You shall not covet
What is coveting?
Coveting is a desire for something that is excessive or prohibited and has no regard for the rights of others.
How do we determine the difference between legitimate desires and coveting?
Legitimate desire will not sacrifice people for the thing desired (1 Cor. 13)
Covetous desire will not sacrifice the thing desired for people
Legitimate desire trusts God to provide in His Time
Covetous desire is not content with God’s provision
Legitimate desire will not lead to other sins
Covetous desire will lead to other sins
How do you overcome covetousness?
We need to battle the Lies of Satan with the Truth of God
“Wall Street” – Greed is Good clip - Gordon Gekko Speech from the movie “Wall Street”
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If you don’t recognize that speech, it is from the movie “Wall Street” from 1987.
I was in college during that time getting a degree in economics from the University of Illinois and I can tell you that the words from that speech, if they were not plastered on the bedroom walls of the aspiring young businessmen, they were plastered across the walls of their mind.
Greed is Good.
It was believed that the desire for more and more would help you to be
successful in business, successful in life.
Back in the 1980’s I was one who believed that.
I wanted more stuff. I wanted more money. I wanted power and success.
I wanted more. More of what I had and I wanted what I didn’t have.
I wanted it all.
I remember watching that movie and seeing Gordon Gekko on the beach talking on a one of those Motorola Cell phones that was the size of a brick.
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Boy did I want one of those.
To me, at least then, that was an indicator of having it all, if you had that.
And even though the 80’s were classified as the decade of greed, and the conspicuous consumption of that decade has somewhat faded, there are still people today who want more and more and while they may not overtly say that greed is good, they believe that desire for more, a desire for the things you don’t have as well as a desire for more of the things you do have, isn’t so bad. That desire will help you get ahead in life
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They believe that it will be in the things that you find your joy and when you see the things of other people or what other people have, you feel like you are lacking in the joy you could have if only you had what they did.
You covet what they have because by obtaining it, you believe you will have more joy.
But for Christians, while many of us may know this isn’t true in our heads, we still struggle greatly to live this out and at times we may have difficulty even believing it.
So God has given this 10th commandment to help us.
This morning, we are finishing up our series, God’s Top Ten and we are going to discuss the 10th commandment which is found in Exodus 20:17 and reads
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Exodus 20:17 - "You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
Different – Attitude vs. Action
Now, I want you to notice that this command is different from the other commands dealing with relations among people.
Commands 5 through 9 deal with actions, which we know stem from the heart, but they have actions at their core.
Coveting, however, is an attitude. It is something that is within us.
God is prohibiting an attitude of covetousness.
Why is that?
To understand that, I think it is important that we understand what coveting is.
What is coveting?
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Coveting, according to dictionary.com is “to desire wrongfully” or “without due regard for the rights of others”
According to dictionary.com accessed 9/1/2009 at http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/covet
A synonym of covetousness is
greed in terms of the desire for more and
envy in terms of the desire for what someone else has.
So to covet is
to desire wrongfully that which someone else has or
to desire something so greatly that it corrupts correct priorities.
Covetousness is certainly something that God does not want us to have and we see Paul reiterate this in the New Testament as well.
Colossians 3:5 - Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, (Covetousness) which is idolatry.
But what really is greed or covetousness?
Is it wrong to desire anything?
I think most of us realize that some desires are good, or at least not sinful.
The desire to eat is a God given desire, however when it increases to levels of gluttony, it would be sin.
So we need to be able to determine between legitimate desires and desires that would be covetous and we need to realize that Satan is out there trying to take even the legitimate desires we have and tempt us to increase those desires to covetous proportions.
For instance, he will tempt us to move beyond the legitimate desire to be a good steward and have a savings account to the illegitimate desire to hoard excess amounts of resources so we can depend on those for our provision.
He will tempt us to move beyond the legitimate desire for our spouse into an illegitimate desire for someone other than our spouse.
He will tempt us with a legitimate desire for a time of rest or vacation with an illegitimate desire to shirk all responsibility and be lazy and not work or take on responsibilities.
So
How is it that we determine which desires are legitimate and which desires that are covetous?
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This morning I want to take a look at some principles that will help each of us to assess our own desires and see if they are legitimate or covetous.
