In his sermon titled 'Endeavoring to Preserve Life,' Mike Davenport explores the sixth commandment, 'You shall not murder,' emphasizing the broader moral implications of preserving life. He discusses the inward transformation necessary to mortify sin, using an illustration by Charles Spurgeon about the inward warmth needed to melt snow on rooftops. The sermon outlines various duties required by the commandment, including engaging in the preservation of life, defending against violence, sustaining life during providential hardships, maintaining discipline over bodily appetites and attitudes of the heart, and easing others' suffering. Davenport addresses the contemporary issue of mandatory vaccinations, advocating for personal responsibility and careful study before making health decisions. The sermon promotes a balanced Christian life, focusing on both spiritual and physical well-being, and encourages acts of compassion and kindness, reflecting Christ's example of doing good. Davenport concludes by inviting those without Christ to seek salvation and urging believers to reflect on their spiritual state.

Ancient words changing me and changing you. May that be the case today. Exodus chapter 20, just reading verse 13, these few words, you shall not murder. You shall not murder. Let's look to the Lord in prayer.

Oh gracious God, we do thank you for these ancient words. Lord, these words have stood the test of time. They are true because they're your words and you are the truth. You are, oh Christ, the way and you are the life. And so even as we consider these words of you shall not murder, Lord we look to Jesus who himself is life.

Lord, may we receive that life from him today, all of us here in this place, that he might receive the glory. We pray in his holy name, amen, amen. You may be seated. Well, the prince of preachers always carried about a notebook. The Prince of Preachers, you children, you may not know him by that name, Charles Spurgeon.

And he would carry about a notebook and he would take note of the various things that he would see here and there and he would seek to put those down on paper that he might use them as illustrations in his sermons. Well I found the following which he ascribes actually to James Hamilton. I find it to be a very helpful illustration of the inward work that's required for the mortification of sins. Here's what he wrote. On a winter's day, I have noticed a row of cottages with a deep load of snow on their several roofs.

But as the day wore on, large fragments began to tumble from the eaves of this one and that other till by and by there was a simultaneous avalanche and the whole heap slid over in powdery ruin on the pavement and before the Sun went down you saw each roof as clear and dry as on a summer's eve. But here and there you would observe one with its snow mantle unbroken and a rough of stiff icicles around it. What made the difference? The difference was to be found within. Some of these huts were empty or the lonely inhabitant cowered over a scanty fire, whilst the maintained hearth and the high blazing logs of the rest created such an inward warmth that grim winter melted and relaxed his grip and the loosened mass folded off and tumbled over on the trampled street.

It is possible by some outside process to push the main volume of snow from the frosty roof or chip off the icicles one by one, but they will form again. And it needs an inward heat to create a total thaw. To create a total or inward heat rather to create a total fall and so by sundry processes you may clear off from a man's conduct the dead weight of conspicuous sins but it needs a hidden heat a vital warmth within to produce such a separation between the soul and its besetting iniquities that the whole wintry incubus, the entire body of sin will come spontaneously away. The vital warmth is the love of God abundantly shed abroad, the kindly glow which the Comforter, the Holy Spirit diffuses in the soul which he makes his home. His genial and habitation falls that soul and its favorite sins asunder and makes the indolence and self-indulgence and in devotion fall off from their old resting place on that dissolving heart.

The easiest form of self-mortification is a fervent spirit." Well as we come once again to a consideration of the sixth commandment, we need something of that inward work to loosen the effects of sin upon our cold hearts. Seeking to remove it from the outside will never keep it off. It'll keep coming back and building up and we'll have to do it again. Well may the love of God in our hearts melt the blast and the effects of sin in our lives by the Spirit as we consider anew the study of his law. Well we noted in the last message that Jesus in Matthew 5 demonstrated through his teaching that reality that was echoed by the psalmist that the commandments of God are exceedingly broad exceedingly broad And should we expect anything other than that?

Should it be different than that? Paul breaks out in Doxology in Romans 11 33, oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable, they're unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out. So we should therefore not be surprised at the breadth of the moral law that flows from the essence of God and who he is and and flows from his attributes. When we considered last time the things forbidden by the Sixth Commandment, you shall not murder. They were the sin of taking the physical life of yourself or any other, the sin of taking spiritual life away from yourself or another, the sin of harming yourself or another, or fourthly the sin of withholding what would benefit and bless others.

Today we want to consider the positive force of the commandment or what this commandment requires. I have titled the message Endeavoring to Preserve Life. Endeavoring to preserve life. And to help us grasp the breadth of this particular commandment, I would like to quote again from the Westminster Larger Catechism, this time question and answer 135. What are the duties required in the sixth commandment?

The answer, the duties required in the sixth commandment are all careful studies and lawful endeavors to preserve the life of ourselves and others by resisting all faults and purposes, subduing all passions, and avoiding all occasions, temptations, and practices which tend to the unjust taking away the life of any by just defense thereof against violence, patient bearing of the hand of God, quietness of mind, cheerfulness of spirit, a sober use of meat, drink, physic, sleep, labor, and recreations by charitable faults, love, compassion, meekness, gentleness, kindness, peaceable, mild and courteous speeches and behavior, forbearance, readiness to be reconciled, patient bearing and forgiving of injuries and requiting good for evil. Comforting and suckering the distressed and protecting and defending the innocent. So flowing from this train of thought, I would like for us to consider in the time before us six things. The duty of engaging our minds and our actions in the preservation of life. The duty of engaging our minds and our actions in the preservation of life.

Secondly, the duty of defending life in the case of violence. Of defending life in the case of violence. Third, the duty of sustaining life in the case of providence Sustaining life in the case of providence fourth the duty of maintaining discipline over the Appetites of the body and the fifth like that maintaining discipline over the attitudes of the heart, and then sixly the duty of easing the suffering of others, of easing the suffering of others. So first, the duty of engaging our minds and our actions in the preservation of life. The wording in the answer given here is so instructive.

This commandment requires all careful studies and all lawful endeavors to preserve your life, your own life, and the lives of others. The value of life does not allow you to remain ignorant concerning the things that you eat, the things you drink, the things you inject into your body, the things you engage in or participate in. And once the careful study has been engaged, then this command, it requires all lawful endeavors to then preserve that life, your own life as well as the life of others. These endeavors to preserve life are first focused on the inner realities, on the mind, the will, and the emotions. There's to be a resistance we see here, a subduing of thoughts, purposes, and passions which tend to the unjust taking away of life.

Then, having focused on the inward, these lawful endeavors are focused on the outer realities, avoiding all occasions, temptations, and practices which tend toward the taking of life. And dear ones, I cannot preach this commandment without pointing out the elephant in the room. 1st Chronicles 1232 ascribes honor to the sons of Issachar by means of how they are described. They're described like this, They had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do. So it's not an excursion down some rabbit trail, it's not mounting some hobby horse to bring up the issue that's staring us all in the face.

These mandatory vaccinations. Stress on mandatory. An understanding of our times means we need to face this and this commandment requires us to have all careful study and all lawful endeavors to obey God. Some of you are facing mandates placed upon you by employers or by government. Mandates that first of all are violations of God ordained jurisdictions.

Government has been granted their God ordained purpose. They do have a purpose and it's given to us in Romans 13 and deciding what you are to put in your body, that's not part of the purpose that God ordained for government. And because the jurisdiction of your personal health belongs to you as an individual, it's not an unrighteous thing to reject the mandate as a mandate. Your body does not belong to Caesar and therefore should not be rendered to Caesar. God has granted you a body.

God has breathed into your nostril the breath of life and you are the steward of that life that he has given you and because you're the steward you will one day give an account to God of how you handle that stewardship and because your health and the health of your family falls under your jurisdiction and because you are that steward over your health and family and the health of your family, then you must follow the dictates of this commandment and carefully study out everything about what these vaccines really are, what they are comprised of, how they engage the body and interact with it, Who is pushing for the vaccine and why? The short-term side effects from the vaccine, those listed and those reported. The possible long-term results from the vaccine. The state of your own personal health and the state of your immune system, the impact it may have upon others, and at the same time, the possible consequences of not having it. What are those consequences of not taking it?

We need to consider all the things around it. It's careful study. And then you must pursue all lawful endeavors as Scripture defines lawful in a pursuit of sustaining and promoting life and health. I'm not telling you what to do. For me to tell you what to do, I would be declaring or doing something that I'm declaring the government doesn't have a right to do.

I don't have a right to tell you what you must do to with your body, but the law requires you to have a careful study and then pursue all lawful endeavors for your own health and safety as for your family. That's what's required in this commandment. Careful study and lawful endeavors. And it's not just about vaccines, it's about everything. Everything that you take into your body, everything that you engage in in activity as well.

Careful study. Well the duty of engaging our minds and our actions in the preservation of life. Second, consider with me the duty of defending life in the case of violence. The duty of defending life in the case of violence, the duty of defending life in the case of violence. The laws of our land recognize that God as creator has granted every man the right to life.

