Sermon Follow Up - Digging Deeper
Let's Dig A Little Deeper
Happy Monday, North Anderson family!
I praise the Lord for the wonderful morning of worship that He blessed us with yesterday, as well as the incredible time of corporate prayer that we shared in on Sunday evening. I mentioned at our Prayer Meeting that I don’t believe that there is anything that we do together that is more important and vital than gathering together for prayer. I mean that with every fiber of my being.
The level fruitfulness and impact of North Anderson Baptist Church will simply not exceed the fervency and consistency of our prayers. Last night, we prayed for our church family, for our community, for the lost by name, and for prodigals to return home. Guided by the scriptures, we offered prayers of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. It was a powerful time together that I believe by faith, will produce fruit in the days to come. I want to encourage you to join with your brothers and sisters who have made this monthly time of corporate prayer a priority, by making it a priority for yourself.
"What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use-- men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men." – E.M. Bounds
In this article, I wanted to take a moment to follow-up on yesterday’s sermon from Exodus 20:1-3, “No Other Gods” (You can watch it here - https://www.northandersonbaptist.com/media/tkt6szg/no-other-gods-exodus-20-1-3)
One of the great difficulties of delivering a sermon is that there’s simply no way to fit everything that can be said about a passage of scripture into a limited time frame! As we mine the depths of God’s Word, we discover treasure after treasure that floods our souls with joy and hope. As we begin to look more intently at each of the treasures that have been discovered, the Lord reveals additional treasure that necessitates careful examination.
As we consider the treasure of God's Word, we agree with the Psalmist as he exclaims in Psalm 139:17, “God, how precious your thoughts are to me; how vast their sum is!” and the Apostle Paul as he says in Romans 11:33, “Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!”
With that being said, as a Preacher, I have to acknowledge it’s simply impossible to say all that I would like to say about a passage of scripture, its implications, and how we might best make application of the text, at least within a reasonable time frame (the mind can only absorb what the backside can endure!)
Because this is the case, I wanted to take a few moments to address a common question that comes with carefully reading, interpreting, and applying the 1st Commandment, “Do not have other gods besides me” (Exodus 20:3)
The command here is quite clear: We’re not to make room in our hearts for idols. God alone is worthy of our supreme affection, loyalty and worship.
In yesterday’s sermon, I mentioned that idolatry can be very tricky in that it’s not merely gods that are carved out of wood or stone that can become idols as the elevation anyone or anything into a place that should only be reserved for the Lord is idolatry.
In this, we are reminded that it’s possible for us to take those good things that the Lord has graciously given us…wonderful blessings such as a spouse, children, grandchildren, a great job, our health, our talents, even ministry itself…and give these blessings greater priority, affection, and attention than we give to the Lord. When this happens, we have fallen into idolatry.
As followers of Christ, we don’t want this to be true of our lives! We want the Lord to be the King of our hearts and to love the Lord our God supremely, with all our heart, with all of our soul, and with all of our strength (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
In our sincere desire to obey Gods command to eliminate idolatry and worship him exclusively, we sometimes consider the deep and abiding love that we have for the good gifts that our Father has given us and wonder, “Is it possible that I have made my spouse an idol? How about my children?”
Well, as already noted, it is of course a possibility.
Yet, to love a spouse or child deeply does not necessarily mean that the spouse of child we have elevated them to a position in our hearts that is only reserved for the Lord.
You see, in the 1st Commandment we are instructed, in no uncertain terms, to worship the Lord exclusively. There simply must be no other gods that are placed before Him. There can be no one or no thing that receives more of our devotion, priority, or trust than Him.
This, in no way means that we shouldn’t be devoted to our spouses or our children. It doesn’t mean that they can’t be prioritized in our lives. This doesn’t mean that having trust in one's spouse or child is a sinful act of idolatry.
Not at all!
In fact, it would be sinful not to be devoted to a spouse or our children! It would be dereliction of duty not to give rightful priority to them. It would be a very poor marital or family relationship if we didn’t have trust in one another!
What this boils down to is really just a matter of order.
The question that we must ask ourselves is whether or not the devotion, priority, and trust that we rightly have for our spouse or child is properly ordered. That is, is the devotion, priority, and trust that I have for them less than the devotion, priority, and trust that I have for and in my Heavenly Father.
Think of love.
If we follow the 1st Commandment to its logical conclusion, we find that we are commanded to love the Lord supremely. Among other things, this means that there must be no thing or no one that we love more than Him.
