God's Boundaries for Abundant Living - Stop the Violence!, Part 1

Violence and murder. Everywhere you look, it's prime time. It's road rage.

It's bizarre stories. It's the videogame the movies the TV is there hope.

How do we stop the violence God speaks words of life and truth.

There is a way in today will learn God's solution to stop the violence. Welcome to this Thursday. A vision of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram Living on the Edges of international discipleship ministry between the Bible teaching of Chip Ingram.

Does the commandment thou shalt not kill seem a little relevant to you personally. Well as you learn there's much more to this commandment meets the eye. Downloading chips message notes would be a great way to study along jump online to LivingontheEdge.org click listen now for today's message notes. Now here's trip with his talk from Exodus chapter 20 verse 13 in Washington DC, a 19-year-old young man was driving in his car and his testimony was that he was bored and so he drove by and there happened to be a lady was €36 old sitting in the car next to his.

As he pulled up, pulled out a gun and shot her point blank range, put the gun back down the seat and drove around Washington DC is later apprehended by the police. They asking why did you do that.

Did you know or did you have a grudge was her problem was there a traffic situation said no I was just bored. I felt like killing someone found out that he been out 26 days from a juvenile delinquent center where he had three other attempted murders and had been released. A gang member was on one of the reality TV talk shows some time ago and was talking about his experience in a gang and what it was like and they have captured on film him holding up the beer to the nationwide audience and saying human life means nothing to me with a big grin in the glare. The next day outside of it. Houston suburb. He and five of his friends attached to young teenage girls that were about 14 or 15, they were raped multiple times by the six young men, and then they were strangled and killed and all six men found guilty every 22 minutes in America someone is stand shot, strangled, raped, or bludgeoned to death the United States of America has the highest violent crime rate of any country in the world by the six grade. The average American child has witnessed 8000 murders on TV and 100,000 acts of violence. The 20th century is the most violent murderous generation of all history of mankind there have been an estimated 125 million people have been slain and revolutions alone. Stalin is believed to have killed 60 million of his own people, Hitler 6 million+ Jews and then the list goes to Idi Amin.

The Cambodia killing fields. Bosnia ethnic cleansing and the list goes on.

State violence as witnessed in Iraq and other places has succeeded in killing more people in this century.

In the 20th century. In the last hundred years. More people have been killed by their own states than all other people in recorded history up to 1900 into this world. God says stop the violence into this carnage of the mass murder of human beings. God says thou shall not kill into this day of technological sophistication but moral disintegration God places a boundary of protection around the most precious commodity on this planet and to God the most precious commodity is the human life. We can examine the six commandment it's on your notes. I would like to examine it by asking and answering four questions. First, what's the meaning of the six commandment second. What's the purpose behind the six commandment that I want to make some. What are the obvious applications of the six commandment for us in our day and then finally, what are some not so obvious applications of the six Commandments that we get right from the very lips of Jesus. I've entitled this boundary stop the violence and its found in Exodus 20 verse 13. So let's jump right in. What's the meaning of this command, literally. There's two words.

The two words are no murder. There are seven different words in Hebrew for the idea or concept of killing this specific word has the idea with premeditation and intent to take another's life. The Bible does not teach that all killing is wrong. This word is not used. For instance, in reference to the killing of animals.

Genesis 9 this word is not used in reference to accidental death or manslaughter. This word is not used in Hebrew, of killing someone in self-defense.

This word is not used in Hebrew for capital punishment.

This word is not used for just wars and the killings that occur in a just war.

God does not forbid all killing God for bids in the six commandment thou shall not murder, and I don't about you that I was a young Christian I did not open the Bible till I was 18 I went away to college and basically I majored mostly in basketball and baseball and I got an education and others. A Guyana New York City a really really tall guy and I was a Christian and we had a lot of things that were very different and he was a senior and I was a freshman and I was carried his bag and his goal in life was to humiliate me and he was very good at and so he would get everyone's attention, and then he would ride on Chip in the locker room at the training table and in one particular time should and that meant everyone. Jerry has a timer is gonna belittle the skinny little guard and I said what year he said are you read that meet and I said yes training table for some can eat it you hypocrite, you call yourself a Christian, is always at my faith, what you talking about doesn't the Bible say thou shall not kill. And I thought myself.

Yeah, he said someone killed that animal and your you Christians you're all hypocrites and something down inside said, I'm not sure that's the proper translation or application of that text but you know something I didn't have an answer for.

I couldn't say. And so what I want you to know tonight the Bible is not forbid killing the Bible doesn't even forbid more with the Bible for bids is intentional murder the taking of another persons life. But what's behind me, what, why, what's the purpose of the six commandment, I think we find the heart of it in Genesis chapter 9 verse six it says whoever sheds the blood of a man by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God, has God made man and there's we could go a lot of directions on this passage.

