Don’t Covet
October 21, 2007 Evening Service
Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK
Rick Boyne
Message Point: Be satisfied with what God gives you.
Focus Passage: Exodus 20:17
Supplemental Passage: 2 Sam 11:1-3 Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"
Introduction: Commandment #10 is the only one that deals with attitude only. It is NOT an act. It is a heart condition. No human eye can see the coveting heart; it is witnessed only by him who possesses it and by Him to whom all things are naked and open. DEF: 1 : to wish for earnestly
I. Attitudes toward others
a. Desire
i. Wife: breaks commandment 7
ii. Land, servants, and possessions: violates commandment 8
b. Hindrance
i. The wishing of misfortune or calamity for your gain.
c. Influence
i. Demean someone to lessen their status
ii. Demean someone to reduce other’s esteem in them.
II. Attitude toward God
a. What He has given isn’t good enough: Jas 1:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
b. He doesn’t know best for us: Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
c. We want “more”: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven . . .” (Matt. 6:19,20).
III. Attitudes to confess
a. Covetousness: Jesus said, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, murders, thefts, covetousness . . .” (Mark 7:21, 22)
b. Greed: Jesus says "greed" is something we need to guard against, in Luke 12:15-21 "15Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Esp. when we are bombarded with persuasive advertising everyday.)
He went on to tell the parable of a man who spent so much time and energy storing up his grain and goods. He built bigger barns to store them up, so that he can then truly enjoy life. Even before he can enjoy life, God took him. God says, "20 ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
c. Wrong thinking: Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Invitation:
