The Tender Commandments - Part 3
THE TENDER COMMANDMENTS – SERIES
SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2003
PART 3 – PURSUING EMPTY IMAGES”
HAVE I MENTIONED TO YOU THAT TODAY IS SUSAN AND MY 29TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY.
HAVE I ALSO MENTIONED THAT I LOVE MY WIFE SUSAN VERY VERY MUCH!!!
I REALLY DO!!!
I AM AS DELIGHTED WITH HER TODAY AS I WAS WHEN I WAS A 19 YEAR OLD BOY IN DETROIT!!!
BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU SOMETHING……(HERE’S MY WALLET)
HOW DO YOU THINK SHE WOULD LIKE IT IF SHE SAW MY WALLET LYING OPEN ON OUR DRESSER SOME MORNING AND NOTICED A PICTURE OF ANOTHER ATTRACTIVE WOMAN ALONGSIDE HER PICTURE???
DO YOU THINK SHE WOULD SHRUG HER SHOULDERS AND SAY…..”WELL THAT’S INTERESTING, BUT AFTER ALL……..JERRY HAS A RIGHT TO HIS PRIVACY????
OR DO YOU THINK IT MORE LIKELY SHE MIGHT WALK INTO THE BATHROOM WHERE I AM SHAVING AND SAY……”JERRY……YOU’VE GOT SOME EXPLAINING TO DO……WHO IS THIS!!!!!
AND HOW DO YOU THINK SHE WOULD LIKE IT IF SHE LEARNED THAT THIS OTHER WOMAN AND I HAD A BIT OF AN ONGOING RELATIONSHIP - - -
THAT I TURNED TO HER WHEN I FELT ESPICALLY IN NEED OF SUPPORT…..OR AFFECTION…..AND ENCOURAGEMENT???
DO YOU THINK THAT MIGHT BOTHER HER AT ALL???/
DO YOU THINK SHE WOULD CONTINUE TO BELIEVE ME WHEN I WHISPER IN HER EAR THAT I LOVE HER WITH ALL MY HEART???/
DO YOU THINK SHE WOULD HAVE ANY REASON TO FEEL A LITTLE REVULSION TOWARD THAT IMAGE IN MY WALLET???
COULD YOU REALLY BLAME HER IF SHE WANTED TO CONFRONT ME OR TEAR THAT PHOTO IN A FEW HUNDRED PIECES????
OR TEAR ME INTO A FEW HUNDRED PIECES???
COULD YOU FAULT HER FOR FEELING JEALOUS OR HURT OR ANGRY OVER HAVING TO SHARE MY LOVE AND DEVOTION WITH ANOTHER WOMAN????
THOSE ARE REALLY DUMB QUESTONS………YOU REALLY KNOW THE ANSWER TO ALL OF THEM…
BEC SHE’S MY WIFE!!!
SHE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO EXPECT AND EVEN INSIST THAT I KEEP MYSELF FOR HER AND HER ALONE!!!
AND YOU KNOW WHAT???// I WANT TO!!!
BEC OF MY LOVE FOR HER AND MY VOWS TO HER I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A ONE-WOMAN MAN!!!
I BELIEVE THIS TO BE THE VERY SPIRIT OF THE SECOND COMMANDMENT!!!
HERE’S MY SENSE OF WHAT THE LORD IS SAYING….
“I AM YOUR GOD……I AM YOUR REDEEMER.
I HAVE SAVED YOU AND BOUGHT YOU FOR MYSELF AT A TERRIBLE PRICE!!!
PLEASE DON’T EVER PUT ANYTHING IN THE PLACE THAT BELONGS TO ME!!!
I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART, AND I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO CARE FOR YOU…..PROTECT YOU……PROVIDE FOR YOU…..AND BLESS YOU!!!
“NOW…..BEC I LOVE YOU MORE THAN ANY OTHER……LET ME ASK YOU SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT TO ME…….
I’M ASKING THAT YOU HAVE NO THER GODS IN YOUR LIFE……..AND THAT I WOULD BE THE ONLY ONE”!!!
NOW LET ME ASK YOU….
DOES THAT STRIKE YOU AS A LITTLE TOO RESTRICTIVE…….A LITTLE TOO LEGALISTIC…..
TOO MUCH FOR THE LORD TO EXPECT OR REQUIRE???
OF COURSE NOT!!!!
HE IS OUR GOD!!!
