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everyone for our call to worship you can turn in your Bibles to psalm 119 psalm 119 will read verses 153 to 160 consider my affliction and deliver me for I do not forget your law plead my cause and redeem me revive me according to your word salvation is far from the wicked for they do not seek your statutes great or your tender mercies O Lord revive me according to your judgments many are my persecutors and my enemies yet I do not turn from your testimonies I see the treacherous and am disgusted because they do not keep your word consider how i love your precepts revive me o lord according to your loving-kindness the entirety of your word is truth and every one of your righteous judgments endures forever amen well please take your Trinity Salter and turn to Psalm 82 Psalm 82 will stand as we sing together please be seated let us pray or blessed God and our Holy Father it is a joy and a privilege to gather in the house of the Lord again on this Sabbath day we acknowledge your glory and your majesty we acknowledge your power and excellence we acknowledge that from everlasting to everlasting you are God you are the one who made this world and all things in it you were the one who upholds it by the word of his power you are the one who has redeemed his own elect by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ all applied by the power of the Holy Spirit we give praise to you our great God our triune God Father Son and Holy Spirit we would ask that tonight you would be enthroned upon the praises of your people here that you would be glorified and magnified and that we would find great joy and delight and the public means of grace that you've ordained for our well-being we ask that you would rend the heavens and come down but you would encourage our hearts that you would strengthen us with might in the inner man that we would know the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit that we would be enabled to worship you in spirit and in truth as well our Father promote in us that joy in that Thanksgiving as we consider so great a Salvation caused us to reflect upon what you have done through the Lord Jesus Christ and bringing us unto yourself cause us to reflect on the reality that we have received every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ we thank you for a free justification we thank you for your sanctifying power in our lives and we look forward to the future we look forward to that day when we will enter in we will see Christ as he is when we will see the Lamb of God upon the throne that one who shed his blood on our behalf that one who undertook for sinners God we pray that you would just help us to look longingly upon that Blessid reality that is in our future we ask as well our God that you would be pleased to forgive us now for our sins as we look at the laws we look at at the Word of God we see that our conduct is not always worthy we confess our transgressions to you we know that you are a prayer hearing God we know that you are pardoning God as the psalmist said if you Lord should mark iniquities o Lord who could stand but there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared and may that fresh reception of the forgiveness of sins promote in us the fear of God and Thanksgiving that is due to your most holy name we ask our father that you would look with favor upon the Brethren in this local church we pray for all of those with physical trials at ongoing difficulties and the struggles of the flesh we just commit them to you and pray that you would give them daily grace and sustain them and help them father to persevere in the midst of these difficulties we think tonight of dawn neufeld we just pray for this brother that he would know a season of health and strength she would look with favor upon him and watch over him we also pray for the van shakes that you would encourage their hearts and strengthen them in the inner man and caused them to rejoice in the Lord God most high and for all of us father we all come and we all have spiritual issues and trials and difficulties we have those things unseen by men but certainly seen by a sovereign God so we would ask that you would deal mercifully and graciously with each one of us grant us the power of the spirit that we may resist the temptations that daily confront us give us grace Lord God to be killing sin give us grace Lord God to be walking and pursuing holiness and righteousness and those things which are pleasing in your sight got apart from you we will never do these things so please help us please strengthen us please come to the aid of your church here we also pray for other churches in chilliwack we thank you that we're not alone in this city we thank you that there are other brethren that are praising and worshiping the true and living God we pray for other ministers in this city that you would bless their preaching and use the word of God for the salvation of sinners and the sanctification of saints we pray for this as a whole we would ask that you would send forth your spirit she would deal mercifully and graciously with the churches that as the psalmist prayed we would pray that you would revive your people and God send awakening for those who are not yet your people awaken those who are dead in their trespasses and sins the entirety of scripture continually encourages us with the power of God you have the voice of the Lord that shatters the Cedars of Lebanon and certainly Lord God you can shatter the hardened hearts of men and women and boys and girls who are entrenched in sin we pray that your gospel would go forth conquering and to conquer then more and more people would turn from their useless idols to the true and the Living God do this for your glory sake we pray in this nation as well for the governing authorities we pray Lord God most high that men would not call evil good and good evil we pray that there would be men who would rule or rain or govern according to righteousness and and equity and justice God we pray for a day when abortion and sodomy would be criminalized we pray for a day when these sorts of things would not be would not be openly flaunted and then subsidized and and legal and all the things that we see around us God we would pray that in your wrath you would remember mercy and turn things around through the proclamation of the truth of God we ask that you would look with favor upon the saints of Christ who are persecuted in other countries we know there are men and women in prison we know there are men and women who have been displaced from homes and businesses and even countries and we would ask God most high that you would surround your people with your protection that you would be their portion and lot in the midst of trial and difficulty we pray God most high for those nations that are steeped in false religion that the preaching of the gospel would go forth that more and more people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation would turn unto the living and true God we pray father that you would bless the word as it goes forth throughout this earth that you would be well pleased to save a multitude that not be numbered and you would be well please Lord God to add to the church and that the churches of Jesus Christ would be stable and secure in places that God most high is worshiped and glorified we would pray our Father that you would continue with us now grant us help as we study scripture tonight grant us hope as we worship you our triune God and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well please turn with me in your Trinity hymnal to 505 him number 505 will stand as we sing together you you so you can turn in your Bibles to the Prophet Jeremiah chapter 48 chapter 48 will pick up reading