!
Truths about the Ten…
1. The Ten do not restrict our freedom; they restore our freedom.
Some say that the Ten Commandments are too negative and limit us. But God says, “You shall not” like a mother tells her two-year-old, “Don’t touch that stove because I want you to be free to live without being burned!” God only says “no” to anything that will steal our joy, our hope, our security, our love, our life. These are ten timeless truths for life!
Why should I learn and live the Ten? Because…
1. …of who God is. v. 2a
Our belief about God – our understanding of who He is – will determine whether we are willing to listen to what He says. That’s why He begins these ten laws for living by introducing Himself. Look at verses 1-2…
1 Then God spoke all these words, saying,
2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Exodus 20:1-2
This is a preamble to the entire list of Ten Commandments. “I am” gives the foundation to the “You shall.” We cannot divorce the “I am” from the “you shall.”
We are a rebellious group. We don’t like anyone telling us what to do. But sometimes, who the person in authority is can move us to action.
The other evening, I was traveling back from Canton after taking Alan to college. I passed a police car and looked down at the speedometer to see how fast I was going. I wasn’t going too fast so I didn’t have anything to worry about. But I noticed that the police car pulled out and zoomed right behind me. He stayed on my tail for several minutes. Finally, the lights came on! I pulled over.
Here comes the cop! I’m thinking, “What did I do wrong?” I’m getting my license ready. He comes to the window. It’s Officer Kalal! I remember when he was a just young guy running around CVCC. It turns out that he stopped me to let me know that I had a headlight out. We chatted for a few minutes about his brother who’s been called up to active duty. The last thing he said was, “You better get a new headlight.” Do you think I said, “Hey, I know you; you’re just a punk kid?” No, because he had the right to say, “I am a policeman… you shall get a new headlight.”
See, his authority – his “I am” – made me realize that I had to follow his “you shall.”
That’s the way it is with God – only infinitely more so. Who is God? He tells us here in verse 2. I see three words that will help us understand who God is.
· He is a God who is preeminent.
I am the LORD…
When you see the word “LORD” in your Bible in all capital letters, that translates God’s Hebrew name – the one He shared with Moses from the burning bush in Exodus 3. The Hebrew letters transcribed into English are… YHWH…
LORD = YHWH (see Exodus 3:12-14)
It’s from the verb “to be.” God calls Himself “I am.” “I am self-existent. I am self-determining. I am eternal. I am the One.” Whether we admit it or not, He is “I am.” We better pay attention to His laws because He’s a God who is preeminent!
· He is a God who is personal.
I am the LORD your…
The “Star Wars” series tempts us to believe that God is some kind of impersonal force in the universe. “May the ‘Force’ be with you!” An impersonal power. Some would say that God created the world and then backed off – that He’s now uninterested or uninvolved with what’s going on.
That’s not the God of the Bible. He’s personal. He cares about you… and me. He wants to be your God. You matter to Him. That’s why we ought to listen to His laws for living. He’s a God who is personal.
· He is a God who is powerful.
I am the LORD your God…
The Hebrew word for God is…
God = Elohim
“El” means mighty or strong. “Him” is a plural ending. It’s not that there are more gods than one. In the Hebrew language, there’s a plural of intensity. Since “El” means mighty or strong, then “Elohim” means an intense might, a majestic power.
We should tremble in the face of God’s overwhelming majesty! He is infinite in His power. He desires, deserves, and demands that we listen to his laws for living! He’s a God who is powerful.
Why should I learn and live the Ten? Because of who God is and because…
2. …of what God does. v. 2b
Notice what the rest of verse 2 says…
I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
These words, of course, are addressed to the people of Israel. They had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years before these Ten commands were given. Hard labor for another people was their life. But God sent Moses on a mission to the Egyptian king, Pharaoh, to set the people free. Pharaoh wouldn’t listen. The slaves had to work harder. Then God began to intervene miraculously. He brought hardship onto the Egyptian people until Pharaoh let the Jewish people go free. God delivered them into freedom. That’s why they were to put Him first.
God is still rescuing people today. I look out and I know some of the stories that some of you could tell. Some here were slaves to drugs and God set you free. Some were slaves to alcohol and God rescued you. Others were slaves to materialism, to success, to anger, to selfishness, to sex, to entertainment… and God set you free!
Suppose you fall off a bridge at night in the winter. The water is icy. And you panic. You are a poor swimmer. You can feel yourself being pulled under by the weight of your wet clothing. You know this is the end. Then, you see a man leap off the bridge. He swims to you and pulls you to shore. You are safe. Then he takes you by the arm, helps you up to the road, puts you in his car, and takes you to his home. All the way you are saying, “Thanks!”
