God wants me to crush the cow

And God spoke all these words, saying,

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

“You shall have no other gods before me.

-Exodus 20:1-3 (ESV)

Crush the cow? Let me explain…

We began today’s sermon learning about when Moses was having a conversation with God and He spoke the 10 commandments. During this time, we can find in Exodus 32, the people had turned their affection from God and created for themselves a golden calf to worship. They chose to project the glory onto an object made by man instead of the One who delivered them from slavery in Egypt.

What is your golden cow that you have placed before God?

Pastor Aram gave us a beautiful illustration of who we have allowed our God to become. He spoke harsh realities of what we as people say to sugar coat truth. We begin with God understands or God knows. For instance:

“God understands I need to be lazy on Sundays so I don’t need a church.”

“God knows my wife nags too much and that I only find happiness when with this other woman.”

“God understands my son has travel ball so we cannot commit.”

“God knows why I can’t forgive this person.”

“God understands this is a bad habit”

“God knows I need this.”

“God understands why I did/do that.”

Complete your sentence of excuse of how God knows or why God understands and we begin to create for ourselves a god to serve. Instead of being transformed into the image and likeness of God, we create him in our image. The God we create carries our same values and his voice sounds a lot like our thoughts. Without understanding what we have done, we have created a god to serve called self.

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

-2 Timothy 4:3-5 (ESV)

The gods we create may satisfy our desires and soothe our conscience, but they have no power to save. When Moses came down the mountain after spending time with God, he returned to a people who were singing and shouting around the calf they had created. In his anger, Moses crushed the cow. He then called the people to turn their eyes back to the True God that had delivered them from bondage.

Who are we going to serve and follow? It is time we identify the gods we have created in our own lives and destroy them.

“If there is no surrender than there is no salvation.”- Pastor Aram

We take time in our life to say the prayer in Romans 10:9 and call ourselves saved but we miss the part where it says Jesus is Lord (ruler). That should be the voice that constantly leads and guides us. 

Today we crush the cow! 

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

-Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

Father,

I want you to show me all of the false God’s I have placed over You in my life. I want You to show me the parts of myself I have claimed God and remove them. Forgive me Lord for placing anything in my life over You. You are the Ruler of my life and I surrender myself to You. Teach me to be obedient to Your word and give me much wisdom to remain constant in my faithfulness to You. Thank You Lord.

In Jesus Name,

Amen