at verse 29 this is a prophesy against Moab one of the perennial enemies of Israel and the Prophet Jeremiah as you recall in chapter one would not only prophesy to Israel but he would be a prophet to the nation's as well this underscores the fact God is sovereign not just in Israel but he is sovereign over all the nations of the earth and therefore men must heed what God the Lord says so beginning in chapter 48 at verse 29 we have heard the pride of Moab he is exceedingly proud of his loftiness and arrogance and pride and of the haughtiness of his heart I know his wrath says the Lord but it is not right his lies have made nothing right therefore I will wail for moab and I will cry out for all moan I will mourn for the men of kir Paris ovine of Sigma I will weep for you with the weeping of jasor your plants have gone over the sea they reached the sea of jasor the plunderer has fallen on your summer fruit in your vintage joy and gladness are taken from the plentiful field and from the land of Moab I have caused wine to fail from the wine presses no one will tread with joyous shouting not joyous shouting from this excuse me from the cry of heshbon to Lela and to Jay has they have uttered their voice from zou zou r2 hora name like a three year old heifer for the waters of NIMH rim also shall be desolate moreover says the Lord I will cause to cease in Moab the one who offered sacrifices in the high places and burns incense to his gods therefore my heart shall wail like flutes for moab and like flutes my heart shall wail for the man of care harris therefore the riches they have acquired have rushed for every head shall be bald and every beard clipped on all the hands shall be cuts and on the loins a cloth a general lamentation on all the housetops of Moab and in its streets for I have broken Moab like a vessel in which is no pleasure says the Lord they shall wail how she is broken down how Moab has turned her back with shame so moab shall be a derision and a dismay to all those about her for thus says the Lord behold one shall fly like an eagle and spread his wings over Moab carry off is taken and the strongholds are surprised the mighty man's hearts and Moab on that day shall be like the heart of a woman in birth pangs and moab shall be destroyed as a people because he exalted himself against the Lord fear in the pit and the snare shall be upon you o inhabitant of Moab says the Lord he who flees from the fear shall fall into the pit and he who gets out of the pit shall be caught in the snare for upon Moab upon it I will bring the year of their punishment says the Lord those who fled stood under the shadow of heshbon because of exhaustion but a fire shall come out of hash bond a flame from the midst of Sion and shall devour the brow of Moab the crown of the head of the sons of tumult woe to you Oh Moab the people of chemo perish for your son's have been taken captive and your daughters captive yet I will bring back the captives of Moab in the latter days says the Lord thus far is the judgment of Moab amen let us pray our God and our Father we realize and know and are convinced that you are not the God alone to the church but to the entirety of your creation we would pray Lord God that the word would go forth and that multitudes would hear that multitudes by your grace would come unto you and be saved we pray for your mercy to be upon us now as we continue we pray God that you inform and instruct our minds concerning the sixth word we pray that we would think righteously that we would thank your thoughts after you that we would pray and that we would be able to testify concerning what the scripture says to our generation and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well for our final him before we look to the Word of God in more detail will sing number 451 the 451 to a familiar tune will stand and sing together you you they turn in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 5 Deuteronomy chapter 5 our focus tonight is verse 17 the sixth commandment the sixth commandment the laws the specific elements in the second table of the law relate to our duty toward other men the first four Commandments our duty toward God the last six are our duty toward men we are to respect authority according to the fifth commandment with the sixth commandment we are to respect life and we are to seek to promote life and health I do want to read chapter five and when then we'll focus in on verse 17 beginning in verse 6 I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage you shall have no other gods before me you shall not make for yourself a carved image any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth you shall not bow down to them nor serve them for I the Lord your God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the father's upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me but showing mercy to thousands to those who love me and keep my Commandments you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy as the Lord your God commanded you six days you shall labor and do all your work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God in it you shall do no work you know your son nor your daughter nor your male servant nor your female servant nor your ox nor your donkey nor any of your cattle nor your stranger who is within your gates that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you and remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm therefore the Lord your God commanded due to keep the Sabbath day honor your father and your mother as the Lord your God has commanded you that your days may be long and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you you shall not murder you shall not commit adultery you shall not steal you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor you shall not covet your neighbor's wife and you shall not desire your neighbor's house his field his male servant his female servant his ox his donkey or anything that is your neighbors these words the Lord spoke to all your assembly in the mountain from the midst of the fire the cloud and the thick darkness with a loud voice and he added no more that he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me amen will let us pray blessed God we thank you for the word we pray now for the Ministry of the Spirit we pray that you would teach us from your holy law and give us a great respect for these things and give us a great desire to comply with what is written here we know father were not saved by works we're not saved by our obedience we are justified freely by your grace through faith in Christ alone then Christ points us to this standard on how then we should live give us help give us the spirit and help us God to pursue these things as they are indeed pleasing in your eye and we ask these things through Christ our Lord amen well certainly we see the violation of the entirety of God's law on a daily basis and that's just in our own hearts when we look out at society and we look all around us it's as if god's word means absolutely nothing fact there are hermeneutical methods to try and remove this from the church today but it is the case that the Decalogue or the Ten Commandments or these ten words transcend whatever coven ental arrangement happens to be in place remember that this is the law of God the more of God given by God to man it's codified or summarized here at Sinai and here specifically at Moab but it is the transcendent moral law of God that all men everywhere are bound to all men everywhere must comply with and this sixth word is no different tonight I want to do two things with reference to the sixth commandment in the first place the explanation of the command and in the second place the application of the command and that's then take us to some