Biblical Church Worship: A Study of the Ten Commandments 
Exodus 20:12
The Fifth Commandment: Honor Your Father and Mother
Reading: Matthew 15:3-9; Ephesians 6:1-3

Honor Your Father and Mother
The word for “honor” within the fifth commandment carries the idea of value. Those things which we value we consider precious and very important. God commands the Hebrews to hold their parents in high esteem.
The Bible offers specific ways to honor our parents. Children show esteem when they obey their mother and father (Ephesians 6:1-3). We obey this command by providing for the physical needs of our parents (I Timothy 5:4-8). Taking time to listen to our parents is also an act of honor (Proverbs 1:8, 9). How we speak to and about our father and mother reveals the level of respect we hold for them (Exodus 21:17).
There is a promise attached to this command. Those who honor their parents are more likely to experience a long and better life here on earth. Wisdom gained from those who have more experience living in this world helps us navigate life’s pitfalls with more success.

Implication
We cannot properly worship God and despise our parents. Even with their sin and imperfections, our mother and father deserve, according to God, honor and value. It is a reasonable act of worship to God to give honor to whom honor is due (Romans 13:7).

Questions to Ask Yourself
1. What are your thoughts toward your parents?
2. If your parents are still alive, how long has it been since you spoke with them or spent time with them?
3. How willing are you to give help to your parents (physical, emotional, spiritual, etc.)?

Biblical Church Worship: A Study of the Ten Commandments 
Exodus 20: 8-11
The Fourth Commandment: Remember the Sabbath Day
Reading: Genesis 2:1-3; Psalm 95:1-11; Matthew 11:27-30; John 6:26-29; Hebrews 4:1-11

Remember the Sabbath Day
The Jewish sabbath falls on the seventh day of the week, which is Saturday. Here we read that God commands the Hebrews to mark the seventh day, to be mindful of the sabbath. The day is holy or set apart for God, for it was also the day God sanctified to cease from His creation work (Genesis 2:1-3).
The Hebrews were instructed to set apart this last day of the week to make it a day of rest. This certainly meant a rest for the whole of man’s being. Knowing that man is human and not a machine, God gave the sabbath to His people for their benefit. The greatest benefit of rest for the people included taking rest in the person and work of God Himself. They were to take rest in the coming salvation which God would provide through the Messiah.

The early Christians, many of whom were Jewish, substituted the sabbath day with the Lord’s day. The Lord’s’ day fell on the first rather than the seventh day of the week. The Lord’s day was a day of worshipping the risen Christ Jesus. The Christian’s worship included remembering the redemptive work of the Lord. And the Christians relied (took rest) in the salvation God had provided through Jesus.

Implication                                                                                                                                                                       
God’s sabbath rest remains available today and God calls all people to come and take rest. The rest to which God calls us is to cease from our own labor to try to get into heaven and to rest upon Christ for salvation. We take this rest when we understand our sinfulness, that Christ paid for our sin on the cross, that He rose from the dead to give us forgiveness and new life, and we believe in (rest in) Him for salvation.
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A Question to Ask Yourself
1. Upon whom or what am I relying to get into heaven?

Biblical Church Worship: A Study of the Ten Commandments 
Exodus 20:7

The Third Commandment: Do Not Take God’s Name in Vain
Reading: Matthew 5:33-37; Matthew 7:21-23

Do Not Take God’s Name in Vain
God and the name of God cannot be separated. They are one. Scripture testifies to this truth. Calling upon God’s name is the same as calling upon God Himself (Genesis. 4:26; I Ki. 5:5; Rom. 10:13). God’s name is holy because God Himself is holy (Lev. 22:32: I Chron. 16:10; II Tim. 2:19). God is good and true therefore His name is no less good and true (Lev. 24:16; Dt. 18:22). Since the name of God is the same as the person of God, it deserves the same reverence as God.  

The third commandment is broken when God’s name is used irreverently, without the weighty value worthy of the Divine. The Bible gives examples of misusing the Lord’s name. When we use the Almighty’s name as collateral to make oaths or promises, we take His name in vain (Leviticus 19:12; Hosea. 10:4). We break this command when we proclaim unbiblical doctrine as truth. The Lord’s name is taken in vain when we say that we love Him, but do not obey Him (Isaiah. 1:11, 13; Matthew. 15:7-9; James. 1:26). Any time God’s name is used for purposes other than Biblical purposes, His name, and His person, are taken in emptiness (in vain).

Be careful how you use God's name. Make sure it is only for holy purposes. To use it otherwise invites the Lord's punishment.

Implication
True worship begins with a reverence for God’s high and holy name. We must never invoke the Lord in an insincere or half-hearted manner. God must never be used to peddle falsehood. God’s name must only be used to share His truth which is only found in Scripture.
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Questions to Ask Yourself
1. Do I use God’s name to justify unbiblical doctrine or practices?
2. Do I only use God’s name with reverence and seriousness?

Biblical Church Worship: A Study of the Ten Commandments 
Exodus 20:4-6

The Second Commandment: Worship No Idols
Readings: Nahum 1:2; Romans 1:18-32; Colossians 1:13-23

Do Not Worship Idols
At first glance, the second commandment seems to prohibit any creative activity.
“You are not to make…
”
God sounds unreasonable at the beginning of this commandment. But if we read the commandment in its entirety, we get a better understanding.

“You are not to make…”
“…you may not give them worship…”

The second of God’s commands does not condemn art, imagination, or creativity. It condemns the worship of what man’s hands have made.

The worship of created things is idolatry. Idolatry elevates created things to the level at which only God belongs. Idolatry replaces the Creator with the created.

Idols come in varying forms. They can be manifested in the traditional sense as images made of wood or metal. They may appear in less subtle forms such a person, a material possession or a worldly position of status. But idols can also be manufactured within our hearts and minds. They can be thoughts and desires. It is sometimes these internal idols which are the most difficult to notice. Whether obvious or hidden, idols are those entities to which we bow down rather than God Himself. They are that which we hold as more precious than the Almighty.

Implication
God is a jealous God. He does not allow His honor and glory to be given to anyone or anything else. The Lord Jesus calls us to leave that which we value over Him and to worship only the Creator.

Questions to Ask Yourself
1. What is it that I value over Jesus Christ?
2. What things am I more devoted to than Jesus Christ?
3. Do I have an unquenchable desire for Christ or for other things?