GOD’S UNFAILING PROMISE
We’ve messed up. You
have. I have. We all have. And no matter how good our intentions or efforts
are, we can’t make up for the wrong we’ve done.
The Bible uses a much
stronger word—sin—to describe how we have failed to live according to God’s
perfect standard (Rom. 3:23). The result of our sin is death (Rom. 6:23).
Thankfully, we do not
have to stay in this condemned state. In spite of our sin and rebellion against
God, He loves us and made a way for us to be forgiven and receive a new,
eternal life, freed from the consequences of our sin. That way is Jesus Christ,
who paid the penalty of our sin and brokenness with His own death (John 3:16;
Rom. 5:8). When we turn away from our sin in repentance and turn to Christ in
faith, He gives us a new life, freed from the penalty of sin. We are made new
in Him (2 Cor. 5:17).
God’s unfailing promise
— His commitment to us — is the best guarantee we can be offered. “For everyone
who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13).
To receive a new life
in Christ, you can pray a prayer like this:
“Dear God, I know I am
a sinner. I believe Jesus died on the cross to forgive me of my sins and rose
from the dead to give me new life. I’m sorry for all the wrong I’ve done and
ask You to forgive me. I now accept Your gift of eternal life. Thank You for
Your love, forgiveness, and a new life in Jesus Christ. From this day forward,
I choose to follow You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Share your decision to
follow Jesus with a pastor or those in your Bible study group. Be baptized as
an expression of your faith. Get involved in a church that will help you grow
in your faith.
After God's Own Heart:
A Fresh Look at the Ten Commandments
Ethics and morals have become
skewed in our world today. People want to live life on their own terms, but God
has given us a succinct and clear path to follow through the Ten Commandments.
Unfortunately, too many people see these Commandments as a negative list of
don’ts, but obeying them leads to a rich and full life.
Jesus distilled the Ten Commandments down to love for God and others (Matt. 22:37-40). When we live lives of Christ-centered love, we will be living out the heart of the Ten Commandments.
We’re going to take a fresh
look at the Ten Commandments. We’re not going to focus so much on the things
we’re not to do, but we will see what obedience frees us to do and be in
Christ. Along the way, we’re going to look at David, “a man after God’s own
heart” (1 Sam. 13:14), as his life serves as the backdrop for a greater
understanding of just how to live a life pleasing to God.
- Series by Tony Evans
- Place God First Exodus 20:1-6; Psalm 16:1-4a, 9-11
- Honor God Exodus 20:7-11; Psalm 145:1-7
- Honor Parents Exodus 20:12; 2 Samuel 15:7-14
- Honor Life Exodus 20:13; 1 Samuel 26:7-11; 22-25
- Honor Marriage Exodus 20:14; 2 Samuel 11:1-5
- Honor All Relationships Exodus 20:15-17; Psalm 37:1-6
Question 1:
When has a simple
solution taken you by surprise?
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
Have you ever felt disappointed?
Frustrated? Hurt? Confused? We all have. Life comes with issues—and these
issues can show up in so many ways. When enough issues arise, life begins to feel
like one big mess.
From the top of his head to the bottom of his feet, he felt pain. Every single place he touched brought great pain to him.
The doctor looked him over and said, “Well, this is odd. I don’t see anything wrong.” He proceeded to ask the man to touch different places on his body. Each time the man touched a different place on his body, he cried out in pain. After a few minutes of this, the doctor diagnosed the problem. “Sir,” the doctor said, with a bit of a sigh, “You have a dislocated finger.”
While it felt like
everything was wrong, it was only one thing. This can be true for our lives as
well. Even though it may seem like everything in life is a mess, the solution comes
down to three words: Put God first. This one action affects everything.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Exodus 20:1-6
1 And God spoke all
these words: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of
the land of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me. 4 “You shall
not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on
the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship
them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for
the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my
commandments.
We are to put God first
because He alone is God. That statement covers much more than we may
realize. Of course, most of us would say, “God is first in my life,” but is He?
For some people, what is “first” in their lives is money, their careers,
pleasure, social media, sports, a person, or a special possession.
Unfortunately, these
“firsts”—those things placed preeminently above all else—run rampant in our
society. When we give to anyone or anything the devotion, authority, and
worship God alone deserves, the Bible describes that with one word: idolatry.
True, in our culture we
don’t bow down to wooden idols or statues. We don’t declare our allegiance
through rituals or sacrifice.
And while the absence
of those outward things is good, it can also be misleading. Because we don’t
physically and tangibly bow to sports, our career, pleasure, politics, social media,
a person, or special possessions, we can naively think they are not idols. We
still can mistakenly believe that God is first in our lives. Yet countless
idols exist in our culture. An idol is any person, place, thought, or thing that
usurps God’s rightful place in our lives.
