Sermon Tone Analysis

I love the bible!

Principals to live by

Lessons to practice

Commands to obey

Examples to learn from

Moses and God finishing business on the mountain…

What happened?

Exodus 32:1-6

Couldn’t last a month.

Moses was gone

God seemed to be gone since the fire and smoke were no longer there.

We have heard the plans God had for the Israelites…but they haven’t heard yet.

In their minds, they are lost in the desert and the one who brought them out is gone.

Let’s go back to what is familiar…in Egypt, we had images to follow.

But this was in direct opposition to the first two commandments that Moses had passed along to them from God....No idols…why?

Why not have something that would remind us of God?

Because he wants all our attention, he deserves all our attention.

He had delivered them, fed them, protected them, watered them.

He shoudl be due their attention, but since they didn’t think they had his, they sought moved on.

God wanted going to wipe them out.

God’s anger didn’t burn against the Canaanites or the and all the other “ites”…his anger burned against the Israelites who were rejecting him, who were breaking his covenant.

But Moses wouldn’t let God do that.

Moses interceded, reminding God of his promises to Abraham.

He reminded him about His signs to Pharaoh.

He reminded God of his promises.

SO Moses went down and saw for himself and when he got there he broke the stone tablets that GOd have given him…telling the people that they had broken the covenant.

He was MAD.

When he called out Aaron, all he got were excuses

Regardless of how it happened, there were consequences to sinning against God.

Even though the consequences were being addressed, there had to be an atonement for the sin of the people.

But there would be more consequences.

God would not lead the people any longer.

There would be a resulting plague.

APPLICATION

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Here’s what you need to remember today.

If you forget everything else about the text today…I’m not sure how you could, but if you did, I want you to remember this.

You might want to write it down somewhere...

Choose first the God who chose you first.

I’ve told you before that I am was adopted as a child.

I’ve always known that I was adopted and that from my earliest memories, I can remember my dad telling me that I was chosen.

That they picked me to love me, nothing else.

I had a friend who was also adopted.

She also knew from her earliest memories that she was adopted.

I’m sure her parents loved her and probably told her something similar, but I don’t know for sure.

But what I do know is that she grew up always fighting back against the love of the ones who chose her.

She consistently gave other relationships and possessions the attention of her heart more than the ones who had chosen to love her first.

And there were consequences to that.

They were always fighting and arguing.

It affected everyone in the family.

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There are consequences to failing to chose first the God who first loved us.

It’s idolatry.

It’s what the Commandments were all about…putting God first.

How do you respond when you get impatient or anxious?

When you get tired or afraid?

Do you turn to God or someone else? or something else?

What do you choose?

If it’s not God, it’s an idol.

What are you most afraid of?

What are you most afraid of?

“I don’t want to get sick?” “I don’t want to be alone?”

“I don’t want my spouse to die?” “I don’t want to be at the funeral of my child?” “I don’t want to lose my job?” “I don’t want to lose my last friend?”

What are you most afraid of?

Behind that may be your idol.

What do you long for most passionately?

What gets you up in the morning?

Why do you go to work?

Why do you pray?

Why do you care?

Why do you strive?

Why do you try?

Where do you run for comfort?

Things go bad, you’re stressed…do you run to alcohol?

Do you run to food?

Do you run to pornography?

Do you run to vice?

Do you get angry?

Do you curse?

Do you just go to bed and pull the covers over your head and pretend that it’s all going away?

What do you complain about most?

Probably indicates something that you’re very frustrated with, and if you’re frustrated with it, it’s because you value it so much, and it’s not being or doing what you want or need, perceptibly, for it to be or do.

What angers you the most?

What just makes you furious?

Is it when Jesus is not taught properly?

Does it have anything to do with Jesus or is it all about you?

All of your anger is about you.

It’s not about the people who are suffering or the name of Jesus being dishonored.

What angers you?

What makes you happiest?

What are the best memories in your life?

“Oh, if I could just do that again.”

How do you explain yourself to other people?

“Hi, my name is so-in-so.

[Fill in the blank].”

“I’m married.”

“I have kids.”

“I am a lawyer…” How we explain ourselves may indicate our identity.

See, idolatry is building your life on anyone or anything other than Jesus…

What has caused you to be angry at God?

“God, how dare you let me lose my job!” “How dare you let my spouse die!” “How dare you let me not have children!” “How dare you let my children wander away from you!” “How dare you let those people say those things about me!” What you’re saying is, “God, how dare you take my idol.”

What do I want to have more than anything else?