For example, in magnifying the Seventh Commandment Jesus stated, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28, emphasis added throughout). Worship must both tell the story of Godâs saving work through Jesus and provide instruction on how to respond to the grace of God with obedient lives. The answer was this: âRepent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. All rights reserved. The command to “love your neighbor as yourself” goes all the way back to the Law of Moses (Leviticus 19:18). Didn’t Jesus give a “new commandment”? Race Car Driver A.J. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus upheld the commandments and magnified their application and intent. In his commentary on Colossians written in 1534, Philip Melancthon was the first to identify that the law has three uses: pedagogical, civic, and normative. Righteousness Apart From Obeying The Law Series. In RW 84 weâll look at practical ways to do this. He brought forward the teaching of the Old Testament to love Him “with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). Some Christians object to any liturgical use of Godâs law in order to be absolutely clear about the doctrine of salvation by grace alone. In their cultural context this was the beginning of their obedient service to God and to others. After His death and resurrection, Jesus’ apostles also taught the necessity of keeping the commandments. In other words, how do you underscore that obedient living isnât just about what you should. Even on that first Pentecost, Peterâs message was not just ârepent and be baptized.â Acts 2 continues, âWith many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, âSave yourselves from this corrupt generation.ââ Peterâs very first sermon, his Pentecost sermon, called those first responders not merely to repent and be baptized, but also to reform their lives. The idea of reminding Godâs people of his law in worship is a very old one. Many erroneously think that God is like a mean father, who gives us His commandments to spoil our fun. The subject is gradually worked up to the preceding admonitions in vers. He had strong words for any who claimed to worship Him and failed to obey God’s commandments, both in the letter and the spirit. Letâs begin by making clear what we mean when we speak of the law of God. teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. The Law and the Prophets (the Old Testament) consist of doctrine, What Christians need to work on is sanctification, the outworking of a life of faith in the world, a process that ebbs and flows (Canons of Dort, Fifth Head of Doctrine, Art. Thus Christian worship services should include both the message of the gospel and answers to the question What shall we do? As Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. In fact, those who claim righteousness on the basis of their keeping of the Law only think they’re keeping the Law; this was one of Jesus’ main points in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:20–48; see also Luke 18:18–23). The purpose of the Law was, basically, to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). The long history of psalm singing in Reformed churches reinforced the call to obedient living since so many of the psalms celebrate and recite parts of Godâs law. But such a perception softens any account of Godâs norms for our lives and quiets the call for us to obey them. 1-6). How do His comments about God’s law relate to a new commandment? “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. The law is the rule and guide for how true faith works itself out in the life of the Christian. In the past year, how often have the Ten Commandments been included in your churchâs worship? This morning I want to talk to you about the blessings of obedience. Obeying The Law . The scribes and Pharisees were known for obeying the letter of the law. ... 22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Jesus continued, “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (verse 19). When Calvin came into contact with Bucerâs practice in Strasbourg, he changed the position of the reading of the law. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord …’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23). Jesus did not teach that the 10 Commandments were done away but that they are grouped under two great laws. When Jesus was asked if it was lawful to give tribute to Caesar, he answered, "Give to … What is the general attitude toward the use of the law in your churchâs worship? Paul uses incredibly strong language, stating when you move away from grace you create a different gospel than what Jesus offers. Mar 11, 2020. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version (© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.). But Jesus did expand it with His addition, “As I have love you.” Jesus is love; He demonstrated that great love by laying down His life for us! So we must obey not only the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law. John is not teaching that salvation is conditional on obedience. Used by permission. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams Has their use or non-use impacted your communityâs worship? This is an important truth, since the idea of obedience has fallen on particularly hard times in our postmodern setting. But, most of A.J. God gave commandments to Adam, Gen. 1:28; 2:16–17. Then, in a society that assumed that the scribes and the Pharisees were the epitome of law keeping, Jesus made the even more surprising claim, “Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (verse 20). His disciples should not even harbor hateful attitudes and demeaning thoughts about another person (Matthew 5:21-22). In part one of this two-part article, Calvin Van Reken argues that the church ought to reclaim the practice of calling Godâs people to obedient living. Download our free booklet Change Your Life! In other words, since heaven and earth continue to exist, the law remains unchanged and will continue to be in effect. As the Word is carefully explained, and as it is applied to worshipersâ lives individually and communally, it shapes their minds and hearts to act in accord with Godâs will. First, I’m going to assume that most of us on one level truly want to obey God. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. Scripture: Galatians 6:2, 1 Corinthians 9:19–22. In response to Peterâs altar call several thousand repented and believed. See “What Is Justification?”). These people apparently fail to understand that God’s law is a law of love. Contact Us. (Of course, there is another aspect to this. Never miss a post! With a good foundation and understanding of why the law of God ought to be included in worship, we will be better prepared to apply the practical suggestions Van Reken will lay out in RW 84. âJB. The word translated fulfill means to “make full, to fill up and to fill to the full” (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon). Comments about the content or usability of this site? Your unbelieving, immoral girlfriends have good-looking hunks for boyfriends, while you sit home alone ever since you committed yourself to obey the Lord! With a good foundation and understanding of why the law of God ought to be included in worship, we will be better prepared to apply the practical suggestions Van Reken will lay out in. When you put that guy in a racing car on the Indianapolis 500, get out of the way. The way we love God is explained by the first four commandments (Exodus 20:1-11). E. “Sometimes” obedience is not really obedience ... James 2:10. In his second epistle he summarized it this way: “And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another” (2 John 1:5). A number of years ago I was invited by the chief of police in Los Angeles at the time to come down to Parker Center to do a seminar with the police on leadership. Finally, Godâs will for obedient living was also taught in the songs and prayers used in worship. The most important use, though, is to guide Godâs people so that by knowing what is right and good they can show their gratitude to God by following Godâs will more closely. Like the Mosaic Law, it marks out the distinctive characteristics of God’s Covenant people: 1. Even Christians are troubled by the idea of a God who issues commands and calls for our obedience. Simply put, the law does not dictate our ethics. The most obvious way believers were instructed in the way of obedience in the history of the church was by the reading or singing of the Ten Commandments. Today the law of Christ, which fulfilled the law of Moses, is the fulness of the gospel or “the perfect law of liberty” . The spirit of the law. The law is the rule and guide for … Throughout history, the preaching of the Word has also explained and encouraged obedience to God in worship. . For, by obeying the law of God, he will often overcome every root of wickedness; and it would be a ridiculous thing if he, who is but the production, ... /kingsley/the good news of god/sermon xvii music christmas day.htm. John is teaching that salvation is evidenced by obedience. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus also magnified the Sixth Commandment that forbids murder by explaining the spirit of the law. Later Jesus explained that love can be expressed in two great commandments—love toward God and love toward your neighbor (Matthew 22:36-39). In this lesson, Dr. Ferguson explains how Christ corrected their misinterpretations of God’s law and emphasized the Christian life as one shaped by reconciliation and the gospel. Jesus explained that love can be expressed in two great commandments—love toward God and love toward your neighbor (Matthew 22:36-39). Obedience is a sign that we know God, recognizing that God expects his people to live a certain way - … But ever since you started obeying God, life has been one trial after another. Summary Obedience to God is indeed important, but there is a distinction between obedience to the Law of Moses and obedience to the faith. The apostle John also talked about this new commandment, but he said it was not really new (1 John 2:7-10). Being convicted of our sin, then, we look for the Savior, Jesus Christ, who can deliver us from our just condemnation. I encourage you to take time to read this article, to think it through, and to discuss it with your worship planning group or others in your church community. This sermon describes what salvation produces. The guy at work who is dishonest got the promotion, while you go… Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.â. An expository sermon from Deuteronomy 4:1-9 which explores how the Israelites the need to obey the Law of God. What does each part emphasize? Get the latest blog posts from Life, Hope & Truth straight to your inbox. And what does the Sermon on the Mount tell us about Jesus and the law? He asserted that not even something as small as an accent mark in the written law would be changed until heaven and earth pass away (verse 18)—and that is a long time! After Jesus went to the cross, the only requirement to inherit the promises of God was belief, independent of our behavior or self-effort. ... he speaks of the sheer stupidity of looking into Scripture but not obeying. Equally important, he changed the practice from the reading of the law by the minister to the singing of the law by the congregation. The end of Acts 2 describes the reformed lives of those first Christians: they gathered together; they learned from the apostles; they prayed; they ate together; they shared all things. SERMON POINTS Obedience is doing what God says, when He says it, how He says it, for whatever reason He says it, or with whom He says it. A social structure is mandatory for the survival of humans. 7:12), and “Love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. Throughout His ministry Jesus taught the importance of God’s commandments. All three of these can and should find a place in the worship of the church. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus explained that the commandments speak to our innermost thoughts in addition to our actions—because thoughts are the doorway to actions. Basically he expects them to keep on obeying the law of Moses until he dies and is resurrected. Early on in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus Christ said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. Sermon Illustrations provides sermon illustrations, sermons, eulogies, funeral helps, and counseling aids for ministers. Now imagine this first church of Jerusalem gathering for weekly worship after Pentecost. Foyt Must Obey The Law (illustration) A.J. How Should a Christian Deal With the Coronavirus Pandemic? Peter obeyed what Jesus had commanded the disciples in the great commission: â. James says that the Jews were zealous for keeping the law. Places To Order Good Books. He had strong words for any who claimed to worship Him and failed to obey Godâs commandments, both in the letter and the spirit.What is clear about Jesus’ teaching is the intensity He gave to loving God. Resources for planning and leading worship, In part one of this two-part article, Calvin Van Reken argues that the church ought to reclaim the practice of calling Godâs people to obedient living.
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