Saved therefore obey

So if you've got your Bibles or devices, open them up to chapter 19 in Exodus, starting at verse 1.

On the first day of the third month, after the Israelites left Egypt, on that very day, they came to the desert of Sinai.

After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.

Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said,

This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel.

You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.

Now, if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.

Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.

So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak.

The people all responded together,

We will do everything the Lord has said.

So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.

The Lord said to Moses,

I am going to come to you in a dense cloud so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.

Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.

And the Lord said to Moses,

Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow.

Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day,

because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them,

Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it.

Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death.

They are to be stoned or shot with arrows.

Not a hand is to be laid on them.

No person or animal shall be permitted to live.

Only when the ram's horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.

After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people,

he consecrated them and they washed their clothes.

Then he said to the people,

Prepare yourselves for the third day.

Abstain from sexual relations.

On the morning of the third day,

there was thunder and lightning with a thick cloud over the mountain

and a very loud trumpet blast.

Everyone in the camp trembled.

Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God

and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

Mount Sinai was covered with smoke

because the Lord descended on it within fire.

The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace

and the whole mountain trembled violently.

As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder,

Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.

The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai

and called Moses to the top of the mountain.

So Moses went up.

Let's jump to chapter 20 starting at verse 1.

And God spoke all these words.

I am the Lord your God

who brought you out of Egypt,

out of the land of slavery.

You shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself an image

in the form of anything in heaven above

or on the earth beneath

or in the waters below.

You shall not bow to them or worship them.

For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,

punishing the children for the sin of the parents

to the third and fourth generation

of those who hate me,

but showing love to a thousand generations

of those who love me and keep my commandments.

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.

For the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless

who misuses his name.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

Six days you shall labour and do all your work,

but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.

On it you shall not do any work,

neither you nor your son or daughter,

nor your male or female servant,

nor your animals,

nor any foreigner residing in your towns.

For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth,

the sea and all that is in them,

but he rested on the seventh day.

Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day

and made it holy.

Honour your father and your mother,

so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.

You shall not covet your neighbour's house.

You shall not covet your neighbour's wife

or his male or female servant,

his ox or donkey,

or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

This is the Lord's word and law to us today.

Well, good morning, everyone.

A warm welcome if you're visiting this morning.

My name is David.

I'm a pastor here.

Will you please pray with me as we come to God's word?

Lord, I'm conscious that my words can't display your greatness

as we've just sung, but your words can.

And I ask that you would speak powerfully through your word

and point us to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pour out your spirit among us now.

In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen.

Well, you might think all this fire and being afraid,

this is maybe why you don't really like coming to church

and this Bible reading.

But maybe Bob Dylan can help us see

how freeing the Ten Commandments are.

Here's Bob Dylan.

You may be an ambassador to England or France.

You may like to gamble.

You may like to dance.

You may be the heavyweight champion of the world.

You might be a socialite with a long string of pearls.

You may be a businessman or some high-degree thief.

You may call...

They may call you doctor or they may call you chief.

John called me chief just the other day.

Thanks, John.

You may be a preacher preaching spiritual pride.

You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side.

But you're going to have to serve somebody.

Yes, you are.

You're going to have to serve somebody.

Serve somebody.

Well, there's Bob Dylan, if I can't convince you.

To be human is to live for something.

You've got to live for something.

And whatever that something is gives your life meaning,

whether it's in your business as a businessman

or a socialite with your long string of pearls.

Whatever you centre your life on,

whatever is part of that core of who you are

that gives your life meaning,

whatever is at the centre,

you're serving that thing.

You've got to serve somebody.

You've got to live for something.

Whatever you're living for, you're serving.

Well, the Hebrews were slaves to...

They were serving an absolute monarch,

Pharaoh, in Egypt.

They were burdened with heavy work

to build Pharaoh's cities.

They were afflicted, their boys thrown into the Nile.

God heard their cries.

He came with power in the ten plagues

and rescued them.

And Pharaoh chased after them.

And at the Red Sea,

they walked through on dry ground.

And Pharaoh,

all their enemies are destroyed in a moment.

Now, if we were writing Exodus,

if we were reading Exodus,

maybe we want the story to stop there.

They're free.

That's freedom, isn't it?

It's a blank slate.

They're in the wilderness.

They don't have any masters over them.

Isn't that what our culture says freedom is?

Freedom from all restraints?

Freedom to give expression to your desires,

to build your identity on whatever you want.

I'm an architect.

I play for the junior nights.

I'm an involved mum with career aspirations.

That's freedom, isn't it?

Wilderness.

As we come to the Ten Commandments,

are Israel swapping one tyrant for another?

Because Yahweh's repeated goal of setting them free

is really clear.

He says to Pharaoh again and again,

let my people go,

that they may serve me in the wilderness.

We're only going to see life and freedom

if we agree with Bob Dylan.

You've got to serve somebody.

You've got to.

The question is,

are you building your life

on the right thing,

on the right someone?

Right.

We find it really, really hard,

I think close to impossible,

without God's help,

to understand God's desire for our obedience.

We find this so hard.

The obedience God demands

is in response to salvation.

It's not to earn salvation.

And that's true here for Israel.

If you're following along in your Bibles,

19 verse 4,

you yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians

and how I bore you on eagles' wings

and brought you to myself.

Now therefore,

God's initiative,

God's choice,

God's doing,

God's grace,

saved,

therefore,

obey.

We find that so hard

to get our heads around.

In ancient times,

they built their cities around mountains

or a man-made mountain

so that they could climb up,

offer the sacrifices to the gods

and bring the blessing down on their lives.

That might sound primitive to us today,

but aren't we still climbing?

Isn't our society still,

by our own resources,

climb, climb, climb,

bring blessing down on your life?

Work harder.

Be smarter.

Climb the social competition,

climb the corporate ladder.

Get into the property market

by your own resources.

Climb, climb, climb

and bring blessing down on yourself.

God's city is built

on totally opposite,

which is what principle,

it's totally opposite principle.

God comes down.

We don't climb up.

He comes down.

You are completely accepted.

You have nothing to prove.

You already fully belong to me.

I did it all.

Therefore,

obey.

We struggle to get our head around that.

But if we do,

it radically changes our motivation

for obedience.

Because if God has given all of himself to us,

or to Israel,

he now wants Israel to reciprocate,

give all of themselves to him.

I think part of the proof

that we don't get this is,

I wonder if your mind,

your heart is asking,

well,

if it's all God's doing,

if I'm accepted,

I'm valued,

I'm loved,

all by God's doing,

what's the motivation to obey?

If the fear of punishment is removed,

what's the motivation?

Let's have a look at God's purposes for the law.

Israel's high calling.

Look at chapter 19,

verses 5 and 6.

Ancient monarchs,

they owned everything.

The roads,

the buildings,

the citizens.

But,

there would be certain items

they would have for their own enjoyment.

There would be people

they would invite to sit at their table

to enjoy their presence.

The Lord owns everything.

He owns North Korea.

He owns all the nations.

He owns the stars.

And Israel,

when you obey me,

you can know that I'm treasuring you.

The law tells Israel how to please God.

When you fall in love with someone,

what you do is you work out what,

what does it,

what pleases that person?

And you want to give it.

And it doesn't feel like coercion.

Because your happiness is,

you place it in their happiness.

God hasn't left us aiming in the dark

to know what he wants.

He says to Israel,

here's how you can please me.

And when you do this,

you can know

I'm treasuring you.

You're mine.

You're my special possession.

Obey so that you know

that I'm treasuring you.

This was never meant to remain

the sole privilege of Israel.

And we see this with the other

descriptions of their calling.

They to be a kingdom of priests

and a holy nation.

God wants all the nations

to look at Israel

and see justice

and peace

and prosperity

and a satisfaction

in God treasuring them.

