Freedom Now

GPS

Exodus 20:4

Gods positioning system

For the hearer to look to God for a realignment

Freedom Now

Intro:

Review the commandments

Number one

Taboo

Vanity

Door

Alive

Six feet under

Seven year itch

Go straight

Malign

A ten

The first commandment has to do with the exclusivity and uniqueness of God’s place in our lives. It prohibits our having other gods of any type including idols and images. The second commandment prohibits a specific form of “having, having by means of making for myself”. The first concerns the object of our worship, the second concerns the mode of worship and of relating to that object. Images of other gods would be excluded by the first but a separate prohibition was required to ban images of Yahweh

What is an Idol or Image?

            14 Hebrew words for idol

one word means

carved hammered or forged, wood stone metal

second word means

any real or imagined pictorial representation of a deities

to make an image that represents God not replace him

Why are idol worship and image making wrong?

            Usurping the Creator’s place

                        The creature is playing creator

            Downward worship

                        It directs or worship at something that is not only less then God                                     but less then human

            Partial truth at best

                        No image can portray the totality of God. In fact, it might give a                          distorted view

            Freedom and vitality or rigor mortis

                        Choosing to imprison God in a fixed image ties us to a fixed                                         predictable tame substitute for God instead of linking arems with                                  the untamed energy of the living God.

                        For example, worshiping an image of God is like choosing to relate                             to photos of your children rather then to visit and be with them in                             person.

                        The only acceptable images

                                    Jesus

Why is Idolatry such an attractive temptation?

                        We can control our God and make him acceptable to our ideas

21st century Idolatry

            idol don’t always say” I am an idol” we need to be discerning and self critical. Remember what are the basic characteristic of an idol. Made by man, worshiped and bowed down to. Defended, center of life, to day our idol maybe more og ideas then actual things. Ism’s can become idols. Technology, science,

Iconoclasm and the freedom of God in our life

How do we find freedom from these idols?

Idol inventory

When we realize that we have a some idols we need to knock them off their pedestal 

Two ways the second commandment helps your neighbor

That you worship a living loving God and not a man made idol.

We wont make stereotypes of our neighbor. We will love them.

Images will get in the way of loving them.

Consequences

What happens when we make idols?

Punishing

Generations living together

Personally responsible for our actions

When a grandfather brings an idol in to the family, the entire family is at risk