Exodus 20:1-3 No other Gods

Intro: Last week we began by Discussing some of the Misconceptions that People have concerning the Law

  1. Many Christians fail to realize that the Law is divided into 2 Categories
  2. 1st there is the LAW OF GOD – the 10 Commandments – which is binding for all People at ALL TIMES – even Believers
  1. We noted how the Ten Commandments were given by God – Audibly & written w/ the finger of God upon the stone Tablets
  1. 2nd the Law of Moses – which was given to Moses Privately consist of

    2. the Civil & Ceremonial Regulations that are for Israel

    c) We also noted that each one of the Ten Commandments is seen in the form of an EXHORTATION IN THE N.T.

  2. And that Jesus never excused us from the Law – the 10 Commandments –but rather –simplified their meaning
  1. Summed up in these two commandments – Love God w/ …… Love your neighbor as yourself
  1. So Jesus simplified the Law of God – But He also gave further insight into it’s meaning – Sermon on the Mt. Is really a commentary on the Law

1) Adultery – Lust / Anger – Murder

So the Law of God – the Ten Commandments is still applicable to us today as believers – but our relationship to it Has changed – How so?

  1. The Law of God – ( 10 Comm.) is no longer seen as my responsibility to achieve RIGHTEOUSNESS – before God
  2. No Now there is a Righteousness of God that is apart from the law – it is found in Christ – Imputed righteousness
  1. His Righteousness is put to my account
  1. So it is no longer seen as a Responsibility for achieving righteousness but now It is our Response because we have been made righteous
  2. We respond to the Lord – by saying Lord I am so glad by what you have done for me – SENDING YOUR SON / SAVING ME from bondage /
  1. Taking away all of my GUILT & SHAME / Giving me a HOPE / giving me a reason to LIVE
  1. Because of what you have done for me & in Me – Lord I want to walk uprightly before you – I want to please you
  1. That is the Natural response of the Person who has truly been born again – Lord I love you & want to serve you please you

 

But Some say – well I just don’t like that – Law word – it bugs me – it scares me – reminds me of Legalism

  1. Really it is all how you look at it – Rules can provide great Liberty
  2. EXAMPLE: I have a Rule a Law that I practice every day – It is called Brushing my teeth – ( won’t leave the house w/out doing it
  1. That is LEGALISM – not at all
  1. It is Liberty – why ? It REFRESHES ME - It gets that horrible taste out of my Mouth ( I am refreshed in doing it )
  2. ALSO RELEASES ME : Because it is my rule – I don’t go through any struggle about doing it – done deal !!!!
  1. Feel free around others – No worry blowing others away w/ bad breath
  1. It refreshes me / Releases me / AND IT RELIEVES OTHERS – my wife she won’t go near me until brushed my teeth – NO KISSES ( movies)
  1. My Kids - DADDY breath stinks
  1. So that Little law refreshes / Releases me / Relieves others/ the law of God has the same affect when I purpose in my heart to follow it !!! How ?

In 1 John 5:3 3For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

  1. Hear that : For this is the Love of God … Not burdensome or grievous
  1. They are Refreshing / they are delightful
  1. This is the love of God – Not this is how you Earn it or Merit it / No God’s love is unconditional – we already have it in Christ
  1. God Demonstrated His love for us – by sending His Son
  1. So it is not how you Earn it / Merit it / you & I will never deserve it / So what does it mean – THIS IS THE LOVE OF GOD
  1. This is how you Experience it / this is how you Enjoy it / this is how you Live in the love of God to the Fullest
  1. KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS & …… NOT BURDENSOME
  1. Instead they are a Blessing / their Liberating / their incredibly Freeing

(When Living to please God Fulfill the very reason I exist )

  1. He doesn’t EXIST for me – but me for Him !!!!!

 

Remember what Jesus told His disciples ? – If you love me Keep my commandments

  1. Now a person could say – Well I love God – but I just want to love Him in my own way – I don’t want laws ……. Want commandments
  2. I just want to love God the way that I think that I ought to !!!!
  3. Listen: I love my wife Denise – And because I love her – what I am really interested in is how does she want to be loved!!!
  1. What Delights her/ what Pleases her/ what is a Blessing to her
  1. My focus is her – not how I think she needs to be loved / or what my perception of what love is to be – But what pleases her / Blesses her
  1. Clothes shopping on her birthday - BLAST

See true love doesn’t say – Well this is the way I love/ SO take it or leave it True love asks – How do you want to be loved

  1. I want to love you in a way that is going to be a blessing to you that is going to delight you
  2. When Two people are doing that / have that Attitude/ it is a great thing – GOOD MARRIAGE
  3. So those who say – I love God –I am just not into some of His rules / some of His laws – that is not real love at ALL !!!!
  1. Real love says Lord – I do love you and am very interested in doing and being about those things that please you
  1. Jesus declared in John 8:29 I always do those things that please the father His Passion / Pursuit / His Aim !!!

