8th April 2025

8th April 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Exodus 20v15)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


Recently the greatest shopping centre in the world closed down as Connswater shut it’s doors for the last time. I grew up round the corner from “Connsy” and worked there, hung out there and dated girls there. More seriously, I also shoplifted there. I played the thief just once but it was more than enough.


In those days there was a shop called “Options” at the top of the Connswater’s mall. I would never go to Options on my own but always with my mum as she did her weekly shop. Options sold health and beauty products and nothing in the store interested me except the little bouncy rubber bath balls at the back of the shop.


Whenever I was in Options I would go straight to the bath balls and play with them until it was time to go. Then, one day long ago, I decided to put a bath ball in my pocket. As soon as I left the scene of the crime, I took the bath ball out of my pocket and started squeezing it only for it to burst open and perfume to squirt into my eye. My eye felt like it was on fire, I couldn’t see and I tried to wipe my eye on a seat in the neighbouring shoe shop. Needless to say my mother quickly realised what I had done and beat me all the way home.


The eighth commandment would have done me good back then for it states that we should not steal. The Lord is dishonoured when we take that which we have no right to, the Gospel is brought into disrepute when we give ourselves five fingered discounts and we do Christ a disservice when we’re not entirely honest with the taxman.


Connswater is no more but the Word of the Lord stands forever and it is that precious Word which looks us in the eye and declares “you shall not steal”. It doesn’t matter if you rob banks or merely steal paper from work - you shouldn’t be involved either way. The law of God shows us what pleases our Saviour and we honour Him by shunning all theft. Brothers and sisters, cultivate thankfulness in your heart for what you have and take nothing that doesn’t belong to you. You and I should not steal. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC


Q52 What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment? The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God’s sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the zeal he hath to his own worship.
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