Great Failures
Sermon Notes
Intro
Today we’re continuing our teaching series called The Story, where we’re going through the biblical narrative from the very beginning in Genesis 1 to the last amen in Revelation 22, and today’s text brings us to the story of the 10 Commandments. It’s the story of God giving Moses the 10 Commandments, and something the 10 Commandments reveal is our failures in living out these commandments. Skeptics sometimes call Christians hypocrites, and the truth is they’re right! We are hypocrites sometimes! In fact the Apostle Paul once said this about himself in 1st Timothy 1, “Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and I’m the worst of them!” So it’s true we are sometimes hypocrites, we are sometimes failing to live out God’s laws, failing to practice what we preach. But the same is true for the skeptic! If you’re a skeptic there’s days you fail to practice what you preach. There’s days you fail to live out your own moral laws! The reality is we’re all hypocrites, we’re all failures at living the lives God desires or even the lives we desire to live. It’s something the 10 Commandments reveal, they reveal we’re great failures, in need of a greater Savior than ourselves, and that’s what we’re talking about today, so let’s turn to Exodus 20 and get into it. You’ll find Exodus in the front of your bible, we’ll be in Exodus 20:1-17. Title of today’s message is Great Failures, and the big idea is God’s laws prove we’re great failures, in need of a greater Savior...God’s laws prove we’re great failures, in need of a greater Savior.
Context:
Here’s your context. Last week we studied the life of Moses, and the 10 plagues that led Pharoah to finally release the Israelites from harsh Egyptian slavery. But in ch 14 he pursues the Israelites with his army, so the Lord parts the Red Sea crushing the Egyptians while allowing the Israelites to escape. They’re now free from the Egyptians, but they’re quick to complain about God leading them to the dessert where there’s no food or water. So the Lord provides them with manna and water in ch’s 16-17, and in ch 19 he leads them to Mt. Sinai where he gives Moses the 10 Commandments to live by as a nation. But these are also universal laws the Lord expects everybody to live by, so let’s check out these laws, and see how we’re doing at living them out.
The Word:
Exodus 20:1-17 states, “Then God spoke all these words: 2 ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.’” Notice the relationship comes before the rules...The Lord starts with a relationship before the rules saying I am the Lord your God. He’s affirming a personal relational commitment to them. When he says I brought you out of the land of Egypt, it’s meant to illustrate the Lord being like a loving parent scooping their child up to rescue them from danger, which in this case is the Egyptians. The Lord’s making it clear that his relationship with them is personal, and that their relationship and salvation came before the rules. He says I am the Lord your God, before saying here’s the 10 commandments. This means God’s laws aren’t a requirement for a relationship with the Lord, instead they’re a loving response to an already existing relationship with the Lord. God doesn’t give us his laws to hinder our relational joy, he gives us his laws to protect and benefit our relational joy.
For example the reason I give my children rules is because I love them and want to protect their joy. If I didn’t love them I’d let them do whatever they want and it’d be a disaster for their health and safety. Their diet would consist of doughnuts, sour patch kids, and dominos cheeseburger pizza every day...They’d probably play football or king of the hill on the stairs...I don’t think they would’ve lived past 3 if we didn’t lay down the law not to run in the street when cars are coming. But the reason we laid down that law was to protect their joy. Too many people view God’s laws as a hinderance to joy, instead of as a protection of joy. They think they know what’s best for their lives, instead of trusting God knows what’s best for their lives. They’re like a 3 yr old who thinks they know better than their parents, but there’s a massive gap between the wisdom of a 3 yr old and their parents, just like there’s a massive gap between our wisdom and God’s. The Lord’s infinite in wisdom, he knows what’s best for us, and so as we read these 10 Commandments let’s remember he’s giving these laws to protect and benefit us. Let’s remember he’s giving these laws not as a requirement for a relationship with him, but as a loving response to an already existing relationship with him. He says I’m the Lord your God, before giving the rules.
Again vs. 2, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 3 Do not have other gods besides me.” There’s the 1st commandment, it’s to not have any other gods except the God of the bible. As I break each commandment down I want to briefly point out what they’re teaching, and I want to examine our hearts to see if we’ve been living these out. This 1st commandment’s teaching us to not have other gods except the God of the bible. It’s teaching us to put God first, put God above all other things in our lives. Have you done that, have you been putting God 1st in your life?...Have you been putting God 1st in your daily schedule, in your budget, in your thoughts, and actions?...Have you been putting God 1st in your daily life or has something else taken his place?...I know I’ve failed this one before, and probably more than any of the other commandments. I mean there’s days I’d rather watch some UFC highlights instead of praying. There’s days I’d rather binge watch Cobra Kai or Boba Fett instead of reading my bible. There’s days my thoughts are filled with me 1st, instead of God 1st. I’ve personally failed this commandment numerous times in my life. But what about you?...Have you ever failed to put God 1st in your life?...Let’s check out the 2ndcommandment.