You come to his home and pull into a three-car garage. You notice that you’ve been riding in a top-of-the-line Hummer. Now, this man does everything he can to make you comfortable. You enter his house where his servants surround you, hurry you to a bedroom, and provide you with a hot shower and dry clothing. They take you to a room with a warm fire and a hot meal. You are stunned by the splendor around you. And it’s all yours for the asking.
Question: How would you treat this man? Like some guy who just happened along and helped you out of a jam? Or would you want to know what you could do to honor him?
Why should I learn and live the Ten?
Because of who God is and because of what He does.
Each week, we’ll take a look at how we can learn to live each commandment. In the time left today, let’s see…
How we can learn to live the first commandment.
The first commandment is…
You shall have no other gods before Me.
Three big ideas today that can help us live out this commandment…
1. I will reflect:
…what are my false gods?
We’ve got to recognize how we break this law. We must identify our false gods. We have to understand how false gods can creep into our lives undetected. False gods have to be pinpointed, isolated, and discovered.
“What? Me? False gods? Wait a minute. I’m not Buddhist… or a Muslim… or a Hindu. I believe in God. What do you mean that I need to reflect on what my false gods might be? I have problems with some of the Ten Commandments, but this isn’t one of them.” We picture scenes from some primitive culture where they bow down to pagan idols and think, “I’m glad I was born where I was born. I don’t have to worry about breaking this first command.”
Don’t be too quick to say that command doesn’t cause you to stumble. Think with me about where false gods come from.
False gods arise from…
… wrong religions.
The LORD your God is the God of the Bible – the Old and New Testaments. He’s Triune – Father, Son, and Spirit. That means that He’s different from the Allah, the god of Islam. He’s different from the gods of Hinduism and Buddhism. People want to say that all religions are basically the same. Islam and Christianity have different gods. They cannot both be right.
One recent religion in the news is the Raelian religion. These are the people who have supposedly cloned human life. They claim that a little girl named Eve has been successfully cloned. According to the leader, Rael, scientists from another planet created all life on earth using DNA. He even calls humanity’s creators from outer space the “Elohim.” It’s an insult to the one true LORD God who alone has the right to create life.
False gods arise from wrong religions.
… wrong loyalties.
Think about it: Even atheists have a god. What I mean is this: In everyone’s heart – at the core of everyone’s being – is something that drives us, something that energizes us, something that’s a real priority for us. And that something is our god – whether we want to call it that or not.
Anything (or anyone) you love more than God…
… becomes your god.
When God says “no” to sex outside marriage, when God says “no” to getting drunk, when God says “no” to pornography, but you say “yes” because you love it, then pleasure is your god. When you spend an inordinate amount of time and money in pursuit of great physical fitness, but you neglect your soul, then your health is your god. Anything you love more than God becomes your god.
Anything (or anyone) you fear more than God…
… becomes your god.
When God wants you to stand up and be counted as a Christian at school or at work, but you stay in the closet as a Christian because you fear what people might think or say, then your reputation – what people think about you – is your god. Anything you fear more than God is your god.
Anything (or anyone) you trust more than God…
… becomes your god.
When God says for you to give generously – to tithe ten percent of your income to build His kingdom, but you withhold your tithes and offerings because you don’t trust Him to meet your needs if you give to Him first, then money (or a sense of security) is your god. Anything you trust more than God is your god.
Anything (or anyone) you delight in more than God…
… becomes your god.
When you take great delight in your house, your clothes, your car, but show little interest in your spiritual growth, then your things have become your god. Anything you delight in more than God is your god.
… becomes your god.
Anything (or anyone) that comforts you more than God…
… becomes your god.
When you find your comfort in your friends or in your recreation, but can’t find any real peace in your relationship to God, then your pursuit of the good life has become your god. Anything that comforts you more than God is your god.
Anything (or anyone) you serve more than God…
… becomes your god.
When you spend 60-70 hours a week on the job but can’t find any time to serve Christ, then your career is your god. When you spend every moment off the job pouring your resources of time, talent, and treasure into your family but can’t find any time to serve Christ’s church, then your family is your god. When you spend every spare minute seeking to be a great athlete but can’t find any time to build the kingdom of God then sports is your god. Anything you serve more than God is your god.
When you take a break from the daily grind, where does your mind go? A compass needle will always come to rest pointing north. Where does your mind – your heart – point when you are at rest? What’s really important to you? What do you think about? What do you long for? Your job? A promotion? Your home? Your car? Maybe another person? Or money? Or material things? Where’s your heart? What are you living for? What’s first in your life?
Many of these things are not necessarily bad things. Usually, they are honorable and worthy. But when we give them a higher priority than we give God, we break this first commandment.
If we persist in worshipping these false gods, then sorrow and regret will come into our lives.
The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied.
