Great Failure, Greater Hope

Today on some of my pastor Jeannie Greer talks about the 10 Commandments you were created for God to have the first place in your heart has not been true these laws. These laws don't change your brain and don't change. They just reveal how messed up your heart actually is God's not out for you coercing your behavior and on your way into heaven. God wants people to obey him because I love solid biblical life after duty. Greer has always I'm your host Molly, but events. Many people think of the Bible is just a big thick book of rules and regulations. Thou shalt do this, and thou shall not do that. It tends to be especially intimidating, even for believers because it seems to be full of impossible standards, we can never live up to well today pastor Jeannie explains the true purpose behind all of God's standards and encouraging message from our series called the whole story originally preached a sermon on Easter Sunday seal definitely sends the gospel urgency in this message that he titled great failure, greater health, one evening shipment sat alone together in a bar in downtown Detroit and one of them looked at the other one is how are you are you from around here, in the custody of Grove right here in Detroit made other guy said well that's amazing is that I will pray Detroit also a civil Georgia graduate high school graduate, 1993 slots for the nation graduated from high school 1990 throughout high school is a set I want to lose her high school. He said well I went to Luther high school I graduated 1993 hi support part of the city that you live in, he said. I lived over in the southeastern part of Detroit said I lived in the southeastern part of the troll.

What street you live on Gossett. I lived on Washington Avenue I lived on Washington Avenue in southeastern Detroit graduated 1993 from Luther high school.

What house did you live in on that street. I live in 2314 on Washington Avenue lived in 2314 Washington Ave., which is that moment the phone rang and the bartender answered it was his wife and he said yes to close down on what's going on going people here that are the Johnson twins and they're drunk again so I share that with you because you don't have to be drunk to know this weekend that you and I have a lot in common.

We literally this weekend have people here from all over the map as relates to faith. There are a lot of Christians this weekend who for them. This is literally the biggest Sunday of the year.

These are the people who have on their light green Easter tuxedos or their peak Easter dresses with her matching bonnet.

They got the 9 inch study Bible under their arm. It looks like a lunchbox. They whipped in the parking lot this morning. You could hear them blasting out the cable they got a bumper sticker that says something like be an organ donor. You give your heart to Jesus when they smile. They got this little little gleam in their teeth. There are those people here there on these are the kinds of people, by the way, this morning did not give their kids a chocolate bunny they got them a chocolate cross with a little sash on it that says nobody loves you like Jesus or be happy in God or something to that effect. So there are some of you like that that that this is the biggest Sunday.

The year there are others of you for whom this is the only Sunday a year that you come to church and then we have others for whom this is literally the first time you've ever step foot in a church you are the ones that are sweating a little bit right now because you're wondering how what's going to happen. But why did all these people have their hands in the air were they waving at somebody. Are they trying to give Jesus a high five. What is going on. They look at you look at me right now you think are you the snake guy about the pull the snakes out what's going to go down here, so we have people literally all over the map.

This morning, but we still have a lot in common. Even with that night is that we all ask basic questions. All of us with religious or not. We ask basic questions like is there a God, and if so what is you really want what is really want or what happens after we die. Can we know what happens after we die we get prepared for that. Does God consider me to be a good person we want to know, that is God. Think of me as a good person and if not, what do I need to do to become a good person in his eyes. The place were going to look at in Scripture today answers those questions probably better than any other place in the Bible.

It's one of those recognized passages in the Bible.

Exodus chapter 20 story when God gives to the people of Israel the 10 Commandments i.e. some of you say well Exodus 20. I was really hoping to hear about the resurrection today and you will you will, I promise. In fact, this passage is going to explain to you why the resurrection is necessary. It's not just important that you know that he rose you understand why you rose for you know what significance isn't so organ to do that in many ways today don't feel like they say, the way Rembrandt painted his paintings.

A lot of dark on that's why he started to so we can paint a few lines of light, but it darkly made the light stand out enough organ to do, so what's walk through this. Exodus 19 is working to begin on chapter back from Exodus 20 I'm beginning in the 10 Commandments began like this. First Tim and the Lord said to Moses tell the people to wash their garments, be ready for the third day on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people you shall set limits for the people all around this mountain were God is going to dissent is going to say. Take care not to go up in the mountain or even touch the edge of it never touches the mountain shall be put to death, whether beast or man shall not live what you can to try to imagine this scene on the morning of the third day there were thunders, and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain in a very loud trumpet blast mysterious trumpet blast.

Nobody knew where it came from. It just kept getting louder and louder so that all the people in the camp trembled, then rose that Moses brought out the people out of the camp to meet God and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the Lord had descended on it in fire all mountain look like it was was ablaze.

