Exodus 3:6b I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

At what point in your life did God introduced Himself to you? Do you have that experience or is your story a little more subtle? Perhaps you might say “My mother told me about God.” It could be within you realm that a friend made the introduction. Perhaps you went searching within the big book to find God.

I was speaking with friends yesterday and the issue of Saul’s meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus was spoken of as an extreme example of introduction. We think about what a profound impact that moment had on Saul and changed his life and his name, to Paul. The issues of introduction of Moses and Saul to God were huge. Moses and Paul were impactful characters in the Bible, second perhaps only to Jesus Himself.

I look back at my introduction and I have to admit that moment was impactful to me, but me alone. I was afraid of becoming a bitter angry man, and I asked Jesus to save me. At the very moment I raised my hand to an alter call, I was changed. The anger was stripped away within me, I was at peace. Now mind you no one knew what was going on inside me. No one knew the change. Just me.

Was I saved?

Sadly the answer is no. That impact moment was only an introduction. Jesus revealed Himself to me as God, that He has the power to impact my life in ways I had never experienced. I say this to you so that you will understand, an introduction is just an introduction and not a salvation moment.

Both Moses and Paul submitted themselves to power. They sought to obey. They accepted Lordship. I on the other hand did not. I had not repented of my sins. I did not offer up those sins as a sacrifice to Lordship and seek to obey my Lord.

Introduction is not salvation, only an opportunity.

Exodus 20:3,4,5a Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God,

While counting the Ten Commandments this morning I asked myself, “Isn’t one and two the same thing?” Perhaps if it were not for the issue of one word, graven. The issue being that man would put his hand to stone, wood or metal to form the image. Perhaps you could even include paint.

Now I have had this image in my mind of what my perfect retirement home would look like. It is nestled in a wooded valley with a grand view of the mountains, with a trout filled stream flowing close by the front door. Now grant you, I have not gravened that scene, it appears naturally. Yet all the same it is as much an idol as the graven image if I allowed it to come before God.

I often think about the tree huggers and the animal rights activist that are trying to save the planet. Most of them have no interest in God, only His creation. This is why there is a difference between commandment one and two.

Now before you religious types cry out AMEN, allow me to quote again from Exodus 20:25.

And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

Don’t be worshipping the alter either.