10: Part 7 - 'To Have and To Hold'

This Sunday, Peter Roe brings us the talk in the latest of our EBC Online services. Once you have watched the video, we encourage you to reflect on the bible text and join us in the prayer that follows below.

To listen to the talk click here.
 
Readings:

Exodus chapter 20 verses 1 - 13

And God spoke all these words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.


Matthew chapter 5 verses 27 - 28

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.


John chapter 8 verses 6b - 11
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“ No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”



 

Prayer & Reflection

Lord God, we praise you for the love and compassion you have shown to your people, especially by sending Jesus to show us how to live, and to provide a pathway back to you when we drift away from the right ways of living that you have shown us. We admit before you those times when we may have acted or thought in ways that are not in keeping with your commands. Please help us to focus our minds and hearts on you so that in all our relationships we show faithfulness and love.

We pray in the name of Him who showed perfect love by giving his life for us, even Jesus Christ our Lord.
 
AMEN




Questions to Consider

1. Is there someone you know that has been affected by someone adultery? What was the outcome? How would you feel in a similar situation?
2. Think about David and Bathsheba and Hosea and Gomer. How do you think God feels about people who are unfaithful to one another?
3. Jesus warns about looking at people in a lustful way. Be honest, have you ever fallen foul of this? What is your response to what Jesus says?
4. Do you ever rush to judgement of someone without recognising your own sinfulness?
5. Jesus does not condemn the woman taken in adultery but tells her to repent and change. How would you respond in this situation?
6. God’s love and faithfulness never fail: how about yours? Is there something that you need to confess and seek his forgiveness and love?