Good morning, everyone. It's a great honor to open God's Word this morning. I know we say it,
or at least I say it every Sunday. I really wish we could be together. I think it's wonderful that
we have technology. It's still an honor for me to preach, to open up God's Word, even if it's
in front of a camera. But please pray that we may meet together soon. We're in Deuteronomy chapter 5.
Matt read. The next two weeks, we're going to be looking at the Ten Commandments. This week,
next week, we'll be looking at the Lord's Prayer. Very, very important passages in Scripture.
In many ways, this is gospel living and praying for God's people. So this is a big passage for us
Christians. But before we get into the passage, you know, finding when you're doing translation work,
it doesn't have to be with a Bible. It can be, I mean, whatever it may be, but you're translating
one language into another. There are some serious difficulties with capturing the essence of a
specific phrase, not just into the language that you're translating into, but into the culture that
you're translating into. So I'll give an example. I used to work at the Canadian Bible Society
before I worked, before I came on as an intern at Messiah a number of years ago. I wasn't on the
translation team at the Canadian Bible Society, but I would get all of these updates from the
translation team. And what they were working on primarily was a decades-long translation campaign
to translate the Bible into Inuktitut, the language of the Inuit people. Just remarkable. I think it took
from start to finish a little over 30 years to do it. But one of the most comical stories in the
whole translation process was trying to find an equivalent word for a camel for the Inuit people.
You picture it. The Inuit people live in, I think, all the territories. I think they live in Greenland
as well. They live essentially where there's cold most of the year and not much sunlight a lot of the
year. Pretty well the complete opposite terrain as the deserts in the Middle East. So when you're
translating the Bible, how do you translate a camel into the language of the Inuit people? I mean,
I don't really know. I can't kind of give you the story of how they did it, but like there is no
word-for-word equivalent. So you just kind of, I guess, grasp the essence of what a camel is or
the animal. I'm not sure, but I always thought that was hilarious. Like they have polar bears up there.
They have elk, caribou, not so much camels. So this morning, this is pertinent for us because we're
going to look at the Ten Commandments or the Decalogue, and it is in the law of God.
When we hear the word law to our English ears, it's not a bad word, but it's not a word that
necessarily elicits excitement. Maybe for those in our congregation that have gone to law school,
or if we have any kind of policy workers, you know, talk about laws and regulations and policies,
and that is what gets them up in the morning. But for the rest of us, laws are fantastic, but
they're kind of stiff. So when we talk about the law of God in the Old Testament,
we are translating the word Torah, which is Hebrew, to law in English.
The Torah, the law of God, it works in some ways. We kind of get an idea of this translation,
what the Torah is about, but it doesn't capture the essence of what it truly is.
To somehow think that God's law is stiff, it is not very exciting. It's kind of the part of the
Bible, if you're going through a Bible reading plan where you yawn, or you are just, if you're super
committed, like you plow through and you struggle through reading through the law.
But the Hebrew understanding of God's law is not just jurisprudence. It is God's ways.
Of course, it has to do with do's and don'ts, but it is the ways of God, the very essence of how God
designed the world to be. In fact, God's law reflects his very character. It tells us about who God is,
what he likes, what he doesn't like, what he loves, what he hates. It teaches us about justice, but that
justice then points to God, who is justice himself. So what we see here in the Torah is more than just
a law. It is a wonderful, beautiful, robust, comprehensive view into the very
nature of God, a manifesto, so to speak, of God's character and his loves and his desires for his
creation, whom we are a part of. We're part of God's creation. This is why when we read in the Psalter,
King David especially, and especially in Psalm 119, King David gushes over God's law.
He says that his law is better than life. How many lawyers have ever done that or policy
analysts have ever just like, man, federal regulations, they are better than life. Nobody
gushes over that. And yet King David here, it has gripped his very heart. You see God's law,
his Torah, his Torah is much more than just that. So this week, like I mentioned, we're going to be
in the Ten Commandments, the Decalogue, in the book of Deuteronomy. And we need to understand that
this, that these Ten Commandments are first and foremost, they're not just air, kind of airdropped
in scripture, but they're part of a grander story. So they're found in the book of Deuteronomy.
