Lawfully Part 5 - "Replace" - The Place of the Ten Commandments within the 21st Century.

As we finish up this series of five messages on The Law of Moses let me remind you of the main point of this series. Paul writes to Timothy, "Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully" (ESV). The keys issues that we have been addressing are, what was and is the law and what does it mean the use it lawfully. We have seen that The Law of Moses was the law given to the people of Israel through Moses. This was not only the Ten Commandments though the Ten Commandments seem to have taken on the focus for many. In fact The Law of Moses is what we refer to as the first five books of the Old Testament. The Jews refer to this as the Torah. With this in mind we know come to the point of this final message of our series and that being the place of the Ten Commandment within the 21st century.

As we look at the general landscape of our culture we will see very quickly that the Ten Commandments are being misunderstood, rejected and replaced. This is Paul the Apostles point in the first chapter of his letter to the Roman church. Let us take moment and look at four ways in which Paul describes how the law of God was being rejected in his day. I believe we will find they same thing going on today. The following are four ways that God's law is being rejected.

1. The truth of God that can be seen through nature. Romans 1:18-21

18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. (ESV)

What Paul addresses here is the rejection of what God has revealed about Himself through nature. In our day the Bible is being rejected and science is becoming many's basis for truth. The misunderstanding here is that many have come to see it as the Bible or science when it is clear from the words of Paul that is should be the Bible and science for God truly has revealed himself though nature. Some would even argue that science was birthed our of theology. I only mention it here but will not take the time to attend to prove it for it is not my main point. I believe 

2. The glory of God is being rejected and replaced with earthly images. Romans 1:22-23

22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. (ESV)

I believe that this is the case because when we discover truth about God, we often wish that He was more like us or that we could control Him. In fact many Christian behave in such a way that they display a believe that they can indeed control God. For example, if I pray hard enough then maybe God will do what I ask or if I get my body in the right posture then perhaps God will answer. The reality God is has work and expects us to get involved in that. He is not sitting somewhere in the cosmos answering those who somehow seem to get His attention. May we wonder and worship at the glory of God while resisting the temptation to somehow understand God as we would like to create Him. Jesus has already revealed the Father to us and nothing we can say or imagine could do a better job. 

3. The truth about God has rejected and replaced with a lie. Romans 1:25

25They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. (ESV)

If what we believe about God is outside of the example of Jesus that it is wrong and man made. The lie here I believe s that man can do better at defining God than God can of Himself. God has truly define Himself in nature and in and through the person of Jesus. However in our day God is defined in human terms that are inconsistent with the two ways by which God has revealed Himself. God is not what you nor I want Him to be, because if He was then I would form Him by my own selfishness and pride. Here

4. God's decrees have been rejected and replaced by our own selfish indulgences. Romans 1:32

32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. 

Here is where many Christian abuse the grace of our Lord Jesus. It is scary to look at how far we have drifted from the sound law of God in the name of grace. We wrongly apply the fact that Jesus has fulfilled the law. My question here is have you approved sin by your silence?

The above four point were directly taken from the Book of Romans. I want to now turn your attention some things that are currently taking place to further my point. The can be addressed as four ways we currently see our culture rejecting a replacing the law of God. These will be plainly stated along with a couple of links to their original source. 

1. They are rejected because of the misunderstanding of their original and God intended meaning. For example the late Christopher Hitchens displays this very well. If you view this video  please excuse the language.  http://www.openculture.com/2015/04/christopher-hitchens-revises-the-10-commandments-for-the-21st-century.html

2. They are rejected because of our culture's prevailing belief that and individual is free to live however they please and personal happiness is the ultimate goal. 

3. They are rejected because they are seen as an archaic set of rule that should be kept private within the religious lives of Christians and Jews but no held up in public. This is a gross misunderstanding out the first amendment of our constitution. 

4. They are being rejected and replaced by self-contradicting popularly suggested laws. For and interesting example of this please visit: http://www.atheistmindhumanistheart.com/the-rethink-prize/

Following the link above will lead you to a contest that formed the book. "Atheist Mind, Humanist Heart: Discover Your Own Beliefs - Rewriting the Ten Commandments for the 21st Century" By Lex Bayer and John Figdor. 

If you choose to follow these links I want you to know that at Yucaipa Valley Church of the Nazarene we will not shy away from people who believe differently than we do. We believe that all truth claims should be heard because of our confidence in the Word of God. 

