Do Not Steal Series

Do NOT Steal

CCCAG July 16th, 2017

Scripture-Exodus 20:15

When I graduated paramedic school, Tammie got me a professional level stethoscope as a graduation gift. You can buy a stethoscope at the local drug store for $10-15, but it’s not quality, and you can barely hear anything with it. If you are going to be a health care professional that assesses and treats patients, you need a good, quality, and durable stethoscope. The most expensive ones that have amplifiers in them cost almost $500. We didn’t go that crazy- this one cost about $170, and is similar to this one here-

I had it for about 7 years. It saw me deliver my first baby, was on countless calls where my using it helped me treat patient’s and save lives. In fact, whenever I’d pick it up off the dashboard when we got a call, and put it around my neck, it was like flipping a switch and I became at least in my own mind, super medic.

One night there was a bad car accident and a patient needed immediate transport to the trauma center about 45 miles away. However there were bad storms and the helicopters couldn’t fly so we took the patient by ground to Froedtert hospital. Froedtert is the states only level one trauma center. When you see medical TV shows and they bring in a trauma or very sick patient and there are 30 people waiting to receive the patient- that’s like what Froedtert is like. You have to yell your verbal report over the top of a people shouting out orders and medical students asking questions, and nurses calling out assessment findings.

As we moved our patient over to their bed and I was giving report, one of the resident medical students grabbed my stethoscope off my neck to check the placement of the breathing tube and said he would give it right back. He checked all 5 lung fields, and then moved down the stomach to assess for abdominal sounds. Right then the nurses pushed us and our stretcher back out of the way and away from the beside so they could get to the patient, and in the rush of people who swarmed the bed, I lost track of the student who had my stethoscope. I waited for a min, then the charge nurse said for us to clear the trauma room.

I said that student has my very expensive stethoscope and she said she’d get it and bring it out to me.

So I waited outside the trauma room for a couple of minutes and no one came out, so I re-entered the trauma room to find it empty- they had immediately moved the patient for emergency surgery. I tracked down the nurse and she said she had no idea where the medical student went, and it was the first time she’d seen him so she had no idea who he was, or which service he represented so I was out of luck.

I remember thinking-“This guy graduates from his residency this year and will be making $250k next year, and he steals a paramedics stethoscope.” It wasn’t just a tool to me, I had an emotional attachment to it as it had seen me through my rough early years figuring out the job, and become a fairly competent paramedic. This stethoscope here was it’s replacement.

Anyone here ever had that happen to them? Something that you placed a lot of emotional value on was stolen, and you felt that sting and disappointment.

That’s part of our Imago Dei- the image of God that HE put in us at creation. That’s why God gave us our 8th Commandment which is found in-

Scripture Text: Exodus 20:15 “You shall not steal”

Prayer

Part of the reason God gave us the 10 Commandments is because of what happened in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Even had their eternal destiny stolen by a thief the bible calls satan. Through getting our first parents to believe the lie, he was able to steal the image of God away from humanity.

That consequences of that theft continue today as the truth of this commandment is under attack today by some people who misinterpret Acts 2:44. Acts 2:44 states that the church in it’s very early days “had all things in common” to mean that within the church we essentially should be communists in how we treat what God has blessed us with.

In a perfect society, unencumbered by a sin nature, I would agree with that. However, God is not working with a perfected humanity- HE Is stuck with you and me.

So the first part of our talk this morning will be on this truth-

I. God respects private property rights

A. Misunderstanding of Acts