He wants Israel to be a light

for the nations.

I know priests

is a term

that is mixed up

with pretty negative stuff

for us in Australia

given all the scandals.

But if you think about

what a priest is,

a priest has

access to God.

A priest knows God.

Or ought to.

These are all ought to.

A priest goes in to God

on someone else's behalf.

The whole nation of Israel

would have access

to this God.

This God will be dwelling

in their midst.

The way they live

was to represent

the nations

and bring the nations

to God.

If they obey the law,

their society

would just be so different

from every other society

on earth.

Their calling

is to attract

the nations to God,

to show the world

a radically different way.

So treasured possession

is why they should obey.

To draw the nations

to God

as a kingdom of priests

being so different

from every other culture

that lives.

God wants to be known

first by Israel

and then all the world.

That's really good news

that God wants to be known.

We see here

he wants to make

a covenant.

This isn't just

head knowledge about God.

He wants

covenant binding

commitment

like a marriage.

Now instead of signing

the marriage

certificate

at the end

of this covenant

in chapter 24

they sacrifice

animals

and Moses

gets the blood

and sprinkles

it.

Sprinkles the blood

on the people.

It's quite a visual sign

of God wants

a binding

commitment.

The blood saying

so be it done

to me.

if I break this.

He wants

binding commitment.

He wants

to be known.

He's coming down.

But we see

here how hard

it is

for sinful people

to get close

to God.

one of my first

theology essays

at Bible

college

I picked

a subject

a topic

that

some of my

classmates

didn't dare to pick

and I think

I was pretty smug

and

people were

asking me

while I was

writing

about my

research

then I got

my mark

back.

I'm not

going to tell

you my mark

but

you might

fire me

but

I was

emotionally

and psychologically

crushed

for weeks.

It just

put me

into a spin.

imagine if I

came face

to face

with theology

himself

if a mark

could do that

to me.

