Graven Mistakes (Part 2 of 2)

Some people like having crimes work statues or images of Christ in the place where they worship.

But today unTruth for Life will discovered the dangers these objects potentially create studying in Exodus chapter 20 Alastair Begg is currently focusing on verses four through six have been many times in the history of man when the work of a sculptor or an artist is been laid aside because the monarch whom the artist was seeking to portray judgment they had highlighted one.

I suspect, to the detriment of others and thus that the monarch said this image is singularly unhelpful. So the artist who had done his best with a sculptor is sent packing with as little sculptor, because the king or the Queen said it doesn't do me justice going on here with that crummy painting I look far better than that.

Now, the fight may be in relationship directly monitors that I may not have been the case. Some of them if they're at their renditions of them are anywhere close to accurate. They they needed Knoxville painters Knoxville portrait painters, but nevertheless many of these artisans were thrown out because the monarch said it doesn't do me just not true, necessarily, but in God's case, always true. There is no statute that could ever be erected.

There is no painting that could ever be painted.

There is nothing that could be done to visibly express God that would do anything other than diminish our view of God. I mean, is it is it is impossible to conceive of something greater than God for anything of which we conceive is going to be inevitably lasting God. Therefore, something that is less than God to portray God is going to diminish our understanding of the God was trying to portray and is a dead-end street instrument. It's idolatry and it is ultimately blasphemy. That's why you see in Exodus chapter 32 after Moses goes off on the trip and Aaron stays with the folks and says to them, you know, why don't you cash in your earrings in your and your stuff and will make ourselves a little a little representation of God here.

Presumably Aaron wasn't starting off in seeking to violate the first commandment. No way that he started off by saying I would not want to worship the true God know he was committed to worshiping the true God, but he thought it be a smart idea. Responding to the agitations of people around him to put together this little shrine deal where you had this And it would make it of gold and it would involve sacrifice and that seems appealing when the cost of people something they're going to give on themselves and then will make this little dealer will put it on a statute that will come to you wasn't trying to violate commandment one, but he was violating commandment to you can worship the correct God incorrectly and that's what he started to do so. The calf spoke of power and maybe wanted to say to people.

This is all powerful little kayak and a reminder that we have a powerful God. But what of the calf also speak to the people. Sexual impunity to another people could look at the calf and think about power without looking at the calf and thinking about impunity. So now they had a problem God has no impunity. He is all but the conception of the calf makes man thing diversely concerning this and consequently his worship is inadequate and is in violation of that which God is said should take place in the same way today loved ones.

Any kind of images that we create, whether they be crucifixes or anything else. I cannot dictate God in all of his is in a church in Chicago this week. I went in just for a moment or two ice thinking along these lines in ice and I stood for a moment and watched in this context as people gravitated to material representations of deity.

I don't for a moment.

Question the individuals evil, nor do I even question at this point why it is that somebody determined that that would be good to do because what they're actually seeking to do is to make God more real, more immanent to the people and their logic is if we can only represent them in this way and bring him here in the people to be able to get to him. I can't be bad, but the issue is, what is it, or to whom is it that the gats you see because I Jesus on the cross speaks to us of his suffering, but does not speak to us on Facebook, power, and of his victory and of his glory and Jesus on the cross is Jesus on a cross and thereby limits him by manifesting him in that way to the pathos of all bad. The scene represents Jesus is not on the cross right so why would we need even Monaco's because we wanted to pick them at the right hand of the father on high.

That's where the great artwork of the Sistine Chapel is at least try to take it up and be on so that the transcendence of God may be revealed. Still, the people gravitate to those things. It depicts his suffering but it obscures his victory. It obscures his joy in his power and his glory. The image is unworthy because of what it feels to display.

It is not unworthy insofar as it displays a truth cannot actually how did Christ determine that we would be remembered by people hanging crosses around their necks know I'll do this in remembrance of me. He recognized that it was important for people to have a point of identification to have a place of meeting. He said when you break bread, remember that my body was broken for you when you drink wine you remember that my blood was shed, but not in the machinations and imaginations of the minds of men and women. Even with 2000 years of religious history driving the boat. So what do we learn we learn that the establishing of images and shrines and statues create a dishonoring of God. Secondly, that they create the potential for misdirecting men.

If you study carefully. Exodus 32 you feel that this is the case, they created a calf.

I'm sure that they weren't wrong and in in their beginning at least conceptually. They probably thought that it was a good idea.

They were probably wrong. That was a good idea, but nevertheless the motivation was right but you go through Exodus 32 in what you find. You find that when people begin wrong in their worship they will and wrong in their lives soon as they began to worship at the calf. They got into all kinds of pagan practices which were contrary to what God was really like somebody would've said it doesn't matter if you have a little shrine yes it does matter because look what happened was, it doesn't really matter how you conceive of God.

