12/29/2024
Sunday Worship Service
December 29th, 2024 / 8:30 am (EST)
Sermon entitled, "The Ten Commandments, in Depth"
Fellow believers, greetings in Christ’s holy name.
I'm Evangelist Bill King, Senior Pastor for our ministry, and on behalf of our associate pastors, we welcome you to Church on this, the last Sunday gathering of 2024. It's our humble prayer that God was gracious to you this past Christmas Day, and that He shines His love onto You even more abundantly this coming new year. Amen.
Our message this morning is on the Ten Commandments, the fundamental basis of all God’s commands, and the foundation on which His Son, Christ Jesus, expounded on in His 3-year ministry, as found in the New Testament. As we enter the new year, such calls for a refreshing of our minds, hearts, and commitment to uphold all which is righteous and holy; what better way to do so than to return to the basics.
Our references are Exodus 20:2-17, Exodus 32:11-14, Exodus 32:27-28, Genesis 2:2-3, Proverbs 1:8-9, Proverbs 20:20, and Matthew 19:4-6, as found in the New King James Version of the Holy Bible. Bless you; now on with our message.
The Ten Commandments were God’s commands to His Chosen, given to His mighty prophet, Moses, atop Mt Sinai, which he imparted unto the Jews, and granted unto all faithful believers. Though only ten, they form the core of God’s commands, and if kept faithfully, they serve not only as a moral compass, but also to strengthen our resolve in staying as close to Christ Jesus’ perfectionism, as humanly possible. Though I'm assured by the Spirit that those with us who have been faithful believers for a considerable time are well versed in these commandments, for the sake of our viewers and followers who are new to Christianity, now is the perfect time to study them, and for all to recommit and reaffirm our allegiance to God the Father, and the Son, Christ Jesus.
Let us begin with the first and work our way through:
1) "...no other gods before me," and 2) “...shall not make any graven image.” Pagan idol worship by a large group of Jews who grew tired and anxious while awaiting Moses' descent from atop Mt Sinai, where he was receiving the Ten Commandments and the Laws of Judaism from God, resulted in both God’s and Moses' wrath being poured out upon them.
God, intending to destroy every single one of them for their sin, even the innocent, and starting over with Moses as seed, was convinced by Moses not to do so, but to have mercy upon them, for as he said to God:
“Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: ‘Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth?’ Turn from Your fierce wrath and relent from this harm to Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’ So, the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.” (Exodus 32:11-14 [NKJV)
However, upon arriving at the base of the mount, Moses observed their sinful act of disobedience with his own eyes, for they were worshiping a golden calf Aaron had molded for them with gold given them by Egyptians while fleeing Egypt and over four hundred years of enslavement.
In an uncontrollable fit of anger, Moses threw the stone tablets to the ground, breaking them apart. Calling upon armed men from the tribe of Levi (Aaron's tribe, from which all priests of the Holy Temple were called, Aaron being the first), ordered the armed Levites to go throughout the camp, putting all three thousand of the sinful idolaters to the blade, for the Holy Bible says:
“And he said to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’ So, the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.” (Exodus 32:27-28 [NKJV])
3) “...shall not take God’s name in vain.” Such not only applies to not cursing others or things by using His name, but it also concerns sending prayers unto God, through the Son, Christ Jesus, on behalf of others, or us, asking for His divine intervention in trivial matters/asking Him to bless us with gifts/items which are of little or no significance.
For example, the highly acclaimed and revered Robert “Stonewall” Jackson, a Lieutenant General of the US Confederate Army serving under General Robert E. Lee during the War between the States (Union versus Confederacy), was a devout, pious Christian in the habit of praying to/praising God for everything in life, every little act Stonewall undertook, trivial matters such as drinking water, or breathing air.
Though doing so was and is highly commendable, that he, while leading an army of soldiers in war, could and did take the time to do so, though admirable, such praises/prayers were unnecessary, as God freely provides such things to all without our having to ask: such acts are trivial, not from a perspective of their importance to all lives on earth, but by being necessary that we should and must pray/praise God for each drink of water we consume and every breath we inhale. Those admirable praises/prayers Stonewall Jackson sent to God through the Son were in vain, not necessary, for they were more for Stonewall's benefit than God’s or anyone else's - his vanity on full display, much as Christ Jesus taught regarding the Pharisee’s vain manner in praying out loud in the streets of Jerusalem bejeweled in their finery, simply patting themselves on the back and seeking recognition.
4) “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” The significance of keeping the Sabbath (the “Lord’s Day) holy corresponds to God's creation of all things, for as we find in the Book of Genesis regarding such creation, God rested on the seventh day:
“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Thus, the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” (Genesis 2:2-3 [NKJV])
The key term in this passage is “sanctified,” meaning set apart, declared holy.
We won't delve into the age-old argument of which day of the week was/is the seventh day, Saturday, or Sunday - that's a matter for an entire message by itself.
Sunday has been accepted as the seventh day upon which God rested and sanctified since 321 AD, when Roman Emperor Constantine, the first Christian to rule Rome, declared it as such.
5) “Honor your father and mother.” This is a gimme, for what person in their right mind wouldn't do so, unless of course they never knew their biological parents, nor were they fortunate enough to be reared by them. Wise King Solomon teaches us to:
“My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; for they will be a graceful ornament on your head, and chains about your neck.” (Proverbs 1:8-9 [NKJV])
And:
“Whoever curses his father or his mother, His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.” (Proverbs 20:20 [NKJV])
6) “You shall not kill.” There is and has long been a grave misunderstanding concerning this commandment deriving from the mistranslation of the original Hebrew word used, as it was “Ratsakh,” meaning “murder,” not “kill.” There is a grave distinction between murdering someone in cold blood, compared to killing an enemy during an act of war.
