Below is another powerful CD Brooks sermon transcript on the ten commandments of God (God’s Looking Glass). It is from the Breath of Life Series by C. D. Brooks.
The Ten Commandments of God (God’s Looking Glass) – CD Brooks Sermon Transcripts
Our subject tonight is “God’s Looking Glass,” or the ten commandments of God, and I will make some startling statements. I ask you to think with us as we go into our message tonight. I ask you to do what I mentioned earlier, and that is, pray for understanding. Friends, I have only one desire, and that is that you will draw closer to Jesus and get better acquainted with Him. That’s all. So pray for that experience as we go into tonight’s message.
The world in which we live is an extremely wicked world and yet it is a basically religious world. Right here in America, we have more churches, and more preachers, and more religious media programs than ever before. Therefore, a logical question ought to pop into your minds: If this is a basically religious nation and if there are more churches and more preachers and more church members, then why all the prevailing corruption in our land?
Why is it that morals are falling lower and lower? Why is it getting dangerous to walk the streets at night? Why are things getting worse and worse? I think the Bible will suggest an answer. I’m reading to you from Matthew 7:21. Please write this down. Please make a habit of checking in your own Bible for truth. Matthew 7:21. The Bible says these words. Listen: “Not every one that saith unto Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Now, let’s get that again, and this is Christ talking, by the way. He says, “Not every one that says unto Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall go to heaven.”
Well, who’s going, Lord?
“Those that do the will of My Father which is in heaven.” There are lots of people who cry, “Lord, Lord,” who pray and preach and sing and testify in His name but are unwilling to do His will. That’s the problem in Christendom today.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the greatest enemy to the cause of God today is not an atheist who says there is no God. The greatest enemy to the cause of God is not a sinner who has never made a profession. The greatest enemy to the cause of God is a man who calls himself a Christian but lives the life of a hypocrite. The greatest enemy to the cause of God is a man who talks about the Word of the Lord but will not obey it; the man who will not practice what he preaches; the man who will not do God’s will.
It is this situation that has caused the church of God to look so weak and insipid in the world today, so much so that people laugh at the church, and shake their fists in the face of God. Young people are turned off, and the reason is they hear all of this but when they go to the disco with Saturday night fever the deacon is in there wiggling also. When they go to see an x-rated movie, the Sunday School teachers are in there also. When they go to their tavern for a cocktail, church members are in there also.
These young people have concluded if that’s all religion has done for you, I don’t need it. They laugh up their sleeves when we moralize to them. God doesn’t like that. I’m happy to tell you tonight that there are some on the face of the earth who believe in God and there are some on the face of the earth who are willing to obey God’s will. Amen? Shame on those who declare that God is a God of righteousness and holiness and at the same time deny that He is a particular God, making excuses for human weakness as though there were no help.
Some places I go to speak, people think I’m a little straight-laced, and I thank the Lord for that. Now, don’t get me wrong. Like the apostle Paul, I count not myself to have apprehended. I’m not sitting up on a limb, looking down at everybody. We’re in this thing together. Would you say Amen? That’s why I ask you to pray for me. Every day the Devil is trying to get me in trouble just as he tries to get you in trouble.
But if anybody thinks I’m going to spend my time trying to bring the Word of God down to where worldly folks are, they had better think again. The standard of God’s Word must remain high and we must point sinners’ eyes to that high standard and let them know that through Christ Jesus they can attain.
Woe unto the preacher that compromises the Word of God without God’s permission. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bible doesn’t need changing. People need changing. Would you say Amen? We don’t need to bend the Word of God to fit sinners; we need sinners to straighten up and fit the Word of God.
For the Word of the Lord will not change. The Word of the Lord will not fail. The Scriptures cannot be broken. Let me assure you, I would not be your friend if I compromised and told you that sin was alright when it’s not alright, would I? So why should I do that? To make you like me? Now, like any other human I enjoy being liked, but not at the price of principle. I didn’t want to preach anyhow. The Lord called me. He put the burden on me. Since He’s got me doing it I might as well tell you my tongue will cleave to the roof of my mouth before I will tell you it’s alright to sin as though it’s alright with God. I’ve made that promise to God.
I want you to know, dear friends, that the God of Heaven is a strict God. He has a straight and narrow way. God is revolted by sin. He could wipe sin out tonight except for His unspeakable love. He hates sin, but He loves sinners. Thank the Lord for that! But He also has a straight message for us. Would you say Amen? And yet, there are those who take a portion of Scripture, a part of the Bible, and they proceed to build a spiritual house on some little segment of the Bible; some little part that suits them; some little part that doesn’t rub them the wrong way.
True to the prophecy of the Bible (2 Timothy 4:3) we’ve come to the time when people “will not endure sound doctrine, but will heap unto themselves teachers having itching ears who will turn them away from the truth to fables.” People love preachers who tell them, It’s alright to dance; it’s alright to go to these rotten shows; it’s alright to take a little drink, God understands! They love that kind of a preacher.
But Ladies and Gentlemen, it will not work. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death.” Jesus is coming soon, and those who have held on to sin are going to be destroyed with sin. But those who have yielded their sins to Him and have pleaded with Him for salvation shall be saved. It’s a question of where you want to spend eternity.
Well, then, in a nutshell, what is the will of God? Write this down. Psalm 40:8. There the Bible says, “I delight to do Thy will, O my God; yea Thy law is within my heart.” Thy what? Law. “I delight to do Thy will; yea Thy law is within my heart.” Ladies and Gentlemen, God’s will is His law. Let’s verify that in the New Testament. In the book of Romans 2:18, we read these words. Listen to how Paul puts it: “And knowest His will and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law.”–out of what? The law. The will of God is His law. Paul says you know His will, being instructed out of the law. God’s will, His law, His Ten Commandments.
Now, every government has a law of authority. It is the will of that government that you obey the law, isn’t that right? The State of Pennsylvania has laws. One of them is that you stop when the light turns red. Now, when that light turns red, you don’t have to run through it and then seek a policeman and say, “Did you want me to stop?” The minute you see that it’s red, that’s the will of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: that you stop. Every government must have law. Without law you’ve got anarchy.
As ruler of the universe, God’s government is conducted according to law and order. When we study the law of God, we discover that it’s the only part of the Scripture that God did not inspire man to write for Him. The Bible says that God gave Moses the two tables of stone on Mount Sinai, and upon them, He had written the Ten Commandments with His own finger (Exodus 31:18). Who wrote them? God, with His own finger. Now, you need to write these texts down and remember them, because there are those who tell you that it’s Moses’ law and he wrote it. I want you to know who wrote it. The Bible says it was written with the finger of God.
But Ladies and Gentlemen, here is an important consideration: The law at Mount Sinai was not the beginning of God’s Ten Commandments, for in Genesis 26:5 the Bible says, “Abraham obeyed My voice, kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.” Abraham lived hundreds of years before God gave the law in certified form on Mount Sinai.
But think with me, Ladies and Gentlemen. God’s law did not begin with Abraham. Way back in the annals of the past, there was an angel in heaven whose form was glorious. He was excellent in every way. He was beautiful and gifted and talented. He was called the son of the morning. He was a covering cherub, and sat close to the throne of God. The Bible says he was perfect in all his ways until iniquity was found in him. Now, because this angel Lucifer sinned–he did what? Sinned. He was put out of heaven. By the way, if an angel was put out for sinning, you’re certainly not going to get in by sinning. Would you say Amen?
Now, follow what I’m saying to you. God put Lucifer out because of sin. Because of what? Sin. Well, what is sin? 1 John 3:4. Write it down. The Bible says, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresses also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law.” That’s what sin is. God’s government has always had law. When Lucifer violated that law he committed sin, because sin is the transgression of the law. But, you say, which law did he break? The first commandment says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” Lucifer said, I’m going to be God.
Let’s go on a little further. Sin is breaking God’s law. There could be no sin without law. So, Ladies and Gentlemen, I declare unto you God’s law has existed from eternity past. Would you say Amen? God’s law, the foundation of His government is as eternal as God Himself.
For many hundreds of years after the creation of man, the law was not written down. Why? The reason is that before the flood people lived so long. Adam lived 930 years. In his later years, Adam knew a young fellow about 200 years old named Methuselah. Now, Methuselah lived another 726 years after the death of Adam and finally died the year of the flood. Noah had a son named Shem, and Methuselah knew Shem for 100 years. After the flood, Shem knew Abraham for 150 years.
So I’ve only named four people: Adam, Methuselah, Shem, and Abraham. These people were able to pass God’s Word along by word of mouth, along with the other righteous patriarchs and saints.
But after the flood, the life span of men was greatly shortened. God saw the need of certifying His will, writing it down for succeeding generations so that men with their short lives would not forget it. So the day came when the Lord Himself wrote His law on two tables of stone and delivered it to Moses. If you understand me so far, would you say Amen?
Now, let’s find out a little about this law. Psalm 119:142. Please write these texts down. The Bible says, “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness and Thy law is truth.” Thy law is what? Truth. Remember that now, because there are people who will tell you–I mean sincere people. I don’t ever go against people; I go against error. There are sincere people, good people who just don’t know any better yet, and they will say to you, “The law is done away with.” Now, the Bible says, “Thy law is truth.” Thy law is what? Truth. Let me ask you? Why would God do away with truth?
Let’s read another verse in Psalm 119. It’s verse 172. David said, “My tongue shall speak of Thy word, for all Thy commandments are righteousness.” They are what? Righteousness. Why would God do away with righteousness? In Proverbs 6:23, please write it down, and check it in your Bible. If it’s not there I’m a liar. I’m challenging you.
One of the problems in the Christian world is that people don’t study it for themselves, so I’m asking you to be intelligent and check on me. You don’t know me, and you ought to be a little tired of con men. You pardon me for being plain; that’s just the way I am. But please, check it in your Bible, and if it’s not there, don’t believe it. Is that fair?
Let’s go on. The Bible says in Proverbs 6:23, “For the commandment is a lamp and the law is a light.” I’m asking you to think: Why would God throw away the truth, righteousness, and the light?
“Ah,” but you say, “those are Old Testament texts.”
I agree. Let’s go to the New Testament. Romans 7:12. The Bible says, “Wherefore the law is holy.” It’s what? Holy. “And the commandment is holy and just and good.” Now, I want you to follow that. It is holy and just and good. Saint Paul said that. Romans 7:12. The Bible says it’s holy. You know what that is. But it also says it’s just. That means it’s fair. If anybody says you can’t keep God’s law, that it’s impossible to do so,
Ladies and Gentlemen, that person is accusing God. For only an unjust person would tell you to do what you can’t do. It is possible for a converted Christian who is filled with the Holy Spirit to live in harmony with God’s will, Amen?
I want to make this point very clear before we go any further. We are never saved by doing the law. Romans 3:20 says, “By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified.” If you could be justified by doing the law, you wouldn’t need Jesus. The law cannot save. The law is not supposed to save you. But let’s read on. In Romans 3:20 the Bible says, “Wherefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” By the law is what? Knowledge of sin.
Now, Ladies and Gentlemen, the law is not supposed to save you. The law simply tells you what you ought to do. The red light won’t stop your car. It simply tells you that you ought to stop. Amen? Now, if you want to be a fool and keep on rolling, and get smashed up and end up in the hospital, don’t blame the red light. It can’t stop your car.
Well then, what further is the purpose of the law? Let me turn with you to James 1:22-25. I want you to listen carefully to what the Bible says:
But be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass. For beholdeth himself and goeth his way and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the Word, this man shall be blessed in his deed (James 1:22-25).
