WORSHIPPING THE RIGHT GOD IN THE WRONG WAY (2 OF 10)
Scripture: EXODUS 20:4, EXODUS 20:6, EXODUS 20:24-25, NUMBERS 21:8-9, II KINGS 18:3-5
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Worshipping the Right God in the Wrong Way (2 of 10)
Ten Commandments Series
Dennis Marquardt
Exodus 20:4-6; 24-25; Numbers 21:8-9; II Kings 18:3-5
INTRO: Strangely enough, the 2nd commandment is probably one of the most violated commandments today! That may seem strange since it is a prohibition against making idols, but there are many ways to “make an idol”.
The second commandment attempts to prevent us from making any kind of image of God, either out of wood or stone, or even out of our own ideas or concepts! It is a prohibition against trying to define God by any kind of image that would seek to restrict Him to that image or symbol and thus make Him less than He is.
While symbols or ideas can help us understand God, they must not become the actual image of God that we worship. Too often the concept of God gets lost in the image used to understand Him. Far too often God ends up looking more like us than like Himself!
ILLUS: ... you can safely assume you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do. -- Anne Lamott in Bird by Bird. Christianity Today, Vol. 41, no. 8.
Egypt had many symbols of God, and each one became its own god. Israel too learned about God through many different symbols, and like Egypt they often found themselves worshipping the image more than God Himself. If we are not careful we can begin to worship an image of God in our own mind that may be quite different from the real God of the Bible.
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches us that any attempt at limiting God to an image of our own creation will only give us a small god, and when we have a small god we will have big problems. But if we worship the God of the Bible we will have a big God, and when we have a big God we have small problems!
I. SYMBOLS AS TOOLS Ex. 20:4-6; Num. 21:8-9
A. Defining Principles Num. 21:8-9
1. Many symbols have been used throughout Scripture to teach us about God’s character:
a. ...
Ten Commandments Series
Dennis Marquardt
Exodus 20:4-6; 24-25; Numbers 21:8-9; II Kings 18:3-5
INTRO: Strangely enough, the 2nd commandment is probably one of the most violated commandments today! That may seem strange since it is a prohibition against making idols, but there are many ways to “make an idol”.
The second commandment attempts to prevent us from making any kind of image of God, either out of wood or stone, or even out of our own ideas or concepts! It is a prohibition against trying to define God by any kind of image that would seek to restrict Him to that image or symbol and thus make Him less than He is.
While symbols or ideas can help us understand God, they must not become the actual image of God that we worship. Too often the concept of God gets lost in the image used to understand Him. Far too often God ends up looking more like us than like Himself!
ILLUS: ... you can safely assume you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do. -- Anne Lamott in Bird by Bird. Christianity Today, Vol. 41, no. 8.
Egypt had many symbols of God, and each one became its own god. Israel too learned about God through many different symbols, and like Egypt they often found themselves worshipping the image more than God Himself. If we are not careful we can begin to worship an image of God in our own mind that may be quite different from the real God of the Bible.
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches us that any attempt at limiting God to an image of our own creation will only give us a small god, and when we have a small god we will have big problems. But if we worship the God of the Bible we will have a big God, and when we have a big God we have small problems!
I. SYMBOLS AS TOOLS Ex. 20:4-6; Num. 21:8-9
A. Defining Principles Num. 21:8-9
1. Many symbols have been used throughout Scripture to teach us about God’s character:
a. ...
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