Capital punishment is not the issue here.

Okay, whether capital punishment deters or not is not the issue. This text, the issue of this text is as the program is God of God is unfolding. God gives the highest penalty for what he's bringing about justice that if a person's life is taken, the absolute highest penalty will be rendered any give us the reason why is because every human being, Christian, non-Christian believer unbeliever every race, every background in every age the week in the feeble, the young and the strong those in power.

Those that are being abused those people that have no right, no voting can say nothing those people that quote are of no value to society and those that are important and powerful and wealthy make all the decisions. Every single human being on the face of the earth is made in the image of God and what's behind this command is that God sees every single person to the lands that they have his thumbprint they have is image they have the ability of mind and will and emotions and decisions they had the capacity to love. They have a spirit within them given by God, the most precious commodity in the world is human life and what's behind this command is that every time there is a senseless killing. If you can imagine being your mate or your son or your daughter if you can imagine, the closest friend you've ever had and then being that woman in the car that some 19-year-old who got bored said you know what I felt like killing someone today so if you can imagine what it would be like to come home after work or be called at work or at school and someone say to you. I'm sorry your mom or your dad.

They were just in a parked car in downtown DC in 19-year-old was bored and so they shot him. I want you to imagine what your emotions is feel like in your anger and your rage and your lack of understanding and just literally ready to go through the roof. What I want you here is that's how God feels about every human being on the planet, how he feels about black people and white people. That's how he feels about Hispanic people Chinese people. That's how he feels about people that have absolutely nothing and no education can live in the forest regions of the Amazons and that's how he feels about people who live in Beverly Hills. Every human being that breeze is made in the image of God, and God says I'm going to give the highest protection the strongest boundary around human life. Human life is sacred. That's what's behind the six command now turn in your notes and let's dig a little bit together and let's get down to some of the obvious applications of this command noticing Job 14. The good news Bible verse five it says the length of a man's life is decided beforehand.

The number of months he will live you God have settled it, and it can't be changed to NIB gets the idea.

It says it can't be extended, it can't be intent tampered with what's going on here. In essence, no one has the right to number a man's days, but God is what Job sings. God knows God is sovereign God is in control.

He has a plan God determines the length of a man's days I I don't have the right to prematurely intervene and say you know what that life is not worth much, that life is taken up too much room you know what that life it is old and decrepit and doesn't add much value to society. You know what that life has a cleft palate and you know what they'll never be loved anyway.

So let's not put out you know that life is a boy. What we really were looking for was a girl this time around. So let's snuffing out you know that life will never be a productive part of society that life. No one has the right to pirate God's prerogative and and a human life prematurely. No one very obvious applications under the ethical implications, you might jot these down first and foremost, it is obvious is homicide murder is absolutely forbidden in Scripture from the six command to willfully and intentionally kill someone and you know what I'm I'm just really praying that there's not a lot of application to this point in the message. I hope there's no one here that is saying you know I you like. I issued a contract on someone. I got really upset with my ex made her ex-boss and we live near Chicago and I had a friend to give it a friend of a friend in. I'm teasing that you know something that sounds so bizarre but have you read the paper lately where a professional athlete was indicted recently for what finding it of her undercover cop that he paid to kill his wife. God says that's forbidden. The second application is not only do not have the right to number someone else's days you don't have the right to number your day. Suicide is forbidden and you say what my life I can do with my not your life okay what I've been on the other end of that have been on the other end of the phone call were the man has found his wife lying on the bed, filled with pills and dad with the note because she was so depressed and so discouraged. I'm sorry it wasn't you, it wasn't the kids it's it's nothing about you.

I just felt overwhelmed by life.

I couldn't take it anymore. I knew it would be better for everyone if I just exited. Now, nothing could be further from the truth. And when you counsel.

People who live with a mom or dad or brother or friend whose committed suicide. The people who get left with all the junk and all the pain people are left behind, and God forbids suicide assent. Not only is homicide and suicide set aside.

That's the killing of the pre-born in and by the way, you know, there's a the Bible is very very clear that the pre-born as a human being and medical sciences as well. Dr. Jerome Lejeune Prof. fundamental genetics of the University of Grenada carcass in Paris and discover the genetic basis for down syndrome says pretty pretty high profile. Dr. life has a very very long history, but each individual has a very neat beginning. The moment of conception and to accept the fact that after fertilization is taken place a new human being is coming to being is no longer a matter of taste or of opinion, the human nature of the human being from conception to old age is not a metaphysical contention. It is a plain experimental evidence.