Yes adults how one generation conceives of God has implications for the generation to follow when a culture when a society when people begin to devalue God and exalt humanity begin to devalue deity and exalt the creations of men, then that culture is in deep trouble and loved ones. That's where our culture is.

This morning that's why were in the situation which we find ourselves or find us in time magazine, or in our in U.S. News & World Report every explanation of why we are the way we are is is largely in response to a very secular view of history, but listen to what the Bible says about why we are the way we are Romans chapter 1 man although they knew God didn't glorify him as God. This is verse 21.

I need and give thanks to him. Okay, so they got up in the morning and he went around as if they made everything they got on the morning of the never give thanks to God than ever. Thank God for their food and never bowed in it and said God, I thank you for my most people don't because they don't actually think that God gave them their food. They don't get up in the morning and thank God for their health and strength they think they just have health and strength, and that's then leads to something else. Then they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened.

They thought they were really bright. Verse 22, but they were actually really stupid and because they were the exchange the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

I will could be possibly harmful about the film free Willie will probably not a lot, but any perceptive individual going to watch that movie understands just exactly what's going on it even when you set aside the Indian incantations that took place. The little boy finds out that's going to have a big impact. So now we got in God was a different God that we going to include in the thing. The big deal has to do with the Whalen poor old whale and is completely secular view of man as she would look after action.

I don't like swimming around of the road here anymore than anyone else does. The point is that the whole of man has shift in its still aborting babies created in the image of God with our soul. What's going on he CD broke the second commandment exchange the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

So God says that's the way you want us and we, God gave them God took his hands off. He said you want to live like that.

Watch what happens and they give themselves over in sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. The whole idea of the commandment you shall not commit adultery. What's wrong right out the door along the Second Amendment is that we don't care about this don't care anymore about whether married children are not married. Whatever the whole cultures in total collects in exchange the truth of God from my God didn't say that this is what we think they worshiped and served created things rather than the creator. So God says that we wanted to give them over again.

He gave them over to shameful lusts.

And some women became lesbians and men became homosexuals and that's not enough to give them over again once. If you just live your life with your eyes open your Bible in your lap is not hard to see that the inviolable commands of God would contravene do not simply impinge upon an individual's life and character. The effect of family. The effect on nation. The effect all whole culture.

That is where we are and I understand how unbelievably stupid it sounds to stand up and say, loved ones. There's a big issue here and is commandment number two we got it wrong, we started to worship ourselves and our own creations and we cease to worship God and when we do matter miss direct psychological fact that if we entertain a lie long enough we can eventually come to regard it is a truth so if we have a mental or a metal or wooden or stone image of God, we will eventually come to think of God is, the image represents an and that is a graven mistake.

See when we make an image of God, what were doing is taking our thoughts of God from a human source rather than from God himself. This in our age is a little more difficult to pinpoint.

I think it speaks to. It speaks to things that we might not immediately notice some of the images that we have are not static, but they are dynamic and act in a tally video age.

Many of our images are a lot more fast-moving Neil postman points this out in his book amusing ourselves to death when he says that today we must look to the city of Las Vegas, Nevada as a metaphor of our national character and aspiration.

It symbol a 30 foot high cardboard picture of a slot machine and a chorus girl for Las Vegas is a city entirely devoted to the idea of entertainment and as such proclaims the spirit of a culture in which all public discourse increasingly takes the form of entertainment.

Because we are capitulating to the spirit of our age. We are driven by the God of entertainment we see what you want about how well here's the deal. If we live long enough in a culture that is on the verge of amusing himself today what he thinks can happen in the church, waving his family and the church people come to church and say hey I'm using me schedule only Don tell me about a transcendent God like that. I want to leave the I'm on my God I want to God. I can control I want to God. I can manipulate I don't want this God is so in my line of work. The great temptation.

Are you going to amuse them today. Are you going to give them what they want to tell them what they need and some here embarrassed when you bring your friends because your friends there like they're sitting on this gigantic prong. What I huge pincushion and you hear me talking in their book in your head. Go for coffee is really quite nice, and Mia McCarthy is not such a bad guy. I don't know yet.

I had a bad is this all you sell the mean when I'm bad I'm bad, but if were torn by the word of God. Don't sell it short this the word of God.

I'm not an entertainer. This is an entertainment tonight. Okay let me wrap this up.

What is this teach me about my relationship with God. God says I'm not like any of your images but I am like this like what he says well I'm a jealous God, jealous God, yeah, does that mean simply means the same way that I'm a jealous husband was. That means nothing to share my wife with anybody is what God means I'm a jealous God.

