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Exodus 19 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Covenant with the people of Israel by speaking to them of their deliverance from Egypt.
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! He reminds them what he had done for them before he requires anything of them.
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! Notice the initial phrase in verse 4.
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! You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians.
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This phrase recalls God's judgment upon Egypt.
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It speaks to God's incomparable working of justice and of his wrath toward his enemies
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that Israel would fear God and hear his good commandments to them.
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It reminded them of the wrath of God that they had escaped.
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Secondly, the phrase, and how I bore you on eagles' wings,
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shows Israel's role in their deliverance as entirely passive.
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God's interpretation of his deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Egyptians
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does not run contrary to Israel's understanding of the same.
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They understood it was God who delivered us.
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We took no part in this.
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God has brought us out of Egypt.
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In Exodus chapter 15, Miriam sings to Israel of Israel's deliverance after crossing the Red Sea.
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And there is recorded for us, she sings,
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sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously.
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The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
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So they understood, right?
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It is God who judged Egypt.
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It is God who has delivered us from their hand.
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Thirdly, the phrase, and brought you to myself,
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teaches us that God did not save Israel for her own sake,
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but for a particular relationship with him.
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A relationship that he expounds upon in the following verses.
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Now, if we rightly understand the Exodus story,
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we find in it a foreshadowing of the deliverance to come.
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So we ought to, as those found in Christ,
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delivered from the death of sin to life in Christ,
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can connect here at this point with what God is saying to his people.
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Verse 5 begins with the phrase,
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Now, therefore.
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So, in response to my deliverance,
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because of who I am to you,
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here is who you are to be to me.
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God goes on to define Israel's calling.
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What it will mean for them to be God's people.
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So God begins with this reminder of his deliverance.
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I delivered you.
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I bore you on wings and I brought you to myself.
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And then he goes on to expect something of them.
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So grateful obedience.
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And he gives them this calling.
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And he first says,
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The Hebrew term translated in our text as treasured possession is used elsewhere in the Bible to refer to a king's personal wealth.
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Israel was to be a special people.
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A highly valued people among all peoples.
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God is saying,
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God is saying,
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I possess all peoples.
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And you are to be a special people for the sake of all peoples.
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And this idea is further developed in the next phrase at the beginning of verse 6.
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God says of Israel,
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And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests.
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The people of Israel as a whole were meant to fulfill priestly duties.
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It's a rather interesting Hebrew phrase.
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Both here this idea of kingdom of priests as well as later on in the verse, holy nation.
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These phrases are only found in this place in the Old Testament,
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which makes it difficult to translate and understand.
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We can also understand,
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and I think more rightly,
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rather than ESV rendering this kingdom of priests,
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a priestly kingdom.
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That they were as a whole meant to fulfill these priestly duties.
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The priests were to be representatives of the Lord to Israel.
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And the priests were meant to be representatives of Israel to the Lord.
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The presence and service of the priests made possible a relationship between God and Israel.
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And this is the way that Israel is meant to function for the peoples of the earth.
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And while not expressly stated here,
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from a broader understanding of the narrative of God's dealings and purposes for His people,
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we can know that Israel was meant to serve this way for all peoples to the ends of the earth.
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Recall, as a simple example, the story of God sending Jonah to the Ninevites to go and preach what?
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Repentance.
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Turn from your sins and turn to the one true God.
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Finally, God says that Israel is to be a holy nation.
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They were to be a people set apart in holy living as a nation amongst nations.
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If this were not coming from the mouth of the Lord Himself,
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it would seem so very blasphemous.
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But God is placing this calling on His people.
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He will give to them good commands.
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Commands that are not burdensome and aimed at their flourishing.
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Jesus repeats such an expectation of the citizens of the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 5 and verse 48,
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where He says,
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You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
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perfect.
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So, God has a purpose for Israel,
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and it is a missionary purpose,
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to display His glory to the world in holy living.
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This is still God's purpose for His people.
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His purpose for us.
