HOW TO WORSHIP GOD
Posted by: rabuening <rabuening@...>
HOW TO WORSHIP GOD
God’s Top Ten #3
Exodus 20:4-6
I.Intro.
A.a casual reading of the 2nd Commandment may produce the thought that it is just a repetition of the first; only using different words, but that is not true
1.the 1st Commandment forbids us from worshiping false gods (no other gods)
2.this commandment focuses on the use of idols and images in worship, and warns us not to worshiping the right God in the wrong way
3.it can be summed up in three words: no graven images
B.it is true that graven images are sometimes used to represent false gods
1.in the OT there are a frequent denunciations of any and all attempts to worship idols
2.there is a lot idolatry that is still practiced today (Buddha, Hinduism, Oriental religions)
II.idolatry is ignorant
A.there isn't a single intelligent thing about idol worship – Isaiah 44:6-19
1.idol worshippers cuts down a tree, they use part of it to make a fire and to bake bread, and part of it to make a god
2.the idol has to be made out of hardwood, because no one would want his god to rot – Isaiah 40:19-20
a)it has to be made so that it will not totter in the wind or fall over (“moved” – slip, shake, fall)
b)it would be a shame for their god to fall over on them
B.the idol can do nothing to keep bats, swallows, birds and cats from lighting on its head
C.when a fire breaks out in a temple, the priests can flee, but the gods are burned like a wooden beam
III.idolatry is more than ignorant; it is contemptible
A.something can be ignorant without being contemptible, but idol worship is both ignorant and contemptible
B.the prophets had nothing but biting sarcasm for idol worshipers – I Kings 18:27
C.what does this have to do with us, we are not in any danger of erecting a bronze statue
1.there is a very real danger that idolatry may still infiltrate into the church today
2.all idols are not the same shape (cars, houses, gulf clubs, entertainment center)
3.what is the shape of your idol
IV.some people use graven images to represent the true God
A.Israel often set up high places and erected idols; not to worship false gods, but to worship the true God, only in a more tangible way
1.the God of the Bible is invisible, He is omnipresent, He is infinite, and He is Spirit
2.we are visible, localized, finite, and while we have spirits, we also have bodies
3.there is a natural tendency in the human heart to bring God down to a level we can understand
B.the Golden Calf was set up while Moses was up on Mt. Sinai getting the Ten Commandments from God
1.it was meant to be a visible symbol of the God who had brought them out of Egypt Exodus - 32:4-5
2.they were not worshiping a golden calf; they were not even worshiping a pagan god
3.they were just using a golden calf as an aid to their worship of the true God
4.no doubt they thought their image was honoring God, as a fitting symbol of His great strength
C.images which were designed as aids to worship, will always become a disadvantage
1.there are branches of Christianity today, that make use of icons, holy relics, crucifixes, and other such religious objects in worship
2.the reason behind such practices is that these things serve to remind the worshipper of the spiritual realities they represent
D.visual aids for learning are a great asset, but visual aids for worship can be dangerous
1.some might ask, "what harm is there in surrounding oneself with statues and pictures, if they help us lift our heart to God
2.if images help some people focus their thoughts on Christ when they pray, why should we object
3.the 2nd Commandment is probably just talking about an immoral and degrading representations of God, such as those of the pagan cults
4.the very wording of the Commandment rules out such thinking – Exodus 20:4-5
a)this is not intended to forbid all art work, rather it forbids us from depicting God as an animal, or any object of nature, or even the highest creation we know: a human
b)visible representations of God are not an aid to worship, but a hindrance
V.why is God so unbending in this commandment
A.He attaches frightening sanctions to the violation of this commandment – Exodus 20:5
1.He proclaims His jealousy, and promises severe punishment on transgressors, and even on their children to the 3rd and 4th generations
2.God insists on His rightful place at the center of the universe, and on the throne of our hearts
B.God is unbending on this because images dishonor Him, and they obscure His glory
1.a true image of God is not to be found in all of creation
2.whenever He is set before our eyes in a visible form, His glory is defiled, and His truth is corrupted
3.the problem is that pictures and images of God conceal most, if not all, of the truth about the personal nature and character of God, whom they are suppose to represent
4.the Golden Calf actually insulted God
a)it failed to fully express His moral character, His righteousness, goodness, patience, sovereignty
b)God is not just strength; He has these other attributes, which we can never understand by looking at a statue of a bull
5.the crucifix obscures the glory of Christ
a)it hides the fact of His deity, His victory on the cross, and His present kingdom
b)it displays His human weakness, but it conceals His divine strength
c)it depicts the reality of His pain, but hides from our sight the reality of His joy and His power
6.none of us like to display a poor pictures of ourselves (drivers license)
a)similarly, God does not like a poor or false replica of Himself
b)every image of deity is a poor and false replica; images really bear no resemblance to God
c)no picture or image can reveal the glory of God – Isaiah 40:18
C.God is unbending on this because images mislead men, and convey false ideas about God
1.by making an image of the true God in the form of a bull, it led the Israelites to think of Him as One who could be worshipped acceptably by drunken revelry – Exodus 32:6, 25
2.that worship service at the foot of Mt. Sinai became a shameful orgy – I Corinthians 10:7-8
3.images always convey false notions of God
D.God is not the sort of person we are; His wisdom, will, ways, and values are vastly different from our own - Isaiah 55:8-9
1.we cannot know Him unless He speaks and tells us about Himself; praise God, He has spoken
2.through the Bible, we can form a true notion of God; but without it we never can
3.our thoughts of God should only come from His Holy Word
4.to the degree that religious symbols have multiplied in certain churches, to almost the same degree the Word of God has been ignored
5.if we have images, the Bible seem less important; if we have the Bible, we don’t need images
VI.what is the right way to worship God
A.we have no bull-images or crucifixes, but what does this commandment to say to us here
B.we are to worship Him in spirit and in truth. - John 4:24
1.it is not an outward worship, but an inward worship
a)there are many who feel that a particular time and place is needed for worship, but God is not limited in that way
b)He is spirit, and the worship that is brought to Him must be of a spiritual kind
2.worship must be in truth, according to God's revelation
a)some say, "I worship God in my own way," but true worshipers don’t do that; they go to the Bible
b)ultimately, we cannot worship God at all, if we do not come to Him through Christ
Ron Buening
Beacon Baptist Church
http://www.angelfire.com/nd/baptistpreacher