 

So the Law is freeing – Refreshing – because in it I discover how my Father wants life to be lived – what is good & Right / Best for me

A) How I enjoy the Love of God & Live in it to the Fullest

 

So with that in mind lets look at our text where the Lord declares in v. 2

2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
  1. This is the Pre-amble to the 10 Commandments – I am the Lord

    2. YOUR GOD - ( Personal / its individual – Your God ………)

  2. And I am your Deliverer / Your Redeemer !!!!

C) Commandment #1 v.3 "You shall have no other gods before Me.

3 things to note about this commandment / Premise / Prophecy / Promise

A) 1st Premise – Because the Lord says "You shall have no other gods before Me. – MEANS There are other gods –

B)In the Bible days – Pagan nations worshipped many gods – what is

interesting is that in a similar fashion those gods are still worshipped today

  1. Consider a Few !!!!

1st was Baal – Baal was the god of Power – They believed Baal would bring fire down out of the sky - LIGHTNING bolts

  1. Remember Elijah on Mt. Carmel w/ the 450 Prophets of Baal – Lets see who really brings fire out of heaven
  2. Great Challenge – calling their god on the Carpet !!!
  3. Do people worship power today – Better believe it / See it in all forms
  1. People want to climb the ladder – why? More Power /
  1. Power Dress / Power ties / Power suits / Tape sets – Power / Power bars
  1. Many problems in marriage today are about – Power – who is going to wear the pants – MANIPULATION – all power

In order to obtain and hold power a man must love it. Thus the effort to get it is not likely to be coupled with goodness, but with the opposite qualities of pride, craft, and cruelty. Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910)

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

  1. Men are Pursuing / Passion for / Worship of Power today –

 

2nd Goddess – Asterauth – ( Over exaggerated sexual features) She was the goddess of Pleasure

  1. Those who worshipped Asterauth would meet in here grooves and before her idol- engage in all sorts of sexual immorality
  2. Is Asterauth still around today? You better believe it
  1. Why Pornography is a SEVEN billion dollar Business
  1. Why over 3,000 new pornographic sites appear on the Web every day
  1. Filter Integrity on Line

D) We worship sex today –preoccupied- Brittney Spears – normal girl who could sing - ( Turn her into – Sex thing ) AMA ( Role Model)

    1. Backstreet boys / Insinc - not Christians – U2 when I was a kid

I want you need you baby

E) We wonder why our TEENS are so Promiscuous – PARK

3rd Deity MAMMON – believed to be a Syrian Deity – Mammon was the god of Prosperity – wealth & Riches – Materialism

  1. Is Mammon worshipped today – Yes MORE / MORE / MORE this is what Drives people !!!
  2. Now here is a good place to give you an example of how the Commandments are seen in the N.T. – EXHORTATION

Jesus declared in Matt. 22:37 "‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

C) Now that statement sums up the first 4 commandments -

Recall Jesus said – Matt. 6: 24"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

D) Jesus making Clear – Can’t have 2 Gods

4th Molech – god of PRAGMATISM – those who were into the worship of Molech would say:

  1. If you want to be successful in this life You need to do whatever it takes

B) That would be the Mantra of those who were into Molech Worship today

C)Common for those who worshipped Molech to take their babies 2 horrible things – one put baby in a Jar place a lid on it – building a house or building

1) Lit. build that structure around their baby – Bury alive in jar

D) They believed that Molech – would bless that Home or that Business

  1. because it showed that you were serious & willing to make a sacrifice
  1. The worshippers of Molech also said that you really were not killing that Baby because – its spirit would be in your next Child

1) Really same kid – just a different Body

 

Who would do such a thing today ?

A)But we see the similar thing today w/ parents who sacrifice their kids while they work 80 hrs a wk to build that nice house or / build that Business

  1. People slave like crazy seeking to put away enough money to send their kids away to college / but they don’t even know their kids
  2. The other thing that they did was they would take their babies out to the valley of Topeth valley of drums – Jer.7 / Isa. 19 / 2 kings 23 :10
  1. There they had a statue of the god – Molech – heat it up hole in its belly - really hot arms
  1. They would take their Children & place them on the arms of the Statue and fry their babies ( Showed willing to make any sacrifice for success)

E) Drums would beat to drown out the sounds of the Babies Crying / and the Mothers wailing

  1. They believed that they would be blessed for making such a sacrifice – You had to be willing to do what ever it takes to get ahead .

