Who Takes First Place? (Part 2 of 2)

The first commandment says nothing should take God's place.

At first glance, that seems like an easy law for Christians to uphold. But today on Truth for Life will learn how even good things can displace God in our hearts and minds. Here's part two of a message titled, who takes first place. Alister begs teaching from Exodus chapter 20 in verse three God says the writer in Deuteronomy is unique. Deuteronomy chapter 4 in verse 39 you should turn to it if you would like to see is very important when you're talking your friends Deuteronomy 439 this is what God says acknowledging take to heart the state of the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. I am so sick of his mother Earth.

John, I'm fed up with it all add that out with the these people on channel 3, five and eight sitting there as if they were in charge of the weather or they are in touch with somebody who's in charge of the web while mother nature will be age shining on the air show this afternoon. All yeah it's bogus lesson acknowledging take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above, he makes it rain. He makes a drought and he's in charge on the ark below. There is no other nobody else. No one else I see I am easily back to the corner doesn't because our culture says we don't want you having a God providing you just got a God but we don't want you coming here with the God story. We can have egg on story of another legal story is after all this is around of competition as long. We have a McDonald's, Burger King, Sanjana Burger King on the right of an Arby's in the same way we talk God anybody says of the little stall or the average university got a little deity set in. The last thing the will you want to do is to be thought something about your interest-free who says you know I did. Deuteronomy 439's are some to say here. There is no other rather than the God who made us, and because of that he says in verse 40 keep his decrees and his commands, which I am giving you today so that it may go well with you and with your children after you and that you may live long in the land the Lord your God gives you for all time in hours I'm God. I thought it up. This is how you should do it, do this is really good. But if you want to bring home a tumble dryer and try and mix concrete for new patio in the back of your house is not a smart 90 there is not a tumble dryer made that will do that job the way that the concrete mixer is supposed to do it. I don't suggest that you put your laundry in accompaniments because it when put together for the this God that we worship his Creator, he is unique as we saw in a previous study he is plural. He's powerful. He's perfect and he's praiseworthy you should write us for things down perfect doctrine of God, all you need to do that is going fine the whole Bible explaining those four words the God that we worship the God who reveals himself here in Exodus chapter 2 is plural.

In other words, he is father son and Holy Spirit cults can do anything with that they don't have the idea for Trinity. Hinduism says there have been many avatars. Christianity says God has revealed himself only once. Both Hinduism and Christianity cannot both be right, one is wrong. Judaism says that God is totally monotheistic. He is Yahweh he is Jehovah. Christianity says Jesus is God. We cannot both be right. Islam says this Buddhism says that Christianity system again about the right. The hundred year congregation of the religions of the world got off to a flying start. Everybody said what a wonderful time were going to have his little Johnny with his idea and then Fred and Billy and the role here Mary as well and that one things that God is the father. One things is the mother wanting God is monotheistic is Trinity oil. It's going to be wonderful says the writer, the beginning of the week when we all get together and discover that we all believe the same thing. Did you read the articles about Thursday, Friday, it was fantastic but the Moslems were kicking up a right shindig with the Buddhists. The Buddhists were blowing out that Harry Krishna's that Harry Krishna's were taped off with somebody else and all thing was a major dog's breakfast thing missed you and all, says the writer. Although he agreed that his mascot they cannot agree on the solution can be because this is God's infallible truth because God as he reveals himself as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is one in essence they are coequal from all eternity. He is the triune God. He is plural. He is powerful, he speaks and it happens he is perfect he is without flaw. He is self existent and he is more the of our praise. That man would not say has in nature been good to us.

But all that man would say what a wonderful Almighty God who is chosen to do these receipt that only happens by grace, by nature, man is confused why is this important what is important for multiple reasons despite the fact that all these people go to church. Let me quote you although 95% of Americans say they believe in God is by no means clear that they acknowledge the God of biblical revelation who speaks to them from beyond himself and awakens in men and women a sense of dependency, a sense of moral unworthiness and a sense of obligation to do his will. So say what I want to get religious and I want to come to church.

Okay, come on to church. This is partially church what was it like while it's it's like a lot of things yeah but I mean what will happen if I come in there and he will I feel good while you meet them. If you will that will beseech feel comfortable.

The seats are comfortable yet will I will I feel like like a like I'm a good guy will probably not not like you wiped out here.

Good guy want your friends or something else. The Bible speaks that way that you feel great, but if the Bible says your bag. I feel like the bad guy.

And guess what, if you don't like feeling like a bad guy you're never coming back because of your view of God is that he exists to make you feel like a good guy.

