100:00:00,920 –> 00:00:10,600You see God could have said I am Yahweh your creator. I own the cosmos. I have more power200:00:10,600 –> 00:00:16,360than a million nuclear bombs, so you’d better knuckle under and worship me. He could have300:00:16,360 –> 00:00:19,160said that but it’s not what he says.400:00:19,160 –> 00:00:24,000Welcome to open the Bible with pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick. I’m glad you could500:00:24,000 –> 00:00:28,719be with us today and Colin, that’s not what God said, so in fact, what did he say?600:00:29,320 –> 00:00:34,080Yeah, he does not appeal to his people on the basis of power, but on the basis of love.700:00:34,080 –> 00:00:37,959And the point is he could, I mean, he could come and simply say look, I’ve got all the800:00:37,959 –> 00:00:44,160power so you better submit. But what he says to his people is I am the Lord your God who900:00:44,160 –> 00:00:49,980brought you out of the Land of Egypt. So, he points to his redeeming love to his goodness1000:00:49,980 –> 00:00:53,939and to his kindness and of course, that takes us right into the New Testament. Because these1100:00:53,939 –> 00:00:58,400are not two different stories. The one leads to the other and you know where this is going1200:00:58,400 –> 00:01:04,300that the reason that God appeals to us in Jesus Christ to lay down our lives and to1300:01:04,300 –> 00:01:10,459follow him whatever the cost is that that is precisely what he has done in unfathomable1400:01:10,459 –> 00:01:14,639love for us in Jesus. When we realise that and appreciate the full1500:01:14,639 –> 00:01:20,220extent of that, that will lead us to the beginning of our understanding of him and our worship1600:01:20,220 –> 00:01:22,879flows from that. That’s right. And you see, I think there1700:01:22,879 –> 00:01:26,660are an awful lot of people, and perhaps even as you are listening right now you may say1800:01:26,860 –> 00:01:32,699this is me, I’ve heard lots of commandments, I’ve heard lots of calls to live this kind1900:01:32,699 –> 00:01:36,339of life and I ought to be this, and I should do that, and all the rest of it.2000:01:36,339 –> 00:01:42,500But have you really felt the weight of the love of Jesus Christ?2100:01:42,500 –> 00:01:49,519Have you really glimpsed the extent of His love for you as you see it in Jesus Christ2200:01:49,519 –> 00:01:55,260hanging on the cross in order to redeem you, in order to save you?2300:01:55,760 –> 00:02:01,059So it’s on the basis of that love that God comes without stretched arms and appeals to2400:02:01,059 –> 00:02:06,879us, to come to Him and to be His people and to enter into a life that is given for our2500:02:06,879 –> 00:02:10,880good, that’s the marvellous thing, there isn’t a better life to live than this.2600:02:10,880 –> 00:02:15,979The opposite of this life is a disaster in time and it’s worse in eternity but here’s2700:02:15,979 –> 00:02:20,740the redeemer who says, come to me and follow me and He appeals to us in love.2800:02:20,740 –> 00:02:25,240We’re going to take time to look further into that so join us if you can in the Book2900:02:25,380 –> 00:02:30,399of Exodus chapter three as we continue the message, Your Struggle With God.3000:02:30,399 –> 00:02:30,919Here’s Colin.3100:02:30,919 –> 00:02:38,119The Creator Himself, who has all power and is accountable to and subject to nobody,3200:02:38,119 –> 00:02:43,600does not make His appeal to you on the basis of raw power like some dictator.3300:02:43,600 –> 00:02:52,600But he comes to you and appeals as the gracious God who extends mercy towards you.3400:02:53,119 –> 00:02:53,880Think about that.3500:02:53,880 –> 00:02:56,440It’s awesome.3600:02:56,440 –> 00:03:04,919I am Yahweh, your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt he says to these folks.3700:03:04,919 –> 00:03:14,039When you cried out, nobody else was listening, but I was.3800:03:14,039 –> 00:03:19,440Nobody else saw a future for you but I did.3900:03:19,460 –> 