Exodus chapter 20, verses 4 to 6. For the sake of the context, let's begin reading at verse 1. Exodus 20, beginning at verse 1. And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or 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, thou shall not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them. For I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. Amen. May the Lord add his blessing to the reading of his word. last Lord's Day, with the help of the Shorter Catechism, that the first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God, to be the only true God and our God, and to worship and glorify Him accordingly. The triune Jehovah is the only right object of worship. We're not to worship creatures or angels, Mary, saints, or idols, but we are to worship Jehovah alone. And the living and the true God is Triune, one God in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And then notice how the first commandment ends in verse 3, "...thou shalt have no other gods before me." And so we read in the Shorter Catechism, question and answer 48, what are we especially taught by these words, before me? in the first commandment. Answer? These words before me in the first commandment teach us that God who seeth all things taketh notice of and is much displeased with the sin of having any other god. And so when the Lord says, thou shalt have no other gods before me, since God is present everywhere, since he's omnipresent and his understanding is infinite, therefore the Lord sees when we Take to ourselves gods that are false, instead of worshiping the only living and true God. God is displeased with the sin of having any other god. Let me show a few passages to encourage us. Deuteronomy chapter 30, if you would turn there with me. Deuteronomy 30. The Lord sees all things and he's much displeased with the sin of having any other God. Deuteronomy 30, and starting in verse 17. But if thine heart turn away so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, Listen, verse 18, I denounce unto you this day that ye shall surely perish and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land whither thou passed over Jordan to go to possess it. Notice what Jehovah is saying. If your heart turns away to serve other gods, well, other people don't know what's in my heart or what's in your heart, but the Lord does, right? The Lord sees what is in our hearts. So even in our hearts, if we turn away from the living God, if we create idols or if we worship idols, something other than the living and the true God instead of or alongside him, the Lord will see. The Lord sees what's in the deepest recesses of our hearts, and he is much displeased with the sin of idolatry. And then if you turn to Psalm 44, Psalm 44, Verses 20 and 21, if we have forgotten the name of our God or stretched out our hands to a strange God, verse 21, shall not God search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart. If we turn to false gods, will the Lord not know it? He knows the secrets of our hearts. Nothing is hidden from the Lord, who takes notice of all things. And He is much displeased with the sin of having any other God. Why? Because He's a jealous God. He's jealous for His own worship, and He will not share His glory with idols. He is Jehovah, the only true and living God. So with that, as we now come to the second commandment. We see here something important. The first commandment is about who to worship, who is the proper and only right object of worship. But what is the second commandment about? The second commandment is about how to worship the living and the true God. So in the first commandment, we're commanded to not worship a false god, but in the second commandment, We're told that we're not to worship the true God in a false way. Do not worship the true God in a false way. The first commandment requires us to have the right object of worship, the triune Jehovah alone. The second commandment requires us to worship the living and the true God according to the means which he has appointed in his word. Which, by necessity, means this. Worship is limited to God's revealed will. True worship is regulated by and limited to God's revealed will. You see, we're made to worship, right? Every one of us, we are created to worship, to worship the living and the true God. Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Worship is our supreme duty. And every person on this planet is a worshiper. We either worship the living and the true God or we worship an idol. We're either true worshipers or we are idolaters, but every person is a worshiper. The only way for us to worship the living and the true God is when we are reconciled to Him through the Lord Jesus Christ. It's because our sins have separated us from God, and therefore, in order for us to do that for which we were created, to worship God, to enjoy Him, to know Him as God and our God, we need the Lord Jesus Christ. It's only through the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ that we can be reconciled to God, and then we can worship Him acceptably. It's the Lord Jesus who brings us to God. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God. And therefore, we can worship Him in an acceptable manner. The Lord Jesus Christ has saved us. He has reconciled us to God so that, listen, we may worship God according to His word. We are saved in order to worship the living God. And God's worship must be according to God's Word. God's worship must be God's way. It's God's way or the highway. Worship is not something that we can innovate, that we can invent, that we can contribute to. But worship is something that the Lord commands. And the Lord tells us how He wants to be worshiped. as He has revealed in His Word. So we come to the Shorter Catechism's exposition of the Second Commandment, and tonight we'll simply focus on question and answer 50, and then, God willing, next time we'll look at questions and answers 51 and 52. But listen to how the Shorter Catechism exposits the Second Commandment. Question 50 asks, What is required in the second commandment? Answer, the second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his word. And so with God's help, then, as we meditate on the second commandment, I have two simple heads for us. First is we're commanded to observe true worship. Worship that God has instituted, that God has appointed in his word. We're commanded to observe true worship, and we're also commanded to preserve or keep pure and entire true worship. Worship according to the word of God. You see, the context of the second commandment is specifically public worship, right? All of life is to be worshipful. All of life is to be for the service of God. But there are set times where Jehovah commands us to gather as his people to worship him in the gathered church, in public worship. And in public worship, especially on the Lord's Day, the Lord commands us to worship Him as He has appointed in His Word. And so we must observe true worship. Worship is regulated by the Word of God. God is not to be worshipped by images. or any other way not appointed in his word." Now, from this second commandment we get the reformed conviction, the reformed doctrine of worship, which we call the regulative principle of worship. Worship is to be regulated by the Word of God. But you might ask, how do we get that from here? Isn't this commandment only saying that we're not to make unto the Lord any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above and so on? How do we derive from this commandment the RPW, the Regulative Principle of Worship? So here's the argument, here's the implication. The second commandment tells us clearly that God must be worshiped by some means, right? We have to worship God by some means. Secondly, it is a sin to worship God by the means of images, right? So this is clear. God's Word commands us to not worship God by images. Thirdly, then, this means, this implies, that We are to worship God by the means which He has appointed in His Word, right? Because if we worship God by images, that is the violation of the second commandment, which implies that we must worship God by the means which He has appointed in His Word. Therefore, we must worship God only by what He has commanded us, only by the means appointed in His Word. You see, worship is limited to the revealed will of God. Now, there are some who would say, even in the Protestant, broadly speaking, evangelical churches, there are many who would say that we can worship God any way we want as long as it is not expressly forbidden in the Word of God. The Reformed view is, if God doesn't command it, We cannot do it. The broadly evangelical view is this. Worship doesn't have to consist of only what God has commanded, but it may also consist of that which He has not commanded, provided it is not expressly forbidden in the Word of God. Does that make sense? In other words, we can worship God our way as long as it's not forbidden in God's Word. Reform view says, no, true worship is only that which the Lord has commanded. Only that which the Lord has commanded. So, which view is biblical? Which view is more consistent to what God has taught us in His Word? Before we go to some proof texts, listen to what the Heidelberg Catechism says. What does God require in the Second Commandment? Answer, that we in no wise represent God by images nor worship Him in any other way than He has commanded in His Word. We must worship God only in the way that He has commanded in His Word. This is, of course, the biblical understanding of worship. Turn with me to Leviticus chapter 10. Leviticus 10, where we read about Nadab and Abihu, the two sons of Aaron, who offered a strange fire, and the Lord executed them because they offered a false worship. But notice how the text describes their sin. Leviticus chapter 10, verses 1 and 2. And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He commanded them not. They offered strange fire. What made it strange fire? Unauthorized fire? God did not command it. Which God commanded them not? Verse 2. And there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. You see the regulative principle of worship? They did something that God did not command. Public worship and God is jealous for his worship. Also if you would turn to Jeremiah 19 Jeremiah chapter 19 Verses 4 & 5 Jeremiah 19 beginning in verse four, because they have forsaken me and have estranged this place and have burned incense in it unto other gods, listen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocence. They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire, for burned offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind." Amen? Notice what the Lord is saying. I didn't command it. And therefore, to do that which I have not commanded in public worship is a sin. It's a violation of the second commandment. We must only limit ourselves to that which the Lord has commanded in his word. The people of Israel did that which the Lord did not command. So what has God commanded? What are the ordinances that the Lord has commanded for us to include in the public worship of God? What are the elements of public worship? Let's answer that question as we compare Scripture with Scripture. Let me give you a few elements that are commanded in the Word of God. The first is prayer. We are commanded to pray in public worship of God. Turn with me to a few passages. First, to Philippians chapter 1. Philippians chapter 1. Philippians chapter 4, beginning in verse 6. Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." So here we are commanded to pray. Also, if you would turn to 1 Timothy 2. 1 Timothy 2. beginning in verse one, I exhort therefore that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. Again, the context here is public worship. Look at verse 8. Verse 8, I will therefore that men pray everywhere lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. So we're commanded to pray. Prayer is an element. It's an ordinance. in the public worship of God. Secondly, singing. Singing, we're commanded to sing. Singing is not an option, but singing is a command. So let's turn first to Colossians chapter three, singing. The Lord commands us to sing praises to his name. Colossians three, look at verse 16. Colossians three, verse 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. We're commanded to sing. And when you compare scripture with scripture, you see those three titles, psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, they describe the 150 psalms of David. We are commanded to sing. Look at a few more verses with me. Let's turn to Psalm 95. Psalm 95 in verse two. Psalm 95 verse 2, let us come before his presence with thanksgiving. This is a call to worship, right? And make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. And then Psalm 105 and verse 2. Psalm 105 and verse 2. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. And then one more verse on singing, turn to James chapter five. James chapter five and verse 13. James five and verse 13. The word of God says, is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. Let him sing psalms. So prayer, singing, and then thirdly, the reading of scripture. The reading of scripture is an element of public worship. Turn with me to 1 Timothy 4, 1 Timothy 4, and verse 13. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Until I come, give attention to reading. What is this reading? The public reading of the Word of God as a distinct element of public worship. This is not speaking about preaching. The Word of God commands us to preach the Word. This is speaking about reading the Word. This is why in our worship service, not only is there the preaching of God's Word, but there is also the reading of Scripture, right? In fact, we also do consecutive reading through books of the Bible because the Word of God commands us to publicly read the Word in worship, in public worship. And so, until I come, the Apostle says, give attention to reading, and then to exhortation, and doctrine. So we teach the word, we preach the word, but we're also commanded to read the word. Reading of scripture is an element of public worship. Listen to Acts 15 and verse 21. Acts 15 and verse 21. for Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day." Can you say that about your congregation? That every Lord's Day, the Word of God is read before us. The Word of God is read publicly. We must read the word. And then also another element of public worship is what? The preaching of the word. Not only is the word to be read, the word is also to be preached. So go to 2 Timothy chapter 4, 2 Timothy 4 and verse 2. Preach the word. Be instant, in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. The minister must preach the word. There must be the preaching of the word in the public worship of God. The Word is to be preached. The Word is to be exposited, opened up. Christ is to be proclaimed from the Word of God. And the Word is to be applied to the hearts of the people by the power of the Holy Ghost. So prayer, singing, reading of Scripture, preaching of the Word of God. Here's another element of worship, hearing of the Word. hearing of the Word. You are not passive spectators in the worship service, but you're commanded by God to hear the Word, hear the Word with faith. Turn with me to James chapter 1. Hearing of the Word is an act of worship. It is an ordinance. It is commanded by God. God commands us to hear the preaching of the Word. James 1, Listen to verse 21. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness. Did you hear that? Receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. Verse 23. For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. We need to make sure that as we hear the preaching of the Word, we're not merely hearing it in the sense of in one ear out the other or tuning out what the minister is saying, but we need to make sure that by the grace of God, we hear with faith, we hear with obedience. That we are actively participating as the Word of God is preached. We're engaged and we're listening to the Word of God with faith and obedience. Listen to Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 2. For unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them, but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. If you hear the word, but it's not mixed with faith, it will not profit you, and you are dishonoring the Lord. When the Lord is speaking through his word, how can we tune him out? We must listen, we must hear with faith and obedience the word that is proclaimed. So let me repeat the elements or the ordinances of public worship of God. Prayer, singing, reading of scripture, preaching of the word, hearing of the word. And then also the administration and receiving of the sacraments, and there are only two sacraments, baptism and the Lord's Supper. And then we can also add here, odes and vows. Odes and vows. For example, baptism vows. For example, membership vows. These are acts of worship that the Lord commands us as we covenant with the Lord and with His people. Well, these are the elements of public worship. These are the ordinances