Exodus 20: 14-17 Ten Commandments Prt 8

It all starts with COVETING

 

Intro: Tonight we are going to finish our study on the Ten Commandments – take the final 4 together – Start from back

A)Of all the Commandments on the 2nd table of the Law – this last one is taken the least seriously

B) Think about it if someone breaks the 6th Commandment- …..Murder

  1. They could go to the Electric Chair -

C) If they break the 7th Commandment – Adultery –they could destroy their family – they could devastate their kids

  1. If they break the 8th …. Stealing - Go to Jail

D) If they break the 9th …. LYING – they could be sued !!!

 

See there are repercussions in Breaking those Commandments

But this tenth commandment is different in 2 ways –

A)1st this tenth commandment is different in that it is secretive – You can break this commandment – and no one would ever know

B) You could be doing this in your heart for yrs. & yrs. And know one would even suspect - Hide it from everyone – BUT GOD !!!!

  1. Chances are though that you couldn’t hide it from others either

C) Because in reality breaking these other commandments – often begins w/ this one right here – COVETING

  1. A person commits murder – because of COVETOUSNESS

 

COVETING is wanting that which you already have enough of

A)So a person sees – something that someone else has – Possession a position / person – so they kill them to get it

B) Now we would never do something like that – but do we – Assassinate a persons character w/ our Words – Murdering w/ the tongue

  1. Sharing info about the person to the "RIGHT PEOPLE" – because we covet something that they might have – Position at work /

C) Popularity w/ in a certain group- They are better liked than we are so we seek to pull them down verbally – in order to make ourselves look better

  1. Unfortunately that type of thing happens all to often – especially in Christian circles

D)ADULTERY – happens when a person is not content in their marital relationship – Covet someone else – doesn’t belong to them

  1. Not necessarily another married person – but – single person is off limits – ( Comparison are made – I wish my spouse was like him/her)

E) STEALING – starts when a person wants something that they don’t have that they think they really need it – so I take it !!!!!

  1. They already have enough – but they think they really need more

I remember a time in my life – really experienced this – Became a Criminal – 11yrs old – ride bike – up to 7-11

A)Jolly Rogers – once cent – I had a dime – but there were 11 flavors

B) I needed to have all 11 – so what did I do – when no one was looking I put that 11th flavor in my pocket – I stole from 7-11

  1. Road home – so guilty – what did you buy – Jolly Rogers one of every

flavor – how much did that cost - ( 11 cents – Now I am bearing false..)

C) But it all started w/ Coveting – I just had to have – that other piece of candy –

  1. Watch when you start saying – I just have to have this or that

So although Coveting can lead to the breaking of those other commandments it is different from them – in that it is secretive- starts heart

A)The 2nd way that it is Different is that in our Society Coveting is not Prohibited by encouraged

B) Our society is based upon / & stimulates this type of a mentality

  1. Feed your Greed – that is what Advertising is all about – You need to get more

C) We are the first society in world History to have advertising –

  1. Millions of dollars are spent – hundreds of thousands of hrs are poured into trying – promoting a Covetous attitude

Result: We buy those things that we don’t need w/ money we don’t have trying to impress people we don’t like

D) You can’t live w/ out this - Been called the Pac –man Gen. – We gobble up more & more stuff in the end – Beaten & eaten

  1. NEVER SATISFIED

Proverbs 21:26 views Covetousness as the Dividing line between the righteous & the evil person

A)Speaking of the Evil- person we are told He covets greedily all day long,

But the righteous gives and does not spare.

B) James tells us that Covetousness is a leading cause in the Division in the Church

James 41Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war.

C)Great deal of Coveting – deals w/ Competition

  1. I think in some ways that is why the Lord – addresses the issue of your neighbor – people all Concerned about – Keeping up

d) Wanting what your neighbor has – ( Better this or that )

D) But although our society – advocates Coveting – encourages Coveting – seeks to stimulate our senses toward Coveting –

  1. We need to Resist that temptation – because it grieves the Lord and it can lead to so many other sins

The Prophet Micah illustrates how Coveting can cause people to lie steal

Murder – Micah 2:1,2

Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds

At morning’s light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it.

2They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them.

They defraud a man of his home, a fellowman of his inheritance.