final thoughts or final observations with reference to the sixth word but under the explanation I want to consider for things in the first place the terminology explained secondly the prohibition stated thirdly the exceptions noted and fourthly the reason specified so that will be the focus primarily tonight as we work our way through this sixth word but as we consider the terminology explain the old King James has as its as its translation of 570 they'll not kill thou shalt not kill and certainly that is a legitimate translation but the Hebrew word employed here by moses is probably the best of the words available to highlight the fact that murder is in view Walter Kaiser says while Hebrew possesses seven words for killing the word used here with witches ratza appears only 47 times in the Old Testament if any of the seven words could signify murder where factors of premeditation and intention ality are present this is the verb it's very important that we understand that you shall not murder is what is being prohibited here so we move to the exceptions there are instances in the Bible of lawful killing lawful killing differs from murder murder involves the ideas of premeditation murder involves the idea of lawlessness murder involves the idea of malice there is a criminal intent in the heart of the one who is seeking to do harm to someone else there are certain acts of killing in the old testament to do not fall prey to that to that definition as well the Bible makes a distinction between accidental homicide and murder the most notable being in the book of accidents and in the book of Exodus and then as well in the book of number numbers and Deuteronomy the classic example is if a man is chopping wood and in the course of chopping wood the axe head flies off and lands on neighbors head and kills him that's accidental homicide he is still responsible but he goes to the City of Refuge to flee the manslayer that is not criminal in terms of its intent it's not malicious it's not premeditated murder is when the man hides in the bush he waits for his neighbor to return and he runs out and he buries the axe head in the man that is premeditation that is malice aforethought that is condemned by this sixth word we need to understand that that is what is in view in this particular instance Webster's dictionary the 1829 says to kill a human being with premeditated mallets as I said when we get to the exceptions those things are not a condemned by the sixth commandment the ideas of premeditation intention studied vengeance malice aforethought and deliberateness are essential to establishing murder we need to understand the sixth commandment prohibits murder it does not necessarily prohibit all forms of killing so please make sure that you get that down in the second place the prohibition stated obviously it deals with the reality that if we stop someone's heart from beating and those components are there there's mallets there's premeditation it's certainly unlawful that is murderous but the command is broader than that it's not just the externals that are focused upon but in the old covenant law as well in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus traces hate Jesus traces anger Jesus traces character assassination to this sixth commandment the hatred of others turned for a moment to Leviticus chapter 9 19 Leviticus chapter 19 so we would all agree you shall not murder involves stopping someone's heart from beating however you might choose to do that and I don't recommend you choose to do that you'll never do that don't go out and murder but that is the external act but we need to understand the internal mindset is present as well Calvin says it well the hand indeed gives birth to murder but the mind when infected with anger and hatred conceives it so the hand accomplishes what's already occurred in the mind and in the heart notice in Leviticus chapter 19 at verse 17 you shall not hate your brother in your heart you shall surely rebuke your neighbor and not bear sin because of him you shall not take vengeance nor bear any grudge against the children of your people but you shall love your neighbor as yourself i am the lord in many respects what we find there at the end in 1980 is a summary statement of the entirety of the Old Covenant law rather the second table of the law when Jesus is pressed teacher which is the first and foremost commandment you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart soul mind and strength that summarizes the first table and the second is like it you shall love your neighbor as yourself upon these all the law and the prophets hang this is a great summary statement of the second command of the second table of the law as well Zechariah 7 in Zechariah 8 highlight this hatred others that is murderous in its origin notice in Matthew 5 you can turn there so we've dealt with the external act stopping the heart of another human being the internal disposition includes the hatred of others we see that Leviticus 19 secondly the unwarranted anger against another person 522 a Matthew 522 a but I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment on warranted anger according to the Lord price has as its foundation or its origin a violation of the sixth word you see my fear tonight is not that we're going to go out and actually stop people's hearts I may not know you as well as I should know you I may not know you as well as I could know you but I'd like to assume that most of us in this room are not going to go out and engage in the external act of murder that we're not going to stop other people's hearts I hope that you're with me on this give me a little nod if you're right there with me knowing that we're not going to engage in this but this internal disposition is addressed for a very specific reason it is a violation of the sixth commandment when we hate a brother for whom Jesus died we violate the decalogue we hold in contempt the Word of God we reject and we rebel against it as Jesus says in this particular instance in verse 21 notice relative to the sixth word you have heard that it was said to those of old you shall not murder and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment but i say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment I understand Jesus is in hyper spiritualizing the law the law always specified as we just saw in Leviticus 19 that we were not to hate our brethren when Jesus makes this statement you have heard that it was said to those of old but I say to you he's not saying I'm elevating Moses I'm making more spiritual the Decalogue that's not it at all he is condemning the misinterpretation that had surrounded the commandments through Pharisees through scribes through Sadducees through men who did not have a proper Herman and men who maintained that the only way to violate this particular law was in the act of stopping one's heart Jesus says you have heard that it was sad but I say to you consistent with the intention of God through Moses even in the Old Testament as we see there in Leviticus 19 18 you are to love your brother you are to love your neighbor as yourself you are not to hate him in an unwarranted manner but then notice as well Jesus continues and again these things are all highlighted for us in the Old Testament Scriptures the unwarranted anger against another person Psalm for Psalm 37 proverbs 14 17 proverbs 22 24 to 25 proverbs 29 22 but then Jesus highlights the assassination of another's character notice in 522 be and whoever says to his brother raca shall be in danger of the council but whoever says you fool shall be in danger of Hell fire this unwarranted a summation this slander of someone else this miss aligning another human being Jesus condemns this and Jesus traces it to the sixth word you see under