← Back to sermon library

Well, you can turn in your Bibles 
to Deuteronomy chapter 5. We won't read the chapter because 
we just did. Deuteronomy is the second giving of the law. It 
was the wilderness generation that perished for their rebellion 
in the wilderness. And then by the time the children 
of Israel get to the plains of Moab, the book of Deuteronomy 
is simply a series of addresses by Moses to the children of Israel 
to prepare them for life in the land. So you have the same sort 
of emphasis, the giving of the 10 commandments in Deuteronomy 
5. and then amplification throughout the rest of the book, essentially 
on how to live in the land that God had given to them. Well, 
our focus is on the second commandment, so I'll read Deuteronomy 5, verses 
8 to 10. You shall not make for yourself 
a carved image, any likeness of anything that is in heaven 
above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water 
under the earth. You shall not bow down to them, 
nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am 
a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children 
to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing 
mercy to thousands to those who love me and keep my commandments. 
Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, thank 
you for the giving of the law. Thank you for the abiding validity 
of the law. We see Jesus and the apostles' 
treatment of it. We know it's not been suspended. 
We know it's not been abrogated. In fact, our Lord Jesus says, 
do not think that I came to abolish the law and the prophets. He 
rather came to fulfill them. And in that, we know not only 
for us in terms of a righteousness, but in terms of confirming that 
law and its abiding validity for the church today. Give us 
wisdom now, give us grace, give us the spirit and cause us to 
reflect upon who you are and cause us to reflect upon how 
you call us to worship you. We know that this is not an afterthought 
in the Bible. We know that this is one of the 
primary emphases, you dwelling with your people, your people 
worshiping you in spirit and in truth. So guide and direct 
us by that spirit now, again, forgiving us for all of our sins 
and transgressions. And we pray through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen. Well, a few weeks ago, we looked 
at the head of the church in Matthew chapter 16, and then 
the identity of the church in 1 Timothy chapter 3, and then 
the God who we worship last week in 1 Kings chapter 8 at the dedication 
of the temple. It's most important that we understand 
the who of worship, and then consider the how of worship. 
And one of the reasons behind this series of sermons is such 
that we are informed what the Bible teaches concerning God, 
concerning us, and concerning His worship, and how it is not 
our prerogative to shut that down, how it is not our prerogative 
to close that down, How it is not our prerogative to cause 
the household of God to cease functioning. Again, if there 
are bombs dropping, if there is imminent threat, if it is 
the case that every other one of us is going to die of a particular 
virus, or if it is the case that there's a lot of snow, we will 
cancel church in the interest of physical safety. But a year 
in, we understand this virus. A year in, we understand who's 
vulnerable. A year in, we understand the 
particulars involved. And so the idea that churches 
remain closed is an obvious disregard for the nature of who God is 
and how we are called to worship Him. And so I thought it would 
be helpful for us to consider that under the second commandment. 
I want to look first at the prohibition of the commandment. Secondly, 
the reasons given for the commandment. And then thirdly, the positive 
aspect of the commandment. As Reformed believers, again, 
there is a history of interpretation relating to the law of God. And 
the Reformers and our blessed forefathers saw the reality that 
many of these statements are just negative in terms. Do not 
murder. But the implication is, is that 
you do everything you can to promote life. I think one of 
the most helpful guides on the Ten Commandments is the Westminster 
Larger Catechism. So for every positive, if it's 
stated positively, there is a negative implication. For the negative 
statements in terms of worship, for instance, there is the positive 
aspect that the Bible enjoins upon us, so we'll end on that 
note. But let's first look at the prohibition 
of the commandment. In the first place, it is against 
making idols. You're not even supposed to make 
them. Certainly it treats worship, 
but also make them. Notice, you shall not make for 
yourself a carved image, any likeness of anything that is 
in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is 
in the water under the earth. Now, the reality is, is that 
some have taken this a bit too far and said God forbids all 
art. But that's not what we see in 
the old covenant. We see an emphasis on beauty. We see an emphasis 
on glory. We see an emphasis on men who 
have the spirit of God that are called to be the tabernacle builders. See, I think we think the Spirit 
of God comes upon preachers, upon missionaries. The Spirit 
of God comes upon carpenters and builders, and that's what 
we see in the Old Testament relative to the construction of the tabernacle. 
So it's not the case that God is anti-art. The emphasis is 
on don't make representations of God, don't try to picture 
God, don't try to represent God, and certainly don't bow down 
to those particular things. When we look at the second commandment, 
it is closely connected to the first, not just by numerics, 
but in terms of emphasis. Verse seven, you shall have no 
other gods before me. That is a prohibition against 
worshiping other gods. The second commandment tells 
us that you're not supposed to worship the true God falsely. In other words, it is to be the 
proper object and it's to be the proper manner. So the first 
commandment excludes the worship of Baal and Asherah and money 
and whatever it is that men, women, boys and girls worship 
today. But the second is like it and consistent with it. You 
cannot worship the true God in an improper way. It is simply 
not up to us. God doesn't say, I want you to 
be innovative, I want you to be creative, I want you to figure 
out the best way you're supposed to worship. That's not it at 
all. He commands us very clearly on how we ought to worship. So 
you see this second commandment forbids making an idol to represent 
the true God. This happened in Israel's history. 