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And we can know this so clearly,
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because the Apostle Peter borrows language from the beginning of Exodus 19
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to make the expanded point to the church.
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In 1 Peter 2 and verse 9,
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He wrote,
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and I hope your brains are just already pinging to the cross reference,
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But you are a chosen race,
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a royal priesthood,
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a holy nation,
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a people for His own possession,
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that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him
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who called you out of darkness
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into His marvelous light.
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So, as those who have been made righteous in Christ,
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we are to be keepers of the law.
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Not obedient so that we will be accepted by God,
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but accepted by God,
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and therefore gratefully obedient.
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And we are to give all of ourselves to grateful obedience
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for the sake of God's glory amongst all peoples.
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This is why a study of Exodus 20 matters for the church.
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God expects of us whole person righteousness.
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A righteousness that we find ultimately in Christ.
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The one who was without sin,
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who kept the law perfectly,
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but yet,
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having been clothed in His righteousness,
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and left here on this earth,
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we are meant to pursue obedience for the sake of His name.
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Every bit, every bit of our being.
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This morning's Spurgeon quote on your bulletin,
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Spurgeon once said,
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Obedience rendered without delight in rendering it
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is only half obedience.
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God wants all of us given in worship to Him
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for the praise of His name amongst all peoples.
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So, with all of that in mind,
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let's look together at the first three commandments.
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We're going to do that
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by using a historical document.
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I mentioned it to you previously,
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and again, my sincerest apology
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if you don't have a bulletin in your hand
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with something stapled to the back of it.
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We're going to look at a number of the questions and answers
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from the Westminster Larger Catechism.
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I gave you some history of that in previous weeks.
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1648 is when it was adopted.
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Now, I want to be clear.
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So, hear this please.
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Historic creeds, confessions, and catechisms
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are helpful to us,
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but only insofar as they are consistent
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with the Scriptures.
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I believe that the Westminster Larger Catechism
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on this matter is,
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and therefore,
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can give us a helpful framework
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for which to think through the law
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and our obedience to it.
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As we look at the following catechism questions,
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I will intersperse a bit of text
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that the Westminster divines
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employed in writing their answers,
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but we do not have time
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to proof out everything that they said.
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So, I want you to be encouraged
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to spend some more time with this document.
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I want you to see it in front of you read,
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and again, I'll try to read carefully
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if you don't have a copy of it in front of you,
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but spend some more time
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looking at this historic text
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and at God's inspired Word
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where they're pulling together
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this idea systematically for us.
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You can easily access copies
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of the Westminster Larger Catechism
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with all of the Scripture proofs online.
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Very simply.
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I would have loved to have included
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all the Scripture proofs for you on this,
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and I tried,
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but it was going to make eight pages
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instead of two.
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So, I retracted down
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to just the text
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that the Westminster divines wrote.
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I also want to remind you
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of a question and answer
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from the catechism
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that we discussed last week.
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Okay, so before we get into
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these present questions and answers,
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from last week,
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we looked at question 99,
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which just asked this,
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what rules are to be observed
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for the right understanding
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of the Ten Commandments?
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And the answer, in part,
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they say for the right understanding
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of the Ten Commandments,
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these rules are to be observed,
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and we talked about six of them.
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The third one is the one
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I want to remind you of,
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that one and the same thing
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in diverse respects
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is required or forbidden
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in several commandments.
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So, you're going to hear,
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as we look at these,
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some divergent commands,
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both for or against
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particular activity,
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and that's okay.
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It works out like a Venn diagram.
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There's some overlaps
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in some places,
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and you'll note that
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as we look at these matters together.
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Once again,
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we really could take
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on each of these commandments a week.
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We're going to tackle
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the first three today,
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Lord willing,
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the fourth commandment next Sunday,
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and then we'll try,
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we'll see the final six,
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the Lord's Day after that,
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and then we'll get back
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into the Sermon on the Mount following.
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So, the first question
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is question 103.
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Skip 102 for now.
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Question 103,
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which is simply,
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what is the first commandment?
