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Dr. Robert Jeffress | Robert Jeffress - The Second Commandment - Worship The True God | June 4, 2026
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- From the pulpit of the first baptist church of dallas,
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- Texas, this is pathway to victory with dr. robert jeffress.
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- Hi, i'm robert jeffress,
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- And welcome again to pathway to victory.
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- Idol worship was a major problem in ancient israel.
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- Time and time again,
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- The israelites would drift away from god until a period
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- Of judgment brought them back in line.
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- But idol worship isn't isolated to ancient history.
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- Today, i'm going to explain why idolatry
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- Is still a pervasive problem in the church today.
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- My message is titled:
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- "the second commandment: worship the true god,"
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- On today's edition of pathway to victory.
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- ♪ music ♪
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- As our nation marks 250 years,
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- America stands at a crossroads.
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- Will we return to the god who blessed us,
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- Or continue down a path that leads to ruin?
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- Through the "in god we trust matching challenge,"
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- Your gift today will be doubled in ministry impact.
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- For 30 years, pathway to victory has pierced the darkness
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- Of our nation with the light of god's word
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- By sharing biblical truth that transforms hearts.
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- Join us in this critical hour
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- By giving toward the in god we trust
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- Matching challenge today.
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- ♪ music ♪
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- I have always been fascinated with history
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- And the locations where that history took place.
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- When i was little,
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- My dad used to drag us down to the alamo in san antonio.
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- Standing there in front of the alamo,
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- I used to imagine what it would have been like
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- For santa anna and his troops to scale the old mission.
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- As an adult, i've had the privilege of visiting
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- The most famous house in america, the white house.
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- As i've sat in the east room many times
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- For different ceremonies,
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- My mind would wander
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- And i would wonder what it was like for john
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- And abigail adams,
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- Who were the first residents of the white house,
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- And actually hung their laundry in what is now
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- The east room, what it was like for them.
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- But of all the historical locations i've visited,
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- The one that has meant the most to me is to visit
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- The land of israel.
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- There is something about walking
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- On the stones where jesus walked 2,000 years ago.
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- There's something about standing on the mount of olives
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- And realize this is where he ascended into heaven
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- And where he's coming back one day.
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- There's standing in the front of the empty tomb
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- And realize this is where jesus conquered death forever.
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- There is something faith affirming.
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- I hear it from people all the time, said,
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- "my faith came alive after a trip to israel."
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- Why is that?
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- There's something about being in that location
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- That lifts our faith from what we sometimes think
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- Of as mystical and even mythical to actual events
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- That happened in a time, place, location.
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- We have a desire for physical,
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- Geographical representations
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- Of our faith because we are physical beings.
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- In fact, when jesus came, he came in the flesh.
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- First john 1 says, "what we have heard with our ears,
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- We've seen with our own eyes.
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- We have handled concerning the word of life, jesus."
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- In other words, john was saying he wasn't just a spirit.
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- We saw him.
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- We heard him.
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- We touched him.
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- It's everything normal for us
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- To desire physical representations of our faith.
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- The downside of seeking physical representations
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- Of our faith is that if we're not careful,
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- We start to worship the objects of faith rather
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- Than the god whom those objects represent.
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- And that's not just a minor technical difficulty.
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- It is a major issue as evidenced
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- By the second commandment we're going to look at today.
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- If you have your bibles,
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- I want you to turn to exodus chapter 20, verse 4.
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- The second commandment flows naturally out
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- Of the first commandment.
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- Look at it with me.
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- "you shall not make for yourself an idol
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- Or any likeness of what is in heaven above
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- Or on the earth beneath,
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- Or in the water underneath the earth.
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- You shall not worship them or serve them for i,
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- The lord your god, am a jealous god visiting the iniquity
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- Of the fathers on the children on the third
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- And fourth generations of those who hate me,
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- But showing loving kindness to thousands to those
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- Who love me and keep my commandments."
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- Now, you need to know there are some faith groups
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- That actually believe all of this is one commandment,
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- Both verse 3 and verses 4 to 6.
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- It's all part of the first commandment.
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- You're to have no other gods before me
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- And you're not to make any images of me and worship them.
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- If they combine the first two,
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- Then how do they come up with ten commandments?
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- Well, these faith groups take the last commandment
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- And separate it, the one about coveting.
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- They say the ninth commandment is,
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- "you shall not covet your neighbor's house."
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- And then the tenth commandment,
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- "you shall not covet your neighbor's wife."
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- I believe that's incorrect.
