Moving from Restraint to Respect (Exodus 20:12)

After taking a week off to celebrate the ordination of our new Ruling Elder's and Deacon, we will be jumping back into our sermon series on the Ten Commandments entitled Movements of Grace. To keep things extra confusing, we are going to jump straight to the Fifth Commandment, as it will align perfectly with Father's Day.

It has been a real joy as well as a challenge to prepare this text for us on Sunday. One thing that struck me in preparing this message is that I think there is something unique about the Fifth Commandment. There are those of you who may be tempted to say that this Commandment is the easiest one for you to keep - you have a great relationship with your parents, and you've never questioned the binding authority of this Commandment in any way. But for others of you, this feels like the hardest of the Commandments to keep. The mere mention of "father" and "mother" brings to mind difficult and painful memories, leaving you with a sinking pit in your stomach - as if the wind has been knocked out of you. 

As someone who has had a difficult relationship with his parents, I've felt the pressure to be able to address this Commandment faithfully. What does it mean to honor our fathers and mothers faithfully? How do we honor parents that in many ways have been dishonorable toward us? These are great questions, and I hope to walk through them together as we help each other grow in grace.

-Ben