There is God’s looking glass. God says, “Take My law like a mirror. Look in it. Now if you look in there and see a problem, and then just walk away, you’re foolish. But if you look in there and see a problem, there is something that can be done.”
Please follow me very carefully now. I want you to participate with me for a moment. Can you see something on my face? Come on now, everybody who can see it, let me hear you say, “yes.” Alright, you can see it, can’t you? Would you recommend that I walk around looking like this? Would you? In other words, you think there’s something wrong with my face like this? Am I right? You see something on my face that ought not be there, is that right?
Well, let me make an announcement to you: I don’t see anything wrong with it. You all can see it, but I can’t, and since I can’t see anything wrong, why shouldn’t I go downtown looking like this? I can’t see anything wrong.
Now, all of you who see something out of the ordinary, something wrong with my face, would you say “yes” one more time? I don’t see it. Now, if I’m going to see it, what do I need? I need what? (pick up the mirror) The mirror was up here all the time, but I couldn’t see anything wrong with my face, even though it was right here. But the minute I get this mirror and look, I can see a problem. Are you following me?
Now I want to ask you the key question of the night. Are you ready? Can this mirror straighten up my face? No. Well, why not? What right has this mirror to show me this and make me feel bad when it can’t wash my face? The truth is that a mirror was never made to wash a person’s face. The purpose of the mirror is to make me aware that I’ve got dirt on my face, and that I need cleaning. Would you say Amen?
That’s what mirrors are for. Now, I can get mad at this mirror if I want to. Oh mirror, showing me dirt…but my dirt remains. I can go around and get myself a congregation and preach ten sermons against mirrors, but my face is still dirty. I can say, “The mirror can’t clean anybody!” And that’s true. But that’s not what it’s supposed to do. If I want my face clean I need something else. What do I need? (get soap, water, and a washcloth).
The mirror has shown me a defect. But the mirror can’t clean me. If I’m going to be clean, I need water and soap and I need to wash a little. I put the mirror aside. Right now I need soap and water. Is my face clean now? How many of you think my face is clean? Say “yes!” I can’t see it! What proof have I that my face is clean? You might be fooling me! Make me go out in public and make a dunce out of myself.
Now, in order for me to see that my face is clean, what do I need? The mirror. That same mirror? But I’m kind of mad at that mirror. After all, it showed me that my face was dirty! Should I stay mad at it? Bless the Lord, that same mirror that told me my face was dirty now tells me, Brooks, your face is clean.
God said, if you look into the law–the mirror–and the law tells you you’ve got a problem, no need to get mad at the law and walk off. No need to go around shouting that the law can’t save you. It’s not supposed to save you. Romans 3:20 says, “By the law is the knowledge of sin.” By the mirror is the knowledge of the dirty face.
But if you want to get your face clean, if you want your character to become as white as snow, you’ve got to go to that “…fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins, and sinners plunge beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day. And there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away.” Would you say Amen?
I’m cheating on my wife. I look in the mirror. It says, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” I realize I’ve got some dirt on me. It tells me if I don’t get it cleaned up I’m going to be lost in hell. That’s the purpose of the law. No need to get mad at it. I ought to get mad at myself for acting like a fool and cheating on my wife. But what then can I then do about a dirty, rotten no-good sin like that? There is a fountain filled with blood…though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow! I can go to Jesus and get washed clean. I can surrender my life and confess my sin. And when I come back to look in the mirror, it says, “Sinner, you’re now clean, through Jesus Christ.”
There’s no need for me to fool you. I wasn’t always a Christian. When I was a young man I did some things that I would be ashamed for anybody to know about. As a matter of fact, if you knew, I couldn’t look you in the eye. I’d have to drop my head and shut up and sit down. Alright, if that’s true, Charles, what right do you have to come and preach righteousness to us? I’ll tell you what right. I looked in the mirror one day. And the mirror told me about my sins. But the mirror couldn’t save me.
I went to Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad.
I found in Him a resting place, and He has made me glad.
He accepted me as His child. He washed my sins away.
