Series Introduction:

Series Introduction:

My intention is to preach through the 10 commandments. So that’s one sermon for each commandment. So a series of 10 messages , 11 if you count this one which serves as an introduction.

I believe this focus is important so that we may look at these commands through the lens of our current times. For example the command which forbids idolatry , often provokes the thought of men bowing down to statues or carvings of so called gods , But in todays world , the majority of the idolatry does not look like this , it’s a lot more subtle, but still equally damning. And if you don’t make the connection you may be unwittingly trampling the commandments of God.

So that will be my main goal with each command I deal with, present the current day reality of the command. We will go deeper than just the surface or historical application of the command.

Today though in this introduction, the question I hope to answer is why even bother with the 10 commandments since we all know that it is by grace through faith that we are saved and not by the works of the Law? I will endeavor to give 3 reasons why the 10 commandments are just as relevant for today.

Title : 3 Reasons why a 10 commandments sermon Series is important

Text : Various

Prayer :

Introduction

The 10 commandments, also called the moral law, have no doubt been Over emphasized in some circles. In such circles, there is a lot of self righteousness or self loafing because your standing before God is directly dependent on how well you have kept the 10 commandments. So if in your opinion You have kept the commandments well then you feel good of yourself but if you have not kept the commandments well you despise yourself. In such circles the finished work of Christ where he has paid for our sin by his death on the cross is not seen for its true preciousness because persons within that circle are not willing to accept the free gift of Salvation, But rather try to work for it. This however, is a futile process because God demands perfect obedience to the law and all men have sinned and Fallen Short of the glory of God. Therefore , getting to heaven By perfect keeping of the 10 commandments is impossible.

And Maybe that is why in other circles who understand this, there can often be very little emphasis on the 10 commandments. But I want to say it shouldn’t be so.

The commandments are often equated with the old testament because of course that is where it was first introduced. God gave Moses his moral law, written by God’s very finger on two tablets of stone. We see this in the old testament book of exodus as the story of Israel’s time In the wilderness is accounted. But the moral commands, of God are not exclusive to the old covenant. 9 of the 10 moral laws of God are re expressed in the New Testament.

Which brings us to Reason 1

1. The Law Has not been abolished.

As stated earlier the law does not justify any one before God. The righteousness that gets you into heaven is not found In the keeping of the law. Galatians 2:16 is clear on that.

16yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

So that’s clear, keeping the Law, does not save you in and of itself. So why bother with the commandments at all. Well we should bother ourselves with it, Because of what Jesus himself says about it:

(Matthew 5:17-20 ESV)

17“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Lets pluck out a few truths from these verses.

Firstly we see Jesus contrasting between abolishing and fulfilling the law. He did not come to abolish, but to fullfil. What does that mean. It means his motive and intentions for coming as a man was not to destroy and do away with what is commanded in the law, but on the contrary he has come to obey the law, and obey it like no one else has , that is , obey it perfectly. And by obeying it perfectly he has fulfilled the law.

But what are the implications of Christ having fulfilled the law. Well it now means that those of us who are In Christ have also fulfilled the law of Moses, by our faith In Christ. (This is called imputation) So we are no longer bound by the mosaic law, but that does not mean we are commandment or Law free.

In Galatians 6:2 , we are told

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ...

21To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. (1 Corinthians 9:21 ESV)

So this new system or law we are under we may call it the law of Christ. What exactly does the law of Christ entail though? We will get to it in our second point. For Now, let me just give a few additional verses that prove that Christ’s fullfillment of the Law does not result In speaking as if there is no longer a law or commandment to follow:

15“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (John 14:15 ESV)

John 14:21

21pWhoever has my commandments and qkeeps them, he it is who loves me. And rhe who loves me swill be loved by my Father, and I will love him and tmanifest myself to him.”

John 15:10

10kIf you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as l have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

1 John 2:4

ESV

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4Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments cis a liar, and cthe truth is not in him,

1 John 5:2

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2nBy this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.