that God has appointed in His Word. We must observe true worship. We must be careful to not add anything to the worship service that the Lord has not commanded in His Word. Amen? We must observe true worship. Turn with me to Deuteronomy chapter 12. We see here this regulative principle of worship taught in Deuteronomy 12. Deuteronomy 12, and look at verse 32. Here it is. What thing soever I what? Command you, observe to do it. Thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it. Don't add and don't take away from what God has commanded. But whatever He has commanded, observe it. Observe true worship. Now, you might say, well, how can you be sure that verse 32 is speaking about worship here? Well, look at the context. Let's look at the preceding verses. Look at verse 29. When the Lord thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land, take heed to thyself, that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee. that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, how did these nations serve their gods? Isn't that worship? That's the context. Don't inquire. How do these pagan nations serve and worship their gods? Let's learn from them. Let's imitate their example. Don't do that. Even so will I do likewise. Verse 31, Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God, for every abomination to the Lord which he hateth have they done unto their gods. For even their sons and their daughters have they burnt in the fire to their gods. So the context is what? Worship, serving God. And in that context the Lord says, What thing soever I command you, observe to do it, thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. This is the regulative principle of worship. Also, we find this in the Great Commission, Matthew 28. Matthew 28, where the Lord Jesus says, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Verse 19, go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Verse 20, listen, teaching them to what? Observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you. And lo, I'm with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Let us not be wiser than God. Let us not think that we can come up with things that would be more appealing to people or that would make more people come to our church or that might please the Lord that he didn't think about and we're smarter than him and so we can come up with better ideas of worship. How blasphemous it is for us to think that way. Let us make sure that we observe that which we have received from the Lord. The Lord commands, we must obey. Let's not add anything to what He has commanded, nor diminish from it. We're commanded to observe true worship. But then secondly, our second head, we're also commanded not only to observe true worship, but to preserve true worship, to keep pure and entire worship. that He has ordained, that He has appointed in His Word. We must preserve true worship. We must make sure that public worship of God is never corrupted in our congregation. And we need to pray for other congregations as well. Those that claim to be evangelical, those who love the Lord Jesus Christ, we need to pray that they would worship God according to His Word. We must make sure that we preserve, that we keep pure and entire all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his word." Now, what does that look like? What does it look like for us to keep pure true worship, to preserve true worship, not only observe true worship, but also preserve true worship? Let me give you three terms. It means that we must disapprove, detest, and oppose all false worship. Now, this can sound uncomfortable to us. What? We're supposed to detest and disapprove and oppose all false worship? But that's what the Word of God commands. And let me first take you to the larger catechism, and then we'll look at a few passages together. Go with me to the larger catechism, question and answer 108, or you can listen as I read. Question 108, larger catechism. What are the duties required in the second commandment? Listen. The duties required in the second commandment are the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath instituted in his word, particularly prayer and thanksgiving in the name of Christ, the reading, preaching, and hearing of the word, the administration and receiving of the sacraments, church, government, and discipline, the ministry and maintenance thereof, religious fasting, swearing by the name of God, and vowing unto Him. Now listen, as also the disapproving, detesting, opposing all false worship and according to each man's place and calling, removing it and all monuments of idolatry. Brethren, we are to have a holy zeal for the worship of God, right? Because God is jealous for His own worship. How can we be comfortable when God's name is dishonored? We need to make sure that not only do we observe true worship, but with all of our being, that we detest false worship and that we oppose false worship. and pray that there would be a reformation of worship in evangelical churches in America. We need to pray with compassion, with patience. We need to treat others with compassion and patience. But when there is corruption of worship, we must make sure that we are not comfortable with it, but we disapprove it, that we even detest and oppose all false worship. What about you? Do you detest the corrupt worship of Rome? Or are you fascinated by it? Are you fascinated by Ash Wednesday and Lent and the church calendar and the candles and the priests wearing dresses? Are you fascinated by that? Or do you detest the corruption of worship that has taken place? Let's look at a few verses first. Turn with me to Acts chapter 17 and verses 16 and 17. Acts 17 verses 16 and 17. Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him. You see, he was not comfortable. He was not like, oh, whatever, this is their culture. You know, this is what the Athenians do. They worship idols. I have my God. No problem, no. His spirit was stirred in him when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews and with the devout persons and in the market daily with them that met with him. Turn to Psalm 16 and verse 4. Psalm 16 and verse 4. Let's look at verse 3 first. Can you say that? The saints are my delight? That I delight in Christian fellowship? That I love God's people? I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord. And then look at verse four. Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another God. Their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips." Isn't that interesting? I will not take the names of those gods, so-called, into my lips. I hate those false forms of worship. Again, we do that with prayer, with compassion, but we need to make sure that we never compromise true worship and that we have this holy detesting of all false worship by the grace of God. Isn't it also interesting, the end of the larger catechism answer, it says, according to each one's place and calling, we are called to remove All monuments of idolatry were called to remove false worship according to each one's place in calling, which means you fathers, you need to make sure that in your home, the true God is worshiped and that you don't prepare a PowerPoint presentation to your children with the pros and cons of Buddhism and Hinduism and Christianity and let them make an informed decision. You tell them, we will worship the Lord, and we will do so according to His word, because Jehovah is God and there is none else. Fathers are responsible to make sure that there is true worship, and that you bring your children to church, and that you encourage your family members to worship the Lord according to His word, and make diligent use of the means of grace. But think with me. It is the duty of the civil magistrate to remove monuments of idolatry from the land because it says, according to each one's place and calling, removing false worship and all monuments of idolatry. So it is the duty of the civil magistrate, according to Psalm 2, to kiss the sun, to acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ nationally, and to make sure that in the land, Jesus Christ is honored. He is worshiped publicly. It is the duty of the civil magistrate to remove monuments of idolatry because they are deadly and dangerous to the nation. But blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. So listen to Deuteronomy 7 and verse 5. Deuteronomy 7 and verse 5. But thus shall He deal with them. Ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. Of course, as Christians, we need to make sure that in our lives, in our homes, in our churches, true worship is offered unto the Lord according to His word. But we need to pray that there would be a revival in our land, that our civil magistrates would be so concerned for the honor of Jehovah in the land, that they would desire to promote true religion, and that they would govern according to both tables of the moral law. including the first table of the law, which says, I'm the Lord thy God, thou shalt have no other gods before me, that the civil magistrate in our land would bow his knees to the Lord Jesus Christ and confess him as the King of kings and the Lord of lords nationally. I want to encourage you, this commandment is not only about what you do externally, but what's in your heart. Do you find the wall filled with icons in an Eastern Orthodox Church appealing? We need to make sure that we must never worship God by pictures or images, including any person of the Trinity. But by the grace of God, we need to rejoice in the simplicity of worship. We need to rejoice in biblical worship. We need to be content with what God has commanded in His Word, instead of trying to look for other things that seem more appealing to our senses, looking here and there, things that might seem pious. like putting some ash on your forehead, we need to make sure we go to the Word of God and that we're content that we trust in the Lord's infinite wisdom and that we submit to His Word and worship Him as He has appointed in His Word. There is an acceptable worship, and this is not just the Old Testament. The New Testament commands us to worship God acceptably. Did you know that? Acceptably means according to His Word, right? As He has ordained. Go with me to Hebrews 12, and we'll end with this. Hebrews chapter 12. Look at verse 28. Hebrews 12, verse 28. Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, Let us have grace whereby we may serve God, how? Acceptably, with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire. There is an acceptable worship, and that worship is revealed in the Word of God. Let us worship God acceptably. with reverence and godly fear, not trusting in our own merits, not trusting in our own law-keeping or our own good works in order to bring us to God, but trusting entirely upon the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us come to the Father through the mediator the only begotten Son of God, who is our great High Priest, and who has given us access to the throne of grace. Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we might obtain mercy and find help, a grace to help in times of need. Let us look to the Lord Jesus Christ. All true worship looks to Him. Let us, by the grace of God, worship the triune God in spirit and in truth, according to His Word, for the praise of His glory. Amen. Let us stand as we pray. So, Lord, we pray that Thou would help us indeed to have a