00:03:25,160I came down to help you and I didn’t do it because there was some pressure on me coming4000:03:25,160 –> 00:03:26,479from somewhere to do that.4100:03:26,479 –> 00:03:29,300I did it because it pleased me.4200:03:29,300 –> 00:03:32,179He’s good.4300:03:32,179 –> 00:03:34,880He’s good.4400:03:34,880 –> 00:03:43,820You know, you will never be ready to embrace God fully until you’ve come to the conclusion4500:03:43,820 –> 00:03:47,119that he’s good.4600:03:47,479 –> 00:03:52,240That’s why knowing him through Jesus Christ, you see, is the very foundation of the commandments.4700:03:52,240 –> 00:03:54,639It’s the beginning of this struggle.4800:03:54,639 –> 00:04:00,059It’s where this whole life begins.4900:04:00,059 –> 00:04:08,000We may submit to raw power, but we will never love raw power.5000:04:08,000 –> 00:04:12,520That’s why it’s so significant that God brings us into a relationship of love.5100:04:13,220 –> 00:04:15,320See there is all the difference in the world.5200:04:15,320 –> 00:04:21,279Think about this, there’s all the difference in the world between a kidnapper and a lover.5300:04:21,279 –> 00:04:32,799A kidnapper may say you are mine on the basis of power, but a lover says you are mine on5400:04:32,799 –> 00:04:35,839the basis of affection.5500:04:35,839 –> 00:04:39,779All the difference in the world.5600:04:39,940 –> 00:04:48,820One writer I think very provocatively describes the Ten Commandments as pillow talk.5700:04:48,839 –> 00:04:51,420Think about that.5800:04:51,420 –> 00:04:54,720Pillow talk.5900:04:54,720 –> 00:05:00,579Because we’re light years away from the courtroom in which sterile power is exercised.6000:05:00,739 –> 00:05:07,540We’re in the intimacy of a love relationship.6100:05:07,540 –> 00:05:15,779In which Yahweh, who has come down and reached out to make us his own, says, you’re mine6200:05:15,779 –> 00:05:20,959and I want you to know me and I want you to walk with me throughout the course of your6300:05:20,959 –> 00:05:21,959life.6400:05:21,959 –> 00:05:25,239And to enter into all the goodness that I have planned for you.6500:05:25,899 –> 00:05:33,440It’s the talk of the lover who has won the affection of the loved and now embraces her6600:05:33,440 –> 00:05:38,000and says, you are mine.6700:05:38,000 –> 00:05:43,859Why should we make Yahweh our God?6800:05:43,859 –> 00:05:47,760Because he’s God and because he’s good.6900:05:47,760 –> 00:05:50,339And of course we see that.7000:05:50,339 –> 00:05:59,000We see that even more clearly in Jesus because in the new testament the I am took flesh and7100:05:59,000 –> 00:06:03,940came down to rescue us.7200:06:03,940 –> 00:06:05,820That’s what the coming of Jesus Christ is all about.7300:06:05,820 –> 00:06:10,579That’s why he says before Abraham was I am.7400:06:10,579 –> 00:06:14,420That’s why he says I am the bread of life.7500:06:14,420 –> 00:06:19,100That’s why he says I am the way and the truth and the life and no one comes to know God7600:06:19,820 –> 00:06:23,260except by me.7700:06:23,260 –> 00:06:31,619You had no way out of a future of hell itself except that I came down and I gave myself7800:06:31,619 –> 00:06:32,619for you.7900:06:32,619 –> 00:06:38,339Let me introduce myself to you he says and he holds out his hands and there are nail8000:06:38,339 –> 00:06:41,220prints in them.8100:06:41,220 –> 00:06:45,220Why would I follow Jesus?8200:06:45,220 –> 00:06:48,500Because he’s God.8300:06:48,500 –> 00:06:49,899Because he’s good.8400:06:49,899 –> 00:06:53,059He’s Yahweh with us.8500:06:53,059 –> 00:07:00,200That’s a motivation and if we’re really going to get into this climb it’s very important8600:07:00,200 –> 00:07:03,440that we’ve got it absolutely clear as to why we’re doing it because we’re going to face8700:07:03,440 –> 00:07:06,980some difficult struggles on this rock face.8800:07:06,980 –> 00:07:10,440We need to know why we’re climbing.8900:07:10,440 –> 00:07:16,600And moving on if that’s your motivation that we pursue