Sermon Details

 

A sermon on the Ten Commandments preached on Sunday 2 October 2011 at the start of a new University Year at the Mint Methodist Church

by the Minister, Rev Andrew Sails

For a number of weeks now the Lectionary passages have been following the story of Moses. Today think about the 10 Commandments - according to Exodus, the law of God given to Moses on the mountain top to guide the people of Israel.

So what about the 10 Commandments - and indeed all the subsequent detailed consequential legislation in Leviticus etc?

How should we treat all these rules and laws in the Church today?

1. Keeping God’s Commandments is a response to his love, not a precondition of his love.

Those of you who have just arrived at Exeter University - welcome! Well done. The higher Exeter rises in the league tables, the harder it is to get in. Rightly or wrongly Exeter University is intellectually elitist and you are part of the intellectual elite.

Those of you who have just arrived at the Mint - welcome!

Some people think the Church is or should also be an elitist institution - with moral and spiritual entry criteria.

“How many out of ten did you score on the ten commandments? Only seven and a half, and that was marking your own paper?

Not good enough - no room for you in the moral and spiritual elite!”



But of course the Church does not operate like that. We are egalitarian not elitist. Indeed, we know that we are accepted here not because we have succeeded but in spite of the fact we have failed.

You’ve got to get the order of the story of the 10 Commandments right. God didn’t set the 10 Commandments as an exam paper in Egypt - score a high enough mark, and your reward will be freedom from Pharaoh. No - quite the reverse. First of all God releases the Israelites from slavery. Only then does he give them the commandments - not as a condition of their freedom, but as a guide to holy living - about how to use their freedom God has given in a way which shows their thanks

The commandments are there not as pre-condition of God’s saving grace - but as a guide to giving thanks for it.

That of course is true for us today (freed by God from the slavery of sin and death, we are called to use the freedom God has already given us in holy living.

The first Church built on this site in 1813 had the 10 Commandments painted on the wall at the front. Most of that Church had to be demolished

40 years ago, and there is only one wall left - the wall with ten commandments on it - it is now hidden away in the flower arranging room behind this wooden screen - go and have a look afterwards, but don’t trip over the flower stands.

I am actually glad we didn’t put them back up at the front of this Church.

If we were going to put them up, I’d actually put them on the back wall, not the front wall. Why? Because in a few minutes we will come to the front of the Church to receive bread and wine - God’s gift to us. If the commandments were up there as we stepped forward, it would be like we were required to pass the test before we came to the table of grace. No - as you come to the table, you need to see the cross - symbol of God’s love for us at the darkest and most unholy and sinful points of our lives.

If you want to put up the commandments, better to put them at the back

- then we see them as we return from the table - a challenge to live lives worthy of the gift of God we have received.

2. We should think critically about Biblical rules for living, not just obey them blindly.

Those of you doing University courses are (of course) required to think - or at least I hope you are! There are students and others who assume that when they come to Church they are to leave their brain with their umbrella at the door on the way in

- The argument tends to go like this. God has granted us an infallible guide to our human conduct in Scripture - all we have to do is obey his commands - it is not for us to question what the Bible says.



If any here have been nurtured in that fundamentalist tradition of basically uncritical acceptance of every word of scripture, you may find the next bit challenging - but stay with me for a minute, because this could be important. And we can talk over coffee if you want.

Let me suggest that the Christian faith asks of us faithful obedience, but not generally blind obedience.

At the Nuremberg War Trials after WW2, those responsible for some of the atrocities of the camps entered as a defence that they were only obeying orders. That was rejected as a defence. In every sphere of life we are called to obey commands. In every sphere of live we have to engage our brain and decide if they are appropriate and acceptable commands.

Here at the Mint most of us would say that the Bible is a deeply inspired and Spirit filled book, but which is nonetheless written by flawed and imperfect human being

- and though it is full of wonderful truth, that truth has to be found, discovered, within the ambiguities and fallibilities of a Bible which is both human and divine, a book which contains both the riches of God’s guidance and the dross of human error.

Dr Laura Schlesinger, was a radio talk show host noted among other things for her homophobic stance, based on the detail of OT law. There is a now famous and oft quoted open letter sent to Dr Slessinger which some of you will have heard before.