Well we would never do that !!!! – Never Fry our Kids – really 1.5 million babies aborted each yr. In this country

  1. It was an unwanted pregnancy – I wasn’t ready to be a parent – That pregnancy was going to ruing my plans/ My dreams

B) Should have thought about that before – mess around in sex

- Nebo was the god of education , culture , & the mind !

  1. The god of the human intellect / Nebo is worshipped in mass today in our culture in Business & colleges Universities across our country /

B) that idea that says I will base my theories of man life death on my own

understanding ! / Not the bible archaic & old fashioned

 

Rome & Greece -gods Zeus , Hermes & - familiar w/ because we studied in High school

  1. These were primarily the gods of sport & activity & these gods are definitely still being worshipped today

  2. It is crazy what some people will do for "their team " / they paint their face their team colors / and take off their shirt in 30 degree weather
    1. They are considered a loyal fan
  1. Or they will spend vacation time travel across the country & spend 1,000 dollars to go to the Superbowl - great fan
    1. But a person who believes in Jesus goes to church a few times a week & takes their vacation time to go on a missions trip is a fanatic

 

So the statement states the premise the reality there are other gods that are being worshipped – even today

A) The Lord who loves us says You shall have no other God’s before me – those god’s not god’s at all – rip off – destroy

B) 1st premise / 2nd Prophecy turn Isa. 46

A)Not just a Premise it is a Prediction - listen : v.1-4

  1. Notice the Contrast – the Lord says you are carrying your idols but I want to carry You – from the womb to the tomb
  1. From time I formed you in the Belly of your mother to the day that your hair is gray & white – I want to be there –Realize REAL GOD

v. 5 "To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal And compare Me,

that we should be alike? They lavish gold out of the bag,

And weigh silver on the scales; They hire a goldsmith, & he makes it a god;

They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship.v.7 They bear it on the

shoulder, they carry it And set it in its place, and it stands; From its

place it shall not move. Teach this to our kids

Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer Nor save him out of his trouble.
  1. You are carrying your god – a god is anything that is your master Passion and pursuit – but it cannot save you/ will not satisfy you
  1. Your god is burdening you down & you still hang on
  1. And in the time of trouble you cry out & he will not hear you / he will not save
  1. Trouble will come - What good is hrs given to pleasure / Sacrifice made to get rich – Materials – CANCER
  1. Rich Fool – You fool – this night your very soul is required & you are not rich toward God
  1. There is no comfort from that which you have made your god !!!!

BUILD HOUSE ON SAND OR ROCK – Storm comes

BOGUS GOD’S / LIARS - NOTHING TO OFFER – ACCEPT HELL

  1. Interesting – other religions – in Old testament days – None of them make this statement – NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME - why ?

B) All those god’s are working together – Told in 1 Cor. 10 that behind

every idol is a demonic spirit

    1. They want to bring you down !!!!!
  1. So it is a Prophecy – The Lord says you are not going to have other gods before me – those gods are going to be found to be False gods
  1. Seen in Rev. study – the gods will be destroyed
  1. Beast & Dragon who are Worshipped – brought down
  1. The Mighty city of Babylon –center for Prosperity & Pleasure & sensuality – it is taken down in ONE HOUR

D) Prophecy – You will have no other gods before me -

1) It is all going to BURN - Every knee shall bow – Every tongue

confess – WHAT – JESUS IS LORD !!!!!!!!

 

PREMISE / PROPHECY – ALSO A PROMISE

  1. Love this one – the Lord in His love says – You will have no other gods before me .
  2. 1 Sam 5: Philistines took the Ark – captured – Israel God - TWO GOD’S – put the Ark in the temple of their god Dagon
  1. Next day come in Dagon is fallen over on his face before the Ark

So they prop him back up

  1. Next day fallen over –head & hands were off – only torso left - These god’s can’t co-exist so lets get rid of the Ark

Promise from the Lord – that when we try to prop something up in our lives above Him – out of Love – He knocks it down

  1. Seeks to show us – that cannot be your god – that is the negative side

B) But there is also a Positive side to this picture- it is this :

  1. 1) when I make the Lord my #1 passion all the stuff in this world that pulls at us - ( cannot stand )

C)The Lord would say to us – Let me into the Temple of Your Heart & I

will Knock Dagon down

  1. I will take care of Mammon / I will Crush Baal

D) John said it well 1 John 1:5 God is light and in Him is no darkness at all

    1. How get rid of the Darkness? - Turn on the light

 

When He is our God – when He is ruling in our hearts – those other gods are dealt w/

  1. So Premise – there are plenty of god’s really demons masquerading to destroy you
  2. Prophecy – they are going to be brought down in the end
  3. Promise : Let Jesus into your temple – Dagon will have to flee