Would God have ordered Moses and his successor, Joshua, to annihilate all the pagan nations and people opposing their takeover of the Promised Land of Canaan, if by doing so, they would have sinned by disobeying His commandment of “Thou Shalt Not Kill?” No, such would have been counter to His own command, not to mention the fact that God personally intervened/joined in the killing of these pagan nations and people - such would have made God a “Hypocrite.” There exist such mistranslations throughout Holy scripture. It is wise to go to the original source when encountering such problematic portions of God’s Holy Word.
7) “You shall not commit adultery.” Such is understood, for it was God’s original intention for a man to join with one woman in holy matrimony, as husband and wife, as He did join Adam, the first man, and Eve, the first woman.
In the Old Testament, God tolerated men taken for themselves multiple wives, which is actually categorized as “Polygamy,” (the practice of having multiple wives), as even the Jewish patriarch, Abraham, had two wives simultaneously: Sarah, his first wife, the Jewish matriarch, mother of Abraham's second-born son, Issac, and Sarah's Egyptian house servant, Hagar, mother of his first-born son, Ishmael.
However, when Christ Jesus came on the scene, He had this to say:
“And He answered and said to them, ‘Have you not read that He who made at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?’ So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:4-6 [NKJV])
“Man,” singular, not plural, “men, " and “wife,” singular, not plural “wives.”
Throughout civilized society, having multiple spouses is highly frowned upon, considered taboo. An example of a so-called Christian religious sect practicing Polygamy are the Mormons, called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah (only men having multiple spouses, not women).
8) “You shall not steal.” This is another gimme, for we have no right, power, or authority to take from others what is their rightfully earned and owned property. However, we see vivid examples of such thievery when those in power and authority over others (governments) “steal” land owned by citizens they govern under the pretense of such seizure being for “the good of the people and nation, as a whole, often referred to as “Eminent Domain,” meaning, “the power of the government to take private property for public use, with proper compensation to the owner,” whether the owner wishes to sell or not to sell. In all instances, the amount paid to the losing property owner is but a penance of its true worth/value - “The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.”
9) “You shall not bear false witness (lie) against your neighbor.” Lying, telling, or spreading false accusations against our neighbors/fellow man, can and often has led to tragic consequences for both those who do So, and those wrongfully slandered/accused. Many innocent people have been wrongfully convicted of crimes they didn't commit and imprisoned, or even executed, while those found guilty of lying under oath, during criminal prosecution, have been found guilty of lying under oath (lying while sworn in, under oath) and severely penalized.
10) “You shall not covet.” Covet - Yearn to possess, have, and control something held, owned, and controlled by someone else.” How do we covet? With our eyes, for it is a sin to look upon that which is not ours, such as someone's spouse, material possessions, or even their positions in society or employment, desiring to have such for our own.
The Old Testament teachings were/are for all who are of the Faith, not just directed towards the Chosen.
Taking and applying them to our walks of faith, in addition to Christ Jesus’ teachings will enable us to, one fine day, cast our eyes upon God as we stand before Him in heaven - this is our humble prayer unto all Christendom. Amen.
As we conclude our service, if there is anyone with us now, or viewing this message later, who has yet to turn their life over to God, now is the time. If you so desire to do so, of your own free will, then bow your heads and repeat this “Sinner's Prayer” with me:
Father God in Heaven: I come to you a sinner, seeking forgiveness and salvation, openly proclaiming You as Almighty God, and Christ Jesus as the sole means of redemption through faith in His divine power and authority, as per Your Grace. Forgive me my indiscretions and accept me into Your Heavenly kingdom upon my earthly demise. In this I pray in the Holy name of Jesus. Amen.
If you said this prayer with me in earnest repentance, then Christ Jesus has forgiven you of all your sins, and drawn you in as a child of His Father - welcome to the family.
Go forth now and seek a local minister or priest for the purpose of water baptism, in accordance with Jesus's instructions, and endeavor to embrace the teachings of this message; and may:
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26 [NKJV])
In conclusion, our associate pastor and I thank you for allowing us to lead you in worshiping and praising our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, this morning, as we do each Sunday, and we encourage you to spread the word about our ministry to everyone you know, asking them to join you next Sunday so that we may join as one in the Body of Christ, as His faithful and obedient servants, giving Him the honor, praise, and glory He is so rightfully due.
Now please join us in our closing prayer, and as always, go in peace, brothers, and sisters.
God above us, the maker of all things in both the heavens and upon earth, we give glory, honor, and praise to Your holy name, and that of Your Son, Christ Jesus. What a trying time it must have been for You and Your loyal servant, Moses, to witness the blasphemy of the Golden Calf idolatry, as it enraged Moses to the point that he broke the original tablets containing Your Ten Commandments, smashing them to the ground in an uncontrollable fit of rage at the sight. How thankful we are that You thought enough of us to call him back up the mount and replace them, giving us Your Word, Your commands, of which we all faithfully strive to obey. Be with us in the new year to come, granting us the wisdom, knowledge, and a deeper understanding of Your Word, so we may continually strive to bring it to those who have never heard it previously, as written and as You intend. In this we pray, in the holy name of Jesus. Amen.
Go in peace, brothers, and sisters.
Evangelist Bill King
Senior Pastor
Bill King Ministries
“Glory be to God”
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