And this is the second time we see the Ten Commandments in scripture. The first time we
see it is in Exodus. Deuteronomy is kind of like, I mean, the name of it is second law in,
that's what Deuteronomy means. It's kind of like an elaboration or a revisiting of the law that we've
already seen in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. And we have to understand that it, like I mentioned,
it's not airdropped. It's not a series of disjointed commands and laws, but rather it is
a culmination of God forming the Israelites into a nation after he had rescued them from 400 years
of Egyptian slavery. And right before he leads them into the promised land. So God gives the nation
of Israel his law on, at Mount Sinai through Moses. And it is a part of this grand narrative
where the Israelites are going from slaves to their redeemed people, but then on their way to the
promised land. So it's important that we grasp this, not just the Ten Commandments, but where it is
in scripture, because the Exodus is such a key integral part of not just the Old Testament or the five
books of Moses, right? Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. But it is for the entire
Old Testament for the writings and the prophets. It's so crucial. And it's also incredibly crucial that we
understand it if we are to understand the New Testament. Because the New Testament is constantly
seeing the Exodus, seeing Egypt as they are symbolic of something greater. And we'll get to that in a bit.
But suffice it to say, it's very important that we have a good grasp on the Ten Commandments and on the
story of the Exodus. So the Ten Commandments is a central piece of this story. It's far from do's and don'ts.
And remember that God's laws express God's very good and very perfect character. So as that is a bit of an
introduction, let's take a look at the Ten Commandments. We'll see three things that the Ten Commandments will
show us. We'll see through them that they reveal to us God's good design for life.
The second thing is it will show us that we have an inability to enjoy God's good design for life.
And the last bit that it will reveal to us is the true beauty of God's law.
And why we ought not to see it as stiff, but as a beautiful, robust, wonderful invitation for us
into what it means to be God's people. So I'll repeat those things.
The Ten Commandments will reveal to us God's good design for life,
our inability to enjoy God's good design for life,
and then it will also reveal to us the true beauty of God's laws, God's law. So we'll look at the first
thing, God's good design for life. I want you guys to consider, what is the cause of strife and heartache
in your life? Within your family, at your workplace, wherever you may be, at school, with siblings,
with spouse, and by the way, if you're not experiencing strife right now, praise God, but think back on a time
that you might have experienced strife and heartache.
Is it not the cause of
a relational breakdown?
Is that not the cause of all, almost all, or if not all, of our heartache and strife in this life?
All of our, the ills find their genesis, so to speak, in relational breakdown?
Organizations spend tens of millions, hundreds of millions of dollars
on workplace training that includes conflict resolution.
Family members, partners, spouses, friends, they spend great sums of money on mediators and therapists,
psychiatrists, to work through the aftermath of relational breakdowns.
I really do think that relational breakdowns and relational brokenness,
it really is at the heart of our pain and ill.
It's also at the heart of our estrangement with God. So it's not just that we have relational
breakdowns with each other, but we also have a relational breakdown with God.
And whatever your spiritual background may be,
know this, that God's good design
was to make you and I
and all people to enjoy a deep
and transparent relationship with Him.
But at the core of what it means
to be a Christian,
what it means to know the only
true God is to
have a relationship.
And not in a quaint way, but a deep,
satisfying, transparent
relationship with Him.
And yet, relational brokenness
rears its ugly head in that as well.
Sin
comes into the picture.
And what is sin if not a rejection of God's
good plan for us to be in a relationship with Him?
Somehow, I know what's best.
I know what is going to make me tick,
what I need,
what kind of relationship will suit me better.
And it is not God.
Is this not the cause of our estrangement to God?
I mean, look at Genesis 1 and 2 and 3.
God makes everything.
It's good.
He makes the first Adam and Eve
and the story of creation.
And there is a rejection
of God.
And what is it,
if not a relational breakdown?
So we have a relational breakdown vertically
between us and God,
a relational breakdown with each other.
That's horizontally.