Imagine

if God

if I got

close to God

the weight

of his

being

I think

it would be

like an

elephant

trying to

give a

mouse

a cuddle

just the

weight

of his

being

or the

light

of his

goodness

it would

be more

clarity

than your

8k

television

it would

just expose

all the

dark spots

in me

the depths

of my

evil

he's

described

here as

fire

he's

holy

fire

he's

so

different

to us

don't

think

of

God

as

just

a

bigger

version

of

ourselves

he's

so

different

and

he's

so

pure

the

ten

commandments

with more

clarity

than ever

before

in history

show us

his

character

he

is a

God

who

loves

truth

he

loves

justice

he

wants

love

he

is

jealous

for

all

your

heart

he

wants

us

to

love

our

neighbour

as

our

self

so

he

wants

to

be

known

but

we

see

how

difficult

it

is

we

run

into

that

human

problem

we

were

made

to

know

God

he

wants

a

binding

covenant

but

we

can't

live

with

God

we

can't

live

without

him

and

we

can't

live

with

him

I

don't

know

if

you

notice

here

that

we

need

a

mediator

Moses

is

going

up

and

down

up

and

down

up

and

down

we

need

someone

a

holy

man

to

connect

God

and us

we

need

there

is

no

such

thing

in

the

Bible

in

reality

of

a

relationship

with

God

without

a

mediator

so

many

good

reasons

for

the

law

God

wants

to

be

known

he's

calling

Israel

be a

light

to the

nations

to draw

people

to

myself

we

should

be

cheering

Israel

on

come

on

succeed

bring

the

nations

to

God

the

elders

and

all

the

people

of

Israel

say

all

that

the

Lord

has

spoken

we

will

do

we

will

be

obedient

but

the

law

has

another

purpose

it

reveals

a

deeper

slavery

in

Israel

than

Egypt

a

much

deeper

one

inside

we've

seen

a

foretaste

of

it

with

their

grumbling

in

the

wilderness

there's

a

slavery

in

every

human

heart

and

the

law

reveals

that

slavery

I

came

across

a

really

I

suppose

it's

a

poetic

description

of

the

idea

of

morals

and

ethics

in

our

society

at

the

moment

this

isn't

a

Christian

saying

ethics

is

so

far

from

the

very

structure

of

the

cosmos

it's

not

built

into

the

cosmos

in

other

words

it's

a

matter

of

personal

taste

like

a

designer

label

sewed

into

the

inside

lining

of

conscience

it's

personal

taste

like

a

designer

label

sewed

into

the

inside

lining

of

personal

conscience

how's

that

going

for

us

in

Australia

government

website

says

that

in

2022

2023

one

woman

was

killed

every

11

days

in

Australia

from

their

intimate

partner

one

man

every

91

days

isn't

that

awful

we

were

sharing

our

online

scam

stories

around

the

dinner

table

the

other

day

imagine

a

society

that

didn't

target

the

elderly

to

scam

them

out

of

their

retirement

savings

who

actually

gave

honour

to

the

elderly

these

laws

I

want

to

live

here

I

think

these

laws

are

written

on

our

conscience

I'm

not

going

to

defend

them

I

think

we

know

they're

good

they

would

create

such

a

true

community

of

trust

the

first

four

show

us

what

it

means

to

love

God

the

six

after

that

show

us

what

it

means

to

love

our

neighbor

I

love

them

and yet

there's

something

about

me

that

if

God

sees

my

heart

and not

just

my

behavior

I've

broken

them

all

how

can

that

be

and

the

law

also

shows

us

how

our

hearts

really

work

there's

a

priority

in the

Ten

Commandments

Martin

Luther

the

reformer

pointed out

the

priority

of the

first

commandment

God

God

is

jealous

he's

not

insecure

and

needy

but

he's

like

a

husband

who

is

jealous

when

another

man

places

his

hand

on

his

wife's

knee

he

gets

jealous

that's

a

very

good

thing

he's

like

a

husband

he

will

not

share

if

we

if

I

loved

God

we

wouldn't

break

the

other

commandments

I

wouldn't

lie

I

just

think

about

why

do

I

lie

sometimes

it's

to

protect

my

reputation

sometimes

it's

to

make

sure

I

get

some

outcome

I

really

want

sometimes

it's

to

avoid

punishment

in

other

words

something

in

that

moment

is

more

central

to

me

is

more

important

to

me

than

God

if

God

was

before

me

I

would

love

truth

no

matter

the

cost

if

I

love

God

I

wouldn't

covet

I

order

something

at

a

restaurant

I

see

what

Emma

gets

and

then

I'm

coveting

what

she

chose

that

food

envy

I

can

covet

people's

health

people's

fitness

I

covet

people's

intelligence

I

covet

their

charisma

their

discipline

someone

even

has

gifts

in

church

someone

preaches

better

than

me

coveting

their

gifts

I

can

look

at

another

church

and

go

wow

they're

