Face to Face

Matthew 22:34-40, NIRV

The Most Important Commandment

³⁴The Pharisees heard that the Sadducees weren’t able to answer Jesus. So the Pharisees got together. ³⁵ One of them was an authority on the law. So he tested Jesus with a question. ³⁶ “Teacher,” he asked, “which is the most important commandment in the Law?”

³⁷ Jesus replied, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind.’ (Deuteronomy 6:5) ³⁸ This is the first and most important commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it. ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ (Leviticus 19:18) ⁴⁰ Everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets is based on these two commandments.”

Verses marked NIRV are from New International Reader's Version (NIRV) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Message:

Do you remember last week? We learned about a trick question that the Pharisees asked of Jesus to try and get him in trouble with his answer. Well today, we again find Jesus being asked a question by the Pharisees. They again are testing him. These Pharisees were a nasty bunch. They were a group of people who did go to church a lot, but they were not very loving. The question they asked this time had to do with the Ten Commandments. I am sure that some of you have heard of the Ten Commandments before. Can anyone name one of the commandments? (Allow children to answer.) Let me read you the Ten Commandments from the Bible (or show the video of “Go Fish Ten Commandment Boogie” on screens if you have the capability to do so. Both the NIRV version of scripture and song lyrics are listed below. Use either way to reinforce the Ten Commandments).

Exodus 20:1-17, NIRV

God Gives His People the Ten Commandments

20 Here are all the words God spoke. He said,

² “I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt. That is the land where you were slaves.

³ “Do not put any other gods in place of me.

⁴ “Do not make for yourself statues of gods that look like anything in the sky. They may not look like anything on the earth or in the waters either. ⁵ Do not bow down to them or worship them. I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. I cause the sins of the parents to affect their children. I will cause the sins of those who hate me to affect even their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. ⁶ But for all time to come, I show love to all those who love me and keep my commandments.

⁷ “Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will find guilty anyone who misuses his name.

⁸ “Remember to keep the Sabbath day holy. ⁹ Do all your work in six days. ¹⁰ But the seventh day is a sabbath to honor the Lord your God. Do not do any work on that day. The same command applies to your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and your animals. It also applies to any outsiders who live in your towns. ¹¹ In six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea and everything in them. But he rested on the seventh day. So the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

¹² “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long time in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

¹³ “Do not murder.

¹⁴ “Do not commit adultery.

¹⁵ “Do not steal.

¹⁶ “Do not be a false witness against your neighbor.

¹⁷ “Do not want to have anything your neighbor owns. Do not want to have your neighbor’s house, wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey.”

Verses marked NIRV are from New International Reader's Version (NIRV) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Ten Commandment Boogie

It's the ten commandment boogie, gonna dance until I die
Ten commandment boogie, you can do so it so can I
If you follow it through, you'll be amazed what you can do
So get your groove on with us tonight
We'll do the ten commandment boogie, the boogie, the ten commandment boogie

Number one - no other God but the One who is true
Don't worship any other, that's commandment two
Number three- use the name of God only with respect
Number Four - on Sunday take a rest
We're half way through with one that's just for you - Listen to your mom and dad 'cause what they say, you gotta do

It's the ten commandment boogie, gonna dance until I die
Ten commandment boogie, you can do it so can I
If you follow it through, you'll be amazed what you can do
So get your groove on with us tonight
We'll do the ten commandment boogie, the boogie, the ten commandment boogie

Number six, don't ever take somebody's life
Seven feels like heaven but only with your husband or wife
Number eight is great along with number nine - don't steal from others and don't ever lie
And if your friend has something that you think is cool, don't ever wish that it was yours and that's the final rule

In the ten commandment boogie, gonna dance until I die
Tell everybody - you can do it so can I
If you follow it through, you'll be amazed what you can do
So get your groove on with us tonight
We'll do the ten commandment boogie, the boogie, the ten commandment boogie

Do the boogie, the boogie, the ten commandment boogie (I wanna see you do the boogie)
Do the boogie, the boogie, the ten commandment boogie
It's the boogie, the boogie, the ten commandment boogie

Some people say that I'm old fashioned for believing in God's rules
They're just fools (they're just fools)
But the B-I-B-L-E, yeah that's the book for me
And it's full of unbelievable tools

Just like the ten commandment boogie, gonna dance until I die
Ten commandment boogie, you can do it so can I
If you follow it through, you'll be amazed what you can do
So get your groove on with us tonight we'll do the ten commandment boogie
Ten commandment boogie, gonna dance until I die
Ten commandment boogie, you can do it so can I
If you follow it through, you'll be amazed what you can do
So get your groove on with us tonight
We'll do the ten commandment boogie, the boogie, the ten commandment boogie

Which commandment do you think is the greatest and most important? (Allow children to answer.) Remember, I said that today’s Bible passage again found the Pharisees trying to trick Jesus. The question that they asked to test him was, “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the Law?” What do you think was Jesus’ answer? (Allow children to answer.) Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is just as important, Love your neighbor as yourself. All the commandments are based on these two.”

I would like all of us to put up ten fingers. Can you put your hands above your head with all ten fingers showing? (Demonstrate for children.) Those ten fingers represent the Ten Commandments. Now turn your palms so that your palms are facing you. Then take your hands and cross your chest. That symbol is the symbol for love. Crossing our hearts with our hands suggests love. It looks like we are giving ourselves a hug. Then take your hands and uncross them and open your arms like you are ready to give a hug to someone. This suggests that we love others as we love ourselves.

All the Ten Commandments are based on loving God and loving others. When we love God, we will naturally obey all the Ten Commandments, because all of them begin with love and respect.

Today as we pray, let’s place our ten fingers in the air, cross our hearts, and give ourselves a hug; then let’s open our arms to offer a hug to someone else who needs to feel the love of God.

Prayer:

Thank you God for your rules for our lives based on loving you and loving others. Help us to honor and keep all your commandments because of the love we have for you.