“THOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME” (EX. 20:2-3)
1. Please pick up a Bible and turn to the 1st chapter of Ex.
2. I want to build a foundation that will take us towards the scripture reading.
3. From the reading we heard,
4.
“I am Jehovah thy God who brought thee out of the
5. This statement is significant.
6. We can see its significance if we look at earlier portions of Exodus.
7. Let’s start the reading with Ex. 1:9, 11-12a READ.
8. The Hebrew people were being mistreated. Their lives were not enjoyable.
9. At this point, they were basically slaves.
10. As time went on, things did not get better.
11. Verses 13-14. READ. Life for the Hebrews was tough.
12. Pharaoh finally got very concerned about the Hebrews.
13. He was so worried, that verse 22 says, READ.
14. Living with this kind of rule would be extremely troubling to parents.
15. If you are a woman, imagine carrying a baby to term.
16. When the delivery day comes the midwife says, “It’s a boy.”
17. Because the gender is male you are supposed to throw your son away like a garbage bag.
18. The Hebrews did not have pleasant rules to live by.
19. They surely wanted to be free. They were unable to free themselves.
20. Year
after year,
21. Let’s
skip over to
22. The Israelites had “burdens”.
23. On this occasion, a Hebrew was being beaten by an Egyptian.
24. Again we find that the lifestyle of the Jews was not pleasant.
25. In fact, even God said that the Hebrew life was not pleasant.
26. This information is found in Ex. 3:7 and 10. READ.
27. The point I want you to think about right now is this:
28. The
Israelites could not get out of
29. To make this point very clear I want to read Ex. 13:14. READ.
30. If
God had not intervened, the Hebrews would have stayed in
31. It was only by God’s power hat these Jews were delivered form bond.
32. This fact becomes important when we look at the first commandment.
33. Listen to what is tied in with the first of the 10 commandments-Ex. 20:2.
34. READ verse 2.
35. This verse has a subtle reminder in it. God in effect said,
36. “Without
me and my help, you would still be back in
37. I have delivered you. I have done what you could not do.
38. Because I have freed you, you owe something.
39. There is a debt of gratitude that you are obligated for.”
40. This debt of gratitude is described in verse 3. READ.
41. Instead
of
42. He was their God.
43. God occupied this position not only because He is the creator,
44. But because He had rescued these people from captivity.
45. What I have shown you has a NT parallel.
46. Think about how the NT pictures the people who are not Christians.
A. Does it not say that these people are in bondage?
B. Does not the NT teach that people are captives to sin?
C. It certainly does.
D.
Hear Rom.
E. Backing up to Rom. 6:17 we have, QUOTE.
F. When people reach an accountable age, they serve sin.
G. They get in bondage (become slaves) to sin.
H. No matter how hard people try, they cannot free themselves.
47. As
the Egyptians needed God’s help to get out of
48. According to the NT, it is possible to be released from sin.
49. This release comes by the power of God.
50. Col. 2:12 says, QUOTE.
A. We can have faith.
B. We can repent, confess Christ, and be baptized.
C. The working of God is also necessary to our being freed from sin.
51. Col. 2:12 shows that we cannot get rid of sin by ourselves.
52. Because we need the “working of God”, a debt is created.
53. If you have turned to Rom. 7, back up one chapter.
54. Let’s
look at Rom.
55. The first part of verse 18 says, READ.
A. It is possible to be made free from sin.
B. This freedom comes by obeying the gospel and the power of God.
C. In describing this freedom, Paul says that it comes with a price.
D. 18b- READ.
56. Freed people become servants of righteousness.
57. As the Jews were told to serve God because of their release,
58. So are we told to serve God because of our release.
I. THE PICTURE THAT WE GET FROM BOTH TESTAMENTS IS LIKE THE DIAGRAM ON THE BOARD.
A. God is the owner; we are the people who are owned.
B. This is one aspect of the relationship that we have with God.
C. There are other aspects of our relationship with God.
D. Scripture speaks of how we are heirs.
E. The word son is used to describe our relationship with God.
F. It is promised that we will one day be equal to the angels.
G. These relationships are all true, but not part of this material.
H. The aim of this lesson is to deal with the master/servant relationship.
I. This relationship is not preached on enough.
J. This is a relationship that a lot of people ignore.
K. If people really understood this relationship,
L. People would often say about religious matters, What does God say about that?
M. What does the Bible say about his subject?
N. How does God’s word address this situation?
O. How does scripture apply to this problem?
P. These are questions that we should hear again and again.
Q. In some of the previous generations, these questions have been asked.
R. Now, these questions are seldom asked.
S. Within the church, I often wonder how many young people will grow up asking these questions.
T. All of our young people need to.
U. If we are really part of the bottom circle,
V. We are not in the rule making business.
W. God is the rule maker; we follow His will.
X. This is the way that things are supposed to be.
Y. Too often, this is not the way that things are.
1) In Millersburg, there are a couple of religious groups.
2) One of them had a fairly recent change in preachers.
3) The new preacher has an assistant—his wife.
4) This husband and wife both serve as preachers.
5) You might call this “team ministry”.
6) Many Millersburg residents really like this.
Z. This kind of team may be helpful.
A. Whether it is helpful or not, it violates 1 Tim. 2:11-12.
B. Instead of taking instructions from God,
C. This group has made up their own rule about preachers.
D. What this group has done has been done by many, many others.
E. There are groups that have looked around at the world.
F. They have found people who will not attend a Sunday service.
G. To accommodate these people, Saturday night worship is offered.
H. This service is “in place of Sunday” and has the Lord’s Supper.
I. QUESTION:
J. Are these people acting like slaves of Christ?
K. Are they searching the scriptures to find out God’s will?
L. Or, are these people trying to run the show themselves?
M. Groups like this are acting on their own authority.
N. Instead of consulting God’s will, they are doing what they want.
O. This is wrong, and this is serious.
P. In Col. 2:23, Paul spoke of “will worship”.
Q. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of NT words says that this means:
R. “Unbidden and forbidden worship.”
S. Paul did not speak favorably about this kind of behavior.
T. Yet, this is exactly what a number of groups are doing.
U. Even within the church, there is a growing problem in this area.
1) There are brethren who believe that women elders are OK.
2) It is argued that women can be more sensitive and perceptive.
3) A woman’s view can give a “more complete” view of things.
4) Maybe these three things are true.
5) Maybe its true that most women could out preach most men.
V. Whether these things are true or not,
W. The one who has bought us has said:
X. Elders are to be the “husband of one wife”, 1 Tim. 3:2.
Y. Women are not to serve as preachers, 1 Tim. 2:11-12.
Z. We either respect the head and follow His instructions,
A. Or we openly rebel against the will of God.
B. Since I have spoken of the church, let me add this.
C. There are places that are toying with mechanical instruments in worship.
D. There are places that are looking at having a choir.
E. When brethren entertain these ideas,
F. They are not looking up to the head and asking,
G. “Is this your will?”
H. They are looking at what they want and desire.
I. They are looking at what will increase their popularity.
J. They are looking at what will help them “blend in”.
CONCLUSION:
1. The next time you hear about the ten commandments,
2. Think long and hard about the first one.
3. God helped the Jews do what they could not do on their own.
4. This help allowed God to say: you are mine; have no other gods.
5. As Christians, the same message needs to ring in our ears.
6. We have been bought with a price we could not pay; we belong to God.
7. When it comes to serving Him, we take our directions from Him.
8. We do not rely on opinion polls, committees, or “I think”,
9. When we can find God’s will expressed in scripture.