OPENING SCRIPTURE:

Unless the LORD BUILDS THE HOUSE, the builders labor in vain. (Psalm 127:1 NIV)

• God is the Architect. God is the God is the Builder.

The Blueprint: 2^nd Building Block

“YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FOR YOURSELF A CARVED IMAGE (Exodus 20:4 NKJ)

Don’t replace Me with something you can create.

• Whatever you can create to replace the true image God is called an idol.

Idol Definition

1. An image or representation of a god used as an object of worship. (Oxford)
2. A likeness of something: A pretender or An Impostor (Webster)
3. A false conception: A fallacy (Webster)

God created us in His image. We were designed to carry His image.

So God created man in HIS OWN IMAGE; in the IMAGE OF GOD He created him; MALE AND FEMALE HE CREATED THEM. (Genesis 1:27 NKJ)

God creates us in His image; but idolatry reverses the order and creates a false image.

2^nd commandment in full context.

“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 (Exodus 20:4, 5 NKJ)

• Israel had spent generations in Egypt surrounded by idols.
• The concern is that today’s culture we have “carved images” that can pull you away from God.
• The Golden Calf is a symbol of impatience and compromise.

Finally, he turned to Aaron and demanded, “What did these people do to you to make you bring such terrible sin upon them?”

“Don’t get so upset, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know how evil these people are. They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.’ (Exodus 32:21-23 NLT)

The people grew impatient with Moses and therefore with God.

So I told them, ‘Whoever has gold jewelry, take it off.’ When they brought it to me, I simply threw it into the fire—and out came this calf!” (Exodus 32:24 NLT)

• The people were impatience and willing to compromise.
• Impatience and Compromise can become our golden calf.

God gave us that 2^nd commandment;

• To warn us but also to help us develop a relationship with Him.

#1: GOD IS JEALOUS FOR YOU

“You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God…” (Exodus 20:5 NKJ)

Jealousy is a sin when you desire something that does not belong to you.

God is jealous for you because He is madly in love with you.

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17 NKJ)

I love you and I came for you.

#2 GOD WANTS US TO REFLECT HIM NOT REPLACE HIM

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16 NKJ)

We reflect God through the way we live

#3: GOD WANTS TO PRESERVE HIS IMAGE IN YOU.

When you are born again, God’s image in you comes to life!

Therefore, IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATION; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJ)

You no longer carry your old image, but the image of Christ.

 CONCLUSION:

What is God saying to you through this message?