To do that, we first need to realize that
Legitimate desire will sacrifice the thing desired for people
Covetous desire will sacrifice people for the thing desired
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If your desire is legitimate, it will do no harm to people. Legitimate desires will be willing to sacrifice the thing that you desire for the good of another person or people.
If I see a new tool that my neighbor has or a new outfit and I want one of those for myself, I should ask
do I want this because my neighbor has one and if he or she has it I need to have it
I couldn’t let him have something that I don’t, then he might feel better than me, and I can’t let that happen. If they are happier than me, then I must be sad.
That is not acting in a very loving way.
So often we think if someone else experiences more than us, then we must not be happy.
The Lord tells us through Paul to love each other and he tells us what that looks like.
1 Corinthians 13:4-6
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
If your desire is legitimate, then you would be willing to say,
You know, if me getting this tool or outfit would lessen some of the joy of my neighbor or friend, then I am not going to get that. Their friendship is more important and I want to rejoice with them over the blessing of what they have.
Legitimate desire will not look upon something your friend has and want that
if it means that your friend can’t have it or
if it means their joy will be diminished by you getting it.
But a covetous desire will have no regard for people or relationships if they get in the way of what is desired.
King Ahab & Naboth’s Vineyard
Listen to this story of King Ahab who coveted a vineyard of Naboth.
1 Kings 21:2
2 Ahab said to Naboth, "Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth."
Now we don’t know just from this whether this desire was covetous or legitimate by this statement, but we see by Ahab’s response, that this was purely covetous.
1 Kings 21:4
Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.
Ahab felt that the only thing that would make him happy was Naboth’s vineyard.
He didn’t care if it would have harmed Naboth to give it up.
He didn’t care that Naboth din’t want to part with it.
He just dwelt on what he wanted and would not let it go.
What happens?
Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, has Naboth killed and then Ahab takes the vineyard he wanted.
If people or relationships get in the way of covetous desire, so be it.
People or relationships can be sacrificed, so thinks the person with a covetous desire.
Don’t get in the way of what I want. If you do, you can be eliminated, or at least our relationship can be sacrificed.
Another principle to know in determining if a desire is covetous or legitimate is to know that
Legitimate Desire is trusting of God’s provision
Covetous Desire is not content with God’s provision
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Paul writes to the Philippians and says, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11-13)
Paul trusts the Lord and His provision. He says he has learned to be content.
How did he learn that?
He learns it by being in close communion with the Lord.
He knows that God will not only provide but that God desires to bless us.
The only way we can live in that contentment is as we draw close to the Lord.
If we don’t, we are not going to be content with the Lord’s provision no matter how much we have.
Just a little bit more
John Rockefeller, the founder of the Standard oil company and the richest man in the world around the turn of the 1900’s, was once asked, "How much money is enough money?" He replied, "Just a little bit more."
The only way to be content is to draw close to the Lord.
Paul even tells slaves to be content in their situation.
1 Corinthians 7:20-21
Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. 21 Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you (be content) - although if you can gain your freedom, do so.
This helps us to know that contentment doesn’t mean we don’t try to change our situation.
We can be content in our job, even while we look for a new one.
We can be content with our living situation, even as we seek to move.
Selling house
I remember about 14 years ago, we put our house up for sale and were looking for a new home. Our house did not sell so we took it off the market.
While we were a little disappointed, we believed this was the best for us at the time and were content to stay in that home.
About a year and a half later, we tried again, trusting the Lord in whatever happened and we ended up selling and things worked out for us better than they would have the year and a half previous.
Being content doesn’t mean that we can’t strive to better our situation.
It does mean that changing our situation should not become the sole focus or our lives.
For instance,
While saving money and working hard are part of being wise stewards, become a workaholic and hoarding our resources to make sure we have enough to the exclusion of being generous in our time and resources could be considered covetous.
Listen to this parable that Jesus told.
Luke 12:15-21
15 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed (Covetousness); a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
16 And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, ’What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 "Then he said, ’This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I’ll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ’
20 "But God said to him, ’You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
21 "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
This man wanted to find his security in his possessions and he has no regard for those around him that may be in need. He only wants to store up for himself and make sure his future is secure.
We all like to have a secure future wouldn’t we?
The fact is, is that none of us know what tomorrow holds.
We need to live in such a way as to store up treasure in heaven and not on earth.