this God because he is God and because9000:07:16,600 –> 00:07:17,959he is good.9100:07:17,959 –> 00:07:22,839Then let’s see secondly that our calling is to a life of loving loyalty.9200:07:22,839 –> 00:07:29,760This God introduces himself and now he says to us you shall have no other gods before9300:07:29,760 –> 00:07:31,279me.9400:07:31,279 –> 00:07:36,079You’re calling in mine is to give ourselves to a life of loving loyalty to the God who9500:07:36,079 –> 00:07:40,640loved us and gave himself for us.9600:07:40,640 –> 00:07:44,339And of course you will see then further that the first commandment is really a natural9700:07:44,380 –> 00:07:46,339response of gratitude.9800:07:46,339 –> 00:07:54,519It is gratitude to the grace of god in Jesus Christ that has come down and it’s reached9900:07:54,519 –> 00:07:55,820me.10000:07:55,820 –> 00:08:00,059And therefore I respond and I say how could I put anyone else or anything else in the10100:08:00,059 –> 00:08:04,059place of you oh Lord?10200:08:04,059 –> 00:08:07,399What does it mean in practice to keep the first commandment?10300:08:07,500 –> 00:08:10,140Let me make three suggestions.10400:08:10,980 –> 00:08:15,260First it involves cultivating your affection for him.10500:08:15,260 –> 00:08:18,880No other gods before me.10600:08:18,880 –> 00:08:25,839That’s going to mean thinking about him, remembering him, appreciating him, honoring10700:08:25,839 –> 00:08:30,739him, choosing him, loving him, desiring him, fearing him.10800:08:30,739 –> 00:08:33,719It’s going to mean believing Him, it’s going to mean trusting Him.10900:08:33,719 –> 00:08:38,260It’s going to mean hoping in him, it’s going to be delighting in him.11000:08:38,340 –> 00:08:43,380It’s going to mean being zealous for him, it’s going to mean calling upon his name,11100:08:43,380 –> 00:08:48,520it’s going to mean giving thanks to him in all things.11200:08:48,520 –> 00:08:54,559It means giving him more weight in your life than anything else.11300:08:54,559 –> 00:09:00,340It means that if you face a decision in which every inclination of your heart is to say11400:09:00,340 –> 00:09:08,140no, but honoring God means saying yes, that you say yes because honoring God counts more11500:09:08,340 –> 00:09:11,039to you than every inclination of your heart.11600:09:11,039 –> 00:09:17,960That’s of course, what thousands and thousands and thousands of Christians have done when11700:09:17,960 –> 00:09:24,960they’ve gone to prison and sometimes died for the sake of the name of Jesus.11800:09:26,940 –> 00:09:32,359They are living the first commandment.11900:09:32,359 –> 00:09:34,119Cultivate your affection for him.12000:09:34,119 –> 00:09:37,880That’s why we gather here in worship.12100:09:37,880 –> 00:09:42,280Because as in any relationship of love, that needs to be renewed and replenished.12200:09:42,280 –> 00:09:48,119And in the place of worship my love for him is strengthened.12300:09:48,119 –> 00:09:51,440Second, it means turning from all that offends him.12400:09:51,440 –> 00:09:58,440Now I found it helpful to identify some of the sins that break the first commandment,12500:09:59,200 –> 00:10:00,820because they displace God.12600:10:00,820 –> 00:10:06,419You see, anything that puts someone or something else on the throne of my life, puts them in12700:10:06,419 –> 00:10:11,400a controlling position breaks the first commandment, because God alone belongs there.12800:10:11,400 –> 00:10:14,780You shall love no other gods before me.12900:10:14,780 –> 00:10:19,520So here would be some things that were sins that break the first commandment.13000:10:19,520 –> 00:10:25,359Number one, pride, that puts me on the throne, doesn’t it?13100:10:25,359 –> 00:10:36,460co-worship, infatuations, allowing other people to bind your conscience and manipulate you13200:10:36,460 –> 00:10:41,200so that you no longer think for yourself.13300:10:41,200 –> 00:10:49,500Consulting the devil, mediums, spiritus, or fortune-tellers, superstition, it seems