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- I believe the coveting commands go together.
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- But i believe verse 3 is its own commandment.
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- You are to serve no other gods before me.
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- And verse 4 through 6, you're not to make images of god.
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- I believe these are two distinct commandments.
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- You see, the first commandment tells us
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- Whom we're to worship.
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- We're to worship god and god alone.
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- Don't worship a false god.
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- That's what the first commandment is.
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- The second commandment
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- Is about how we're to worship the true god.
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- We're to make sure we're worshiping god alone
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- And not some man-made image of god.
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- Now, what is this commandment prohibiting?
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- Is it to say we're not to have any kind
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- Of artistic representation of angels
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- Or anything in heaven, on earth?
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- That's what it seems to say.
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- But if that's true, then god violated his own command.
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- Because remember, in exodus 31,
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- He was giving instructions
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- About the artwork that was to be in the tabernacle
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- And later in the temple.
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- And he said to gifted craftsmen,
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- "you are to make artistic designs in gold and silver
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- And in bronze and in the cutting of stones
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- And the carving of the wood."
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- The tabernacle was adorned with representations
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- Of angels and palm trees.
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- Remember, on the ark of the covenant, the lid,
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- They fashioned the two angels, the cherubim,
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- To guard the holiness of god.
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- This isn't an absolute prohibition against any artwork.
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- But i think, as one commentator said,
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- What god is prohibiting is infusing these objects
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- With any kind of spiritual efficacy power.
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- In other words, to imagine that these objects
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- Have some supernatural power to draw us closer to god
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- Or to establish communion with god.
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- That is what is being prohibited.
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- Now, like most of the ten commandments,
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- This commandment starts out with a negative, don't do this.
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- It prescribes the judgment,
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- The consequences of those who violate the commandment,
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- And then it ends with a promise.
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- I think the key verse is verse 5,
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- You are not to worship these images or to serve them.
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- What is the danger of images of god?
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- There are two of them.
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- First of all, images diminish the glory of god.
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- They diminish the glory of god.
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- Remember the story i told you, little first grader johnny,
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- He was working on his art project.
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- The teacher says, "what are you drawing, johnny?"
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- He said, "i'm drawing a picture of god."
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- She says, "well, nobody knows what god looks like."
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- And johnny says, "they will in a few minutes."
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- (audience laughing)
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- You know, it's a funny story, but it makes a point.
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- The problem when we draw images of god is we reduce god.
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- We diminish the glory of god.
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- And a great illustration of that is exodus chapter 32.
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- Remember the children of israel had crossed the red sea.
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- They were on the way to the promised land,
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- But they stopped at the base of mount sinai.
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- And remember, moses went up to the top of the mountain
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- For 40 days and 40 nights to receive the law of god,
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- The ten commandments as all the other law.
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- Interestingly, while god was giving the commandments
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- To moses, the israelites below were breaking
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- The very commandments moses was receiving,
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- Including this one.
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- The israelites, they were discouraged
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- That moses had left them.
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- They hadn't heard from him.
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- They didn't know what had happened to him.
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- They said, "maybe he's died."
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- We're without a leader.
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- So, they go to moses' brother aaron,
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- And they say, "we need something we can worship and follow.
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- We want you to make an image of god."
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- And so, they said, "we need a god who will go before us."
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- And so, what did aaron do?
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- He acquiesced to that command.
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- And in exodus 32, he said, "tear off the gold rings
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- Which are in the ears of your wives, your sons,
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- And your daughters, and bring them to me."
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- And then the scripture says,
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- Aaron fashioned the gold into a molten calf.
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- And when the people saw it, they worshipped it.
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- And aaron said, "this is your god,
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- O israel, who brought you up for the land of egypt."
- 00:10:05.661 --> 00:10:08.731
- Now, you have to think, what in the world happened to aaron?
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- Did he fall into idol worship?
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- Did he start following prematurely the canaanite gods?
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- Why would such a righteous man start worshiping
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- The wrong god?
- 00:10:22.945 --> 00:10:24.513
- Well, he didn't.
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- He wasn't worshipping the false god.
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- He was worshipping the true god.
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- He hadn't become a pagan all of a sudden.
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- The reason i know that is in verse 5.
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- He says, "tomorrow shall be a feast to the lord," to yahweh.
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- He wasn't worshipping a false god.
- 00:10:41.664 --> 00:10:43.232
- He didn't think this was a new god.
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- He thought it was a representation of the true god.
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- They wanted something visual that they could follow.
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- He didn't think this was god.