Exodus chapter 32, while Moses is up on the mountain, Aaron 
is getting a bit impatient, or the people are getting impatient, 
so Aaron takes their gold, puts it into the fire, and out pops 
this golden calf, and Aaron ascribes to it the power of having redeemed 
them from Egypt. You have a similar situation 
in 1 Kings 12, after the division of the kingdom. Jeroboam is fearful 
at feast time. He knows that persons will leave 
the north and go down to the south in order to worship Yahweh. 
So what does Jeroboam do? He constructs calves and he constructs 
places of worship in the Northern Kingdom and he ascribes to those 
calves the power for having redeemed Israel out of Egypt. So the first 
commandment forbids having other gods. The second commandment 
forbids worshiping the true God in a false way. And again, brethren, 
the significance of this cannot be understated. It is simply 
not acceptable for what passes as Christian worship in the church 
today. It is simply not good for the 
church to offer up strange fire to Yahweh. that more and more 
pastors and more and more worship teams and more and more churches 
aren't being consumed in fire is a testimony to the long-suffering 
and the kindness of God Almighty. Because when Nadab and Abihu 
presented a strange fire, Yahweh consumed them with fire. Now, 
as we move through this particular section, we notice the theological 
rationale. It's not stated, but it's inferred, 
it's implied. The doctrine of God, or theology 
proper, demands the rejection of visible representations. That's emphasized in chapter 
4. Look at verse 11. He says, then you came near and 
stood at the foot of the mountain and the mountain burned with 
fire to the midst of heaven with darkness cloud in the thick darkness. 
And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You 
heard the sound of the words, but saw no form. You only heard 
a voice. So he declared to you his covenant, 
which he commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments, and he 
wrote them on two tablets of stone. And the Lord commanded 
me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that 
you might observe them in the land which you cross over to 
possess. Paul's not alone when he mentions in 2 Corinthians 
5 that we walk by faith and not by sight. The religion of the 
pagans was always visual. The religion of the pagans was 
always participatory. The religion of the pagans was 
typically from the waist down. The religion of Yahweh is from 
the neck up. It's about the mind. It's about 
engaging the heart. It's about hearing the word of 
God. It's not forms. It's not representations. It's 
not pictures. It's not objects. But rather, 
it is the voice of God Most High that the church is to give attention 
to. And that is the emphasis here. John Calvin mentions in 
his Institutes, the first part of the commandment restrains 
our license from daring to subject God who is incomprehensible to 
our sense perceptions or to represent Him by any form. It is to take 
the omnipresent God and to try to localize Him. It is trying 
to take the immensity of God and trying to put it in some 
sort of a manageable framework. It is trying to take something 
that is altogether unlike us and make him like us. Ever since 
God made man in his own image, man has been industriously attempting 
to try to make God into his own image. And the second commandment 
prohibits that. It forbids it. The fact is, is 
that God has spoken, and that is what we respond to. Jesus 
gives us that definitional statement concerning Yahweh in John 4, 
24. God is spirit. He is not visibly 
represented. Now, when you say, well, what 
about the Lord Jesus Christ? The Lord Jesus Christ, in terms 
of his mission, was in fact, or is in fact, the second person 
of the blessed Trinity. who took on our humanity in what 
theologians call the hypostatic union. That means divinity and 
humanity joined together, united together in one person. Now, 
if we ask the question, can we have pictures of Jesus? I would 
argue, no, you can't have pictures of Jesus. And it's just here 
that people usually say, well, he's going too far. Let me give 
you a few lines of thought. First, the second commandment 
unequivocally forbids making any likeness to represent deity. Westminster Larger Catechism 
109 says, the making of any or making any representation of 
God of all or any of the three persons. With reference to Jesus 
according to his humanity, Scripture is conspicuous that it wasn't 
anything that we would look upon. Isaiah 53, he has no form, no 
comeliness. There's nothing like a big halo. He's not got the big guns like 
Jehovah's Witness Jesus has. Typically, whatever the theological 
convictions of the particular church, that's what their Jesus 
looks like. For Roman Catholics, Jesus is 
emaciated. Jesus is still on the cross. 
Jesus is still a picture of weakness and patheticness. They celebrate 
the Passion ad nauseam. Not that we shouldn't celebrate 
the Passion, but relative to the physical sufferings of our 
Lord, Scripture doesn't get into the details that, say, for instance, 
Mel Gibson did. It doesn't get into the details 
the way that the Roman Catholic Church does. And as I mentioned, 
it is usually the theology that drives the picture with reference 
to Jesus. If you've ever looked at Jehovah's 
Witnesses literature, again, glistening, glowing Jesus, handsome, 
buffed, strapped man, coming out of the waters of baptism. 
On the other hand, weak, emaciated Jesus, whereas scripture highlights 
his physical unattractiveness. He has no form, he has no comeliness. When we see him, we don't go, 
wow, what a gorgeous man. In fact, in John's gospel, when 
Jesus asserts, before Abraham was, I am, what do the enemies 
say? You're not yet 50 years old. Well, he was about 30 to 33 at 
that particular time. They said he looked 50. I remember 
helping a brother one time, and it was basically teaching kids, 
and I asked these kids, how old do I look? And they said, 55. 
