Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Series

If you have your Bible, turn to Exodus chapter 20. Today, we are going to begin a sermon series called, "The Ten Commandments: The Soul of America", starting with the message, "Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods". America has turned its back on the God of the Bible. There are so many religions and beliefs in our country today. The only God America has rejected is the God of the Bible. This is why the Ten Commandments are so important to the people of God.

The Ten Commandments are the very soul of America. Our forefathers founded this nation on the Word of God, specifically these Ten Commandments. America has lost sight of that. America has pushed God out of our schools, our government buildings and out of our country. And the end result is quite clear. Now, we have metal detectors and armed security personnel in our schools. Gun violence has swept through this country like a plague! Shootings in our schools, shopping malls, grocery stores, even our churches are being infested with gun violence! Riots are happening all over the world! Our government is falling apart at the seams! Why? There is only one answer. We have taken God out of our country and we have taken His Ten Commandments out of our schools and government buildings! And in so doing, we have lost the covering and protection of the Lord.

Exodus 20:1-3 says, "And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods before Me."

Many people read this scripture and believe it's limited to only pagan gods or other mythological beings. But anything can be a god in your life. Even a person. How? When there is something or someone in your life that is more important to you than the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that is a god! And God said in His Word, "You shall have no other gods before Me." What gods are in your life?

One god is the god of self. Romans 1:24-25 says, "Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen." Many people in the world today are focused only on themselves. They believe as if they were the god of their life and the only rules that apply to them are their own. They don't care about anyone or anything but themselves. They go throughout their day pondering, "What's in it for me?" What do they get out of anything they do from day to day. How is their day going to benefit them? They have no regard or consideration for their fellow man. And Jesus said in John 13:34-35, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” What kind of love does someone who thinks only of themselves ever show to others? Absolutely none!

There was a time when people cared about each other. There was a time when people looked out for one another. When they saw a need, they rallied to fulfill that need. Now, it's everyone for themselves! And it's a sad, tragic reality knowing that people just don't care anymore about anything other than themselves! They are serving the God of self and not the God of the Bible!

Some people are overly preoccupied with their appearance. Some slave away at the gym for hours on end to have what they believe is the "perfect body". Others spend a fortune in cosmetics and beauty treatments in a desperate, futile attempt to preserve their youth. No amount of money and no beauty treatment or any treatment for that matter, can preserve one's youth. It's an impossible feat to say the least! People are so concerned about aging and losing their good looks, they fail to realize that aging is inevitable and no matter what you do to preserve your youth and have the "perfect body", your bodies will still rot and decay after this life. Only your soul is immortal! Only your soul will live forever! The god of self is a false god and you shall have no other gods before the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The god of self is a god that will lead you straight to hell's everlasting fire! And once you're there, there will be no getting out!

Then there's the god of pleasure. Philippians 3:18–19 says, “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame; who set their mind on earthly things” This seems to be the god people worship the most. The pleasures of this world are so vast and various. Some people only find pleasure in money. They play lottery games to no end with the hope of winning big and becoming a multi, multi, millionaire. Other people find pleasure in food. They eat to no end and find solace in the food they eat. Most of these people are suffering from a past hurt. Something or someone hurt them so bad, they have turned to food to find the comfort and peace they're looking for. Only to have their "friend" turn on them and make their bodies their prisons. Health issues arise out of this so-called "comfort food". People are gaining weight at an alarming rate! They're weighing close to, if not, 600 pounds or more! That is gluttony!