New - New Devotion to God

Message Notes:

Byron starts his message with the first two of the ten commandments:

•Exodus 20:1-5

•1 Then God gave the people all these instructions: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. ” 3 You must not have any other god but Me. 4 You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them…

There are several important truths communicated within these two commandments:

•Who you worship matters.

•Not all gods are equal, nor are they the same (just by a different name).

•The sincerity of the worshiper is not a factor. One can be “sincere” and be “sincerely wrong.”

•These two commands communicate a form of “exclusivity” toward our God. We are called to worship Him alone.

Why is this exclusivity important? The text in Exodus does not try to answer this question. Byron tries.

•Because you will tend to become like the god you worship.

•If the god you worship is “loosey-goosey,” then you will tend to live your life in a loosey-goosey manner.

•If your god os harsh, vindictive and unforgiving, then you will tend to live your life in a similar manner.

•I like this quote by William Temple: “If your conception of God is radically false, then the more devout you are, the worse it will be for you….It is as much idolatry to worship a false mental image as a false metal image.”

Idolatry is a hugely important topic in the Bible. It is consistently and directly condemned in the Bible:

•1 Corinthians 10:7,14

•1 Peter 4:3

•Colossians 3:5

•Romans 1:25

Definition of Idolatry from Webster’s Dictionary: “the worship of idols or excessive devotion to, or reverence for some person or thing.”

Four questions to ask yourself to identify idolatry in one’s life:

•What do you long for most passionately?

•Where do you run for comfort?

•What do you sacrifice for most in your life?

•What makes you mad?

Discussion Questions:

What do you think are the aspects of American culture about which we have the greatest idolatrous relationship / connection?

In his message, Byron makes a couple of statements about worship:

•Who you worship matters.

•You will tend to become like the god you worship.

•What do you think about the above statements? Agree/disagree?

What can you do to improve / increase your worship of God?

What are some of the “idols” of your life? What can you do to diminish their hold on you?