With crystal clear clarity, He commands us to love Him supremely…but not exclusively.
He never demands that we are forbidden from loving anyone or anything else. In fact, He tells us the opposite, doesn’t He?
Passage after passage in both the Old and New Testaments command those who love God to love others.
In fact, as we saw on Sunday, when Jesus was asked by the scribe which of the commandments was the greatest, He replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself” - Mark 12:30-31
As the Lord Jesus quotes the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy 6:4-5&version=CSB ), He affirms that we are to love the Lord supremely and then as he instructs us to love our neighbors, we’re reminded that while the love we have for Him is to be supreme, it’s not to be exclusive.
Love must simply be ordered rightly.
The same can be said of our priorities. We know that in Matthew 6:33, our Lord tells us to “Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and His righteousness”. We are to prioritize the Lord supremely, but again, not exclusively as we are called to prioritize all things rightly. For example, my wife Annette has priority over every other woman that I know. That’s not sinful. It’s Biblical as I am called to love my wife as Christ loves His church (Ephesians 5:25 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians 5:25&version=CSB)
The Lord does not instruct me to love any other woman in that way. It’s appropriate prioritization that she comes before all other women in my life.
The same principle applies to the church. While I am called of God to love, care for, and strive to meet the needs of many, the household of faith takes priority. The words of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:10 come to mind, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith”. Writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul calls us to do good toward all, as we can and are able, but to prioritize the church in this effort.
I’m sure that by now, you get my drift.
The command to have “no other gods” and to worship the Lord alone does not mean that having affection for and devotion to someone or something else is idolatry in and of itself as we’re also commanded to love, serve, and prioritize others as well as to enjoy the good gifts that the Lord has bestowed upon us (Ecclesiastes 5:19 http:// https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes 5:19&version=CSB)
It is however a command to order our affections rightly, ensuring that the Lord alone is loved, treasured, served, trusted, and prioritized above all.
In Christ Alone,
Pastor DK Caudell
*For further study, I encourage you to dig into a theological concept called “Ordo Amoris” (order of love). This was written about extensively by Augustine as well as Thomas Aquinas. Here’s an article that will get you started - https://www.reformedclassicalist.com/home/ordo-amoris
I praise the Lord for the wonderful morning of worship that He blessed us with yesterday, as well as the incredible time of corporate prayer that we shared in on Sunday evening. I mentioned at our Prayer Meeting that I don’t believe that there is anything that we do together that is more important and vital than gathering together for prayer. I mean that with every fiber of my being.
The level fruitfulness and impact of North Anderson Baptist Church will simply not exceed the fervency and consistency of our prayers. Last night, we prayed for our church family, for our community, for the lost by name, and for prodigals to return home. Guided by the scriptures, we offered prayers of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. It was a powerful time together that I believe by faith, will produce fruit in the days to come. I want to encourage you to join with your brothers and sisters who have made this monthly time of corporate prayer a priority, by making it a priority for yourself.
"What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use-- men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men." – E.M. Bounds
In this article, I wanted to take a moment to follow-up on yesterday’s sermon from Exodus 20:1-3, “No Other Gods” (You can watch it here - https://www.northandersonbaptist.com/media/tkt6szg/no-other-gods-exodus-20-1-3)
One of the great difficulties of delivering a sermon is that there’s simply no way to fit everything that can be said about a passage of scripture into a limited time frame! As we mine the depths of God’s Word, we discover treasure after treasure that floods our souls with joy and hope. As we begin to look more intently at each of the treasures that have been discovered, the Lord reveals additional treasure that necessitates careful examination.
As we consider the treasure of God's Word, we agree with the Psalmist as he exclaims in Psalm 139:17, “God, how precious your thoughts are to me; how vast their sum is!” and the Apostle Paul as he says in Romans 11:33, “Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!”
With that being said, as a Preacher, I have to acknowledge it’s simply impossible to say all that I would like to say about a passage of scripture, its implications, and how we might best make application of the text, at least within a reasonable time frame (the mind can only absorb what the backside can endure!)
Because this is the case, I wanted to take a few moments to address a common question that comes with carefully reading, interpreting, and applying the 1st Commandment, “Do not have other gods besides me” (Exodus 20:3)
The command here is quite clear: We’re not to make room in our hearts for idols. God alone is worthy of our supreme affection, loyalty and worship.
