(Back to Study Home Page) (Sermon June 1, 2008)
(Back to Sermons Home Page) (Back to Shultz
Home Page)
June 1, 2008 – Mark 12.31C (Exodus 20.1-17
Open It
1. How
do you feel when you tell someone something and he or she completely ignores
what you say?
2. Why do
governments establish laws and policies?
3. What
are things our society tends to worship?
Explore It
4. Who
spoke these words? (20:1)
5. How
did God describe Himself? (20:2)
6. What
are we commanded not to put before God? (20:3)
7. What
did God tell us not to make? (20:4)
8. What
is the consequence of bowing before false gods? (20:5)
9. To
whom does God express His love? (20:6)
10. How are
we to consider using the name of the Lord? (20:7)
11. How is
the Sabbath to be honored? (20:8-11)
12. What is
the benefit of honoring parents? (20:12)
13. How are
we commanded to treat one another? (20:13-17)
Get It
21. Why was
God so specific in giving the Law?
22. How do
you think God feels when we worship things other than Him?
23. Why does
God not want us to commit sins against Him and others?
24. What
people, things, and other loyalties sometimes captivate your attention more
than God?
25. How can
having a healthy respect of God keep a person from sinning?
26. What do
you think God feels when we don't want to hear from Him?
27. How do
we put space between us and God?
28. Why is
it important to honor and respect God when we come to Him in worship?
Apply It
29. What is
one practical step you can take to honor God this week?
30. How can
worshiping God change your life today?
Notes
Exodus 20:1-6: Why were the Ten Commandments
necessary for God's new nation? At the foot of Mount Sinai, God showed his
people the true function and beauty of his laws. The commandments were designed
to lead Israel to a life of practical holiness. In them, people could see the
nature of God and his plan for how they should live. The commands and
guidelines were intended to direct the community to meet the needs of each
individual in a loving and responsible manner. By Jesus' time, however, most
people looked at the law the wrong way. They saw it as a means to prosperity in
both this world and the next. And they thought that to obey every law was the
way to earn God's protection from foreign invasion and natural disaster.
Lawkeeping became an end in itself, not the means to fulfill God's ultimate law
of love.
20:1-6 The Israelites had just come
from Egypt, a land of many idols and many gods. Because each god represented a
different aspect of life, it was common to worship many gods in order to get
the maximum number of blessings. When God told his people to worship and
believe in him, that wasn't so hard for them-he was just one more god to add to
the list. But when he said, "You shall have no other gods before me,"
that was difficult for the people to accept. But if they didn't learn that the
God who led them out of Egypt was the only true God, they could not be his
people-no matter how faithfully they kept the other nine commandments. Thus,
God made this his first commandment and emphasized it more than the others.
Today we can allow many things
to become gods to us. Money, fame, work, or pleasure can become gods when we
concentrate too much on them for personal identity, meaning, and security. No
one sets out with the intention of worshiping these things. But by the amount
of time we devote to them, they can grow into gods that ultimately control our
thoughts and energies. Letting God hold the central place in our lives keeps
these things from turning into gods.
Exodus 20:7: God's name is special because it
carries his personal identity. Using it frivolously or in a curse is so common
today that we may fail to realize how serious it is. The way we use God's name
conveys how we really feel about him. We should respect his name and use it
appropriately, speaking it in praise or worship rather than in curse or jest.
We should not take lightly the abuse or dishonor of his name.
Exodus 20:8-11: The Sabbath was a day set aside
for rest and worship. God commanded a Sabbath because human beings need to
spend unhurried time in worship and rest each week. A God who is concerned
enough to provide a day each week for us to rest is indeed wonderful. To observe
a regular time of rest and worship in our fast-paced world demonstrates how
important God is to us, and it gives us the extra benefit of refreshing our
spirits. Don't neglect God's provision.
Exodus 20:12: This is the first commandment
with a promise attached. To live in peace for generations in the promised land,
the Israelites would need to respect authority and build strong families. But
what does it mean to "honor" parents? Partly, it means speaking well
of them and politely to them. It also means acting in a way that shows them
courtesy and respect (but not to obey them if this means disobedience to God).
It means following their teaching and example of putting God first. Parents
have a special place in God's sight. Even those who find it difficult to get
along with their parents are still commanded to honor them.
Exodus 20:16: Giving false testimony means
lying in court. God knew that Israel ould not survive unless its system of
justice was incorruptible. We should be honest in our private dealings as well
as in our public statements. In either situation, we "give false
testimony" by leaving something out of a story, telling a half-truth,
twisting the facts, or inventing a falsehood. God warns us against deception.
Even though deception is a way of life for many people, God's people must not
give in to it!
Exodus 20:17: To covet is to wish to have the
possessions of others. It goes beyond simply admiring someone else's
possessions or thinking, "I'd like to have one of those." Coveting includes
envy-resenting the fact that others have what you don't. God knows, however,
that possessions never make anyone happy for long. Since only God can supply
all our needs, true contentment is found only in him. When you begin to covet,
try to determine if a more basic need is leading you to envy. For example, you
may covet someone's success, not because you want to take it away from him, but
because you would like to feel as appreciated by others as he is. If this is
the case, pray that God will help you deal with your resentment and meet your
basic needs.