this we might include sins like gossip sins like slander seems like destroying another person's reputation the Bible is filled with this or this particular activity being condemned again several places in the Old Testament psalm 15 3 Psalm 10 15 proverbs eleven proverbs 12 proverbs 16 proverbs 18 and specifically proverbs 18 13 and 17 there are two rules in proverbs 18 at 13 and 17 that every human being ought to take e to especially those who name the name of Jesus Christ and find themselves in churches he who answers a matter before he hears it it is shame and folly to him how many times have you answered a matter without knowing the facts this may result in character assassination enhance be a breach of the sixth commandment as well proverbs 18 17 the first to plead his cause seems right until his neighbor comes and examines him where ought this to be applied the most well in our courts to be sure but in the church brethren the sixth commandment is at stake when we deal falsely with other men and women in the life of Christchurch's again I don't think you're going to go buy a gun and shoot someone tonight but I suspect that all of us have trouble when it comes to hatred in our hearts to an unwarranted anger or to the assassination of someone's character CH Spurgeon and his comments on Matthew's Gospel says thus our Lord and King restores the law of God to its true force and warns us that it denounces not only the overt act of killing you need to understand this not only the overt act of killing that every thought feeling and word which would tend to injure a brother or annihilate him by contam the Apostle John says whoever hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him so the sixth commandment applies obviously to the external act of stopping another human being's art but it also applies to the internal disposition that results in hatred anger and the assassination of another character in the third place the exceptions noted I said earlier that there are instances of killing in the Bible that are not condemned by the sixth commandment and there are three of them and in each of these three on lawfulness malice and premeditation or absent so they don't fit the definition of what murder involved in the first place what we might call public justice or we refer to it as capital punishment or we might call it the death penalty the sixth commandment does not negate the sixth commandment does not disregard and the sixth commandment does not do away with the ad salute necessity for the civil government to maintain capital punishment both Testaments teach this believe you me i have seen the literature that suggests well that's just an old testament thing it certainly is an old testament thing but it's a new testament thing as well and interestingly it was first revealed to Noah prior to Sinai prior to the body of Israel being gathered together and receiving the law from Yahweh it predates sign on remember Genesis 9 the event of the occasion is when it's that the flood is over Noah's out of the ark it's time to re-start society essentially Noah is given almost like a second Adam the mandate to be fruitful and multiply as well he's given certain rules concerning the infliction of punishment upon evildoers because you remember prior to the flood according to Genesis chapter 6 when Yahweh look down upon the earth what did he see he saw the earth was exceedingly corrupt and it was filled with violence so post flood situation God says to Noah whoever sheds man's blood by man his blood will be shed what's the reason for the command for in the image of God he made man it's not conditioned upon culture it's not conditioned upon societal norms it's not conditioned upon whether or not the civil government wants to take it seriously it is conditioned upon a theological rationale man bears the image of God thus when I slay a man I am attacking the very image of God and self and hence I am culpable and liable to execution by the civil government that is lawful brethren it is commanded it is something not even discussed anymore it is something not even entertained anymore perhaps you saw that mail out concerning the various things that the political parties are discussing of their positions and in Canada no mention whatsoever of how the magistrate is going to deal with offenders or criminal offenders brethren that is a primary responsibility of government government is not supposed to be involved in your life from cradle to grave the Bible limits very seriously what government is actually supposed to do and one of those things is the execution of God's vengeance in history against those who would kill or a murder other human beings it truly is amazing that this is so out of our wheelhouse that we don't even discuss it anymore it is given first to Noah there is detailed legislation in the Mosaic law concerning the death penalty it's applied of course for murderers adulterers sexually immoral persons bestiality homeless homosexuality rape incest incorrigible sons Sabbath breaking kidnapping solicitation to apostasy witchcraft sorcery false pretension to prophecy and blasphemy we read a list like that we say well all of us would be dead no all of us better toe the line all of us had better actually understand what God requires and what God says is punishable by death and then of course in Romans 13 the civil government turned to Romans 13 I like for people to see this for themselves Romans 13 the Apostle Paul dealing with the Christians in Rome says let every soul be subject to the governing authorities for there is no authority except from God and the authorities that exist are appointed by God proverbs 8 13 Christ speaking his wisdom says by me Kings reign Paul is saying the exact same thing notice in verse 2 therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil do you want to be unafraid of the authority do what is good and you will have praise from the same I've never been to Singapore but I have heard and maybe I'm wrong they run a pretty tight ship over there I remember in the Clinton during the Clinton years there was a kid that graffiti and he got Kane in Singapore no you say well that's harsh and barbaric look if they tell you you write graffiti on the walls and we will Kane you what is the logical implication I shouldn't write graffiti on the walls right I think this is Paul's point in verse 3 you want to be unafraid of the authority do what is good do you want to be unafraid of the civil government do what is right you want it to be the case that when you're driving down the freeway your heart doesn't jump out of your chest when the policeman fall gets behind you drive the speed limit you won't have to be afraid right well you say well you know they frame yeah they might frame you I guess that's that's certainly an exception we have to deal with but for the most part if you go the speed limit you don't have to panic this is Paul's point if the law and its sanctions are published persons know what's expected of them and persons should toe the line the problem isn't with the law in the sanctions the problem is always with the criminal the problem is with the law breaker the problem is with the one who actually goes out and stops the hearts of other human beings now notice verse for verse 3 do it as good you will have praise from the same praise there doesn't mean they'll bring into the public square and give you good eats it means they'll leave you alone it's the best favor your government can do for you is leave you alone so best thing that the government can do is leave you alone I think that's what Paul has in mind you will have praise from the same do your thing we leave you alone you'll be disobey you engage in criminal activity you should be afraid notice in verse 44 he is God's minister to