The smoke of that mountain went up like the smoke of a furnace. Can you imagine this bold mountain trembled greatly and as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder.

Moses on the people's behalf called out to God and God answered him and thunder. Imagine you're there on the plane in front of that valor in that valley before that mountain on that day you were terrified because little of the mountain is on fire is shaky. There's a trumpet sound that is splitting your ears, your kids are terrified and you want to comfort them but you can't because you feel terrified you're holding tightly to them because you know if one of them breaks loose and runs up for that mountain or even want your pets. Does that then they are going to be killed. The message that is given in Exodus 19 is clear God's majesty is holiness is an awesome and terrifying reality is nothing to be trifled with, and it is out of this scene in Exodus 19 a. God gives the 10 Commandments 10 things God says. Leviticus 18. Five.

If you do these if you do these, you shall live before me. But if you cross this line. If you disobey these things, you will die.

You say what that sounds harsh. I understand appellees consider this that is consistent with every other picture we see in the Bible of God's holiness in the book of numbers were to find the story of a man who collects sticks on the Sabbath. Contrary to the law that God had just given God its old and this is what I want to do in the Sabbath and the man went out this something that we would consider to be morally innocuous.

He picked up some sticks. How bad is that the congregation brings them before God says what are we supposed to do with this man who violated the law and God says Stoneham for one small infraction of the law in the Garden of Eden. It was one bite from a forbidden fruit that brought condemnation on the entire human race thought about that all the disease all the suffering. All the pain all the natural disasters, hell itself came from one bite of a forbidden fruit in Genesis 19 there's a man named Lot who God tells Eve his wife to flee a certain place and not to look back and she turns around and with one glance looks back at the city got a photo to get out of and she is turned into a pillar of salt.

She loses her life for one way word glance and second Samuel, we see a mandate news reaches out his hand to steady the ark of the covenant. It was he was being pulled by a couple of boxes on the oxen trip into the cart to be ark was on begin to stagger begin the swaying and the thought was in full so we just reached out and touched it to steady it, which was forbidden by God, for then the touch that ark and God struck that man did for one touch God struck and did not know you hear that some recent losses Old Testament stuff God was meaning cranky in the Old Testament maybe comes back is Jesus like God 2.0 you have Jesus meek and mild is all gentle in the New Testament we find the story of a man named Amanda and his wife named Ananias and Sophia Ira who exaggerate the amount they put into an offering one Sunday really gave really generous labor that is exaggerated because it would look good in front all the people in the Holy Spirit struck him dead, which is never good for Church Road. By the way, you will be instructed in the middle of the offering been a lot of Church Road conferences nobody's ever brought this one up as a way to grow your church but God's holiness is purity. His goodness is absolute and perfect and those who would enter his presence cannot do so with any sin in our hearts. The prophet Habakkuk said it this way, God is of such purity that he cannot even look at evil know we think that our sin is not that bad because we have a very human centered view of sin, which you measure the wickedness of a deed, in part at least, by whom the deed is committed against if you get mad and you kick a wall in your house repeatedly Bible that might be a sin of frustration. You probably need repair the wall but it's not that bad of a thing. But if you get mad and kick a dog repeatedly than you've done a genuinely bad deed if you kick the lady next to you in the grocery store line when you're probably going to go to jail if you strike in the Buckingham Palace and roundhouse the Queen of England. It's got to be worse than just going to jail. The little gods of the fuzzy hats are going to come in with sticks and beat you senseless our sin becomes more wicked based on who the sin is against our sin is infinitely wicked because it is against an infinitely righteous and glorious God. So it is in light of that that I want you to read through these 10 Commandments.

Have you ever asked yourself how you measure up to these Commandments. They said 90% of Americans can even name them all, right in and anything that's a tragedy. That's not the point of not having to memorize a point is how do these show what's going on in your heart where they reveal about your heart because this is we were supposed to obey all these things just instinctively they would need to be commanded to do these things that were supposed to be the natural response of who we are. That's the question how do you measure up. Here's what I want you to do if you're taking notes. What you make yourself too little tolerance like a W column. The win column, loss, nominal walk you through these Commandments give you a short explanation of what they mean. And then if you feel like you have consistently kept this commandment throughout your life and you give yourself a W and he's like you have it, you give yourself a loss… Keep sorting on some take notes on his new in your mind right here we go number one commandment one.

You shall have no other gods before me. Can you say can you say I've never put anything before God in my life.

Nothing is ever gotten the place of God. He's always been preeminent in my thoughts and my affections and my actions.

In other words, the thing that I've always gotten most excited about in life are him and his word have always gotten more excited about my relationship with him and I have a new romance or a new job or a new possession. Would you say that is a win or loss for you if you consistently kept that one or not there's number two you shall have no carved images of me. This commandment is about reshaping God. According to your liking, believing wrong things about God because you would prefer God to be a different way have you consistently and always refuse to do that. Believing fully everything but God's Word reveals about him without wishing that God were different or trying to change it into what you want God to be reset or a yes or no without a win or loss. Here's number three commander three you shall not take my name in vain.

This has to do with more than just not saying GD it has to do with how highly we regard the name of God. Can you say I've not only by never use God's name is a swear word I've always held God's name in the in the highest respect I've always represented that name well never.

For example, calling myself a follower of his, yet not obeying him fully. I've always fully and completely lived up to the name Christian than a win or loss for you. Commandment number four. Remember the Sabbath. This has to do with giving God fully what belongs to him. In Scripture, God tells us that there is a portion of what he gives to us that we are automatically back get back to him as a relates to time it it's one day to a Sabbath day as a relates the money it's the firstfruits are we usually 10% of what God gave to us. Can you say that you have consistently given to God.

All that was due to him specifically remembering to set apart one day. Weekly to worship him with others that a yes or no commander. Five. Honor your parents on your parents.

This has to do with how you relate to the authorities in your life because your parents are the first representation of the authority of God to you scholars point out that that commandment to honor your parents, father, mother's the fifth commandment with me to come right in the middle. The first four commandments are about a relationship God the last five Commandments, about our relationship to other people.

This commandment about honoring your parents is that he ends commandment because it bridges God and man because the first representation of the authority of God in our lives is our parents. So the question is how did you relate to the authority of God. The bigger question is how you related to all the God appointed authorities in your life throughout your life.

Can you say I never disobeyed or dishonor my parents or any others in authority or relate. I consistently respected them and gave them honor and willing obedience.

I've done this with every God appointed authority in my life, whether that's a government official. My boss the local peace police.

Those who write the traffic laws or whomever, I would either yes or no. Your kid right now. Look at your parents a minister like this little know that's a big oil for you, not by the way, kids the same on their list to okay love. Number six you shall not kill your like sadly one of the W column and Jesus came along. The mess that up.

As Jesus said that I hate somebody in your heart or the desire their harm is to commit murder in your heart to here's a question can you not only say I never murdered anybody. Can you sale never had a hateful thoughts are taken the slightest pleasure in seeing hard-core misfortune happened to another human being.

Commandment seven you shall not commit adultery. So I think I'm good on this and do not even married Jesus mess that one out and he said to think even lustful thoughts about somebody to whom you're not married, is committing adultery in your heart, which is what God sees. Of course, can you say I've never entertain thoughts about physical intimacy with someone to whom I'm not married that a yes or no about commandment eight you shall not steal.

Can you say I've never taken anything that I belong to me. I've never taken credit. I don't deserve never to get any that had never fudge my numbers I will come up on April 15 to me.

I had to change a few numbers government waste all my money anyway.

Plus I vote for the people that are in office right now. I don't like him not need this money more than they doing now do a better job by money anyways a lot of people a bit of it. Even though God is put them as an authority in my life. Can you say I've always refused to enjoy anything that I just wasn't entitled to nothing to make light of this, would you member Napster that came out and number how we all like a ladies music is now for free. This money came along I got, you know, it's stealing what I know which hearing the right there. It says filesharing mom taught me that sharing is caring, so it's a good deed that I'm trying to do here, but deep down we were 1313 we did anyway.

And your life and feel with those kind of things of it's not is it right assist can I get away with it and you always given fully to others what they were entitled to never defrauding your employer, for example by using company time to check Facebook or watch YouTube or things like that to you say I've always been completely truthful and fair in all of my dealings is that yes or no commandment. Nine you shall not lie much of you have to go over this one. But these have never lied never exaggerate ever slandered another person. Never exaggerate the truth. My own benefit never covered over one of my mistakes have always told the truth in every situation regarding every person I've ever known that a yes or no. Other people say why don't live for say I do sometimes struggle with telling the truth, she don't lie, no known to struggle with time at your like like right now right right meds on the truth right now.

Here's why struggle with telling the truth.

I want to exaggerate my accomplishments to make myself look more awesome than I am and want to minimize my failures so that there's no reason that you have to disrespect or make fun of me so the reason that I lie is because I value other people's opinions more highly than I value God's opinion which is not only a violation of the ninth commandment in the lie is a violation of the first commandment in that I love your opinion more than God's. So not only do I get an L in the line column I get a double whammy a double deduction in column number one. It's like a break them all the same time. Commandment number 10 you shall not covet. This is probably the worst one. Can you say I've never been greedy for something that wasn't mine.

