No Stealing

The eighth commandment, “You shall not steal,” isn’t just about robbing banks or carjacking automobiles. It is about proper ownership. Lewis Smedes, in Mere Morality: What God Expects from Ordinary People, suggests a threefold test for the things we possess: 

First, is it FAIR? Have I come to own what I have by negotiation or contract with a party acting freely and responsibly, or was force, manipulation, or deception involved? 

Second, do I CARE? Am I careless with what I own, or careless toward others with what I own? For example, caring for my yard after Hurricane Beryl by gathering downed tree limbs is caring for my property. But placing those limbs in my neighbor’s driveway is not! 

Third, do I SHARE? Do I help others own what they need out of what I have? As physical beings, God has created us to own things we need and to need things to own. Even rightful ownership, when it deprives others of a share of what they need, is a form of stealing.

Look for an opportunity to share something this week. If you own multiples of a thing, consider loaning the newer or better of them. Also, look for an opportunity to borrow something this week. In a culture of affluence and self-sufficiency, lending and borrowing builds community and invites us to think about our relationship with the things we own.

Listen to the full message here or watch the entire worship service on our YouTube channel.

Yours for Christ, 

Pastor Steve

steve@clpc.org 

Adultery

Perhaps the subject line grabbed your attention? Don’t stop here. Read on!

“Do not commit adultery” is another terse prohibition in the second half of the Ten Commandments. The ‘second tablet’ teaches us how to love our neighbor well. Like the legal expert who asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29), we are often inclined to look for loopholes in these commands. We might say, “I’m not stealing, I’m just borrowing,” or “I’m not coveting, I’m just admiring”. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus does away with loophole thinking. He declares, “Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart”. (Matthew 5:28) Being an expert in human psychology, Jesus knows that adultery takes place long before a physical act is committed.

The Seventh Commandment acknowledges the incredible power of human sexuality to create or destroy intimate human attachments. While violating the bond of marriage reflects the pinnacle of sexuality’s power to destroy, it is not the only way we break the Seventh Commandment. In an increasingly pornified culture with its false ideas about sexual freedom, this commandment invites us to rethink how we use our bodies and express our desires to create true human intimacy.

Listen to the full message here or watch the entire worship service on our YouTube channel.

Yours for Christ, 

Pastor Steve

steve@clpc.org 

Sabbath Rest

The fourth commandment to keep the Sabbath is God’s invitation to rest. Our culture idolizes workaholism. From an early age we teach, “The early bird gets the worm” and “Idleness is the devil’s workshop.” In contrast, Sabbath rest invites us into the other-worldly habit of disciplined inactivity. It is a 24-hour pause from producing and consuming that reminds us that God is all we need. Our world does not need more busy people. We need more rested people. How could you carve some Sabbath rest into the rhythm of your week?

Listen to the full message here or watch the entire worship service on our YouTube channel.

Yours for Christ, 

Pastor Steve

steve@clpc.org