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- He thought it was a representation of god.
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- He said, well, then what's wrong with that?
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- God is like a powerful bull.
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- He is strong and mighty and able.
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- He is the one who just parted the red sea.
- 00:11:05.221 --> 00:11:08.157
- What's wrong with depicting god as a powerful god?
- 00:11:08.157 --> 00:11:12.294
- Well, it's true, god is powerful.
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- But he's other things as well.
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- He's holy.
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- He's just.
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- He's forgiving.
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- He's omniscient.
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- He's sovereign.
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- And that bull doesn't represent all of those things.
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- It just represents one aspect of god.
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- It doesn't tell the whole story about god.
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- Images not only diminish the glory of god,
- 00:11:33.482 --> 00:11:35.885
- The second problem is they distort the truth about god.
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- Once you diminish god's glory,
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- It's easy to distort the truth of god.
- 00:11:43.192 --> 00:11:46.395
- When you reduce god to something you can handle
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- Or you can see, once you have diminished god,
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- It's easy to distort god
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- And make him whatever you want him to be.
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- A great example of that is found in romans chapter 1.
- 00:11:58.974 --> 00:12:03.179
- Remember, god is describing those
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- Who have rejected the knowledge of the true god,
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- Which by the way, everybody has by looking at nature.
- 00:12:07.817 --> 00:12:10.753
- You can know there is a god by looking at nature.
- 00:12:10.753 --> 00:12:14.757
- But some people have rejected that knowledge
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- Of the true god and instead they have created a false god
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- And made him whom they want him to be.
- 00:12:21.564 --> 00:12:23.866
- Look at verse 22.
- 00:12:23.866 --> 00:12:25.434
- "professing to be wise," romans 1 verse 22.
- 00:12:25.434 --> 00:12:28.771
- "professing to be wise,
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- They became fools and they exchanged the glory
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- Of the incorruptible god for an image
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- In the form of corruptible man and of birds
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- And of four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
- 00:12:38.914 --> 00:12:41.717
- Therefore, god gave them over in the lust of their hearts
- 00:12:41.717 --> 00:12:46.622
- To impurity so that their bodies would be dishonored
- 00:12:46.622 --> 00:12:49.558
- Among them for they exchanged the truth of god for a lie,"
- 00:12:49.558 --> 00:12:54.830
- And then they worshiped and served the creature
- 00:12:55.764 --> 00:12:57.066
- Rather than creator who is blessed forever.
- 00:12:57.066 --> 00:13:00.436
- They tried to reduce god to this image
- 00:13:00.436 --> 00:13:03.606
- That they had made and then they imposed upon
- 00:13:03.606 --> 00:13:06.775
- This new god whatever values they wanted.
- 00:13:06.775 --> 00:13:09.945
- And you read in romans 1,
- 00:13:09.945 --> 00:13:11.247
- Part of those values were sexual immorality.
- 00:13:11.247 --> 00:13:14.850
- They imagined to be a god who approved
- 00:13:14.850 --> 00:13:17.152
- Of same-sex relationships,
- 00:13:17.152 --> 00:13:19.121
- Men lusting for men and women for women
- 00:13:19.121 --> 00:13:21.991
- And every other kind of immorality.
- 00:13:21.991 --> 00:13:24.293
- The pattern is you reduce god
- 00:13:24.293 --> 00:13:27.196
- And then you distort his truth.
- 00:13:27.196 --> 00:13:29.398
- And by the way, the same thing is happening today.
- 00:13:29.398 --> 00:13:32.935
- Our society wants to diminish god,
- 00:13:32.935 --> 00:13:36.171
- To downsize god into something manageable
- 00:13:36.171 --> 00:13:39.508
- That we can understand and control
- 00:13:39.508 --> 00:13:42.077
- And then we distort the truth of the real god.
- 00:13:42.077 --> 00:13:44.880
- I saw a great illustration of this just a few years ago
- 00:13:44.880 --> 00:13:48.550
- In that popular movie that came out.
- 00:13:48.550 --> 00:13:50.986
- Remember "evan almighty?"
- 00:13:50.986 --> 00:13:52.988
- Did you all see the movie?
- 00:13:52.988 --> 00:13:54.890
- It's a comedy and it's an entertaining movie.
- 00:13:54.890 --> 00:13:57.159
- It's a modern-day riff on the flood story.
- 00:13:57.159 --> 00:13:59.895
- In the movie, god is portrayed,
- 00:13:59.895 --> 00:14:01.630
- He's been reduced to morgan freeman, that is god.
