Sermon – “And God Spoke These Words”

20 And God spoke all these words: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. 13 “You shall not murder. 14 “You shall not commit adultery. 15 “You shall not steal. 16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

33 “But now, Job, listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say. 2 I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue. 3 My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know. 4 The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God[a] is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

And God spoke these words that’s the title I gave the message today and I am going to be. Preaching on the Ten Commandments Now I’m not going to start working away all the way through in one sermon or even two and I’m not going to be you want to next week as some of this stuff is so in-depth and how they change the law and different things that it may take me a month it might take me two months to get through it I don’t know but I’m going to work my way through it today we’re going to I want to touch on a couple but we’re going to begin I’m going to read through the Ten Commandments and then will address what I’m going to get into today so in God spoke these words I’m going to be hearing from Exodus Chapter twenty first one through seventeen many views have probably read this many times but hear it again. And God spoke all these words saying I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage you shall have no other gods before me we sang it worship God alone through a man God alone no other gods shall we warship but God alone put nothing else before him but God alone you shall not make for yourselves a carved image any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth you shall not bow down to them nor serve them for I the LORD your God and a jealous God visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me but showing mercy to thousands to those who love me and keep my commandments so you want to experience God’s mercy show it by keeping His commandments. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain for the Lord will not hold him good. List’s 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 the Sabbath of the Lord your God in it you shall do no work you nor your son nor your daughter nor your male servant nor your female servant nor your cattle nor your stranger who is within your gates for in six days the war made the heavens and the earth the sea and all that is in them and rested the seventh day therefore listen closely to this the Lord bless the Sabbath day and how lewd it. My friends what this hallowed mean. May holy God made it holy not to be preached will not win the day but it’s had to point out will get that few weeks however on are your father and your mother that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you children did you hear that on or on Talk of the children of all wages a man honor your father and mother that your days may be long upon the land which Lord your God is giving you you shall not murder you shall not commit adultery you shall not steal you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor you shall not covet your neighbor’s house you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife nor his male servant nor his female servant nor his ox nor is donkey nor anything that is your neighbor’s So that’s trans for that to today’s modern times you shall not covet your neighbor’s car you shall not covered your neighbor’s lawn we don’t have ox right so don’t cover to neighbor neighbors motorcycle or any of those things. Or you’re at the neighbour’s garden tractor or big tractor don’t covet what your neighbor hats it’s that simple a man that a spray Father we thank you for your word by we. Thank you for laughter we thank you that we can laugh Laughter is good for the soul we thank you Father most of all for your presence here today Father I thank you that we can see your presence on their your people’s faces we can thank You that we can feel it your god we can feel your presence here today we thank you for Father we pray that your truth would be spoken today father anything that is not of you or that it just let it be gone that it not even be here but let us hear and understand and receive what you have forced today that you would be glorified that your name will be lifted high in Jesus’ name amen. So I want to say hi to Daniel and those that are watching on the web this morning thank you for joining in with us today you’re actually you’re part of this congregation and we thank you for joining us you know I was seeking a direction for the message today and I was first leaning towards the story of Elijah as he hid in the cave after he ran from that encounter at Mount Carmel when he heard a judge a bell was going to take his life and he ran you’ve heard that story was in the cave and then there was the the flop of the fire in the storm and the thunder and he didn’t hear God in that but the still small voice is what he heard I was going to go there but I know the Lord point minister action with the kids we was we’ve been talking about the Ten Commandments some and it was and we’ve been you know just different people talking in Koln of the Big ten and I’m not talking about the Big ten football conference talking about the Big Ten God’s commandments you know I preached on the Ten Commandments many years ago and that’s one of the things that helped lead me to start honoring the Sabbath and keeping the Sabbath because I preach about it and I preach the truth I didn’t want to cover it up and preach allies or preach the truth so that that too I think I preach to myself convicted myself. So we’ve often read them many times I’m sure most of us here but as I read this this past week that first verse something really jumped out at me it wasn’t the first commandment it was the God spoke all these words God spoke and. He ought oblique spoke these words to Moses on the mountain and one even farther than that we’ll get into that but he also wrote them the finger of God wrote his commandments but he spoke and it is true that God will speak to men in various ways but the problem that mankind often has is the hearing isn’t it the hearing of God’s word job thirty three fourteen says for God may speak in one way or another yet man does not perceive