Question 2:
Where do you see
examples of idols in a typical home in our culture?
God calls us to devote
ourselves to Him first because He alone is God. In Him alone is found true
life, both in this world and in the world to come. As King, He sits over all.
He rules over all. He governs all. The agenda of God’s kingdom is the visible manifestation
of His rule over every area of life. God’s rules stand apart from the rules of
other kings and leaders. God’s rules are not rooted in power, manipulation, or
greed; God’s rules are rooted in His love.
To put Him first in our lives is to live a life punctuated by a love which stems from a spirit of gratitude. Many who study or preach on the Ten Commandments skip the important opening verses of Exodus 20. Before God gave the Ten Commandments, He first reminded the Israelites what He had done for them. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (v. 2). Before God handed down any commands, He reminded the Israelites of the redemption and freedom He had provided. Their gratitude to Him for what He had done was to serve as their foundation for putting Him first. Not fear. Not bondage. Not mandated worship. No, in the context of gratitude for the freedom He gave them, God was calling them to honor Him first.
He does the same for us
today. Required worship is not worship. Mandated honor is not honor. Outward
obedience does not always serve as an indicator of authentic honor. When God
asks us to put Him first, He’s asking for our hearts. If we give Him our hearts,
He knows our actions will follow.
Question 3:
How do things in our
lives become idols?
Psalm 16:1-4a
1 Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you
I have no good thing.” 3 I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They
are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” 4a Those who run after other
gods will suffer more and more.
When David said “apart
from you I have no good thing” (v. 2), he wasn’t making a blanket statement
that everything was terrible. Rather, he was highlighting an important distinction:
God alone is good.
Thus, God alone is the originator of all else that is good as well. I didn’t say if something doesn’t “seem” good, it does not come from God. A lot of things may not “seem” good to us, but God uses them to usher in good. Yet because of our limited, finite understanding, Satan seeks to use these things to plant doubt in our hearts concerning God’s goodness.
Scripture assures us
that all things will be used for good when we love God and put Him first (Rom.
8:28-29). God’s power and might can turn any table and flip any script toward
His intended purposes of good. But the promise in Romans 8:28-29 doesn’t apply
to every situation. It applies to those “who love him” and live “according to
his purpose.” Translation: It applies to those who put God first.
And why wouldn’t we want to put God first? Not only can He turn things around, but as James tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (Jas. 1:17). God is the Source of all good. The original term for coming down is a present participle; this means that the “good and perfect” gifts God gives us are continually flowing to us.
Whether it is the
oxygen we breathe, the food we eat, the ability of our bodies to function, or
the rain that nourishes the earth, God never pauses from giving good things to
us. Have you ever thought about what would happen if God suddenly chose to
clock out and take a ten-minute break? Even if it were just for a moment, our
world would unravel.
Remember: if something
is good, its Source is God. If something does not “seem” good, the Source may
still be God. Even when we encounter something that truly is not good (evil),
it should only cause us to recognize the goodness of God all the more. After
all, a brilliant diamond sparkles the brightest against the backdrop of a dark
cloth.
Question 4:
When are you most
tempted to put your trust in something besides the Lord?
Psalm 16:9-11
9 Therefore my heart is
glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 10 because you will
not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see
decay. 11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in
your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Most of us go through our lives hoping we know where we are going. We spend money on fancy apps to help us navigate through the maze of life like a pro. Try visiting a foreign country or a location where road construction is taking place, however, and you can no longer depend on your apps. You’ll quickly discover how important it truly is to know the way to where you are going. This principle certainly applies to where we are going in our lives—and for eternity.
God’s “way” is not
merely one of the ways to choose from in life. God’s way is the only way which
leads to both “joy” in the present and “eternal pleasures” beyond time. Jesus
described the
importance of knowing the way and choosing God’s way when He said, “I am the
way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John
14:6). Jesus doesn’t just know the way; He is the way. He is our GPS and the
location we seek is Him.
When we align ourselves
under Jesus, He takes us where we need to go. He opens those doors we didn’t
even have the ability to knock on previously. He overcomes the obstacles our
emotions may have dug up. He calms the seas that looked too difficult to face on
our own. He is the way to abundant life on earth and He is the way to eternal
life. Eternal life is a gift we receive by placing faith alone in Christ alone
for the payment of our sins. That’s why the gospel is called “good news.” The
good news of the gospel is that we don’t have to pay for any of it. Jesus is
the gift.
