Love God. Love People.

I don't know that I've ever been this excited to begin a sermon series at Faith Community Church. This Sunday, September 8, we begin a twelve week study of the Ten Commandments under the title Love God. Love People.

"But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 'Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?' And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.'" (Matthew 22:34-40)

Loving God. Loving people.

That is what we do. Jesus is, of course, pointing to the Ten Commandments, given to Moses and the people of Israel on Sinai after God had delivered them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Love God
1. You shall have no other gods before me;
2. You shall not make for yourselves a carved image...;
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain;
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy;

Love People
5. Honor your father and your mother;
6. You shall not murder;
7. You shall not commit adultery;
8. You shall not steal;
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor;
10. You shall not covet.

(From Exodus 20:2-17)

My preparation has focused on John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion. Book 2, chapter 8 of this magisterial tome is a brilliant treatise on the commands. It is well worth your time to read this section, which you can find here. Additional sources have included The Heidelberg Catechism and the simple, practical, and powerful Shorter Catechism by Martin Luther.

Through the Law, God reveals his character and holiness, gives us direction for how to live, and ultimately provides the way for true shalom of his kingdom to be manifest in the world.