Dr. Michelin Matthews Roth principal researcher in the Department of medicine at Harvard degrees. He says it is an accepted fact life of any individual organism reproducing by sexual reproduction begins at conception or fertilization. The time when the egg cell is formed in the female and the sperm unite they join a single new cell called a zygote which is human life. The evidence is overwhelming. So to kill the pre-born is prohibited by the sixth commandment.

Infanticide killing babies that are born is prohibited and you say, how could that happen, and I'm sure you've read as I've read week we have we have children who have minor defects in the United States of America and talk about ridiculous.

We have doctors who get out a little pad and they write a prescription no food for 15 days and they kill kids in this country we have children that were to be aborted, who are born alive who are maliciously killed in this country is murder, but because first it was when they take their first breath. Been there, human being and then now in some Senate reviews. We actually have people saying until the baby leaves the hospital. This was actually given in a report to the Senate until the baby leaves the hospital. It's not really human being. The six command says homicide suicide that aside infanticide and euthanasia is yet another one.

Euthanasia were not talking about passive euthanasia were not talking about undoing plugs to keep people alive whose life is a vegetable or they can't sustain life on their own. Were talking about active euthanasia were talking about people that do have difficult medical problems and say I don't like the suffering I don't like the pain I don't like what I can't do anymore and so will you help me kill myself, only God has the prerogative to number a person's days. Do I understand why some illnesses do what they do to people know do I understand the suffering and the sovereignty of God.

What is doing no but the moment we start start drawing lines and think this life has value that life doesn't have value. This life does it doesn't, we are on such a slippery slope and if you think I'm joking just take your eyes and look over the ocean and do a little research into Sweden and Denmark, where they had assisted suicide.

You know what older people do older people in those countries they don't want to go to the doctor because you know what they write prescriptions. Therefore no longer useful to society and they injected him both for and against their will. The six command says the most precious thing on this planet is human life and to murder someone to infanticide to fat aside to suicide until just about every other side you can think of is wrong.

I think that's pretty clear stated positively. Are you ready for this. We are to cherish our own neighbors life as much as our own/that's really the heart of the six command you to cherish the value of a person, regardless of background or race or creed or color or benefit to society or age or to cherish our neighbors life just as much you as you cherish your own flesh in your own will to live, and we must assign to God and allow only God to determine a number someone stays and that's the heart of the six command not really hard to understand.

And by the way, I think at this point in a group like this. The application is pretty low right.

I don't think there's a lot of people here that if you know have multiple ways that you been wrestling with you if I could just break the murder habit, but I think when you dig down a little bit and hear the words of Jesus. Maybe the application might be a little bit closer because what we know is that the law on the letter of the law was written and on the sermon on the Mount, Jesus would say you have heard it said but I say to you, you've heard it said letter of the law. That's the truth. But what I say to you, let me give you the spirit behind the law. Let me give you the why behind the what. Let me talk to you about issues of the heart concerning murder that may not be a club that is raised in pounds. A person's head and cracks a skull and kills them and takes a life, but let me talk about issues of the heart and issues of the lives and things that happen in the human heart, but from my perspective as the eternal God of the universe and the Savior of the world. My evaluation and that's what Jesus does.

So let's look at some not so obvious applications of the six command Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5, beginning in verse 21, you've heard what it was said to people long ago do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. The letters the truth but I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother rock is answerable and answerable to the Sanhedrin, but anyone who says you full will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Now before we move on and we get into the application that cannot been asking to bring you ready pull it out let's do a little Bible study and Bible study is making observations. What does it say doing some examination to say what does it mean in the making application. What's it mean to me and so let let's go through in the start with but I tell you, anyone who is angry, put a circle around angry with his brother and then put a box around subject to judgment. You get to see a parallel curve so you have anyone is angry will be subject to judgment and then drop down and anyone who says to his brother put a circle around the word Rocca is answerable to the Sanhedrin and put a box around Sanhedrin so circle around Rocca and then a box around Sanhedrin and then as you move on. But anyone who says you fool put a circle around you full will be in danger of put a box around the phrase the fire of hell and let me see if I can help explain what's happening in this text that might lift it and give you some insight. Jesus says you've heard it said about murder and you know the letter of the law and the actual killing of someone but I say to you, option or level I. Anyone who is angry with his brother. There's a couple different Greek words for anger. This is the kind of anger that is a smoldering anger. This is not the kind of anger were something happens and you blow up quickly.

This is the this word is for anger that smelters this is an anger that is rooted in bitterness and resentment.

This is the kind of anger that you know when a certain people's names come to your mind, your stomach begins to tighten up. This is the kind of things it over, sometimes weeks or months or even years. You have this perverted sense that they have so hurt you and so violated you and done things so unmentionable to you that you have actual anger fantasies at times. You know you don't really want to get killed but if they were like a mild auto accident it would be like okay you know and you never admit that if they lost their job.

