Sermon Tone Analysis

*The Ten Commandments*

*July 7, 1996*

* *

*Scripture:  Exodus 20:1-17*

* *

*Prayer:*

* *

*Introduction:*

 

          Murphy's Law seems humorous to us because of its adverse viewpoint on how things sometimes seem to always work against us, almost to the point of being natural principle.

It would be sad if that were really true.

We would have no hope.

But God's laws actually work for us even though they may condemn our behavior and attitude.

They were given by God for the following reasons:

 

          1.

The Law shows us our guilt before God and stops us from attempting to justify ourselves: 

/# Rom 3:19 ¶ Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God./

 

          2.

The Law brings us to the knowledge of sin: 

/# Rom 3:20  Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin./

 

          3.

The Law defines sin and shows us the depth of sin: 

/# Rom 7:7 ¶ What shall we say, then?

Is the law sin?

Certainly not!

Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law.

For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."/

4.

The Law was designed for the very purpose of being a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ: 

/# Gal 3:24  So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith./

John Wesley said, "Before I can preach love, mercy, and grace, I must preach sin, Law, and judgment."

In writing to a young friend, he went so far as to advise, "Preach 90% Law and 10% grace."

Charles Spurgeon, the 'Prince of Preachers,' also used the Law of God to bring conviction toward repentance and salvation.

He preached, "But more, there is war between thee and God's Law.

The Ten Commandments are against thee.

The first comes forward and says, 'Let him be cursed, for he denies Me.

He has another god besides Me, his god is his belly, he yieldeth homage to his lust.'

All the Ten Commandments, like ten great cannons, are pointed at thee today, for you have broken all God's statutes, and lived in daily neglect of all His commands.

Soul!

thou wilt find it a hard thing to go to war with the Law---What will ye do when the Law comes in terror, when the trumpet of the archangel shall tear you from your grave, when the eyes of God shall burn their way into your guilty soul, when the great books shall be opened, and all your sin and shame shall be punished?'

Such preaching is not popular today.

It seems that people demand to be wooed into submission before Almighty God and that the Church has no right to tell it like it is, that we are all sinners---woeful, hopelessly lost, pitiful sinners---reserved for the burning fires of hell except for the matchless love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But our condition drives us to Him to cry out, "What must I do to be saved?"

The Bible says in Rom.

10:13 that, "All who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

With all his strength and emotion, a drowning man calls for help---he doesn't whisper.

If he doesn't realize he is drowning, he won't call out.

In the same way, only those who see themselves drowning in their sins cry out, "God have mercy upon me!"

 

          Spurgeon said, "They must be slain by the Law before they can be made alive by the gospel!"

D.L. Moody said, "The Law was given not to save men, but to measure them.

The Law was never meant for men to save themselves by, but to show us ourselves in our true colors."

It is this Law which Ezra read in Neh. 8 before the hearing of all the people as they stood assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate inside the newly rebuilt walls of Jerusalem that Nehemiah, cupbearer to the king, returned from exile to rebuild against impossible odds.

There the people wept with both repentance and joy as they experienced revival under the reading, and the conviction, of the Law.

Neither should we ever forget these "words spoken by God" to His people.

They are as valid today as then for any people who would please God and know peace.

The whole purpose of the Law was to bring us to Christ (Gal.

3:19-25) for the forgiveness of sin through faith and repentance because none of us are able to keep the Law without Him.

The Ten Commandments were proclaimed about three days after Israel's arrival at Mount Sinai in the third month after their departure from Egypt.

Historically, the Jews celebrate this giving of the Law at the time of Pentecost, which for N.T. Christians was the birth of the Church through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

This is significant because through the Holy Spirit, the Law is now written on our hearts rather than on tablets of stone, 2Cor.

3:3.

For the N.T. Christian, love is the highest expression of the Law whereby by willingly obey God primarily because we love Him rather than just because we fear Him (1John 4:18, 5:3; Rom.

8:4) as predicted by the New Covenant promise of Jer.31:33.

/# Jer 31:33  "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD.

"I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.

I will be their God, and they will be my people./

The N.T. frequently draws on the Ten Commandments for its moral teaching, whether as a quotation or as a framework, and treats it as fulfilled, but not set aside, by love.

The Mosaic ritual laws which attended the Ten Commandments are shown to be superceded and the administrative details of the O.T. are not carried over into the New Covenant.

So the Ten Commandments retain their force but stand clear of their supporting regulations.

The voice of God announced these words in the hearing of the whole assembly and the finger of God inscribed them on both sides of two stone tablets which Moses received on the mountain, forty days after the making of the covenant.

The original tablets were broken by Moses upon discovery of the people's quick return to idolatry, but God reaffirmed the covenant, inscribing the Ten Commandments again Himself on two fresh tablets prepared by Moses.

In time, the tablets were placed in the Ark of the Covenant.

In this "Sinaitic Covenant," God gives a conditional pledge to be Israel's God if they will totally consecrate themselves to Him as His people who live by His rule and serve His purposes in history, Ex. 19:5-8.

In this passage, God poses the question and the people answer affirmatively.

/# Ex 19:5-8  Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.

Although the whole earth is mine,/

/6  you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.'

These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."/

/7  So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak./

/8  The people all responded together, "We will do everything the LORD has said."

So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD./

The Ten Commandments summarize all the requirements of the Law given to Moses by God.

All the commands are spoken to the individual.

As to their demands on the person addressed, the 1st, 5th, and 10th concern our inner commitment and attitudes, and the remainder safeguard the practical expression of them in the spheres of worship and society.

*I.

Right Relations With God* (Godward commands #1-3)

          [Love toward God - First great commandment, Mk. 12:30]

 

/1 ¶ And God spoke all these words:/

/2  "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

/(Positive)

          The first command, indeed the whole series, rests on this statement about the Lord:  who He is, whose He is, and what He has done.

"I am" precedes and underlies "You shall."

Therefore:

 

          A.

The First Commandment (Negative)

                   ["Love the Lord your God with all your heart."

God must be                  pre-eminent in our desire.]

/3  "You shall have no other gods before me./

1.

This commandment discusses the object of worship as                             Yahweh alone.

2.       God is saying that we shall not prefer other gods to Him,                         and that He will not give His glory to another (Is.

42:8).

3.

All that Yahweh is, says, and does is embodied in this one                        affirmation, "I am Yahweh."

The rest of the statement,                           "who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of                                       slavery," is one of the great formulas of Scripture used                         125 times to describe the character and graciousness of                         God.

B.

The Second Commandment (Negative - with a warning)

                   ["Love the Lord your God with all your soul."

God must be pre-            eminent in our devotion.]

1.

This commandment discusses the manner of worship.

/4  "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below./

/5  You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, /