Exodus -Part 11- Rules,we Don't Need No Rules! Series

Exodus – The story of God’s presence

Part 11

“Rules- we don’t need no rules”

Exodus 20:1-20:21

John 3:16-18

John 14:15-22

Matthew 5

Colossians 2

Romans 7

In a scene from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Butch – Paul Newman is about to have a fight with Harvey Logan, a big mountain of a man who has decided to take over control of the gang

Harvey is more than ready

But Butch is hesitant

No, no, not yet. Not until me and Harvey get the rules straightened out.

Rules? In a knife fight? No rules!

[Butch immediately kicks Harvey in the groin]

So Butch says

Well, if there ain’t' going to be any rules, let's get the fight started.

As you might have guessed today’s sermon is about rules

Specifically the 10 Commandments and their place in our lives

The

As we continue our study of Exodus this morning

We come to a well known

But

Often misunderstood and misused passage of Scripture

The Ten Commandments

These ten laws from God given to the people on Mount Sinai so long ago

Have cause great amounts of controversy in our country in recent years

Should they be displayed in our court houses or in our schools many have asked?

I believe so

God in just a few short verses of scripture gives us a guideline for dealing with him and a guideline for dealing with each other

The Ten Commandments are good and good for us

And if they are followed they will show us how to be better people

But

Following the Ten Commandments will not save us

In this world today what I just said is often times taken as harsh

It is often disputed

And heated debates sometimes occur

It is my goal this morning to show you through scripture that while the Ten Commandments

Are valuable

And I believe they should be followed

They alone will not provide our Need for Grace

I will say that it is very ironic that many who believe that keeping The Ten Commandments is enough

Do not even know all of them

Just to bring us all onto the same page

Let me read for you from God’s word the Ten Commandments

And then we can look a bit deeper at their importance

Let me give you a bit of back story first

All through the book of Exodus we see God’s presence with his chosen people

God had delivered them

Protected them

Provided for them

Given them water

Rest

Food

And now on Mount Sinai

Speaking directly to the people

He is giving them rules for living a life that would honor him

And allow the people to interact with each other in love

Exodus 20:1-17

20 Then God gave the people all these instructions[a]:

2 “I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

3 “You must not have any other god but me.

4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those[b] who love me and obey my commands.

7 “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

8 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

12 “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

13 “You must not murder.

14 “You must not commit adultery.

15 “You must not steal.

16 “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

17 “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”