Ten Commandments

Faith and Trust, 8 September 2024

Faith and Trust—Commandments 1-2
Words of Life: Jesus on God’s Top 10
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
September 8, 2024
Exodus 20:1-6
 
Series Big Idea: Jesus had much to say about God’s Top Ten list.
 
Big Idea: God is God…and we’re not!
  
Today on our fall kickoff Sunday we’re starting a new series looking at the Ten Commandments…through the eyes of Jesus.
 
Context is critical whenever we examine the scriptures. Many of you know the story of the Exodus. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt, Moses went to Pharaoh repeatedly and said, “Let my people go.” After ten plagues, Pharaoh relented and the people took what should’ve been a short journey to the land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the place known as Israel today. Because of the disobedience of the people, the journey that could’ve been completed in a matter of weeks took forty years! Can you imagine a 40-year road trip…without a car…in the desert? Many [some] of you haven’t even lived 40 years!
 
During the journey, God invites Moses to Mt. Sinai for a forty-day visit that included the presentation of the Ten Commandments inscribed on two stone tablets. These formed the basis for their lifestyle and society and have great relevance for us thousands of years later. God’s top ten was first introduced in the 20th chapter of Exodus and repeated in Deuteronomy chapter five. We’re going to look at two commandments each week in this series. Let’s dive in:
 
And God spoke all these words:
 
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. (Exodus 20:1-2)
 
This sets the scene perfectly. God has been good and faithful to the people, despite their whining, complaining, and rebellion.
 
The two most important questions in the world may be
 
-       Who are you?
-       Who is God?
 
They are not the same question, though some people act like it! God has given us a library of 66 books to reveal Himself to us. If I could describe Him in one word, it would be love. He is not a weak, frail grandpa in a rocking chair, nor is He a mean, hateful Creator out to get you. He’s a good, good Father who loves His children and wants nothing more than an intimate relationship with us. He loves you, and has gone to great lengths to prove that, most notably sending His son, Jesus Christ, to die for us, paying the penalty of our sin and pride. This is the Creator of the universe, and although He owes us nothing, His grace, mercy, and forgiveness are simply wonderful. His first command states,
 
“You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3)
 
A god is anything that receives your attention, affection, allegiance, your worship. Everyone worships. It may not involve a gathering with songs and a sermon, but we devote ourselves to things, we are influenced by people, we give our time, talents, and treasures to our gods. It could be sports, politics, their career, even their family.
 
I believe most people worship themselves, doing whatever is necessary to ensure their comfort, happiness, and pleasure. Money, sex, and power are three universal gods. This may be the most difficult command to obey. The greatest threat is the person I see in the mirror. Here’s the big idea: God is God and we’re not!
 
Hopefully this isn’t news to any of you, though I’ve met a few people in my life who might disagree! Today many are angry with God or disappointed with God. That’s ok, because in each instance there is an awareness of God. There is a relationship with God. As we saw in the series on the Psalms, we can be real with God. What’s not ok is placing ourselves above God, telling Him what is right or just. There’s a fine line between questioning and judging. We can ask “why” or “what are you up to,” but condemning God declares we are god, we know best, we are wiser than the Almighty and that’s a precarious place to be. It also violates the first of the ten commandments.
 
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24)
 
You cannot serve both God and money, God and pleasure, God and power, God and hobbies, God and…anything or anyone else. Jesus said a few verses later,
 
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)
 
The context of “these things’ is food and clothes and the things of this world.
 
When we pray
 
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)
 
we are declaring God’s will, God’s plan, God’s instructions, God’s desires are more important than our happiness, pleasure, power, or comfort. This is a radical slap in the face to the American Dream, family, which is why true Christians live the ultimate alternative lifestyle. We are not to live like everybody else. If you follow Jesus, you have no rights, you become a slave, you die to yourself, your pride, your dreams. Try putting that on a billboard or bumper sticker! But here’s the great thing: God’s ways are always better than our own. Daddy knows best. He can be trusted. He’s not out to get you. He’s out to love you. The path is not always easy, but it is filled with contentment and joy.
 
Jesus said to his friend Martha,
 
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).
 
That’s God talk right there! He told his friend Philip,
 
Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (John 14:9b)
 
Jesus is 100% God and 100% human, a mystery known as the hypostatic union. The book of Hebrews declares,
 
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (Hebrews 1:3)
 
If Jesus wasn’t fully God, worshiping him would violate the first commandment!
 
At one point the devil confronted Jesus while he was fasting for forty days in the wilderness.
 
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
 
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (Matthew 4:8-10)
 
No other gods…but Jesus is God. There is one God in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a mystery known as the Trinity. Now let’s look at the second commandment.
 
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. (Exodus 20:4)
 
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:5-6)
 
We could do an entire sermon series on these three verses! For thousands of years, people have been creating idols, worshipping objects rather than God. Some worship the sun or nature while others worship objects carved in wood or stone. Examples can be found in virtually every corner of the globe.
 
We are not to worship other gods, or objects. To many USAmericans, the second commandment might seem irrelevant. We don’t build idols. We don’t worship other gods. Right?
 
