## Priority One

## Exodus 20:2-3

Frightening statistics point to the breakdown of law, moral responsibility and even conscience in our world.

What has gone wrong? What has happened to this enlightened world of ours? We don't have standards any more -- or even feel we should. I believe we need a fixed standard We need goals and limitations, a strong sense of what is right and what is wrong. We need some dependable rules for right living. There is no better starting point for understanding right living than the 10 commandments.

Reasons for Studying the 10 Commandments:

1. To refresh our memory.

The Commandments divide neatly into two sections:

# 1-4 duties we owe to God - teach love for God - teach reverence for God - are vertical - instruct in doctrine

#5-10 duties we owe to people - teach love for others - teach respect for others - are horizontal - instruct in ethics

2. To reaffirm the absolutes.

(JUDG 21:25) "IN THOSE DAYS THERE WAS NO KING IN ISRAEL: EVERY MAN DID THAT WHICH WAS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES."

3. They motivate repentance.

(ROM 3:20) "THEREFORE BY THE DEEDS OF THE LAW THERE SHALL NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED IN HIS SIGHT: FOR BY THE LAW IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN."

(ROM 7:7-8) "WHAT SHALL WE SAY THEN? IS THE LAW SIN? GOD FORBID. NAY, I HAD NOT KNOWN SIN, BUT BY THE LAW: FOR I HAD NOT KNOWN LUST, EXCEPT THE LAW HAD SAID, THOU SHALT NOT COVET. {8} BUT SIN, TAKING OCCASION BY THE COMMANDMENT, WROUGHT IN ME ALL MANNER OF CONCUPISCENCE. FOR WITHOUT THE LAW SIN WAS DEAD."

4. To review God's guidelines for the good life.

(1 JOHN 5:3) "FOR THIS IS THE LOVE OF GOD, THAT WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS: AND HIS COMMANDMENTS ARE NOT GRIEVOUS."

I. God's Will for Human Lives

A. We must get back to the Word of God (rules for right living).

B. The Bible pinpoints the human dilemma and offers an answer.

1. Problem? Our self-chosen ways usually lead to destruction.

(PROV 14:12) "THERE IS A WAY WHICH SEEMETH RIGHT UNTO A MAN, BUT THE END THEREOF ARE THE WAYS OF DEATH."

2. Solution? Obeying the commands of God.

(PSA 119:172) "MY TONGUE SHALL SPEAK OF THY WORD: FOR ALL THY COMMANDMENTS ARE RIGHTEOUSNESS."

(1 JOHN 5:3) "FOR THIS IS THE LOVE OF GOD, THAT WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS: AND HIS COMMANDMENTS ARE NOT GRIEVOUS."

C. God has not left us to decide WHAT is right, but only WHETHER we will choose to walk the path He has marked for us.

D. Right living is to walk in His commands; breaking them is a form of destruction.

(1 JOHN 1:7) "BUT IF WE WALK IN THE LIGHT, AS HE IS IN THE LIGHT, WE HAVE FELLOWSHIP ONE WITH ANOTHER, AND THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST HIS SON CLEANSETH US FROM ALL SIN."

1. We really don't "break" commands, we challenge and defy them.

2. What we really break is ourselves.

(1 JOHN 3:4) "WHOSOEVER COMMITTETH SIN TRANSGRESSETH ALSO THE LAW: FOR SIN IS THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW." (ROM 6:23) "FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH; BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD."

3. Note: try defying the law of gravity and see what happens. The law remains the same, but we will be the worse for the wear.

II. Let’s Get Our Priorities Right.

(EXO 20:2-3) "I AM THE LORD THY GOD, WHICH HAVE BROUGHT THEE OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE. {3} THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME."

A. This asserts the aim of God to absolute sovereignty.

1. ‘Because of who I am’: this speaks of God's character.

2. ‘Because of what I've done’: this speaks of God’s activity.

3. Without this, no basis or foundation for other laws.

4. This demands we ask - "What is going to be the most important thing in my life?"

5. Will we live for pleasure, satisfaction of the flesh, selfish ambition, or will we live for God?

B. Three Meanings for "BEFORE ME":

1. ‘Instead of me’. We substitute something else for God.

2. ‘In front of me’. We snub God.

(EXO 20:5A) "THOU SHALT NOT BOW DOWN THYSELF TO THEM, NOR SERVE THEM: FOR I THE LORD THY GOD AM A JEALOUS GOD…"

3. ‘In addition to me’. We smother God out.

C. So the first rule for the good life: "Get our priorities right".

(MAT 6:24) "NO MAN CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS: FOR EITHER HE WILL HATE THE ONE, AND LOVE THE OTHER; OR ELSE HE WILL HOLD TO THE ONE, AND DESPISE THE OTHER. YE CANNOT SERVE GOD AND MAMMON."

(MAT 6:33) "BUT SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; AND ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU."

(COL 3:1-3) "IF YE THEN BE RISEN WITH CHRIST, SEEK THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE, WHERE CHRIST SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. {2} SET YOUR AFFECTION ON THINGS ABOVE, NOT ON THINGS ON THE EARTH. {3} FOR YE ARE DEAD, AND YOUR LIFE IS HID WITH CHRIST IN GOD."

D. The other rules annoy and frustrate until this has been dealt with successfully.

E. The Place of This Commandment for us.

1. What God asked of the Jews at Mt. Sinai, He asks of us.

2. Every major failure in our lives traces to a failure of this point.

a. False doctrines-- someone has placed his own idea(s) first.

b. Note: Is. 55:6-11

c. Sinful behavior-- wrong priorities (hurt feelings, depression)

d Lack of spirituality-- put God and His work on back burner.

e Whenever we put what WE want above what we know is right, we have broken the 1st rule of right living.

F. Jesus is either FIRST or NOTHING! (MAT 22:36-40)

1. Every aspect of a Christian's life is to find meaning in Jesus as Lord.

2. Note: Eph 6:1-9

a. Why should children obey?

b. Why should parents be patient, teach?

c. Why workers considerate?

III. If we turn away from God, we will seek the "Unholy Trinity".

Everything that competes with God for 1st place comes under one of these three headings:

(1 JOHN 2:16) "FOR ALL THAT IS IN THE WORLD, THE LUST OF THE FLESH, AND THE LUST OF THE EYES, AND THE PRIDE OF LIFE, IS NOT OF THE FATHER, BUT IS OF THE WORLD."

A. Pleasure

1. Work and duty become burdensome

2. What starts as a legitimate diversion from work can enslave our time, money, and energy so as to become sin.

3. Anything that becomes more important than our responsibilities toward God becomes a ‘god’ to us.

B. Possessions

1. When money or things rule our ambitions and thoughts, they become a ‘god’.

2 Almighty God is replaced with the almighty dollar.

3. Money is NOT the root of all evil, it is the love for money!

C. Position

1. An over-inflated ego -- taking ourself too seriously.

2. Our "rights" are all important, not being a servant to others.

3. "lust of flesh" = pleasure god "lust of eye" = possessions god "pride of life" = position god.

God is a jealous God. He wants 1st place-- or no place. He wants us to live by His rules. We need rules -- there are none better than God's. Let’s get our priorities right...NOW.