TV Program

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Something's Slipping

The Ten Commandments Special

2006-05-07

PRODUCTION #: 1038

SPEAKERS: Shawn Boonstra, Mark Finley,

Do you ever get the distinct sense that this world isn't the same place you were born into? That somehow the things we used to think were important have been lost, and the things we never dreamed the world would find acceptable are now everyday occurrences?

Well, if you have noticed it, you're not alone, and today I want to open the Bible and look at the amazing decline of morality in Western Civilization. And we're going to find, as always, that God has some pretty amazing things to say.

We live in changing times, and unfortunately, change isn't always for the better. In spite of marvelous advances in technology and our standard of living, something seems to be slipping. The world I am raising my kids in is definitely not the same world I grew up in just a few years ago.

When I was a kid, for example, we almost never locked our doors, not even at night. And when we went to the grocery store, we sometimes left the keys right in the car, because we had nothing to worry about. And I could get on my bike and ride across town, and my mother never had to worry about me.

But that is not the world we live in now, is it?

Today, our front doors are covered with locks, chains and deadbolts. Our cars come with alarm systems built right into them because car theft has become so common place. And not only are modern parents afraid to let their children play out of sight, around the corner, it turns out that, sometimes, our children may not even be safe in their own beds, as we learned with Elizabeth Smart in Utah and Cecilia Zhang in Ontario.

And, you know, even though some current statistics indicate that the crime rate is dropping overall, most of us still have this funny feeling that something has slipped. All the statistics aside, it's still not the same world it was a couple of generations ago. The moral landmarks of yesterday have been moved, and we have developed a tolerance for things that we wouldn't tolerate just a few years ago.

Take, for example, the slipping standards in the broadcast industry. Not too many years ago, Lucille Ball was censored for using the word "pregnant" on television, because it was widely felt that that was a subject that was just too personal for a family program. And you'll notice that a lot of shows from yesterday had twin beds in the master bedroom, because it was considered too risqué to show even a husband and wife sleeping in the same bed.

Now, that is hard to believe, when you consider the content of most television programs today. It's almost as if standards of decency don't exist at all anymore. And the television rating system hasn't really done anything to curb the onslaught of moral compromise on the airwaves. In fact, it's almost made the problem worse, because it gives some broadcasters the feeling that they can air anything they want, as long as they give it an appropriate rating.

Something has changed. Somebody has moved the boundaries, and thrown away the rulebook so that we don't even seem to know how to play the game anymore. The social conventions that gave rise to the high degree of civilization we now enjoy are quickly dissolving.

Consider the issue of honesty, for example. Nobody trusts a handshake like they used to anymore. In fact, we hardly trust a written contract. And we have all been cheated so many times that it's come to the point where we automatically assume that everyone we deal with is basically dishonest. And that's made life hard for everybody.

Let me give you an example. A few years ago, my wife bought some software, and when she got home and opened the box, she discovered that it wasn't the software advertised on the outside of the box. So, naturally, she went back to the store and told the owner what had happened.

"Could I exchange it for another one?" she asked.

"Not a chance," the owner said. "Because you probably already burned a copy of this disk, and now you're trying to get it for nothing."

She automatically assumed my wife was dishonest.

"That's not the case at all," my wife said. "I just didn't get what I paid for, because the wrong product got into the box."

But there was no convincing the owner of that store. I guess she'd been cheated so many times by so many people that she's now come to the point where she doesn't trust anybody anymore. Cheating has become so common place that we just kind of expect it, and we guard our way through life, eyeing each other suspiciously.

But, you know, it hasn't always been like that. Believe it or not, there really was a time when most people would keep their word, even if it cost them something to do it. Integrity was everything. Your reputation was worth more than your bank account. It was an attitude based on the Word of God, which teaches in the book of Proverbs that, "a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold."(Proverbs 22:1)

But in the dog-eat-dog world of the 21st century, something has changed. We don't guard our reputations like we used to. We no longer cherish our characters above everything else. And I have a hunch that it's come to the point where a lot of people are becoming just a little uncomfortable with the way we seem to be sliding into relative anarchy. Instinctively, we know that once we let go of all our moral anchors, we no longer have any foundation to support our civilization.

And maybe that's the reason there was such an outcry when a court decision removed a granite monument of the ten commandments from a courtroom in Alabama, late in 2003. It all started when Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore placed a 5,300 pound monument of the ten commandments in the rotunda of the state's judicial building, because of his belief that the ten commandments form the basis of the American legal system.

The marker quickly drew public criticism, however, because some people felt that it was a violation of the first amendment, which creates a wall of separation between the church and the state. Because the monument was at a judicial building, they said, it was a government endorsement of the Christian religion.

Well, it was at that point that things got a little heated. Judge Moore was ordered by a federal court judge to remove the ten commandments. But he dug his heels in, and refused to do it. This, in turn, led to his suspension from the bench, and eventually, the federal court prevailed, and the granite tablets were removed to a back room.

Now what I find really interesting is a Time-CNN-Gallup poll conducted shortly after the removal, which indicated that only one in five Americans actually approved of the decision to get rid of the ten commandment. Now that's a much smaller number than I expected, given the moral condition of America today.

