Sermon Title: We Should Fear and Love GOD.
[Part 2 of Christ our Teacher and Redeemer - The Ten Commandments]
I. What does it mean to fear and love GOD?
II. How does Christ teach us through the Ten Commandments?
III. How does He redeem us through the Ten Commandments?
CHRIST OUR TEACHER AND REDEEMER SHOW US THE PROPER WAY
TO FEAR AND LOVE GOD BY KEEPING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS PERFECTLY
FOR US - SAVING US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW
AND LEADING US TO SALVATION IN HIM
In the name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Grace, mercy and peace from GOD our Father and our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our sermon text for this evening is taken from the lesson just read Exodus chapter 20:1-21. I will refer to these throughout the sermon.
Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” 21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ -
I.
Most of you probably have seen the movie A Christmas Story - a movie about a young boy named Ralphie who wants a BB gun for CHRISTmas, but is foiled at every turn. And just when this boy has had it up to here he has a run in with the neighborhood bully and instead of turning tail and running he takes him on and actually beats him up - and at the same let's fly with a bunch of cuss words. His mom drags him off of the bully and into the house. She calms him down and has him lie down until his dad gets home. As he lies there in his bed crying, he thinks to himself that he is dead when his dad gets home.
Remember those days? I do. Although my mother had enough of her mother in her that she took care of things on her own - there were a couple of times I remember hearing the words, "Wait until your dad gets home," then I knew I was really in trouble!
We find in our text today a very similar situation. The Children of Israel are in deep trouble with their heavenly Father. Let the grumbling begin!
They grumbled about bitter water.
They grumbled about no food.
They grumbled about the food the LORD provided - the manna.
They grumbled about being thirsty.
They grumbled early and often.
Then they find themselves at the foot of Mt. Sinai and at the top is the LORD in the midst of lightning and thunder and a loud trumpet and the mountain actually smoking - and they were afraid. Moses writes...
Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” 21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.
Do you hear their fear? It's not the same fear we have when there is about to be an accident or a fear of war or a fear of someone punching us in the nose. In other words it's not a fear of evil or evil being done to us. No - that is not GOD.
No - this is the same kind of fear we had as kids waiting for Mom or Dad to get home - a fear borne of respect - not a fear of evil. Do you see the difference? They feared the LORD because He is GOD and can rightly judge them as sinners, and therefore, can rightly punish them. But if He can punish, it also means He has the power and authority to have mercy as well. That's fear of GOD, and we do love Him for it.
II.
How does Christ teach us through the Ten Commandments? He does so by keeping them perfectly. GOD showed the Children of Israel what was already written on their hearts - the Law, right? The prophet Jeremiah says so, as well as St. Paul in his letter to the Romans. Jeremiah writes...
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Jeremiah 31:33
And St. Paul writes...
They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts... Romans 2:15
It's written on their hearts and our hearts too. And we are grumblers just like they are aren't we? We gripe when everything doesn't go our way. When the pot boils over, when the car doesn't start, when we forget to grab the thing we went into the kitchen for and make it all the way back to the living room - we all grumble and blame GOD just like our brothers and sisters at the foot of Sinai.
Well that Law is written on Jesus' heart too - after all He is true Man as well as true GOD. And it's by His actions and words throughout His life that shows He has it right there on His heart too. He even goes so far as to sum up the Ten Commandments when He tells us to put the LORD first in our hearts and our neighbors second. If we put the LORD first and our neighbor next and ourselves last we got it made. Unfortunately that is an impossible task.
III.
And that's where Christ redeems us through those Ten Commandments. He knows - as well as our heavenly Father who gave the tablets to Moses in the first place - that we cannot do it. We cannot keep the Law. In fact this inability to keep the Law - is revealed not at Mt. Sinai but in the Garden of Eden to Adam and Eve. The LORD tells them that they will need a Redeemer to get them out of their mess - and that Redeemer is the God-made-Man Jesus Christ.
Christ Redeems us through the Law by keeping the Law for us making Him sinless - but nevertheless taking all of our sin on to Himself and receiving our wages - death on His Cross. There on Golgotha murdered between two thieves the Son of Man shows all the glory of heaven in that He was willing to give His life for His brothers and sisters.
CHRIST OUR TEACHER AND REDEEMER SHOW US THE PROPER WAY
TO FEAR AND LOVE GOD BY KEEPING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS PERFECTLY
FOR US - SAVING US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW
AND LEADING US TO SALVATION IN HIM
And just as Christ on the Cross was clothed in our sins - we in our Baptisms are clothed in Christ's righteousness. What a great exchange! To Christ be the glory forever and ever. Amen
The peace of the LORD - which surpasses all understanding - will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
+ Soli Deo Gloria +
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