it. Will sometimes we do not perceive it because there’s too much noise going around around us right. So how does God speak to us today. Well the same way is job to said in various ways he will speak to us today in various ways he will absolutely speak to us through this word second Timothy three sixteen seventeen says all Scripture all of it not just part of it all scripture is given by inspiration of God and it is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness listen to that it’s not just any instruction. God’s word is given for instruction in righteousness he wants us to live right isn’t holy before him he has given us His word and his ten commandments is a great part of that that we can live a righteous life that is his instruction for righteousness that the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped for every good work if you want to use like some people say walk God This hadn’t spoken to me for so long well that’s Tell me you haven’t opened us up in a long time because he will speak to you through this word he will speak to men in visions in Acts Chapter twelve or seven says now behold an angel the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the prison and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up saying arise quickly and his chains fell off his hands he thought it was a vision but I think the angel was actually there but to him it was a vision he speaks to men in dreams there is thirty four recorded in the scriptures were occasions where he spoke to men in dreams he speaks to us in miraculous signs Moses himself who gave us wrote the Ten Commandments or recorded the Ten Commandments. He performed forty two miracles and self yet the children of Israel still whine and complain he still Smith speaks to us. In a small voice. And sometimes that’s the hardest to hear right. So I’m forty six ten says Be still. Maybe that’s the most important two words in this verse BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD. I will be exalted among the nations I will be exalted in the earth so maybe that’s the key to hearing that still small voice I think I already said addressed it to be still and listen. Sometimes yes it can even be an audible voice and Acts Chapter nine versus four through footboard five and he said Paul or Saul at the time who are you Lord then the Lord said to him in an audible voice I am Jesus whom you are persecuting it is hard for you to kick against the goads so he trembled and astonished said Lord what do you want me to do and the Lord said to him Arise and go into the city and you’ll be told what you must do. I will get to the commandments be patient. Every week this Cairns up here leading we recite the Lord’s prayer right. How does it begin how does it start somebody. Who art in Heaven All right our Father who art in heaven there’s a purpose behind the prayer beginning that way it’s all about making sure that we identify whom we are praying to we’re not just praying to any old god. We’re praying to our Father who art in heaven who dwells in heaven we are praying to the God who created the heavens and the earth they created man a man not if we do this every day no downside God be with me well that could be any god. We want to make sure we identify with the One True God. Make sure we get that part right. That is the purpose for that prayer but starting out that way our first verse in God spoke all these words again saying ah am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt again there’s that odd I know I speak spoke a spoke about adenosine just a few weeks ago God is making sure that he had then FISON self clearly to the nation of Israel I am the God who brought you out of the land of Egypt now remember. Israel had been in bondage for four hundred years so they saw a lot of idol worship. Whenever they come out of bondage The neighbors all around them the nations all around them worship many gods Egypt and culture from which they was the liver from worshipped many gods and there’s no doubt this is this had an influence or many people will clearly see that when we get some more scripture here so when God gave the law Israel knew exactly which God they were to worship they knew which God they would be to be obedient to they knew what was expected of them in their relationship with God The Ten Commandments reveal what’s expected in a relationship with God. The first half. Is that vertical relationship man with God the second half is that morals are relationship hot that we have right with one another is God’s expectations. The law is based on trust and security and one’s relationship with God. The people’s respect for God will be reflected in how they handle the relationship with one another the respect for God will be shown and how they are of B.D. and to his commandments. Today there are some people that believe the Ten Commandments are just a bunch of outdated rules and regulations. They don’t understand the significance they hold in having a relationship with God. They are not outdated they are just as true just as important and just as great today as a day gave them to Moses on the Mount the son. First John to three through six. Says now by this we know that we know him if we keep His commandments. He who says I know him and does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in Him Now Jesus said in his word my word warfarin many and I’m telling you this may offend people. But don’t be offended with me open your Bibles and turn to first John Chapter two and read verse three hundred six this is not my words I’m giving today if you’re listening it is God’s word he uses as I know him and does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him so if you say you know God and you’re not keeping the commandments you’re a liar. That’s not Ronnie’s words that is God’s words so I hope you receive it with peace if it offends you start talking to God. Because that’s the conviction. But whoever keeps his word truly the love of God is perfected in Him By this we know that we are in him. He who says he abides in him ought himself also to walk just as he walked. There was a judge named Roy Moore. He ran for the U.S. Senate from Alabama he lost his Democratic of the last to his Democratic opponent but long before that Senate race Judge Moore became famous for his refusal to remove the plaque of the Ten Commandments