EX20:4-6 1 Commandments Prt 2

No Carved Images

 

The psychologist tells us that we are born innocent He tells us that man is innately GOOD

 

A) Hence the one time best selling Books title: “I’m O.K., You’re O.K.”

 

B) But any one that reads the newspaper knows that there is something basically WRONG with mankind

1)          Anyone that has children knows that there is something wrong at the core of man’s heart

C) There is an inherent DEPRAVITY in mankind!!
We see it EVERYWHERE

1)     Even in the places that are supposedly strongholds of truth and morality…i.e, Government

D) There are rip-offs in Government and in the church

 

Listen – Man NEEDS regulation

 

A) Imagine what society would be like if there were NO laws to restrain his activity?

B) God, KNOWING the nature of man, introduced to man that which would REGULATE his behavior – THE LAW

1)  The Law is divided into 2 Categories

C) 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

D) 2nd the Law of Moses – which was given to Moses Privately consist of the Civil & Ceremonial Regulations that are for Israel

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

 

F) 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

G) 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 Comm. is still applicable to us today as believers – but our relationship to it Has changed – How so?

A) The Law of God – (10 Comm.) is no longer seen as my responsibility to achieve RIGHTEOUSNESS – before God

B) 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

C) So it is no longer seen as a Responsibility for achieving  righteousness but now It is our Response because we have been made righteous

D) Law of God gives us an indication of what the H.S. is seeking to do in our lives presently

1st – NO OTHER GODS – (God is it / None others)

2nd – Commandment : v.4-6

Throughout History man has wondered what does God look like – what is God like?

 

A) The Ancient Egyptians – Looked at the Cow in the field – all tranquil/ content eating on the Grass / Generous in giving milk

B)They formed an opinion that God must be like the Cow – Tranquil / Serene / & Generous

1)     When Israel made the Golden Calf a few Chapters later – they got the idea from the Egyptians

C)     AMERICAN INDIAN :  Looked at the Eagle soaring high in the sky – God is like an Eagle – Soaring Free & Majestic

1)     So on their Totem Poles – top – Eagle

D) The POLYNESIANS looked into the SEA – Saw there the Giant Sea Turtle – who would hide in his shell – Impenetrable Fortress

1)     This is what God is like, the Sea Turtle – Impenetrable

See man has done exactly what God said not to do - Don’t make any 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;

A) Now Understand – this commandment is different from the first – the First Commandment was a Prohibition against Worshiping false gods

B) But the 2nd Commandment is different in this – it is not a Prohibition against worshiping false gods!!!

1)     It is a prohibition against worshiping the True God in a False Way – making an image of the real God!!!!!

C) Don’t Imagine as you look to the sky or in the Sea – this is what God must be like

1)     Don’t be conjuring up in your mind your perception of God – that is what the Israelites were doing when they made the golden calf

D) They knew that the golden calf wasn’t God – but it was their representation of God – God said don’t do that

Well one might ask – If we can’t get our clues about what God is like from Creation / Sky / earth / sea / How can we know God?

 

Col. 1:15 Paul answered – speaking of Jesus he said He is the image of the invisible God

A) Paul used the word image means “an exact representation & revelation.”

B) So, If you want to know what God looks like – You simply need to look at Jesus

1 Tim. 1:16 great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh,

John 1:1,14 …..Word was God / Word became Flesh …..

So God said if you want to know what I am like – If you want to Know me Don’t look around to Creation for the answer

 

A) I am not going to leave it up to your imaginations – God said here is what I am going to do – I am going to become one of You!!

B) So If you want to know what I am like – Here is my Son – the Exact Image of Me!!!!

Heb 1:1 1God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person,

Jesus is the express image of His Person

A) That is what Christianity is all about – not making God in our image or conjuring up God in our imaginations (This is what He is like)

B) But it is looking at Christ (Hebrews 12:1,2) – If we want to know what the Lord is like, we only need to look at Jesus

1)     You want to know how God things – Listen to Jesus !!!

C) Some of you are thinking – this is Basic Theology THE INCARNATION God manifested in the Flesh!!!

I know that most of us – Don’t struggle at all with making God into an image / But here is something we do struggle with

A) We struggle with making OUR IMAGE – OUR GOD

B) We can become consumed with having the right look / wearing the right clothes / our whole thing is Image, Image, Image

C) Slogans – I WANT TO BE LIKE MIKE – I want people to perceive me in this way

1)     Get sucked into that whole KEEP UP WITH THE JONES MENTALITY

D) We get ourselves into major Debt in the Process

 

What did Paul say in Rom. 12?

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The Lord is Saying: Don’t make image your God – Don’t be conformed into the image/ mindset/ the attitude of this world

A) But let me Transform you into the image of my Son!!! Rom.8:29

B) That is what the Lord is wanting to do w/ us /do in us!!!!

