“Moral Concerns”

The Ten Commandments, to some degree we assume that they have always been around. But the Ten Commandments, given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai, were a new and revolutionary concept. See, we assume that when Moses came down from the mountain and read the Ten Commandments to the Hebrew people, we assume that what Moses read was a confirmation of what everyone was already doing. In other words, as Moses read the Ten Commandments for the first time, we assume the people listened and said to themselves, “’You shall not commit adultery’, yes I agree with that, I am already living that way. ‘You shall have no other gods before me’, yes I agree with that, for there is only one God”. Yet that is not the case. More likely, in the minds of many of the people they would have thought, “’You shall not commit adultery’ – You mean adultery is wrong? I had no idea! ‘You shall have no other gods before me’, that doesn’t make sense, how could one god take care of all aspects of life?”

For many of the people gathered there that day before Moses – these were new ideas. These were revolutionary ideas. What Moses read stopped them dead in their tracks. That is hard to imagine isn’t it? What we take for granted as a bases for morality, was for many of the people there that day, a series of ground breaking concepts.

Not only had the Hebrews been enslaved for their entire live, they had grown up with the values of a pagan culture. They had absorbed the morality of the culture around them and it was by this morality that they lived. It is hard to blame them, they had known nothing else. So when a moral dilemma came up in their lives, for example: ‘It is ok to give false testimony?’ They looked to the culture around them for the answer, and you know the answer – ‘It is ok to give false testimony when it saves my skin’.

But God, He says, “NO, don’t live your life like that. Here are ten ways to start living your life well.”

We as Americans have to be careful that we do not fall into the same trap that the Hebrews did so long ago. When we have a moral dilemma, do we seek guidance from God, through His Word, or do we seek guidance from our pagan culture around us? Most church going Christians would answer without hesitation that they get their guidance from God through His Word – but many times we are too quick to answer, and in reality we are more influenced by the world around us than we like to admit. In some ways to us the Ten Commandments is so old hat that we also assume we are abiding by them in our lives, when in reality we are living by the world’s interpretation of the Ten Commandments.

In our continuing Sunday Sermon series, Life in the Desert, we will take a closer look at the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are not old hat nor are they the same old thing, they are in fact quite revolutionary, and to clearly understand and apply them to our lives will give us a better life and a more Godly life.

In the Name of Jesus,

Rev. Peter Loughman

sermon texts

Treasured Possession - 27April08

“Focus”

I’m starting to get the itch…again. Maybe it never left. Maybe it was just “on hold” for awhile. Maybe. Who knows?

I remember last year on my birthday (early May). I wanted to go fishing. I went to the only nearby lake I could find that had a little open water in it. I didn’t see any fish, but I was able to cast my line and even get a couple hooks stuck in the ice. It was nice to get out, even though I got skunked.

So now it’s spring again. And in between my looking at tide-tables, studying my Alaska Fishing book, and smoking another batch of last year’s sockeye, I step back outside of my excitement and admit that I have much more pressing things to attend to: my family, church and Guard unit.

And in the midst of this realization, I go and have my morning prayer time. My New Testament epistle reading was Colossians 3. I was especially impacted by the first four verses:

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4

St. Paul goes on to talk specifically about “earthly sins” like sexual immorality, impurity, evil desires, greed… Part of me thinks, “Oh, I’m not having any earthly sins like that. I’m just enjoying Spring. I’m good.”

But then another thought occurs to me. I’m obsessing over my favorite activities, and focusing on my wants and my pleasures. Is that bad? I’ve come to realize that it can be bad, if it gets to the point that it takes the place in my heart reserved for Jesus — “my Lord and my God” (John 20:28). That is when it becomes idolatry.

In my journey as a disciple of Jesus Christ, I need to keep focused. For I have found that if I don’t, then I allow other things — sometimes really good things — to become idols that I pour myself into. Christ has given us many good and perfect gifts, and wants us to enjoy them while we follow and serve Him.

May God give you eyes to see and strength to follow our Lord Christ,

Pastor Ted