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And we find this in verse 3.
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The first commandment is,
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you shall have no other gods before me.
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So, what does this mean?
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Question 104 begins to answer,
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what does the first commandment require?
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We're going to see both requirements
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and things being forbidden.
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The first commandment requires us
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to know and recognize God
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as the only true God
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and our God.
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1 Chronicles 28,
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in verse 9,
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David says,
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And you, Solomon my son,
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know the God of your father
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and serve Him
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with a whole heart
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and with a willing mind.
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For the Lord searches all hearts
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and understands every plan and thought.
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If you seek Him,
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He will be found by you.
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But if you forsake Him,
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He will cast you off forever.
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So, the very beginning,
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we are to recognize God
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as God
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and to seek Him
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as our God.
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And the answer goes on,
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and to worship
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and to glorify Him
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as such.
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Psalmist of Psalm 95,
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verses 6 and 7,
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O come,
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let us worship
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and bow down.
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Let us kneel before the Lord,
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our Maker.
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For He is our God,
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and we are the people
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of His pasture
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and the sheep
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of His hand.
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So, we're meant to worship Him
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as our God
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by valuing,
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meditating on,
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remembering,
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highly regarding,
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honoring,
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adoring,
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preferring,
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loving,
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desiring,
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fearing,
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believing,
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trusting,
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hoping,
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delighting,
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and rejoicing
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in Him.
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How wonderfully
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exhaustive, right?
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All of us,
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right?
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All of our intentions,
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all of our emotions,
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given to the worship
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of this God.
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Deuteronomy 6, 5,
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You shall love the Lord your God
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with all your heart
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and with all your soul
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and with all your might.
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This is a verse
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that Jesus cites
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in Matthew 22,
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in verse 37.
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Psalm 73, 25,
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Whom have I in heaven
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but you?
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And there is nothing
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on earth I desire.
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besides you.
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And Paul writes
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in Philippians 1,
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verse 21,
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For to me,
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to live
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is Christ.
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My very being
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is Christ.
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And to die
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is gain
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because I am with
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Christ.
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The answer goes on,
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We must also be
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zealous for
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and call on Him,
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giving Him all praise
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and thanks,
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completely obeying
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and submitting to Him
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and our whole person.
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Jeremiah 7,
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in verse 23,
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But this command
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I gave them,
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Obey my voice
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and I will be your God
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and you shall be my people
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and walk in all the way
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that I command you
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that it may be well
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with you.
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In James 4,
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verse 7,
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James writes,
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Submit yourselves,
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therefore,
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to God.
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Finally,
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the answer goes on,
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We must walk
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humbly with Him,
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being careful
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to please Him
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in everything we say
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and do
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and being genuinely
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sorry
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when we offend Him.
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1 John 3,
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verse 22,
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And whatever we ask,
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we receive from Him
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because we keep
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His commandments
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and do
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what pleases Him.
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And Psalm 119,
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verse 136,
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My eyes shed
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streams of tears
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because people
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do not keep
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your law.
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So in summary,
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what does it require
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of us?
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Everything.
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All of us
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bent toward,
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fixed upon
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the one true
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God
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who is
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our God.
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Question 105,
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What particular sins
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does the first
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commandment
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forbid?
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And I love
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how exhaustive
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these are.
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I'm going to read it
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for our benefit.
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And I know
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there's a danger
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in doing this
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that you're not
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going to pay attention
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to what I'm reading.
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But beloved,
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we are all guilty
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probably of
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all of these things
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if not
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at least
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most
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of these things.
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And I want you
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to see
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that the Ten Commandments
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set up a framework
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for us
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which all of the commandments
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of the moral law
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fit underneath.
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So if we can rightly
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understand
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these commandments,
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it will help us
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to walk rightly
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before our God.
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To do this work
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of walking holy
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and bringing about
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praise of His name
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to all peoples.
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So let me read it
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in its entirety.
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Particular sins
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the first commandment
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forbids.