AFTER ALL…..WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A ‘CARVED IMAGE’ OR A GRAVEN IMAGE, AND A PHOTOGRAPH?
WHAT HE IS SAYING IN THIS SECOND COMMANDMENT IS ,,,,,PLEASE….PLEASE ……DON’T PUT ANY OTHER IMAGES IN YOUR BILLFOLD ALONGSIDE MINE!!!….
DON’T CARRY ANY OTHER IMAGES IN YOUR HEART!!!
DON’T TURN TO ANY FALSE GOD FOR COMFORT, STIMULATION, OR HEART SATISFACTION!!!
HERE I AM!!!
I AM ABLE TO MEET YOUR EVERY NEED!!!!!
THIS THING IS A LOVE ISSUE!!!
IT ‘S A RELATIONSHIP ISSUE!!!
MY WIFE DOESN’T WANT ANY RIVALS FOR MY LOVE!!!
AND MY LORD DOESN’T EITHER!!!
HIS HEART TOWARD YOU AND ME DOES NOT CHANGE THROUGH THE SEASONS AND THE YEARS!!!
BUT WHAT OF OUR HEARTS TOWARD HIM???
EVERY NOW AND THEN……….(PARTICULARLY WHEN I HAVE TO COUNSEL SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE CONGREGATION) I HEAR A MAN OR WOMAN UTTER SOME HORRIBLE WORDS IN MY OFFICE!!!
IT’S LIKE A BODY BLOW EACH TIME I HEAR THEM…….”PASTOR….I JUST DON’T LOVE MY WIFE (OR HUSBAND) ANYMORE”
WHEN THAT HAPPENS….I ALWAYS ASK MYSELF WHY!!!
WHY?
HOW COULD IT HAPPEN?
HOW COULD IT BE???
WHAT DO THEY EVEN MEAN BY THE WORD “LOVE’?
IN FACT, I’VE BEEN SO TROUBLED BY THIS SITUATION THAT I’VE CHANGED THE WAY I DO PREMARITAL COUNSELING. IT’S VERY TYPICAL FOR A COUPLE TO COME INTO MY OFFICE ALL CALF-EYED, LOVEY-DOVEY, AND WRAPPED ABOUT ONE ANOTHER LIKE TWO VINES OF IVY!!!
THEY CAN’T SEEM TO KEEP THEIR HANDS OR THEIR EYES OFF EACH OTHER, AND I’M NOT SURE THEY’RE REALLY HEARING MUCH OF WHAT I HAVE TO SAY…..
BUT RECENTLY I’VE BEEN SPOILING THE PARTY ATTITUDE BY MAKING THEM SIT ON OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE COUCH!!!
I WANT THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS BUSINESS OF PLEDGING YOUR VERY LIFE TO ANOTHER IS NO DANCE THRU THE TULIPS.
IT IS A VERY SERIOUS SERIOUS THING!!!
ONCE I GET THEM UNTWINED AND SEPERATED, I’LL TURN TO THE YOUNG MAN, LOOK HIM STRAIGHT IN THE EYES AND SAY……
“WILL YOU LOVE THIS WOMAN AND SERVE HER AND CARE FOR HER FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE????
“ARE YOU PREPARED RIGHT NOW TO SAY THAT THE ONLY THING YOU WANT OUT OF THIS RELATIONSHIP IS TO FULFILL HER, BUILD HER UP AND SATISFY HER????
ARE YOU WILLING RIGHT NOWB TO RELEASE YOUR EXPECTATIONS????
ARE YOU READY TO SAY THAT THE WHOLE REASON YOU ARE MARRYING THIS WOMAN IS BEC YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE GOD’S GIFT TO HER, BLESSING AND CARING FOR HER???
NOW ……AS YOU CAN IMAGINE…….THIS ISN’T USUALLY WHAT THE YOUNG MAN IS EXPECTING>
SOME OF THE COLOR DRAINS OUT OF HIS FACE AT THIS POINT…….AS THE REALIZATION AND WEIGHT OF WHAT HE’S DOING BEGINS TO SINK IN!!!!
HE USUALLY SWALLOW HARD……AND CROAKS …”YES PASTOR”!!!
BUT I’M NOT DONE WITH HIM YET!!!