Vs 4, “Do not make an idol for yourself... 5 Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them...” This is the 2nd commandment, and it’s closely related to the 1st. It’s to not worship idols or things we think can satisfy us more than God. It can also include believing wrong things about God, trying to reshape God into something he isn’t, so he’ll fit your beliefs. Have you ever done this, ever made something your idol?...Have you ever made an idol out of a career, money, sex, success, pursued something you thought could bring you more joy and satisfaction than God?...Have you ever believed wrong things about God, tried reshaping God into an image he isn’t, such as believing he should give you a pain free life and answer everyone of your prayers at the snap of your finger?...It’s another fail for me, because there’s times I’ll pursue things, pursue idols that’ll never satisfy me like the Lord can, and there’s times I’ll get angry when he doesn’t answer my prayers at the snap of my finger. So I’ve failed this 2nd commandment too.
Vs. 7, “Do not misuse the name of the Lord...” This 3rd commandment is about honoring the Lord’s name and reputation, because a person’s name includes their reputation. The name Michael Jordan has the reputation of GOAT in basketball. The name Tom Brady has the reputation of GOAT in football. Well the Lord also has a name and reputation, and we misrepresent his name and reputation when we aren’t reflecting him with our words and actions. Have you ever been so frustrated, that you’ve used the Lord’s name as a curse word yelling GD or JC?... Have you ever misrepresented the Lord’s name and reputation with your words or actions?...I’ve fail this by not always saying or doing things that represent Christ’s name and reputation well.
Vs. 8, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy...” This is the 4th commandment, and it’s about taking a sabbath day. It’s about taking one day off each week to rest, and to celebrate the Lord by doing something fun to enjoy the life he’s given you. Are you consistent in doing this, in taking 1 day a week off to rest, to recharge, to do something fun to enjoy the life God’s given you?...Are you consistent in taking 1 day a week off to celebrate the Lord and all he’s given you?...It’s another fail for me. I used to be good at this, but lately it seems like I’ve packed my schedule with very little margin, very little time to enjoy true Sabbath rest. What about you?
Vs. 12, “Honor your father and your mother…” This is the 5th commandment, and it’s about honoring your father and mother, honoring your parents, loving and caring for your family. Have you ever disobeyed your parents with your actions, or disrespected your parents with your words and the way you talk to them?...Have you ever disobeyed or been disrespectful to other authority figures in your life besides your parents like a teacher, a coach, or a law enforcement officer?...Have you ever treated your family in ways that isn’t loving or caring?...It’s another fail, because I know there’s times I haven’t honored my parents, my authority, my very own family.
Vs. 13, “Do not murder...” This is the 6th commandment, and it’s about valuing human life regardless of age, race, gender, or socio economic status. Some of you are like “Yes! I finally got one!” Not so fast Mother Teresa, because in Matthew 5 Jesus says when we’re holding onto anger we’re committing murder in our hearts. So maybe you haven’t physically murdered somebody, but have you ever murdered them in your heart?...Have you ever had hateful thoughts towards somebody or wished bad things upon them?...I do this every time I let somebody walk in front of my car at Publix, and they don’t say thank you...If they take their time walking super slow and still don’t say thank you, I secretly hope Publix runs out of their favorite BOGO...I haven’t murdered people physically, but I’ve murdered people in my heart with hateful thoughts.
Vs. 14, “Do not commit adultery...” This 7th commandment is about valuing the Lord’s sexual ethics and the centrality of marriage. Once again in Matthew 5 Jesus says this includes emotional adultery, meaning lusting after somebody in your heart, or undressing them with your eyes when you aren’t married to them. Have you ever committed physical or emotional adultery before?...Have you ever had pre-marital sex, had sex with somebody else’s future spouse?...Have you ever viewed porn, flirted with somebody that isn’t your spouse, or imagined being married to somebody that isn’t your spouse?...When I was an atheist my sexual ethics were bad, they weren’t in alignment with the Lord. I didn’t respect other people’s future spouse, and I didn’t respect my own future spouse which ended up being Andrea. I wish I could go back and change that, but I can’t. I failed in this part of my life, just like I failed in all the other commandments.
Vs. 15, “Do not steal...” This 8th commandment is about stealing, and there’s numerous ways people can steal. Have you ever stolen somebody else’s property, fudged your tax numbers, taken a little extra slurp off the Slurpee machine?...Have you ever streamed something illegally like a movie, a sporting event, Kodi TV?...Have you ever cheated somebody in business, cheated your employer by using your expense account for non-business expenses, or by using company time to check social media and make personal calls?...It’s another fail, because I’ve done the Slurpee thing and watched a UFC fight that was illegally streamed. I tried to justify streaming the fight since the person streaming it was paying a monthly streaming fee, but it was still considered stealing from those putting on the event. So I’ve failed here too.
