Listen<\/p>\n
Date written: March 11th, 2007
Scripture ref: Exodus 20:1-17<\/p>\n
The First and Second Commandments – Idolatry<\/p>\n
SUBJECT: Idolatry<\/p>\n
TITLE: The Ten Commandments #1 and #2.<\/p>\n
PROPOSITION: In this lesson we will look at the first and second commandments.<\/p>\n
Objectives: That we would be familiar with the ten commandments and know more about them and specifically in this lesson the commandments against idolatry.<\/p>\n
INTRODUCTION:<\/p>\n
1. Read: Exodus 20:1-17<\/p>\n
2. About the Text:<\/p>\n
1) The background of this text is the exodus of the children of Israel out of Egypt.<\/p>\n
2) They were camped at the base of mount Sinai.<\/p>\n
3) And God speaks directly to them from heaven these “ten commandments.”<\/p>\n
4) They are referred to as such in Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 4:3 and 10:4.<\/p>\n
5) These commandments were the basis for the rest of the Mosaic law.<\/p>\n
6) They form the nucleus of God’s desires for men to live a moral and godly life.<\/p>\n
7) God wanted to impress upon Israel the seriousness of these words.<\/p>\n
8) And he did so; the children of Israel asked Moses to intercede for them upon hearing God’s words.<\/p>\n
9) The commandments are introduced with a statement of identification by God.<\/p>\n
10) Exodus 20:1-2.<\/p>\n
11) The two verses emphasize to us the identity of the one giving the commandments.<\/p>\n
12) They are not to be taken lightly.<\/p>\n
3. The then commandments today.<\/p>\n
1) Today, we see the ten commandments politicized.<\/p>\n
2) They are a symbol to many for morality and righteousness.<\/p>\n
3) But do we know what they are and what they mean?<\/p>\n
4) Let’s take a look at the ten commandments in an effort to understand them and how they apply today.<\/p>\n
4. The first two commandments.<\/p>\n
1) Tonight we will look at commandments #1 and #2.<\/p>\n
2) The two go together since they both concern idolatry.<\/p>\n
5. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.<\/p>\n
DISCUSSION:<\/p>\n
I. Idolatry is a reality.<\/p>\n
1. The children of Israel knew the reality of idolatry.<\/p>\n
1) They came out of Egypt where there were hundreds of idols.<\/p>\n
2) The 10 plagues each demonstrated God’s superiority over idols.<\/p>\n
3) The pharaoh of Egypt was himself considered a god.<\/p>\n
4) The land of Canaan also had hundreds of idols.<\/p>\n
5) Chief in their idolatry was Baal and Ashteroth.<\/p>\n
6) Polytheism was the dominate religion of the day.<\/p>\n
7) Idolatry was still a problem for Israel.<\/p>\n
8) While Moses was in the mountain, they turned back to idolatry (Exodus 32).<\/p>\n
9) Aaron made a golden calf out of their jewelry and said that it was the gods that brought them out of the land of Egypt.<\/p>\n
2. Idolatry was a problem in the time of Paul.<\/p>\n
1) Acts 17:16 – the whole city of Athens was given to idolatry.<\/p>\n
2) The church at Corinth still had problems with idolatry. 1 Corinthians 10:14 – flee idolatry.<\/p>\n
3. Idolatry is still a reality in the religious world today.<\/p>\n
1) There are those who worship idols in the east.<\/p>\n
a. Hinduism<\/p>\n
b. Buddhism<\/p>\n
2) And there are those who call themselves Christians who worship idols as well.<\/p>\n
3) Catholicism, for example, is heavily involved in idolatry.<\/p>\n
4. We also have the problem of idolatry of material possessions as well.<\/p>\n
II. Idolatry replaces God.<\/p>\n
1. Idolatry undermines God’s authority.<\/p>\n
1) It is a competing standard to God’s word.<\/p>\n
2) Consider the confrontation of Elijah and the priests of Baal.<\/p>\n
a. The contest was to see who the people would follow.<\/p>\n
b. 1 Kings 18:21 – halting between two opinions<\/p>\n
3) Consider Joshua’s challenge to the children of Israel.<\/p>\n
a. Joshua 24:15 – choose whom you will serve.<\/p>\n
b. They could serve Jehovah or the idols of the land, but not both.<\/p>\n
2. Idolatry steals God’s glory.<\/p>\n
1) We have an obligation to glorify and worship God alone.<\/p>\n
2) Revelation 19:10, 22:9 – “worship God.”<\/p>\n
3) Romans 1:23 says that the gentiles sought to give God’s glory to man made images.<\/p>\n
4) Isaiah 42:8 is a key verse in this regard. “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”<\/p>\n
3. Idolatry erodes morality.<\/p>\n
1) Once God’s standards are removed, they can only be replaced with man made standards.<\/p>\n
2) When that is done, morality is soon undone.<\/p>\n
3) We learn this lesson in the book of Judges.<\/p>\n
4) In the darkest of times when morality was almost non-existent, the writer says of the people, “every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6, 21:25).<\/p>\n
5) We learn what happened to the morality of the gentiles when they embraced idolatry.<\/p>\n
6) Romans 1:21-32.<\/p>\n
III. Idolatry takes many forms.<\/p>\n
1. Part of the command is not to have any graven images.<\/p>\n
1) Any object fashioned by men’s hands as an object of devotion or worship.<\/p>\n
2) Deuteronomy 4:15-19 – no manner of similtude.<\/p>\n
3) Deuteronomy 27:15 “Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.”<\/p>\n
2. There is also idolatry of the heart.<\/p>\n
1) Consider Ezekiel 14:3-4 “son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;”<\/p>\n
2) Ephesians 5:5 “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”<\/p>\n
3. Anything that comes before God becomes our idol.<\/p>\n
1) Matthew 6:33 gives us our priority.<\/p>\n
2) Matthew 22:37-38 – loving God is the first commandment.<\/p>\n
3) Jesus said that we can’t serve\/worship God and mammon (Matthew 6:24).<\/p>\n
CONCLUSION:<\/p>\n
1. Are there consequences to worshiping idols?<\/p>\n
1) Yes, God says that those who do so, “hate Him” and that He will deal with them accordingly.<\/p>\n
2) Idolaters will find themselves in the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 21:8).<\/p>\n
2. Let us understand there are good reasons for the 1st and 2nd commandments.<\/p>\n
1) Idolatry is a reality.<\/p>\n
2) Idolatry replaces God.<\/p>\n
3) Idolatry takes many forms.<\/p>\n
3. Invitation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Listen Date written: March 11th, 2007Scripture ref: Exodus 20:1-17 The First and Second Commandments – Idolatry SUBJECT: Idolatry TITLE: The Ten Commandments #1 and #2. PROPOSITION: In this lesson we will look at the first and second commandments. Objectives: That we would be familiar with the ten commandments and know more about them and specifically … Continue reading “The First and Second Commandments – Idolatry – Bible Outlines”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43294"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43294\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}