10. Moses: The Ten Words

Introduction

Video

Psalm 1:1-2… “Blessed” = “Happy” (Asher). But most of us probably don’t associate happiness with rules.

We tend to think of rules or laws as restrictions on our freedom. Most of the Ten Commandments are written as “shall nots.” When I began my study for this sermon, I thought God’s laws were given as punishments for Israel’s disobedience. I was wrong.

Claim: God’s laws are good. God’s commandments are life and happiness. Subject: How are God’s laws good? Look at Exodus 20:1-17.

Body

Key Verse: Exodus 20:2.

God’s laws are good because they reflect God’s nature and reveal our true nature. God’s commandments show us who God is and who we were made to be.

Exposition: “I am the LORD your God…” (Exod 20:2).

God’s laws reflect God’s nature. And since we are made in God’s image, his laws reveal our true nature—what it means to be human. This is how God designed us to live.

Leviticus 19:1–2 “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”

Illustration: Eye exam color test… God’s laws are the “lens” that reveals who God is and who we are.

Application: We live the truly human life when we follow God’s laws.

God’s laws are good because they teach us how redeemed people live. God’s commandments show us how to live as saved people.

Exposition: “… who brought you out of the land of Egypt…” (Exod 20:2).

“It was the God of salvation who imposed his law on his people; the grace that saves preceded the law that demands. The people were given the law not in order that they might become the redeemed, rather it was because they had already been redeemed that they were given the law. The law of God is the way of life he sets before those whom he has saved, and they engage in that way of life as a response of love and gratitude to God their Redeemer. Grace and law belong together, for grace leads to law; saving love leads to and excites grateful love expressed in obedience.” ~ Alec Motyer

We often think of the OT as the book of law and the NT as the book of grace… WRONG.

Illustration: People often ask me, “I prayed to receive Christ. Now what do I do?”

Application: God’s laws teach us how saved people live.

God’s laws are good because they are the pathway to freedom. God’s commandments are the gateway to liberty (James 1:25, “the law of liberty”).

Exposition: “… out of the house of slavery” (Exod 20:2).

God didn’t bring Israel out of slavery only to lead them into a new slavery. God’s law didn’t restrict their freedom; it established it. It protected it. It provided for their freedom.

Illustration: The fence in my backyard gave my kids the freedom to go outside and play without getting hit by a car.

Application: God wants us to be free.

John 8:32 “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Galatians 5:1 “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

God’s laws are good because they form our identity as the people of God. God’s commandments shape the kind of people we become.

Exposition

First Commandment: Exodus 20:3… No other gods.

Like the ancient Israelites, we live in a spiritually pluralistic world with many so-called gods: Hinduism, Islam, New Age gods and goddesses, deities and devas of Buddhism, the god of the Bahá'í Faith, or Sikhism…

And we live in a world where other things often compete with the One True God for our affection and attention: politics, March Madness, our kids’ extracurricular activities, career, our cabins up north, food, alcohol, sex…

We are a people whose highest love and strongest loyalty is to God above all else (including self). God is #1 in our hearts, in our homes, in our wallets, and in our lives.

Second Commandment: Exodus 20:4-6… No carved images.

“The second commandment, however, does not refer to the worship of alternative gods—that had been dealt with in the first commandment—but to the worship of the true God in a false way.” ~ Alec Motyer

We give false worship to God in two ways:

We don’t take the worship of God seriously.

We sing praises on Sunday but live like atheists on Monday.

We are a people who are committed to worship God together and live lives that sing his praises all week long.

Third Commandment: Exodus 20:7… Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain.

This means to call on God by name even though you are not someone who worships God with your life. Don’t claim to be a Christian if you’re not living for Jesus. Jesus fish on a car whose driver flipped me off.

We also use God’s name in vain by using it as a curse. Joke about Jesus and Joseph…

We are a people who love the name of Jesus, and speak his name in praise and prayer, as a blessing and not a curse.

Fourth Commandment: Exodus 20:8-11… Remember the Sabbath.

I used to think that the Sabbath was about establishing a balance between work and time off so we could be emotionally and mentally healthy.

“The Sabbath isn’t about your mental health. It’s about trust. Do you trust God to run the Universe for 24 hours without your help? The Sabbath is about humility. It’s a weekly reminder that you’re not as big a deal as you think you are.” ~ Dr. Julius Wong Loi Sing

There are 7 days in a week. Can’t we give God 1 of them? There are 168 hours in a week. Can’t we worship God for 1 of them?

As Christians, our “Sabbath” is the Lord’s Day, or Sunday—the day that Jesus rose from the dead. We start the week by acknowledging God.

We are a people who trust God begin each week by centering our lives on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Fifth Commandment: Exodus 20:12… Honor your father and mother.

Sixth Commandment: Exodus 20:13… Don’t murder.

Seventh Commandment: Exodus 20:14… Don’t commit adultery.

Eighth Commandment: Exodus 20:15… Don’t steal.

Ninth Commandment: Exodus 20:16… Don’t lie.

Tenth Commandment: Exodus 20:17… Don’t covet.

A thankful heart is a happy heart. Gratitude produces happiness.

We are a people who honor our parents, value human life, are faithful in our commitments and our words, and are content with what God has entrusted to us.

Conclusion

Psalm 119:33-40… Notice the psalmist’s complete dependence upon God to follow God’s laws. We can’t do this without Jesus.

Meditation: Your laws are good. Your Word is life.

Remind us where your Word has produced life in us.

Show us where we aren’t living the way you designed us to live.

We confess that to you.

Lord, Your laws are good. Your Word is life. Lead us in the path of your commandments, for we delight in them. Amen.