- 00:14:01.630 --> 00:14:06.902
- And he comes to steve carell, a modern-day businessman
- 00:14:08.003 --> 00:14:11.440
- And orders him to build an ark,
- 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:13.943
- A massive ark and to have the animals get
- 00:14:13.943 --> 00:14:16.512
- On the ark because a great flood is coming.
- 00:14:16.512 --> 00:14:19.748
- And so, in one key scene,
- 00:14:19.748 --> 00:14:21.350
- The steve carell character is talking to god
- 00:14:21.350 --> 00:14:24.720
- And ask him about the original noah and the ark story.
- 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:29.024
- And this is what god, that is morgan freeman says.
- 00:14:29.024 --> 00:14:33.262
- He says, "you know, a lot of people miss the whole point
- 00:14:33.262 --> 00:14:35.798
- Of that story.
- 00:14:35.798 --> 00:14:37.366
- They think it's about god's wrath and anger."
- 00:14:37.366 --> 00:14:41.103
- Evan says, "well, if it's not about his wrath and anger,
- 00:14:41.103 --> 00:14:43.339
- What is the story about?"
- 00:14:43.339 --> 00:14:45.841
- And god answers and says,
- 00:14:45.841 --> 00:14:47.409
- "well, i think it's a love story
- 00:14:47.409 --> 00:14:50.079
- About believing in each other.
- 00:14:50.079 --> 00:14:52.614
- You know, the animals showed up in pairs.
- 00:14:52.614 --> 00:14:55.651
- They stood by each other side by side,
- 00:14:55.651 --> 00:14:59.154
- Just like noah and his family.
- 00:14:59.154 --> 00:15:01.557
- Everybody entered the ark side by side."
- 00:15:01.557 --> 00:15:05.661
- Oh, ain't that a sweet story?
- 00:15:05.661 --> 00:15:08.564
- If you don't like a god of wrath
- 00:15:09.198 --> 00:15:10.933
- And anger and judgment, adopt this god.
- 00:15:10.933 --> 00:15:15.304
- Let morgan freeman be your god.
- 00:15:15.304 --> 00:15:17.840
- I like a god who doesn't judge people.
- 00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:20.409
- I like one who encourages unity among people.
- 00:15:20.409 --> 00:15:24.013
- Teamwork makes the dream work, you know?
- 00:15:24.013 --> 00:15:26.548
- Why not have that kind of a god?
- 00:15:26.548 --> 00:15:29.685
- And you hear that all the time today.
- 00:15:29.685 --> 00:15:32.087
- You know, when i imagine god,
- 00:15:32.087 --> 00:15:34.590
- That's your first clue, something bad is coming.
- 00:15:34.590 --> 00:15:37.359
- Whenever i imagine god,
- 00:15:37.359 --> 00:15:38.861
- I imagine him to be a loving god, not a judgmental god.
- 00:15:38.861 --> 00:15:43.065
- I imagine god to be somebody who allows everybody
- 00:15:43.065 --> 00:15:46.001
- Into heaven, not just one small group that trusts in jesus.
- 00:15:46.001 --> 00:15:49.638
- That's who i imagine god to be.
- 00:15:49.638 --> 00:15:52.307
- Ladies and gentlemen, god is not the sum
- 00:15:52.307 --> 00:15:54.943
- Of your speculations about him.
- 00:15:54.943 --> 00:15:57.446
- Whenever you imagine god,
- 00:15:57.446 --> 00:15:59.715
- You are violating the second commandment.
- 00:15:59.715 --> 00:16:01.550
- You are creating a god in your image instead
- 00:16:02.484 --> 00:16:05.854
- Of a god that is revealed in scripture.
- 00:16:05.854 --> 00:16:09.258
- And that's what the problem with images of god are.
- 00:16:09.258 --> 00:16:13.462
- It not only diminishes the glory of god, it distorts,
- 00:16:13.462 --> 00:16:17.199
- It allows us to distort the truth about god.
- 00:16:17.199 --> 00:16:21.003
- Why worship god only and not images of god?
- 00:16:21.003 --> 00:16:24.206
- He gives us the reason in verse five.
- 00:16:24.206 --> 00:16:26.241
- He said, "i'm the lord, your god, and i am a jealous god."
- 00:16:26.241 --> 00:16:31.547
- He goes on to say in isaiah 42, verse eight,
- 00:16:32.448 --> 00:16:34.483
- "i am the lord god,
- 00:16:34.483 --> 00:16:35.784
- And i will not give my glory to another."
- 00:16:35.784 --> 00:16:38.587
- Now we read that negatively, say a jealous god,
- 00:16:38.587 --> 00:16:41.423
- Not sure your glory.
- 00:16:41.423 --> 00:16:42.858
- What's wrong, god?
- 00:16:42.858 --> 00:16:43.892
- Are you that insecure?
- 00:16:43.892 --> 00:16:45.160
- Are you that paranoid
- 00:16:45.160 --> 00:16:46.695
- That you think somebody's going to take away your glory?
- 00:16:46.695 --> 00:16:49.231
- Look, remember these commands are not for god's benefit.
- 00:16:49.231 --> 00:16:52.601
- They're for our benefit.
- 00:16:52.601 --> 00:16:54.503
- God has a holy jealousy.
- 00:16:54.503 --> 00:16:56.572
- He loves us so much,
- 00:16:56.572 --> 00:16:57.973
- He doesn't want us to get distracted and deceived
- 00:16:57.973 --> 00:17:01.076
- By false gods that can never meet our needs.
- 00:17:01.076 --> 00:17:04.947
- He is a jealous god, but he is also a generous god.
- 00:17:04.947 --> 00:17:09.051
- Look at verse six, "but i show loving kindness
- 00:17:09.051 --> 00:17:11.787
- To thousands to those who love me and keep my commandments."
- 00:17:11.787 --> 00:17:17.092
- Now, you may be thinking, pastor,
- 00:17:17.826 --> 00:17:21.964
- I may be tempted to lie, to steal, to commit adultery.
- 00:17:23.065 --> 00:17:28.170
- I may be tempted with all those things,
- 00:17:29.037 --> 00:17:30.305
- But this is one sin i am not guilty of.
- 00:17:30.305 --> 00:17:34.009
- I don't have to worry about this one.
- 00:17:34.009 --> 00:17:36.178
- I've never made a graven image and bowed down to it.
- 00:17:36.178 --> 00:17:40.015
- So, what's the application to me?
- 00:17:40.749 --> 00:17:42.751
- How do we obey the second commandment?
- 00:17:42.751 --> 00:17:45.921
- I want to remind you of that quote by a.w. tozer,
- 00:17:45.921 --> 00:17:49.525
- Who said, "what comes into our minds
- 00:17:49.525 --> 00:17:52.394
- When we think about god
- 00:17:52.394 --> 00:17:54.563
- Is the most important thing about us."
- 00:17:55.397 --> 00:17:59.001
- When you think about god, and hopefully you do,
- 00:17:59.001 --> 00:18:01.803
- How do you make sure it's the real god you're thinking
- 00:18:02.905 --> 00:18:05.807
- About and not the god of your imagination?
- 00:18:05.807 --> 00:18:08.911
- How do you obey this second commandment?
- 00:18:08.911 --> 00:18:11.813
- Let me give you three practical principles
- 00:18:12.714 --> 00:18:15.150
- For obeying this commandment.
- 00:18:15.150 --> 00:18:16.952
- First of all, don't diminish god through images of worship.
- 00:18:16.952 --> 00:18:22.291
- Don't diminish god through images of worship.
- 00:18:23.225 --> 00:18:24.793
- Now, this is the most logical application of god.
- 00:18:24.793 --> 00:18:28.030
- Be careful about your use of images
- 00:18:28.030 --> 00:18:30.499
- And objects in your worship.
- 00:18:30.499 --> 00:18:32.901
- For example, the cross.
- 00:18:32.901 --> 00:18:35.003
- We have a cross in our church,
- 00:18:35.637 --> 00:18:37.406
- A beautiful stained-glass cross.
- 00:18:37.406 --> 00:18:40.342
- There's nothing wrong with that.
- 00:18:40.342 --> 00:18:42.211
- It's a reminder of the sacrifice that jesus made
- 00:18:43.178 --> 00:18:46.782
- On our behalf so that we could have the forgiveness
- 00:18:46.782 --> 00:18:49.551
- Of our sins.
- 00:18:49.551 --> 00:18:51.320
- There's nothing wrong with the cross.
- 00:18:51.320 --> 00:18:53.155
- You should know that christians didn't start using the cross
- 00:18:53.155 --> 00:18:57.926
- As a sign of worship until 400 years after christ.
- 00:18:57.926 --> 00:19:01.230
- Did you know that?
- 00:19:01.230 --> 00:19:03.265
- It's not a part of worship in the early church,
- 00:19:03.265 --> 00:19:05.901
- But we use it today, and that's fine.