to13400:10:49,500 –> 00:10:55,739look for another power to guide me and what’s going to work out for me today.13500:10:55,739 –> 00:11:00,520Impatience with God, which means I want something that he’s not yet given more than I want13600:11:00,520 –> 00:11:01,659himself.13700:11:01,659 –> 00:11:05,380Complaining about his providence.13800:11:05,380 –> 00:11:09,359Teaching or believing that all religions lead to God, which is a way of saying that all13900:11:09,359 –> 00:11:12,880gods are the same and putting them all on the same level.14000:11:12,880 –> 00:11:16,219Unbelief, distrust, or despair.14100:11:16,219 –> 00:11:18,460You say despair?14200:11:18,460 –> 00:11:23,919How can you despair if the Lord is your God?14300:11:23,919 –> 00:11:32,380See, despair always arises when there’s something else that I want and I’ve decided that I14400:11:32,380 –> 00:11:38,059won’t get it and what that means is if I despair that I put that thing that I wanted14500:11:38,059 –> 00:11:41,440and I’ve decided I won’t get in the place of God and therefore I despair because I’m14600:11:41,440 –> 00:11:43,039not getting it!14700:11:43,039 –> 00:11:47,299I have to tell you, the more I thought about this, the more I’ve seen that this First14800:11:47,419 –> 00:11:52,000Commandment is absolutely liberating.14900:11:52,000 –> 00:11:58,599Some of us desperately need to be released from infatuations, from relationships in which15000:11:58,599 –> 00:12:04,619some other person is controlling and manipulating.15100:12:04,619 –> 00:12:09,659This will deliver you from the overbearing parent, from the dominating friend, from the15200:12:09,659 –> 00:12:13,979manipulative religious leader.15300:12:13,979 –> 00:12:18,219This is the very basis of our rejection of tyranny.15400:12:18,219 –> 00:12:19,739No other God’s before me.15500:12:19,739 –> 00:12:23,380This therefore is the very foundation of freedom.15600:12:23,380 –> 00:12:28,700And our country wants to move away from it!15700:12:28,700 –> 00:12:35,340See, the values and the blessings we enjoy come from somewhere and they’re rooted right15800:12:35,340 –> 00:12:37,359here in the First Commandment.15900:12:37,359 –> 00:12:39,020And why would we embrace this God?16000:12:39,020 –> 00:12:40,739Because he’s God and because he’s good.16100:12:40,799 –> 00:12:43,460Every good that we enjoy comes from here.16200:12:43,460 –> 00:12:48,200You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called Your16300:12:48,200 –> 00:12:53,299Struggle with God, part of our series The 10 Greatest Struggles of Your Life.16400:12:53,299 –> 00:12:57,299Don’t forget, if you ever miss one of the series – you can always catch up or go back16500:12:57,299 –> 00:12:59,419and listen again, online.16600:12:59,419 –> 00:13:05,539Come to our website, openthebible.org.uk, or follow us on your favorite podcast site16700:13:05,700 –> 00:13:11,539by searching for Open the Bible UK or indeed follow the link from our website.16800:13:11,539 –> 00:13:15,500Open the Bible is supported by our listeners and later in the program I’ll be talking16900:13:15,500 –> 00:13:20,580to Open the Bible’s Amanda Cunningham about our special offer this month, so I hope you’ll17000:13:20,580 –> 00:13:22,140stay with us for that.17100:13:22,140 –> 00:13:25,179Back to the message now, we’re in Exodus chapter 3.17200:13:25,179 –> 00:13:26,179Here’s Colin.17300:13:26,179 –> 00:13:28,659You shall have no other gods before Me.17400:13:28,659 –> 00:13:32,659It’s going to mean cultivating our affection for him.17500:13:33,280 –> 00:13:36,159It’s going to mean turning away from all that offends him.17600:13:36,159 –> 00:13:39,400Thirdly it’s going to mean subjecting everything to him.17700:13:40,460 –> 00:13:42,580You shall have no other gods before me.17800:13:43,320 –> 00:13:46,179Say well what other gods?17900:13:46,179 –> 00:13:49,960I mean the stuff about the history of world religion is all very interesting and we can18000:13:49,960 –> 00:13:54,580see