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The first commandment
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forbids
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atheism.
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Denying or not
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believing in God.
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Idolatry.
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Believing in or
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worshiping any other
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gods along with
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or other than
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the one true God.
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Not having and
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affirming Him
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as God
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and our God.
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Failing or
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neglecting to do
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anything this
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commandment requires
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relating to God.
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Ignorance of Him.
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Forgetting Him.
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Misunderstanding Him.
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Untrue opinions
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about Him
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and evil or
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unworthy thoughts
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about Him.
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Irreverent curiosity
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about an inquiry
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into His secrets.
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All godless
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desecration.
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Hating God.
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Self-love.
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Self-interest.
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And all other
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disorderly or
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excessive attention.
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Mental,
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willful,
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or emotional
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to things that
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divert our attention
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partially or
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completely from
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God.
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Also included are
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worthless beliefs,
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lack of faith,
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heretical beliefs,
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wrong belief,
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not trusting God,
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spiritual despair,
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refusing correction
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and resisting God's
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judgment,
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hardness of heart,
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pride,
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willfulness,
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worldly complacency,
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putting God to the test,
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using unlawful means
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to an end,
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trusting even in
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lawful means of grace
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rather than God,
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indulging in pleasures
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of the flesh,
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depraved,
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blind,
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or improperly directed
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zeal,
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being lukewarm,
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spiritual deadness,
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deserting and forsaking God,
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praying to or worshiping
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saints,
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angels,
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or any other created
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being,
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making an agreement
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with,
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consulting or following
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suggestions of the devil,
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making men the rulers
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of our faith and conscience,
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slighting and despising God
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and His commandments,
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resisting and grieving
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His spirit,
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and finally being dissatisfied
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and offended by the things
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God provides in our lives,
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ignorantly blaming Him
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for the evils He inflicts on us,
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as well as attributing
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the credit for any good thing
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we are,
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have,
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or can do
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to luck,
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idols,
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ourselves,
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or any other created being.
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And when,
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I'll say when,
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not if,
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when you look this up
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with all of the Scripture proofs,
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behind every one,
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just before every comma,
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there will be a little number
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which will work out for you
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the text
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that these Westminster divines
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got together
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and pulled all of this understanding
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together
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for our benefit.
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Oh.
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Praise the Lord
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for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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We have transgressed
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the law of God
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and we have only begun
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to look at it.
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A couple of New Testament places
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for you.
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Titus chapter 1 and verse 16,
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they profess to know God
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but deny Him by their works.
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They are detestable,
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disobedient,
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unfit
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for any good work.
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Romans 1 and verse 30,
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slanders,
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haters of God,
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insolent,
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haughty,
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boastful,
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inventors of evil,
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disobedient
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to parents.
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Hear that, children?
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Colossians chapter 3,
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verse 2 and verse 5,
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set your minds
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on things that are above,
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not on things
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that are on earth.
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Put to death,
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therefore,
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what is earthly in you,
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sexual immorality,
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impurity,
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passion,
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evil desire,
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and covetousness,
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which is idolatry.
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We are to give
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all of ourselves
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in worship
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to God.
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Question 106.
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What do the words
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before me
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in the first commandment
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specifically teach?
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What do they
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specifically teach?
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And the answer is,
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the words before me
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or,
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it could also be translated,
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before my face
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in the first commandment
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teach us that
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God who sees everything
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takes special note of
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and is very offended
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by the sin
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of having any other God.
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These words emphasize
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then how important it is
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to obey this commandment
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and how disobeying it
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insolently provokes God.
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They also urge us
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to be just as mindful
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of the fact that God
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sees everything we do
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as we are of doing things
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in His service.
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That's to say,
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we all live,
23:00
whether we recognize it
23:01
or not,
23:02
quorum Deo.
23:04
It's Latin for
23:04
in the presence of God.
23:07
Everything that we do,
23:09
every awry emotion
23:12
or intention
23:12
that we have
23:13
is seen by God
23:15
and is an offense
23:17
to Him.