I'm about to share you with anyone. I'm a just God. If you sin against me and turn your back on me. Then there will be punishment which will go through the generations.

The sins 50 years ago are manifest today in our culture, bad decisions of yesterday we live with today the sins of today, we will pass on to our children and our grandchildren's cause-and-effect I'm a just God, but I'm a gracious God. Yes, there is implication to sin for those who hate me, but I sure love to a thousand generations of those who love me and those who keep my commandments.

He declares his mercy to those who follow after him well says somebody you know I really going to have to think this out.

I hope so because you said I I thought that first of all, these little places that I was sitting on that on much of a problem and now you're telling me they might be. And secondly, because I like to imagine God you're telling me that I shouldn't. Why not telling you that you shouldn't. I'm just trying to understand the same command imagination can really messes up Richard Foster was written very helpfully doesn't do such a good job on this question. Let me quote him and I'm going to use this just to draw things to Richard Forrester in celebrating the disciplines of the Christian life encourages his readers quotes in your imagination. Allow your spiritual body shining with light to rise out of your physical body as an evangelical writer for small I don't what that means I don't buy you. You are spiritual body which got a body right spirit on the spiritual body. So I how we going to get it out of here. I don't know and he says let it go up through the clouds and into the stratosphere deeper and deeper into outer space until there is nothing except the warm presence of the eternal creator fosters her say what I want to get down in front of this little shrine whenever one of these in here.

We don't believe in that. That breaks the second commandment that we are going to do is we're going to do any PT trip on this redline were going outer space where you want as bicycles like my spiritual body is going at paddling up that's how I imagine it when I imagine it is a slide when the when his friend goes into why don't we. Why don't we just why don't we just get beamed up and and the kid says what don't be crazy. This is reality as he stifles his bicycle up and away from those people. Is this what's the quest love once obtained when the questions in the heart of man.

There is a longing to get close to go. God creates within your heart searching for him that maybe why you're here today. You can articulated necessarily but somewhere deep inside of you. You know that you want to get close.

Somebody told you to get close over here you went there but God never materialized and you have a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't welcome. Some else told you that if you just imagine Damon went into the stratosphere that would be it, and you've been in all manner of stratosphere's Journal closer so is there an answer.

Colossians 294 the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form Jesus and we are complete in him. He has drawn close to its in the person office so that all of our encounters with him would be very and how would we know of this Jesus, but in this book and and and anyone that encourages us to worship the correct God incorrectly is a great detriment spiritual life and programs. Therefore, I encourage you to think these things out. Jesus said this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent Jesus said he was seeing me has seen the father. What a tragedy to embrace a picture to miss the parts to say that a shrine to miss the scene to worship us feel to know Christ, listening to Truth for Life with Alastair begging please keep listening. Alastair will be back in just a minute to close.

We are learning that God reveals himself to us through his creation in his word and in his son, and we dishonor God. When we look for him in anything else. That's why a Truth for Life were committed to teaching God's word daily with clarity even when the lessons are convicting like our current study of the 10 Commandments. Our prayer is that God will work through these daily messages to bring unbelievers to saving faith and to strengthen the faith of existing believers so they can stand firm against things like idolatry and false teaching. This is our mission to Truth for Life but that sounds like a mission with which to resonate.

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It's easy to enroll, simply visit Truth for Life.org/true partner or call 888-588-7884 and to show our gratitude, we invite truth partners each month to request to monthly book selections to choose books with great care and with our mission in mind you may have heard me talking about today's recommendation it's Alistair's book pathway to freedom how God's laws guide our lives. This is the perfect way to expand your study of the 10 Commandments. Alastair looks closely at each of the commandments dedicating a chapter to each one. This book will help you more fully understand the scope of God's instructions and how his law relates to your life request, the book pathway to freedom when you sign up to be a true partner Truth for Life.org/true partner or ask for a copy when you make a one-time donation@truthforlife.org/donate now here is Alastair to close with prayer God and our father, we thank you for the way that your word speaks with such clarity challenging. Even the prevailing misconceptions about the things that filter into our minds. Even within the framework of Chuck silly ideas we tolerate things we embrace that diminish your glory and misdirect men grant that as we think these things through the spirit of God may work within our heart. Calling those of us who long to know God to meet him at the one place that he is determined to keep all of his appointment. Namely, on that Judean hillside where he bore our sins in his body on the tree now made grace and mercy and peace from father-son Holy Spirit be the abiding portion of all who believe.

Today and forever more about the pain names are important, looked up the meaning of your name. Tomorrow we find out what God's name is so holy why you shouldn't be flippantly tossed around or use this program Bible teaching of Alastair Bragg is furnished by Truth for Life. Learning is for Living