Obey And Be Blessed Series

TEXT: Exodus 20

TITLE: The Journey Towards Holiness - “Obey The Law!” or “Obey and Be blessed”

SERIES: Lessons Learned from God’s People

TOPIC: Obedience

OCCASION: Burnside Christian Church, May 3, 2009

PROP.: Obedience is the next key word to holiness!

INTRODUCTION: We are in a series called: “LESSONS LEARNED FROM GOD’S PEOPLE.“ The lesson we have been learning this month is: How to Be Holy.

So far, we’ve given you two key words you need to apply to your life in order to become Holy.

1. Separation

2. Boundaries

And today’s key word is:

3. Obedience.

Our text is Exodus 20. The Israelites have left Egypt and the life of slavery behind them and have now been traveling for 3 months. They have come to the foot of Mt. Sinai where they have established their boundaries.

And so our story picks up in Exodus 20 verse 1.

1 And God spoke all these words:

2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

3 "You shall have no other gods before [a] me.

4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

13 "You shall not murder.

14 "You shall not commit adultery.

15 "You shall not steal.

16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

17 "You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

Today’s sermon title is this: Obey the Law and be Blessed.

ILLUSTRATION: Outdated or silly laws…

www.idiotlaws.com

Illinois: In Chicago, it is illegal to eat in any building that is currently on fire.

South Carolina - It is illegal to kill anyone while you are attempting to commit suicide.

South Dakota - Don’t fall asleep in a cheese factory in South Dakota any time soon.

Tennessee - In Memphis, women are only allowed to drive cars if a man is walking beside or in front of the car waving a red flag to warn other drivers and pedestrians.

Virginia - Only political candidates are allowed to bribe or blackmail people without receiving punishment. I thought that was a national law?

Wyoming - No photos of live or dead rabbits allowed between January and April.

Out dated laws. Now we laugh at those laws. Because they are outdated. Useless. But some view the 10 commandments as outdated as well. “Well those are in the old testament”.

Well, I’m here to tell you that the Laws of God are NOT outdated! It will NEVER be outdated! It will never go out of style. Never be considered old fashioned or antique or powerless.

Listen to what Jesus said in his sermon on the mountain: (Matthew 5:17-18) “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (I think we all have a good understanding of how Jesus fulfilled the prophets. Jesus fulfilled or completed all the predictions made about the Messiah about 700 years ago! But how did Jesus fulfill the law? He fulfilled the law by meeting the standards of the law. He obeyed the law and didn’t break one of the commandments! Not only that, but Jesus proved He didn’t want to do away with the law by increasing the level of expectations of the law…remember His words: “You have heard it said…but I tell you.” He was raising the level of expectations concerning the law!)