Well, I'm 54 now, but I was 40 then. I mean, come on, 40? You're 
putting me at 55? Same with Jesus, man of sorrows 
and acquainted with grief. The accent does not fall on his 
physical appearance. And anytime we try to picture 
Jesus, it reflects rather our theology, and it rather reflects 
our conception of what we'd like Jesus to be, big guns or emaciated, 
whatever the case might be. And then as well, the Bible highlights 
his unique person. Again, the hypostatic union, 
the two natures, divine and human, in the one person. That is what 
is intriguing about the person of Christ. And then the Lord 
Jesus is to be set forth universally through preaching. Turn to Galatians 
chapter 3 for just a moment. Galatians chapter 3, and hear 
the Apostle Paul. Foolish Galatians verse 1 who 
has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth Before whose 
eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you is crucified 
How did Paul do that with the Jesus film? Did he do it with 
the flannel graph? Did he do it with pictures and 
representations? He did it through the preaching 
of the gospel. That's how we set forth Christ. 
I It isn't pictures, it isn't representations, it isn't books 
with all these sorts of glowing pieces of art. It is the proclamation 
of Christ and Him crucified. Perkins says, the image also 
of the cross and Christ crucified ought to be abolished out of 
churches as the brazen serpent was. He goes on to say, if any 
man be yet desirous of images, he may have at hand the preaching 
of the gospel, a lively image of Christ crucified. Our sign 
is says, God will have his people taught, not by dumb images, but 
by the lively preaching of his word. Neither does faith come 
from the sight of images, but by the hearing of the word of 
God. See brethren, Paul had these resources at his disposal. Drama, and theater and all those 
things were very rampant in the first century. But notice what 
he says in 1 Corinthians 1 21. For since in the wisdom of God 
the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God 
through what? Through the drama of theater, 
through mime, through skit, through puppets, and all those other 
sorts of things to try to represent Jesus. No, it pleased God through 
the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. It is not accidental that God 
chose that medium because it is consistent with Deuteronomy 
4. You didn't see forms, you didn't see images, you didn't 
see representations, but rather you heard the word of God. And 
as is pointed out by these older brothers, it is faith coming 
by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. It isn't films, 
it isn't theater, it isn't pictorial representation. So the second 
commandment applies as well to Jesus Christ. And to try to image 
Christ, or to try to set forth Christ, who is unique as the 
God-man, is impossible. It is something that we simply 
cannot do on this side of His earthly ministry. Now, back to 
the second commandment, it follows. If you're not even allowed to 
make these idols, you're certainly not allowed to bow down to them. 
Verse 8, you shall not make for yourself a carved image, any 
likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in 
the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 
You shall not bow down to them, nor serve them. Now you might 
be reminded here of the Roman Catholic Church. They have images, 
they have visible representations, they have all these sorts of 
things. And they're wrong! It's one of the reasons for the 
Protestant Reformation. It's one of the reasons why Perkins 
and her sinus and Calvin said the things that they said, because 
they understood the second commandment and that the church of Rome was 
violating it at this point. And now if they said, well, we're 
just making it, but we're not bowing down and worshiping it. 
That's still a problem. In fact, they do say that. Catholic 
Encyclopedia. Images are in common use in the 
Catholic Church. The object of images is to set 
Christ, the Virgin, and the saints before our eyes. We do not worship 
the images themselves. The honor which we give these 
objects being referred to the persons whom they represent. 
Now listen to Turatin, a Reformed scholastic, that answered this. 
In dealing with a similar statement, I worship not this visible thing, 
but the divinity dwelling there invisibly. He says, neither would 
the Israelites have been idolaters to the golden calf, which they 
did not suppose to be God, for who can believe them to have 
been so stupid as to believe the work of their own hands to 
be that of God who had led them out of Egypt? They intended merely 
to form for themselves a representation of Him that they might worship 
the true God in this image. You see, if the Catholics maintain 
that, then we'll have to let the Israelites who made the golden 
calf off the hook. Well, obviously the Israelites 
who made the golden calf and the Papists who make the golden 
pictures of Jesus are equally condemned under the second commandment. You see, this is the rub. It's 
not only knowing who it is we're supposed to worship, it's listening 
to Him describe how we are to worship. We simply do not have 
the wherewithal as creatures to specify and dictate how creatures 
are to approach the God of absolute sovereignty and holiness. We 
rather need to be obedient. We rather need to be compliant. 
We rather need to be subject to the word of this God when 
it calls us to worship. So notice secondly, the reasons 
given for the commandment. And the reasons are three. First, 
the doctrine of God. Look at what it says in the middle 
of verse 9. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. The fact that the covenant Lord 
has redeemed Israel out of bondage from the house of Egypt dictates 
or necessitates they worship Him alone, and that they worship 
Him alone in the manner that He prescribes. Now, when it speaks 
of God as being a jealous God, this is something called anthropopathism. For those of you who have not 
been at our church for a time, you're probably familiar with 
the word anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphism is when the 
Bible predicates about God physical features. You'll see in Chronicles, 
for instance, the eyes of Yahweh run to and fro throughout the 
whole earth. You'll see in the prophet Isaiah, 
for instance, that Yahweh demonstrates his mighty right arm. But God 
is spirit. He doesn't have those things. 