The only place you're ever going to go and worship is someplace where God fits your bill in men and women today are unwilling to admit what they have to admit to start a relationship with God. A tall number one I'm a sinner. Americans that I talked to use the word God with a large G to refer to a general principle of good in life. God is a cosmic principle of God is a floor sort God is whatever you want them to be. But the idea that God is self existent and he is to be feared and he is to be alive is nowhere in the record. So we got a paradox that is that while a knowledge of this God of the Bible and a knowledge of the Bible and a commitment to the core beliefs of historic Christianity. While all of those things plummet. America remains one of the most religious countries in the world but at the expense of truth at the expense of the God of Revelation at the expense of the reality of Scripture at the expense of a commitment to the core beliefs that have underpinned all that built this place on the foundation on which it now stand, were on shaky ground.

That's why I say to you, these are days of great opportunity to talk to our friends in these lines to engage them in conversation and not of this being known as a bunch of crazy people waving things and tramping around.

We meet people one at a time. Life's are their life's there's good there's bad there's problems there success. There's questions. There's everything by and large, many of them are confused. Some have a background that is that is understanding these things. Some of them come from slogans are not going to do it right. Expressions of the religious right will not transform men and women's light going to take a painstaking commitment to engage in dialogue concerning truth concerning God concerning the Bible and loved ones SAT this morning. You cannot do that unless you learn your Bible unless you know the truth, and unless you're sensitive to those things. So when you say to people you know where this thing on the 10 Commandments summons going to say opening 10 Commandments is not a dry weed and similar sermon was a bit of a drag the 10 Commandments there not know okay why is that and then you can start to tell John that we must do this because of who God is and because of what God's done is not what he says here in Exodus 20 says the reason I want you to do this is because I redeemed you I redeemed you. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Having brought the money given the law. Why to redeem to find their way of life. What is happened to us first Peter chapter 1 verses 18 and 19.

Check when you find it. He said we have been redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold. We have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus. We have been set free. Realizing were unable to keep God's standard casting ourselves upon God so that Christ would give to us what we do not deserve, then having been redeemed. We want to find out how to live in number one you shall have no other gods before me. Okay, let's finally talk about God's smoky what is mean usually no other gods before me, or in your translation might read besides me well and it would be like taking a second wife while your first wife is still alive and well in happy to be your wife. It would be the breach of an exclusive relationship. And God says I am in an exclusive relationship with you. I have pursued you. I have redeemed you. I am your God, and therefore you shouldn't have any other gods that take my place. Now we need to realize and say this again and again going through these 10 Commandments Commandments are not restricted to outward actions, but they are also relating to the disposition of our minds and our I don't about you, but I think I come to the First Amendment and I look at this night and I picture scenes from from some some continents of the world with people dancing round polls are bowing down before statutes or going through elaborate incantations and rituals and managers and so on.

And I say for man. I'm glad I was born where I was born so we don't have to really about worry about the first commandment into any advanced government we have a First Amendment down.

You shall have no other gods before me that it was dumb gods. None of those items now that stuff were not burning a like tissue paper, like on the streets of Hong Kong were not taking perfectly good apples and oranges and leaving them there to rot, waiting for the local deity to come by and feeling like a Granny Smith summer afternoon were not that stupid stuff. We got it down. Hey wait a minute before you go to quickly. You see in paganism. The reason that they do all of those things in relation to God is because they believe that God exists for them and so if they will do something for its or him or her. Then he in turn will do something for them.

So therefore, we come along only to our little ceremonies and then we seem to make God obligated to us. We see our managers, then God fills in forest. We do our incantations and then God does something for that's the view of paganism to you and I said that's the view of paganism.

That's the view of secular America.

We don't know who it is.

But we figure he's out there somewhere and if we find out what you're supposed to do that we can obligate him or her to eyes and all will be well.

So before we start congratulating ourselves that we would TVs with their computers. Therefore, presumably, will have a problem with these gloves with a small G lesson all these things all of the advances in technology and all of the improvements for which we are thankful cannot mask the deep foolishness and immaturity that pervades our culture. Think about this the best campus is now in the American University context. Those that are on the forefront.

What is he doing there, establishing professorial cheers for coats for feminine deities and for new age nonsense.

I'm interested in the brochures and chat just to find out is to what the people who put the man on the moon by thinking about worshiping the air all the scientific rationalists who woke up one morning, the end of the 19th century and realize how smart they could be talking about worshiping some kind of feminine female God, deity. Why, because when men and women cease to believe in the God of Revelation. They don't believe in nothing, they start to believe and that's where we it's not men and women don't believe in God it is that they believe in God's and any belief in, we God's means that were not believing in the God of Revelation.

So this morning if that Fits place where think of those it was even who profess faith in Jesus Christ and we would want to go out and say oh yeah we we got this one really button down what we understand as we are not going to put any other gods in God's place. Can I ask you a comprehensive understanding of the role of God within your life.