It would be sort of cool if the person that they ran off with would leave them like they left you it would kinda bring a little grin to your face. This is a smoldering type of resentful resentment or anger or bitterness, it's rooted in vengeance and willing to pay someone back and Jesus says you've heard it said do not murder, but I want to tell you.

Level I if you have this type of ongoing anger in your heart than what's he say what's the box around your subject to judgment in the word here for judgment was one of the lower courts in the local Jewish village. He says that kind of anger means that you are liable and have to go before the local village judge and deal with that issue. Because by my estimation, you are guilty of a type of murder chip will write back if you're just joining us, you're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram chips message stop the violence is from his series God's boundaries for abundant living. As Chip explained, rather than a harsh bunch of rules. The commandments are actually lifesaving instructions from a father who loves his children. God's boundaries for abundant living provides a high view of God that will give you a new appreciation of your relationship with them, creating a solid foundation for every aspect of your life. That's something you'd like to learn more about.

We want to help for limited time, the CDs for God's boundaries are discounted and the MP3s are absolutely free. You'll find God's boundaries resources on our website LivingontheEdge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 will Chip I know you got a great application for today but before we get there.

Could you just take a minute and tell us what God's doing to encourage you and the team. One of the great joys of my life is the letters, emails, Facebook messages about I get from people literally all around the country and all around the world and they tell me these amazing stories of how Living on the Edge has been a tool used by God to change their life and maybe you're one of those people that have really been impacted by the ministry.

I mean I hear from people from every age, profession background, every person imaginable and what I hear is this same constant drumbeat of God spoke to me. I took a step of faith. Now God's using me and what I want you to know is that that's the heart of our ministry.

We want to put teaching and tools in small group materials and downloadable things that we actually give away to help people, not just live like Christians but be ambassadors and agents of change and grace in their homes, their schools and their workplaces.

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Just give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 on behalf of Chip and the staff here at Living on the Edge. Thank you for your prayers and your financial support will now here's Chip with his application. As you listen to today's broadcast. Let me ask you question what was going through your mind. I didn't grow up as a Christian I certainly heard of the 10 Commandments. Like most of you had in when thou shall not kill ran through my mind as a kid, or even as a young adult I thought to myself, you know there's a lot of Commandments I probably really messed up on that way. I'm glad that one's not a part of my life and we learned today that thou shall not kill really is about no murder.

The two words and murder is a premeditated act is not simply killing behind this command is a principle that is absolutely critical to understanding that life is sacred. All of life is sacred and that God esteems more than anything else in all the world that he's created. It is human life and that's wise we looked at the passages on capital punishment and that's why there was justice. And that's why God put laws and they're all designed to protect human life. Now let me ask you question before we look at what Jesus is going to say about this and how the issue of murder goes well beyond our actions to our thoughts into her lips. Have you ever been a part of in any way promoting the end of human life. Have you been a part of the Christian community of which there are many and many of which I have counseled that either had an abortion or convinced your girlfriend or wife to have an abortion. Are you a part of the Christian community that unknowingly send your kid into an arcade why you go shopping and if you would take the time to look over his or her shoulder for 45 minutes are up to an hour and 1/2 they play nothing but games that kill and maim and shoot and destroy and send one critical message human life doesn't matter. Are you one of us that not even thinking about this command have rented videos and put TV programs on your screen that have infiltrated your mind and your children's mind and your heart with a casualness toward watching people being blown up or killed or stabbed because it's really interesting and there is a mystery to figure out and you just try and look beyond the violence, the violence, the violence, and yet you have desensitized yourself like I have at times to the sacredness of life. You know, maybe the way to end this program is for you to say, oh God, I never saw it that way.

Oh God, I've repressed the memories of those things that I did. Oh God, this is painful and I need your help, Lord God, I thank you that when Jesus died on the cross he paid for all my sin and I need to own this one. I need to get it up on the surface of my mind and I need to go through the grieving process of the life that I took were the violence and the disregard for life that I'm allowing in the minds of my kids in my home. You know, maybe we need to really rethink what it means no murder. Maybe we need to stop the violence in our homes before we ask God to stop it out there, why didn't you go do a God want you to do, he will honor your genuine repentance. Do you wish you could hear Living on the Edge when it fits into your schedule. You can for those of you who want to listen to Living on the Edge, whatever and wherever you want.

Download the free Chip Ingram map will find the chipping roadmap at the app store or Google play today will be with us again tomorrow when Chip continues her current series God's boundaries for abundant living. November this is the saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge