Concord United Sermons

The Sacredness of Life | Rev. Wil Cantrell

: In our society, we take the sacredness of life for granted. We might argue about what it means, but few people would serious argue life isn’t sacred in public.  This hasn’t always been the case. The commandment prohibiting killing may have been one of the most controversial commandments for the Hebrew people. Ancient peoples did not have anything life a universal prohibition on killing. They might have subscribed to a morality which taught them, “Do not kill a family member.” “Do not kill a fellow citizen.” Or “Do not kill a colleague.”

 

But “Do not Kill”? Nobody believed in that. In most ancient society’s if you had a deformed baby, you could kill it. If you had an enemy, no one would be surprised if they suddenly disappeared. If your slave wasn’t working hard and you accidentally beat them to death, it was more a poor business decision than a crime against humanity.

 

Then Moses comes down the mountain with a tablet from God and the sixth commandment reads “Do not kill.” We can debate when a killing in self-defense is justified. But there’s no debating the power of this commandment. God is the author of life and to kill another human being is to destroy God’s creation and to thwart God’s purposes for creation.

Scripture - Exodus 20:13

The Sacredness of Life | Rev. Brooke Hartman

In our society, we take the sacredness of life for granted. We might argue about what it means, but few people would serious argue life isn’t sacred in public.  This hasn’t always been the case. The commandment prohibiting killing may have been one of the most controversial commandments for the Hebrew people. Ancient peoples did not have anything life a universal prohibition on killing. They might have subscribed to a morality which taught them, “Do not kill a family member.” “Do not kill a fellow citizen.” Or “Do not kill a colleague.”

 

But “Do not Kill”? Nobody believed in that. In most ancient society’s if you had a deformed baby, you could kill it. If you had an enemy, no one would be surprised if they suddenly disappeared. If your slave wasn’t working hard and you accidentally beat them to death, it was more a poor business decision than a crime against humanity.

 

Then Moses comes down the mountain with a tablet from God and the sixth commandment reads “Do not kill.” We can debate when a killing in self-defense is justified. But there’s no debating the power of this commandment. God is the author of life and to kill another human being is to destroy God’s creation and to thwart God’s purposes for creation.

Scripture - Exodus 20:13

: Faithfulness & Temptation | Rev. Mike Stallings

With the family as the basic building block of society, the command to not commit adultery is necessary to protect the continuity of the nuclear family just as the command to honor your parents is necessary to protect the intergenerational extended family. This command is given not just to stabilize society, but also to bless each member of the society. This command seeks to provide children with a stable home life and spouses with a fulfilling lasting relationship. While marriage is never easy, studies show the healthiest and happiest people on earth are those in a stable marriage.  

 

In ancient days, marriages were often challenged by the practice of polygamy and the uneven application of this command which held women to a higher standard of faithfulness than men. Today, marriages are challenged by hook-ups websites, the ubiquity of porn, the ease of reconnecting with old flames on social media, and cultural attitudes towards sex as an act of self-expression that shouldn’t be policed rather than a sacred gift of which we are stewards.

 

As Christians, we are called to recognize the harmful nature of these societal temptations and work to minimize them while also working to offer the grace of Jesus Christ to those who have found their lives wrecked by them.

 Scripture - Exodus 20:14

Faithfulness & Temptation | Rev. Brooke Hartman

With the family as the basic building block of society, the command to not commit adultery is necessary to protect the continuity of the nuclear family just as the command to honor your parents is necessary to protect the intergenerational extended family. This command is given not just to stabilize society, but also to bless each member of the society. This command seeks to provide children with a stable home life and spouses with a fulfilling lasting relationship. While marriage is never easy, studies show the healthiest and happiest people on earth are those in a stable marriage.  

 

In ancient days, marriages were often challenged by the practice of polygamy and the uneven application of this command which held women to a higher standard of faithfulness than men. Today, marriages are challenged by hook-ups websites, the ubiquity of porn, the ease of reconnecting with old flames on social media, and cultural attitudes towards sex as an act of self-expression that shouldn’t be policed rather than a sacred gift of which we are stewards.

 

As Christians, we are called to recognize the harmful nature of these societal temptations and work to minimize them while also working to offer the grace of Jesus Christ to those who have found their lives wrecked by them.

 Scripture - Exodus 20:14

Sabbath: Addition by Subtraction | Rev. Brooke Hartman

When the Hebrew were enslaved in Egypt, they had to work for Pharoah 7 days a week. When God led them out of slavery, God instructed them to work for themselves 6 days a week and to give the 7^th day to God. Instead of backbreaking labor, God instructed them to spend the 7^th day (the Sabbath day), worshipping God and enjoying the goodness and love of God’s creation.

Today, many of us are enslaved by golden handcuffs of our own design. We struggle to take even half a day off from our other priorities to focus on God and to enjoy God’s goodness because we are so busy pursuing our own goals which often bring us as many curses as blessings.

God’s plan for Sabbath revolves around creating a community based around supporting its members to take Sabbath for rest, rejuvenation, and revival. So, we must wrestle with the question of how to practice Sabbath in a culture that no longer supports it.

To practice Sabbath in this culture is counter-cultural and necessary. If Jesus felt the need to take a Sabbath for worship and renewal every seven days, we probably need to as well.

Scripture - Exodus 20:8-11

 

Sabbath: Addition by Subtraction | Rev. Wil Cantrell

When the Hebrew were enslaved in Egypt, they had to work for Pharoah 7 days a week. When God led them out of slavery, God instructed them to work for themselves 6 days a week and to give the 7^th day to God. Instead of backbreaking labor, God instructed them to spend the 7^th day (the Sabbath day), worshipping God and enjoying the goodness and love of God’s creation.

Today, many of us are enslaved by golden handcuffs of our own design. We struggle to take even half a day off from our other priorities to focus on God and to enjoy God’s goodness because we are so busy pursuing our own goals which often bring us as many curses as blessings.

God’s plan for Sabbath revolves around creating a community based around supporting its members to take Sabbath for rest, rejuvenation, and revival. So, we must wrestle with the question of how to practice Sabbath in a culture that no longer supports it.

To practice Sabbath in this culture is counter-cultural and necessary. If Jesus felt the need to take a Sabbath for worship and renewal every seven days, we probably need to as well.

Scripture - Exodus 20:8-11

What More In the Name of Love? | Rev. Wil Cantrell

How you use someone’s name has everything to do with the level of respect and authority they represent to you. The reason God instructs us not swear by his name (or to use older language “to take his name in vain” is because God knows our tendency to use his name, along with the power and authority attached to it, for our own purposes which have nothing to do with God’s purposes. Doing so, not only harms others, it creates a world where each person gets to decide right and wrong for themselves. Such a world is incapable of producing peace, justice, and a human flourishing because within such a world humanity has no common ground to stand on.

Scripture - Exodus 20:7

What More In the Name of Love? | Rev. Sabine Collins

How you use someone’s name has everything to do with the level of respect and authority they represent to you. The reason God instructs us not swear by his name (or to use older language “to take his name in vain” is because God knows our tendency to use his name, along with the power and authority attached to it, for our own purposes which have nothing to do with God’s purposes. Doing so, not only harms others, it creates a world where each person gets to decide right and wrong for themselves. Such a world is incapable of producing peace, justice, and a human flourishing because within such a world humanity has no common ground to stand on.

Scripture - Exodus 20:7

The Problem With Idols | Rev. Mike Stallings

History teaches us that humans will always find a way to worship. In the absence of a community based around the reality of the One True God (and sadly, sometimes even within such a community), our worship will center around idols. In ancient times, these idols were carved out of stone or wood each of which promised blessings of particular types (fertility, harvest, military victory) to its devotees. Today, these idols are more likely to center around our commitment to a goal (wealth, health, status) or a community (country, corporation, college).

In every case, idol worship takes our focus off of how we can serve God and puts the focus on how god (or gods) can serve us. Jesus teaches us that when we seek first God and God’s Kingdom, we receive all of God’s blessings in return. But when we seek first the blessings, we come away empty handed.

Scripture - Exodus 20:4-5

 

The Problem With Idols | Rev. Wil Cantrell

History teaches us that humans will always find a way to worship. In the absence of a community based around the reality of the One True God (and sadly, sometimes even within such a community), our worship will center around idols. In ancient times, these idols were carved out of stone or wood each of which promised blessings of particular types (fertility, harvest, military victory) to its devotees. Today, these idols are more likely to center around our commitment to a goal (wealth, health, status) or a community (country, corporation, college).

 

In every case, idol worship takes our focus off of how we can serve God and puts the focus on how god (or gods) can serve us. Jesus teaches us that when we seek first God and God’s Kingdom, we receive all of God’s blessings in return. But when we seek first the blessings, we come away empty handed.

Scripture - Exodus 20:4-5