10 Commandments: Words of Freedom
Religious and irreligious people alike recognize that few documents have had as much influence on Western culture as the Ten Commandments. President John Adams once wrote, “As much as I love, esteem and admire the Greeks, I believe the Hebrews have done more to enlighten and civilize the world. Moses did more than all their legislators and philosophers.” Whether a fervent believer or a fervent skeptic, history has proven that the Ten Commandments are exceptionally relevant to each of our lives. The Ten Commandments are perhaps most relevant for a reason you may not suspect: they teach us how to be truly free. God gave the Ten Commandments to Israel just after He set them free from slavery in Egypt. The Commandments show them how to live the way they were intended. God set them free and then gave them the commandments to teach them how to live like free people.
As we wrap up the ten commandments, we come to last word for our joy and freedom. This one especially saps our joy when we disobey it. It is the command not to covet, which involves desiring something God has entrusted to another. Such desires are buried deep inside of us, but here we talk about how God frees us even from them.
Resources:
Exodus 20:17, Romans 7:7-12, 24-25, 8:1-4
Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory, Phil Ryken
The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, Jeremiah Burroughs
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Where falsehood is permitted, injustice and conflict thrive. God forbids the bearing of false witness in this ninth commandment, and yet lies and spin are all around us. We lie for personal gain at another’s expense, but as we listen to the true witness we’re empowered by the Holy Spirit to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Resources:
Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory, Phil Ryken
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Continuing the prohibitions of the ten commandments, after protecting life by prohibiting murder, and marriage by prohibiting adultery, God now protects property by prohibiting stealing. God is a generous God who has given some things to some, and different things to others. Here we see what it means to take from that, why we do it, and how God responds.
Resources:
Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory, Phil Ryken
God So Loved, He Gave: Entering the Movement of Divine Generosity, Kelly Kapic
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Love for God leads to love for people. In this sermon we look beyond the surface to see the heart of murder and the hope of Christ.
Resources:
Exodus 20:13
Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory by Phil Ryken
Ten Commandments: Ethics for the 21st Century by Mark Rooker
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The Ten Commandments divide into two parts. The first four commandments teach us how to relate to God and the final six teach us how to relate to one another. The fifth commandment, to honor father and mother, is unique. The fifth commandment is a bridge as parents both participate in the divine activity of creation and are the first neighbor many of us will ever know. Therefore, we are to honor them.
Resources:
Exodus: Saved for God’s glory by Phil Ryken
Keeping the Ten Commandments by JI Packer
The Ten Commandments: Ethics for the 21st Century by Mark Rooker
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We love productivity in America, and it’s brought great development with it. But it’s also brought anxiety, fatigue, and stress-related illness. Why can’t we stop? The fourth commandment commands us to stop, and shows us how and why to enjoy true rest.
Resources:
Wisdom and Sabbath Rest, article by Timothy Keller
Is the Sabbath Still Required for Christians?, Q&A with Dr. Tom Schreiner
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Names convey identity, and in the ancient world they even more so conveyed character and reputation. God has a name, and we exist to make His name great, not ours. The third commandment requires that we not take His name and unite it to something worthless. It requires that our lives be about the glory of His name.
Resources:
Keeping the Ten Commandments, J.I. Packer
For the Fame of God’s Name: Essays in Honor of John Piper, ed. Sam Storms and Justin Taylor
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The first commandment freed us to worship the true God we were created for, but how do we do it? The second commandment answers that question by showing us how not to: Don’t worship an image.
Resources:
Keeping the Ten Commandments, J.I. Packer
Was Jesus an Egomaniac? John Piper’s address to Google
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The Ten Commandments are just that, commandments. Commandments feel enslaving, but these commandments are actually the path to true freedom. We begin with the first commandment: Have no other gods.
Resources:
Keeping the Ten Commandments, J.I. Packer
Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters, Timothy Keller
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