23:18
Just as,
23:19
the very end of the answer says,
23:21
praise the Lord,
23:21
those things we do
23:22
that are pleasing to Him,
23:24
He also sees
23:26
and is pleased
23:27
with us.
23:30
Psalm 44,
23:31
verse 20 and 21,
23:33
the psalmist says,
23:33
if we had forgotten
23:34
the name of our God
23:35
or spread out our hands
23:36
to a foreign God,
23:37
would not God discover this?
23:40
Rhetorical question.
23:41
For He knows
23:43
the secrets
23:44
of the heart.
23:47
And so the first commandment
23:48
is a weighty,
23:50
weighty commandment.
23:52
And the case could be made
23:53
that the other commandments
23:54
flow from it, right?
23:56
If we were to
23:57
accurately
23:58
keep the first commandment,
24:00
I think we would find ourselves
24:01
keeping each and every
24:03
of the other commandments.
24:04
But God is gracious to us
24:06
in being more
24:06
specific.
24:09
So question 107
24:10
says,
24:11
what is the second commandment?
24:13
This is verses 4
24:15
through 6.
24:17
We're familiar,
24:18
and for the sake of time,
24:19
I'm not going to read
24:20
the entirety of it,
24:21
but this is the
24:22
idolatry commandment.
24:24
You shouldn't make
24:25
graven images,
24:27
but it has more to do
24:29
with our worship
24:30
itself.
24:32
So question 108
24:33
says,
24:34
what does the second
24:34
commandment require?
24:37
The second commandment
24:38
requires us
24:39
to receive,
24:40
respectfully perform,
24:42
and preserve
24:43
completely and purely
24:44
all the regulations
24:46
for religion and worship
24:47
that God
24:48
has established
24:49
in His Word.
24:51
We believe in the
24:52
sufficiency
24:53
of Scripture.
24:55
I know we have a number
24:56
of guests this morning,
24:56
and our gathering
24:57
might seem a bit
24:58
odd to you,
25:00
and I can understand
25:01
that.
25:01
we are laboring
25:04
by grace
25:05
to arrange our church
25:06
in a way that is
25:07
consistent with the way
25:09
the Scriptures have
25:09
commanded us
25:10
to arrange our church,
25:12
to strip away
25:13
those extra things
25:14
that are often added
25:15
to the worship of God,
25:17
and to faithfully
25:18
do those things
25:19
that we are
25:20
commanded to do.
25:22
And sometimes,
25:23
in our culture,
25:24
that can make us
25:25
seem strange.
25:28
Deuteronomy 12,
25:29
verse 32,
25:30
everything that I command you
25:32
you shall be careful
25:33
to do.
25:34
You shall not
25:35
add to it
25:36
or take from it.
25:41
And the Westminster
25:41
answer goes on.
25:43
These include,
25:44
and by the way,
25:45
adults were meant
25:46
to memorize this,
25:48
prayer and thanksgiving
25:49
in the name of Christ,
25:50
the reading,
25:52
preaching,
25:52
and hearing of the Word,
25:54
the administration
25:54
of and receiving
25:55
the sacraments,
25:57
church government
25:58
and discipline,
25:59
the administration
26:00
and upkeep
26:00
of the church,
26:02
religious fasting,
26:03
swearing by the name
26:04
of God
26:05
and making vows
26:06
to Him,
26:07
also included
26:08
our disapproving,
26:09
denouncing,
26:10
and opposing
26:10
false worship
26:11
and doing our best
26:13
in accordance
26:13
with our position
26:15
and calling in life
26:16
to eliminate it
26:17
in all forms
26:18
of idolatry.
26:20
So we are to rightly
26:22
gather together
26:23
for the worship
26:24
of God
26:25
and do what we can
26:26
to eliminate
26:28
false worship
26:28
of God.
26:30
And then question 109
26:31
asks,
26:32
what particular sins
26:32
does the second
26:33
commandment
26:34
forbid?
