Concord United Sermons

Jealousy: Evil’s Secret Weapon | Rev. Brooke Hartman

Social media has made jealousy into an epidemic, thought honestly jealousy was doing just fine long before Zuckerberg monetized it. The command not to be cover the possessions of our neighbor is the negative version of the positive command to be content and grateful with what God has given us. This doesn’t mean we have to be content with everything about our lives. We may find ourselves rightfully impassioned by the holy desire to better develop and utilize the gifts God has given us, but it does mean we do not sit around wishing we had the life of our neighbor rather than appreciating all the good things we have been given.

Scripture - Exodus 20:17

The Truth About Lies | Rev. Sabine Collins

Many of us wouldn’t call ourselves creative people. But if you are placed in a situation where you can get out of trouble by bending the truth a little bit, you’ll be amazed how quickly you’ll become as creative as any Hollywood playwright. We discover this creative impulse early. Every parent has choked back laughter and tried to keep a straight face while hearing their child tell almost unbelievably creative lies in order to get out of trouble.

The command to not bear false witness establishes morality as a higher set of practices than doing what is practical in the moment. Those who choose to follow this commandment discover that it leads them to live a life based on integrity rather than getting ahead. Not surprisingly those who seek integrity often find fulfillment, but those who give up their integrity in search of fulfillment seldom find it.

Scripture - Exodus 20:16

The Truth About Lies | Rev. Wil Cantrell

Many of us wouldn’t call ourselves creative people. But if you are placed in a situation where you can get out of trouble by bending the truth a little bit, you’ll be amazed how quickly you’ll become as creative as any Hollywood playwright. We discover this creative impulse early. Every parent has choked back laughter and tried to keep a straight face while hearing their child tell almost unbelievably creative lies in order to get out of trouble.

The command to not bear false witness establishes morality as a higher set of practices than doing what is practical in the moment. Those who choose to follow this commandment discover that it leads them to live a life based on integrity rather than getting ahead. Not surprisingly those who seek integrity often find fulfillment, but those who give up their integrity in search of fulfillment seldom find it.

Scripture - Exodus 20:16

Don’t Take What Ain’t Yours | Rev. Wil Cantrell

The commandment not to steal is found in almost all ancient societies with written laws. Why is it so prevalent? Well, there was no way then or now to protect all your stuff all the time. If you couldn’t count on your stuff being protect, there was no real way or motivation to do business with others. And society would spiral out of control. Seems like motivation enough.

Yet, in God’s commandment, we find more than common sense. The commitment to not take what isn’t ours – in all areas of life, whether it’s taking money from someone or taking credit for something we didn’t do – is rooted not in common sense, but in the belief that God will provide what we need so we don’t have to take it from others.

Scripture - Exodus 20:15

Don’t Take What Ain’t Yours | Rev. Brooke Hartman

The commandment not to steal is found in almost all ancient societies with written laws. Why is it so prevalent? Well, there was no way then or now to protect all your stuff all the time. If you couldn’t count on your stuff being protect, there was no real way or motivation to do business with others. And society would spiral out of control. Seems like motivation enough.

Yet, in God’s commandment, we find more than common sense. The commitment to not take what isn’t ours – in all areas of life, whether it’s taking money from someone or taking credit for something we didn’t do – is rooted not in common sense, but in the belief that God will provide what we need so we don’t have to take it from others.

 

Scripture - Exodus 20:15

Honor Your Parents | Rev. Brooke Hartman

God created the family as the primary building block for society. To have a flourishing human society, parents must make great sacrifices to raise their children and instill in them a strong Christian character and children must make great sacrifices to respect their parents even when they disagree and to care for their parents in their old age.

Scripture - Exodus 20:12

Honor Your Parents | Rev. Wil Cantrell

God created the family as the primary building block for society. To have a flourishing human society, parents must make great sacrifices to raise their children and instill in them a strong Christian character and children must make great sacrifices to respect their parents even when they disagree and to care for their parents in their old age.

Scripture - Exodus 20:12

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