Murder in Our Hearts and Words

On By BrianIn Ten Commandments

TenCommandsThe sixth command forbids us to murder. The reason is given in Genesis 1 and 9 – we are made in God’s image. As image-bearers of God, human life is sacred and to be respected. Jesus teaches that this respect for human life must go beyond our actions to include our attitudes and words. We must not let our anger burn against others or speak contemptuously to others or of others (Matthew 5:21-22). John adds that we are murderers if we hate others (I John 3:15). We cannot murder with our hands or our thoughts or our words. Our hearts and words as well as our actions must be governed by respect and love.

By this definition, we all break the sixth commandment. How often are we angry with others because they get in our way? How often do we refer to others as idiots or morons? How often does hate lurk in our hearts? And both Jesus and John tell us that such attitudes and words deserve judgment in hell. We are all guilty, and in desperate need of a Savior.

And so this command drives us to the cross. It drives us to Jesus who died to pay for sins just like these. But Jesus also fulfilled this command by keeping it perfectly. The most dramatic example of his fulfillment is at the cross. As he is surrounded by angry hate-filled attackers, he asks his Father to forgive them. He doesn’t express hate or anger. As they mock and insult him, he does not respond in kind, but looks to his Father, trusting in Him throughout the ordeal (see I Peter 2:22-24). And through faith in Jesus, we are clothed in his perfect righteousness, his perfect fulfillment of this command.

And his perfect fulfillment then serves as an example for us to follow. By the power of the Holy Spirit as we too place our trust in the Father, we can follow Jesus in living out this command. So let us repent and put away our anger and hatred. Let us guard our tongues from speak contemptuously against others. And let us instead show respect and love towards those who are made in the very image of our God.

Honoring Your Parents Isn’t Only For Young Children

On By BrianIn Ten Commandments1 Comment

TenCommandsThe fifth commandment calls us to honor our father and mother. We often think of this command in connection with young children obeying their parents, and yet it has application to adults as well.

We honor our parents when we show them respect. We must show them respect in our attitude, words, and actions towards them. We must show them respect in our words about them as we speak to others. True honor will respect.

We honor our parents when we live uprightly. Do our lives bring honor or dishonor to our parents’ reputation? Do our actions cause the family name to be held with respect or disdain? Are we children who fill our parents’ hearts with joy or sorrow? True honor will live uprightly.

We honor our parents when we remember them. Too many parents are never visited, never called, never written to. They are forgotten and ignored. But true honor will remember.

We honor our parents when we care for them. As they age, they may need help with various things they were once able to do on their own. They may need help with something their spouse used to do who has passed on. They may need our time. They may need some financial support. They may just need someone to listen, to be there. True honor will care.

So how well are we living out this command? How do we need to grow today?

Sermon Songs: Isaiah 36-37

On By BrianIn Isaiah Hymns

MusicNotes

O Church when you are surrounded
By trials on every side
Remember what our great God did
And in His grace abide

God rescued Judah from their foes
His promises came true
So now when faced with trouble’s woes
We will know what to do

Trust in the Lord who reigns as King
Upon His name now call
And on the Lord your burdens fling
Just trust him, that is all

– From a sermon on Isaiah 36-37
(To the tune of the “O God Our Help In Ages Past”)

Who Will You Trust?

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

In Isaiah 36-37, we are confronted with the question: who will we trust?

Will we trust in other people? Judah trusted in Egypt to help them, but Egypt was “a broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it” (36:6). And so other people will fail us too – whether they mean to or not. They are not strong enough, big enough to take care of all the trials that come against us. Like us, they are broken.

Will we trust in ourselves? Assyria mocked Judah, saying that even if Assyria provided them with 2000 horses, Judah could not put riders on them (36:8-9). So how could Judah overcome even the smallest part of Assyria’s army? We too are tempted to trust in our own strength, our own plans. But like Judah, our strength is often too weak, and our plans too often fail.

Will we trust in our trials? That seems odd, but it is entirely possible to believe that our trials are so powerful, that the only thing we can do is give up to them. That is what Assyria encouraged Judah to do – give up to the Assyrians (36:16-17). And we are often tempted to just give up in the face of our trials.

Or will we trust in the Lord? Will we trust in the Lord who alone is God over all the kingdoms of this world? Will we trust in the Lord our God who loves us and is with us? Will we trust in the Lord of Hosts who has all of the hosts of heaven at his command (37:16)? He is greater than other people, greater than ourselves, greater than our trials. He can help us no matter we face. And he invites us to trust in Him.

So in the midst of your trials, who will you trust this week?

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

3 Things To Consider Before That Next Big Sin – Tim Challies
John Owen has a challenge for you. Before that next big sin you are pondering, he wants you to simply consider three things…

4 Things That Happen When You Study Leviticus More Than 10 Years – Jay Sklar (TGC)
In my experience, at least four profound things happen when this book begins to seep into your soul…

Someday It Will Be Worth It – Mark Altrogge (Blazing Center)
You won’t be disappointed. Keep believing in Jesus. Keep hoping in him. Keep clinging to him and abiding in him. Don’t give up, no matter how bad the pain gets. You won’t be put to shame. Keep rejoicing and giving thanks in all things. You can’t imagine your reward and the joys that await you.

Preparing for Sunday Worship – Jason Helopoulis
We believe our engagement in corporate worship is essential, so we should also expect to prepare even as we expect the pastor and musicians to prepare for their participation in the Sunday morning service. How can you prepare for worship?

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day prepared for corporate worship of our great God!