- 00:19:05.901 --> 00:19:08.437
- There are other images,
- 00:19:08.437 --> 00:19:09.905
- But here's what the commandment is saying.
- 00:19:09.905 --> 00:19:13.308
- Don't confuse the objects
- 00:19:13.308 --> 00:19:16.178
- With the object of our worship, god.
- 00:19:16.178 --> 00:19:19.147
- Don't diminish god through images of worship.
- 00:19:19.147 --> 00:19:21.350
- Secondly, don't define god by yourself.
- 00:19:21.350 --> 00:19:26.121
- Don't make god look just like you do.
- 00:19:26.121 --> 00:19:29.424
- For example, i mean, i'm very proud that i'm a citizen
- 00:19:30.525 --> 00:19:33.362
- Of this great country.
- 00:19:33.362 --> 00:19:34.930
- I think god has blessed america.
- 00:19:34.930 --> 00:19:37.099
- We have a patriotic service
- 00:19:37.099 --> 00:19:39.635
- To celebrate god's blessings upon our country,
- 00:19:39.635 --> 00:19:42.771
- But even though i'm patriotic and proud to be in america,
- 00:19:42.771 --> 00:19:46.908
- I do know that when jesus came
- 00:19:46.908 --> 00:19:48.610
- To that feeding trough in bethlehem,
- 00:19:48.610 --> 00:19:50.379
- He didn't come wrapped in an american flag.
- 00:19:50.379 --> 00:19:54.016
- He came wrapped in swaddling cloths,
- 00:19:54.016 --> 00:19:56.718
- And when we try to define god by nationality
- 00:19:56.718 --> 00:19:59.521
- And think of god as an american,
- 00:19:59.521 --> 00:20:01.590
- We alienate a whole segment of our entire world.
- 00:20:01.590 --> 00:20:05.060
- God is not an american.
- 00:20:05.060 --> 00:20:07.396
- God is transcendent, and we need to be careful
- 00:20:07.396 --> 00:20:10.265
- That we don't diminish him or define him by ourselves.
- 00:20:10.265 --> 00:20:15.604
- And finally, don't downsize god by traditions of worship.
- 00:20:16.772 --> 00:20:20.742
- Don't downsize god by traditions of worship.
- 00:20:21.677 --> 00:20:25.847
- The very first church i went to pastor, i'll never forget,
- 00:20:25.847 --> 00:20:29.584
- They had an order of service,
- 00:20:29.584 --> 00:20:30.952
- And part of the order of service was they sang
- 00:20:30.952 --> 00:20:33.355
- The doxology right before they took the offering.
- 00:20:33.355 --> 00:20:37.326
- Well, little innocent me,
- 00:20:37.326 --> 00:20:39.294
- I decided after a few weeks that i would change the doxology
- 00:20:39.294 --> 00:20:43.632
- And put it at the end of the service.
- 00:20:43.632 --> 00:20:46.868
- There was an explosion.
- 00:20:46.868 --> 00:20:48.303
- You would have thought i had denied the virgin birth
- 00:20:48.303 --> 00:20:51.440
- Of jesus christ by moving the doxology.
- 00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:54.609
- They just went ballistic.
- 00:20:54.609 --> 00:20:57.145
- And there are some people that say,
- 00:20:57.145 --> 00:20:59.314
- Well, you can't worship if the doxology's there.
- 00:20:59.314 --> 00:21:00.549
- It has to be here in order to worship god.
- 00:21:00.549 --> 00:21:02.751
- There are other churches that think.
- 00:21:02.751 --> 00:21:05.220
- God's word can only be heard from behind a wooden pulpit.
- 00:21:05.220 --> 00:21:09.925
- If it's plexiglass,
- 00:21:09.925 --> 00:21:11.326
- God's word cannot transcend a plexiglass pulpit.
- 00:21:11.326 --> 00:21:14.563
- It has to be.
- 00:21:14.930 --> 00:21:17.065
- Now, you think i'm kidding.
- 00:21:17.065 --> 00:21:17.833
- I am not kidding.
- 00:21:17.833 --> 00:21:18.934
- There are churches that have split
- 00:21:18.934 --> 00:21:20.736
- Over whether the pulpit ought to be wood or plexiglass.
- 00:21:20.736 --> 00:21:24.940
- Some people in traditions of worship,
- 00:21:24.940 --> 00:21:27.109
- They are absolutely sure that god cannot be worshiped
- 00:21:27.109 --> 00:21:30.879
- By music that has been written after 1970.