May you come to understand that the law of God is good and use it lawfully. May we as His people bring sound truth and logic to those who are suffering from their personal rejection of God's law. Jesus is still the answer and His law still stands. 

Lawfully Part 4 "Jesus and..." - The place of the Ten Commandment within the first century church.

When I started following Jesus nearly thirty years, becoming a Christian seemed like I needed to believe in Jesus and stop listening to rock music. A generation prior to me was told to believe in Jesus and stop being a hippy. The Gentile Christians of the first century church were told that they needed to place their faith in Jesus and be circumcised as well.  I believe that my generation and the previous had it easy compared to this. Please understand that man has the propensity to add to and confuse what it means to follow Jesus and live in relationship with God. Plain and simple people are always trying to say "have faith in Jesus and..." This is not how God works.

The laws and commands of God have always been a point of great debate and when God expanded the Gospel into the Gentile world, the first century church had a lot of learning and changing to do. The book of Acts details this, explaining the struggles of understanding how God was working outside of their traditions and expectations. God was reminding His people that a relationship with Him always was and always will be based upon faith.

In Acts chapter ten Peter was given a vision that confused him yet led him to move in the same direction of the Holy Spirit. Then God converted an entire Roman household. Not just any Roman household, but the household of a Roman solder named Cornelius. Needless to say Roman solders where not the favorites of men like Peter. This was one of many stories that Luke records in the next several chapters of Acts leading up to what is called the Jerusalem Counsel.

That which led up to this was a group of what I think were well intended followers of Jesus. Luke explains at the beginning of  Acts chapter fifteen that some Jewish believers were teaching Gentile believers that following the law was a prerequisite to following Jesus. This did not go over very well and Paul and Barnabas were sent to Jerusalem to speak with the Apostles and Elders concerning this matter. This was a great time of discovery and revelation based upon what was evident as God worked in the lives of many. Much of what we do and don't do today is based up what took place as recorded in Acts chapter fifteen.

Those that led the discussion were Paul, Barnabas, Peter and James. The first three on this list gave reports of how God had poured His Spirit into the hearts of Gentiles as they placed their faith in Jesus. This outpouring of God's Spirit into the hearts of the Gentiles was linked back to the outpouring of God's Spirit into the primarily Jewish gathering in Acts chapter two. The idea here is that if God had poured out His Spirit into the hearts of those without the law just as He had done to those with the law, then there must be no difference.

James, who may very well have been the leader of the Jerusalem church listened to the reports and tied them together with what was taught by the prophet Amos. James reminded the gathering that Amos prophesied that God's promise of restoration included the Gentiles. This was an often overlooked concept that is found at the inception of God's promise to His people and reiterated several times throughout the Jewish Scriptures. Even though this is the case, it was now impossible to ignore.

With all this in mind, I believe that this passage of Scripture calls us to remove the barriers that keep them from following Jesus simply of the bases of faith. Please don't get me wrong faith is more that giving mental assent to what Jesus did two thousand years ago. In fact Jesus said that if we believe in Him and love Him that we would do what He says. The question is what exactly has Jesus told us to do? Also obedience follows conversion but does not lead to it.

May we as the church follow God as He works in the lives of people as did Paul, Barnabas, Peter and James. This may not look exactly the way we have always dreamed but I guarantee that it will be messy, confusing and often very very frustrating. We will question what is happening while wondering if it is from God. May we, like James measure what is going on with what we have been told in Scripture. James led his group in rediscovering what the Scriptures taught and what changed was the heart of the people, not their interpretation of Scripture.

Lawfully Part 3 - "Law-filled"

Through out this series we have seen that God as Redeemer gave the law as a basis for a free society. The people to whom God gave the law accepted it with joy yet were quick to discover that it was not easy to live by. They also struggled as to why God had given them the law. By the time we get to Jesus the Israelites one generation after another saw the law as the means by which they were accepted by God. They were no different than any other people group trying to behave well enough to be accepted by their particular deity. This is the reason why when Jesus began His ministry so many thought that His teachings were an effort to get rid of the law.

The reality and the main point of this message is that Jesus fulfilled the law by filling it with meaning. In other words Jesus filled up what would otherwise be empty. To understand this point, please consider the words of Jesus as recorded by Matthew in Matthew 5:17-20. Here Jesus says, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish them bu to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass way, not an iota, not  dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes 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 does and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." From Jesus word here I would like to share with you four thoughts concerning how Jesus filled the law with meaning.

1. Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets by showing us that their meaning goes further that we first believe. This fact is found in verses 17 and 18. Here Jesus means that He is filling up what has been empty. The law itself of full of meaning and Jesus was going to bring that to the heart and mind of His hearers. Matthew records Jesus doing just this in verses 21-48 of this same chapter.

2. Jesus also fills the law with meaning as He identified proper teaching concerning the law as greatness in the kingdom of heaven. This is very important in our day because so many Christian see Jesus as one who lets them off the hook in regards to obedience. This misunderstanding leads many to believe that Jesus fulfilled the law so it is permissible for me to fall short. This has led to a misapplication of freedom. We tend to behave as though Jesus set me free from the ramifications of sin, when in fact Jesus has set us free from sin itself. We are now free from sin, not free to sin and get away with it.

3. Jesus as Messiah is fulfilling what the Israelites believed based on the words of Moses in Deuteronomy 18:17-20. " The LORD said to me, They have spoken well. 18 I will raise up a prophets  from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to the mall that I command him. 19 It shall come about that whoever that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I myself will require it of him. 20 But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die."  Here recognize again that Jesus is fulfilling the law and holding all those who speak for Him and about Him accountable of speaking only that which God commands us.

4. Lastly Jesus fulfilled the law by calling His people to an inward righteousness. In verse 20 Matthew records Jesus saying, "For I tell you the truth, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees you will by no means enter the kingdom on heaven." Here Jesus is referencing the outward focus of obedience that the Scribes and Pharisees exemplified and called others to follow. Their righteousness failed to understand the heart of the commands of God. This again is why Jesus teaches what he does in verses 21-48. What is found there, is the heart of the law to which Jesus' followers must make their goal. This is the work of the Holy Spirit that follows our ful surrender to the Lordship of Jesus.

The challenge for us becomes not to exchange God's law for our ideas about what is good. God has laid those out for us and as we live in this post-Christian world we cannot give in to the temptation the disregard the laws of God and live life based upon what is acceptable. When we understand this, we will use the law in such a way that brings freedom to those in the bondage of sin. Bondage is the result of choosing our own definition of right and wrong. May you accept the laws of God as Jesus has fulfilled them. And May we all life in the freedom of that law.

Lawfully Part 2 " Foundation"

Foundations are necessary but never really the end goal. I don't know much about make-up, but I recently asked some women what would happen if they only applied what they call "foundation". In unison they said that they would look like a ghost and that the they would never rely on foundation to assist their appearance. As a God laid out the law through Moses, it was a necessary foundation but it was not God's end goal.

Even though the Law of Moses was not the end goal for God, it was the foundation for how He would relate to His people and how He expected them to govern their lives. This foundation would separate the Israelites from the nations around them as God formed a people that would be a blessing to the whole world. Here in the second part of the series "Lawfully", we will observe four ways in which The Law of Moses forms a foundation for God people. This is not an exhaustive list by any means but it will help us see the good within the Law of Moses.

To begin with the Law of Moses served as a foundation for a free community. The biblical text for the provision of the law is the book of Exodus. This is the historical account of how God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. In Exodus chapter twenty the giving of what we call the Ten Commandments is recorded. In verse two of this chapter we read, "I am the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." This points out that as God provided the Ten Commandments He was doing so within the context of their new found freedom. In other words their law was to serve them as a free society. It should be noted here that people without law are left to their individual opinions as to what is right and wrong This will end only in bondage to the powerful with that people group. True freedom only comes when people are governed by an objective law that rules over all.

Secondly, the Law of Moses served as a foundation of understanding God as a redeemer. Again make note of Exodus chapter twenty verse two. To understand that God is a redeemer we have to understand that God redeemed after four hundred years of slavery. That means for many generations God was not seen as a redeemer but as a God that had forgotten His people. All those generations had were promises that were hundreds of years old with no fulfillment in sight. In fact many of our Bible heroes felt this way about God. Maybe you feel this way with some aspects of your life. If so, hold on to God because at the foundation of our relationship with God is the reality that he is in fact a redeemer and His promises can be trusted even if they are very old.

