THE TENDER COMMANDMENTS #1: PUT GOD FIRST
(June 2011 – Beausejour Church – Pastor Chris Jordan)
WEIRD LAWS IN CALIFORNIA:
1. It is illegal for anyone to try to stop a child from playfully jumping over puddles of water.
2. A California law makes it illegal to set up a mousetrap without a hunting license
3. In Berkeley, California, it’s against the law to whistle for your lost canary before 7 A.M.
4. Under California state law, it is illegal to peel an orange in a hotel room.
5. People may not ride a bike in a swimming pool.
INTRO TO TOPIC:
Why are we taking the time to study the Ten Commandments?
• “60% of Americans cannot name five of the Ten Commandments.” (USA Today).
• I surveyed 25 students in our Christian club at ESS this past week:
o 16 students couldn’t name even one of the Ten Commandments
o 7 could only name 1-4 of them; 1 could name seven and 1 could name nine.
• How many can you name? Is there anyone who can come up and name all ten??
ILLUSTRATION: A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to ‘honor thy father and thy mother’ she asked “Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"”
Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, “Thou shalt not kill.”
QUOTE: The Tender Commandments by Ron Mehl
• When you first heard that we were going to study the Ten Commandments, what was your response? Did you automatically think, “Limiting, constricting, legalistic?”
• Hopefully this quote will change your perception of these commandments:
“Have you ever heard of the ten commandments described as a love letter… a tender, heart-felt message from the very hand of God? Perhaps not. Yet, I’ve become convinced it is one of the most powerful expressions of God’s love in all of Scripture… These ten statements are all-encompassing, touching virtually every part of our lives… the truths He knows are going to provide blessing and strength, a future and a hope. Some people of course imagine it to be the very opposite. They don’t hear love in these statements at all. What do they hear? The clank of chains and the rattle of padlocks. They hear God saying, “You mess with Me, you step out of bounds, and I’ll fry you like a bug landing on a transformer.”
Are the Ten Commandments harsh and negative, narrow and legalistic, cold and confining? Could there be a brighter, warmer, more passionate side to this familiar portion of Scripture that we have missed through the years? It is possible that we’ve misunderstood the first few pages of God’s love letter, the very words that set the Ten Commandments in context?:
THE BIG IDEA: "The rightful setting of the Ten Commandments is the boundless, faithful, Father-love of the living God.” (Ron Mehl). God gives us rules because He loves us.
OPENING TEXT: The context of the Ten Commandments:
“And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ’You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” (Ex. 19:3-6).
• “How I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.” – God’s loving care.
• God reminds them how He lovingly delivered them from slavery in Egypt.
• He protected them from the Egyptian army that was pursuing them.
• He provided bread from Heaven and water from a rock for them.
• God said, “Keep my covenant and you will be a special treasure to me.” You’re special!
I. IS THE LAW RELEVANT FOR THE CHRISTIAN TODAY?
Some Christians say ‘We’re not under the law, but under grace, so we don’t need to keep the commandments from the Old Testament!” Is this a Biblically valid standpoint?
1. We must understand the three different aspects of the Old Testament Law:
a. The Ceremonial Law – the aspects of the Jewish religious rituals that were fulfilled in Jesus, and therefore have been done away with.
b. The Civil Law – the aspects of the law governing political Israel, i.e. how to punish someone who breaks God’s commandments. We are not under this law.
c. The Moral Law – these are the rules that talk about what is right and wrong, and are universal principles that apply to our lives today.
2. Keeping the Ten Commandments or the Moral Law Doesn’t Save us.
“It is clear that no one can ever be right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life...Well then, is there a conflict between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law could have given us new life, we could have been made right with God by obeying it.” (Gal. 3:11,21)
3. The Law was Given to Show the Sinner Their Need for a Saviour:
“Well then, why was the law given? It was given to show people how guilty they are.” (Gal. 3:19)
“I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet.” (Romans 7:7b).
4. The Law was Given to Show the Believer How to Love God:
Jesus said, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ’You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40).
• Jesus summed up the whole Old Testament law = love God and love people.
• But how do we love God and love people? The Ten Commandments!
o The first four commandments = an expression of how to love God.
o The last six commandments = an expression of how to love people.
• Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15).
II. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS: (Exodus 20:1-17).
Teach how to memorize the 10 C’s.
LOVING GOD:
1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
LOVING PEOPLE:
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal
9. You shall not bear false witness
10. You shall not covet.
THE FIRST COMMANDMENT:
“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 bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Ex. 20:1-3).
1. The First Commandment tells us to put God first.
• Jesus said, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.” (Matt. 22:37-38).
• QUOTE: “The first commandment is always a call to repentance because we are rarely single-minded in our commitment to God.” (Klaus Bockmuehl, Christian Way of Living).
• Are you worshipping God with all of your heart?
• There are many false gods and religions in the world: JW’s, Mormon’s, Muslims = false!
2. The First Commandment tells us that God is passionate about us.
• “for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” (Exodus 34:14).
• God’s jealousy is not like human jealousy. It is not possessive, it is passionate!
• When we keep the Ten Commandments, we experience His abundant life and blessings.
• As a Father, I want the best for my children, so I give them rules to protect them.
3. The First Commandment calls us to trust God wholeheartedly.
• “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Prov. 3:5-6).
• When we put God and His kingdom first, He blesses our lives.
• What does it mean to acknowledge Him? We acknowledge His presence and wisdom.
CHALLENGE:
God loves us – let’s respond by loving Him with all of our hearts!
Let’s put Him first, have no other gods before Him, and keep ourselves from idols!
Is there anything you need to repent of today to return to your first love?
Note: The title for this message was inspired by the book "The Tender Commandments" by Pastor Ron Mehl.
Beausejour Community Church Website: www.beausejourchurch.ca
Pastor Chris Jordan’s Blog: http://thelandofpromise.blogspot.com/
