“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.”

Exodus 20:1-3

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In the Ten Commandments, 'You shall have no other gods before me,' challenges us to confront the idols in our lives that compete with our devotion to God. Anything we prioritize above God—be it money, relationships, or even our own desires—can become an idol. As we hear from Pastor Ryan Schlachter, we discover that identifying idols in our lives isn't meant to shame us, but liberate us from the promises of false loves and lead us into a deeper, more fulfilling relationship with our Creator. 

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What is the context?

• The Ten Commandments, or the “Ten Words”, along with the Sermon on the Mount are two of the moral blueprints for humanity. Almost every society has implemented expansions of the Ten Commandments and every society would flourish if they obeyed them 
• At the time the commandments were given, there were other Cuneiform laws, in surrounding nations, most famously, Hammurabi’s Code in 1755 B.C., the Code of Urukagina, 2380 B.C.; the Code of Ur-Nammu, 2050 B.C.
• The Ten Commandments stand out from other codes and laws because it addresses human relationship and our relationship with God.

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“What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.” —Tim Keller

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 ‍Reasons why we need to get rid of the idols in our lives today…‍

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‍God is Holy, idols are not‍

• The primary issue with idols is that we ascribed to God that which is reserved only for God. 
• In the story where a multitude of plagues invade Egypt, God is letting the Egyptians know that the gods that they worship have absolutely no power in light of the God of Israel.
• When we give our worship to inferior things or people, we are blatantly disrespecting God.

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‍God is for us, idols are not‍

• The very core of God’s commands is to protect his children from the things that only seek to harm. 
• Every command that God gives to us is for our benefit.
• The idols we let into our life that we think are for us are actually against us. The only true source of life and delight comes from living in communion with God.

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‍God has saved us, idols have not‍

• Idols are dangerous because they present the idea that we can be saved by them.
• Your idols are not meant to be put in a closet. They're meant to be put to death.
• God is trying to establish that any other law that comes after the first commandment is only fulfilled by the first one being honored.

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‍Additional Resources:‍

• 1 Samuel 2:2
• 1 Kings 18:21
• Isaiah 45:20

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‍Dinner Party Questions:‍

1. How might our lives change if we truly believed and lived as though God alone is holy and worthy of our worship?
2. What are some subtle idols in our lives that may be masquerading as good things, and how can we identify them?
3. How can we cultivate a desire for God that surpasses our excitement for worldly pleasures and experiences?