Amen & Awoman (Americas rejection of the 10 Commandments - Part 1) Leverett MA

Moore's Corner Church

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If they won't receive Jesus preach Moses (The 10 Commandments Part 2)

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Thank you for listening to this message from the ministry of Morse Corner Church in Leverett, Massachusetts.

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Morse Corner is a non -denominational church that is committed to the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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Our church was founded in 1896 by two students of the famous evangelist

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D .L. Moody. We seek to encourage and edify the body of Christ through the proclamation of God's word through the ministries of the local church.

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If you'd like more information, visit our website morsecornerchurch .com. We hope you enjoy the message.

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Psalms 33, starting in verse 1. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous, for praise from the upright is beautiful.

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Praise the Lord with a harp, make melody to him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing to him a new song, play skillfully with a shout of joy.

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For the word of the Lord is right, and all his work is done in truth.

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He loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of his goodness, of the

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Lord. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

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He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap. He lays up the deep in storehouses.

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Let all the earth fear the Lord. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

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For he spoke and it was done. He commanded and it stood fast.

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The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. He makes the plans of the people of no effect.

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The counsel of the Lord stands forever. The plans of his heart to all generations.

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Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. The people he has chosen as his own inheritance.

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May God add his blessing to the reading of his word. Thank you. I want to begin by simply reading two verses.

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The first is from Psalm 33, 12. Blessed is the nation whose

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God is the Lord. And then Proverbs 14, verse 34, which says righteousness exalts a nation.

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But sin is a reproach to any people. Let's pray. Our father and gracious God, by your word the heavens were made.

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And all the host of them by the breath of your mouth. And may your name be kept holy.

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And may the nations fear you. Let all the inhabitants of the earth stand in awe of you.

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For you have spoke and it was done. You commanded and it stood fast.

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Lord, please prepare our hearts and minds to receive what you have for us. Teach us through thy word and through thy spirit

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I pray. It's in Jesus' name. Amen. Righteousness exalts a nation.

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Proverbs 14, 34 is an important verse to consider.

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And you think about that righteousness exalts a nation. Okay, what's the standard then of righteousness?

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Well, thankfully, we don't have to wonder or guess or speculate. Because the scripture gives us

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God's standard of righteousness. And I'd like you to turn to Exodus chapter 20, which is where we see that.

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God's standard of righteousness, of course, is brought out in his law.

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Here, more specifically, the Ten Commandments. And the thing that I would like to begin with pointing out regarding the

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Ten Commandments. Is that the commandments were given to a nation. A lot of time we think of the commandments as applying to us or individuals.

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And, of course, that's true. But it was given, the commandments were given to a nation.

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And that verse that we read, Psalm 33. Blessed is the nation whose

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God is the Lord. That was to be the Old Testament nation of Israel.

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And remember something about them. They didn't choose God. Israel did not choose

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God. God chose them. And God chose them so that they would obey and serve him.

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And he gave to Israel his law. Which was written in what?

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In stone. That kind of tells us something, doesn't it? God wrote his law in stone.

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And in the Ten Commandments, what we see is not only the standard of righteousness.

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But God's holy and righteous character. So, because God's standard of righteousness was given to the nation of Israel.

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And because, as we will talk about, Israel was to be an example to all the world. These things apply to every nation.

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Look at Exodus 20, verse 1. And God spoke all these words, saying,

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I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

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Now, that part obviously is specific to the Israelites. They were

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God's chosen people. The Lord made a covenant with them. God and his covenant with them.

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They were special people unto the Lord. As opposed to everyone else. So, there's something unique for Israel right there.

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We see that. But, if we understand that God chose

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Israel in the first place to be an example to the rest of the world.

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We see in Isaiah 49, verse 6. The Lord says to Israel, I will also give you as a light to the

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Gentiles. That you should be my salvation to the ends of the earth.

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So, Israel was to be a shining example to the rest of the world.

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They were to walk in the Lord's ways. As a living testimony. So that all the other nations would see them.

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And say, how great is their God. And how close is he to them.

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So, based on all of that. The commandments really do apply to the nations.

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They are applicable to all. Let's read through them. And we'll go back over them in more detail.