No, it's spoken in the manner of men. It's something that does 
sort of condescend to us to help us understand. Well, when it 
comes to passions in God, that would mean there is movement 
in God and the Bible does not allow for that. God doesn't go 
from one state to another, but the Bible does accommodate itself 
to us in speaking in the manner of man so that we understand 
something about God. The fact that it says that he's 
jealous doesn't mean that he moves from one state of non-jealousy 
into the state of jealousy. Rather, it underscores the truth 
that he's righteous, that he's just, and that he brooks no rivals 
in terms of who his people worship with reference to him and, perhaps, 
somebody else. So it's what's called an improper 
predication. It's an anthropopathism to speak 
of God's jealousy. And we need to understand there's 
no movement in God from one place to another. I, the Lord, he says 
to the prophet Malachi, Do not change. James tells us in James 
1, there is no variation. There's no turning with God. 
He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But the Bible affords 
to us language that is for us in terms of accommodation so 
that we can understand those things about God. But this idea 
of him being a jealous God indicates that, as I said, he brooks no 
rivals. And I've thought about this. 
You sometimes hear non-Christians, for instance, think it's weird 
that Christians would bow to God or would worship God. Isn't 
that the whole construct? Isn't that what it's about? The 
one who made us? The one who sustains us? The 
one who governs us? And in our case, the one who 
has redeemed us? Isn't it right and appropriate that we respond 
in worship? It's a no-brainer, right? That's 
what Paul says in Romans chapter 12. Therefore, by the mercies 
of God, beloved brethren, I beseech you to present your bodies as 
living sacrifices to God. And then he goes on to say, which 
is your rational or reasonable service? In other words, it stands 
to reason that if Christ came on this rescue mission, Christ 
lived for you, Christ died for you, Christ rose again for you, 
Christ washed you with his precious blood, Christ gave you the righteousness 
that can avail with his Father. If he's done all that, what's 
the consistent response? It's worship, it's praise, it's 
adoration. Heidelberg Catechism reflects 
this. It's broken down into guilt, grace, gratitude. We're guilty, 
miserable, vile sinners. God visits us in his grace. He 
saves us by the blood of Jesus Christ. And how do we respond? 
With gratitude, with worship, with praise, with honor. And 
so the Lord God says, when it comes to this worship and praise 
and honor, I don't share that with others. He says that in 
the prophet Isaiah, I will not share my glory with another. 
There's an analogy in the husband-wife relationship. Jealousy on the 
part of a husband isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, Solomon 
assumes jealousy on the part of the husband in Proverbs chapter 
6. And he speaks about the fool that goes into another man's 
wife as receiving wounds and dishonor. Why? Because the jealous 
husband will brook no rivals. He will not let another man into 
his bed, but rather he will visit that man who has entered into 
his bed with wounds and dishonor, with a punch in the eye, with 
a punch in the nose. Solomon assumes that reality 
because it underscores for us the matter of allegiance. And 
when it comes to God Most High, the allegiance that we owe to 
Him is total. It is comprehensive. It is absolute. And so God's glory, God's being, 
God's nature is the first reason. But then notice, secondly, the 
threat of punishment. Middle of verse 9, for I, the 
Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the 
fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation 
of those who hate me. Before we look at the actual 
punishment involved, notice the gravity of the sin. So you'll 
hear people say things like, well, my motives were pure. We 
don't have pure motives, brethren. That is a lie from the pit. We 
are messed up. I don't know what's the problem 
in that proposition. We have trouble functioning as 
normal human beings in the space of a day, let alone the purity 
of motive to tell God how we're gonna worship him. But you'll 
get that, you'll get people who say, Well, we tried. We had the 
best intentions, the noble purposes, kind of like the government putting 
us in our living room and locking us down because of noble intentions 
and purposes. Yeah, but what about all the 
suicide? What about all the drug abuse? What about all the nut 
cases that are being generated as a result of them? Oh, well, 
you know, that's not as important. Our motives were pure. I'm sorry, 
brethren, I'm not buying it. I'm not buying this motives are 
pure kind of a thing. But with reference to the nature 
or the gravity of the sin, look at what God says through Moses. For I, the Lord your God, am 
a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children 
to the third and fourth generation of those, notice, who hate me. who hate me. You think it's some 
small thing to offer up strange fire? No, God says that is to 
hate me. If you don't obey God and worship 
the way that He determines, then what according to God is, is 
that that is a hatred for Him. It is to despise Him. We know 
what you've said, and we know what you've determined, and we 
know what the New Testament has, but we really want a big band. We really want religious ecstasy. We really want pastors repelling 
into pulpits with their headgear on, you know, like Spider-Man 
for the church. We want all that stuff. It doesn't 
matter what we want, brethren. It matters what God has determined. And when it comes to this principle, 
we call it the regulative principle of worship. God regulates how 
creatures approach Him. And we ought to receive that 
happily instead of trying to argue it out of scripture or 
trying to say, but in the new covenant, we have so much more 
freedom. We can do whatever it is that 
we want. Can you show me that in the new 
covenant? Can somebody pony up that passage? Because I ain't 
seen it. I've only seen that the people of God need to respond 
to God in faith and obedience. So it is to hate God when we 
attempt to worship the true God in a false manner. But then in 
terms of the threat of punishment, visiting the iniquity of the 
fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations 
of those who hate me. This is a formula that's used 
elsewhere. And then there's certainly examples 
of punishment. I think, yeah, we can do it. 