In yesterday’s sermon, I mentioned that idolatry can be very tricky in that it’s not merely gods that are carved out of wood or stone that can become idols as the elevation anyone or anything into a place that should only be reserved for the Lord is idolatry.
In this, we are reminded that it’s possible for us to take those good things that the Lord has graciously given us…wonderful blessings such as a spouse, children, grandchildren, a great job, our health, our talents, even ministry itself…and give these blessings greater priority, affection, and attention than we give to the Lord. When this happens, we have fallen into idolatry.
As followers of Christ, we don’t want this to be true of our lives! We want the Lord to be the King of our hearts and to love the Lord our God supremely, with all our heart, with all of our soul, and with all of our strength (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
In our sincere desire to obey Gods command to eliminate idolatry and worship him exclusively, we sometimes consider the deep and abiding love that we have for the good gifts that our Father has given us and wonder, “Is it possible that I have made my spouse an idol? How about my children?”
Well, as already noted, it is of course a possibility.
Yet, to love a spouse or child deeply does not necessarily mean that the spouse of child we have elevated them to a position in our hearts that is only reserved for the Lord.
You see, in the 1st Commandment we are instructed, in no uncertain terms, to worship the Lord exclusively. There simply must be no other gods that are placed before Him. There can be no one or no thing that receives more of our devotion, priority, or trust than Him.
This, in no way means that we shouldn’t be devoted to our spouses or our children. It doesn’t mean that they can’t be prioritized in our lives. This doesn’t mean that having trust in one's spouse or child is a sinful act of idolatry.
Not at all!
In fact, it would be sinful not to be devoted to a spouse or our children! It would be dereliction of duty not to give rightful priority to them. It would be a very poor marital or family relationship if we didn’t have trust in one another!
What this boils down to is really just a matter of order.
The question that we must ask ourselves is whether or not the devotion, priority, and trust that we rightly have for our spouse or child is properly ordered. That is, is the devotion, priority, and trust that I have for them less than the devotion, priority, and trust that I have for and in my Heavenly Father.
Think of love.
If we follow the 1st Commandment to its logical conclusion, we find that we are commanded to love the Lord supremely. Among other things, this means that there must be no thing or no one that we love more than Him.
With crystal clear clarity, He commands us to love Him supremely…but not exclusively.
He never demands that we are forbidden from loving anyone or anything else. In fact, He tells us the opposite, doesn’t He?
Passage after passage in both the Old and New Testaments command those who love God to love others.
In fact, as we saw on Sunday, when Jesus was asked by the scribe which of the commandments was the greatest, He replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself” - Mark 12:30-31
As the Lord Jesus quotes the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy 6:4-5&version=CSB ), He affirms that we are to love the Lord supremely and then as he instructs us to love our neighbors, we’re reminded that while the love we have for Him is to be supreme, it’s not to be exclusive.
Love must simply be ordered rightly.
The same can be said of our priorities. We know that in Matthew 6:33, our Lord tells us to “Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and His righteousness”. We are to prioritize the Lord supremely, but again, not exclusively as we are called to prioritize all things rightly. For example, my wife Annette has priority over every other woman that I know. That’s not sinful. It’s Biblical as I am called to love my wife as Christ loves His church (Ephesians 5:25 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians 5:25&version=CSB)
The Lord does not instruct me to love any other woman in that way. It’s appropriate prioritization that she comes before all other women in my life.
The same principle applies to the church. While I am called of God to love, care for, and strive to meet the needs of many, the household of faith takes priority. The words of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:10 come to mind, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith”. Writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul calls us to do good toward all, as we can and are able, but to prioritize the church in this effort.
I’m sure that by now, you get my drift.
The command to have “no other gods” and to worship the Lord alone does not mean that having affection for and devotion to someone or something else is idolatry in and of itself as we’re also commanded to love, serve, and prioritize others as well as to enjoy the good gifts that the Lord has bestowed upon us (Ecclesiastes 5:19 http:// https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes 5:19&version=CSB)
It is however a command to order our affections rightly, ensuring that the Lord alone is loved, treasured, served, trusted, and prioritized above all.
In Christ Alone,
Pastor DK Caudell
*For further study, I encourage you to dig into a theological concept called “Ordo Amoris” (order of love). This was written about extensively by Augustine as well as Thomas Aquinas. Here’s an article that will get you started - https://www.reformedclassicalist.com/home/ordo-amoris
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