But what is even more surprising is the finding that a whopping 77 percent of Americans disagreed outright with the decision to bar the ten commandments from public view. That means that nearly 80 percent of the public still feels that the ten commandments are a valuable asset to civilized society, because without God's moral guidance, they sense we would quickly fall into social mayhem.

And I think they're right. Imagine, for example, trying to live in a world where the prohibition against murder no longer existed. It would be impossible to enjoy life, because you'd be living in constant fear that somebody could simply kill you because they felt like it. Or imagine trying to provide for your family in a world where there was absolutely no prohibition against stealing. That's the kind of place nobody wants to live.

When you read the ten commandments, it doesn't take long to figure out that God has our best interests at heart when He asks us to live by them. For example, consider the second table of the commandments, which outlines our duties and responsibilities to each other.

The fifth commandment asks us to honor our parents and respect them, laying the foundation for strong families, which has always been the bulwark of a strong society. More than that, it also saves us from making a lot of needless mistakes in life, because children can draw on the wisdom of those who have already been where they're going. It's a solid, God-given principle, lovingly designed to save us a lot of grief in a world where we need all the help we can get.

And think about the sixth commandment, which says, "Thou shalt not kill." That commandment asks us to respect life. And in a world where human life seems cheaper by the minute, it's a commandment that's long overdue for some attention. From our blood-soaked movie theaters to our bullet-riddled classrooms, the heart of God is weeping as we put less and less value on something created in the image of God Himself. Our human history is scarred with horrendous acts of genocide and mass murder. Stories of family members killing each other have become common place in the evening news.

In a shocking twist of human events, children have begun to assassinate their own parents, and parents have begun to eliminate their own children. Hatred, resentment, and anger have become a way of life in a world where God originally made us as the crowning act of creation. We were a divine masterpiece created in the image of God, and today our hearts are aching to live in the kind of world where we value life the same way God does.

Then there is the seventh commandment, which asks us to respect the marriage relationship, by remaining faithful to one spouse for a lifetime. "Thou shalt not commit adultery," God said. And He didn't say it because He was trying to ruin our fun. He said it because He knows what kind of joy it will bring us to be able to enjoy a lifetime of trust and commitment.

As a God of love, He knows what kind of satisfaction real, selfless relationships can bring. And at the end of a string of broken promises and broken homes, our world is crying out for this kind of moral guidance. Studies have shown that the generation now heading down the aisle to the altar wants the kind of stability, commitment and love that their grandparents had. They want strong homes and a marriage that will go the distance.

You see, they have grown up with the results of the so-called sexual revolution. And they've grown up in broken homes with parents who bounce from one relationship to the next. The result is that they have been able to compare the consequences of a lower moral standard with the lasting satisfaction that comes with a lifetime commitment. Our hearts are aching for something better, and our world is discovering that God knew what He was talking about when He asked us to live lives of moral purity.

And that brings us to the eighth commandment asks us to respect each other's property. In a sinful world where we have to earn a living by the sweat of our brow, it makes perfect sense. Almost everyone has experienced the frustration of working hard for something, only to have it snatched away by someone who wasn't willing to work themselves. You see, we were created by God to be creative, and hard working, and to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

In fact, when God paints a picture of heaven in the book of Isaiah, He describes a place where you never get shortchanged or cheated. Listen: (Isaiah 65:21, 22 NKJV)

"They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, and My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands."

Just imagine a world where you never come up short on your paycheck. Imagine a place where you don't need bank accounts, or fences or deadbolts, and where you get to really enjoy the results of your efforts. If you create something, it won't be stolen over the Internet. If you achieve something, someone else won't steal the credit. Your financial security won't be jeopardized by a fluctuating interest rate or a shifting marketplace and you will always, always know where your next meal is coming from.

Now, when you compare God's original ideal to the world we're living in, it's easy to see why He said, "Thou shalt not steal." It's simply the best way for us to live, and that's true for all the commandments.

Just think of the ninth commandment, which asks us to tell the truth. More specifically, it says, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor,"which is God's way of asking us to build each other up instead of tearing each other down.

Imagine a world with no nasty stories going around the office. And imagine a world where every gossip was finally silenced, and we jealously guarded each other's reputation. And imagine a world where every witness told the absolute truth, and where justice always prevailed. That is the kind of place we all want to live, and our loving heavenly Father knows it.

Which brings me to the tenth commandment, which asks us not to covet, and that means God is asking us to be content with what we have. Even more than that, God is telling us that we actually have a choice when it comes to how happy we are going to be. We don't have to be a slave to materialism. We don't have to waste our lives trying to feed a beast that is never satisfied.

Imagine living in a world not motivated by lust or greed; where you never had to feel as if you're always in competition. Imagine being able to lay down your arms for just a moment and step out of the rat race. More and more, people are discovering that our hectic pace of life, driven by the relentless need to keep up with the Joneses, is killing us. We live in a sea of aspirin and Pepto-Bismol, and our hearts are crying for a better, more satisfying life. And in the midst of our anxiety, God gently reminds us that we can actually choose to be happy.

"I have learned," said the apostle Paul, "in whatever state I am, to be content."(Philippians 4:11 NKJV)

Can you imagine having the gift of contentment, no matter what kind of curves life might throw your way? Can you imagine, no matter what your station in life, being perfectly happy? Can you imagine never waking up in the middle of the night, in a cold sweat, wondering how in the world you are going to pay off your credit card? According to the Bible, you can actually live that way. It's a gift that God wants to give you.

In fact, as you look through all the commandments, you discover that they're one of the greatest gifts God could have given the human race. If society were firmly based on these ten simple laws, it would be like living in paradise. These laws are the foundation of God's government, and the key to real happiness.

Which, of course, brings us back to the case of Judge Roy Moore. Why is it that in a world of compromised values and slipping morality, there was such a public outcry when the ten commandments were removed from a court of law? Does it have something to do with a growing sense in our hearts that we're steadily losing the moral anchors that hold our society together? Are we finally becoming frightened about where we''ll end up if we let go of God all together?

Personally, I hope so. But I'm not convinced that a granite monument on public display is going to solve our problems. I find it sad that we've come to the point where people are actually offended by the ten commandments. But that's simply the product of the moral choices we've been making, and a failure to comprehend the kind of joy those commandments would produce if we only lived by them. But to put them on public display, while probably a good reminder, is by no means the most effective way to salvage the moral confidence we once enjoyed.

You'll notice that after God gave the Ten Commandments to the Children of Israel, He didn't ask for them to be put on display. In fact, they were put inside the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place, as a symbol that God's laws form the foundation of His government. The actual tables of stone were never put on display. Why? It's because God had a much better way to implement His standard of living.

Listen carefully to the instructions that God gave His people shortly after giving them the ten commandments: (Deuteronomy 6:6-9 NKJV)

"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

There are three places God said we should record the ten commandments. First of all, the Bible says that God's law should be written in our hearts. As Christians, we should so completely identify with God's standards that His desires become our desires, so that what God loves becomes what we love.

We should come to the point where His laws are not only written in tables of stone, but actually written in our hearts, as described in the book of Hebrews: (Hebrews 10:16, 17 NKJV)

"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them," then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."

The Christian should write God's laws in his heart, but the passage in Deuteronomy six also says that we can preserve God's law by binding it on our hand and on our forehead. In the Scriptures, the forehead is a symbol of the mind, the place we make our moral decisions and judgments. And the hand is a symbol of the things we do, which are a result of the moral decisions we make.

If we really want to preserve God's moral standards, one of the best places to start is with ourselves. Don't hang the ten commandments on the wall unless you have allowed God to write them in your heart. There is no point preserving them in granite unless you've made them a part of your day-to-day life. God just doesn't want you to know them, He wants you to keep them.

Which brings me to the third place God says we ought to record His laws.

Deuteronomy 6:9 tells us that we should write them on the door of our house, as a testimony to the world that we choose to live by God's moral standards.

Now this isn't simply talking about etching the ten commandments on your front door; it's much deeper than that. God is asking that your home become a small piece of heaven, a place where the whole world can witness—first hand—the results of living the way God intended us to live.

One loving, Christian home, where the principles of Christ are lived out consistently and lovingly, will be far more effective than a thousand granite monuments. Our lives are to become an effective, living example of the wisdom of God, a bright beacon of hope in a world that's slipping into moral uncertainty.

In short, God is saying that it's far more important to live by His law than to hang it in a public place. That way, no matter how many copies of the ten commandments are removed or destroyed, there will be a permanent record written on the hearts of God's people, and the lives of dedicated Christians will be a startling counter-argument to those who believe God's moral standards to be irrelevant in the modern age.

You can do more in your home to salvage the morality of this generation than any monument will ever achieve. Your life can shout to the world that God has a better way to live, that He cares about us, and that the kingdom of heaven has a lot more to offer than the kingdom of this world. You could literally become a beacon of hope in your neighborhood, as people notice the difference that living God's way can bring.

Let me ask you a personal question, as you search your life today. Have you been living the moral requirements of God like you should? Or has your life become a good argument for those who would like to get rid of them? It's not too late to choose God again—right at this moment—and begin to live a life that offers this world a little hope.

Maybe today, you are sensing that our world is quickly falling apart. Maybe your heart aches for the kind of stability and certainty that our forefathers used to have. Today, God offers a solid place to anchor your heart and your home, and the Bible says that right now, He is asking permission to come in and help you piece your life back together.

Your opportunity to respond is right now. So why don't you pray with me?

PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, our attempts to live life our way have ended in heartache. So we're asking you to write your standards on our hearts, and fill our lives with the joy of Jesus Christ. We want to live in harmony with you. So please, teach us to cling to Jesus, for we pray it in His name, amen.

Scriptures Used in “Something's Slipping”

"They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, and My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands."
—Isaiah 65:21, 22 NKJV

"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
—Deuteronomy 6:6-9 NKJV

"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them," then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."
—Hebrews 10:16, 17 NKJV