He's given us the right to life and our laws recognize that. In light of this right to life we also have laws that recognize the right of one to defend themselves in the case of violence that comes against them in relation to their life. The Old Testament civil laws recognize this right to defend as in the case of Exodus 22 2 where a man is not guilty of bloodshed if he kills the intruder who breaks into his house in the middle of the night. The Old Testament civil laws recognize this right to defend his family and to defend his life. There were a couple of swords to be found among the disciples of Jesus Christ and Christ himself acknowledged the rightness in having them.

He didn't say, oh what are you doing with those? Go get rid of those. He said we have a couple that's enough. And in doing that he's indicating that there can be lawful use of such things by ordinary citizens. Now, God has indeed, Romans 13, placed a sword in the hands of the government.

He's done that. And they are not to be afraid to wield that sword in the execution and the demonstration of the wrath of God against evil as God defines evil. Yet there are times when violence comes upon someone and it's necessary for them to defend themselves against the violence in the absence of those who have been ordained to defend justice and defend that life. And so it's right to defend that which God Himself has granted. It's from God.

And it may be that we are able simply to escape some circumstance just like the apostle Paul. Children, do you remember the story of the apostle Paul when these men were waiting outside to kill him? What did Paul do? Well, he didn't wield a sword and go out there. No, what did he do?

They let him down in a basket. He crawled into a basket, and they let him down through a window, and he was able to escape. But it may require a different response. We all remember the sobering news that came out of Fort Worth, Texas back in December of 2019. How an armed visitor who killed two church members and was intent on causing more violence.

He was stopped in his tracks by an armed church member killing him instantly with a headshot. And that one act no doubt preserved the life of many in that congregation. The churchman was rightly labeled by the governor of Texas as a protector, as a protector, and he was given the governor's Medal of Courage the state's highest civilian honor So even the state recognized in that situation that man was a protector. He was defending life now the words are carefully chosen. It is just defense.

It's just defense. And must I say it again, just as God would describe it as just. It's not a license for revenge and it's a just defense against violence, against violence. Such a response is a lawful endeavor to preserve life. But not only do we have the duty of sustaining life in the case of violence, we also have thirdly, according to this commandment, the duty of sustaining life in the case of Providence.

Sustaining life in the case of Providence. In times when we fall not into the hands of men but we fall into the hands of God we can be assured that he intends no violence to us. God often brings times of dark providence, hard providence, whether to chastise us, to teach us, to wean us from the world, or to try us to see what's in our hearts. Under such circumstances we are to seek, It's a righteous thing to seek all things that tend towards health and life. We're not fatalists.

We don't say, well, God gave it to me and I'm not going to take an aspirin or I'm not going to do this or I'm not going to seek medical help or I'm not going to seek other kinds of help. If God wants it to go away he'll simply take it away. No, it's a righteous thing to seek to preserve our own lives in the midst of that providence. Paul himself prayed several times that God would take away that thorn in the flesh. We don't know what it was, But he prayed, Lord take it away.

He desired a remedy. Even so for us though there are occasions when we're not able to change the outward circumstances. You remember the the woman that had that issue with the flow of blood. She had been to doctor after doctor after doctor, year after year after year. And it suffered many things at the hands of doctors and had lost all her wealth.

So we're not always able to change the outward circumstances, but we can do what is described here in the Catechism. We can bear patiently under the hand of God. We can have quietness of mind, and we can maintain cheerfulness of spirit. Such responses are recorded for us in the scriptures, Job 13, 15 to 16, though he slay me, though he slay me, yet I will trust him, even so I will defend my own ways before him, he also shall be my salvation. In Psalm 38, David finds himself under the chastening hand of the Lord and this is his prayer.

This is his prayer. For in you, O Lord, I hope you will hear Oh Lord my God Do not forsake me Oh Lord. Oh my God be not far from me make haste to help me Oh Lord my salvation Psalm 27 13 through 14. I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord.

Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart. Doesn't say he'll heal you. He'll strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. First Thessalonians 5, 16 to 18.

We know these, right? These kind of stairs right in the face. Rejoice always. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.

In everything, everything, give thanks. Give thanks. Why? For this is the will of God. It's the will of God in Christ Jesus for you, my brother my sister.

And health and well-being go beyond what we are experiencing in our body. The Apostle Paul puts it like this in 2nd Corinthians 4 16 to 18, therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day for our light affliction. Think about what Paul went through. We have in several places lists of what he went through.

Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory while we do not look at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." So dear ones, when the hand of providence comes against us and it's heavy and it's dark providence, wait patiently upon God, have quietness of mind and cheerfulness of spirit. It can be had. You have to learn it. Paul said, I have learned in whatever circumstance to be content. And that brings health of body, mind, and soul.