But the one thing I want to disabuse us all of this is the idea of 
a transgenerational curse. You'll sometimes hear people 
take this formula and say, well, there's a transgenerational curse. That sounds kind of weird. Now, 
a principle of hermeneutics that I've adopted is if it sounds 
kind of weird, it probably is. The Bible's not weird, brethren. The Bible is very clear. It's 
the soul who sins that shall die. It's not the case that because 
I'm an idolater, God's going to punish my grandchildren and 
my great-grandchildren and my great-great-grandchildren down 
through the ages. The emphasis falls typically 
on imitation. If I am an idolater, I'm going 
to pass that on to my children, and they're going to pass it 
on to their children. and so on and so forth. It's 
not a transgenerational curse in the sense that I've done something 
wrong and everybody issuing forth from my loins is going to suffer 
under the wrath and judgment of God. No, that's not what scripture 
teaches. Deuteronomy 24, 16 and Ezekiel 
18, it's very clear. The soul that sins shall die. It can happen. that a godless 
man can give birth, through his wife, to a godly man. The kings of Judah display that 
ad nauseam. Well, not ad nauseam. That was 
one of the problems with Judah. There were some high points, 
but for the most part, there were a bunch of wretches. So 
it's not a transgenerational curse, it is simply the idea 
that persons who display their hatred of Yahweh through false 
worship of the true and living God are going to suffer wrath 
and judgment. See, we think that when it comes 
to the law, it's the second table that really matters. It's my 
duty toward man. that really incenses God. It's 
my social justice. It's my relationship to government. It's my relationship to my wife. It's my relationship to my brethren 
around me. Certainly God values and prizes 
that second table. But the first table carries with 
it a great threat of punishment for persons that engage in idolatry, 
for persons that engage in blasphemy, for persons that engage in Sabbath 
breaking. We have a jealous God, not simply 
over the second table of the law, but over the first table 
of the law as well. And so if you hate God and it's 
displayed through false worship of the true God, then you are 
inviting the punishment and wrath of God. And then third, there 
is this promise of mercy. And notice how the mercy of God 
abounds even more than the judgment of God. We'd expect that, right? God is love, God is gracious, 
God is merciful. That's not to denigrate or take 
away from the reality that He's just and righteous and will punish 
sinners. But look at the rest of the... 
or in verse 10, "...but showing mercy to thousands, likely generations." 
showing mercy to thousands of generations, to those who love 
me and keep my commandments. So he visits iniquity of the 
fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations 
of those who hate him, but showing mercy to thousands of generations, 
to those who love him, to those who fear him, to those who observe 
his commandments and to those who do them. So with reference 
to the command, the prohibition involves not worshipping a false 
god, first commandment, but not worshipping the true God in a 
false manner, second commandment. The reasons are theological, 
first. Second, the threat of punishment. 
And third, the reward of God's mercy or grace. Not reward in 
the sense that we've deserved it, but because God has kept 
us by His grace, He continues to profusely bless us with that 
grace. Now let's end with the positive 
aspect of the command. In the first place, the Bible 
emphasizes true worship. You have it in detail in chapter 
four in the book of Deuteronomy, as well in Deuteronomy chapter 
12. The passage we'll look at in just a moment, the last statement 
in that section. But chapter 12 deals with what's 
called the central sanctuary. And the central sanctuary was 
to be the place where Israel gathered to worship God. What's 
the point of that? The point is that God didn't 
want people just to worship wherever they had a hankering. The purpose 
was to inform them and to instruct them and to prescribe for them 
the manner by which they were to worship. I mean, not that 
you couldn't on the top of a mountain praise God and adore God and 
worship God, but the idea being at that central sanctuary, it 
was regulated. It was in place. It was regimented. There was an aspect of control, 
not by Israel's priests, but by Israel's God. And so when 
it comes to that emphasis in chapter 12, it underscores for 
us clearly this idea of a regulated approach to the worship of the 
living God. So Deuteronomy 4 deals at length with the necessity. 
Deuteronomy 12 deals with the centralization of worship. And 
then as I said, we are part of the reformed tradition. And in 
the reformed tradition, one of the things that the reformers 
were trying to reform was the doctrine of the church. See, 
they had a big problem with incense. They had a big problem with the 
hats. They had a big problem with Rome's approach to the worship 
of God. There were other problems, to 
be sure. It wasn't just monolithic. One of the big things that came 
out of the Protestant Reformation was the Lord's Supper. Oftentimes, 
we don't even remember that. We don't even think about that. 
But the Lord's Supper really does show what people think concerning 
Christ. And for the Papists, they divinized 
the humanity of Christ, and you can't do that. Lutherans divinized 
the humanity of Christ, and you can't do that. So one of the 
things that the Reformers were bent on was a reformation of 
the church. Out of that reformation of the 
church came the great creeds and confessions that the Reforms 
subscribed. And in Belgic Confession, Article 
Number 29, there is a great summary statement concerning the marks 
of the church. Now, the marks of the church 
are three, not 13, not a billion, not everything under the sun. See, I think that churches have 
gone astray trying to do those things God never commanded them 
to do. And when they go out and do those 
things God never commanded them to do, guess what suffers? What 
suffers is what God actually commanded them to do. And the 
Three Marks of the Church, the Belgic Confession, sets forth. 
