GNC: Exodus 20:12-17

Introduction: Friends, last week we considered the first part of the 10 Commandments and how they specifically relate to how we relate to God. God is to be first, which means that we don’t put anything or anyone above Him, we use our words to please Him, and we use our time to please Him.

Remember, friends, the 10 Commandments are not something that we keep because this is how we get saved from our sins. Instead, we want to live to please the Lord as the result of believing on Jesus to save us and the change that He is making in our life.

We can summarize the first 4 commandments in this way: love God; just like our memory verse reminds us!

Today, friends, we’re going to look at the second part of the 10 Commandments. These have to do with something that every one of us have: Relationships.

If God is first, then He will change you and the way that you relate to others.

Relationships can be with anyone: our parents, siblings, friends, classmates, neighbors, teachers, principal. God’s Word has something to say about all of these that we’re going to see from God’s Word today.

Exodus 20:12 “12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.”

Friends, many of you are probably thinking, “Ok, here Pastor Bill goes again telling me I’ve got to obey my parents.”

You know, it’s true that this commandment includes obeying your parents.

But, friends, it’s even more than just obeying what your parents say.

Friends, did you notice that children aren’t addressed here?

Did you also notice that God didn’t say, “Honor your father and mother until you’re 18? Or, only if they’re alive?”

Friends, the reason for this is because as the son or daughter of your parents, there is never a time that should stop honoring them!

Friends, I recognize that this could be hard for some of you.

Some of you may have a new family different from the one that you were born into.

But, friends, God’s Spirit is able to empower you to live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord and honoring to your parents.

Honoring your parents means that you always love and show them respect.

Let me give you an example.

Let’s say that you go to see your friends just after cleaning up your room, like your mom or dad told you.

When you get to see your friends, they ask why you’re late.

I’m going to give you two responses and you tell me which one honors your parents and the Lord.

“I had to clean up my room.”

Or, “My mean dad told me to cleanup my room and that’s what caused me to be late.”

It’s the first answer that honors the Lord and your parents, right?

Friends, complaining about your parents is not honoring to them or the Lord.

Friends, not only are we to honor our parents but look at what the Lord tells us next that those who love Him will do.

Exodus 20:13 “13 “You shall not murder.”

Friends, I would imagine that no one in here has actually murdered someone, killed someone dead.

However, friends, murder isn’t just about taking someone’s life.

Murder is about hating someone in your heart (Matthew 5:22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be 1guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.).

Friends, you might be thinking, “But, Pastor Bill, you have no idea how mean that person was to me!”

Friends, when Jesus hung on the cross to die for our sins, people were saying very mean things to Him, after they had beaten Him and lied about Him!

Yet, Jesus said as He hung on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”

Friends, Jesus demonstrated that it’s possible to not hate someone who is being mean to us and even to treat them with kindness and love.

Friends, we need the Holy Spirit to help us like this!

Friends, not only do we need the Holy Spirit to help us honor our parents and show love and kindness to others but we also need His help when it comes to the next commandment.

Exodus 20:14 “14 “You shall not commit adultery.”

Friends, committing adultery means that you are acting with or thinking about someone like you’re married when you’re not.

Friends, marriage is something special that God created that God cares about as part of your life!

Friends, even though none of you are close to being married, God wants you to act and think even now in a way that pleases Him and keeps marriage, your marriage, special.

We need the Holy Spirit to help us keep marriage special and we need His help with the next commandment also.

Exodus 20:15 “15 “You shall not steal.”

Friends, we all know what it means to steal.

But, friends, did you know that you can steal more than just something like money, candy, or a toy?

You can also steal by taking a test and keeping a copy of the answers hidden from where your teacher cannot see them because you know that your teacher told you and the class that you could not use your notes. (Cheating)

Friends, you can even steal by trying to make the whole class laugh when your teacher is trying to get the whole class to pay attention to her/him.

Friends, when we look at the other half of the Bible, God doesn’t want us to just stop stealing.

He also wants us to be kind in helping others to get the things that they needs.

Ephesians 4:28 “He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.”

Friends, we call this being generous!

This may mean that you have an extra dum dum that you can share with your friend who does not come to Good News Club.

Friends, there are plenty of ways to be generous and we need the Holy Spirit to help us to do this and not steal.

Friends, we also need the Holy Spirit to help us with obeying the next commandment.

Exodus 20:16 “16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

Friends, you might be wondering, “what does it mean to bear false witness?”

I’m glad you asked!

It means to tell a lie.

Friends, God hates lying.

He hates lying because truth is in His character!

Friends, we’re tempted to lie when we think that the truth will get us into trouble, or we try to make ourselves look better to someone than we actually are, or we try to trick someone.

But, friends, this is more than just about not lying!

Ephesians 4:25 “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.”

Friends, God wants us also to tell the truth!

Even though telling the truth might be hard, the Holy Spirit can help us to tell the truth when it’s difficult.

Friends, God not only wants us to stop lying and tell the truth but He also wants us to keep the final commandment.

Exodus 20:17 “17 “You shall not covet … anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Friends, to covet simply means that you always want something more rather than being thankful.

Friends, I hate to share this story with you but this actually happened to Pastor Bill.

When I was in the 4th grade, I wanted a certain pair of jeans for Christmas.

Christmas came and I got a pair of jeans but not the pair that I thought.

Do you know what I did?

I cried because I did not get the pair of jeans that I thought I would get.

I was not thankful for the jeans that I received for Christmas but only thought about what it was that I wanted.

How selfish of me!

Friends, instead of selfish, the Lord wants us to be thankful for what He’s given to us - and we can be thankful with the Holy Spirit’s help.

Friends, only the Lord can give you a heart that honors your parents, is kind and loving towards others, makes marriage special, tells the truth, is generous, and is thankful rather than selfish.

Friends, if you do the opposite of any of these things, this is sin (define).

Friends, God hates sin and must punish us as sinners (forever away from His presence in a terrible place called Hell).

But, friends, Jesus came and lived a perfect life (never committing any sin), died on the cross for our sins, and is now alive and will give you a new heart through the Holy Spirit that wants to obey the Lord and these things that we’ve looked at if you believe on Jesus to save you (all in demonstration of God’s love!).

But, friends, I know that there are several of you here that you have believed on Jesus to save you.

You might struggle with any one of these things.

First, when you do sin, you can ask the Lord for forgiveness because Jesus has saved you.

Additionally, you can ask the Holy Spirit to help you to live obedient to God’s Word.

And one of the ways that we can help ourselves to be reminded of what God’s Word says is to remember our Scripture memory verse.

Scripture Memory

Mark 12:31 You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Repetition - Mark 12:31 You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Invitation