The other ‘gods’

14 March 2012

Opening Prayer/Worship

Theme: Connecting with God

Topic: The other ‘gods’

Reading: Exodus 20:1-17

Then God spoke all these words: ² I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;³you shall have no other gods before^* me. ⁴ You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.⁵You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,⁶but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation^* of those who love me and keep my commandments. ⁷ You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. ⁸ Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.⁹For six days you shall labour and do all your work.¹⁰But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns.¹¹For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. ¹² Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that 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 bear false witness against your neighbour. ¹⁷ You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

Introduction

In today’s Bible study we will consider the things around us that have the potential to disconnect us from God. We shall also consider the place of God’s Law in our journey of faith in Christ. It is clear from the Scripture that if we are to be connected with God, all our focus has to be on Him. We have to trust Him absolutely and have complete faith in Him. But then it’s easier said than done because in the present world, things that keep us from connecting with God are ever increasing. I call these distractions: the other ‘gods’. They are those things that if allowed, will take the place of God in our lives. The God we serve is a jealous God and desires that we connect with Him completely without trusting any other thing or being.

Questions/Discussion

1. Why did God give the Ten Commandments?

Is it law, love or both?

Exodus 20:5-6

You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,⁶but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation^* of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Psalm 19:7-13

⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
making wise the simple;
⁸ the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
enlightening the eyes;
⁹ the fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring for ever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether.
¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
and drippings of the honeycomb.

Galatians 3:1-6, 10-14, 19-25

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified! ²The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard?³Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?⁴Did you experience so much for nothing?—if it really was for nothing.⁵Well then, does God^* supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? ⁶ Just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness’,

¹⁰ For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law.’¹¹Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law; for ‘The one who is righteous will live by faith.’^*12But the law does not rest on faith; on the contrary, ‘Whoever does the works of the law^* will live by them.’¹³Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’—¹⁴in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

¹⁹ Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring^* would come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained through angels by a mediator.²⁰Now a mediator involves more than one party; but God is one. ²¹ Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law.²²But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through faith in Jesus Christ^* might be given to those who believe. ²³ Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed.²⁴Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith.²⁵But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian,

1 John 2:3-6

Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments.⁴Whoever says, ‘I have come to know him’, but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist;⁵but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: ⁶whoever says, ‘I abide in him’, ought to walk just as he walked.

2. God desires that our allegiance shall be to Him alone.

List some of the things that take the place of God in our lives.

Exodus 20:1-4

Then God spoke all these words: ² I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;³you shall have no other gods before^* me. ⁴ You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Matthew 6:19-21, 24

¹⁹ ‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust^* consume and where thieves break in and steal;²⁰but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust^* consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ²⁴ ‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.^*

Luke 10:38-42

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.³⁹She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying.⁴⁰But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’⁴¹But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; ⁴²there is need of only one thing.^* Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’

1 Timothy 6:10

¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

3. How do we deal with the other ‘gods’ around us today?

Exodus 20:5

You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,

Deuteronomy 4:23-24, 39-40, 11:1

So be careful not to forget the covenant that the Lord your God made with you, and not to make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you.²⁴For the Lord your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God.³⁹So acknowledge today and take to heart that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.⁴⁰Keep his statutes and his commandments, which I am commanding you today for your own well-being and that of your descendants after you, so that you may long remain in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time.

11:1 You shall love the Lord your God, therefore, and keep his charge, his decrees, his ordinances, and his commandments always.

Hebrews 12:1-3

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,^* and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,²looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of^* the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners,^* so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.

1 John 2:15-17

Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world;¹⁶for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world.¹⁷And the world and its desire^* are passing away, but those who do the will of God live for ever.

Intercession/Worship

Conclusion

Though all around us distractions abound, let us continue to make God the center of our lives; loving and serving Him as well as people around us with all our heart always.

Closing Prayer

We thank You Lord for You first loved us and sent Your only Son, Jesus Christ to redeem us from the power of sin, sickness, death and Satan. Grant us a heart that will love and trust You completely all the days of our lives. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.