In my sermon on the 6th commandment, I only brush across the very important debate about what is murder and what is acceptable, though still tragic, killing. Great people have disagreed, and continue to disagree, on where and how the differentiation exists.

Unfortunately, we live in a cuture where people rarely take time for learning and reasoned argument, and instead hide behind catchy slogans. We as followers of Jesus ought to be an exception on this. Where do you stand on capital punishment? On what do you base your argument? How about abortion? War? Killing in self-defense? We live in a democracy, which means our views not only matter, but that our collective views will become law. We need sound, biblically-grounded, reasoned voices in the ‘marketplace of ideas.’

I recommend two resources as starting points for developing convictions regarding murder: Bioethics: A primer for Christians by Gilbert Meilaender, and Moral Choices by Scott B. Rae. I have both these books in my office. You are welcome to borrow them if you don’t want to buy them.

For an example of someone providing a reasoned argument against abortion, visit the blog of one of my former seminary professors, and look at the March 28, 2009 post “Why I am Pro-Life.” Remember: he’s a philosophy professor. I wouldn’t expect that we could all reason and write as well as he does. However, we can shoot high!

I spent most of my sermon time on the topic of anger, because the Bible is clear that murder finds its root in an angry heart (Matt. 5:21-22; 15:19). Anger is a powerful emotion. It has great potential for bringing harm, but also great potential for accomplishing justice, which is its ultimate purpose. Anger must be mastered, so that it can be channeled away from selfish ambition, and toward the pursuit of true justice. Easier said than done, right?!

I highly recommend a book by Drs. Dan Allender and Tremper Longman called Cry of the Soul for an exceptional look on destructive and righteous anger. I have also found some of the teachings and writings of the Christian Counseling & Education Foundation helpful. Their website contains articles on a variety of topics, like one I recently read entitled: Is Anger Morally Neutral?

One of the greatest challenges for parents is dealing with angry kids…made doubly difficult by the fact that we have to face our own anger while trying to help them with theirs! Two books in particular have helped me with this topic: Good and Angry by Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, and The Heart of Anger by Lou Priollo. These books provide excellent biblical and psychological foundations for understanding anger, as well as practical approaches for disarming it in our homes.

And, lastly, remember that righteous anger forms an important aspect of the passion we bring to bear in fighting for a good cause. Part of following Jesus involves spending ourselves on a great cause. One simple diagnostic for uncovering a cause worth giving your life for is asking yourself the question: “What makes me want to pound the table and say, ‘That should not be!’?” One of the causes I’ve served for almost 20 years now is helping people see the wonderful possibility of a Christ-centered marraige and, on the flip side, to fight the scourge of divorce that wrecks families. I’ve served this cause as a volunteer, full-time as part of an international ministry, and now as a local church pastor. The scenery may change, but the cause is imbedded deep in my heart. What about you? What’s your cause?

May God grant you freedom from destructive anger. May He grant you success as you seek to make anger your slave, rather than being a slave to your anger. And may He connect you to the cause He has placed in your heart, so that you can partner with Him in fighting evil, and promoting what is good.

Best,

Shane

Honoring our parents trains us to love God and love others. And, as with most all training grounds, honoring parents tests us in a variety of ways. Children are tested by the call to obedience (Eph. 6:1-3; Col. 3:20), while parents are tested in holding kids to obedience without exasperating or embittering them (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21)! Adult children are tested to honor parents by appreciating them verbally, relationally, and, when necessary, financially (1 Tim. 5:4). We need help.

First, we need the help of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). Left to ourselves, we cannot mature in the honoring of our parents. We also need wise counsel. Here are some resources to turn to for such counsel:

For parents wanting to train their children in obedience, I’ve found two books particularly: Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp, and Creative Correction by Lisa Welchel.

For adult children looking for a special way to honor a parent, I strongly encourage you to consider writing a “Tribute”, something advocated by FamilyLife, the organization where Aimee and I worked for 10 years. A Tribute is a formal document crafted in a way that expresses heart-felt thanks for the generosity and sacrifice of a parent. After crafting the document, you print it, frame it and give it to the parent as a special gift. Aimee and I both did this for our parents, giving them as Christmas presents. It provided a special, special time for honoring them. FamilyLife provides specific helps and tips for crafting a Tribute: a step-by-step guide, example Tributes, helpful articles, and radio broadcasts on the subject.

Lastly, some of you want to honor parents who are difficult to honor. This is a difficult, difficult path, one that is fraught with glory and pain. I commend you for your desire to pursue God in this manner. By far, the most helpful resource I can offer is Bold Love by Drs. Dan Allender and Tremper Longman. The authors tackle head-on Jesus’ challenging imperative to “love our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us.” (Matt. 5:44)

Whatever direction you choose, may the God of grace grant you favor in your desire to honor your father and your mother.

Peace,
Shane

In the fourth sermon of our Etched series, we come across the 4th commandment:  Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy…

Of the 7 days we get each week, clearly, one of these days is not like the others.

We discovered that this commandment is rooted in God’s call on our lives for rich relationships - with Him and with others.  So, to fully love God and to fully love others, we MUST set aside some dedicated time for these relationships.   A sabbath day is meant to Provide Refreshment, Protect our Priorities and Point to our Redemption.  All of this helps us build relationships with God and others.

But a lingering question exists which didn’t get answered in the sermon.  I thought I would take a minute to address it.  Why do Christians not practice a sabbath on Saturday any more?  Did Jesus rewrite this commandment to be for Sunday?  Well…kinda, but not really.

By the time Jesus got on the scene, the Jewish people were scattered throughout the world, and weren’t following the 4th commandment properly anyway.  So, when Jesus rose from the grave on a Sunday…the followers of Jesus found this to be a great time to reinstate the principles of Sabbath on the first day of the week.

Throughout the book of Acts, we see the church gathered for worship on Sunday.  The Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1) was on a Sunday, which is also the day that Christ ‘launched’ his church.    (See also Acts 20:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:2)

But the point is not THE day.  Jesus said in Mark 2:27:  “The Sabbath was made for man…NOT man for the Sabbath”.  In other words, follow the spirit of the law, not the letter of the law.  Find the underlying reasons that God wrote this commandment, then chase after that with all your heart.

That’s why Paul urged the church at Colossae to be flexible:  “No one is to act as your judge in regard to…a Sabbath day” (Colossians 2:16).  Some religious systems have turned this commandment into legalism, and have forgotten the point.  I like the way scholar John Eadie says it:

“The new religion [Christianity] is too free and exuberant to be trained down to ‘times and seasons’ like its tame and rudimental predecessor [Judaism]. Its feast is daily, for every day is holy; its moon never wanes, and its serene tranquility is an unbroken Sabbath.”

The point of Sabbath is to celebrate and recalibrate.  We celebrate God for who He is and what He does.  And we recalibrate ourselves relationally, physically and spiritually.

Enjoy and practice the Sabbath - and do it with the people you love.  Rest.  Rejoice.  Play.  Worship.  Read.  Converse.  Feast.  Recreate.

Remember: One of these days is not like the other.