The First Three Commandments

Hey guys I am married and have been for almost 15 years now. What do you all think would happen if I started going around spending time with other women in a romantic way and if I decided to have babies with a few. would that be ok? Why not?

That is correct, If I were an unfaithful husband then my marriage would not last because loyalty and commitment is important my wife is to have eyes only for me and I only for her.

Just as a wife should be faithful to her husband and only have eyes for Him Christians are to see God as the Only God and to Serve Him only.

Today, this is what we will talk about. k

What does God require in the first, second, and third commandments?

Big Idea- God does not tolerate the worship of false Idols. He is a Jealous God who demands whole hearted devotion.

Take Aways

We are to know and recognize God as the one and only true God.

We are to avoid Idolatry.

We are to treat Gods name with fear and reverence.

Exodus 20:1–3 NKJV

And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods before Me.

Who remembers what happened before the Ten Commandments were given to the Israelites, where they were before being in the wilderness and some of the things that God did?

Yes God brought the Israelites out of Egypt letting them know that they were His people and He used mighty works displaying His power so they and all the nations around them know that He is God.

When the Egyptians came after them God closed the sea on them protecting them. He also fed them with manna from heaven.

So when He is giving them these commandments they know who He is and that He is God. There was only one true God back then and that is true today as well.

What does it mean to have a God before Him?

Yes to have a God before the one true God is to put anything as more important to Him and or to worship anything aside from Him. God should be the most important thing in our lives with everything that we do being done with that in mind.

Who can give me examples of false Gods that people worship today?

Have you all heard of anyone saying something like this is my truth, or thats their truth? Or as long as you pray to some-kind of “higher power” you are good. Or I’m not Christian i’m spiritual?

There is one God and one God alone all others are false. There is no such thing as my truth and your truth only Gods truth and it is absolute. Things are not relative, they will be and are being measured according to Gods standard.

John 17:3 NKJV

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

This is the truth and it does not change. Do not go after false Gods. Recognize God as He is.

Back to the Text Exodus 20:4-6

Exodus 20:4–6 NKJV

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—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; you 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, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Here it says that God is a Jealous God, is that bad? Why or why not?

God is perfect in all His ways including his Jealousy. His people are His and all things are for Him, so he is rightfully Jealous .

How many of you know who Kendrick Lamar is or beyonce? What if you had a friend that all they talked about was Kendrick Lamar and or Beyonce? Then you went over your friends house and saw that they built a shrine or better yet two shrines. They had pictures of beyonce and Kendrick Lamar and memorabilia all in a spot with candles around and then you saw them bowing down and saying a prayer to these pictures as they passed through the room.

What would you think?

Can these pictures do anything for them?

No these photo’s cant do anything for them. But for some reason they are bowing down to these pieces of paper. This is foolishness and this is what Idol worship is like.

Who knows what an Idol is like?

Yes, its something carved out to look like something living that people pray to and they hope these idols can do something for them. There is a true God with real power, why worship something false?

Isaiah 44:14–20 NKJV

He cuts down cedars for himself, And takes the cypress and the oak; He secures it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it. Then it shall be for a man to burn, For he will take some of it and warm himself; Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread; Indeed he makes a god and worships it; He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it. He burns half of it in the fire; With this half he eats meat; He roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He even warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” And the rest of it he makes into a god, His carved image. He falls down before it and worships it, Prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!” They do not know nor understand; For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, And their hearts, so that they cannot understand. And no one considers in his heart, Nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire, Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals; I have roasted meat and eaten it; And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” He feeds on ashes; A deceived heart has turned him aside; And he cannot deliver his soul, Nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

This passage describes what it is like to worship an idol and this passage shows the foolishness of the act. This type of idolatry still happens today all over the world. There is also another type of idolatry that happens today as well that does not necessarily have a piece of wood or metal as the place of affection. But this type is iconic.

Who can give me an example of this type of Idol? hint american Idol.

Yes an Idol is anything that takes your affection away from God, something that you place as more important than Him. This can be people or things.

Is there anything that you love more than God?

As believers what is our first priority over everything else?

Yes God over everything.

back to the text, Exodus 20:7

Exodus 20:7 NKJV

“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 does it mean to take the Lord’s name in vain?

To take the Lords name in vain is to misuse His name or not to revere His name showing respect.

We are not to use Gods name to swear by or to do things that is opposed to His Character in His name. For example we wouldnt go and attack someone and say that we did it because God wanted us to. This is also a misuse of His name.

Matthew 5:33–37 NKJV

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

We are to respect and revere Gods name.

Why is it a problem to use Gods name in vain?

Because He is Holy and we are to treat Him and His name as such!

How many of you call your parents by their first name?

Why don't you?

You don't say your parents name because you are recognizing that your parent is not on the same level of you and you are showing respect and reverence for your parents. If we revere and respect our parents this much and they have birthed and raised us. How much more shall we show reverence and respect for the creator of the universe and all that is in it?

We are to revere God and recognize Him as being the most important thing in of all and as Holy.

Exodus 20:8–11 NKJV

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but 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. For 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.

What is the sabbath and why would God want us to keep it Holy?

Exodus 20:12 NKJV

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

What does it mean to Honor your father and mother?

To honor your parents means to show them respect and to treat them well.

Why would God say to Honor your Father and Mother?

The parents are the authority in a child's life and they have been given authority over the children by God and are representatives of God in the life of a child. Children learn to respect God through first learning to respect their parents.

Take Aways

We are to know and recognize God as the one and only true God.

We are to avoid Idolatry.

We are to treat Gods name with fear and reverence.

To Truly recognize God as the one and only true God is to recognize Him as Lord of our lives and to serve HIm. If you have not placed your faith in God you can.

Romans 10:9 NKJV

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.