its application across the scene of the world today but frankly we’re here because18100:13:54,580 –> 00:13:55,580we’re Christians.18200:13:55,580 –> 00:13:59,960None of us are going to have a secret worship session for Baal or Marduk or any other God18300:13:59,960 –> 00:14:01,119this week.18400:14:02,020 –> 00:14:09,640Well there are plenty of other gods, plenty of other powers that can be placed on the18500:14:09,640 –> 00:14:11,340throne of your life.18600:14:11,340 –> 00:14:22,299Dr. Jim Packer makes some suggestions and noticing that God is a trinity, a tri-unity18700:14:22,299 –> 00:14:28,820of persons he suggests some other trinities that vie to take his place.18800:14:29,119 –> 00:14:31,880Here are three.18900:14:31,880 –> 00:14:40,679Sex, sheckles and stomach, the unholy trinity, he says.19000:14:40,679 –> 00:14:51,679Pleasure, possessions, position, football, the firm, and the family.19100:14:51,679 –> 00:14:58,039There’s a few trinities there that vie for the place of God in our lives.19200:14:58,059 –> 00:14:59,039Let me ask this question.19300:14:59,039 –> 00:15:02,940What dominates your thoughts, your goals and your conversation?19400:15:02,940 –> 00:15:05,039What really is the first love of your life?19500:15:05,039 –> 00:15:08,659What is the biggest affection of your heart?19600:15:08,659 –> 00:15:12,960That is your God.19700:15:12,960 –> 00:15:20,440Now, as you think through Packer’s examples, sex, sheckles, stomach, pleasure, possessions,19800:15:20,440 –> 00:15:24,479positions, football, the firm, and the family, every one of these is a good gift from God,19900:15:24,479 –> 00:15:27,159every one of them.20000:15:27,200 –> 00:15:33,760The problem for us arises when we take the gifts and we put the gifts in the place of20100:15:33,780 –> 00:15:35,840the giver.20200:15:35,840 –> 00:15:39,179That is idolatry.20300:15:39,179 –> 00:15:44,859To boil this down, I was very moved earlier this summer when our High School Ministry20400:15:44,859 –> 00:15:50,840had a farewell for seniors, and we were treated in the course of a marvelous evening to a20500:15:50,840 –> 00:15:55,059video in which we saw pictures of each of the seniors who were graduating from High20600:15:55,200 –> 00:16:00,440School this summer, along with a note about their favorite memory, and what they would20700:16:00,440 –> 00:16:03,419like written as their epitaph.20800:16:03,419 –> 00:16:08,039And as you can imagine, there were some very funny ones, there were some very good ones.20900:16:08,039 –> 00:16:11,099There was one that I will never forget.21000:16:11,099 –> 00:16:18,460It was written by one of our students, now at college, who achieved outstanding success21100:16:18,460 –> 00:16:22,700as a senior in his high school football team.21200:16:22,739 –> 00:16:26,700This is what he suggested, for his epitaph.21300:16:27,539 –> 00:16:34,179Football was his game, it wasn’t his life.21400:16:35,919 –> 00:16:39,859I think that is brilliant, from an 18 year old.21500:16:39,859 –> 00:16:47,559And it came from a lad who’s trying to live the first commandment.21600:16:47,559 –> 00:16:50,179And it’s a struggle.21700:16:50,179 –> 00:16:55,520He’s climbing the wall, he’s faced all kinds of pressures.21800:16:57,760 –> 00:17:02,299Some of us as parents have had to make tough decisions frankly in this sphere, have we not?21900:17:03,979 –> 00:17:09,500We’ve had to sit down with our kids and work out what really matters as a primary value in our life.22000:17:09,500 –> 00:17:19,479And where is the place of God fitted into the agenda or is he to be on the throne of our lives?22100:17:21,040 –> 00:17:24,959And sometimes that struggle is harder for the parents than for the kids.22200:17:26,920 –> 00:17:31,420You shall have no other gods before me.22300:17:33,239 –> 00:17:36,339So now we’re going to come to the challenge in these last moments.22400:17:36,339 –> 00:17:42,160Your challenge is to embrace Him unconditionally.22500:17:42,160 –> 00:17:45,800You