But undergirding all of this,
I think,
is a relational breakdown internally.
What do I mean by all of this?
Human beings have a conscience.
We know right from wrong.
And contrary to some of our thought leaders,
not all,
but some of them,
and some very predominant ones,
right and wrong is not a mere social construct.
It is remarkable to see children
know right from wrong
almost from,
I don't want to say infancy,
but like from toddlers,
even maybe before that.
That it's something inherent in us,
knowing right from wrong.
And it is a feature,
a key feature,
of what it means to be made
in the image of God.
Animals,
other animals,
other beings,
they don't have the,
they don't have a conscience.
They don't differentiate
between right and wrong.
It's only us.
It's a key feature
of what it means to be made
in the image of God.
God.
But consider,
for us,
what inner turmoil looks like.
We know the right way to go,
but we don't do it.
We have inner dialogues with ourselves,
some more vibrant and robust inner dialogues than others,
but all of us wrestle,
have this internal wrestling
with the things we ought to do
and the things we ought not to do.
The things that are inherently right
and the things that are totally wrong.
And there are relational breakdowns
also with inanimate objects as well.
We have relational breakdowns with money.
And what do I mean by that?
We put a lot of emphasis on income
or possessions or relationships.
And it is not a healthy relationship
that we have with these things.
For some of us,
it's an unhealthy relationship with food,
with our devices.
All of these things
speak to a breakdown of a relationship.
Our desires are completely disordered.
They're completely disordered.
And this is the wonderful thing about the law.
The law recognizes this.
God's ways recognize this.
It recognizes that God had a perfect design
and that there's a relational brokenness
that has destroyed it.
The law primarily is separated into two parts.
Those parts that pertain to the relational breakdown
between us and God
and that part that relates to the relational breakdown
between us and one another,
me and you,
you and your family member,
you and whoever else it may be.
And although at the surface,
the text says stuff like,
you shall not murder,
you shall not commit adultery,
you shall not steal,
for just three examples of the law.
But it's important
that we don't just read the prohibition,
but we ask ourselves the question,
well then,
what's the opposite of that prohibition?
Is the opposite of not,
of stealing,
simply not stealing?
Or is there something greater
and more robust to it?
Is there something greater
and more robust
than just not killing somebody?
Like,
is that just what the text is asking?
I mean,
at the very minimum,
yes.
Yes.
if somebody is not killing somebody,
but they have a desire to,
and somehow they're not doing it.
I mean,
that's a good thing.
But the law speaks to something
more robust,
more wonderful,
more incredible.
Remember,
that God's law,
God's Torah,
it reflects
his very good character
and his very perfect being.
The Westminster Larger Catechism,
question 99 says this,
where a sin is forbidden,
the contrary duty is commanded.
So,
we need to ask ourselves,
that's a very helpful little bit
to think through.
Where we see something
that is forbidden,
we need to ask ourselves,
not,
how do I not just commit that sin?
Very good question.
But more so,
how do I capture the essence
of the opposite?
The first command
calls for fidelity
to the only true God.
This is what it says,
sorry,
in verse 7,
you shall have no other gods
before me.
I guess in many ways,
it's not just the first,
it's the second and the third
as well.
You shall not make for yourselves
a carved image
or any likeness
of anything
that is in heaven above
or that is on the earth beneath
or that is in the water
under the earth.
You shall not bow down to them
or serve them
for I,
the Lord your God,
am a jealous God.
And then,
the next one,
in verse 11,
you shall not take the name
of the Lord your God
in vain.
The first,
the second,
the third,
all call for fidelity
to God.
God calls himself
a jealous God.
The first commandment
makes it clear,
the second and third
really flesh that out.
To have other gods
besides the one true God
is not a simple rejection
of the Christian faith
for another tradition
or no faith at all.
It is a rejection
of what it means
to be a flourishing human.
What it means to live
as you were designed to live.
Remember,
God is the creator of all
and he is good.
And his purposes are good.
And for him to create you
and I
and then give us
his ways of how to live,
it is a good thing.
And to go the opposite
is to not experience flourishing.