2. The new Law is essentially a summary of the 10 commandments

The New law is the law of Love

34A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 ESV)

So Love is the new law we are under. So someone may say , well love is the new commandment, so what business do we have concerning our selves with the old law , the 10 commandments.

Well that answer to that is , because this new law of love is heavily linked or related to the old law of the 10 commandments.

The apostle John alludes to this link between the new and old in. 1 John 2:7-10 ESV)

7Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling

Sounds a bit confusing I know but John is essentially saying that the command he is writing on is not new to the ears of the people, so it is old, but it is also new is the sense that for the first time they can truly do it because they now abide In Christ. And this new commandment that John is referring to is loving the brethren. So John is saying the old commandment have been based on love but the fulfillment of it is new, Because through Jesus Christ we have a new understanding and example of what is love.

So the old commandments, like the 10 moral laws , are newly fulfilled in love.

Jesus makes that a lot clearer for us in (Matthew 22:34-40 ESV)

34But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

40On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

So There we go plain and simple, all of the mosaic Laws find their fulfillment in the actions of love.

Loving God directly shows in obeying commandments 1 to 4

8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:8 ESV)

3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3 ESV)

32And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:32-33 ESV)

Loving Man directly shows in obeying commandments 5 to 10

Paul makes this clear

8Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:8-10 ESV)

So All this to say , though we are not under the 10 commandments, we still end up indirectly doing as it instructs when we obey the law of Christ , which is to love. For example when I chose not to lie, I don’t do so because I’m under the 10 commandments, but I do so because I’m compelled by the law of Christ to love my neighbour and thus that means be truthful to him.

But the take away point is this , we need to know the 10 commandments in order to fully grasp what the law of Christ demands of us when it asks that we love God and love our neighbor

3. The 10 commandments is an indispensable tool in evangelism

2 Timothy 3:16 tells us

16All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, (2 Timothy 3:16 ESV).

So essentially that means that even though the 10 commandments may not be binding on the church , it is still useful, for teaching , reproof , correction and training In righteousness.

And so among other things it is most definitely useful for evangelism or sharing the gospel.

The gospel is the good news of how Gods Son, Jesus Christ was substituted in the place of wicked sinners. The wrath of God which should rightly fall on all sinners has fallen on Jesus Christ. Jesus has not only willfully stood in the place of sinners to take their punishment, but he as also allowed sinners to stand in his place and thus sinners are now looked at a righteous by God. This exchange happens when a sinner puts his full trust in Jesus and turns from sin.

So jesus is the saviour of sinners.

The problem is much of mankind do not see themselves as sinners, as bad people.

Much of mankind decides that they are good because they can point to other people who are more evil or frequent sinners themselves.

This willful ignorance is what the 10 commandments attacks

Romans 3:20

ESV

20For yby works of the law no human being1 will be justified in his sight, since zthrough the law comes knowledge of sin.

7What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 (Romans 7:7 ESV)

So the law brings in the knowledge and guilt of sin. And that in turn makes a person desire Christ, to trust him for salvation.

Which is essentially the point we see in:

Galations 3:24

24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith

Illustration

: ray comfort , way of the master evangelism method, is a method that is based on this principle.

Conclusion.

So as we conclude , let us refresh the 3 points or reasons why it well worth while to preach , teach and learn the 10 commandments.

First we saw that though, Christ has fulfilled the law on our behalf , has also said that it would not be abolished until the passing away of the heavens and earth. This passing away happens at the end of the age when the new heavens and earth are revealed.

Secondly we saw that even though we are under the law of Christ and not the mosaic law, the two are linked, with the law of Christ being a fullfillment of the commands , motivated not by blind law keeping but by Love. We thus need to know the 10 commandment to help us fulfil the law of Love

Thirdly we see that the law is much needed tool when sharing the gospel. The law acts as mirror that shows us our sinfulness, and the need for a savior.

And so I hope I have made a convincing case, as to why a sermon series on the commandments would e worthwhile. Thank you