Vs. 16, “Do not give false testimony against your neighbor...” This 9th commandment is about being truthful in all our relationships including our marriages, our friendships, our business relationships, even the stranger on the street. Have you ever lied to avoid getting in trouble, or lied to avoid hurting somebody’s feelings? Those jeans don’t give you a muffin top. They make you look like an exotic fruit...Have you ever lied to exaggerate your achievements while on an interview, a date, or to fit in with your peers?...Have you ever lied about your feelings, told people you’re doing fine when you aren’t?...I’ve done this before, because sometimes it’s easier to say you’re doing fine, rather than getting into the details of your struggles. It’s another fail.
Vs. 17, “Do not covet your neighbor’s house...” This is the 10th and last commandment, and it’s about not coveting or craving what others have. It’s about being content with the Lord’s provision for your life. Have you ever desired the wealth, success, popularity, beauty or body of others?...Have you ever felt jealous over God blessing somebody else, or answering their prayers over yours?...Have you ever complained about what you don’t have, instead of being thankful for what you do have?...I fail this every time I’m around my wealthy friends and their cascading waterfall pools. I love chilling in waterfalls. If I’m at a hotel with a waterfall, I’m chillaxing in it! My wife sometimes teases me, because I don’t care if it’s in the kiddy pool, I’m still sitting in that waterfall. But when I’m with my friends, I sometimes covet their waterfall saline pools.
Now be honest with yourself, how are you doing with living these out?...How are you doing with living all these commandments out?...If you’re sitting here thinking “I’m not doing too bad. I think I’m doing pretty good with most of these.” Then I’ll just out you for being self-righteous...You can’t win this one...You can’t claim you’re perfectly living these out! Nobody can! Some of you are like “Well isn’t this an encouraging message?” It isn’t encouraging at all! But we have to face this reality because we often think we’re doing better than we are. We often downplay our sins saying “Well nobody’s perfect,” or “My sin isn’t that bad.” You’re right, your sin isn’t that bad! It’s worse! It’s much worse than you realize! I mean think about the damaging ripple effects 1 sin can have on a somebody’s life? For example if you say something hurtful to a child, it can damage their confidence, their identity, their psychological well-being for years... Putin’s decision to go to war has caused death, grieving families, humanitarian needs, long term cleanup in Ukraine, global economic issues we’re starting to feel at the gas pump, and numerous other ripple effects all coming from this 1 man’s decision to go to war. We can blame God all we want for the world being messed up, but God continually warns us that sin has consequences, it has damaging ripple effects that can be felt for generations. The greatest of those consequences is death, eternal hell, eternal separation from God. The ripple effects of sin are way worse than we realize, and our only hope is to rely on a greater Savior since we’re the ones creating the ripple effects. We have to rely on a greater Savior, since we’re too sick and powerless to save ourselves. This is where the good news of the gospel, the good news of Jesus comes in. Jesus says in...
Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law...I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.” Simply put, Jesus came to do what you and I can’t do. He’s the incarnate God of the Old Testament who came to perfectly live out all the laws of God on our behalf. He then died the death we deserve to die for our sins on the cross. He died the death we deserve to die, for all the sinful ripple effects we’ve caused in this world that he created for beauty. So the bad news is our sin is worse than we think, and we’re powerless to save ourselves. But the good news is Jesus is a greater Savior, who’s willing to save anyone who believes. He’ll save anybody willing to rely on his power, instead of their own will power. Jesus is reminding all of us today, that he offers a relationship before the laws. He offers his love before his expectations. His love isn’t an excuse for disobedience, it’s a motivator for obedience. The more you grow in his love, the more it’ll motivate you to obey his laws, because you trust he’s given those laws to protect and benefit your relational joy. You’ll never fully grow in your obedience to live out the 10 Commandments, you’ll never fully grow into the wonderful person God created you to be, by relying on your own will power. It’ll happen by relying on Jesus, as your greater Savior.
The Big Idea:
The big idea of the message is that God’s laws prove we’re great failures, in need of a greater Savior...They prove just how powerless we really are at living out the life God wants us to live. They even prove how powerless a skeptic is, because most skeptics I know agree with many of the 10 Commandments, especially the last 5-6. They agree the last 5-6 commandments are good for human civilization, but they’re failing to live them out. So the 10 commandments prove we’re all hypocritical failures, we’re all powerless at living out these things. It proves we need a greater Savior than ourselves, and Jesus is that greater Savior. As Tim Keller once put it, “The gospel is that we’re more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe. Yet at the same time, we’re more loved and accepted in Jesus than we ever dared hope.” Let’s pray...