It's to not know
the very thing
by which we were made
to live for.
to live into.
To know in part
this true connection
to the divine,
to God
and to trust that
there's a promise
that although in part
we can know
this relationship
and know this
this deep satisfaction,
this relational satisfaction
in part in this life
but also the promise
that in the life to come
we will know it fully.
this is the relational
heart of God
and to know God
and to serve him
and to not see it
as this faith
as just one of many
and I just want to pick it
because it sounds better
than say Hinduism
or transcendental meditation
or just a type of secularism.
It's no,
it's not that.
It is instead
to follow God
and to experience
and to lean into
and to grow into
relational health
or to not.
And this is the beauty
of God's law.
It is good
and it is for our flourishing.
The next few commandments
have everything to do
with flourishing
for human society.
Healthy family units,
prohibition of murder
like I mentioned,
adultery,
theft,
dishonesty in court.
It's all absolutely critical
like just sociologically speaking
for a society
to be healthy.
Think about it
when this stuff breaks down
on a societal scale.
Okay,
well,
pause on that.
When it breaks down
within a family unit,
what happens?
the family unit
breaks apart.
How about in a city
or in a country?
Why is it that
murder,
theft,
dishonesty,
when that becomes
a mainstay
of a nation,
we call those nations
failed states.
These few commandments
are so integral
just for life
to function,
let alone thrive.
But,
here's the thing,
the last commandment,
it speaks to not covet,
to not envy.
Let me read it to you.
And you shall not covet,
this is verse 21,
you shall not covet
your neighbor's wife,
you shall not desire
your neighbor's house,
his field,
or his male servant,
or female servant,
his ox,
his donkey,
or anything
that is your neighbor's,
or anything
that is your neighbor's.
Christine,
my wife,
she reminds me
often that coveting
is the begetting sin.
Oftentimes,
we don't,
we don't start
with theft
or murder
or adultery,
but it starts
with coveting.
So,
if
we are looking
at the law
and seeing
the prohibitions
and asking ourselves
the question,
well,
what is the opposite
of that?
What is the true essence
in flourishing,
I guess,
the essence,
the goodness
of the law
for coveting?
It would be contentment.
And just,
just imagine
if the city
of Ottawa,
the residents,
regardless of the neighborhood
they were in.
Imagine in your own house
if you were content.
Imagine if you were content,
not for a day or two,
but well after
the new thing
lost its shine.
Or the new promotion,
it didn't carry
as much kind of weight
in the office
or at the workplace.
or if the honeymoon
phase is over.
What would it look like
if you were truly content?
How would that
change
society?
How would that
change your family?
If you look back
on the other commandments,
we can see
God's design
for human flourishing
when he talks about
not bearing
false witness.
that's not just
being honest
in a courtroom.
It's about
not slandering people.
It's about
not gossiping.
It's about
speaking highly
of people.
It's about
giving them
the benefit
of the doubt.
It's about
not strawmanning
your enemy.
Imagine if
that happened.
Would Twitter
exist?
not stealing.
It's not
simply
just
taking
what is
not yours
but
giving
so that
people
don't need
to steal.
It's about
seeing needs
and meeting
them.
And murder
we see
in the
gospel
that Jesus
himself
it's not
just
murder
is attacking
somebody
but it's
hating
somebody.
So how do
we then
see the
opposite
of this
how do
we then
look with
eyes of
love?
Doesn't that
speak of
human flourishing?
I mean
if we go
through the
law and
just
the
ten
commandments
here
and just
take
our
time
and
see
God's
good
purpose
and
design
wow
like it
really is
something
else.