I've never been jealous of the abilities the looks, the position or the possessions of others. I've always been fully content and just what I have know I'm pretty sure the entire Hg TV network is built on coveting it's it's like cribs for people with a lot with tools a little bit of disposable income. That's all I see that at least on MTV's cribs. I know I could never afford that is not my world HDTV is. Here's all the things your house could be if your husband was a little bit more handy gestures and more wisely in your marriage. Can you say I've never resented other people, success never resented the house they lived in the opportunities they have their beauty, their talents, their possessions the way their body looks their popularity, their husband or wife.

Whomever I've always rejoiced with others in their blessings even being glad when they had it and I didn't that consistently yes or no. Be honest with yourself what are you what your score. I'm for 10 folks.

If you get zero on the only exam in the class.

Do you really think you to pass that class. Now remember the set up for this chapter across the border.

One time, one sin and you die. Do you see why Paul says we are dead in our sins.

Obedience to these laws was supposed to come naturally to us.

Our hearts were supposed to love God so much that we naturally did all the things I don't need to be commanded to do the things I love that you never need to command me to eat a steak or take a nap or hug my kids or kiss my wife. I do those things without commands because I love those things we weren't supposed to need to be commanded to do any of this. There was one man in Jesus's life.

You have the audacity to say to Jesus. After Jesus walked through a list like this. The man said oh yeah all these SINCE my youth was what we call a Pharisee.

Here's why said that the Pharisees were professional do-gooders build a career in doing good, they develop a standard called a hedge around the law hedge around eloping a blackout like a hedge trip around the whole you don't want to fall into.

So they were so concerned with not disobeying the commandments that they made a bunch of other commitments to keep them away from the commitments I gotta give it that was the hedge around the law can't. If you were up in a house with really strict rules, you can probably relate to this and in and in the world I grew up in cussing was so bad that you could even say a word that sounded like a consort so we couldn't say darn it, or godly or geewhiz or gag on it. We couldn't go CG rated movies at the theater because when we were at the theater, we might be tempted to see an R-rated movie or maybe even worse, somebody else would see us at the theater would know we were going the G rated movie that we think we boarded our meeting and we would influence them to see the R-rated movie they would see it meant to be our fault contacted you not I was a line of reasoning that was used. We could not make out with girls because it might lead to dancing right that all these rules the skies that not only metal and I keep all the rules.

I kept all the rules and get me away from regular rules for Jesus looks at this guy says I one thing that you like to go so everything that you have and give it away to the board. Follow me the man couldn't do it is is he he love his possessions to Jesus's point was not paid for more bonus when I forgot to tell you about Jesus's point was to turn it away from actions that you took indoor heart and how you felt about God. He was trying to put the focus on what this guy's heart. Love the most. He was saying that the essence of the commandments is at your heart loves and priorities God above everything is not always been true in your life. See you were created for God to have the first place in your heart has not been true in these laws. These damn laws don't change your brain and don't change. They just reveal how messed up your are not easily is God, not after you worsen your behavior and earning your way into heaven. God wants people who obey him because they love you learn commitments reveal about your heart.

You're listening to Senate life with Judy Greer were so excited to have you along with this for this study as we walk through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. You can always find all of our teaching, free of charge@jdgreer.com.

The word of God is part of the two-way communication that we have with our father we read and we know into Scripture, but the truth is communicating with him can be a struggle. Sometimes we don't think prayer will make a difference or we rely on ourselves or were just too busy and even if we do pray regularly can feel more like a duty and a delight in his newest book. Just ask Pastor JD shows that how prayer was a nonnegotiable daily staple in Jesus's life more essential to him than eating or sleeping, and therefore it's why we need to pray as well, he says, is how we can enjoy the same source of power as our Lord in the early church. When we learn to just ask and depend on our heavenly father as they did in his introduction to the bed. Pastor JD says prayer is not a religious task to accomplish an invitation to lay down your burdens at Jesus feet to share your heart with hand it to be the one in whose presence is fullness of joy in his right hand are pleasures for evermore.

Giving specific practical tips for growing in prayer and everyday life. This leaves readers wanting to praying rather than just feeling that they cocktail the one of the very first to have a copy of this new when you give $25 or more to support this ministry will send you a copy of just our way of saying you can also request about when you make your first donation as a member of our monthly gospel, partner, family, regular giving and in a real ministry. If you've been going through this program. Diving deeper into the gospel message ahead join the team today. Give us a call at 866-335-5220 and remember to just Pastor JD's new book titled just Molly motivates the Bible, given so many rules and regulations dictating answers that question further describes the purpose of testing and instruction learn more about the 10 Commandments day on Senate life Jeannie Greer