- 00:21:30.879 --> 00:21:34.416
- If it was written after 1970, it doesn't honor god.
- 00:21:34.416 --> 00:21:37.686
- There are other people who think it can't be,
- 00:21:37.686 --> 00:21:39.621
- God can't be worshiped if it was written before 1970.
- 00:21:39.621 --> 00:21:43.058
- There's nothing in the 1800s
- 00:21:43.658 --> 00:21:45.260
- Or 1900s that can be worshipful.
- 00:21:45.260 --> 00:21:47.362
- There are some people that think god can only be worshiped
- 00:21:48.497 --> 00:21:51.133
- Through a choir and orchestra.
- 00:21:51.133 --> 00:21:52.934
- There are others who think
- 00:21:52.934 --> 00:21:55.437
- He can only be worshiped through a praise band.
- 00:21:55.437 --> 00:21:56.772
- Don't reduce god by your traditions of worship.
- 00:21:56.772 --> 00:22:00.542
- That's what the second commandment of exodus 20 is.
- 00:22:01.576 --> 00:22:06.148
- Don't diminish him, don't define him, don't downsize him.
- 00:22:06.148 --> 00:22:11.686
- Well, pastor, then what is true worship?
- 00:22:12.554 --> 00:22:15.490
- Do you remember in john chapter four,
- 00:22:16.291 --> 00:22:18.160
- Jesus met the samaritan woman at the well?
- 00:22:19.027 --> 00:22:22.130
- He was talking to her about her eternal soul,
- 00:22:22.130 --> 00:22:24.900
- And he began to probe a little too closely to the heart
- 00:22:24.900 --> 00:22:28.970
- Of the matter about her own morality
- 00:22:28.970 --> 00:22:31.907
- And her marriage situation.
- 00:22:31.907 --> 00:22:33.942
- And so, she tried to distract jesus
- 00:22:33.942 --> 00:22:35.944
- With a theological question.
- 00:22:35.944 --> 00:22:38.713
- And she said, "you know, jesus, our fathers, the samaritans,
- 00:22:38.713 --> 00:22:44.019
- Said that the right mountain to worship on is mount gerizim.
- 00:22:45.187 --> 00:22:49.024
- And you say that the right place
- 00:22:49.024 --> 00:22:51.560
- To worship is on this mountain.
- 00:22:51.560 --> 00:22:54.129
- Which mountain is the correct mountain to worship on?"
- 00:22:54.129 --> 00:22:56.898
- Do you remember what jesus said?
- 00:22:56.898 --> 00:22:59.034
- Here's the jeffress paraphrase.
- 00:22:59.034 --> 00:23:00.669
- Lady, the hour is coming.
- 00:23:00.669 --> 00:23:02.804
- In fact, it's already here
- 00:23:02.804 --> 00:23:04.606
- When that doesn't make any difference at all.
- 00:23:04.606 --> 00:23:08.176
- And then he went on to say, "for god is what?
- 00:23:08.176 --> 00:23:12.547
- Spirit.
- 00:23:12.547 --> 00:23:14.883
- And those who worship him must worship him
- 00:23:14.883 --> 00:23:17.519
- In spirit and in truth."
- 00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:21.022
- That's how we're to worship.
- 00:23:21.623 --> 00:23:22.757
- We're to worship god in spirit.
- 00:23:22.757 --> 00:23:25.293
- God can't be defined by a location
- 00:23:25.293 --> 00:23:28.063
- Or a tradition or an image.
- 00:23:28.063 --> 00:23:30.465
- God is a spirit.
- 00:23:30.465 --> 00:23:31.600
- Worship him as a transcendent spirit
- 00:23:31.600 --> 00:23:34.135
- And then worship him based on truth.
- 00:23:34.135 --> 00:23:37.439
- Make sure when you worship, the god you're worshiping
- 00:23:37.439 --> 00:23:41.309
- Is the god of the bible, the true god,
- 00:23:41.309 --> 00:23:44.779
- Not the god of your imagination.
- 00:23:44.779 --> 00:23:48.450
- For jesus said, those kind of worshipers
- 00:23:49.317 --> 00:23:52.621
- The father is actively seeking.
- 00:23:53.255 --> 00:23:57.025
- ♪ music ♪
- 00:23:57.359 --> 00:24:02.097
- God, the one true god described in scripture
- 00:24:03.031 --> 00:24:05.967
- Is already deserving of our praise.
