Pastor Slaughter
March 7, 2021
Third Sunday of Lent
Exodus 20:1-17
One Little Word
One little Word. One little word can make all the difference. One little word can completely change your outlook on things. One little word can break a relationship. One little word can grow a relationship. There is one little word that the devil uses to try to cause strife, divisions and hinder ministry at a church like ours. But there is also one little word that heals, unifies, and grows a church like ours. You are probably wondering that little word is…Well I am not going to tell you…at least not yet.
If there is one thing, we can be certain of, it is that God is very serious about his relationship with his people. In Exodus 20, we see just how serious he is. He doesn’t just give us one word, but rather 10 Commandments that guide our relationship with him. And as we think about our relationship with him, seven of those commandments pertain to how we serve our neighbor. Other people are so important to God that he includes in his commandments how we are to interact with others.
As I was going through each of the commandments, it just got overwhelming. It is almost like you could write a sermon on each one. And as I thought about each commandment, the guilt started rise and my heart began to sink. I failed time and time again to keep these commands. It’s almost like I do the very things to break my relationship with him. It’s not like these are 10 suggestions of how we are should live but rather this is what God requires from us. Just breaking one, just one command has eternal consequences. James 2:10 says, “In fact, whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one point has become guilty of breaking all of it.”
Loving other people or things more than God… that is idolatry. How have I used God’s name? How do I treat the study of God’s word at home or at church? Have I shown respect to those whom God has placed in positions of authority? Have I hated someone? That is murder. Have I looked lustfully at someone? That is adultery. Have I stolen something? Have I slandered, gossiped failed to defend the reputation of someone? That’s breaking the eighth commandment. Have I desired something in my heart that God does not want me to have? That is coveting.
Each one of those things deserves a sermon in and of itself. But I am sure you don’t want 10 sermons today… So is there something, some commonality, some common thread that ties all the commandments together? “Some of the greatest minds in the history of the Christian faith have suggested that idolatry is the reason for all the wrong we ever do. Every sin, then, is first and foremost a violation of the first Commandment-the one overacting command of God. And the last of the commandments bookends this idea. In other words, the first of the commands tells us not to have other gods and the last of the commands tells us not to desire anything as though it were God (that is, “covet”)” (Idol’s We never Knew We Had, Lesson 1).
I agree with them. When we fail to do something God requires of us or when we do something that God forbids, isn’t it really an issue of idolatry? Timothy Keller spoke about idolatry, “What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.”
But even if we break the 10 commandments down an say it is really an issue of idolatry, breaking the first commandment, that in and of itself is just overwhelming! Family and friends, things we enjoy, sports, success, love. The list can go on and on of things we place before God.
But if we were to boil it down even farther. To one little word. That one little word that the devil tires to get us to focus on. That one little word that the devil uses to cause strife and division and try to hinder ministry at church. That one little word that separates us from God. That little word is “I.”
How did Jesus summarize the 10 commandments? “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law the prophets depend on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
But that little word “I” changes love for God, to love for ourselves. That little word “I” changes love for our neighbor to love for ourselves. With that little word “I” the devil wants us to elevate ourselves above God. When we sin, it’s almost like without words and simply by our actions we are saying to God “You should be worshiping me!” “I know what you want from me but this is what I am going to do.”
When we think about our neighbors, people, family, co-workers, members here, when are the times we sin against them? If you think about it, isn’t when we put ourselves on that pedestal? Where we don’t take people’s actions and words in the kindest possible way and jump to conclusions. What is that keeps us from getting past the arguments, disagreements, the struggles, that keeps us from working together? Doesn’t it start here, with ourselves? Where we care more about what we feel, or think or what happens to us? Where the focus is on one little word, “I.” When we fail to show love to our neighbors, who are we ultimately failing to show love to? God, the one commands it.
Talk about that overwhelming sinking feeling! The more we examine our lives in light of God’s law, the more we see our sin. Why would God ever save a person who places themselves above him. People who say I love myself more then you. Why? It is because of another little word. A little word that describes not only God’s attitude but the action he took. It’s love. I am going to show this video that demonstrates the extent of that love for us. (https://www.fullofeyes.com/project/the-supremacy-of-jesus-christ-part-ii/)
One little word saved me, Love. What wondrous love is this? That caused the Lord of bliss. To bear the dreadful curse for my soul. It never ceases to amaze me as I think about my sin and how I placed my wants, my desires above my Lord. As I examine my life in light of the 10 commandments, that He still forgave me and did absolutely everything to necessary to forgive me. And assures me of eternal life.
Love and service are never perfect on this side of heaven. No matter how hard we try we won’t be able to keep his commands perfectly. And that’s why Jesus’ work as our savior is a constant need! But love and service are never optional either.
So how do we do it? How do we get past that other little word that devil uses to tear people apart? How do we get past the hate, the selfishness, the disagreements, the divisions? It’s with the other little word, love. 1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.” We look and see the tremendous love that God has for us. And that love compels us to love him.
As we strive to love God, we seek to put to death the idol of self. How do we love our neighbors as ourselves? A change has to take place within us. That change inside of us is putting God first in our lives, it’s loving him with our entire being because of his great love for us. We seek to show love to God, by doing what he says and loving our neighbor as ourselves.
As we put this into practice in our lives, it helps us in our relationships with brother and sisters in Christ. It helps us strive to work together. It helps us move past disagreements we had about the direction that the church took in the past. It helps us get over the frustrations we had as leaders and look for new opportunities to serve. It helps us look for ways we can serve together instead of looking at people’s faults.
One little word…one little word that the devil tries to get us to focus on which breaks relationships people and separates us from God. That little word “I” But there is another little word that overcomes that…Love. Love God…Love your neighbor. Amen.