The Holy Demand: God’s Call to Worship
Notes
Transcript
Call to Worship
Call to Worship
In You, O Yahweh, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed.
In Your righteousness deliver me and protect me; Incline Your ear to me and save me.
Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come; You have given the command to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress.
Protect me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, Out of the grasp of the unrighteous and ruthless man,
For You are my hope; O Lord Yahweh, You are my trust from my youth.
By You I have been sustained from my birth; You are He who took me from my mother’s womb; My praise is continually of You.
I have become a marvel to many, For You are my strong refuge.
And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your might to all who are to come.
For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You?
First Reading
First Reading
Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
The Spirit of Yahweh will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and might, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of Yahweh.
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And He will delight in the fear of Yahweh, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor render a decision by what His ears hear;
But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with uprightness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will put the wicked to death.
Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.
And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a young boy will lead them.
Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox.
And the nursing baby will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
They will do no evil nor act corruptly in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh As the waters cover the sea.
Then it will be in that day, That the nations will seek the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a standard for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious.
Scripture and Prayer
Scripture and Prayer
Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!’”
Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea, and all the district around the Jordan;
and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
“Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;
and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.
“And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
“His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Bible Passage: Exodus 20:1–10
Then God spoke all these words, saying,
“I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before Me.
“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
“You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,
but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
“You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
“Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
but the seventh day is a sabbath of Yahweh your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female slave or your cattle or your sojourner who is within your gates.
Intro:
Intro:
Bible Passage: Exodus 20:1-10
Bible Passage: Exodus 20:1-10
Summary: This passage presents the Ten Commandments, which God gave to the Israelites at Mount Sinai. The first four commandments focus on our relationship with God, highlighting His holiness and the necessity for His people to live in accordance with His divine standards.
Application: Christians today can apply these commandments as a guide for holy living. In a world that often promotes moral relativism, understanding and committing to God’s standards can provide believers with a strong foundation for ethical decisions, personal integrity, and deepening their relationship with God.
Teaching: This sermon could teach that the Ten Commandments are not merely an ancient list of rules but rather a timeless guide for cultivating a relationship with God and with others. They reveal God's character and His expectations for His people, showing that obedience stems from love and reverence for Him.
How this passage could point to Christ: While the Ten Commandments are foundational for moral living, they also point to our need for a Savior. Jesus fulfills the law (Matthew 5:17), providing grace that enables us to live in a way that reflects God’s holiness, acknowledging that we can’t achieve righteousness on our own.
Big Idea: Living in accordance with God's commandments leads to a life of holiness, joy, and true freedom, reflecting the character of Christ in a broken world.
1. Prioritize the Divine Relationship
1. Prioritize the Divine Relationship
Then God spoke all these words, saying,
“I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before Me.
EX: One instead of many
God spoke:
The 10 commandments were spoken to Moses by God Himself!
All those surrounding Israel were used to multiple Gods
Each culture had their own take on it, but they each shared the idea that gods and goddess were limited in scope.
Geographical:
river vs desert
Mountains vs planes
National:
gods of Egypt, Canaan, etc.
God demanded exclusivity
God created angels and charged them serving Him on Earth and in the spiritual realm.
Many look to the pantheons source as being fallen angels who started accepting and even demanding worship.
To others, they see them as complete fabrications out of supersticious minds.
God said:
You shall have no other gods before Him
He along was the MOST HIGH
He was over all other authorities
God’s call to holiness begins with the recognition of His supreme authority.
No other gods BEFORE me
“over against me”
all false gods stand in opposition to the true God.
AP: The first commandment sets the foundation for our relationship with God, declaring that we should have no other gods before Him.
Whether we are considering pagan gods, or things of today that would take the throne of hearts, God demands TOP billing!
This helps believers reaffirm their commitment to God alone, amidst competing worldly loyalties.
Jesus taught us to seek Him first
In introducing this topic, He pointed out how we can worry about our needs and wants.
Notice:
“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’
“For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Instead of seeking and chasing after our food, drink and clothes…. we are to pursue GOD.
Our top priority should be our relationship with GOD and NOTHING can be allowed to take His rightful place.
Paul addressed this concept in Acts 14
After preaching and working miracles
And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have become like men and have come down to us.”
And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.
And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and was wanting to offer sacrifice with the crowds.
and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, proclaiming the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.
2. Reject Idolatry
2. Reject Idolatry
“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.
“You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,
but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
This commandment forbids making idols,
Some extend it to be a prohibition on art. i don’t see that.
V. 5 makes it clear that they were made to be worshipped.
Idols:
Those devoted to idols saw them as a conduit to their god or goddess. They often would worship multiple ones depending on need.
Priests would pray to their deity to “open the mouth” a summoning of the god’s attention.
Idols were incapable of doing anything.
