Making the BigTen Personal

Exo

dus

20:1

-17

Matthew 5:17-20 NIV84

"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 tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Matthew 5:17-20 NIV84

Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:17-20 NIV84

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Three Categories of OT Law

Ceremonial LawLeviticus 1:2-3 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When any of you brings an offering to the LORD, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock. "'If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it will be acceptable to the LORD.

Three Categories of OT Law

Ceremonial Law

Civil Law

Deuteronomy 24:10-11 When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, do not go into his house to get what he is offering as a pledge. Stay outside and let the man to whom you are making the loan bring the pledge out to you.

Three Categories of OT Law

Ceremonial Law

Civil Law

Moral Law

Exodus 20:13-15 NIV84 "You shall not murder. "You shall not commit adultery. "You shall not steal.

James 2:10-13 NIV84For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom …

Romans 7:7-12 NIV84What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead.

Romans 7:7-12 NIV84Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

The Big Ten, You and Me

1. No Other Gods (Exo 20:2-3)

What best motivates you to give God first place in your life?

Who He is

His relationship to you

What He has done for you

Who He Is: “I am Yahweh”

His relationship to you:“I am … your God”

What He has done for you: “I brought

you out”

2. No Images/Idols (Exo 20:4-6)

In your mind, what is the most important reason God forbids images/idols?

Images of created things cannot capture the glory of God

Humans are the image of God

Jesus is the perfect image of God

Images of created things cannotpossibly capture the glory of God

Images of created things cannotpossibly capture the glory of God

Humans are theimage of God

Images of created things cannotpossibly capture the glory of God

Humans are theimage of God

Jesus is the perfectimage of God

3. Don’t Misuse God’s Name (Exo 20:7)

Please rank the following misuses of God's name in order from the one you consider personally most offensive (1) to the one you consider personally least offensive (6).

Profanity

Trivial oaths

Frivolous jokes/conversation

Misappropriation

Commercializing/politicizing

Mindless mention in church

1

2

34 5

6

4. Sabbath Rest (Exo 20:8-11)

In your mind, what is the most important aspect of the Sabbath command?

Rest

Remembrance

Revelation

1

2

3

5. Respect Parents (Exo 20:12)Please rank the following in order from the one you consider personally most offensive (1) to the one you consider personally least offensive (4).

Disobedience to parents

Disrespect to parents

Elder financial abuse

Refusal to support aging parents

1

2

3

4

6. Don’t Murder (Exo 20:13)

Which of the following do you personally find more offensive?

Murder

Deep-seated anger

Both are equally offensive

Murder

Anger

Both murder and angerare equally offensive

7. Don’t Commit Adultery (Exo 20:14)

Which of the following do you personally find more offensive?

Adultery

Lusting after a woman

Both are equally offensive

Adultery

Both adultery and lustare equally offensive

8. Don’t Steal (Exo 20:15)Please rank the following in order from the one you consider personally most offensive (1) to the one you consider personally least offensive (5).

A shoplifter

A burglar

A car thief

A merchant with dishonest scales

A used car salesman

1

2

3

45

9. Don’t Lie About Others (Exo 20:16)

Please rank the following in order from the one you consider personally most offensive (1) to the one you consider personally least offensive (4).

Perjury

Slander

Insinuation

Silence

1

2

3

4

10. Don’t Covet (Exo 20:17)

How do you describe yourself?

I tend to be dissatisfied with my life and resentful of others

I tend to be content, even when things are not as I hoped/planned

Content

Dissatisfied & resentful

Comparing the Commands

11. Which Personally Offends You More?

A Christian who cheats on his/her spouse

An atheist who is a good family man/woman

Adulterer

Atheist

12. Which Personally Offends You More?

A person who misuses God’s name in ordinary conversation

A person who commits perjury in court

Misusing God’s name

Perjury

13. Which Personally Offends You More?

A murderer

Someone who abuses his/her parents

Murder

Parental abuse

14. Which Personally Offends You More?

An idolater

A Christian who is envious of others

Covetousness

Idolatry

15. Which Personally Offends You More?

A Christian who neglects church attendance

A thief

Thief

One who neglectschurch attendance

Wrapping Up

Some Insights from ParticipantsThe Law, specifically the Ten Commandments, should lead us to Christ. The Law teaches that we cannot be saved through legalism, we can only be saved through grace.

I accept that while some may not believe in God there is a fundamental moral code however someone who believes in God and has accepted him is held to those standards.

Some Insights from ParticipantsI've really appreciated the chance to see how the Ten Commandments have been really applied to our lives now. It's often easy to look at the Old Testament as "Old" and "Outdated" but there are things that are everlasting and the Ten Commandments are some of them.

I really appreciated how you related that even one of the most Godly men (David) broke every commandment at one point. It helped me to realize that we are all human and that we need to realize that but should always make sure that we are seeking God in everything that we do.

Some Insights from ParticipantsHow easy it is to think you are on the right side of things in respect to the Ten Commandments if you just don't dig into them too deeply. I think that "technically" most of us follow them. But are we really following them as God would have us do? I don't think so.

I know what is right in His eyes, but I still do the wrong thing anyway. Like being deeply angry and murder are the same to him, but murder is more offensive to me.

Some Insights from ParticipantsI have always thought I was closely aligned with the Lord’s thinking but being honest I find myself more worldly and concerned with others’ habits than I like to think. This study and self examination will aid me keep a closer eye on my own thoughts and actions and less on what others are doing.

My desire is to be pleasing to God and through these studies I have become aware of my ignorance in completely understanding all that each command includes.

Romans 7:21-25 NIV84So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!