THE SECRET OF LIFE
Posted by: rabuening <rabuening@...>
THE SECRET OF LIFE
God’s Top Ten #1
Exodus 20:1-17
I.Intro.
A.there is no moral standard today
1.we have rejected restrictive external authorities like speed limits and commandments
2.we don't need someone else telling us what truth is
3.we don't want any external authority telling us how to drive or live
B.with the absence of any standard for right and wrong, self-fulfillment becomes the supreme moral guide
1.we will live how we want, regardless of the damage it does to us or others
2.we're not ready to deny the existence of God or the need for morality; but truth doesn't actually begin with God, it begins with us
3.what's right is what we want; and God can accommodate Himself to us if He wants; if He doesn't, then too bad for God
4.that may sound a little harsh, but the fact is, it is the way most people live from day to day
5.we have moments of anxiety when we see how pointless and aimless our lives are, but we get rid of that feeling with new car or a bigger home, booze or drugs
C.every society and individual needs a moral core to survive
1.without standards of morality, the social fabric unravels and destroys everyone in a chaotic indulgence of self-fulfillment
2.where do we find a moral standard that's bigger than our ego
a)the 10 commandments spell out these guidelines for us
b)they are a summary of God's perfect will for His creation
c)His Law is a reflection of His loving and holy character
d)God's Law gives us the way of life that we ignore to our peril, but obey to our happiness
3.the Law is a powerful force, like fire
a)handled properly, it will warm our hearts, light up our way, and keep us safe from danger
b)when mishandled, it can destroy everything in its path with relentless fury
D.the greatest mistake we can make with God's commandments is to not take them seriously enough
II.God's Law is authoritative
A.God gives commands and simply expects obedience (as a king to his subjects)
B.God intentionally displayed His glory by thunder, lightning, earthquakes, and loud trumpet blasts - 18
1.God was not flexing His muscles just to show He could, but was providing an object lesson for us
a)He is holy, awesome and supremely powerful
b)He created everything there is, and ordered the laws of the universe according to His perfect will
c)He didn’t bother to ask us what we thought about it; He just did what He wanted
2.we are in a universe not of our making, but one that is ordered according to a particular plan
a)when God put everything in place, he established both physical but moral laws
b)we can ignore the law of gravity if we want broken bones, and we can ignore God’s moral law if we want broken lives
c)these are not 10 suggestions or 10 good ideas; they are the inflexible patterns for life in this world
d)they have authority because they are given by the highest authority there is
C.what are we going to base our life on
1.this is the life that God commands us to reflect in our relationships
2.we can’t just pay them lip service because their authority comes directly from God himself
3.we can choose to ignore, suppress, or deny the authority of these laws, but it won’t change God’s mind one bit, and it won't change the nature of the universe either
4.life is not a democracy, but this is what really bothers us, isn't it
5.we want it to be a democracy; we want the right to live in a world of our own making
6.we don’t want to bend our knee to anyone; not even God
D.do we really think we know better than God; do we want to take on the almighty God – Psalm 2:2-4
1.God is not intimidated by our foolish and willful rejection of Him
2.important rule: there is a God, and it is not us
III.God's Law is relational
A.though God’s law is authoritative, He does not strong arm His way around
1.slavish fear is not what God uses to motivate us
2.God gives us these commandments as the framework for all our relationships
3.He comes to us as a shepherd to his sheep, a father to his children, even a husband to a bride - 2
B.centuries before all this, God made a promise to Abraham to bless him
1.along the way, God sent Abraham's children to Egypt where they were made slaves
2.what happened to God's plan; had God forgotten or abandoned His people
3.now He leads them out of slavery because of His love and faithfulness
4.His words are tender, compassionate, and speak of involvement; God is our God; He is for us
5.He carries us and brings us out of slavery to Himself – Exodus 19:4
C.now He gives this law to us because of His great love – exodus 19:5-6
1.the 10 commandments are the framework for our relationship with God
2.it isn't what brings us to God, it is God who calls us to Himself; these are the rules of the road
D.God's commandments structure and describe all our relationships
1.the first 4 commandments show how we relate to God; the last 6 describe how we relate to others
2.the commandments are mostly negative because God knows how prone we are to cross the wrong boundaries
3.it is not enough to tell our children to play safely; we have to tell them, "do not play in traffic”
E.God's commandments are the definition of what real human life is meant to be
1.the commandments remind us of what true human life looks like
2.they elevate us, they lift us up above the corrupt standards of a selfish existence
F.God's commandments should cause us to thank and praise God for giving us boundaries in our life
IV.God's Law is eternal
A.God is the anchor of our soul, a rock and a fortress, the One who inhabits eternity
B.it doesn't ultimately matter that God gave these laws 3,500 years ago halfway across the world
1.these laws were not new to Moses when God gave them; they are the eternal moral truths that God had written on Moses' heart and in our consciences as well
2.we know it's wrong to murder; we know it's wrong to steal, to lie, to cheat, to blaspheme
3.God wrote these truths on tablets of stone and recorded them in every human heart so that nobody could say “that's just Moses’ opinion”
4.these commands are significance because they came from God, who is the changeless moral authority over creation
C.in a world of ever changing values and beliefs, God is the one constant - Psalm 119:160
1.He provides stability, something solid for us to build our lives on
2.God's law is what actually gives us true freedom and joy
3.how can law bring freedom
a)in having our souls anchored to truth that is changeless; ii frees us from slavery to self and ego
b)in setting boundaries for us, we know right from wrong and good from evil
D.the purpose of the 10 commandments – why God gave them
1.God's law is to reveal God's standards
2.God's law is to reveal our shortcomings – Galatians 3:19
3.the law is a schoolmaster or instructor to lead us to Jesus Christ – Galatians 3:24
a)keeping the law will never give us life – Galatians 3:21
b)the law makes it painfully clear that we have all failed to live the perfect life God intended
c)the law condemns us and breaks us, so that we're ready to hear the good news of Jesus Christ
E.Jesus said that He came so that men might have life: real, true, eternal life
F.if you want this life, you can have it; it God's free gift to all who believe in Jesus
Ron Buening
Beacon Baptist Church
http://www.angelfire.com/nd/baptistpreacher