GOD called them to reject this practice and worship Him only as He directed.
No created thing could ever be a faithful depiction of the Almighty creator of the universe!
Worshipping a man made representation was nothing less than hatred and outright rebellion of the true God.
He is everywhere and doesn’t need to be summoned into a stone or gold idol.
Though loter, Moses would make it clear that children were not to be punished for the sins of the parents, God does bring that issue up here in v. 5.
Children would feel the impact of breaches of God’s law by their parents.
They would learn from their parents the same abhorrent practices.
AP: We should reject Modern Idols as well.
We must reject anything that takes God’s place in their lives.
We are warned against idolatry in the NT
Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
Our society isn’t so big on carved images to represent gods of nature and life.
However, we do face the temptation in the modern world to idolize material possessions, success, or self-image.
In many ways, it is a change from worshipping a spirit of a special tree.. with worshipping ourselves.
Showing how Jesus embodies the image of the invisible God can encourage Christians to focus their worship and imitation on Christ alone, thereby reflecting God's holiness in all aspects of life.
We don’t need something tangible to represent HIM. He lives and abides with us! He cannot be contained in a manmade image.
3. Honor God's Holy Name
3. Honor God's Holy Name
“You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
To use God’s name in vain is to bring disrepute upon HIs characger or deeds.
It is irreverent use of God’s name.
D. A. Carson The Mosaic law forbade irreverent oaths, light use of the Lord’s name, broken vows. Once Yahweh’s name was invoked, the vow to which it was attached became a debt that had to be paid to the Lord.
It was using God’s name to make one sound more sincere..
I swear by…. (insert whatever)
Sadly, Israel grew to have an elaborate system of oaths by God’s name, the alter, the sacrifice, etc.
All in an effort to convince the listener of ones sincerity
Oaths are not the cause why a man is believed, but the character of the man is the cause why the oath is believed.
Aeschylus
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
To fail to perform an oath in which His name had been legitimately uttered (cf. 22:10, 11;
They were making oaths without intent to keep them. Thus using God’s name in vain.
Jesus expanded upon this in Mt 5:37
“But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of the evil one.
But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.
AP: The third commandment emphasizes taking God’s name in vain as a reflection of disrespect towards Him.
Honoring God's name in our words and actions reflects a heart transformed by Christ’s love and is a powerful witness to others.
Our character should reflect God’s
We need to live honestly.
phrases like “so help me God”, don’t make a flawed character more believeable
People who don’t reverence God think NOTHING about lying and breaking an oath.
4. Sanctify Restful Worship
4. Sanctify Restful Worship
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
“Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
but the seventh day is a sabbath of Yahweh your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female slave or your cattle or your sojourner who is within your gates.
Each seventh day belonged to the Lord
It was to not be a work day, but rather, be set aside for rest and worship of Yahweh.
The Sabbath is derived from the word “to rest or cease from work”
A day apart from the others, a change of pace which God built into the world all the way back to creation.
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
Each Sabbath day should have reminded the worshiper that the God whom he praised had indeed made everything in both realms of existence in 6 twenty-four hour days.
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
The Sabbath would also stand, therefore, as a counter to ideas prevalent in false religion.
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
Moses, in the review of the Decalogue, also linked the observance of the Sabbath with Israel’s exodus from Egypt and specified that this was why Israel was to keep it (
‘Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as Yahweh your God commanded you.
‘Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
but the seventh day is a sabbath of Yahweh your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male slave or your female slave or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who is within your gates, so that your male slave and your female slave may rest as well as you.
‘You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm; therefore Yahweh your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day.
It is interesting to note that the other 9 commandments are repeated in the NT, but NOT this one.
This is nulified and attached to Israel and Mosaic law.
The church transitioned to worhip on the first day of the week, the Lord’s day as seen by numerous texts.
We also see Paul saying this:
Therefore, no one is to judge you in food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day—
things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
The pattern of 1 out of 7 remains, but the specific day is not required.
785The change which our Lord has made in the Sabbath is indicative of the change which he has made in our life. The law says, “Work six days and then observe the seventh as the Sabbath.” But under the gospel the arrangement is, “Rest on the first day before you have done a stroke of work. Just as the week begins, take your rest, and after that, in the strength derived from it, and from the grateful motives which arise out of that one blessed day of rest, give to the Lord the six days of the week.” There is a change from law to gospel indicated in that very change. So let it be with you.—49.243
Charles Spurgeon
AP: We still need a day like the Sabbath as a sacred time of rest and worship.
More than just a ritual
More than something we must endure.
The fourth commandment invites believers to find rest in God, paralleling the rest fulfilled in Jesus.
Setting aside regular time for worship and rest can help us experience spiritual renewal, align our priorities with God's rhythm, and ultimately live a more balanced, Christ-centered life.
Conc
Conc
