Ten Commandments - Commandment One

Sermon Notes 1: Ten Commandments Commandment One.

‘Do not worship any other gods besides me. Exodus 20:3.

The Ten Commandments were given because of the relationship the Israelites had with the Living God. You don’t keep the Ten Commandments in order to have a relationship with God, you keep them because you do have a relationship with the Living God.

The first Commandment forces us to answer the Question: Who’s Number One in our lives? And are we loving God in a way that He really is F.I.R.S.T in our lives?

‘You shall have no other gods beside Me.’ God was reminding them, that it was He who not only delivered them out of slavery, oppression and hardship, but then He also redeemed them, He rescued them, not because of anything they did, but simply because He loved them, and it’s something the people of God needed to be reminded of. The Ten Commandments are not about the law of God, they are about the love of God; His love for us and our love for Him.

Matthew 22:37-39, ‘Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’’

Love God and Love your neighbour.

Are you loving God as your Number ONE and only ONE? Is He really F.I.R.S.T. in your life?

Five areas you can examine in your life which are good indicators of whether God really and truly is Number ONE and the only ONE in your heart and life?

F – Finances: money is the number one test of where our priorities lie. The way you spend your money tells what is important in our lives! Where you spend it and what you spend it on. Proverbs 3:9-10, ‘Honour the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns with wheat and barley and overflow your wine vats with finest wines.’

Why does He say that? Deuteronomy 14:23, ‘The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives.’’

I -Interests: if God is to be our Number One then we’ve got to put Him first in every area of our lives – past times and interests.

1 Corinthians 10:31, ‘Whatever you do, you do all for the glory of God.’ Do everything with an attitude of gratitude to God.

R – Relationships: Proverbs 12:26, ‘The godly give good advice to their friends, the wicked lead them astray.’ What a man or woman is really like is shown by the kind of friends he / she choose. Like coals in a fire we spark each other off.

The work environment can be really difficult. If all day long you’re working with colleagues who have no love, no interests in God, were the whole atmosphere is cold towards God, empty of God. You need to get into the spiritual fire of fellowship with other Christians friends who can warm your heart and spirit again. Put God first in your relationships.

S – Schedule: We are busy people, living busy lives these days, but the most precious thing that you can give these days is your time. Have we time in our busy lives for God?

Have we time to listen to God, speak to God, time for Bible study and prayer time, to deepen our love relationship with God, time to serve Him with and in His Church Family?

Jesus was busy, so many people and so many demands upon His time and yet we read in Luke 5:15-16, ‘When the report of Jesus’ power spread even faster and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.’

Is God being ‘squeezed out’ of your life by more urgent and demanding voices?

T – Is God first in my Troubles: When you face unexpected pressures and problems as we will all do, apart from panicking what do you do? Who do you turn too? Psalm 50:15, ‘Call upon me in your day of trouble and I will deliver you.’

God should be our first resource not our first resort!

This commandment is encouraging all of us to put JESUS – FIRST.