you for good but if you if sorry but if you do evil be afraid free does not bear the sword in vain frias God's minister and Avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil now this practicing of evil isn't thought crime it isn't sin God always will punish sin we don't want the government to punish sin necessarily we want the government to punish crime evil works the practice of evil in society we don't want the magistrate to show up at our door and said you had a horrible thought about a brother in church let's go we're going to haul you off to the pokey and then we're going to execute you no no God deals was said the odd deals with sin we want the government to deal with public acts of criminality and Paul says that's what they're for you see again that's what really amazes me in these platform speeches and all we hear you know to the south of us in these political statements and debates nothing about how we deal with the epidemic of murder with the epidemic of abuse with the epidemic of the sorts of of maltreatment of other human beings no one even suggests that we need to revisit this whole idea of sanctions and penology how do we deal with criminal offenders and it's even gone from society very intriguing because in numbers 35 God says he will not ever atone or expiate guilt from the Land of Israel for the crime of murder apart from the death of the murderer there's no ransom that he'll accept there's no substitute for that there's no restitution if a man is convicted of murder according to the Book of Numbers he is to be executed there's other crimes there's other situations where the death penalty may be legitimate but there may be at a place where restitution can be proffered or another arrangement can be achieved not the case of murder God is very clear on that particular text so he Romans upholds the reality that the civil government ought to enforce the death penalty the sermon on First Samuel 22 this morning shows the brutality of tyranny political tyranny the neglect of implementing penal sanctions to criminal violators highlights the abuse of political abdication not utilizing the sword that God has equipped the magistrate with or sinus says the magistrate therefore may be guilty of doing wrong not only in being cruel and unjustly severe but also in being too lenient in granting permission to certain persons to injure others you see that's what's at stake here opponents of the death penalty say how in the world can you be pro-life and be for the death penalty it is because I'm pro-life that I'm for the death penalty there is no contradiction there is no paradox whatsoever the reality of the situation is if we do not take these criminal offenders off the streets what happens as ursinus says they injure others Watson made this observation to kill an offender is not murder but justice a private person sins if he draws the sword in other words the state has the monopoly on execution this is not for private individuals let every soul be subject to the governing authorities not let every soul be subject to Charlie Bronson and his big gun it's not about that it's not about vigilante is up it's not about certain private individuals going out and cleaning up the street whether they're dressed like a bug or whether they're armed to the teeth that is not the point of the passive it is the government the magistrate the political order that has the responsibility to bear the sword and he does not bear it in vain certainly the sword means punishment and it can be in certain instances lesser punishment but we cannot take away from the power of the sword that which it ultimately inflects visa V death so Watson says to kill an offender is not murder but justice a private person sins if he draws the sword a public person sins if he puts up the sword a magistrate ought not to let the sword of justice rust in the scabbard as he shall not let the sword be too sharp by severity so neither should the edge of it be blunted by too much levity have you ever seen some of these instances where a man is accused and he's indicted and then he's tried and he's found multi of murder and then he's in prison for a time and then he's out again I mean that's just not what's supposed to happen brethren that is not the way God intended society to run so one of the exceptions is the death penalty or capital punishment or public justice the second is just war and I realized we could have a seminar discussing what just war is what just war looks like what legitimate war looks like but suffice it to say the civil government not only deals with criminal offenders within society but they ought to protect the private persons in that society from threats from without the whole mandate by God in Deuteronomy 74 holy war I you know there's groups of people out there there's Christians professing people of God and no reason to doubt their profession that maintain what's called pacifism I don't know how they get that I really don't understand it whatsoever pacifism the idea that there is never to be the case we're killing occurs you're going to have to excise much of the Bible you have to tear Romans 13 out because the civil magistrate is aren't with the sword now remember that Paul's not dealing with a utopian environment who's on the throne when Paul writes Rome Romans it's Nero now Nero wasn't as bad as he would get this is about the mid 50s when the Apostle Paul wrote but he would get severely imbalanced he would be I mean he kind of makes all look like a in many ways Nero was not stored the act so Paul is not saying you know in this utopian perfect society on earth this is the way it ought to function no this is the way it ought the function this is God's mandate this is God's demand this is God's command but the command by God with reference to just war for the execution of holy war and Deuteronomy 7 the laws of warfare are given in Deuteronomy 20 and 21 we get to the New Testament there's only a favorable observation concerning military personnel when John the Baptist is preaching in the wilderness he sees soldiers and these soldiers are convicted and what does John say to them stop being soldiers no longer engaged in soldiers put your gun back in the armory and go you know pick berries and nuts and sing you know Sunday school songs that's not what he says he says do not take or be content with your wages and do not engage in oppression essentially there is a favorable view of military in the New Testament Scriptures and again these were men that were in the Roman army this wasn't the bastion of virtue this wasn't you know Israel in the Old Covenant contacts as well we see the role of civil government have already alluded to this not only are they tasked with the reality of engaging in all sections against the criminal in society they are to defend the innocent from threats from without and then the third exception actually let's just read turret it's always good to read turret and you don't return it and get tara tune and read him turton said from the very fact that Christ did not take away but confirm the authority of the magistrate he also approved of the right of carrying on war since it pertains to the magistrate to defend his subjects against unjust violence which certainly cannot sometimes be done without war they're not saying this is always the case certainly diplomacy certainly sit out certainly try and talk it out certainly negotiate certainly his treatise or whatever you have to use but there may be instances and there may be times in order to protect the citizenry that you take up the sword against aggressors from without and that is legit that again is one of the elements that civil government is to provide so much of what they actually do they shouldn't be doing and the things they're supposed to do they