February 24 2010: Mid-Week Bible Study

The Living Rock Church of Iloilo City
MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY
February 24, 2010

Text: Matthew 5:17-20

Series Title
THE COMMANDMENTS OF CHRIST

Bible Study Lesson
COMMANDMENT #5 – HONOR GOD’S LAW

By Pastor Norman S. Lao

Introduction
Commandment #1 – REPENT
Commandment #2 – FOLLOW ME
Commandment #3 – REJOICE
Commandment #4 – LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE

Last Wednesday we learned the 4th Command of Christ which is to LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE so that people will see our GOOD WORKS and glorify our Father in Heaven.

Text: The 5th Command of Christ is found in Matthew 5:17-20

Matthew 5:17-20

17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

The 5th Command of Christ is to HONOR GOD’S LAW.

I. What is God’s Law?

The first five books of the Old Testament is strictly called the TORAH (in Hebrew) or LAW. When the term “Law and the Prophets” is used they refer to the WHOLE Old Testament. (Other terms used for the Old Testament in the New Testament is “Moses and the Prophets” – Luke 16:29, “The Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” – Luke 24:44.)

The Jews understand that the first five books, or the Pentateuch (Greek for five scrolls), were written by Moses, thus they refer to it as the “Law of Moses.”

The Ten Commandments are only PART of God’s Law, a SUMMARY. There are more than 600 specific commands found in the Old Testament. The 10 Commandments or DECALOGUE (Ten Words) are general principles. The Ten Commandments were further compressed by Jesus when he said, “You shall love the Lord your God...and your neighbor as yourself.” [Matthew 22:37-40] Paul even reduced it to just one command when he said, “Love is the fulfillment of the Law.” [Romans 10:13])

The Ten Commandments are as follows:
1. ___________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________
6. ___________________________________________
7. ___________________________________________
8. ___________________________________________
9. ___________________________________________
10. ___________________________________________

God’s Law is God’s WILL. God’s WILL is what God wants to happen in heaven and on earth.

In Psalm 40:8 David said this: “I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

The TEN COMMANDMENTS above are what God wants us to DO. If we obey them, then God’s will is BEING DONE IN OUR LIVES. If not, then God’s will is not being done in our lives.

Before God created anything there was only ONE WILL – His. After God created beings with free wills (angels and man) the wills multiplied dramatically. Today, without counting Angels, there are about 7 Billion Wills on this planet alone. Not all of these Wills are subject to the Will of God.

This is part of the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father in Heaven, holy is your Name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9,10) Studying this part of the Lord’s prayer clearly shows that God’s will is being done in heaven BUT it is NOT YET being done here on earth. Thus, the prayer.

Jesus gave us an example to follow when he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)

II. Why is God’s Law Important?

There are many answers to this question. Here are a few:

A. God’s Commands will be the Basis of God’s Judgment. That’s why it is important that we OBEY GOD’S COMMANDS.

John 12:48: “There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.”

Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

B. God’s Law brings Success and Prosperity.

Joshua 1:8 “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

God’s Law produces Godly Character in us when we
obey it. Godly Character is the foundation of true
success and prosperity.

True success and prosperity begins with God and not
with your wallet or bank account!

C. God’s Law points man to Christ.

Galatians 3:23-25: 23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law , locked up until faith should be revealed. 24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law .

Saving us is NOT the purpose of the Law. The Law was given to SHOW US that we are TOTALLY SINFUL. (Romans 5:20) The Law does not address the problem of SIN. Obeying the Law does not take care of your past sins and your sinfulness. So, although the Law cannot save, it points us to Someone who can save us. (Galatians 2:16) Only Christ has effectively dealt with the Sin Problem by shedding his blood on the Cross. (Romans 5:9)

III. How are we to Honor God’s Law?

A. We are to DELIGHT in God’s Word. God’s Word must give us JOY and SATISFACTION. We like to talk about it and share it with others. God’s Law should be a source of Joy and Pleasure.

Pslam 1:1-3a

B. We are to MEDITATE on it. In other words, we must think about it. It is like a cow chewing the cud.

Psalm 1:3b
Psalm 119:117.

C. We are to MEMORIZE it. We are to take it to heart.

This could be part of Jesus’ command to abide in Him and let His Word abide in us. (John 15:7)

D. We are to FAMILIARIZE ourselves with it.

That’s the reason why we are encouraged to read/study the Bible on a daily basis.

E. We are to TALK ABOUT IT.

It is not only that you become what you read, you also become what you talk about most of the time.

Joshua 1:8
Deuteronomy 6:4-9

F. We are to ACCEPT it. We are not to resist it.

James 1:21

G. We are to OBEY it.

James 1:22

Conclusion
Are you honoring God’s Law in your Life?

Do you honor God’s Law?