thriving

it's

everywhere

I

turn

every

waking

moment

coveting

is

not

letting

God

be

God

I

could

look

at

a

nice

house

and

say

well

they've

got a

really

lovely

house

it's

much

nicer

than

mine

and

that's

okay

God

is

God

he's

good

he

knows

what

he's

doing

no

I

must

change

my

lot

I

must

have

that

barbecue

they've

got

I

don't

know

whatever

it is

for you

I'm

probably

speaking to

the men

here

talking about

barbecues

I

wouldn't

covet

if God

was

centre

in my

life

if I

was

content

finding

in him

what

things in

this

world

can

never

satisfy

when

we

break

the

other

commandments

something

other

than

God

in

that

moment

is

more

central

and

desirable

the

law

puts

up

this

mirror

it's

very

uncomfortable

isn't

it

the

law

puts

up

this

mirror

the

law

is

good

but

it

shows

me

my

heart

it

shows

Israel

their

heart

and there's

a deep

slavery

there

much

deeper

than

willpower

can

overcome

we

should

be

cheering

Israel

on

come

on

obey

we

didn't

read it

but

before

Moses

even

comes

down

from

the

mountain

with

the

two

tablets

one

copy

for

God

one

copy

for

his

people

they're

already

committing

spiritual

adultery

on

their

wedding

night

the

law

shows

us

a

really

deep

slavery

in

the

human

heart

and

it

prepares

us

for

many

years

later

when

a

Jewish

man

stands

on

a

mountain

and

says

you've

heard

that it

was

said

to

those

of

old

you

shall

not

murder

but

I

say

to

you

that

everyone

who

is

angry

with

his

brother

will

be

liable

to

judgment

you've

heard

that it

was

said

you

shall

not

commit

adultery

but

I

say

to

you

that

everyone

who

looks

at

a

woman

with

lustful

intent

has

already

committed

adultery

with

her

in

his

heart

do

not

think

I

have

come

to

abolish

the

law

or

the

prophets

I

have

not

come

to

abolish

them

but

to

fulfill

them

Jesus

keeps

the

law

and

that

he's

unlike

anyone

who's

ever

existed

he keeps

the

law

but he's

saying

much

more

than

that

when

he says

I've

come

to

fulfill

the

law

he's

saying

the

law

pointed

forward

to

a

time

to

a

goal

I

am

that

goal

I

am

a

greater

mediator

than

Moses

coming

down

from

heaven

and

he

creates

a

covenant

with

much

better

blood

he

takes

that

cup

this

is

the

new

covenant

in

my

blood

he

sprinkles

his

people

not

your

blood

will

be

spilled

my

blood

the

judgment

that

the

law

shows

that

we

deserve

all

taken

on

him

the

condition

of

the

mosaic

covenant

if

you

obey

is

fulfilled

once

and for

all

by the

obedience

of

Jesus

God

is

just

as

holy

today

his

beauty

and

perfection

is

a

consuming

raging

fire

but

in

Jesus

the

limits

to

the

mountain

are

taken

off

the

fear

of

judgment

is

gone

there's

a

trumpet

blast

come

summoning

us

come

not

to a

mountain

come

into

heaven

itself

and pray

in the

name

of

Jesus

our

father

you can

in

Jesus

we can

call

this

holy

God

our

father

all

all

with

faith

in

Jesus

and

what

he

has

done

we're

not

gathered

at a

mountain

we're

not

we're

not

just

gathered

here

this

morning

if

you're

a

believer

we're

gathered

in

the

sun

I want

to read

a bit

of

1

Peter

2

9

and

10

talking

to the

church

you are

a chosen

race

a royal

priesthood

a holy

nation

a people

for his

own

possession

that you

may

proclaim

the

excellencies

of him

who

called

you out

of

darkness

into

his

marvelous

light

once

you

were not

a

people

but now

you are

God's

people

once

you

had

not

received

mercy

but now

you

have

received

mercy

do you

notice

the key

difference

in that

passage

there's

no

conditional

if

you

obey

in

Christ

in

the

sun

you

are

it's

just

a

description

now

it's

God's

nature

to

give

all

of

himself

the

father

giving

all

things

to

his

son

the

son

gladly

giving

all

of

himself

to

the

father

in

obedience

the

father

sending

his

son

to

rescue

us

to

bring

us

into

his

marvelous

light

the

son

sprinkling

us

with

his

blood

our

jealous

God

calls

us

to

respond

to

his

self

giving

by

giving

all

of

ourselves

to

him

to

serve

God

is not

slavery

we were

made to

know

him

we were

made for

our

pleasure

to be

in

God's

treasuring

in us

pleasure

in

us

it

is

his

supreme

act

of

love

to

demand

that

we

serve

him

with

all

our

hearts

because

we're

made

for

him

our

joy

is

full

when

we

give

all

of

ourselves

to

him

well the

angels

in

heaven

cry

holy

holy

holy

holy

I think

they're

saying

more

than

moral

moral

moral

is

God

I think

it's

deeper

than

that

it's

more

like

you