The Ten Commandments
were never given as an entry point for eternity. While it’s true that God
expects us to obey His commands, the ultimate purpose of the law is to show us
our inability to keep those laws. In other words, it reveals our need for a
Savior. We have been set free from condemnation through the gift of salvation
in Jesus. This allows us to willingly and gratefully pursue a life pleasing to
God by placing Him first.
Question 5:
What are some ways our
group has helped you discover God’s path for your life?
WHO OR WHAT’S IN FIRST
PLACE?
Rank
the following areas of your life in priority of importance. Place a percentage
afterward
to indicate how much of your time you spend on these areas.
After
some evaluation, write a prayer of commitment to God to put Him first.
LIVE IT OUT
How will you actively seek to put God first in your life?
Choose one of the following applications:
- Acknowledge. The
starting point for any change begins with honestly acknowledging what needs to
change. If there is any area in your life where you do not put God first,
confess that to God. Ask for His forgiveness and help in putting Him first in
your thoughts, words, and actions.
- Begin. Make
a commitment to begin each day by putting God first. You can develop the habit
of putting God first more consistently by reminding yourself of this truth before
you start your day. It could mean saying a prayer when you first wake up,
reading your Bible before you do anything else, or quoting a Scripture from
memory before you pick up your phone in the morning.
- Track.
Consider keeping a notepad or journal this week where you write down every time
you sought to put God’s perspective and His guidance first in your life. You
may want to share this with a friend as a way to encourage your friend to do
the same.
We all feel
disappointed at times and circumstances can often put us in a bind. Putting God
first, however, is the key to ordering the rest of our lives.
Looking forward to this new series as we explore the Ten Commandments in a new way.
Hope to see everyone this Sunday.
God Bless!
David & Susan
Teacher's Notes:
Place God First
Question 1:
When has a simple
solution taken you by surprise?
“Patient says, Doctor… It Hurts When I Do
This!”
“Then
don’t do that!”
Insanity Definition:
Doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.
Ever feel like
everything you try to do in life turns out wrong, then why do continue to do
that?
Patient says, Doctor… I
make a mess of everything I do! And the Doctor says, “Then put God First.” It
may seem like everything in life is a mess, but the solution comes down to
three words: Put God first. This one action affects
everything.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE
SAY?
Exodus 20:1-6
And God spoke all these
words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land
of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for
yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth
beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them;
for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin
of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but
showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my
commandments.
Read: The
Israelites had just come from Egypt, a land of many gods. Because each god
represented a different aspect of life, it was common to worship many gods in
order to get the maximum number of blessings.
When God told His
people to worship and believe in Him, that wasn’t so hard for them – He was
just one more god to add to the list. But when He said, “You shall have no
other gods before Me,” that was difficult for the people to accept.
Thus, God made this His
first commandment and emphasized it more than the others.
· The
right standard for living as God’s people is God’s standard.
· The
Lord has made known His expectations for His people in relationship to Him.
· God is
to be first in our lives because there is none other like Him.
· The
most important of all relationships is our relationship to the Lord.
· We are
to guard against allowing anything to come before the Lord.
Question 2:
Where do you see
examples of idols in a typical home in our culture?
·
Money, fame, work, or pleasure can become gods
when we concentrate too much on them for personal identity, meaning and
security. No one sets out with the intention of worshipping these things. But
by the time we devote to them, they can grow into gods that that ultimately
control our thoughts and energies. Letting God hold that central place in our
lives keeps these things from turning into gods.
Rick Warren:
“‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by
anything.”
1 Corinthians 6:12 (ESV)
The Bible is full of wisdom for
decision-making. In 1 Corinthians 6:12, Paul says, “‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by
anything” (ESV).
When deciding whether to allow
something into your life, you can think of this as the Independence Test.
Ask yourself: Could this begin to
control and dominate my life? Could it become addicting to me? Could I become
dependent on it?
No matter how fun something is, it’s
bad for you if it becomes an addiction.
Why is this so important? Because whatever
dominates your life eventually becomes your god. The first of God’s Ten
Commandments—says, “You shall have no other gods
before me” (Exodus 20:3 NIV).
God knew how easily you could slip
into worshiping other things. He knew you could get addicted to your idols.
What are idols? You likely think of
idols as something in the past—maybe little stone statues that people put on a
shelf and worshiped. But people still have idols today. Maybe you worship the
maker of your car, the label in your clothing, or the corner office in your
building.
That’s not to mention all of the
things you can become addicted to: Work. Sex. Money. The Internet. The list is
endless.
How do you know if you’ve fallen
into an addiction? How do you know if something is starting to dominate your
life—when you no longer are independent of it? Ask yourself: What do I think
about the most? When I’m alone, where does my mind go?