I went back to that same mirror and like Saint Paul says in Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.” Because I’m not condemned–blessed by the name of the Lord–because I’m not condemned, I can look you in the eye. I can preach a straight message. I can tell you that if you don’t come to Jesus and have Him wash away the dirt that the mirror showed you, you’re going to hell.
You need to look in the mirror of God’s law and see if you’re right with Him or not. You can’t trust your feelings. Proverbs 16:25. The Bible says, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man…” You can’t go by opinion. You can’t go by what seems right to you. God has given us His Word and God has given us His law. Anything that contradicts that is wrong even if it seems right. It is the way of death.
You know, there are some who say, “Throw away God’s law. All we need to do is love.” And it’s true; love is the foundation of the Christian life. Love for God and love for our fellow man. But Jesus said–who said? Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me keep My commandments.” And in John 14:23, Jesus again is speaking: “If a man love Me, he will keep My words; he that loveth Me not keepeth not My saying.” That’s plain, isn’t it?
Jesus says, “Those who don’t want to obey Me, those who want to throw away My law, don’t really love Me. But if you love Me, you will keep My words.” Would you say Amen? I John 2:4 says, “He who says I know Him and does not keep His commandments is a liar.” Now, that’s serious. That’s what the Bible says. Don’t get mad at me! He that says “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
There are some who say, “We don’t have to obey all of God’s commandments. We can do away with some.” But I want to read to you a serious text. James 2:10: “Whosoever, therefore, shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one, he is guilty of all.” All you have to do is break how many? One. And you’re guilty of how many? All. That what’s the Bible says.
There are people who say, “Oh Charles, all you have to do is have faith. All you have to do is believe!” James 2:19 says, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well. The devils also believe.” Folk go around saying, “I believe.” Believe what? And what is belief?
Belief has in it the germ of action. Let me prove it to you. I’m going to make an announcement. Ladies and Gentlemen, this hall is on fire. Now, you didn’t believe me. You didn’t say that you didn’t believe me. But still, I know that you didn’t. Why? Because if you had believed me, you’d be tearing the doors off this place by now, isn’t that right? Real faith has within it the germ of action. The Bible says faith without works is what? Dead.
So it’s not enough to go around saying, “I believe.” You’d better believe the right thing and you’d better do what you believe. Jesus said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me.” He wants us to join up with Him. He wants to walk by our side. He wants to save us and to give us the power through His Holy Spirit to do His will. We can’t be saved if we’re deliberately disobeying God’s will. We’re just fooling ourselves. That’s empty, dead.
The Bible says in Revelation 22:14, “Blessed are they that do His commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the city.” These are the words of Jesus, recorded in the last chapter of the last book of the Bible. “Blessed are they that do His commandments that they may have a right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Now, everybody here that wants to go to heaven, let me hear you say Amen.
Then let’s fully commit our lives to Jesus again tonight and make the decision to obey all of His Word, and He will supply the power through His Holy Spirit for us to live in harmony with His will.
Jesus said, “If you love Me keep My commandments.” If you want to say with me tonight, “Jesus, I really love You. I’m not just saying that; I really mean it. I love You, Jesus, and I’ll follow You, I’ll keep Your commandments through the power of Your Spirit.” If that’s your desire, I want you to stand with me for prayer, right now. I want to pray a simple prayer for you.
That prayer, Lord Jesus, is that Your people who are here tonight and who love You and who want to live right would be sincere in their hearts. Look at us, Lord. You know how weak we are. You know that of ourselves we can do nothing. So we ask You tonight to come close to us and whisper in our ears those things You would have us do.
As these dear people go home tonight, may they have the presence of God with them. As they put their heads on their pillows, don’t even let them go to sleep until they’ve thought this thing through and made a real personal commitment to Christ. O Lord, come into our hearts that we might be saved and that we might enjoy Christian obedience. This is our prayer in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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CD Brooks Sermon: God’s Looking Glass (Ten Commandments) Video
Below is Pastor CD Brooks preaching on the ten commandments of God.
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