I AM…The Standard

Announcements:

1.

2.

Worship:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Introduction:

Summary: The Ten Commandments are a set of moral principles given by God to guide His people in living holy lives.

Application: This sermon can help Christians understand the importance of obedience to God's commands in a world that promotes moral relativism. It can encourage us to reflect on areas of our lives where we may need to repent and seek forgiveness.

Teaching: The Ten Commandments reveal God's holiness and desire for His people to live in a way that honors Him and respects others. They show us the importance of loving God above all else and loving our neighbors as ourselves.

How this passage could point to Christ: Jesus affirmed the importance of the Ten Commandments and summarized them as love for God and love for others. He fulfilled the law by perfectly obeying it and ultimately becoming the sacrifice for our disobedience.

Big Idea: Living by God's standards requires obedience, love for God, and love for others. Through Christ, we find forgiveness and the power to live according to His commands.

Recommended Study: For a deeper understanding of the cultural and historical context of the Ten Commandments, explore resources in your Logos library on Ancient Near Eastern law codes and the significance of covenant relationships in the Old Testament. Consider studying relevant passages in the New Testament that highlight Jesus' teachings on the commandments and their application in the life of believers today.

Exodus 20:1–17 CSB

1 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 3 Do not have other gods besides me. 4 Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. 5 Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, 6 but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commands. 7 Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name. 8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: 9 You are to labor six days and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates. 11 For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy. 12 Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 13 Do not murder. 14 Do not commit adultery. 15 Do not steal. 16 Do not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17 Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Transition:

1. Allegiance to the Almighty

Exodus 20:1–3 CSB

1 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 3 Do not have other gods besides me.

You could begin by emphasizing the foundation of the Ten Commandments: recognizing God as the only true God and the leader of our lives. This point sets the stage for understanding obedience and love as responses to God's sovereignty and grace, echoing the Christocentric theme of absolute devotion to God above all idols or earthly powers.

Transition:

2. Benevolence and Boundaries

Exodus 20:4–11 CSB

4 Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. 5 Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, 6 but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commands. 7 Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name. 8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: 9 You are to labor six days and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates. 11 For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.

Perhaps explore the importance of worship and rest, focusing on commandments that teach us to honor God's image, dedicate time for worship, and keep the Sabbath holy. This section could illustrate how these acts of obedience reflect our love for God, mirroring Jesus' own commitment to honor His Father, and encouraging us to find balance and renewal in Him.

Transition:

3. Community and Commitment

Exodus 20:12–17 CSB

12 Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 13 Do not murder. 14 Do not commit adultery. 15 Do not steal. 16 Do not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17 Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Maybe discuss the social aspect of the Ten Commandments, emphasizing respect for family, life, property, and truth. This presents an opportunity to tie in the theme of loving others as ourselves and how, through Christ, we receive the strength to live out these commands in a world that often contradicts them.

Transition:

Conclusion: