4.2.29 6.12.2022 Honoring God Exodus 20.1-3 Deuteronomy 5.6-7

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Entice: The Law could not and did not make people responsible, nor moral, nor good. but it sure did give reliable, fixed boundaries. As Christians we are more, not less responsible. As we saw just last week, Jesus’ summary and condensation of the law require greater vigilance and deeper understanding.

Engage: Though the 10 commandments and all law, really, seems to be pointedly practical, it actually flows from clear theological principles.

Seems Practical

Actually Theological

That is why "the first table" is about God and how we responsibly approach Him. The whole of heart, soul, mind, and strength leaves no room for equivocation or compromise. It requires full, undivided, uncompromising allegiance amid a world filled with the seductions of both evil and good.

You know these words. In Exodus 20 they are spoken by God and heard for the first time. In Deuteronomy 5 Moses, knowing his death was imminent provides a reminder.

Exodus 20:1–3 ESV

1 And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

We can easily conjure the setting in our minds eye…the quaking, smoking mountain. The noise. The strange combination of attraction, awe, and fear. Many of us likely visualize Charlton Heston involved, in some way.

The Deuteronomy version would seem to be a bit more subdued and reflective.

Deuteronomy 5:6–7 ESV

6 “ ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 7 “ ‘You shall have no other gods before me.

—>Clearly it is the same message from the same sovereign.

Expand: Understanding and applying each commandment is a challenge for a Christian. The old debate regarding the relationship between law and gospel resonates loudly. The Old Testament itself is a witness against how difficult this central theological theme of the OT was for Israel to embrace. Moses himself repeats the same list after only 40 years. Jesus seems to make it even more personal requiring a level of personal responsibility which seems nearly beyond any kind of collective enforcement.

Excite: While it may be true that

"People are gonna believe what they want to believe"

that does not make all beliefs valid.

Biblical theology begins with God's revelation of Himself.

In that revelation is the first requirement of anyone who will come to God in faith.

Responsibility.

Responsibility for acknowledging and approaching Him on His terms.

Explore:

Our first responsibility is to honor God.

Explain: The questions are unasked, but the answers are pretty clear.

Body of Sermon: We are responsible to God because of...

Who He is.

Name Proclaimed.

(YHWH)

Nature Revealed.

Nurture Provided

(Your God)

Personal and distinguishable.

We are responsible to God because of...

What He has done.

I delivered you from

Homeless

Slavery

I delivered you for

Holiness

Sonship

We are responsible to God for

How we approach Him.

A responsible approach to God begins with the

Priority of allegiance.

(You shall have...)

If how we approach God is a priority that will also mean

Purity of allegiance.

(No other God's before Me)

Shut Down:

In the real-world, distractions are abundant and alternative answers all around us. This was as true for Israel under the old covenant as it is for the Church under the new covenant.

Jesus said we are to love God fully. He did not say why. Umm, duh! The shared assumption was and is that spiritual people understand that God has acted on our behalf and that honoring Him is merely the beginning of obedient service.

Because the reign of Christ is more visibly grace-driven, that only increases the responsibility. We do not have physical, tangible boundary markers. We are each more directly responsible for understanding who, why, and how we should show our undivided allegiance to God through Christ Jesus. The community of faith helps to guide and direct us, but like Israel before each of us must exercise our own faith. This is God's continuing word for us.