A)So all of these sins – can start in the secret places of our hearts when we give into that temptation to Covet – want more

B) Now – I want to come back to how we combat this in a minute

C) But I want to talk a little bit about how this relates specifically to the

7th Commandment against – Committing ADULTERY

  1. I am not Brushing over – Stealing & Bearing false witness because I think they are not an issue or unimportant

D) But because I think most of us realize that – they are wrong & what it includes – ( Stealing is stealing – Pencil at work – or False tax report)
  1. Lying is Lying – There is no such thing as a White lie / or stretching the truth – exaggeration – ( all lying )

E) I think that we understand those things – But this 7th commandment is that which is – more devastating – Stealing & Lying – Follow

Our Cultures views on the subject of Adultery have dramatically Changed – at one time – TABOO – illicit - Scarlet Letter

A)But in the 1960- 1970 sexual Revolution – one man / one woman marriage relationship came under fire

B) Ok – for those who were Emotionally Mature –

  1. Another –shift – Ok for those who were really in Love

C)Yet another – Shift in the opposite direction – that which was deemed ok as long as there was No – Love – Just Sex / Fling

D) Ted Turner – Media Mogul – Braves – Shouldn’t be one of the ten Commandments –

  1. We out to ask Jane about that

E)In Florida a man who was charged w/ sexually molesting his daughter Petitioned the courts – to remove the 10 Commandments

  1. Argued this commandment would cause the jurors to be Prejudiced

F)The Judge moved the case to another court room !!!!

F) Even the Church – changed it’s stance - Newsweek – Committee / Large Denomination –

 

Our society wants us to view Adultery as not a serious issue – so many movies – Common place –

A)The Lord tells us how serious it is – One of the ten

B) Adultery – starts w/ Coveting - / leads to stealing / involves lying –

  1. A persons whole life becomes a Sham

C)Begins w/ a Look a glance/ thought that is sure better than what you have

    1. LOOK TURNS TO LUST – ungodly passion that becomes a pursuit

D) And what started off as a LOOK / TURNED TO LUST / RESULTS IN GREAT LOSS - GREAT DESTRUCTION- SATAN LAUGHS

Adultery – Sin against the Lord – body 1Cor. 6 :

15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? (Horror) Certainly not! 16Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh."£ 17But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

A)All sex outside of marriage is sin, but when it is committed by believers it is especially reprehensible, because it profanes Jesus Christ,

    1. with whom the believer is one

B)John Calvin called adultery – the rape of the body of Christ

B) Gordon Fee

Adultery sin against Your own Body

  1. YOU LOSE YOUR PERSON - 1 COR. 6:18 He who sins in the area of sexual immorality sins against his own body
  2. Give away a part of you that you can never get back – You lose a part of your PERSON .

    3. Wiersbe Insights There may be excitement and enjoyment in sexual experience outside of marriage, but there is not enrichment. Sex outside of marriage is like a man robbing a bank: he gets something, but it is not his and he will one day pay for it. Sex within marriage can be like a person putting money into a bank: there is safety, security, and he will collect dividends.

     

     

    Prov. 5

    5:1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom; Lend your ear to my understanding,

    2 That you may preserve discretion, And your lips may keep knowledge.

    3 For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil;

    4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.

    5 Her feet go down to death, Her steps lay hold of hell.

    6 Lest you ponder her path of life; Her ways are unstable; You do not know them.

    7 Therefore hear me now, my children, And do not depart from the words of my mouth. 8 Remove your way far from her, And do not go near the door of her house, 9 Lest you give your honor to others, And your years to the cruel one;

    10 Lest aliens be filled with your wealth, And your labors go to the house of a foreigner; 11 And you mourn at last, When your flesh and your body are consumed,

    Proverbs 6:27- 32 27 Can a man take fire to his bosom, And his clothes not be burned? 28 Can one walk on hot coals, And his feet not be seared?

    29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; Whoever touches her shall not be innocent. 32 Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul.

     

    Destroys the sacredness of marriage – ( reason for Divorce –which God hates – understands why we can’t handle this)

     

    Destroys Your Kids – KH. Infidelity tells a Child that Your mother is not worth much and your father is a liar & a Cheat . It also illustrates to our Children that honor is not nearly as important as Pleasure – it communicates to your child that your own satisfaction is more important than anything else including them.

    Jesus expanded the picture- ( Not Just the Physical- Looks w/ Lust –

    A)Not the first look – 2nd

    B)Jesus said Matt. 5:29 Eye stumble …..out …… Hell

  3. Now this gory Metaphor – illustrates how serious this is to the Lord
  1. Not calling for Physical Mutilation but / Spiritual mortification –cutting off spiritually harmful practices from ones life
  1. There must be a Severing / a gouging out of Sin – if there is going to be Victory
  1. Also – Metaphor –gives insight into who deals w/ it / Your eye / your hand / Your foot

 

How avoid – this Coveting – that leads to these other things

1st Flee - 2 Tim.2:22 22Flee also youthful lusts; Flea – Fugo

2nd Seek but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Matt.6:33 33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

A)Luke 12: 22 – Rich man – Not I will / but what is your will

B) Riches are meant to enjoy & Employ – Treasure in heaven

3rd Pray/ Accountability –

4th Divine Awareness – Joseph – how can I do this against God

Practicing the Presence of God

5th Modesty - Women

 

 

6th Contentment – Godliness w/ Contentment is great gain

World wants us to think that there is always something better

A)Buy this / or take this pill – have this operation - so on so on