26:37
The second commandment
26:38
forbids,
26:39
and I just want you
26:39
to take a moment
26:40
and put in your mind
26:41
the American church,
26:43
even our church,
26:45
please be critical,
26:46
it's okay.
26:47
The second commandment
26:48
forbids
26:49
imagining,
26:51
recommending,
26:52
demanding,
26:53
practicing,
26:53
or in any way
26:54
approving
26:55
any religious worship
26:56
not established
26:57
by God Himself.
26:59
Creating any likeness
27:00
of God
27:00
as the Trinity
27:01
or as any one
27:02
of His three persons,
27:03
either internally
27:04
in our minds
27:05
or externally
27:06
in the form
27:06
of any kind
27:07
of image
27:08
or representation
27:08
of a created being.
27:11
There are all kinds
27:12
of skip ministries
27:13
that just got blown
27:14
out of the water.
27:16
Any worship
27:17
of such created likeness
27:18
as if God
27:19
were in them
27:20
or as if they were
27:21
a means to worshiping Him,
27:22
the creation
27:24
of any likeness
27:25
of invented gods,
27:26
any worship of them
27:27
or serving relating
27:28
to them,
27:28
and all superstitious
27:30
contrivances.
27:32
Also forbidden are
27:33
any departure
27:34
from the true worship
27:35
of God
27:35
by adding to
27:36
or taking away
27:37
from it,
27:38
whether by our own
27:39
invention
27:39
or received
27:40
from some other tradition,
27:42
and whether justified
27:43
by antiquity,
27:44
custom,
27:45
devotional practice,
27:46
good intentions,
27:47
or any other excuse.
27:50
Simony,
27:50
which is the selling
27:51
of religious benefit,
27:53
and anything sacrilegious,
27:55
and finally,
27:56
any neglect of,
27:58
contempt for,
27:59
hindering,
28:00
or opposition
28:00
to the worship
28:01
and regulations
28:02
established by God.
28:06
What a task before us
28:09
to gather as the church
28:10
and to rightly worship Him.
28:12
Praise the Lord.
28:13
We have good command,
28:15
right,
28:15
to help and direct us
28:17
for our benefit
28:18
and for the glory
28:19
of God
28:19
in the world.
28:20
To be a people
28:21
set apart
28:23
for His name
28:24
in our gathering
28:25
so that we can be
28:26
a people set apart
28:27
for His name
28:28
in our going.
28:31
Question 110.
28:34
What reason is added
28:35
to the second commandment
28:36
emphasizing
28:37
how important
28:38
it is
28:39
to obey it?
28:41
And that reason is
28:42
that God
28:43
is a jealous
28:44
God.
28:45
Right?
28:46
And that idolatry
28:47
will be punished
28:48
and faithfulness
28:50
will be rewarded.
28:54
Beloved,
28:55
I hope that we are those
28:56
finding ourselves
28:57
rewarded by God
28:58
in faithfulness.
29:01
Question 111.
29:02
I'm picking up pace
29:03
because I see the time.
29:05
What is the third commandment?
29:09
Verse 7.
29:10
You shall not
29:13
take the name
29:14
of the Lord your God
29:15
in vain
29:16
for the Lord
29:17
will not hold him
29:18
guiltless
29:18
who takes
29:19
His name
29:20
in vain.
29:22
This commandment
29:23
has been
29:24
oversimplified
29:25
to simply think
29:26
of using God's name
29:28
as a curse word
29:29
and it means that
29:30
to be sure.
29:31
But it means
29:32
so much
29:33
more.
29:35
Look at the answer
29:36
to question 112.
29:38
The third commandment
29:39
requires the holy
29:40
and reverent use
29:42
in our thoughts,
29:45
meditations,
29:47
words,
29:47
and writings
29:48
of God's name,
29:50
titles,
29:52
qualities,
29:53
regulations,
29:54
word,
29:55
sacraments,
29:56
prayer,
29:57
oaths,
29:58
vows,
29:59
casting lots,
30:00
His works,
30:01
and anything else
30:02
by which
30:03
He makes Himself
30:04
known.