don't do it really is a conundrum to the modern mind the third place self-defense self-defense you could turn to Exodus 22 you say well pastor Butler you're preaching a sermon on you shall not murder and you're telling us about all these times we can kill people because we need to understand rather there's a lot of fuzziness on this issue you'll hear things like how can you be against abortion but for capital punishment very simple i believe the Bible right because God hating rebels can't figure it out in their own heads doesn't mean we're wrong Exodus 22 highlights the place of self-defense I would include others defense as well certainly self here includes not only a man but his wife and his children notice in 22 two and three if the thief is found breaking in and he is strut so that he dies there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed if the Sun has risen on him there shall be guilt for his bloodshot he should make full restitution if he has nothing then he shall be sold for his theft notice the specific distinction between an at night break-in and a during the day break in and at night break in there is no criminal liability for the homeowner if he kills the man who has broken into his house why during a daytime break-in is their criminal liability for the man when someone breaks into his house I think it is clear in the nighttime situation when an intruder comes into your home you do not know what his intentions are you don't know if he's there simply to burglarize you don't know if he's there to rape you don't know if he's there to murder if in the process of that break-in during the night time you seek to defend yourself and your family and your property if in that there is a scuffle and the criminal gets killed in that exchange then the homeowner is not culpable that is legitimate self-defense now in the daytime the supposition is that probably persons will be awake besides just yourself and most importantly that the intention of the intruder is better ascertained you know if he's there to rob or to steal or to burglarize you know if he's there to rape or two to plunder to murder whatever it is the idea ba is that things are a little bit different but still you can resist the intruder in the daytime you say well okay you're just here to steal my TV go ahead or you're just here to take our piano back you know that that's not it either you can stop him from doing those particular things but it is legit for a person to engage in self-defense Henry Matthew Henry says a man's house is his castle and God's law as well as man sets a guard upon it he that assaults it does so at his own peril and you know it's interesting that Jesus assumes that men will defend themselves look at Luke chapter 12 for a moment now the context here is not this is the rule for self-defense rather it is an illustration or an analogy employed by Jesus which illustration or analogy could only be utilized if it was something Jesus assumed to be the case Jesus assumed to be true notice in Luke 12 let me find Luke 12 Luke 12 verse 38 verse 37 blessing to those servants whom the master when he comes will find watching assuredly I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat and will come and serve them and if he should come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so blessed are those servants but know this that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into yeah I'm not assuming there that this is a passage that is dealing or tailing how we deal with criminal offenders into our phones that's not the point at all but the assumption by Christ to use for illustration and analogy certainly does assume the principle in Exodus 22 so the Lord Jesus assumes that men will in fact try and defend themselves and defend those close to them so we've seen in the first place the terminology explains secondly the prohibition stated thirdly the exceptions noted fourthly the reason specified why does God speak the sixth word why is it that there is a prohibition against murder I've already mentioned it in Genesis chapter 94 in the image of God he made man Genesis 1 26 and 28 highlights the special creation of or by God of math we differ from the animals now I'm not suggesting we go out and kick cats and beat dogs and do mean things to cows or two sheep or anything like that but there is a dignity that man possesses that an OLE certainly don't to see the madness in the fall in the wickedness of man concerning the six word just think back a few weeks maybe a couple of months ago remember when these Planned Parenthood videos started coming out I realized not many of you maybe not many of you have watched these things I meet people who say well I can't watch that it's too brutal it's too difficult to watch I get that you know brethren when you see it though there's something about it that hopefully will promote some prayerful ness and promote some proper reflection upon scripture to voice concern and to give a reason as to why you know ghouls shouldn't tear up little babies and sell their body tissues for money but if you remember in the one week there was a particular video that had come out and it was the same week that Cecil the lion was gunned down in Africa everybody was going nuts about Cecil the lion again I'm not saying let's go out and kill all Lions brethren those little babies that are being harvested for body parts to sell Cecile Richards is far more dangerous than a lawyer Cecile Richards that the president of Planned Parenthood is far more formidable in terms of destruction than Cecil the lion ever purported to be and yet there's people crying about Cecil and people saying well you know abortions legal and abortions fine and abortions acceptable no it isn't abortion is heinous proverbs 6 17 and 9 17 to 19 these six things Yahweh ha7 are an abomination to him and what is one of them hands that shed innocent blood that's a terrifying Scripture in light of the reality of abortion on demand being legalized and subsidized by the federal government God abominates hands that shed innocent blood but no we're going to cry over Cecil the lion while Cecile Richards continues to defend Planned Parenthood something that is absolutely indefensible and yet person still say oh no don't touch Planned Parenthood leave them be leave them be they serve a vital service yeah they do in a death riddled culture in a culture that is akin to proverbs 8 36 all those who hate me Jesus says loves death that is precisely what we are witnessing the fact that man bears God's image is the reason for the command gerhardus vossen is biblical theology said in life slain it is the image of God ie the divine majesty that is assaulted the biblical testimony concerning the image of God hopefully you have this in your mind's we rehearse it typically every January on sanctity of life Sunday this idea of the image of God in man or man being rather the image of god it's true of man prior to the fall into sin God said let us make man in our image and that is precisely what he does it is true of man after the fall and descent it is not the case that we lost the image of God when we fell and said it is not the case that post post lapse Aryan conditions or post fall conditions man is rendered null and void of the image of God James 3 what's his argument as to how we are to use our tongs properly says with it we bless our God and with it we curse men who are made in His image his likeness his similitude man bears the image of God on this side of the Garden of Eden man bears the image of God in the whoa babies in the womb our image bearers of God so to take bosses definition in life slain in abortion it is the image of God ie the divine majesty that is assaulted the image of God is true of children sexually exploiting children abusing