It
sounds
almost
too good
to be
true
but it's
worth
doing
and
encourage
you
take
some
time
we don't
have
time
to
go
through
this
I mean
each
what
three
four
summers
ago
at
Messiah
we did
a whole
summer
series
on the
ten
commandments
we don't
have
time
to
exhaustively
go
through
this
take
time
yourself
this
week
and
plumb
the
ten
commandments
asking
yourself
where
is
God's
good
design
found
in
this
the
ten
commandments
show
us
how
terrific
God's
design
for
life
is
but
it
also
shows
us
our
inability
to
live
up
to
it
it's
so
obvious
what
to
do
and
what
the
result
is
in
our
life
when
we
try
to
make
this
happen
we
are
rebels
at
heart
I've
mentioned
that
we
are
insurrection
ists
we
have
large
eyes
and
greedy
bellies
it's
a
terrible
combination
we
want
what
we
don't
have
we
grow
tired
of
the
things
we
do
have
we
don't
have
any
contentment
we
have
seared
consciences
and
no
distrust
and
suspicion
much
more
intimately
than
we
ever
wish
we
did
we
put
up
walls
so
that
we're
not
hurt
by
people
we
are
broken
people
and
by
the
way
if
you
don't
really
feel
like
you're
a
very
broken
person
I
think
that's
fantastic
and
there
are
a lot
of
both
Christians
and
especially
non-Christians
that
are
really
healthy
emotionally
healthy
people
they
have
great
relationships
they've
figured out
ways to
deal with
conflict
really well
but is
anybody
perfect
has
anybody
had a
good run
of 70
or 80
years
of
relational
perfection
I have
a friend
who has
a friend
who
it would
seem to
me that
that this
person
not a
Christian
has
everything
going right
and had
everything
growing
right
from
his
childhood
to
his
adolescence
to
his
time
at
university
to
afterwards
getting
a job
like
there's
no
issues
in
his
life
until
there
was
a
strain
on
relationships
it
hits
us
all
and we
have
an
inability
to
keep
God's
law
perfect
so
much
so
that
in
the
letter
of
St.
James
chapter 2
verse 10
it says
this
for
whoever
keeps
the
whole
law
but
fails
in
one
point
has
become
accountable
for
all
of
it
or
has
become
a
law
breaker
that
does
not
seem
fair
perfection
or
nothing
in
your
law
breaker
but
consider
this
these
laws
aren't
just
disconnected
prohibitions
but
they're
deeply
interwoven
like I
mentioned
about
coveting
being
the
begetting
sin
you
can
covet
and
not
murder
but
I
almost
guarantee
you
that
if
somebody's
a murderer
they've
coveted
you
don't
necessarily
have to
be a
thief
if
you're
a
person
that
covets
but
if
you've
stolen
it's
because
you're
coveting
take
idolatry
as another
example
you can
keep
all the
other
commandments
except
you can't
if you're
an
idolater
because
what is
idolatry
if it
is not
looking
to
other
things
or other
people
or whatever
it may
be
for
true
satisfaction
for
deep
belonging
for
true
flourishing
if it's
disconnected
from
god
all
of
these
things
are
interconnected
and
at
the
very
minimum
if
you
sin
against
another
human
being
you
are
sinning
against
somebody
made
in the
image
of god
you are
desecrating
in a
sense
something
that god
made
someone
that god
made
so it
makes sense
then when i
look at james
chapter 2
and it says
for whoever
keeps the
whole law
but fails
in one
point
has
become
accountable
of
all
of
it
so
this is
the thing
the law
isn't just
there to
show us
god's
beautiful
perfect
design
for life
the law
also
acts
as the
means by
which
human
beings
know
they're
sinful
and this
isn't
a bad
thing
it's
part
of god's
design
that in
the beginning
there was
this
incredible
scene
in the
garden
before sin
entered the
picture
and it
is
wiped
away
like it
is gone
because of
sin
but god
is redeeming
it
and he
has
redeemed
it
and he
is inviting
you to
be a
part of
that
redemption
the law
was never
designed
as a
means to