30:05
His name
30:07
is His
30:08
person.
30:11
This treatment
30:12
will be reflected
30:13
in holy affirmations
30:14
of our faith
30:15
and conduct
30:16
that matches
30:17
our affirmations
30:18
to the glory
30:19
of God
30:20
and the good
30:21
of ourselves
30:21
and others.
30:24
And that's why
30:24
we're instructed
30:25
by Jesus
30:26
in Matthew 6,
30:27
9 to pray
30:27
like this,
30:28
our Father
30:29
in heaven,
30:31
hallowed,
30:32
reverenced,
30:33
be your name.
30:36
And why
30:36
we're warned
30:37
in places like
30:38
Ecclesiastes 5,
30:39
in verse 2,
30:40
be not rash
30:41
with your mouth,
30:42
nor let your heart
30:43
be hasty
30:44
to utter a word
30:45
before God.
30:46
For God
30:47
is in heaven
30:48
and you
30:49
are on earth
30:50
and you are not
30:52
is what
30:52
the writer
30:53
is saying.
30:54
Therefore,
30:55
let your words
30:57
be few.
30:58
Be very careful
31:00
in the words
31:00
that you utter.
31:02
Our words
31:02
are meant
31:03
to be reverent
31:05
about our God.
31:08
Question 113,
31:09
what particular sins
31:10
does the third
31:11
commandment forbid?
31:13
The third commandment
31:14
forbids
31:14
not using God's name
31:15
as is required,
31:17
the abuse of it
31:18
through ignorance,
31:19
empty or unholy
31:20
treatment,
31:21
irreverence,
31:22
superstition,
31:22
or any wicked
31:23
reference to
31:24
His titles,
31:25
qualities,
31:26
regulations,
31:27
or works,
31:28
blasphemy,
31:29
perjury,
31:30
all sinful cursing,
31:32
oaths,
31:33
vows,
31:33
and casting lots,
31:34
violating our
31:35
oaths and vows,
31:37
if lawful,
31:37
and keeping them
31:38
if aimed at
31:39
unlawful things,
31:41
complaining and
31:42
quarreling about
31:42
or misapplication
31:44
of God's decrees
31:45
and acts of providence
31:46
as well as
31:46
unwarranted curiosity
31:48
about them,
31:49
misinterpreting
31:50
or misapplying
31:51
God's word
31:52
or perverting
31:53
all or part
31:54
of its meaning
31:54
in any way.
31:56
Boy,
31:57
we shudder at that point.
31:58
Blasphemous mockery
32:00
of His word,
32:01
pointless arguing,
32:03
meaningless talk,
32:04
or supporting
32:05
false doctrines,
32:07
abusing God's name,
32:08
His creatures,
32:09
or anything included
32:10
under His name
32:11
in the practice
32:12
of magic
32:13
or to promote
32:13
sinful desires
32:14
and activities,
32:16
maligning,
32:17
scorning,
32:18
reviling,
32:19
or opposing
32:19
in any way
32:20
God's truth,
32:21
grace,
32:22
and actions,
32:22
pretending to be
32:24
religious
32:24
or using religion
32:25
for evil purposes,
32:27
being ashamed
32:28
of God's name
32:29
or ashamed to it
32:31
by stubbornly
32:32
refusing to obey Him
32:34
and by living
32:35
unwisely,
32:36
unfruitfully,
32:37
or in such a way
32:38
as to offend Him
32:39
or backslide
32:40
away from Him.
32:43
I find that we
32:44
are guilty,
32:46
again,
32:47
of the third
32:47
commandment.
32:48
And what reasons
32:51
are added
32:52
to the third
32:53
commandment?
32:57
The reasons
32:58
are in these words,
32:58
the Lord thy God
32:59
and the Lord
33:00
will not hold
33:00
anyone guiltless
33:02
who misuses
33:02
His name.