And the only reason I'm rehearsing this is not because I subscribe 
to the Belgic Confession as the Word of God. No, Reformed people 
subscribe to the Confessions, not insofar as they are biblical, 
but because they are biblical. And so the Three Marks are preaching, 
sacraments, and discipline. Preaching, sacraments, and discipline. Pretty limited, isn't it? Pretty 
simple. Not puppets and ponies and programs, 
not every kind of ministry for every person out. No, preaching, 
sacraments, and discipline. That's where the Bible tells 
us the church has priority. Go therefore, make disciples, 
baptize those disciples, and then teach those disciples. That's 
the marks of the church. preaching, sacraments, and discipline. So when it comes to this approach 
to worship, as I said, it's called the regulative principle of worship. 
And it's distinguished from another approach to worship, which has 
historically been called the normative principle of worship. The normative is used by Catholics, 
the normative is used by Lutherans, the normative is used by Anglicans, 
the normative is used by broader evangelical churches that basically 
do anything they want and call it worship. The normative principle 
simply says that we're free, or we must rather, obey, let 
me just read it, the normative principle, what is commanded 
is acceptable, they don't say otherwise, of course, if it's 
commanded, it's acceptable, Plus, anything not expressly forbidden 
is acceptable. That's a huge door that's tough 
to shut once you've got pastors repelling in, once you've got 
the emphasis on Superhero Jesus Sunday. That is a tough door 
to shut. The Bible doesn't exactly tell 
us not to drive motorcycles up to the pulpit, you know, and 
the pastor with his leather jacket, bring it. It doesn't say that, 
so are we free to do that? According to the normative principle, 
we are. Most of them, I don't see Anglicans 
and Papists driving their motorcycle, but it does happen or it has 
happened in evangelicalism. I mean, it's cool and hip when 
the pastor comes in on his Harley and he's got his leathers on 
and he's ready to bring it. I think nothing looks less cool 
or less hip than that, actually, than saying, you know, 55-year-old 
men acting like they're 18 or 20 and wearing skinny jeans. 
I just do not see the attraction whatsoever. So basically the 
normative principle ends here. Only what is expressly condemned 
or forbidden is prohibited. So that opens the door with reference 
to worship. Just about anything goes unless 
it's specifically forbidden or condemned. Now, in terms of what 
we call the regulative principle, it's a lot simpler. Only what 
is commanded is acceptable, and anything outside of what is commanded 
is forbidden. Very simple. Say, well, the New 
Testament doesn't give us enough information to construct a worship 
service. It most certainly does, we just 
don't like it. We like pastors on motorcycles 
wearing leathers and skinny jeans. We don't like the simple worship 
of the new covenant. And there is a distinction between 
old covenant worship and new covenant worship at that level. Old covenant worship had incense, 
it had the outfits, it had the special place. When we get into 
the new covenant, it's a lot simpler. Some of the Puritans 
answered it this way. The Jews were more carnal. They 
needed those particular things. But under New Covenant worship, 
blood-bought children of God that are dwelt by the Holy Spirit 
don't need that stuff. They walk by faith and not by 
sight. In a Roman Catholic church, you've 
got stuff all over the place. Why? Because they're walking 
by sight and not by faith. So there is a big divide between 
the regulative principle and the normative principle of worship. 
And if we ask the question, does the Bible speak to this? It does. Turn to Deuteronomy 12. Deuteronomy 
12. Verse 32. Whatever I command you, be careful 
to observe it. You shall not add to it nor take 
away from it. Pretty clear, isn't it? Crystal 
clear. Whatever I command you, be careful 
to observe it. You shall not add to it nor take 
away from it. We looked recently at Hebrews 
12 28. I'll just read that for you. Therefore, since we are 
receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace 
by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, 
for our God is a consuming fire. What is acceptable worship to 
God? It is the worship that He has 
given us. It is not whatever it is that 
our hearts might lead us to pursue. Brethren, if we follow our hearts 
and we are led to pursue what they want, we'll end up in a 
sewage pit. If we do not listen to God at 
this point, our worship services will be marked by hatred for 
God rather than by love for God. We saw 1 Timothy 3, 14 and 15. These things I write to you, 
everything prior to that. First of all, I urge that prayer, 
supplication, intercessions, and givings of thanks be made 
for all men. 1 Timothy 2. He then speaks to 
the conduct of women in the worship service. They're not supposed 
to teach or exercise authority over a man. Oh, since we're talking 
about teaching and leadership in the church, now Paul deals 
in 1 Timothy 3 with elders and with deacons. And at the end 
of that chapter, he writes to Timothy this, these things I 
write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly, but if I 
am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct 
yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living 
God, the pillar and ground of the truth. If Paul had visited 
Ephesus and Timothy would have rode his Harley up to that front 
pulpit and in his leathers and skinny jeans started to preach, 
Paul would have said, what are you doing? I didn't write so 
that you may kind of think what I want you to do, but go ahead 
and add a whole bunch of other stuff. I write so that you may 
know how you ought to conduct yourself in the church of God, 
which is the household of God, the pillar and ground of the 
truth. In other words, God's house, God's rules. That is what we need to recognize, 