achieve
one's
salvation
how could
it
we are
destined
to fail
but remember
that this
was given
to the
israelites
on mount
sinai
after god
had rescued
them from
egypt
guys
this
is
this
is
a
picture
uh
um
god
communicating
to
redeemed
people
how
redeemed
people
ought to
live
look
with me
verse
six
this
is
how
it
opens
up
before
we
even
get
into
the
commandments
itself
it
says
this
in
verse
six
i am
the lord
your god
who brought
you out
of the
land
of egypt
out of
the house
of slavery
four hundred
years
and israel
cried out
to god
they did
nothing
themselves
and god
it says
with
with a
strong arm
and an
out
a strong
hand
and an
outstretched
arm
he rescued
israel
he rescued
them
a stiff
necked
people
a people
that
pushed
god
away
and what
does he
do
he invites
them
in
and makes
a covenant
with them
the
all caps
lord
that we
have
in verse
six
is the
covenant
name
it's used
in place
of the
covenant
name
of god
and that
covenant
name
speaks
to
the
relational
aspect
of who
god
is
these
people
are
already
a part
of
god's
covenant
people
they
can't
earn
their
salvation
because
they're
already
saved
and this
is what
the law
does
as well
it shows
us a
great
need
for a
savior
and god
is saying
i'm
your
savior
so we
don't
have an
ability
to keep
the law
but it
it's a
beautiful
thing
because it
points us
to the
one
that will
rescue
us
completely
and holy
the third
thing
and it's
connected
to verse
six
is the
law showing
the true
beauty
of who
god
is
with this
declaration
of
in verse
six
where it
says
i'm
the lord
notice
what does
it say
right after
it says
i am
the lord
your
god
your
god
there's
no
greater
declaration
for
god
to
say
over
former
slaves
that
i am
your
god
so
it's
him
saying
that
you
are
you
are
no
longer
under
the lordship
of sin
and slavery
and death
you're
under my
lordship
no longer
are you
a slave
you're
a son
you're
a daughter
the
ancient
gods
and we
read
about
this
in
the
scriptures
but also
archaeology
helps us
to understand
a bit
of this
too
the
ancient
gods
of the
nations
that
surrounded
the
promised
land
the
gods
of
the
canaanites
they
were
impersonal
gods
but they
called
for
worship
that
entailed
gluttony
that
entailed
drunkenness
ritual
cult
prostitution
child
sacrifice
with a
promise
that
will
lead
to
the
good
life
do
this
and
you
will
know
real
human
flourishing
we
don't
have
a
pantheon
of
canaanite
gods
that
we
worship
here
in
canada
but
our
own
gods
in
canada
i mean
they
are
they're
not
much
different
canada
is full
of all
sorts
of
different
cultures
so it's
not as
if i'm
speaking
of
a
monolithic
culture
of canada
and
yet
there are
so many
commonalities
within the
the different
canadian
cultures
maybe that's
a better way
of saying
it
that are
so similar
to the
canaanite
gods
for instance
gluttony
this
inordinate
desire
for more
if that's
not gluttony
i mean
that is
gluttony
is never
being
satisfied
eating
acquiring
possessing
to no
end
because there
is no
satisfaction
what is
drunkenness
if not
a desire
to connect
in some
kind of
ecstatic
way
to
and when i
say drunkenness
drug use
as well
to
some
kind
of
higher
power
or
a
means
by
which
we
cover
up
and
dull
our
pain
because
we have
an inability
a crippling
fear to deal
with our
pain
how about
cult
ritual
prostitution
we don't
have
temples
to
whatever
god
where there's
cult
ritual
prostitution
but sexual
conquest
is something
that is
still
i mean
it is
still
seen
with
a type
of
sick
virtue
and i say
sick
virtue
not because
those
terrible
people
out there
it's
because
it's
within
so many
of us
in the
church
a desire
also to
know
sexual
pleasure
completely
disconnected
with
responsibility
and i don't
mean
responsibility
in like
like i