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Exodus 20, verse 3. The Lord says, you shall have no other gods before me.

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You shall not make for yourself a carved image. Of any likeness of anything that is in heaven above.

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Or that is in the earth beneath. Or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them.

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Nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children.

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To the third and the fourth generations of those who hate me. But showing mercy to thousands.

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To those who love me. And do what? Keep my commandments. You shall not take the name of the

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Lord your God in vain. For the Lord will not hold him guiltless.

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Who takes his name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

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Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the

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Lord your God. In it you shall do no work. You nor your son nor your daughter.

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Nor your male servant nor your female servant. Nor your cattle nor your stranger who is within your gates.

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For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth. The sea and all that is in them. And rested the seventh day.

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Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day. And hallowed it. Honor your father and your mother.

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That your days may be long upon the land. Which the Lord your God is giving you.

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You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery.

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You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

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You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.

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Nor his male servant. Nor his female servant. Nor his ox. Nor his donkey.

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Nor anything that is your neighbor's. This is the word of God.

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So righteousness exalts a nation. Okay.

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Step number one. Commandment number one. Exodus 20 verse 3.

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What does it say? You shall have what? No other gods before me.

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So when the Lord spoke these words to the nation of Israel. Here's what he didn't mean.

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He didn't mean, well, you can have other gods as long as I'm first. And above all.

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That's not what he meant. What he meant is you shall have no other gods. Period.

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Isaiah 45 verse 5. He says, I am the Lord. And there is no other.

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There is no God besides me. I think that's very, very clear.

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So because we're talking about how righteousness exalts a nation. This isn't so much a sermon based on individuals and how we personally are doing.

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This is the nation. We want God to bless our nation. So how is the nation doing with commandment?

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Number one. Well, historically. Our nation has recognized the

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Lord as the one true and living God. But as time goes on.

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Our concept of God has become more generic. If I can put it that way.

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In God, we trust. We all know is on our currency. And it begs the question.

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In God, we trust. Okay. What God? Without making a clear distinction that we are referring to the

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God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let's face it. In God, we trust can mean one thing to one person.

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And something very different to someone else. Perhaps it's the

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Freemason view of God. Or just a higher power. Muslims believe in God.

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But their God has no son. Jews believe in God. Some of them anyways. But their

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God is not Trinitarian. Father, son, and spirit. So effectively what we have.

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Again, as time goes on. This has developed more and more. In our nation, we seem to have more of a generic.

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I can use the term secular view of God. Where he's kind of kept at arm's length.

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And it's kept intentionally vague. Which is why in Congress.

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When they pass bills that defy God's standard of righteousness. They don't see any problem with that.

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They don't see it as a contradiction. When compared to the statement engraved on the wall.

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Literally, that's above and behind them. In God, we trust.

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And now with this Congress. They have gone as far as to pray to the mother

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God. They have prayed to the name of the Hindu deity.

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Who has six arms. And they even end their prayers by saying. Amen and a woman.

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As if a man had anything to do with gender. And it would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

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My friends. Here's the bottom line. They're not speaking.

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When they speak of God. They're not speaking about the God of the Bible. Unless we blame.

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Or lay all the blame at the feet of our representatives. Remember, they are our representatives.

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We voted them in. Well, I mean, not me. The second commandment.

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Which is tied in to the first. Look at verse four. You shall not make for yourself a carved image.

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Of any likeness that is of anything in heaven above. Or that is in the earth beneath. Or that is in the water under the earth.

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You shall not bow down to them. Nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous

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God. Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children. To the third and the fourth generations.

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Of those who what? Hate me. But showing mercy to thousands to those who love me.

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And keep my commandments. That last part is really interesting. Isn't it? It kind of gives us some insight.

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How do you know if a person truly loves God? See, anyone can say anything.

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How do you know if a person truly loves the Lord? Well, they keep his commandments.

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That's what he said. Thanks for listening. I'm Pastor Michael Grant from Moores Corner Church. If you'd like to listen to the complete message.

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Or if you'd like more information about the ministry. Visit our website, moorescornerchurch .com

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And we'd love to have you join us. Some Sunday morning. Here in Leverett. Until next time.