from his courthouse wall he also me lost his judgeship based on that refusal and he’s been in and out of trouble with the legal system ever since apparently they targeted him the fact notwithstanding Judge Moore was willing to lose his seat on the bench rather than take the ten commandments down off the wall. What drives people to take such actions what drives many in our culture today to file lawsuits now the Ten Commandments returned to schools and to the courthouse what makes the Ten Commandments important to us is another good question. What makes the Ten Commandments important to you to me. And tension to give you time to think about it. I hope what makes them important to you is that they did they at the heart of the Ten Commandments. The heart of the covenant that God made with Moses and with the Hebrew people I want to pose again now the Bible the New Testament tells us there is neither Jew nor Gentile so these commandments are for all of his people. So at the heart of the covenant that God has made with his people it reveals the heart of God It reveals the character of God It reveals the nature of God It reveals the true God who we serve it removes any gray hair Ian about how a believer is supposed to live their lives. Well I’m not sure if that’s a sin. Come or now it’s black and white God’s going to let you know for sure if it’s a sin. Well it’s OK to lie really it’s not OK to lie God’s word says it’s not OK says Do not lie I’m going to myself that’s going to be in a future future message. But it tells us how to live there are clear easy to understand boundaries but they also reveal God’s love. That’s why I referred to the Ten Commandments as great very important even today in two thousand and eighteen they are great they are very important. So we’ll get to the First Commandment. You shall have no other gods before me. Adultery or the worship of false gods has always plagued mankind always the term adultery usually refers to the worship of a fetish a graven image or image or an something we imagine an unseen deity but I Dollar Tree mags just on many levels some create images to represent a deity some odd allies other human beings. Some worship material possessions or achievements. We can even idolize or achievements the practice of idolatry is simply this putting things achievements or whatever before God we don’t even want to put our achievements before God. We Devaney don’t want put something in this fashion by the hands of man before God nothing before God The Old Testament records many instances where Israel struggled. And worshipping false idols there were many false gods in the Old Testament Here’s a few astore if I may not be pronouncing that correctly is the goddess of the Canaanites and it was connected to fertility and maternity the worship of a story was strong and sodden she was sometimes called a coast sort or companion of bail King Solomon influenced by his four wives fell into a store earth warship which led to his downfall then there is Belle worship sometimes called Belle I’ve heard it pronounced but ale also. Was considered the supreme god among the Canaanites and was worshipped in many forms but often as the sun god we would definitely get into this in a future message the Sun God or the storm god he was he was a fertility god who supposedly made the earth bear crops and Women bear children rights involved with Bear worship included cult prostitution and sometimes human sacrifice you all remember the famous showdown between eat idea and the prophets of Bale on Mount Carmel and we know how that turned out they crowd out the bell all day long nothing happened. The logic crawled out of the One True God fire came down from heaven. There was a false god name show mosh considered the subdue or was the national God of the MOA bites and was also worshipped by the Ammonites rights involving this God were said to be very cruel again involving valving human sacrifice Solomon also erected an altar to such a mosh south of the Mount of Olives outside of Jerusalem. You’ll find that account in Second Kings Chapter twenty three again Solomon was influence by the wives that he had taken how much better off he would have been to Peter had one true and faithful to God wife wouldn’t have been. Instead of allowing all these wives to influence him to worship these false idols then there was Dagen the God of the Philistines which had the body of a fish and a human head and hands and it statues in First Samuel five one through five you’ll find that account but the Philistines had captured the Ark of the covenant. They placed it in the temple next to Dad gone the next day dag on statute was toppled and laid on the floor so they set it back up they came in the next morning it fell over again but this time it broke they broke the pieces my friends what was in the ark the manna the staff and the commandments. So that falls God bow before the one true God didn’t it why was this covenant Why was this law necessary why was it necessary for God to give the ten commandments he made a covenant with the nation of Israel often times during a time of crisis God would make a covenant wouldn’t think about the flood the earth was in a stage of crisis mankind was exceedingly wicked so God the straw decided he would destroy the earth with a flood and only save Noah and his family but God made a covenant with Noah didn’t it a covenant that he would not destroy the earth again with a flood think about Abraham Abraham lived in a land where there was much idol worship God called him out from that land that he would worship the One True God He also made a covenant with Abraham It was a covenant circumcision to set him apart that’s the beginning the birth of the Nation of Israel. Will again the Israelites after being delivered from Egypt found themselves at another place of crisis. Moses had one up on the mountain. And been up there for many days so how quickly they turn from or something the One True God to making a false side to an Exodus Chapter thirty two now when the people saw that Moses they delayed coming down from the mountain the people gathered together to Aaron and said to him Come make us gods that shall go before us for as for this Moses as for this Moses like he’s been gone so long the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt we do not know what has become of him an