And God often uses that sometimes to bring health to our bodies. If you don't believe that, go read Psalm, that the Psalm of David where he's confessing his sins to God, look at the status of his health and look what happened when his heart was made right with God. There was healing. Well here are the duties we've considered so far. The duty of engaging our minds and our actions in the preservation of life.

The duty of defending life in the case of violence. The duty of sustaining life in the case of providence. Let's move on to the fourth duty, the duty of maintaining discipline over the appetites of the body. Maintaining discipline over the appetites of the body. We discussed in the previous message that this commandment forbids immoderate use of meat, drink, labor, and recreations.

So we should not be surprised to find that a necessary requirement of this commandment is a sober use of these very things of meat, drink, sleep, work, recreation, physical exercise. Dear ones, the Christian life is a life of balance. It's a life of balance. We are in the world, but we're not of the world. We are earthbound, but we are commanded to be heavenly minded.

We are pilgrims and sojourners living out our days in anticipation of a heavenly city. Ecclesiastes 9, 7 through 9 is set in the balance with Luke 12, 22, and 23. Go eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already accepted your works. Let your garments always be white and let your head lack no oil. Live joyfully with the wife whom you love.

All the days of your vain life which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity, for that is your portion in life and in the labor which you perform under the sun. But then Jesus said to his disciples, therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind for all these things, the nations of the world. Seek after, and your father knows that you need these things but seek the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you their after thoughts rejoice in them enjoy them but their after thoughts the kingdom of God coming first So when you think of the food, the drink, the physical exercise, the rest, the work, all of these things, Is there a balance?

Is there a balance? Most of us are at least imbalanced in one or a few. We don't tend to be out of balance in everything. And we tend to look at the things where there is a good and godly and proper balance and think we're doing well. But we need to tend to look to the things where there's not that balance.

For our health and well-being we should strive for that, but not only are we to maintain discipline over the appetites of the body, but fifthly we're to consider the duty of maintaining discipline over the attitudes of the heart. The attitudes of the heart. Because you see it's not what goes into a man that defiles a man, it's what comes from here. And whereas the discipline over the appetites of the body is necessary as we seek personal health, well-being in life, the discipline here required over the attitudes of the heart is necessary for both our well-being and the well-being of those around us. It affects them.

The things that we are called to do in order to fulfill the duties of this commandment are listed for us. I'm going to read over them slowly and let the impact of what is being communicated just kind of wash over you like like a wave in the ocean then the next and then the next. Charitable faults. Charitable faults. Love.

Not as we define it, as God defines it 1st Corinthians 13 that kind of love compassion compassion meekness meekness gentleness Are we marked by gentleness? Do our children know us to be gentle? Kindness. Going out of our way to be kind to others. Peaceable, mild and courteous speeches and behavior.

Forbearance. Forbearance. Think that's more like long-suffering, another fruit of the Spirit. Readiness to be reconciled. Not letting the sun go down on our wrath, but ready, ready to be reconciled.

Patient, bearing, and forgiving of injuries. Not holding grudges and requiting good for evil. Not seeking to give necessarily what was given to us, but rather to do good even to those who do us evil. You see these are all things that don't come naturally to us as sons of Adam. We by nature don't do these things, do we?

So we should not be surprised that Paul, the Apostle Paul, had to instruct the church in Ephesus in chapter 4 verses 20 and following in this way. But you have not so learned Christ if indeed you have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus that you put off concerning your former conduct the old man which grows corrupt he grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath nor give place to the devil. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, malice, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another even as God in Christ forgave you." He's writing to the church. He's writing to the church. You see, I think he was worried. He saw some snow-covered roofs, And he wanted to make sure that it just wasn't some pushing of snow and a few breaking of icicles hanging along the eaves.

He wanted to make sure there was something else going on inside. They were putting on the new man, not just removing the old man, putting on the new man. There may be the heat of the gospel of Christ that causes all of that sin to melt away. And in this maintenance of the attitudes of the heart, remember the words of Solomon, my son give attention to my words, incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes, keep them in the midst of your heart for they are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh.

Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life. See what he was saying? Don't bother cleaning the snow off the roof. You don't even have to go out in the cold to do that. You feed the fire within, it'll all melt away and it'll look like was described, like a roof on a summer day.

Well, the last duty we shall consider under this commandment is the duty of easing the suffering of others, easing the suffering of others. What this commandment requires is broken down by the catechism into two categories, comforting and suffering the distressed and protecting and defending the innocent. And I so bless God for the ministries that you, the people of God, here in this place carry out. It's such a blessing. One of those is certainly a life-giving ministry, the street preaching that goes on where the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached and tracks and other pamphlets are handed out.

