My sermon notes for Sunday morning, Sept. 13^th as we walk through the book of Deuteronomy. Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon.  They are provided to help you follow the sermon as you listen each week. The church provides a live stream of the service each Sunday at 10:45 on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/firstbaptistavonpark/  We also provide the services through our website by Sunday afternoon at www.fbcap.net

Deuteronomy 5:8–10 – True Worship

⁸ “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or 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.

⁹ You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

¹⁰ but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. (ESV)

INTRO:

1^st Commandment is about worshiping the wrong God.

2^nd Commandment is about worshipping God in the wrong way.

vv. 8-9a

⁸“‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or 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. ^9a You shall not bow down to them or serve them;

DO NOT MAKE – DO NOT WORSHIP AND SERVE

• We are not to make images to represent God in any form.
• We are not to worship or serve those images.

God does not NEED to be represented by a created “object”

To Worship God, we do not NEED a created “object”

• As if any man-made object can bring us closer to God, or represent God, or establish communion with God.
• NO IMAGE CAN CAPTURE GOD’S GLORY.

Examples:

• Golden Calf – Exodus 32:4-5
• Ark of the Covenant – 1 Sam. 4:1-11
• The Temple – Jer. 7:8-15
  • Worshiping God in the wrong way.
  • Using objects that represent God in the wrong way.

John 4:23- 24 (woman at the well) – God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth.

• We should not need objects to help us worship God.
  • Because…
• Our faith is internal not based on the external. (external … a tangible thing)
  • Because…
• He is Spirit
  • Therefore…
• We worship in Spirit and Truth

The danger of creating God into who we think he should be, rather that who He truly is.

• Romans 1:22-23.  PROFESSING TO BE WISE THEY BECAME FOOLS.

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

God has already created a mediator…WE NEED NO OBJECTS.

• OT – Prophet, Priest, and Kings
• NT – JESUS

God and His Image

• Gen. 1:26-27 – We were made to be like God in certain respects, but not to be God. He gave us dominion over all of the earth, and created us with a mind capable of creative thought and the ability to know Him

• Col. 1:15 – Christ is the image of the invisible God. HE IS GOD. ALL THINGS WERE CREATED FOR HIM AND THROUGH HIM.

v. 9b-10

^9b for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

WE NEED TO TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY THE WORSHIP OF GOD.

He Is A Jealous God

• God is not jealous of us, BUT JEALOUS FOR US.
• WILL NOT SHARE HIS LOVE WITH ANOTHER

His jealousy is demonstrated by His judgment and by His Mercy

Visiting the iniquity …3^rd and 4^th generations

• Not some spiritual curse that needs to be broken
• Yet, the influence of our upbringing does impact our life

Those who hate me

• Those who walk in the wicked ways of their ancestors.
• THEY SHARE IN THE PUNISHMENT BECAUSE THEY SHARE IN THEIR SIN.
• God’s judgement is upon those that do not acknowledge Him as God. (hate him)
• “God is Love” is better to say than “God Loves You”

¹⁰ but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Yet, show mercy to THOUSANDS…those that love Him and keep His commandments.

Psalm 103:17–18 – [17] But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, [18] to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. (ESV)

Experiencing/Embracing God’s mercy is for those who:

LOVE HIM

OBEY HIM

I obey (to obey is better than sacrifice – 1 Sam 15:22…when God rejected King Saul)

CONCLUSION:

True Worship =

• Acknowledging Him as God (who He is)
• Embracing His Love and Worshiping Him (acknowledge)
• Trusting in His Word
• Living For His Glory and Honor as We Obey Him
• Receiving His Tremendous Blessings.

What is the first thing that pops in our mind when we think about

• Worship
• Attending a worship service
• Singing at Church
• Hearing the Word preached and taught
• Coming together as the people of God

This will probably give us an indication about our understanding of TRUE WORSHIP.

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SCRIPTURE:

Exodus 32:1–6 – [1] When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” [2] So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” [3] So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. [4] And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” [5] When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” [6] And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. (ESV)

1 Samuel 4:1–11 – Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. [2] The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. [3] And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” [4] So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

[5] As soon as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. [6] And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the LORD had come to the camp, [7] the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. [8] Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. [9] Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.”

[10] So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. [11] And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. (ESV)

Jeremiah 7:8–15 – [8] “Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. [9] Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, [10] and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations? [11] Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD. [12] Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. [13] And now, because you have done all these things, declares the LORD, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, [14] therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. [15] And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, all the offspring of Ephraim. (ESV)

John 4:23–24 – [23] But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. [24] God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (ESV)

Romans 1:18–25 – [18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. [19] For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. [20] For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. [21] For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. [22] Claiming to be wise, they became fools, [23] and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

[24] Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, [25] because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. (ESV)

Genesis 1:24–26 – [24] And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. [25] And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

[26] Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (ESV)

Colossians 1:15–20 – [15] He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. [16] For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. [17] And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. [18] And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. [19] For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, [20] and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (ESV)

1 Samuel 15:22 – [22] And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. (ESV)