Sermon Information

Sermon Text

(January 7,2007)

The Great Revelation

Deut 5:6-7

Have you heard about the term World View. Everybody has one. The way you & I look at life. It’s simply the way we perceive the World. Everyone has a lens we see the world through. The way we see the world makes all the difference in how we define reality, and how we talk, act, treat each other, and everything to do with decisions.

Christians we’re called to live a Biblical world view. So we interpret all of life through the lens of God's Word, which is the infallible, inspired Word of GOD. A Biblical World View means we see things the way God defines them. Not everyone has that view, but for us Christians there can be no other way to live by FAITH, than to have a Biblical World views.

Josh McDowell made a shocking discovery when he asked 1,000’s of church kids to respond to a survey with 7 statements about objective standards of truth & morality. Their response was mostly a world’s view, not Biblical one

57% could not say there is an objective standard of truth

55% (church kids) said that everything in life is negotiable (no absolutes)

85% said, just because it’s wrong for you, doesn’t mean it is for me!

What a job Satan is doing on the next generation.

Not just on the next generation, I ran across this tid-bit of information, that

only 1/2 of Pastor’s have a true Biblical World View!

It starts with God’s basic guidelines in the 10 commandments.

So we are starting a series of messages on the Commandments.

The Commandments are outlined with Jesus statement: Mark 12:28-31 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?" 29 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 'And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 31 "And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
LOVE GOD and LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR.
We live in an age that is jaded. Though our civilization does not condone murder or theft, we are debating whether it’s okay to lie & commit adultery.
In the introduction to her book, The Ten Commandments, Dr. Laura

Schlessinger writes; "Each day we make many, seemingly minute decisions about things that don’t seem earth shattering. So what if we broke a promise?

So what if we find passion in another bed while we or they are still married?

So what if we are too focused on work, TV, or clubs to spend time w/ family?

So what if religion is not a big deal in our lives? When you add up all the so-

what’s, you end up with a life without direction, meaning, purpose, value, integrity,

or long-range joy."
When the law tells us what NOT to do: The purpose is not to limit our happiness or take away our fun. IT PROTECTS OUR HAPPINESS.

If we listen it NOT only tells us what NOT to do… IT also tells us WHAT TO DO!

Gal 3:21-25 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.23 But before faith came we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor

So when we come to faith in Jesus we are not longer under the law but

under grace. Listen to Jesus answer: "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. Matt 5:17

God’s plan was to write the law on and into our hearts.

The fulfillment of the law is to teach us we need CHRIST.

I. How DOES the Law BRING us to Christ.

A. We have this God shaped Vacuum.
1. God created us for a love relationship.

We NEED and look for relationships. (We often look the wrong way)

If we are not shown God through Jesus we will look any where!

If we are not taught right relationships we will find any kind….

2. A recent story in Time Magazine was entitled “The God Gene.”

It was on research being done in some universities, about the question: Does our DNA

compel us to seek a higher power? The remarkable part of this study is that the researchers say yes.They are also saying some don’t have that gene!

3. NOT SO Quick! God wrote this, in the heart, not in the gene code.

Blasé Pascal, a French philosopher, is known for his work in math, & chemistry. At age

12, he discovered the principals of geometry & at 16 he wrote "The Geometry of Conics,". He also invented the calculating machine and the theory of probability.

(No small stuff) In his mid-30’s, he became interested in religion. He penned the theory that these scientists are trying to prove today. He wrote:: “Within each of us there is a God-shaped vacuum that only God can fill.”

Since I believe that is true, then everyone was made to seek out God.

B. Have no others god’s before HIM.

1. If no one teaches us, we will find one, if you can’t someone will.

2. Little “g” god’s, Drugs, sex, sports, work, possessions, etc. A living god, wife, husband, kid’s, grandkids, any relationship.

C. This law shows us that we look for a god.

When we recognize that we are looking for one to show us the meaning of life, and we realize it can’t be found in man or anything of this earth...WHEN we look outside ourselves

and our limited knowledge, we FIND GOD WAITING FOR US.

Once we learn that we are looking, God will show us Himself.

II. The 1st commandment REVEALS God to us.

A. God instructed Moses, tell them “I am the Lord your God”

1. We have to get the basics down. Some will never learn calculus, but no one will, until they 1st learn math

a) Like a new coach says “"Men, this is a football." Back to Basics

b) Remember Israel had been in Egyptian captivity for 400 years.

c) Subjected to Egyptian culture, religion, economy and oppression.

2. Most important Israel had no religion to sustain its identity.

a) They came to Egypt a handful of people running from a famine.

All the ritual, all the stories didn’t exist until after their enslavement

b) They had been completely indoctrinated into Egyptian culture.

c) The only thing they knew about God was his name.
No stories. No songs. No scriptures. Nothing to shape their faith.

3. God began with the basics. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt. I am your savior. Your deliverer.
4. The Egyptians served many God’s

Each plague of Egypt was a direct assault to one of those gods.

The Nile was worshipped as a god, so Jehovah turned it to blood. The sun was worshipped, so God darkened it.

            The first born was worshipped. So God took away all their gods.
   B. Why did God want complete allegiance?
        It’s just like one problem divorced parents encounter, sooner or later, the children will try to

play one parent against the other. The problem is kids 1st response is to love you for what you give, not who you are.

1. God heads off this dysfunction. God says, "This is going to be a one parent family.

I’m your provider: If you want to know how to live, you come to me. “I am all you need

to make it."
2. There is a move to keep the 10 Commands out of courtrooms Maybe they

understand something of the Commands we might miss! They don’t mind the parts about

stealing and killing and lying. Everyone agrees with those. They don’t really mind the parent part. Most are comfortable with that!

The part they oppose is #1 “you shall have no other gods before me.”
3. If you recognize the sovereign, exclusive authority of God then you can’t merely dismiss

a commandment just because you don’t feel like obeying it. If there really is only one God,

if he really is the only salvation of the oppressed and enslaved, then He must be obeyed.
Obedience is not GOD’s GOAL with the commandments….

III. The 1st command promotes relationship.

A. GOD loves you.

1. He has invited you to live with Him forever.

2. He has saved you from sin, hell and from ourselves.

3. God wants you to walk with Him here and now!

a. If we honor God as the only God, it won’t matter whether the TEN Commandments are posted in courtrooms & schools.

b. They will be public everywhere we Christian’s go.And the testimony of our lives will be impossible to silence. Mar 12:29 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the

commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 'And you

shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind,

                and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment
   B. Loving GOD, is the response to God’s invitation to a relationship.
        1. All your HEART. Your passions—your affections

2. All your SOUL. Your spirit — your very essence

3. All your MIND. Your intelligence—your thoughts

4. All your STRENGTH. Your energy — your power

C. Today you need to ask yourselves who is your God?

Be Honest, DOES GOD have the throne of your LIFE?

Matt 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other,

or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and

mammon.”

Are you trying to be god (little G) of your own life.

That means your trying to do your own thing! You’ve either set God on the shelf, or you never surrendered to GOD

God still says Have no other God’s before me.

What god’s do you need to lay at the feet of Jehovah today?

Can we help you start a new life today? Will you TRUST HIM ONLY?

INVITATION HYMN: 317 “Only Trust Him”