#1 No Other Gods

Exodus 20:1-3    |    Sermon Resources    |   20 September 2020

 

From Pastor Billy

In the sermon this week we are looking first of the 10 Commandments — to have no other gods.  This is the foundational commandment upon which every other commandment rests.  We will see what this command teaches us about God, what it teaches us about ourselves, and how Jesus transforms our understanding of how we keep this commandment.

Listen for the following ideas in this week’s sermon:

  • The 2 “tables” of the 10 Commandments
  • The law of God as a reflection of the nature of God
  • A quote from the great existential philosopher Popeye the Sailor Man: “I y’am what I y’am”
  • 1 Corinthians 8:5: “For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’—”
  • An illustration from marriage to understand what it means to keep the first commandment
  • Origin of the phrase a “mountaintop experience” 
  • Matthew 17:5: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him”
  • John Calvin’s 4 categories of keeping the first commandment: adoration, trust, invocation, thanksgiving

 

Discussion Questions

  1. In what way is the first commandment the foundation of all the commandments?
  2. What does the word “before” mean in, “You shall have no other gods before me”?
  3. What are some of the “gods” that are worshipped today?
  4. Which of these “gods” are most tempting for you to follow?
  5. What does the first commandment teach us about God?
  6. What does the first commandment teach us about ourselves?
  7. In what ways does Jesus transform our understanding of the first commandment?
  8. John Calvin lists 4 categories for how we keep this commandment: adoration, trust, invocation, and thanksgiving. What would it look like for you to honor God in each of these areas?
  • Adoration
  • Trust
  • Invocation
  • Thanksgiving

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