Psalm 16:4
Replace the true God with a false one and you experience multiplied sorrow. False gods make big promises but they can’t deliver.
The physical health of people who worship pleasure deteriorates prematurely. The popularity of people who worship prestige will too soon diminish. The wealth of people who worship money will one day leave them feeling empty.
God protects us from regret and sorrow when He says, “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
False gods arise from wrong loyalties.
… wrong theologies.
If your view of God is that He exists for you to make you feel good, then you have a false god. I know that this in one reason people show up at church: “I’m going to find out what God wants me to do. I’ll do it and then He’ll be obligated to me.”
That’s paganism. It’s what the people in the remote areas of Africa do. I’ll sacrifice this chicken to the god of this village and then the god will do something nice for me – he’ll heal this sick person in my family. We’re very much like pagans when we begin to think:
“God will like me if I show up at church and He will make life work for me.”
If you think that way about God, then you have a false theology. You have created a god of your own… because that’s not the God of the Bible.
Some people want to have a god who loves but never disciplines and corrects – a god who is happy and never angry – a god who comforts but never judges. In Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, Mark Dever shares an experience that illustrates why right theology is so important.
I had made a statement in a doctrinal seminar about God. Bill responded politely but firmly that he liked to think of God rather differently. For several minutes, Bill painted a picture for us of a friendly deity. He liked to think of God as being wise, but not meddling; compassionate but never overpowering; ever so resourceful, but never interrupting. “This,” said Bill in conclusion, “is how I like to think of God.”
My reply was perhaps somewhat sharper than it should have been. “Thank you, Bill,” I said, “for telling us so much about yourself, but we are concerned to know what God is really like, not simply about our own desires.”
The seminar was silent for a moment as they took in this potential breach of politeness on my part, but they were also taking in the point. I made some appreciative noises toward Bill, and we got on with our discussion about the nature and character of God as revealed in the Bible.
What we believe about God is vitally important. When we begin to formulate beliefs about God that fit our own liking at the expense of what the Bible says is true about God, then we are guilty of violating this very first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” The God we are to believe in is the God who has been revealed in the Bible. He’s both kind and severe.
False gods arise from wrong theologies.
How can I learn to live the first commandment? I will reflect…
2. I will repent:
… away with my false gods!
Why should we have no other gods? When we do love and serve other gods, we are like a person who moves in with and sleeps with and is loyal to a second spouse while the first spouse is still alive and well.
God wants an exclusive relationship with you. He doesn’t like it when other gods take His place. He’s not just concerned with our outward acts. He knows our minds and hearts!
When we stop believing in the God of the Bible, the problem is not that we begin to believe in nothing. The problem is that we begin to believe in everything!
How can I learn to live the first commandment? I will repent…
3. I will replace.
… worship the true God!
This will take a conscious effort on our part. When I take one ruler off the throne of my life, I must replace it with another. I eliminate all God’s rivals so He can have perfect rule in my life.
No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other.
Matthew 6:24
I put God where He rightfully belongs. He’s calling the shots. He’s making the decisions. He’s not only The LORD; He’s my Lord! And that’s when I am truly rescued from ruin!
Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?
Exodus 15:11
O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart,
I Kings 8:23
How can I learn to live the first commandment? I will replace.
* * *
In light of all this, what can I do?
· Learn the Ten Commandments.
In a recent survey it was found that less than 1% of adults and teenagers could name all of The Ten Commandments! Maybe that’s why we see today’s degrading story lines on TV, adultery as a way of life, children killing children, children having children, violent lyrics, school violence. All this has had its effect on our country’s moral conscience. Well, one couple, George Kelley and his wife, Marion, decided to do something about it. They started the Ten Commandments Project in the spring of 1997.
The vision is to have 10 million children who have memorized the Ten Commandments in ten years. And for the child’s effort, The Ten Commandments Project will pay the child ten dollars. Kelley believes that when children know the Ten Commandments, they will be helped to make God-honoring decisions as they grow to adults.
http://www.tencommandmentsproject.org/home.htm
· Develop a biblical view of God
For the last month, we’ve been promoting JI Packer’s book, Knowing God. Pick one up! $9.00 in the bookstore in the lobby. It’s great for developing a biblical view of God.
· Live the First Commandment by reflecting, repenting, replacing
· Worship and serve the true God
· Challenge the thinking of people around you
19 Then Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins.
20 If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you.
14 Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.
15 If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
23 Now therefore… incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”
24 The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and we will obey His voice.”
Joshua 24:19-20, 14-15, 23-24
Who’s on the throne of your life today? Who’s calling the shots? Who’s in charge. Who’s making the decisions? Your answer affects the quality of your life now…. And the destiny of your life later.
He says, “I am the LORD your God… you shall have no other gods before Me.”