shall have no other gods before me.22600:17:47,699 –> 00:17:49,680Now this is where we come to a step of faith.22700:17:50,400 –> 00:17:54,400A step of faith that God invites every one of us to take on the basis of trust.22800:17:54,400 –> 00:18:00,959He’s God, He’s good, are you ready to embrace Him today unconditionally?22900:18:01,660 –> 00:18:03,780That’s the question.23000:18:03,780 –> 00:18:10,280Rather like the marriage service, God invites us to commit ourselves to Him for better or23100:18:10,280 –> 00:18:16,339for worse, for richer or for poorer in sickness and in health and forsaking all other to cling23200:18:16,520 –> 00:18:23,520only to Him not until death parts us but until death brings us into His immediate presence.23300:18:24,520 –> 00:18:30,880By the way it is a wonderful foundation for marriage if you will make that kind of commitment23400:18:30,880 –> 00:18:31,880to God.23500:18:31,880 –> 00:18:36,260I ask you to think about this, if you can’t make that kind of unconditional commitment23600:18:36,260 –> 00:18:40,819to God how are you going to sustain an unconditional commitment to anyone else?23700:18:41,579 –> 00:18:50,280If we lose the capacity of unconditional commitment here it will not exist anywhere else.23800:18:50,280 –> 00:18:53,060Of course.23900:18:53,060 –> 00:18:56,680People who want negotiated contracts with God want negotiated contracts with everyone24000:18:56,680 –> 00:18:59,680else.24100:18:59,680 –> 00:19:06,040This is a step of commitment based on trust and that is what faith is.24200:19:06,400 –> 00:19:19,239Sometimes when my wife as come home with a surprise some kind of gift or something, she24300:19:19,239 –> 00:19:25,319said to me on occasion, close your eyes and hold out your hand.24400:19:25,319 –> 00:19:27,400Do I ask you?24500:19:27,400 –> 00:19:32,400Close your eyes and hold out your hand?24600:19:32,619 –> 00:19:37,060This makes me vulnerable, but I do it.24700:19:39,819 –> 00:19:46,540If a stranger in Chicago came up to me, tapped me on the shoulder and said, hey, close your24800:19:46,540 –> 00:19:48,079eyes and hold out your hand.24900:19:48,079 –> 00:19:50,520Do you think I’d do it?25000:19:50,520 –> 00:19:54,280Not a chance.25100:19:54,280 –> 00:20:00,680When Jesus said to the first disciples follow me, not one of them knew where it was leading.25200:20:01,459 –> 00:20:03,839And frankly, when Jesus says to you follow me, you don’t know either.25300:20:03,839 –> 00:20:06,959You don’t know what kind of scrapes you’re going to get into, what kind of challenges25400:20:06,959 –> 00:20:10,560and decisions you’re going to have to face, what kind of sacrifices you’re going to make.25500:20:10,560 –> 00:20:14,439You commit yourself unconditionally to him, you might end up the other side of the world.25600:20:14,439 –> 00:20:16,439You may end up with some tough scrapes.25700:20:16,439 –> 00:20:20,699It may cost you your life.25800:20:20,699 –> 00:20:27,160But God is calling you and me to a commitment that is based on trust.25900:20:27,439 –> 00:20:32,199Because you know that he’s God, because you know that he’s good.26000:20:32,199 –> 00:20:34,219And that’s faith.26100:20:34,660 –> 00:20:37,060You shall have no other gods before me.26200:20:37,060 –> 00:20:40,880Your challenge is to embrace God unconditionally.26300:20:40,880 –> 00:20:47,479No ifs, no buts, no whens, because if you put an if, a but or a when in there, you have26400:20:47,479 –> 00:20:51,000put the if, but or when in the place of God.26500:20:51,000 –> 00:20:56,760If you say yes, if you give me my health, you’ve put your health in the place of God.26600:20:56,760 –> 00:21:00,660If you say yes, if you bless my family, you’ve put your family in the place of God.26700:21:00,660 –> 00:21:06,339If you say yes, when I’ve resolved this problem that I’m struggling on, you’ve put the problem26800:21:06,339 –> 00:21:08,619in the place of God.26900:21:09,739 –> 00:21:13,439So do you see why the first commandment