Arab sent to them break off the gold earrings which are in the ears of your wives your sons and your daughters and bring them to me so all the people broke off the gold earrings which was in their ears and brought them to Aaron and he received the gold from their hands and he fashioned it with an engraving told and made a gold molded calf then they said this is your God Oh Israel that brought you out of the land of Egypt how quickly. How quick the sea we see right there from this passage the influence that all these false gods even had on the nation of Israel how quickly they turn from the One True God the command that God gave them on that mountain dealt with the relationship. The relationship that each one of them was to have with him he said I am the LORD your God. You shall have no other God before me my friends that is for us today God’s covenant is rooted in his grace. God had already delivered the nation of Israel from bondage Didn’t they already the liberty and they were freed they were saved from the Egyptians so of Asian is not dependent on the a beating to the covenant. The blessing is. The blessing is dependant on the covenant. If they would have been faithful obeyed him not worship that golden calf they could have walked into the promised land were not say we’ve said many times by keeping the law that’s by His grace but the blessings that we were see by keeping His commandments brothers and sisters as abundant. We obey Him because we love him. Because we know Him and He knows us collations three ten through thirteen says for as many as are of the works of the law all are under the curse for it is written curses every one who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them but that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident for the just shall live by faith. By faith we believe yet the law is not of faith but the man who does them shall live by them Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law having become a curse for us for is written curses everyone who hangs on a tree that the blessing of Abraham might become might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus that we might receive the promise of the spear through faith. The second commandment so will cover today you shall not make for yourselves a carved image no carved image nothing that we can fashion with our hands shall we worship nothing because friends there is nothing that we could fashion with our hands that would truly represent God There is nothing that we could possibly make to represent God he is that holy We should not even attempt to fashion anything. In any likeness of anything that is in the heaven above. Think about that nothing we are not suppose to fashion what we imagine him to do to look like nothing that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth you shall not bow down to them nor serve them for I the LORD your God am a jealous God visiting iniquities of fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me but showing mercy to thousands to those who love me and keep my commandments this forbids the making of any image any image of all at all of God what we envision him to be like. Or worship must be governed by the power of faith not an image followers of the true God. Must not make images or pictures as heathen worshippers do. We must keep ourselves from this sin. In the Bible we will find nowhere where they gave a description of what Jesus Christ looked like. The only description you will find in there says that they were not drawn to him by his appearance right. It doesn’t tell us if he was tall short. Dark complected fair complected but we know that he was a Jew so we can envision they probably wasn’t very fair complected we don’t know if his hair was long or short there is no description given we don’t know what color resides were. If God thought that was going to be important that we would know what he looked like he would have given us a description wouldn’t he. But he didn’t. Why because it’s by faith. It’s by faith in the one true God it’s trusting in Him It’s believing that he is we don’t need an object because if we had it there before Swe would do wrong things with it wouldn’t we know images no carbon we’re not supposed to have a statue of Jesus we’re not suppose that a statue of the disciples we’re not supposed to have a statue of Mary. To pray to or bow before no graven images of anything in heaven or on the earth it’s black and white it doesn’t get any clearer than that worship the LORD your God and only the Lord your God. Look at the disciples that they have a little statue that they carried around to show people what Jesus looked like. The day have a Polaroid snapshot. Pair brothers a lesson here or there it is or Jesus is what it looks like want to worship Him No they did not how was able to grow the church by leaps and bounds thousands and thousands come of them in a day how by proclaiming the truth. And only the truth the true Word of God the One True God worship Him alone and Jesus Christ believe in the unseen God don’t put these images or statues or whatever before you don’t bow down to them Don’t be like the Egyptians and turn away so quickly. But trust trust and believe and worship him. Follow his word. It is clear it is precise. It is for instructions and how to live a righteous life. And we will continue in the Ten Commandments in the weeks to come next week I’m going to do something different but we’ll get back to the commandments we’re going to work our way through all of them because I think they were very important is how we should live today no Again we are not saved by keeping them but I truly believe that God is pleased. With every one of us when we do keep them or you please when your children obey you heard a man’s or you displays when your children disobeyed you. How many is happy when your children disobey them. Sandy almost raised her hand. Jennifer to did you almost raise your hand no we were never happy when our children disobeyed us and that only happened a couple times. They were good kids seriously. We are not please when our children disobey us so why would God be pleased when we disobey him. If we say we love Him back the first John then we are going to obey him. Amen that’s what I’m going to leave you with today and hopefully you’ll ponder that in the weeks to come if you love him obey him.