- 00:24:05.967 --> 00:24:08.870
- Our imaginative speculations can only take away
- 00:24:08.870 --> 00:24:12.040
- From his glory.
- 00:24:12.040 --> 00:24:13.642
- Well, like me, i'm sure you're deeply saddened
- 00:24:13.642 --> 00:24:15.810
- By the moral depravity in our country.
- 00:24:15.810 --> 00:24:18.446
- But the good news is that we can't delay the decay.
- 00:24:18.446 --> 00:24:22.217
- Would you be willing to join pathway to victory
- 00:24:22.217 --> 00:24:24.419
- In this all-out effort to bring light into the darkness?
- 00:24:24.419 --> 00:24:28.023
- Right now, your gift will be doubled through
- 00:24:28.023 --> 00:24:30.392
- The $1.5 million "in god we trust matching challenge."
- 00:24:30.392 --> 00:24:35.697
- Your generosity will help us expand our broadcast
- 00:24:36.698 --> 00:24:38.934
- And online reach, piercing the growing darkness
- 00:24:38.934 --> 00:24:42.304
- In our nation with the unchanging truth of god's word.
- 00:24:42.304 --> 00:24:46.141
- Now stay right there.
- 00:24:46.141 --> 00:24:48.209
- I'll be back with more pathway to victory in just a moment.
- 00:24:48.209 --> 00:24:51.479
- Most of us grew up seeing the 10 commandments posted
- 00:24:51.479 --> 00:24:54.316
- In our schools and courthouses.
- 00:24:54.316 --> 00:24:56.384
- So, why don't we seem
- 00:24:56.384 --> 00:24:57.652
- To follow those 10 commandments anymore?
- 00:24:57.652 --> 00:25:00.322
- In the 10, dr. robert jeffress shows us these ancient truths
- 00:25:00.322 --> 00:25:04.426
- Were not given to us to take away our freedom.
- 00:25:04.426 --> 00:25:07.329
- They were given to enhance our happiness
- 00:25:07.329 --> 00:25:09.864
- And to invite us into a deeper love relationship with god.
- 00:25:09.864 --> 00:25:13.568
- In a culture where moral confusion reigns,
- 00:25:13.568 --> 00:25:16.571
- Where what's right is wrong and what's wrong is right,
- 00:25:16.571 --> 00:25:19.674
- We desperately need to get back to the basics of morality.
- 00:25:19.674 --> 00:25:23.378
- And that's exactly what the 10 commandments help us do.
- 00:25:23.378 --> 00:25:27.148
- "the 10" by dr. robert jeffress.
- 00:25:27.148 --> 00:25:29.851
- A copy is yours today
- 00:25:29.851 --> 00:25:31.252
- When you give a generous gift to pathway to victory.
- 00:25:31.252 --> 00:25:34.189
- And when your ministry gift is $125 or more,
- 00:25:34.189 --> 00:25:37.692
- You'll receive not only the book,
- 00:25:37.692 --> 00:25:39.561
- But a personal and group study guide,
- 00:25:39.561 --> 00:25:41.830
- The 10 encouragement cards,
- 00:25:41.830 --> 00:25:43.598
- A colorful children's book called the 10 commandments
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- For kids and the complete series on dvd video
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- And audio disc.
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- You will never make it to heaven
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- By keeping the 10 commandments,
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- But you will have a much better life here on earth.
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- If you do, that is the promise that god is making.
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- For 30 years, pathway to victory
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- Has been sharing god's truth
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- With a world that needs it now more than ever.
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- And when you give today,
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- Your gift will be doubled in impact through the
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- "in god we trust matching challenge."
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- Thank you for helping us pierce the darkness
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- With the light of god's word.
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- ♪ music ♪
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- A.w. tozer said,
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- "what comes into our minds when we think about god
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- Is the most important thing about us."
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- And i hope your image of god is based on biblical truth,
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- Not wishful thinking.
- 00:26:34.716 --> 00:26:36.785
- Well, a name has meaning,
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- Significance and implications for the future.
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- And next time we're going to see why god instructed us
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- To speak his name with the reverence he deserves.
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- Stay tuned for a preview of what's coming next
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- In our series, "the ten."
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- It's not just about profanity.
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- It is about lifting up,
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- Using god's most holy name needlessly.
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- Today, we're going to look
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- At why god gives such a severe command
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- And how to avoid experiencing the consequences
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- Of breaking that command.
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- Set your dvr and join us next time for the message,
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- "the third commandment: revere god's name,"
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- Here on pathway to victory.
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