29th March 2025

29th March 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Exodus 20v13)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


If you know me then you will know that I have never been a thin man. From cradle to the present day I have always been a bit of a lump. Admittedly I’m less of a lump than I used to be but I remain lumpish in stature. That might not seem to have anything to do with the sixth commandment but bear with me for a moment.


The WLC tells us what is forbidden by the sixth stating “The sins forbidden in the sixth commandment are, all taking away the life of ourselves, or of others, except in case of public justice, lawful war, or necessary defence; the neglecting or withdrawing the lawful and necessary means of preservation of life; sinful anger, hatred, envy, desire of revenge; all excessive passions, distracting cares; immoderate use of meat, drink, labor, and recreations; provoking words; oppression, quarreling, striking, wounding, and whatsoever else tends to the destruction of the life of any.”


I am often guilty of “immoderate use of meat” or to put it another way I am often a glutton. I’m not sure if my mum invented this but back in the 1980s when Mikhail Gorbachev was leading the USSR, whenever I would empty the fridge in a late night binge my mother would often label me “Gorb-achev” To be a “gorb” is to be someone who can’t say no to the food on the plate. I lament the fact that food has ruled over me throughout most of my life. 


I hope I am pro-life in that I am against abortion, assisted suicide and all ill-thought out unnecessary wars. But if this is my stance then I must also be mindful that I do great harm to my own life when I eat all five doughnuts in a packet, drink alcohol to excess and rob my mind of clarity by smoking marijuana.


The sixth commandment pulls us back from all activity which damages life. Even our “recreations” are not exempt from the gaze of the Lord. What is meant by this? The man who races at the North West must do business with the fact that he is endangering his life. Furthermore, you might think you’re doing no harm by pushing 100mph on the road to Portrush but you are putting yourself at risk and many others.


I’ve heard our American cousins speaking about something they call the “theology of the body”. It doesn’t get much playtime on these shores but I believe there is wisdom in the idea. What the Americans mean is that we should consider how we honour Christ in our bodies. For a long time I laughed at my extreme size but my obesity and gluttony brought no glory to Jesus. I struggle with this every single day in the same manner that the alcoholic puts all drink from his home.


“Thou shall not kill” is a commandment with both public and personal implications and it has tremendous relevance in a land such as ours. In the past twelve months I have had the privilege of preaching down at Kingsmills Presbyterian. My first journey there was on a dark autumn morning when I left Ballynahinch extra early so as not the get lost.


As I was nearing the church a memorial appeared out of nowhere on my right hand side. It stood in memory of John Bryans, Robert Chambers, Reginald Chapman, Walter Chapman, Robert Freeburn, Joseph Lemmon, John McConville, James McWhirter, Robert Walker and Kenneth Worton. These men were killed by the IRA for their “crime” of being Protestants. The ten men had an average age of just 36 years old and all of them died for nothing.


May this island never see days as dark as the 5th January 1976 again and in response to the Lord’s sixth commandment may we publicly and privately declare “thou shall not kill.”  


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC


Q44 What doth the preface to the ten commandments teach us? The preface to the ten commandments teacheth us, that because God is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments.
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