Broadway Baptist Church Maryville Tennessee

We have spent the last 11 weeks examining the Law (the 10 Commandments) that God gave to His people. After looking intently into the “perfect Law” of a “Holy God”, we surely recognize the reality that we have no righteouness of our own, no ground on which to state our case. We are guilty before God! How then shall we stand before a Holy God? This Holy God had just “laid down the Law to them.”

This morning we bring our series on the Ten Commandments to a close. We may be surprised that God ends the commandments with one that many people feel is “benign and harmless”. Upon closer examination what we find is this: God closes the Ten Commandments with a final commandment that is the “motivating factor” to the breaking of many of the other commandments. Remember the Ten Commandments are not just “formal and physical” they are “internal and spirital”.

The tenth commandment again reminds us that God is concerned with the heart and cuts to the heart of the issue. So, let us not consider this last commandment as “benign and harmless” but let us guard against the spirit and attitude of all evil desire, lust and covetousness.

As we move toward the end of our series on the Ten Commandments we come to one of the commandments that is perhaps the “most endangered” commandment in our present culture. Truth and integrity seem to be at an all time low in our society. Whether in political realm, in the political realm, the news reporting industry or life in general: truth is becoming obsolete

Without laws to protect private property. the strong would simply take from the weak. God's word demonstrates that His covenant people were not to exploit, mistreat, or abuse the poor, the stranger, the widow or the fatherless. God provided means for their care! (Lev 19:9-11)

We examine the 7th commandment this morning which is expressed in two Hebrew words which mean "no adultery".

The 6th Comandment comes to us in four simple words. "you shall not murder."

This morning we examine the first commandment which is primarily concerning our horizontal "or parenteral" relationships.

We come this morning to one of the most hotly debated of the commandments. “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it hotly”. In our New Testament setting, “when” is the Sabbath? And “how” are we to keep it holy?

Two Massive Cultural Shifts: (1) The first massive cultural shift came in the 1st century as the early church moved to the first day of the week as their day of worship. The term used in the Epistles, “the Lord's Day” is in reference to Sunday not the Jewish Sabbath. (2) The massive shift in our 21st century, where Sunday was observed as a day of rest and worship, but now has become a day of commerce, convenience and personal indulgences.

Two weeks ago, in the 2nd commandment, we learned that God is “jealous for His people”. The 3rd commandment will reveal that God “jealously guards His name”. Jesus emphasized this commandment in the opening of the Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:9); “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.”

in our consideration of the commandments it is important that we remember certain principles of interpretation. (1) The commandments are spiritual, therefore they require that we keep them from our hearts. Outward conformity to the commandments should reflect the inward affection and attitude of the heart. (2) There is a positive action and attitude implied. (3) Each commandment goes much deeper that simply forbidding certain behavior, it is also directed at the desire or inclination to sin.

Guest Speaker, T J Whitehead, his ministry is focused on equipping parents to guide children and students to the “Glory of God.”