need to
do my
chores
before i
can go
outside
i'm an
eight-year-old
responsibility
but like
responsibility
for people
we
unhitch
sex
from
procreation
in our
culture
i mean
child
sacrifice
this is
the one
that
it just
always
blows my
mind
because
in the
ancient
world
if you
wanted
your
crops
to
grow
if you
wanted
success
in your
life
you'd
sacrifice
a child
on a
statue
of the
god
molek
and it's
not the
the
morgent
taller
clinic
just a
temple
to
molek
and by
the way
if you
have been
pushed
into
or know
people
that have
been
pushed
into
an
abortion
it is
heinous
and
broken
and i'm
not
coming
down
hard
on
people
that
have
a ton
of
pain
and
baggage
from
that
but the
lie
is
if you
have a
child
it's
going to
ruin
your
prospects
it's
going to
it's
going to
if it's
an unwanted
child
there's
going to
be
stigma
around
that
and it's
not going
to cause
you to
flourish
you're
not going
to have
a
flourishing
life
these are
what the
false
gods
tell us
do this
and your
life will
flourish
and what
is the
result
time and
again
it is
relational
brokenness
it is
not
flourishing
being
estranged
from
family
members
because of
some
terrible
beef
that
happened
or
choosing
to
push
people
aside
for your
own
gain
or
feeling
like
if
because of
some
issue
that
you
didn't
deal
with
right
there
is
no
redemption
for
you
because
that
thing
has
taken
on
a
monster
status
in
your
life
whatever
that
may
be
that
is
not
flourishing
it's
not
flourishing
it's
slavery
but
God's
law
I
mean
we
have
this
absolutely
stupid
understanding
in parts
of our
culture
maybe
in your
own
life
that
an
unhindered
life
is
the
best
life
a
life
devoid
of
restraint
is
the
best
life
but
I'm
telling
you
restraint
is
a
beautiful
wonderful
thing
and
especially
when it
comes
to
God's
law
because
it
orders
our
desires
in the
way
that
they're
supposed
to
with
God
at
the
head
desiring
our
best
mending
broken
relationships
setting
the
ground
work
for
future
healthy
relationships
and
ultimately
dealing
with our
sin
and
brokenness
in a
way
that's
not a
cover-up
in a
way
that's
not
just
numbing
pain
but
dealing
with
it
deep
down
I'll
go
one
thing
I might
go
two
things
one
last
at least
one
last
thing
I'm
not
sure
if
you
noticed
that
I
touched
on
nine
out
of
the
ten
commandments
I
touched
on
commandments
one
two
and
three
and
then
I
touched
on
commandment
five
all the
way
to
the
end
I
made
no
mention
of
the
fourth
commandment
which
is
keeping
the
sabbath
it's
the
largest
portion
within
the
decalogue
the
ten
commandments
and
I'll
read
it
out
it's
four
verses
this
is
what
it
you
shall
remember
that
you
were
a
slave
in
the
land
of
Egypt
and
the
Lord
your
God
brought
you
out
from
there
with
a
mighty
hand
and
an
outstretched
arm
therefore
the
Lord
your
God
commanded
you
to
keep
the
sabbath
it's
interesting
as well
that
in
Exodus
the
ten
commandments
in
Exodus
on
top
of
that
there
is
the
mention
that
God
created
all
things
and
rested
on
the
seventh
day
the
ten
commandments
that
it
is
if
the
ten
commandments
deal
with
relational
health
flourishing
between
us
and
God
the
vertical
and
the
horizontal
us
one
another
the
fourth
commandment
straddles
the two
it
deals
both
with
God
and
with
one
another
there's
this
internal
connection
that
happens
and
the
other
commandments
I mean
they touch
on this
but
the
Sabbath
it
just
does
such
a
fantastic
job
of
connecting
our
relationship
with
God
and
our
relationship
with
one
another
but
what
is
more
is
that
the
commandment
of
the
Sabbath
looks
to
something
much
greater
than
a
day
off
a
week
in
the
New
Testament
but
also
within
the
Old
Testament
as
well
the
Sabbath
is
a
picture
of
the
age
to
come
about
all
of
the
promises
fulfilled
to
know
God