I bless God for the life-giving word that proceeds from this place. It's an outworking of what we read in Isaiah chapter 2. But there are also two other ministries that are demonstrations of these very two things called for here to our attention. Comforting the distressed and defending the innocent. And I am speaking obviously of the nursing home ministry and the abortion mill ministry.

And the beauty of these things is that there is soul care involved. It's soul care In comforting the distressed in regard to their present circumstances. It's at the same time a declaration of the comfort that can be had in soul with the right relationship with Jesus Christ. In seeking to protect and defend the innocent children being murdered, the gospel is being held forth as the greatest need. This is the greatest need.

You need Christ. You dear ones that are participating in these ministries, you're fulfilling this commandment. You're fulfilling this commandment. You're doing a good work. Persevere.

Persevere. I'm hoping that soon that things will open up. I know the men are in contact with the local nursing home and God willing we can get back in there again. What a blessing that would be. You know, I love the description of Jesus that Peter gives us in his sermon in Acts 10 when he's called by the Spirit to go and preach to the house of Cornelius.

Cornelius, a Gentile, a heathen, uncircumcised, and Peter goes and preaches. And he's preaching about Jesus. And no doubt Cornelius at this point probably hasn't heard a lot about Jesus being part of the synagogue. It was the synagogues Paul was going to to try to tell them the Messiah has come, it is Jesus. But I love what he says there.

There in verses 37 and 38, he describes Christ in this way. That word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power who went about doing good who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil for God was with him." I love that phrase. Jesus went about doing good. Doing good. Matthew uses wonderful imagery as well describing the widespread ministry of Christ.

And Jesus went about all Galilee, that was his home area, He went about all Galilee teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of diseases among the people. Then his fame went throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments and those who were demon possessed epileptics and paralytics and he healed them great multitudes followed him from Galilee and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. Five chapters later, Matthew writes, then Jesus, having said he went about all Galilee, then Jesus went about all the cities, all the cities and villages teaching in their synagogue, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them because they were weary and scattered like sheep having no shepherd. Jesus indeed sought to ease the pain, the suffering, and the burden of others.

Yes, he came to save sinners. That's why he came. He came to bring the kingdom of God to fruition. He came to establish the new covenant. But dear ones, part of that salvation was a demonstration of his power over the curse of sin by reversing the curse of sin in the lives of individuals where sin was rampant among those multitudes and the effects of it.

And these people flock to him, My friend, have you not been the recipient of the good things of Christ? Have you not? If so, are you overflowing with the abundance that He has poured out upon you? Will you receive of that goodness and not give it out? And not give it out?

If you are here this morning and without Christ there is hope for you. Christ offers salvation to all who will come to him in faith. But but what if the commandment of God has laid bare your sin and you see it in all your guilt before a holy God. Is there any hope? Well, 1 Timothy 1, 8 and following says this, But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous person.

It wasn't made for a righteous person. So if you're righteous and you maintain that righteousness, there is no hope for you. But guess what? The law wasn't made for the righteous man and if you're not a righteous man there's hope for you. It was made for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of father and murderers of mother, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that's contrary to sound doctrine according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust and then after Paul states this he gives something of a a brief testimony of God's work of saving him and calling him to the ministry.

And remember the apostle, Saul of Tarsus, a murderer, a murderer, not just of heart, But he was the one who stood there and gave consent to all of those who stoned Stephen and then breathing out hatred, hunted down men, women, and children. The Apostle Paul, he gives his testimony and then he closes with hope held out to others like himself. He says, in the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came in the world to save sinners of whom, Paul says under the inspiration of the Spirit, I am chief. So is there hope?

In Christ, my friend, there is hope. There is hope. He is still saving sinners. Go to him in faith today. Repent of your sins, confess your sins, and taste of his marvelous glory and grace.

Let us look to him in prayer. Lord, your Word condemns us all. It is a mirror before which we stand and we see our hearts as they really are. Oh Lord, you've revealed to me, the preacher, even this week, areas and pockets of sin. Oh God, we thank you for the law.

When it's used rightly, it doesn't build up our righteousness, it builds up the righteousness of Christ and our need for His righteousness. So Lord help us as we look at that mirror, that as we see ourselves as we are that will run to Christ who is willing and ready to save sinners like us even as he was Saul of Tarsus. We thank you and praise you in Jesus name. Amen. Well let's just take a brief moment to reflect on these things before turning our attention to the communion table.