The Ten Commandments 1

Exodus 20:1–3 CSB

Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. Do not have other gods besides me.

You have been freed.

(CSB) 20 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 3 Do not have other gods besides me.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

20 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 3 Do not have other gods besides me.

Everyone has a history.

(CSB) 20 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 3 Do not have other gods besides me.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

20 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 3 Do not have other gods besides me.

Illus: When God said that he had brought the people out of Egypt, it was more than telling them he was bringing them out of political captivity. He was bringing them out of spiritual captivity.

When God sent plague after plague, he was showing the people of Israel and Egypt that the gods of the egyptians were false imposters who could not stand before God.

We did not worship the gods of the Egyptians, but each of us has been saved from a life in worship of ourselves and our own sin.

We worship ourselves, our money, sex, politics, lust, greed, gossip, experience, pleasure. Whatever it is, God has saved us from those sins, to free us to love and worship Him.

(CSB) 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.

(CSB) 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.

3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.

All other gods enslave you.

(CSB) 20 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 3 Do not have other gods besides me.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

20 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 3 Do not have other gods besides me.

Illus: When you give sin a place in your heart, it will enslave you.

When you begin to listen to gossip, the lure of gossip will consume your heart.

When you look at that webpage, or watch a show with nudity, it will eventually consume your heart.

When you get drunk that first time, it will never be enough.

When you begin to listen to politics and find hope in them, politics will consume you.

When your hope is in what you make or who you are, it will consume you.

Though sin seems small for a moment, do not underestimate how it will enslave you and capture your heart. This is why God demands complete allegiance.

(CSB) 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness., 21 So what fruit was produced then from the things you are now ashamed of? The outcome of those things is death. 22 But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification—and the outcome is eternal life! 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(CSB) 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness., 21 So what fruit was produced then from the things you are now ashamed of? The outcome of those things is death. 22 But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification—and the outcome is eternal life! 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness., 21 So what fruit was produced then from the things you are now ashamed of? The outcome of those things is death. 22 But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification—and the outcome is eternal life! 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God demands complete allegiance.

II.

(CSB) 20 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 3 Do not have other gods besides me.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

20 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 3 Do not have other gods besides me.

Anything that detracts us from full devotion to God is sin.

(CSB) 20 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 3 Do not have other gods besides me.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Illus: Follow my logic for a moment.

20 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 3 Do not have other gods besides me.

Imagine going to your wedding, going through your vows and promising to your spouse to be mostly faithful to her. I mean we are all imperfect, you should have grace to mess up every once in a while. How foolish would you be. When God saves you, he is not saving you so that you would be mostly faithful to him. Cheating once on your spouse makes you an adulterer.

I mean we are all imperfect, you should have grace to mess up every once in a while. How foolish would you be.

Cheating once on God makes you a sinner. This is not to be taken lightly, but should be seen as seriously as cheating on your spouse.

When God saves you, don’t look back longingly to the sins of your former life. Instead, if God has set you free from sin, do not go back to what brought you death.

(CSB) 57 As they were traveling on the road someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59 Then he said to another, “Follow me.” “Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.” 60 But he told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.” 61 Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

FOLLOWING JESUS

57 As they were traveling on the road someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59 Then he said to another, “Follow me.” “Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.” 60 But he told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.” 61 Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

58 Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59 Then he said to another, “Follow me.” “Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.” 60 But he told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.” 61 Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

“Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.” 60 But he told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.” 61 Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

60 But he told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.” 61 Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

61 Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

62 But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Just because you don’t call it a god doesn’t mean you don’t worship it.

(CSB) 20 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 3 Do not have other gods besides me.

Illus: we worship all kinds of things. Anything that takes your focus away from God is an idol.

Follow me here. I talked Wednesday night about priorities.

There is nothing wrong with fishing, but if fishing keeps you out of church, what do you value more?

There is nothing wrong with ball or cheerleading, but if they keep you away from the body of Christ, what do you value more? Let me take an extra step, every time you choose ball over church, parents, you are teaching your kid what really matters. Don’t be surprised when you son or daughter drops out of church one day because they naturally show what you taught them.

When we look to God’s command, God does not give us room to compromise. He demands complete devotion.

(CSB) 8 But in the past, since you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods. 9 But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elements? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again?

PAUL’S CONCERN FOR THE GALATIANS

8 But in the past, since you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods. 9 But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elements? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again?

There is no room for compromise in the Christian life.

(CSB) 20 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 3 Do not have other gods besides me.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

20 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 3 Do not have other gods besides me.

Are you enslaved to the world, or are you fully devoted to God?

Illus: The center of the Christian life is an unwavering fully devoted love for God. Anything that keeps us from that love should be thrown to the side.

What in your life is keeping you from truly giving God the place he deserves?

(CSB) 34 Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it. 36 For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life?

Mark 8:34–36 CSB

Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it. For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life?

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS

kbkn

34 Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it. 36 For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? kbkn