If covetousness is a problem for you in this area, then be generous with your possessions and trust the Lord in his provision and learn to be content.
Paul tells Timothy that “godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
(1 Timothy 6:6-10)
Covetous desire will only lead to destruction and pain in life. Learn to be content by drawing close to the Lord.
Another way to determine if our desire is legitimate or covetous is to know that
Legitimate desire will not lead to other sins while
Covetous desire will lead to other sins
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Listen to what James says.
James 4:1-3 - What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
James says that fights and quarrels and killing come from the desires that battle within you. Covetous desire leads us into other sins.
David is a perfect example of this in the situation with Bathsheba
2 Samuel 11:2-4
2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her.
As he looked on Bathsheba and coveted her, it led him to numerous other sins.
He not only coveted her – and broke the 10th commandment
He committed adultery with her – broke the 7th commandment
He committed murder – breaking the 6th commandment
We could also say his covetousness of her was an idol –breaking the 2nd commandment
So David’s covetousness led him to break 3 other commands against the Lord.
And if you think that this would never be you,
I want you to realize 2 things about this situation.
The Bible calls David a man after God’s own heart. Could you be called that? Even if you could, then this should help you realize that you are vulnerable.
And a second thing that should give us pause is that Uriah was not just some guy that David did not know.
Uriah was one of David’s 30 mighty men. Uriah was a friend of David’s.
If you think that you could never do such a thing to a friend, then you do not understand the subtle nature of Satan.
He does not try to get you to from faithful to sinner in one action.
He tempts you with one small step at a time.
From noticing how nice someone is to
Noticing how much nicer this person is over your spouse
To spending a few moments talking about your personal life at home
To talking about how bad things are at home
To the next thing you know, you are having an affair with this person.
How did this happen? Subtly, step by step, we did not guard our heart against the lies of Satan and we let ourselves be led away from being close to the Lord.
How do we overcome covetousness?
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Battle the Lies of Satan with the Truth of God
We need to battle Satan and his temptations toward covetousness with the truth.
We covet because we believe a lie.
We believe that if we obtain the thing desired, life will be better, it will be full.
This is what the author of psalm 73 believed. He began believing the lies that Satan told him.
Psalm 73:1-5
Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
(He starts out repeating what he has learned, Basically, “I know God is good, but…”)
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. (I want what they have, they have the good life)
4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.
5 They are free from the burdens common to man;
they are not plagued by human ills…
12 This is what the wicked are like-- always carefree, they increase in wealth.
(He is believing the lies of Satan here)
This is what happens to us so often,
I know God you are good, but look at them. Do you see what they have? How come they have been blessed and not me?
Psalm 73:13 - Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
God this isn’t fair. I am a good person. I deserve more than them. What is the point of living for You if I can’t have a better life?
The problem with this view that all too often we have is that it is too narrow. We are looking at a moment and not the eternal.
The psalmist continues on
Ps 73:16-28
16 When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me 17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.
The psalmists perspective changes due to being in the presence of God.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. 19 How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! 20 As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies.
21 When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, 22 I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. 28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
To battle the lies of Satan, we need to draw close to God in relationship and learn the truths of His word so we can stand firm against Satan’s attacks.
God is with us, we just so often fail to remember.
We need to “draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:7)
We need to keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2)
We need to be looking ahead to our reward (Hebrews 11:26)
We need to hide the truth of God’s word in our heart that we might not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11)
Know the truth and the truth will set you free (John 8:32)
The way to keep our focus on the Lord and be free is through Bible study, fellowship, serving, worshiping.
This is why being part of a church is so important.
This is why being in a connection group is important.
This is why it is important to take advantage of our discipleship opportunities.
Our Back to the Basics Seminar on September 19th
Our Beyond the Basics Course starting September 20th during the 9 am service
The Truth Project on Sunday nights beginning September 13th.
Now before you leave here and sign up for all of these, realize that the Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint. Signing up for all of these is not going to help you “arrive” any sooner. It is about being continually focused so we can finish the race strong.
Pick one or 2 things to be involved in.
Sign up for a connection group and/or one of our discipleship opportunities on Sunday morning or Sunday night.
If you have found yourself living a life of covetousness, then repent, and battle the lies of Satan as we grow in the truth of God’s word trusting in His provision, and loving God and people as we seek to live that out in His power.
Let’s pray.