and that is what we need to respond to. Benjamin Keech made the observation, 
whatsoever we do in the worship of God, we must see we have a 
command from God to warrant our practice, and also we must not 
add to, nor diminish from, nor alter anything. If we do, God 
will not hold us guiltless. He was right. That's what scripture 
tells us. That is enshrined in the second 
commandment. That is seen in Deuteronomy 12, 
32. That is seen in 1 Timothy 3. 
That is seen in Hebrews chapter 12. It is obvious and patent 
and clear. But again, it doesn't always 
thrill us. We like to have our senses roused. We like to have our experience 
level up here. We like ecstasy. The typical 
hearing and responding and obeying and doing, that's also Puritan. That's also Reform. We like the 
razzmatazz. We like to do whatever it is 
we want to do. Well, in that, you're offering 
up profane fire unto Yahweh. And as I said earlier, it is 
a testimony of His grace and patience and kindness that more 
churches aren't consumed in flames. Now, in terms of the confessional 
statement, our confession is really good here. Again, we don't 
think it is the Bible, we don't think it is inspired, we don't 
think it is infallible, but it is a good summary statement of 
those things most surely believed among us. And chapter 22, paragraph 
1, and I invite everybody who's visiting to take a copy of that 
confession. There are several on the back rack there. Take 
one. You can reflect upon these things. You can compare with 
scripture. But our confession says, the light of nature shows 
that there is a God who has lordship and sovereignty over all, is 
just, good, and does good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, 
loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served with all 
the heart and all the soul and with all the might. What is it 
saying? It's saying by virtue of the 
creator-creature distinction, the creature owes God worship. 
That's just the simple reality. It isn't the Christians who are 
duty-bound to worship God that have a problem. It is the non-Christians 
who are duty-bound to worship God that have a problem. That's 
the issue. The creator-creature distinction 
demands worship on the part of the creature toward the creator. 
Now, it goes on to define or delimit what worship must be, 
but the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by 
Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will, that He may 
not be worshipped according to the imagination and devices of 
men, nor the suggestions of Satan under any visible representations 
or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scriptures. So, if 
we look at this commandment and we hold it parallel or analogously 
to other commandments, when it comes to adultery, for instance, 
we don't say, well, as long as I don't actually go into my neighbor's 
wife, I have satisfied the requirements. No, there's a lot more contained 
in that seventh word, by implication, and as well, it is demonstrated 
or amplified in other portions of Holy Scripture. So just because 
the second commandment says you can't have puppets, ponies, and 
programs doesn't mean, well, we can't have puppets, ponies, 
and programs. No, we listen to the voice of 
God communicating in the Word of God as to how the church of 
God is to worship Him. And we're going to visit in the 
coming weeks the day that God has appointed for that worship. Again, lots of people give no 
regard to the abiding perpetuity of the fourth commandment and 
think that Sunday is all mine and I can do with it whatever 
I want. Again, you need to prove that from Scripture, because 
the God of heaven and earth is to be worshipped, and the God 
of heaven and earth has prescribed one day out of the seven for 
us to worship Him, and the Scriptures are clear at that point. Terry 
Johnson, in a great little primer on Reformed worship, he says, 
to put it simply in worship, we pray the Bible, sing the Bible, 
read the Bible and preach and see the Bible. And we see the 
Bible, not in pictures of Jesus, but we see the Bible in baptism 
and the Lord's supper. We see the Bible in those two 
ordinances or sacraments that God has given to the church, 
pictorial representations of what God in Christ has done in 
the salvation of sinners. I heard Pastor Albert N. Martin 
describe the regular principle of worship this way, nothing 
more, nothing less, and nothing else than what God has commanded 
us in the Bible. Nothing more, nothing less, and 
nothing else than what God has commanded us in the Bible. It's 
an amazing thing to me. I've observed people that are 
terrified of taking away from the Bible. But the same Solomon 
or actually Edgar that says, don't take from it, also says, 
don't add to it. We're not holier than God. We're not smarter than God. We 
cannot augment for God. We cannot supplement to help 
God. We rather listen. So it is equally 
pernicious to add to scripture as it is to take away from scripture. I think Pastor Martin hits the 
nail on the head with a good summary statement. Nothing more, 
nothing less, and nothing else than what God has commanded us 
in the Bible. Well, in conclusion, first place, 
we need to appreciate the prohibition of the command. Idolatry is a 
bad thing. Idolatry is a horrible thing. 
That's why I read Psalm 115 at the outset of worship. You know 
what the psalmist is doing there? He's mocking idolatry. They have 
eyes, but they don't see. They have ears, but they don't 
hear. They have mouths, but they don't speak. They're not like 
our Yahweh who's in the heavens and does whatever he pleases. 
But one of the things the psalmist says in verse eight there is 
that those who worship them become like them. There is a degradation 
involved to idolatry. G.K. Beale has a wonderful book 
on idolatry, and the thesis statement of that book is, what you revere, 
you resemble, either for ruin or for restoration. You give 
your heart to an idol, you take on the characteristics of the 
idol. Incidentally, Israel is upbraided throughout the Old 
Testament for having ears that don't hear, for having eyes that 
don't see. They become like the idols that 
they worship. As well, with reference to Jeroboam 
and with reference to Aaron, they make these golden calves. 
Those become the idols. Well, how many times is Israel 
upbraided for being stiff-necked? How many times is Israel upbraided 
for being stubborn, like oxes, like calves, that need a yoke 
on them to control and guide them? See, Israel had taken on 
the characteristics of that which they had worshipped, and the 
same thing obtains today. When we reject the true and living 
God, and when we pursue money, or we pursue Baal, or we pursue 
whatever it is that we will pursue, we become like the thing that 
we spend our time and energy on. One man says, Christopher 
Wright, the primal problem with idolatry is that it blurs the 
distinction between the Creator God and the creation. This both 
damages creation, including ourselves, and diminishes the glory of the 
Creator. It's no small thing, brethren. 