For most of us, it’s hard to be
honest about the things that dominate our lives. If you’re thinking, “This
is not what I’m addicted to. It
couldn’t be that.” Guess what?
It’s probably that. That’s probably the thing you’re struggling with.
In another translation of 1
Corinthians 6:12, Paul says, “I can do anything I want to if
Christ has not said no, but some of these things aren’t good for me. Even if I
am allowed to do them, I’ll refuse to if I think they might get such a grip on
me that I can’t easily stop when I want to” (TLB).
Paul decided not to let
anything—other than Christ—control his life. Jesus is the only one that’s
worthy of that place in your life, too. Anything else that you put in that
place will eventually dominate and ruin your life. But when Christ is in
control, he encourages, enables, and empowers you.
The next time you’re deciding whether
something is in its proper place in your life, use the Independence Test.
Christ is the only one who deserves your dependence.
“Those who make idols end up like them. So does everyone who
trusts them.”
Psalm 115:8 (GW)
Even good things—like our marriages, our families, our hobbies, the people we admire,
or even our ministries in the church—can become idols if we place a
greater emphasis on them than on our relationship with God.
Anytime you think fulfillment comes
from who you’re with or what you do, you’re setting yourself up for a deep
disappointment. Created things simply cannot give us meaning in life; only our
Creator can do that.
The Bible says, “The poor, deluded fool . . . trusts something that can’t help him
at all. Yet he cannot bring himself to ask: ‘Is this idol that I’m holding in
my hand a lie?’” (Isaiah 44:20 NLT).
We want to live in the truth of
God’s reality, not in the lie created by our own hand. These idols won’t just
stop after they’ve disappointed us. Eventually, they will control us.
On the other hand, if you value
Jesus above all else, you’ll become like him.
So, if putting something else first
in our lives warps us, why do we do it?
We want a god we can control. We
want to be able to manage him. But why would you want to follow a god you can
control and manage? That’s no god at all.
Guess what? You don’t have to settle
for that kind of god. You can choose to give yourself over to an all-knowing,
all-powerful God who can take you places far beyond where your fantasies and
idols ever could. And that’s a reality that won’t leave you feeling
disappointed.
Read: A
January 2020 Vox article on screen time reported that “American adults spent
about 3 hours and 30 minutes a day using the mobile internet in 2019.” Interestingly,
it’s not that we’re checking our phones in long sessions. The article states
that instead, “[w]e tend to check them throughout the day. On average, people
open their phones 58 times a day…Most of those phone sessions are under two
minutes.”
In March, the
Washington Post reported that during quarantine, smartphone usage increased
even more, with some people reporting up to 8-9 hours of phone usage a day.
If you want to know
what you’re idolizing, take stock of how you’re spending your time—especially
during these odd pandemic days. Like money, time is an indicator of idols that
have snuck into our hearts. It’s easy to glance at your phone out of anxiety or
boredom throughout the day without even realizing what you’re doing, but how
much of that precious time is being wasted by looking at a screen? Do you ever
find actual comfort from your smartphone? And what blessings and times of
closeness with the Lord are we missing out on in the meantime?
“‘Martha, Martha,’ the
Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are
needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be
taken away from her.’” Luke 10:41-42 (NIV)
Do you own your phone, or
does it own you?
If you’ve taken a really
useful tool and made it the most valuable thing in your life, then your phone
has become your god. If you’ve allowed your phone to distract you from what is
most important, then it has become your idol. The tool has become the master.
Jesus once visited the
home of his friends Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus. While Martha
busily prepared for the meal and played the part of a good hostess, her sister
Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to his teaching.
Martha got frustrated and
said to Jesus, “Lord,
don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to
help me!” (Luke 10:40 NIV).
“‘Martha, Martha,’ the
Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are
needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be
taken away from her’” (Luke 10:41-42 NIV).
The Bible says that Martha was
distracted by her preparations, which kept her from the most important thing:
being with Jesus.
Often, in the moment, you
may think you’re focused on the right thing—returning that text, making that
call, checking that status, answering that message. But if something keeps you
from the most important thing, then it’s taken over your life.
You need to sit at Jesus’
feet every day of your life. It’s called a quiet time. You sit quietly and pray
and read the Bible and let God speak to you through His Word. You confess and
ask God for what you need and praise Him for who He is. It’s the most important
part of your day because it affects everything else in your day. It determines
how much you get to know God and grow as a follower of Jesus”
When you have to choose
between having a quiet time or scrolling through your phone, which will it be?