children hurting children arming children murdering children this is condemned by the sixth commandment God specifically tells Israel not to offer their children to Molech do not throw them into the arms of that dumb god they're going to bounce out and fall into the fire you shall not Ephesian sex the Apostle tells fathers he tells fathers who in our generation oftentimes of the biggest abusers of their children he says fathers bring up your children in the training and admonition of the Lord do not exasperate them do not provoke them to wrath but love them and care for them why because they're image bearers of God the fifth place this is true the handicapped Leviticus 19 14 don't put a stumbling block before a blind man how does Jesus demonstrate his heart toward the handicap remember blind Zacchaeus Jesus thou son of David have mercy on me the crowd operates as one would expect shut up he doesn't want anything to do with you he's a busy man he's Jesus he's got a lot going on what is that he used to he raises up his voice even louder Jesus now son of David have mercy on me Jesus stops jesus walks over to him and Jesus says what would you have me to do and Zakia says lord I want to see Jesus makes him see Andy cat this is true it's true of the elderly Leviticus 19 good instruction for us young men get up in the presence of an older man show deference show respect be kind be generous be gracious it's true of the elderly it's true of the sick James chapter 5 what are we supposed to do in life and context of Christchurch when someone said schedule them for euthanasia they've outlived their usefulness thank the Lord that the Canadian Supreme Court is overruled or turned over the that the prohibition against euthanasia and Canada and just counter thank our lucky stars it in 2016 we can start ridding ourselves of these things no is anyone among you suffering let him pray is anyone cheerful let him sing psalms is anyone among you sick let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord you see God has a heart for the sick in the church God actually cares for the sick in the church God would have us to pray for the sick in the church God would have us to have compassion for the sick in the church and it's true of man relative to animals again I wish I didn't have to say this but there's persons out there they go into the guise of PETA persons for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that value animals more than human beings where are these wackos where are these nut nut jobs I'm sorry that will throw you no blood on fur and you know yell at people for wearing fur but the planned parenthood is okay abortion on demand is okay if we lost our collective minds are we that far gone that we're more upset about the way a chicken was treated than the way a human being was treated is that where we've come to as a society yeah it really is it really is there's a man who teaches bioethics he's the professor of bioethics unless he's retired or unless he's been replaced at Princeton University Princeton by the way started off as a place where ministers were to be treated educated didn't sent out well this particular professor of bioethics that means life ethics life ethics says that a cat has more value than an infant because the cat has more self-awareness than the infant that's just madness madness has filled the hearts of men this is the society in which we live and that's why spend time delineating qualifying nuancing describing making distinction between what the commandment forbids and what is expected elsewhere in terms of this whole idea of lawful killing I not say go out from here and do mean things to animals be nice to animals right doesn't proverbs say a righteous man has regard for his beast boy Joe that said when a man gets converted even his cat benefits I always love that picture so he doesn't come home drunk slobbering and kicked the cat across the living room he's converted he comes only might even pet the cat be kind that ought to be the disposition in our hearts but at the same time chicken human it's always human how it's always human there's this sort of sentimentality I mean there's brutal things that take place to human beings that don't even elicit a team that don't even elicit sympathy but we see a cute little kitty and something bad has happened and we're destruct and we're affected and we're so full of compassionate it's terrible just terrible the application of the command secondly broad leave the general application don't murder people do not stop the hearts of other human beings that is prohibited in the sixth word but as well do not engage in hatred do not engage in unwarranted anger do not assassinate the character the reputation of another man or another woman do not do those things because that is part and parcel of the sixth commandment as well as I've mentioned with reference to some specifics the practice of euthanasia other countries have been doing this for I think Netherlands it's 13 years Belgium is another one where it's been very liberal and it's practiced quite frequently and it's coming to Canada the Lord God Almighty alone determines when it's someone's right to die the Lord God Almighty is sovereign the Lord God Almighty has control over life and death the Lord God Almighty will grant you grace and strength in your difficulties and in your trials and in your hardships I may not have the experience of that sort of pain and suffering and trial and travail I may not be in a situation where I would want it all to end brethren Iowa I am always in the situation of realizing that God gives grace God is there for his people not give strength to persons in the midst of severe that's what typically happens when these laws are passed is that children and elderly and the severely handicapped our end most threat they are they are in terrible places as a result of these euthanasia laws the practice of abortion the Bible clearly demonstrates the babies in the womb are the image of God the Bible provides specific legislation in Exodus 21 22 to 25 as to what should transpire should abortion take place the Lord or rather the murder of the preborn is both ghoulish and culturally acceptable and indication that we have indeed rejected Christ proverbs 8 36 and are aligned with the devil John 844 remember jesus said that you are of your father the devil and the desires of your father you want to do and then Jesus goes on to describe he was a murderer and a liar from the beginning when we see a wholesale rejection of the six commandment think Satan when you see a wholesale rejection concerning human life and a devaluing of sad life think Satan this is right up his alley he is the father of lies he is the originator of murder so in terms of specifics we need to understand something about euthanasia abortion but as well we need to understand I've tried to highlight this the neglect of capital punishment numbers 35 you can turn their numbers 35 typically verses 31 to 34 moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death but he shall surely be put to death you shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his City of Refuge a refuge that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the priest so you shall not pollute the land where you are for blood defiles the land and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that has shed on it except by the blood of him who shed it therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit in the midst of which I'd well for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel and then in terms of the positive part of the command we've noted before that every prohibition you shall not murder has an equally forceful positive implication I'll just quote the Westminster larger catechism here says the