There is a priority in the Decalogue. Notice that the first table of 
the law is the first table of the law. The first table is our 
duty toward God. That always comes before our 
duty toward man. The Lord's Prayer is structured 
in the same way. We pray for God's name, we pray 
for God's kingdom, we pray for God's will, and then we turn 
our attention to our food, our forgiveness, and our protection. 
Matthew 6, 33 is an abiding principle for all of the people of God. 
Seek first the kingdom of God in his righteousness, and then 
these things will be added to you. God must come first to every 
creature. Those who've been redeemed by 
precious blood, it's the reflex. We respond by wanting to worship 
and not by bringing in our strange fire, not by trying to figure 
out what God would be pleased with. Isn't that a blessed thing? 
It's a tough thing for me to figure out what pleases my wife 
half the time. If I'm caught up having to figure 
out what... It's not really the case. I've 
learned her after these many years. But if it's the case that 
we have to figure out God, that's a horrible place to be in. God 
doesn't do that. He says, this is the way you're 
supposed to approach me. As well, the positive emphasis 
of the commandment. In the first place, the necessity 
of good theology proper. It's a great way to safeguard 
ourselves against idolatry, is to know the true and living God. 
If we don't know the God with whom we have to do, then we're 
going to probably engage in idolatry. As well, the required to worship 
God in an acceptable manner. And an acceptable manner is defined 
by God and not us. And then third, the blessing 
associated with that kind of worship. It may not be the Razzmatazz, 
it may not be a Metallica concert here, but praise God, we get 
to meet with Him. Praise God, we come to the Father 
through the Son, by the Spirit. Praise God that in the absence 
of electric guitars and guys shredding, we have the presence 
of Christ in the midst of His lampstand. That's what cheers 
and encourages the blood-bought children of God. It's most blessed 
and wonderful and glorious. And then the rejection of all 
will worship. Colossians 2, 20 to 23. You can 
look at that later. If you wonder what it means with 
reference to our confession when it talks about He may be worshiped 
not according to the imaginations and devices of men. Colossians 
2 to 23 gives us a bit of that. They called it will worship, 
the Puritans and the Reformers. And Edward Fisher in his Merrill 
of Modern Divinity said, and so also are all carnal imaginations 
of God in his worship, as you may see. And so also is all will 
worship or the worshiping of God according to our own fancy, 
as you may see. And then he's got passages. whatsoever 
worships are instituted by men or do any way hinder God's true 
worship, they are contrary to this commandment. And worship 
of God is that important. It is most important. We need 
to get this right or else everything we do is going to be wrong. And then the final thing, I mentioned 
this last week, I wanna just look at the passages in view. 
The problem of unbiblical worship. There is first a danger of disobeying 
God. Think Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 
10. They offer up strange fire to 
the Lord and the Lord consumes them with fire. And Moses said 
to Aaron, this is what the Lord spoke saying, by those who come 
near me, I must be regarded as holy. And before all the people, 
I must be glorified. That's axiomatic. You see, the 
first point with reference to worship isn't, what do I get 
from it? How does it serve me? How does 
it benefit me? Remember that old Democrat in 
the United States that probably would have been kicked out of 
the modern Democrat Party? JFK said, don't ask what your 
country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. 
See, in the modern church today is, what do I get? How do I get 
served? Churches advertise and engage 
communities that way. We have this, and we have that, 
and we have this, and we have that, and we have this, and we 
have that, and we have this. Come and patronize us. We got preaching, 
sacraments, and discipline. That's what we're supposed to 
have. And that, brethren, is where 
safety is. Secondly, the danger associated 
with disregarding God. You see that in Deuteronomy 4.24 
and Hebrews 12.29. That emphasis on our God is a 
consuming fire. Thirdly, the danger associated 
with the demoting of God. seeing God as less, seeing God 
as inferior, seeing others as head of the church instead of 
King Jesus Christ. That is to demote God when we 
submit to Caesar in a matter that Caesar doesn't have the 
right to determine. We need not demote God. We need rather to obey God. And 
then the final thing is the blessed declaration of the Savior when 
he describes eternal life in this way. This is eternal life, 
that they may know Thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ 
whom Thou hast sent. Brethren, worship is about Him. He lets us benefit. There are 
corollaries to be sure, but the primary emphasis, what the church 
brings to the world is a call to worship that one who is altogether 
lovely and chief among 10,000. Let us pray. Our Father, we thank 
you for your word and we thank you for its clarity at the point 
of worship. I pray that you would encourage 
and strengthen us as a worshiping body. I pray that you would strengthen 
and encourage other churches that are worshiping bodies and 
that all throughout the earth you would receive glory and praise 
and adoration, not only from creatures, but from redeemed 
creatures, those who have been blood-bought by the Son of God. And I pray that any and all here 
that are not looking unto Jesus Christ in faith, that they would 
do so, that they would believe on Him, that they would know 
the joy of being found in Him, not having their own righteousness 
which is from the law, but that righteousness which is given 
freely by you and received by faith alone. Go with us now, 
help us to call this day a delight, and help us to enjoy the good 
things of our blessed God. And we pray in Jesus' name, amen.