I WILL THEN SAY…..”NOW….IF YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD, AND THAT YOU’RE ENTERING INTO THIS RELATIONSHIP NOT TO RECEIVE ANYTHING…..BUT TO GIVE EVERYTHING…….THEN I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THIS DAY!!!!
“I DO NOT WANT TO SEE YOU COMING TO ME FIVE YEARS FROM NOW TELLING ME…..”YOU DON’T LOVE HER”!!!
BEC I WILL KNOW THAT YOU CERTAINLY DID LOVE HER, AND LOVE ISN’T SOMETHING YOU CAN JUNK OR TRADE IN AFTER A FEW YEARS AND 50k MILES LIKE A USED CAR!!!!
AND I DON’T WANT YOU COMING TO ME SAYING…..”THIS WASN’T THE WILL OF GOD”…..BEC YOU AND I ARE SITTING HERE TODAY AND WE KNOW THAT IT CERTAINLY IS THE WILL OF GOD!!!!!
IT IS USUALLY A VERY SOBERING MOMENT!!!!
BUT I WANT THESE COUPLES TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS RELATIONSHIP IS FOR LIFE!!!!
AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD IS FOR LIFE TOO!!!!
AND LIFE BEYOND LIFE!!!!
THE COMMITMENT WE MAKE TO HIM IS AN ETERNAL COMMITMENT, AND GOD TAKES IT VERY SERIOUSLY!!!
THE ELDERLY APOSTLE JOHN……..TOWARD THE END OF HIS LIFE…..WROTE ON THIS SUBJECT…….
HE SAID….”LITTLE CHILDREN…..(I JOHN 5:21)…….KEEP YOURSELVES FROM IDOLS”!!!
WHAT WAS HE TALKING ABOUT???
A HUNK OF METAL???
A STATUE CHIPPED OUT OF STONE????
OR WAS HE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING MORE?
MATTHEW HENRY COMMENTARY SAYS….”SINCE YOU KNOW THE TRUE GOD….AND ARE IN HIM…..LET YOUR LIGHT AND LOVE GUARD YOU AGAINST ALL THAT IS ADVANCED IN OPPOSITION TO HIM……OR IN COMPETION WITH HIM…….
CLEAVE TO HIM IN FAITH, AND LOVE AND CONSTANT OBEDIENCE, IN (LISTEN) IN OPPOSITION TO ALL THINGS THAT WOULD ALIENATE YOUR MIND AND HEART FROM GOD”!!!!
WHAT THEN ARE THOSE ‘IMAGES” IN OUR WORLD TODAY THAT WOULD RISE UP TO CHALLENGE OUR LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SON OF GOD???
WHAT ARE THE SNAPSHOTS WE MIGHT BE TEMPTED TO FRAME ON OUR DESK, ALONGSIDE THE PICTURE OF HIM???
WHAT ARE THOSE PICS IN OUR WALLETS THAT COULD GRADUALLY STEAL US WAYS FROM A WHOLE HEARTED WALK WITH CHRIST???
MATERIAL THINGS MAYBE???
JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLE ONE DAY….”YOU CANNOT SERVE BOTH GOD AND MONEY”
HE WAS SPEAKING IN THAT INSTANCE OF A SPIRIT OF MATERIALISM THAT GRIPS THE SOUL AND DEMANDS OUR ENERGIES AND DEVOTION!!!
PAUL SAYS IN COLOSSIANS 3:5….THAT EVEN GREEDINESS IS IDOLATRY!!!
BUT SCRIPTURE MIGHT HAVE ALSO LISTED ANY OF THE OTHER GODS OF THIS WORLD - - FALSE IMAGES SUCH AS POWER, OR PLEASURE, OR FAME ….OR STATUS!!!
WHEN IT BECOMES THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF MY LIFE TO CHASE ONE OF THOSE IMAGES, I HAVE ALREADY SLIPPED INTO IDOLATRY.
I HAVE GIVEN IT THE BEST OF MY TIME, MY TALENTS, MY TREASURE, AND MY ENERGIES!!!
MY VERY LIFE IS INVESTED IN IT!!!
THAT’S WHAT A GOD IS!!!
WHEN YOU WORSHIP A GOD, YOU BASICALLY SURRENDER YOUR LIFE TO IT!!!
AND YOU WILL WORSHIP SOMETHING!!!!
THAT’S HOW YOU AND I WERE MADE!!!
IN THE BOOK OF ACTS, PAUL WAS BEWILDERED BY THE ‘MANY GODS” THAT FILLED THE CITY OF ATHENS!!!
FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE, THERE MUST HAVE BEEN AN IDOL OF SOME KIND ON EVERY BLOCK - - AS REGULAR AS DOWNTOWN FIRE HYDRANTS!!!
AND IT’S PROBABLY WORSE IN OUR DAY.
TODAY THESE GODS OF MATERIALISM, SEXUAL INDULGENCE, AND PERSONAL POWER FILL THE VERY AIRWAVES!!!
THE IMAGES AND THEIR DECEPTIVE OFFERS GO ACROSS THE WORLD BY SATELLITE, CABLE, INTERNET, AND SLICK 4-COLOR PRINTING!!!
WE ARE SURROUNDED BY MORE IMAGES THAN WE HAVE EVER BEEN IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD!!!
THEY CALL TO US IN POWERFUL VISUAL IMPRESSIONS ON TV. AND AS EVERY GOOD ADVERTISING OR NETWORK EXECUTIVE KNOWS, THE WHOLD OBJECT IS TO ABSOLUTELY ‘CAPTURE’ AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE”!!!
THAT’S WHAT RATINGS ARE ALL ABOUT!!!
THIS SECOND COMMANDMENT GETS HARDER AND HARDER TO KEEP ALL THE TIME!!!
AND WHAT’S BEING CAPTURED??
OUR ATTENTION, OUR INTEREST, OUR MONEY, OUR TIME, OUR COMMITMENT!!!!
IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG WITH WNATING A NEW CAR?//
IS THERE ANYTING WRONG WITH WANTING TO WEAR ATTRACTIVE AND FASHIONALBE CLOTHING???
IS THERE ANYTING WRONG WITH WANTING TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS???
IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG WITH BEING A LOYAL SPORTS FAN???
NO!!!!!!!!
BUT ANY OF THESE THINGS - - OR A HUNDRED OTHERS…….MAY BECOME AN IDOL TO US AS IT BEGINS TO CONTROL OUR THOUGHTS AND DESIRES!!!!
HOW DO THOSE FALSE IMAGES AFFECT US OVER THE LONG HAUL????
THIS IS WHERE THE SCPRITURE MAKES SOME AMAZING AND EVEN FRIGHTENING STATEMENTS:
(TURN TO PSA 135: 15-18)
IN OTHER WORDS…..I WILL BECOME JUST LIKE THAT IMAGE I PURSUE!!!
THIS IS PROFOUND TRUTH!!!
THE LORD SAYS THE SAME THING TO THE PROPEHT JEREMIAH: “WHAT FAULT DID YOUR FATHERS FIND IN ME…THAT THEY STRAYED SO FAR FROM ME?? THEY FOLLOWED WORTHLESS IDOLS AND BECAME WORTHLESS THEMSELVES”!!!
ANOTHER TRANSLATION SAYS………”THEY WENT FAR FROM ME…AND WALKED AFTER EMPTINESS….AND BECAME (?)EMPTY!!!!
THE CLEAR FACT IS…..WE BECOME LIKE THAT WHICH WE WORSHIP!!!!
AND GOD KNOWS THIS!!!
HE KNOWS THE HOLLOW DESPIAR THAT FOLLOWS SUCH LIFE!!!
HE KNOWS THAT THESE FALSE IMAGES WILL NEVER SATISFY MY DEEPER THRISTS OR THE LONGINGS OF MY HEART!!!
AS JESUS SAID TO THE WOMAN AT THE WELL……”IF YOU DRINK THIS WATER….YOU’LL JUST BE THIRSTY AGAIN, ….YOU’LL HAVE TO COME EVERY DAY FOR MORE….AND YOU’LL NEVER BE SATISFIED……BUT THERE IS A WELL…….!!!
AREN’T YOU GLAD……
THERE IS A WELL - - -A WELL OF LIVING WATER------THAT COULD KEEP YOU FROM EVER BEING THIRSTY AGAIN!!!!!
THE LORD KNOWS THAT IN TIME I WILL DISCOVER THAT THOSE THINGS THAT ARE WORTHLESS IN THE EYES OF GOD WILL CAUSE ME TO FEEL THE SAME WAY……
WORTHLESS…..DRAINED OF VALUE!!!
I WILL BE LEFT EMPTY HANDED….AND BROKEN!!!!
(COMMERCIAL ON TV…..