in
his
fullness
to
know
him
without
any
obstacles
in
the
way
we
call
it
heaven
we
call
it
a
return
to
Eden
it
is
perfect
unbroken
relationship
with the
living
God
so much
so
Jesus
he talks
about
entering
his
rest
entering
his
rest
I
love
that
in
verse
11
and
12
or
sorry
in
verses
15
and
6
I guess
just
15
why
do
we
take
a day
off
a week
it's
because
God
has
saved
us
we're
no
longer
slaves
and
the
picture
of
heaven
is
an
ending
of
our
strivings
an
ending
of
our
sin
of
trying
to
figure
out
how
to
make
sense
of
difficulties
in
life
an
end
to
doing
the
things
we
ought
not
to
do
I
mean
we
in
the
confession
there's
no
health
in
us
we
are
miserable
offenders
it's
an
end
to
that
the
end
to
that
the
Sabbath
looks
to
Jesus
himself
that
when
we
enter
the
Sabbath
we
are
entering
rest
and
eternity
with
God
through
Jesus
and
it's
this
wonderful
beautiful
picture
so
here's
the
thing
how
should
we
then
live
as
redeemed
people
well
we
should
do
our
very
best
to
keep
God's
commandments
but
remembering
always
that
we
are
doing
it
from
a
place
of
freedom
that
if
we
have
put
our
trust
and
our
hope
and
our
ultimate
longing
for
the
good
life
the
flourishing
life
then
by
God's
spirit
and
it's
interesting
here
that
today
is
Pentecost
that
God
gave
the
church
his
Holy
Spirit
the
promised
Holy
Spirit
Jesus
said
I
will
go
so
the
helper
may
come
and
the
Holy
Spirit
is
God's
own
spirit
the
third
member
of
the
Trinity
to
dwell
in
his
way
to
flourish
and
follow
God's
ways
and
it's
interesting
I
say
it's
interesting
because
today's
Pentecost
we can
read about
it in
Acts
chapter
2
but
Pentecost
was a
pre-existing
holy
day
before
Acts
chapter
2
and
what
does
it
mark
it
marks
the
giving
of
the
law
what
we
read
today
is
first
Pentecost
and
God
laid
out
his
plan
for
the
flourishing
the
good
life
and
deeply
embedded
in
that
he
was
pointing
to
Christ
and
pointing
to
the
redemption
of
not
just
the
Israel
nation
but
all
who
put
their
trust
and
faith
in
him
giving
us
the
Holy
Spirit
not
to
do
away
with
the
law
but
that
we
may
live
to
the
glory
of
God
the
law
and
to
know
what
it
means
to
be
people
that
bless
and
not
curse
people
that
see
needs
and
meet
them
people
that
declare
the
goodness
of
God
that
worship
the
one
true
God
that
call
people
out
of
a
life
of
slavery
into
a
life
of
contentment
not
contentment
just
because
yeah
they have
enough
stuff
but
because
they
know
God
because
he
is
the
true
gift
friends
it
is
a
wonderful
day
to
recommit
to
that
if
you
don't
know
the
Lord
if
you're
curious
about
the
faith
I
would
encourage
you
to
read
this
but
more
than
that
I
would
encourage
you
to
cry
out
to
God
as
if
you
were
an
Israelite
enslaved
in
Egypt
and
I
promise
you
I
promise
you
he
will
save
you
and
if
that
happens
guys
please
tell
one
of
us
we
want
to
connect
with
you
we
want
to
fellowship
with
you
connect
with
you
read
the
scriptures
be
friends
worship
God
together
and
that would
be
just
terrific
let's
pray
heavenly
father
we
thank
you
so
much
for
the
10
commandments
they
aren't
stiff
laws
but
they're
an
expression
of
your
very
nature
they're
the
blueprint
to
what
human
flourishing
looks
like
they're
the
very
thing
that
point
to
you
Lord
please
help
us
to
not
look
to
false
gods
that
promise
the
world
but
completely
under
deliver
but
instead
let us
look
to
you
the
God
that
sacrificed
on our
behalf
that
doesn't
demand
first and
foremost
that
we
sacrifice
for
some
vague
union
with
you
in
the
good
life
but
rather
you
sacrifice
uniting
us
with
yourself
so
that
we
may
live
lives
of
sacrifice
in
thanksgiving
to
you
so
Lord
bless
us
as
we
go
our
own
ways
bless
us
as
we
try
our
best
by
your
Holy
Spirit
to
live
a
good
life
in
you
in
Jesus
name
Amen