Leaving our second point and moving on to the third, we see that the law is a symbol of the eternal covenant between God and Israel. We discover this in Deuteronomy 29:29 which reads, "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the rods of this law." The "secrete things" are interpreted as breaches in the law that are unseen by man, but are seen by God alone. Here the Israelites understand that they are responsible for living by what God has revealed and leaving what is not revealed to the governance of God. This can apply to our previous point as well. At times God reveals how and why He acts as redeemer and at other times we are left to faithfully rely on His promises.

The final point to be made here is that the law provides a foundation for pride and manipulation if improperly used. Remember Paul's words to Timothy which are the basis for this entire series. Paul says to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:8, "Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully." With this in mind the law can be bad id improperly used. This is exactly the accusation of Jesus in Matthew 23:15 when He says, "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across the see and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make his twice as much a child of hell as yourselves." What Jesus was saying here is that the Scribes and Pharisees misused the law for their own benefit by manipulating others.

After looking at these four ways that the law is a foundation, may you now begin to understand that God's law keeps us reliant on Him. As you finish reading this entry please reflect on Galatians 3:10-14 which reads, "All who are under the law are under a curse, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.' 11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, 'the righteous will live by faith'. 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, 'The man who does these things will live by them.' 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles though Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit."

Lawfully Part 1 - "Lawfully Using the Law"

Some of the lines on the freeway that I travel on back and forth from my house to my church have had lane reassignments. These reassignments have left many bumps in the road and it can make for some irritating travel. Some drivers often stray from their own lanes or just pick their own way down the road because there are so many old and new lines. Anyone who drives has come to appreciate lanes. Though they have no physical means by which to keep us all in our lanes, straying into the next lane could be hazardous.

I have come to understand that the Ten Commandment are a lot like these lanes. When we can see them clearly they are helpful and keep us all safe as we travel this road of life, but if not understood or applied correctly they can be very confusing and difficult to follow. Paul the Apostle speaks toward this in his first letter to Timothy. Timothy was leading a church in the city of Ephesus and the lanes were becoming confusing. In the beginning of this letter Paul tells Timothy, "we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully." This statement is the basis for our sermon series "Lawfully" in which I will seek to explain how the law of God can be used lawfully to provide clear lanes in which we can move through this journey called life. The moral and spiritual lanes have become hard to follow and very bumpy. Let's explore some of the truth of the Ten Commandments and see if we can smooth things our a bit.

The main point here in part one is to make four observations concerning what it means to use the law lawfully. These observation are based on 1 Timothy 1:8-11. Take a moment and read that text in your own Bible.

1. Using the law lawfully provides a basis for certainty. In verses three through four Timothy was instructed to make sure that teachers within the church of Ephesus were not introducing doctrines that were separate or opposing to what had already been taught. These new doctrines were not helpful in explaining the Gospel, they only brought confusion and more questions.

It has become popular within Christianity to move away for certainty and just have conversations without coming to any conclusions. This has made the Gospel like those lines on the freeway and people are bumping around and into wrong lanes. Asking questions is healthy and in fact we can't learn without them but the goal of asking a question is to get an answer. Using the law of God lawfully gives us some certain answers to many well asked questions.

2. Using the law lawfully is founded on love. Paul point out to Timothy that the goal is his charge was love. Paul describes this love as coming from a pure heart, a good conscience and sincere faith. This love should be the goal of any corrective efforts that we exercise towards others that teach differently from that which we have received from the writers that God used to reveal His word. This loves draws clear lanes because of the danger of drifting into the other lane.

3. Using the law lawfully requires a commitment to learning. Reading verses six and seven we see that those who were addressed by Timothy had the desire to me teachers of the law but were ignorant of the law itself as well as the things by which they were making confident assertions. People who know nothing of laying down lanes simply should not. Being confident does not make anyone correct. I have confidently traveled down some roads only to make a swift u-turn upon realizing that my confidence was unfounded.

There is a growing thought within the church that a person can go from receiving a call to ministry, right into a position of ministry. This is a grave mistake and as been the cause of much undue heartache. We all need mentoring and a time of training prior to being places in any ministry position.

4. Finally when you read verses eight through eleven you see the plane statement that Paul the Apostle is making. Using the law lawfully is good. A proper use of the law in needed in order to have a full understanding of the the Gospel. The law reveals out need for a outside help. We cannot and will not stay in the right lanes unless God fills us with His Spirit and empowers us to do so. This is true on an individual and collective basis.

May you come to know that God has given you instructions and boundaries because He loves you. And may we all see our need for help understanding the logic of the law and how it resonates with our hearts.