Taking A Spiritual Inventory

¡§Spiritual Examination¡¨

Exodus 20:3-17

"Two young men were fishing above a low dam on a river near their hometown. As they were concentrating on catching fish, they were unaware that they had drifted until they were not far from the water flowing over the dam. When they realized their situation, the current near the dam had become too powerful for them to keep their boat from going over. Below the dam the water was dashing with strong force over great boulders and through crevices in the rocks. Caught by the swirling waters under the rocks, they never came to the surface. After days of relentless searching, the divers finally found one body, and then, two or three days later, the other."

Some times we may be drifting and not even realize it. So I thought today would be a good time to take a ¡§Spiritual Examination.¡¨ The answers you give will help you evaluate your spiritual condition. Just like any other exam, however, the results are only as good as the answers. So be truthful with yourself. The results will not be graded by anyone in this room except you and God. The good news is that if there is a failing mark now there is time to do something about it.

Exodus 20:3-17

3 ¡§You shall have no other gods before Me.

The children of Israel lived in a wicked society, one that placed almost anything above God. We are living in a wicked society, one that places almost anything above God. (Have you placed anything or anyone before God? What is more important to you, your relationship to God, or something/someone else?)

4 ¡§You shall not make for yourself a carved image¡Xany likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Many will quickly say that this does not apply to us. Before you make that decision, ask yourself this (question: Do I give to God what is His, or am I giving it to something/someone else to maintain my material possessions or place in this world?)

7 ¡§You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

What do you say when you are angry, or when something doesn¡¦t go your way? Some think that the only way to take God¡¦s name in vain is to curse, but that¡¦s not true. (Saying, ¡§Oh god,¡¨ or ¡§good god,¡¨ or ¡§Jesus Christ,¡¨ or ¡§Oh my god¡¨; unless you are actually calling upon The Lord or telling someone about Him, don¡¦t use His name>

8 ¡§Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

This is a tough one for this generation. Many must work on Sunday. If you must work on Sunday then set aside another day that will be The Lord¡¦s day for you. (Question: Do I find time for recreation and work but I do not find time for God?)

12 ¡§Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

This is probably one of the most disrespectful generations of all time. It is nothing to hear a child talk back to their parent; or hear them tell the parent to shut up; or to say ¡§ I don¡¦t have to¡¨; Society says that children have rights, and they do. Those rights are found in God¡¦s Word. Honor your father and your mother (question: Do I, or did I respect and honor my parents?)

13 ¡§You shall not murder.

Do we have any murderers in the house? Remember what Jesus said about murder in the Sermon on the Mount? 21¡§You have heard that it was said to those of old, ¡¥You shall not murder,„T and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.¡¦ 22But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother „Twithout a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. (Question: Am I mad at someone to the point that I won¡¦t talk to them; do I harbor ill feelings or ill will towards someone?)