The Face Of Sin

Exodus 20:1 - 17

1 Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3 you shall have no other gods before me. 4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. 8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep 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; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. 12 Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that 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 bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Here in the south, there are a lot churches that "answer back" when the pastor makes a statement from the pulpit..... When the preacher says something, the congregation answers and it feeds the preacher while he or she is preaching.

One Sunday, a preacher was preaching on what it would take for the church to grow.

He said, "If this church is to grow, it must take up it’s bed, and walk."

The congregation said "Let it walk, Preacher, let it walk."

Encouraged, the preacher went on.... "If this church is going to grow, it will have to throw aside all it’s hindrances and run!"

The congregation replied, "Let it run, preacher, let it run!"

Now the preacher was really feeling in tune with the congregation so he spoke stronger. "If this church really wants to become great, it will have to spread it’s wings and fly!"

"Let it fly, Preacher, let it fly!" shouted the congregation.

The Preacher gets louder. "If this church is going to fly, it’s going to cost money, and a lot of it!!!"

The congregation replied. "Let it walk, Preacher, let it walk."

That congregation probably needed to hear a sermon on the Ten Commandments, in particular, the first commandment, Thou shalt have no other gods before me....

God Himself gave us those commandments....

He wrote them out with His own finger for us to use as a guide for our lives....

These commandments are there to show us the importance of obeying God and to show us that failing to obey the commandments of God makes us unworthy, unrighteous and sinful....

I believe every person who professes to be a Follower of Jesus, a Christian, should read these commandments from time to time to really evaluate where they stand with God....

These commandments will reveal our true nature if we look at them sincerely and with an open heart.... And when it does, you may not like what you see....

Take them one at a time and ask yourself, "Have I ever done that?"

1. Have I ever let anything be more important in my life than God?

2. Have I ever thought of money, sports, human relationships so much that you shut God out? (Idols)

3. Have I ever used God’s name irreverently, even in joking? (This doesn’t only mean cursing)

4. Have I ever just thought of the Sabbath day as just another day and didn’t revere it as God told me to?

5. Have I ever said or done anything to cause my mother or father to be dishonored? Has everything I’ve done reflected well on my parents?

6. Have I ever killed anyone? (The Bible says that if you ever hated anyone you are a murderer in God’s eyes)

7. Have I ever looked on someone with lust in your heart? (adultery)