Don't Even Think About It!

Introduction: I was a teenager in the 1960’s there was a very beautiful car roaming the highways and byways at that time and it looked like this. PHOTO (red 1966 Mustang convertible). I must admit, I coveted it, greatly. But money seemed to be big issue or at least the lack of it, so I never got one. The one pictured here was on EBay and the bid was up to $16,600. I still don’t have one.

I. Define the word—covet: "to desire earnestly," "to set the heart and mind upon anything"): Used in two senses:

a. good, simply to desire earnestly but legitimately. e.g. the King James Version 1 Corinthians 12:31; “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.” (1Co 12:31 AV)

b. bad, to desire unlawfully, or to secure illegitimately, also called "lust”.

c. This second one is what is being spoken of in this commandment.

i. Your neighbor’s house—keeping up with the Jones

ii. Your neighbor’s wife--adultery

iii. Your neighbor’s servant—the maid; the butler

iv. Your neighbor’s animals—the Mustang or the Hummer

v. Anything that belongs to your neighbor.

II. We are in the company of others who coveted.

a. Ahab—coveted the vineyard of Naboth (1 Kings 21)

b. David—coveted the wife of Uriah (2 Samuel 11)

c. Saul of Tarsus—coveted greater things, “What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead.” (Ro 7:7-8 NIV)

III. What can we do about it?

a. Repent—John told those who came to him for baptism, “People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptised by him in the Jordan River. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptising, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” (Mt 3:5-7 NIV)

Repent in the new testament always means to change your mind in the original Greek, never to merely feel sorry which is a modern non Biblical meaning. Click for original meaning.

b. Content—being satisfied with what we I’ve have.

c. Supplement—your desires with that of Jesus. WWJD may have become a trite statement but it rings true.