is such a struggle?27000:21:14,160 –> 00:21:16,939Well the more I’ve looked at it, the more deeply convinced I have become.27100:21:16,939 –> 00:21:20,680This is a lifelong struggle and it’s much harder than I thought.27200:21:20,680 –> 00:21:26,920You can look at a cliff face from a distance and say, you know I could climb that.27300:21:26,920 –> 00:21:32,119But when you get up close to the first commandment you realize it’s much tougher than you ever27400:21:32,119 –> 00:21:33,119thought.27500:21:34,420 –> 00:21:38,060And so it won’t be long when you get to this first commandment before you’re saying, you27600:21:38,060 –> 00:21:41,119know, we’ve just started and I’m not for won.27700:21:42,219 –> 00:21:44,420And I’m going to need a little bit of help.27800:21:45,040 –> 00:21:47,959And it’s right there that we reach out to Jesus.27900:21:48,719 –> 00:21:54,400I need help, Jesus, deliver me, save me.28000:21:54,400 –> 00:21:56,699That’s a great way to come to him.28100:21:57,599 –> 00:22:02,699Ask Him to create a new and intense love for God within you.28200:22:03,880 –> 00:22:08,640And then you’ll be able to pray like this, the dearest idol I have known, whatever that28300:22:08,640 –> 00:22:17,180idol be, help me to take it from your throne and worship only Thee.28400:22:18,359 –> 00:22:22,739You’ve been listening to Open The Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and our message called28500:22:22,739 –> 00:22:24,400Your Struggle with God.28600:22:24,400 –> 00:22:28,439It’s part of our series, The 10 Greatest Struggles of Your Life.28700:22:28,439 –> 00:22:33,140Our look at the ten commandments and why they are relevant to our lives today.28800:22:33,140 –> 00:22:36,680If you’ve missed any of the series, or if you want to go back and listen again, you28900:22:36,680 –> 00:22:43,000can always do that by coming online to our website openthebible.org.uk or you can find29000:23:43,479 –> 00:23:45,760take you through the Bible narrative.29100:23:45,760 –> 00:23:49,260Well, Drive Through The Bible follows on from that.29200:23:49,260 –> 00:23:56,359It’s a 30 day journey of just 5 minutes per day, exploring the landscape of the entire29300:23:56,359 –> 00:23:58,079Bible story.29400:23:58,079 –> 00:24:03,479It brings you into the valleys of the Old Testament with chapters such as curse, covenant29500:24:03,479 –> 00:24:04,699and Chaos.29600:24:04,699 –> 00:24:10,300It then moves on to the peaks of the Glory of Jesus as we look at how he suffered, rose29700:24:10,300 –> 00:24:12,359and is now waiting.29800:24:12,479 –> 00:24:18,140And finally, the ups and downs of the Christian life with chapters such as conflict, joy and29900:24:18,160 –> 00:24:19,160death.30000:24:19,160 –> 00:24:24,219It also includes a short study guide at the back of the book to help you apply the truths30100:24:24,219 –> 00:24:25,660that you’ve learned.30200:24:25,660 –> 00:24:30,439You can use the questions on your own, or as part of a study group, sharing the 30 day30300:24:30,439 –> 00:24:32,380journey together.30400:24:32,380 –> 00:24:37,760We are giving you this book for free in May when you set up a new Direct Debit of at least30500:24:37,760 –> 00:24:42,180£5, or give a one-off gift of at least £50.30600:24:42,359 –> 00:24:43,199Thanks Amanda.30700:24:43,199 –> 00:24:48,540So, Drive Thru the Bible is our gift to you for setting up a New Direct Debit this month30800:24:48,540 –> 00:24:51,060to the work of Open the Bible.30900:24:51,060 –> 00:24:55,400Full terms and conditions are on our website, and you can give online.31000:24:55,400 –> 00:24:59,939For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick and I hope you’ll join us again31100:24:59,939 –> 00:25:00,660next time.31200:25:01,079 –> 00:25:08,079Many people say that they find icons or images of Jesus helpful, find out why these things31300:25:16,260 –> 00:25:18,719always obscure more than they reveal.31400:25:18,719 –> 00:25:21,400That’s next time on, Open the Bible.