33:04
Because He is
33:04
the Lord
33:05
and our God,
33:06
His name must
33:06
never be treated
33:07
as unholy
33:08
or misused
33:08
by us in any way,
33:10
particularly since
33:11
He is so opposed
33:12
to acquitting
33:13
or sparing
33:13
those who break
33:15
this commandment
33:15
that He will not
33:17
allow them to escape
33:18
His righteous
33:18
judgment,
33:19
even though
33:19
many who do
33:20
break this
33:21
commandment
33:21
escape human
33:22
condemnation
33:24
and punishment.
33:26
Leviticus 19
33:27
and verse 12,
33:28
You shall not
33:29
swear by my name
33:30
falsely,
33:31
and so profane
33:33
the name
33:33
of your God.
33:35
I am
33:36
the Lord.
33:39
We ought to be
33:40
careful, beloved,
33:40
how we speak
33:41
about this God,
33:44
what we understand
33:45
to be true
33:46
of Him.
33:47
We will end
33:49
today's study
33:50
by looking
33:50
briefly at
33:51
question and
33:51
answer
33:52
102.
34:00
What is the
34:01
essence of the
34:02
first four
34:03
commandments that
34:04
cover our
34:04
obligations to
34:05
God?
34:05
We've talked
34:06
about three.
34:07
I understand.
34:08
What is the
34:08
essence of the
34:09
first four
34:09
commandments that
34:10
cover our
34:10
obligations to
34:12
God?
34:12
And the answer
34:12
is this.
34:13
The essence of
34:14
these four
34:15
commandments is to
34:15
love the Lord
34:16
your God,
34:17
with all your
34:17
heart,
34:18
with all our
34:19
soul,
34:19
with all our
34:20
strength,
34:21
with all our
34:22
mind.
34:23
To set our
34:24
affections,
34:25
our desires,
34:26
our love on
34:28
Him.
34:31
Beloved,
34:31
we are a people
34:32
called apart for
34:33
God's own
34:34
possession,
34:36
for our good,
34:38
and so that His
34:39
glory would be
34:39
known in all
34:40
the world.
34:41
world.
34:42
So as those
34:43
who have been
34:44
made righteous
34:44
in Christ,
34:46
we are to be
34:47
keepers of the
34:48
law, not just
34:49
outwardly, but
34:50
with all that we
34:51
are, working
34:52
with all His
34:53
energy that He
34:54
powerfully works
34:55
within us.
34:58
Standing confident
34:59
in the fact that
35:00
if we have placed
35:01
saving faith in the
35:02
personal work of
35:02
Jesus Christ, we
35:03
are secure in
35:06
Him.
35:07
Praise the
35:08
Lord that He is
35:09
our righteousness.
35:10
righteousness.
35:11
Because we have
35:12
not and we will
35:13
not perfectly keep
35:14
this law.
35:15
It's given to us
35:16
to labor in it,
35:18
to press on into
35:19
it for the sake of
35:20
His name, for our
35:21
good, but we will
35:23
not keep it
35:23
perfectly.
35:25
So praise God
35:26
that there is
35:27
therefore now no
35:28
condemnation for
35:28
those who are in
35:29
Christ Jesus.
35:32
But hear me so
35:33
clearly.
35:35
We have all
35:36
transgressed God's
35:38
law.
35:39
And if you are
35:39
not in Christ
35:41
this morning,
35:41
then there is
35:42
great condemnation
35:44
for you.
35:45
There is death
35:47
and eternal hell
35:48
awaiting you.
35:50
But by faith in
35:51
Christ, you can
35:52
put on His
35:53
righteousness and
35:54
stand in this
35:56
non-condemnation
35:58
place.
36:00
We have been
36:00
given the Spirit
36:01
of God to lead
36:02
us into all
36:03
truth and to
36:04
cause us,
36:05
those who have
36:06
been delivered
36:07
from sin to
36:08
walk in His
36:10
ways.
36:11
And we
36:11
should do so.
36:13
Let's pray
36:13
together.
36:14
Thank you.