duties required in the sixth commandment the duties required in the sixth commandment are all careful studies lawful endeavors to preserve the life of ourselves and others realize the sixth word a neglected to say it earlier equally applies to suicide you can't stop the life of another human being and you can't stop your own life suicide is forbidden by the sixth commandment as a professing Christian that is never an option it's not as a non professing Christian but get it out of your head this is wrong you shall not murder and that includes yourself so the duties required in the sixth commandment are all careful studies lawful endeavors to preserve the life of ourselves and others by resisting all thoughts and purposes subdue all passions avoiding all occasions temptations and practices which tend to the unjust taking away the life of any by just offense they're up against violence patient bearing of the hand of God quietness of mind cheerfulness of spirit a sober use of meat drink physic or medicine sleep labor and recreation's you see what they're saying not only are you not to murder but you're to promote life you to make sure you get sleep you're to make sure you take medicine accordingly you were to make sure that you engage in physical activity to make sure you maintain good health this is six commandment issue that's what the the Divine's at Westminster saw and I believe they're on the right track they go on to say a sober use of meat Drake physics sleep labor and recreations by charitable thoughts love compassion meekness gentleness kindness peaceable mild and courteous speeches and behavior forbearance readiness to be reconciled patient bearing and forgiving of injuries and requiring good for evil comforting and suckering the distressed and protecting and defending the innocent so that's the positive aspect of the command we take the prohibition do not murder we flip it and we say everything we ought to do should promote life we should seek by the grace of God to promote life blin conclusion John Murray I think rightly said nothing shows the moral bankruptcy other people or other generation more than disregard for the sanctity of life nothing shows the moral bankruptcy of a people or of a generation more than disregard for the sanctity of life the prevalence of euthanasia of abortion and of a whole host of other ways that men go about the nasty task of murdering others that multiplied in a society is and ought to be a cause for concern to the Church of Our Lord Jesus sometimes you'll hear people say well do you think in light of euthanasia in light of abortion in light of these shootings in light of these murders in light of this and in light of that do you think God's going to judge us according to Romans 1 we are being judged Romans 1 24 26 and 28 tell us that when men do not honor God as God when men are not thankful in their hearts to God as he ought to be thanked when men reject God God gives them over the cultures that we are familiar with in this world today bear all the evidences of having been given over widespread sodomy is not a mark liberation and freedom it is a mark according to Romans 1 24 26 and 28 of God's having given us over widespread disregard for the sanctity of human life visa V the murder of people from the conceptus stage to the elderly stage is an indication that we are under the judgment of God Most High we need to have clarity regarding this sixth word we need to understand the distinctiveness between murder manslaughter and lawful killing we need to realize that if somebody's ax head flies off while they're chopping wood and it happens to fall into the head of their neighbor they're not murderers they are not murderers it is when they hide in the bush and attack their neighbor with malice aforethought they are murderers neither is it an infringement or a breach of the command for the civil government to bear the sword against criminal offenders it is not a breach of the command for a civil government to engage or to launch a just and necessary war it's not a breach of the command for you to defend your home to defend your wife to defend your children to defend yourself when it comes to these particular issues Christians are fuzzy Christians have a lack of clarity and with that fuzziness and lack of clarity comes confusion such that we don't know what to think about certain ethical issues that arise in society well the fuzziness originates in us a little bit of hard work a little bit ahead our nose in the scriptures will educate us so that we might have a reason for the hope that is within us and then personally privately and finally how do we use the command the normative sense the law serves as the rule of life for those justified by faith let us guard against those things forbidden in the command you have a tendency to hate people repent if you have a tendency to an unwarranted anger repent if you have a tendency to assassinate the characters of others by gossip by slander by commenting on things that are your business then close your mouth repent see it as a sixth commandment issue you are to respect life you are to seek to promote life you are see us supposed to to protect the reputations of others you hold them in esteem you love them you care for them you don't want to see heart come to persons because you have a big mouth if you have a big mouth ask God to make it smaller help me Lord to restrain it you say well that's an awkward way to put that David prayed this very thing in the Psalms set a guard over my mouth whenever I see that I think back to my time when I was in England and i visited Buckingham Palace those guys really don't move they really don't move they stand there like statues my buddies and I was young I was foolish we'd go up and you know boogie boogie billion trying to make a move and flange do something they wouldn't even look our way David wants one of those sentinels over his mouth David wants one over his mouth so that he doesn't violate the law of God and hurt persons this is a vital application of the sixth word that we control ourselves that we engage in the promotion of life and our thoughts in our words in our deeds not only do we not start hearts from beating we seek by the grace of God to promote people and if you are not a Christian tonight there is a pedagogical use of this sixth Ward pedagogue means child tutor this is the second use of the law according to the reformed confessions and and reformed authors the second use of the law stipulates that the law shows us our sin and having seen our sin we flee to the Lord Jesus we run to Christ you may be here this evening without Christ you may not have externally stopped the heart of anyone and for that I commend you but in your heart of hearts you probably hated somebody you've probably had unwarranted anger you've probably assassinated the character of an human being you have failed on this fundamental task with reference to the sixth word of promoting life flee to Christ run to the Savior go to the Lord of glory believe on him and you will by God's grace be seen well let us pray our Father we thank you for your word and we thank you for the Lord's Day it's good to gather with the people of God in the house of God to worship the God of heaven and earth we thank you for this great privilege we thank you for the grace that has called us out of darkness into marvelous light we thank you for the privilege that is ours in proclaiming your Excellencies in celebrating your glory in your majesty would ask now that you would go with us that you would cause your face to shine upon us that your piece would be ours and that you would keep us daily by your sovereign hand we thank you and we praise you through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation and then be dismissed you