Putting
God First in Your Life
Exodus 20:1-3<= o:p>
i=
ntroduction
President James Madison,
We have staked the whole of all our political institutio=
ns
upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each=
and
all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves
according to the Ten Commandments of God.
And yet
In 1=
980
the Supreme Court denied school children the privilege of learning God̵=
7;s
basic principles of human conduct found in the Ten Commandments.
On
August 5, 2003, an order was issued to remove the Ten Commandments from the
Alabama Supreme Court.
But consider this!
The
Commandments are on the floor of the National Archives building.
A br=
onze
statute of Moses is in the Library of Congress.
In t=
he
Supreme Court Moses stands at the center on the east portico, as well as on=
a
frieze inside the courtroom.
The =
Ten
Commandments are carved on the doors leading to the Supreme Court!
G. Campbell Morgan
Man only understands the possibility of=
his
being as he becomes acquainted with the law of God.
“The
First Commandment reminds us that our relationship with God is not casual but covenantal.”
-
Dr. Laura Schlessinger
The First Comma=
ndment
is introduced by verse 2.
God is their God because He redeemed
them from bondage!
Thus, they owe their allegiance and
loyalty to Him.
But
it introduces all of the other commandments as well,
since for this reason they all are to be obeyed.
The
Hebrew text says literally: “Let
there not be to you other gods beyond Me or in addition to Me.”
The
Hebrew text means:&n=
bsp;
“You
shall not prefer other gods to Me.”
There is a strong sense of hostilit=
y in
the word “prefer.”
It is the same word used in Genesis
16:12 where the NIV translates it “in hostility toward all his
kinsmen.”
The
idea is that God will not give or share His glory with any other. &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &=
nbsp; (Isaiah
42:8)
It draws attention to the fact that the Decalogue is
The
commandment comes to each one of us with a personal force. &=
nbsp; YOU!
And it is in the singular although spoken to the entire
nation!
SO
WHAT IS OUR PROBLEM???
“It is that the constant distraction of mundane th=
ings
(too many things to do in too little time) make God a ‘bother!’=
” (Dr. Laura Sc=
hlessinger)
Is God simply one more obligation to you?
Is coming to church simply one more obligation to you?
Then you know nothing of what the First Commandment mean=
s!
It is NOT a bother to love and serve God – it is a
privilege and blessing of supernatural dimension!!!
God Alone Is To Be the
God Is Our Creator and the Sovereign of the Universe
He is the one power that reigns supreme –
therefore He is the one true God!
Matthew Henr=
y
Whatever is esteemed or loved, feared or
served, delighted in or depended upon more than God, that we do in effect,
whatever it is, make a god of.
Whenever we permit anything to come between us a=
nd
God, we are placing another god before Jehovah. =
; -
John Alexander Hayes
As soon as man is estranged from God, he fills e=
mpty
and unfulfilled, and begins to look for a substitute for God.
He then ends up making something else the god of=
his
life.
False Gods That Might Be Riv=
al
Authorities for Our Lives:
&=
nbsp; The
god of self-determination
&=
nbsp; The
god of political correctness
&=
nbsp; The
god of rebellion
The
god of nature or pantheism
God Alone Is To Be the
God Is the Revealer of Truth
False Gods That Might Be Riv=
als
for Our Faith & Confidence:
&=
nbsp; The
god of science
&=
nbsp; The
god of technology
&=
nbsp; The
god of intelligence
&=
nbsp; The
god of false religions &=
nbsp;
The god of the occult
The
god of New Age philosophies
God Alone Is To Be the Center of Our Affection
God Is Our Redeemer Who Rescues Us
False Gods That Might Be Riv=
als
for Our Affection Include:
&=
nbsp; The
god of money
&=
nbsp; The
god of materialism
&=
nbsp; The
god of popularity
&=
nbsp; The
god of pleasure
&=
nbsp; The
god of sports
The
god of sex
THE COMMANDMENT CONSIDERED
POSITIVELY
For God to be truly G=
od in
our lives, we must:
1. Acknowledge
Him &=
nbsp;
1 Kings 18:39
When all the people saw it, they fell
facedown and said, “Yahweh, He is God! Yahweh, He is God!”<=
/span>
2. Choose
Him &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp;
Genesis 28:21
and if I return safely to my father=
217;s
house,
Gn
33:18 then the Lord will be my God.=
3. Give
Him Honor &nbs=
p;
Psalm 89:7
God is greatly feared
in the council of the holy ones, more awe-inspiri=
ng than Or all who surround Him.<=
/i>
A
zeal for the glory of God
A
desire to worship Him
4. Fear
(Reverence) Him
&nbs=
p;
Deuteronomy 6:13
"You
shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by H=
is
name.
5. Trust
Him &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp;
2 Samuel 22:3
my God, my mountain
A
trusting relationship, like a child trusting a father
Do
you place your confidence in Him?
Do
you trust Him to guide you?
Do
you trust Him to protect you?
Do
you trust Him to provide for you?
6. Love
Him &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp;
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
"Hear,
O
"You
shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your might.
It
speaks of the love of a loving relationship.
It
speaks of a desire for God; a joy in God.
7. Obey
Him
&nbs=
p;
Deuteronomy 6:17
"You
should diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and His
testimonies and His statutes which He has commanded you.
conclusion
Do you have any gods in your life =
that
you need to renounce?
Are you supremely following God fi=
rst
and foremost in your life?
Is He the most important thing in =
your
life?
Does He have first place?