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Introduction:
One of the most interesting essays I have ever read was entitled
“All I Ever Needed To Know I Learned In Kindergarten,” by
Robert Fulghum. It is simple and yet, surprisingly profound. As
Mr. Fulghum can say he learned all he needed to know in
kindergarten, I believe I can say, “All I ever needed to know
about living with others, I learned from the Ten Commandments.” The
first four commandments teach us some enduring principles
about living with God. The last six give us basic guidelines to
live successfully with others. My statement may sound simplistic.
I believe, however, all other instructions are merely further
explanations of these basic principles. Discussion: I.
Mom and Dad are important (Exodus
20:12). A.
The people who have had the greatest impact on my life are
not the people I watch on TV or the people who run our nation’s
government. They are my parents. These two people have had the
greatest impact on my life, not because I have not been greatly
influenced by others, but because without them, I would not even
exist. Therefore, I must honor them. God regulated the family
relationship before He regulated any other, demonstrating its
importance. The fact is, if this command is instilled in our
children, the others will follow. 1.
Note, this command is given without reference to age. 2.
Note also, this command is given without reference to what
kind of parents you have. B.
Experts tell parents the responsibilities they have to
children. However, few tell them what to expect from the kids.
Remembering Isaiah
55:9, we are not surprised to discover the modern
philosophies regarding child rearing are backwards from God’s
philosophy. The fifth commandment speaks of the child’s
responsibility to his parents, not vice versa. 1.
The parents’ responsibility is to train children to honor
and obey (Ephesians
6:1-2). Today, most parents do not train or expect their
children in this. Instead, they wish and hope their kids will
honor them. They beg, plead and threaten their kids to obey them. 2.
Children are not born knowing to honor and obey their
parents. That is why we must train them as early as possible.
Since God commanded this, we have every right to expect it of
them. The cop out that they are only children is merely an
indication of parents who are unwilling to take the time to train
their children. II.
Don’t hurt others (Exodus
20:12, 16). A.
God told the Israelites not to murder. However, this did
not mean they could do whatever they wanted up to the point of
murder. Rather, the principle was, under normal circumstances,
they did not have the right to inflict physical harm on others. 1.
This command is given without exception. In other words, no
matter what anyone does to me, I am not at liberty to retaliate by
harming them. 2.
Remember the “Golden Rule” of Matthew
7:12, “Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do
also to them” (ESV). Instead of inflicting harm and violence,
live at peace with all men (Romans
12:17-21). B.
The ninth commandment takes this point a step further. Not
only must I refrain from physical harm, I must refrain from
verbally hurting others as well. 1.
Ephesians
4:29-31 says
to put away unwholesome speech, refraining from bitterness, wrath,
anger, malice and slander. Galatians
5:15 forbids biting and devouring one another. 2.
Instead of harmful speech, Ephesians
4:15, 29 encourages us to speak the truth in love,
speaking only those things which are good for building others up. III.
Honor my commitments (Exodus
20:14). A.
Aside from your commitment to serve God as a Christian, the
greatest commitment you will ever make is in marriage, committing
yourself to one man or woman for the rest of your life. Let’s
face it, a lifetime is a long time to be with one person.
Therefore, this is not a commitment to take lightly. God says in
no uncertain terms, “Do not break this vow. Do not commit
adultery.” 1.
The proverbialist also teaches us to keep our marriage
commitment in Proverbs
5:15-23. 2.
As with the other commandments, this one contains no
exceptions. It does not matter how your spouse has treated you. It
does not matter whether you love your spouse any more or not. It
does not matter if you have fallen in love with someone else. It
does not matter how unhappy your marriage is or how happy someone
else makes you feel. Do not waste your breath or brainpower trying
to justify to yourself, to me, to God or anyone else why your
situation is different. God said, “Do not commit adultery.”
Sex outside of marriage is sin. B.
The marriage commitment is not the only one God expects us
to keep. When we make any commitment, we must honor and keep it.
We need to be people of our word. If we say we are going to do
something, we should do it, whether our commitment is to God or to
others. 1.
Only those who keep their vows, even when they hurt, will
dwell with God (Psalm
15:1,4). 2.
Lest you fall into the Pharisaical trap that you only have
to keep your word when you back it up with phrases such as “I
Promise,” remember Matthew
5:37. IV.
Respect other people’s property (Exodus
20:15). A.
When something belongs to other people, we do not have the
right to take it. It is theirs, not ours. This command is also
given without exception. Even in our Disney movies today, we are
taught by Aladdin, “Gotta eat to live. Gotta steal to eat.”
God does not provide authority to steal because you are hungry.
Rather, Ephesians
4:28 says we should not steal. We should work. 1.
However, I do not believe this command teaches us to do
what we want with someone else’s property as long as we don’t
take it. The point is we do not have the right to use someone
else’s property in any way other than what they authorize. It is
theirs, not ours. 2.
This means when others have authorized us to borrow
something, we should maintain it how they instruct us, returning
it in at least as good a condition as when we received it. B.
I believe this is one of the most forgotten principles of
interpersonal relations today. Many people believe they have the
right to whatever they can lay their hands on. They believe they
have the right to use it however they see fit. We must regain the
principle of respecting other people’s property in our society. V.
To keep the other commandments, I must control my thoughts
(Exodus
12:17). A.
I am always surprised when people claim the Old Law was a
physical law, dealing with action but the new law is spiritual,
dealing with the heart. Many turn to the Sermon on the Mount to
make this unfounded distinction. The Law of Moses was just as much
about the heart as the Law of Christ. The tenth commandment proves
it. God said, “Control your thoughts.” B.
Controlling my thoughts helps me keep the other
commandments. If I do not covet my neighbor’s house, I will not
kill him (cf. I
Kings 21). If I do not covet my neighbor’s wife, I will
not commit adultery (cf. II
Samuel 11). If I do not covet my neighbor’s possessions,
I will not steal them. If I do not covet my neighbor’s
reputation, I will not lie about him. 1.
The Sermon on the Mount, far from explaining differences
between the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ, demonstrate a law
is not kept just because the explicit action is not committed. I
must control my thoughts as well. I am not allowed to hate a man
as long as I refrain from murder (Matthew
5:21-22). I am not allowed to lust as long as I do not
commit adultery (Matthew
5:28). We are commanded to keep our thoughts in check. 2.
We must follow Paul’s advice in Philippians
4:8, thinking on pure things. As a friend of mine once
said, “You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you
can keep them from making a nest in your hair.” Just so, we may
not be able to keep fleeting thoughts from entering our minds. But
we can keep from dwelling on them. Conclusion: All I ever needed to know about living with others, I learned from these commandments. If we allow these principles to guide us, we will have successful relationships with other people. Again, I understand we are not under the Law of Moses. Rather, we are under the Law of Christ. However, I hope throughout this sermon I have demonstrated that each of these commands contain principles that endure eternally and are mandated by Christ’s law as well. Let us learn to love one another as ourselves, living according to these principles.
Glory
to God in the church by Christ Jesus
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