Years ago, a woman from India was visiting with a pastor here in the States and remarked about how we have so many idols. The pastor was rather confused since most Hindus recognize multiple deities. The woman said, “You build these huge monuments to consumerism and spend billions of dollars buying products” referring to shopping malls. Then she said, “You construct temples of worship to athletes” referring to sports stadiums. If we define worship as that which gains our attention, love, or admiration, she makes a good point!
 
Jesus summarized not only the first two commandments, not only God’s entire Top Ten list, but the complete Bible when he said,
 
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:30)
 
So What?
 
God is God…and we’re not! Every day we are tempted to be in control, to do things our way, to love things rather than people, to bring glory to ourselves. Our God is greater and stronger and wiser and more powerful than any god, object, ideology, philosophy, religion, political party, athlete, movie star, social media influencer, or celebrity. He must be the one—the only one—we worship.

Honor, Mother's Day 2014

May 11, 2014

Big Idea: Parents are special, worthy of respect, love, obedience…and honor

Introduction

Happy Mother’s Day! This is a day of great celebration for some and sorry for others. Because it is a family day, it is a day of reflection upon those mothers who have passed away and buying or making gifts for those with us. It can be an emotional day. It can be a complicated day. One thing is for sure: each one of us has had a mother who labored in giving birth to us and, in most instances, raising us.

I want to talk about the Ten Commandments.
When you think of God’s Top Ten List, what is the first command that comes to mind?

I want us to spend a few moments reflecting upon Command 5. It’s not a “thou shalt not” command, but rather a positive, affirming command with a promise.

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12)

We rarely use the word honor in our culture. It almost seem old-fashioned, unless it refers to someone in the military. The original Hebrew word, kabed, means “to be heavy, to be wealthy, honored, glorified, renowned, substantial.”

The Ten Commandments appear in Exodus 20 and again in Deuteronomy 5 where it says

“Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 5:16)

Don’t miss the promise: “that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is given you.” What land? This is God’s promise to the people of Israel as they prepare to enter the Promised Land after a forty year journey through the wilderness. This idea of honoring dad and mom is a really big deal!

Sometimes people mistakenly dismiss the Old Testament as somehow unimportant. They call themselves “New Testament Christians” and rarely turn to the front of their Bible. You cannot understand the New Testament without knowing the Old. It’s like walking into the second act of a play, having no clue about act one. Today, by the way, we are living in act three of God’s story…HiStory.

On several occasions Jesus referred to the Ten Commandments. Matthew and Mark both recorded His words:

For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ (Matthew 15:4)

For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ (Mark 7:10)

Did you catch the penalty for cursing or dishonoring dad or mom? Death!

Have you ever thought of that?!

The question of the day is
how do we honor mothers? This is not always simple.

How do you honor an abusive mother?
How do you honor a deceased mother?
How do you honor an estranged mother?
How do you honor a mother you never knew?

Perhaps you may think your mother is not worthy of honor or glory.

We recently studied Paul’s instructions to the church in the city of Ephesus and beyond. He wrote

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” — which is the first commandment with a promise —“that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3)

Here we see honor connected to obedience and a reminder of the promise. This gives us a hint at what is meant by the word
honor.

Perhaps you may think your mother is not worthy of obedience. You may disagree with her instructions.

As we noted last week, God created man and woman and commanded them to be fruitful and multiply. Marriage and the family was God’s idea. When His commands are followed, we are able to flourish and thrive, experiencing joy, peace, and satisfaction. Tragically, sin affects all families and relationships, fighting against God’s design and seeking to steal, kill and destroy the abundant life God intends for each of us to encounter.

I’m reminded of another of Paul’s writings, one of my favorite verses:

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21)

Notice it says, “as far as it depends on you” live at peace with everyone. We have an obligation to do our part, but can never control another.

As much as it depends on you, obey God’s commands.
As much as it depends on you, show honor and respect to your parents.
As much as it depends on you, seek reconciliation in broken relationships.
As much as it depends on you, live a life worth following, bringing honor to your family, your family’s name, and God.

For those of you with great, living moms, express your love and appreciation for them. Give them a hug, kiss them, tell them how much they mean to you, make a gift for them, or the greatest thing of all…
buy them chocolate!!!

If mom is distant, call her or video chat with her. Visit her. Write a letter.

If your mom is no longer living, you can still write a letter, say a prayer, tell others about her, or reflect upon her life, thank God for the life she gave you, and live a life that would honor her.

Moms, how have you been honored by your children?

Children, how have you honored your mom?

Legacy

I often think about generations of families passing a baton from one generation to the next. If your baton was broken, ask God to bring healing and holy duct tape to it in order to provide a solid baton to the next generation. It’s never too late to begin a legacy of faith, hope and love even if it was never a part of your heritage.

As you may know, yesterday I had the privilege of honoring
my dad by doing his funeral. It was one of the most important moments of my life as I desperately wanted to celebrate and pay tribute to the most influential man in my life, a great godly man that influenced so many lives, even during his many years of failing mental and physical health. While I worked hard to say the right words to pay homage to his life, the greater work begins today by my actions. I want not only my words but my life to bring honor to my dad…my mom…and my heavenly Father. What about you?

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