Now a lot of You are – Past that point – Not affected by the Pull of the World – You  realize that it is not the thing – it has nothing to offer

A) But here is another trap that we can fall into – The word imagination comes from the  word image – here is what we can do –

B) We can begin to imagine in our minds I think – God is like Chuck Smith / Billy Graham

1)  I want to be like Pastor Chuck / Billy Graham

C) Now don’t get me wrong, it is not wrong to admire great men & women in the Lord

1)  But we need to Remember that that is what they are – Men & women in the Lord – (they are not the Lord)

D) See there is only one Chuck Smith – there is one Billy  Graham – yet people want to be made in that image  (Billy – the Buses will wait)

E) There is one Greg Laurie – (Yet listen to Pastors I know 2  close my eyes I would think this is Greg Laurie

Listen, here is the think that the Lord is seeking to do -  He is seeking to make Greg Laurie / Chuck Smith / Billy Graham / Me & You

 

A) MORE LIKE JESUS – Molding & shaping our hearts to be more like His

B) So the More that I Draw near to Jesus / the more that I Abide in Jesus the More time that I spend – looking at / looking to Jesus –

1)  More like Jesus I am going to become

So although we are not prone to making an image of God / we can be prone to making our image our God / World sense /

A) Also a Spiritual sense

B) The Lord says - I WANT TO MAKE YOU LIKE MY SON!!!!

Notice what the Lord says next - v.5 For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,

A) Now what does this mean? - does this mean that the Lord is jealous of other gods that are in the World today? - No - He knows they're nothing

The  word Jealous expresses His love for us / that he wants the very best for us /

A) He is not jealous of false gods / - but he is Jealous for you - In a Protective Sense / He wants you to be blessed

B) He knows that any other thing / You prop up in your life is going to let you down (Your team - Bill Gutwiller)

C) If you make your Pursuit - this thing: Material / Some Position

1) You are going to be Let down!!!

D) If you Prop up a Man or Woman that man or woman is going to let you down!!!!  PASTORS

E) But if Jesus is the one You lift up / Pursue / desire to know & get close to You are going to be RADICALLY BLESSED

1)  Ultimately SATISFIED / Never Disappointed

Then the Lord says visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6  but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments

 

 

Now there are those who use this scripture to bring up the idea of Generational Curses

A) Meaning - that if your Great Grandma was into witchcraft / occult, that is passed down from generation to generation

B) So that you also are going to struggle w/ Witchcraft & Oujia Boards

1)  That Satan is going to have a Stronghold in your home because of what your Great Grandma was into (You may never have met her)

C) That is not what this is talking about AT ALL!!! / REPEAT AT ALL

1) How can I be so Certain?

Because Jesus was ministering to people who were steeped into the occult & Paganistic practices -

A) Jesus never once addressed this issue of Generational Curses

B) Never addressed by the Prophets in the O.T> / or by the Apostles in the New (Not Paul / Not Peter / James / John - None

C) But this is where that idea came from - this passage - nothing else to support it

So what is this saying : 2 things

A) First it is implying - that what you do is going to impact those around you - You have impact on the generation after you.

B) All of us here are going to leave some type of Legacy

1) If you are Godly guy or gal - the Chances of you leaving a godly legacy is great!!!! Impact on generation to come after you.

C) Youth Pastors Conference Joe Focht - I need you to be godly - you are going to be ministering to my kids (Chuck Smiths to this generation)

Men in my Life -  MY DAD -  What it means to be a man of God -  man of integrity - (Never lied) Hard worker / responsible - Great Father!!!

A) Richard Cimino - Greatest thing that I could do w/ my life is to serve Jesus - Before he was a part of my Life / Became my Life!!!

B) Pastor Brian - Taught me about the grace of God - Allowing God to be strong in my weaknesses

C) Jon Courson - Heaven / seeing Jesus in the Scripture / Ministering to Jesus - before ministering for

1) They left a legacy in my hear - forever impacted - hopefully, I will leave a legacy of those things to my Son / those ministering to

D) All of us will leave a Legacy - Hopefully Godly

E) But If you are Worldly & Into your Image - that is the Legacy that you are going to leave

1) Chances are that - You can expect that your kids / brothers / grandkids are going to be the same way

F) So  what kind of Legacy are you going to leave?

But  it is also saying that the Lord is going to continue to Visit -  those who are in rebellion

A) Longsuffering of the Lord - keep on Visiting / Pleading / convicting / Preaching / Punishing / He did Prophet after Prophet / then Jesus

B) There comes a point however - where the Lord says - I will not always Strive w/ Man - Quits visiting - Heart is too hard!!!!

C)  So He keeps on visiting - those who are in rebellion

D) But He shows mercy to those who  love Him & Keep His Commandments