If you’re like the average person, you spend three hours and 15 minutes on your
phone each day. How much time do you spend in God’s Word?
Don’t let yourself get
distracted. You have control over how you spend your time. Choose to spend it
on what matters most.
Question 3:
How do things in our
lives become idols?
·
When they take first place in our lives instead
of God
Question 4:
What are the consequences
of putting other things before God?
Let
read what David had to say about God being first:
Psalm 16:1-4a
Keep
me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.” I say of the holy people who are in the
land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” Those who run after
other gods will suffer more and more.
· God is
our refuge; He keeps us safe in time of storms and all the days of our lives.
· All we
have that is good is because of the graciousness of a good God.
· One of
the delights of being a believer is the opportunity to be in fellowship with
other believers.
· Alas,
some reject God and open themselves up to great sorrow.
Why wouldn’t we want to put God first?
· Not
only can He turn things around, but as James tells us, “Every good and perfect
gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who
does not change like shifting shadows” (Jas. 1:17). God is the Source of all
good. The original term for coming down is a present participle; this means
that the “good and perfect” gifts God gives us are continually flowing to us.
· Whether
it is the oxygen we breathe, the food we eat, the ability of our bodies to
function, or the rain that nourishes the earth, God never pauses from giving
good things to us. Have you ever thought about what would happen if God
suddenly chose to clock out and take a ten-minute break? Even if it were just
for a moment, our world would unravel.
· Remember:
if something is good, its Source is God. If something does not “seem” good, the
Source may still be God. Even when we encounter something that truly is not
good (evil), it should only cause us to recognize the goodness of God all the
more. After all, a brilliant diamond sparkles the brightest against the
backdrop of a dark cloth.
Question 4:
When are you most tempted to put your
trust in something besides the Lord?
Psalm 16:9-11
Therefore
my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because
you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful
one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy
in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
· Placing
God first and living in His presence brings great joy; in fact, the greatest
joy!
· Placing
God first and living in His presence gives us a different perspective on death;
it does not prevail.
· Placing
God first and living in His presence is the way of eternal life.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PUT GOD FIRST?
“But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” - Matthew
6:33
THE POINT
God is to have first place
in every aspect of life.
Question:
"What does it mean to put God first?"
Answer:
It is common to hear a Christian say, “I’m putting God first” or to counsel
others to “make sure God has first place in your life.” Such expressions are
used so often they run the risk of becoming a Christian cliché. But there’s
nothing trite about the idea of putting God first; in fact, it’s completely
biblical.
Everyone
has priorities. We arrange our schedules, budgets, and relationships according
to perceived importance. Putting God first means we give Him top priority over
everything else. He is the principal figure in our lives and central to all we
do and think. When we choose to put God first, we determine that He is more
important than any other person, His Word is more valuable than any other
message, and His will is weightier than any other imperative.
Putting God first means that we keep the greatest
commandment:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your mind” (Matthew 22:37). In other words, we are totally invested in our
relationship with God. Everything we have and everything we are is devoted to
Him. We hold nothing back.
Putting God first means we keep our lives free from
idolatry in all its forms:
“Dear children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). An idol is anything
that replaces the one, true God in our hearts. As Gideon demolished the altar
of Baal and chopped down the Asherah pole (Judges 6:25–27), we must tear from
our hearts anything that lessens our devotion to or reverence of God. As Gideon
built an altar to the Lord to replace the idolatrous images, we must dedicate
ourselves as “living sacrifices” to God and in that way put Him first (Romans
12:1).
Putting God first means that we strive to follow in Jesus’
steps (1
Peter 2:21). Jesus’ life was characterized by total submission to the Father’s
will, service to others, and prayer. In the garden, faced with unthinkable
agony, Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). That’s
putting God first. Jesus’ words, actions, and doctrine all came from the Father
(John 5:19; 7:16; 12:49). Jesus glorified the Father in every detail of His
life and accomplished all that He has been sent to do (John 17:4).
Those
who put God first will stand out from the rest of the world. They will obey
God’s commands (John 14:15), they will take up their cross and follow Jesus
(Luke 9:23), and they will not forsake their first love (Revelation 2:4). They
give God the firstfruits, not the leftovers. The Christian life is
characterized by moment-to-moment selfless service to God that flows from love
for Him and His people. In all things, the believer trusts, obeys, and loves
God above all else. Putting God first becomes easier when we take to heart the
words of Romans 11:36: “Everything comes from the Lord. All things were made
because of him and will return to him. Praise the Lord forever! Amen” (CEV).
Close: We all
feel disappointed at times and circumstances can often put us in a bind.
Putting God first, however, is the key to ordering the rest of our lives.