It shows how impossible it is to base serious lifestyle choices on the detail of the OT law, and goes as follows:

Dear Dr. Laura,  Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. …I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific laws and how to best follow them.

a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odour for the Lord (Lev 1:9). The problem is my neighbours. They claim the odour is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus

21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her? c) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighbouring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

d) I have a neighbour who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

e) I know from Lev 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an Abomination (Lev 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality (Lev 18:22). I don't agree. Can you settle this?

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help.  Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~susan/joke/laura.htm

Don’t misunderstand - I am not rubbishing the Bible - it’s the best book in the

world - I am just saying that we can’t just accept it in an unthinking way - we have to study it and find God’s word within it.

Now the ten commandments are of course much higher level statements and more easily transferable from culture to culture than are the minutiae of Leviticus - but even here, we are called as Christians to use our hearts and our minds in the Lord’s service, and that means working out the implications of the commandments in our lives and our day and age.

And at the end of the day, our yardstick is not the detail of the OT law, but the words of Christ who says “A new commandment I give to you that you love one another”

As Christians, we should have a view on today’s issues - from Teresa May on human Rights to David Cameron on Social Housing.

It is unlikely that Moses will have dealt directly with all these issues - and certainly Biblical injunctions will need cultural reinterpretation. Jesus asks us to do that using love as a yardstick and guide.

So whether the issue is water boarding or identity theft, abortion or war, homosexuality or capitalism, we need heart and minds - minds willing to wrestle with what it means to be God’s people. And above all else hearts, which refuse to do anything which is not a reflection of the love of God in Christ.

So to conclude: Some of you are new here, others are old old timers. Either way - welcome!

Come to Lord’s table -

God’s love is for all and unconditional.

Then let us return to the world to love the Lord our God

with heart and soul and mind,

& our neighbour as ourselves.

Order of Service

Welcome and Notices

Hymn “Jesus calls us” (see screen)

Prayer

Readings: Exodus 20 verses  1-4, 7-9, 12-17 (p.77) John 13:31-35 (p.1082) Hymn   “Lord, we come to ask your healing” (see screen)

Sermon “Just obeying orders”

Hymn HAP 437 “Guide me, O thou great Jehovah” (from blue hymn book)

Prayers and Lord’s Prayer

(The Lord’s Prayer is printed inside the rear cover of the Hymn Book)

Peace Leader: The Peace of the Lord be with you

People: And also with you

(Member of the congregation exchange the words and handshake of peace)

Offering  (a collection is taken and dedicated for the work of God in this Church)

Hymn HAP 215 “Amazing Grace” (see screen)

Holy Communion

you, O God, For you have created the fruit of the vine.   In the beginning you watered the earth, that man

and woman might have food and drink. You gave to your servant Sarah bread to strengthen her family on their journey, and wine to make them glad. You called Moses and his people out of bondage and refreshed them with food in the wilderness. You gave Mary and Jesus their daily bread to share.   And here at your table you offer us bread and wine for the journey to nourish us as sons and daughters.   And so with all our sisters and brothers, before us and beside us, we join in the song of your unending greatness:

All (sing Holy, holy, holy is the Lord; holy is the Lord God almighty!

in English Holy, holy, holy is the Lord; holy is the Lord God almighty!

or Korean): Who was, and is, and is to come!  Holy, holy, holy is the Lord!

거룩 거룩 거룩하신 주 전능하신 하나님

거룩 거룩 거룩하신 주 전능하신 하나님

어제도 계셨고 오늘도 계시며   이제 곧 오실 거룩하신 주

Leader: In the night in which he was betrayed our Lord Jesus

took bread, and gave thanks; he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

After supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying, "This cup is the new covenant which

is in my blood. Do this in remembrance of me"

So, pour out your Holy Spirit, that these gifts of bread and wine may be for us the body and blood of Christ. Unite us with him and with one another in mission to all the world; and bring us with the whole creation to your heavenly kingdom.

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ. People: Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.

[The congregation sits to sing (Tune HAP 295):]

People Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us. Melt us, mould us, fill us, use us,

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us.

Spirit of the living God, move among us now,

Make us one in heart and mind through our bread and wine: Taking, breaking, blessing, sharing,

Spirit of the Living God, bless our bread and wine.

[Bread and wine are shared – please come forward when the steward indicates.   All who so wish are welcome to receive bread and wine]

All: We thank you Lord, that you have fed us in this sacrament, united us with Christ,

and given us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet prepared for all people. Amen.

Hymn “In Christ Alone” (see screen)

Blessing