I'm not asking you divorce from me, have been asking myself the question this week is God in charge of your Mondays. Do you have a view of God in charge of your work or his work.

Another department under the control of a different head of the department, namely another little deity is God in control of your relationships of your comings and goings of your dating game or is that actually in the Department of another little deity is God in charge of the success quotient of your life and of mine of our aspirations, and our dreams are apparent successes of our amassing of things and of stuff is this God of Revelation in charge or have we delegated it to some deities to the degree that I am anyone else or anything else to enable me to make my decisions which I had to make simply in obedience to God.

I am violating the first, when I put my job and the privileges of my task before God himself. I have begun to worship the privilege of preaching when you worship your family as if you are going to have your family forever. You are no longer worshiping God. I want to go so far as to say that when you are. I put our families no matter how much we feel the right to be committed to our families in places that is God's along and we just filing to the first or your wife or your husband or your girlfriend or the one you're going to matter what your job let me end by turning you just to two versus in the Old Testament Jeremiah 9 Joshua 24 God speaks through the prophet Jeremiah says I'm commanding you today if you want to start boasting to make sure that you don't boast about these few things verse 23. This is what the Lord says let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength are the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this, that he understands and knows me that I am the Lord who exercises kindness and justice and righteousness on the earth.

For in these I delight, declares the Lord. Is it right to be physically fit, definitely.

Do we really need to stand in front of those mirrors all the time preening ourselves, probably not. Is recreation wrong.

Definitely not his goal. Good depends how you play whenever even good things and good people take my heart and I have ceased from obeying the first commandment. The final verse is in the book of Joshua and in verse 24 Joshua 24 you know the situation well. The covenant is being reviewed. Joshua has rehearsed the way that God is let his people out. He's given them a land and he's done all these things for them and then Joshua stands him up and he says now listen verse 14 fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness throwaway than God, your forefathers worship beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve as a fine of the matter is, will serve something or will serve someone and every one of us. When we walk out of these doors. This morning we go out to serve and worship. We worship at all kinds of shrines and all kinds of ways, and the question is even worship the living God. Are you going to serve these other guards choose whether you will serve God, or whether the gods your forefather Sarah beyond the river of the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.

But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord this morning.

Where are you in relationship to this first commandment God's law has been written on all of our consciences, but only in Christ is it written on our hearts. Ask yourself in this dying moment who's in charge of my life who's on the throne of my life who calls the shots in my who takes first place in my I am the Lord your God, he says, you shall have no other gods before me. Truth for Life Greg explaining why it's so important. Consider who is really in charge of our lives. Alister will be back to close with prayer in just a minute, so please keep listening.

If you're uncertain about your answer to the vital question about who is in charge of your life. We want to invite you to visit the learn more page on our website.

There you will find a couple short videos. There's one of Alister explaining the gospel and why we serve Christ as Lord and Savior. The other videos and animated explanation of God's plan for salvation called the story. You can view them both the Truth for Life.org/learn more. The book will recommending today is a book written by Alister. It dives deeper into the teaching in the series on the 10 Commandments. The book is titled pathway to freedom how God's laws guide our lives and in that Alister explains why God's commandments remain matchless and universal today. He dedicates a chapter to each commandment so we can read a clearer understanding of what God requires and learn God's law isn't meant to constrain us in shackles but to guide us to true freedom pathway to freedom will challenge you to think long and hard about the significance of God's instruction quester copy of the book today. When you make a donation to support this daily program.

Give online at truthforlife.org/donate because God's law is so foundational to our faith.

All 12 messages from this series are available for you to own on a USB drive, titled pathway to freedom is also a corresponding study guide designed to help you think more deeply about how to apply God's law to your life. The audio messages and study guide can be used for personal study, but let me suggest you, this is a series that's great for group discussion will be a terrific benefit to young adults, many of whom have never stopped to fully consider the 10 Commandments.

Find the USB and the study guide at truthful, I.org/store.

Now here's Alister close with prayer father, look upon our hearts today. You know, as you made us. We don't want to pretend before you. We don't want to play at church. We don't want to be simply slow many years walking out from here. We want your truths to take root in our hearts we want to hear your word in the Bible we want to understand it and we want to limit we want you to help us to get rid of little gods that we begun to include in our thinking gods of our Luke's party go of our success of our acquisitions help us Lord not to worship their and then help us tomorrow when we feel like worshiping there again to remember that we said today that we didn't want help us to help one another in this is all of us are learners from the one who knows the answer and made a love of the Lord Jesus drives to himself made the joy of the Lord Jesus give us strength to obey his commands and may the peace of the Lord Jesus came our hearts and minds today and forever about the addition to worshiping the one true God imperative that we worship him correctly. Find out how we do, why you join us tomorrow Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life where the learning is