You Shall Not Covet

Radiant Church, June 30, 2019 Mike Rydman You Shall Not Covet Exodus 20:17 Let’s review: Exodus 20:1-2 And God spoke all these words, saying, I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. God has led them out of slavery He is now going to tell them how to live a free men and women No other gods before me (don’t worship false gods) No images of God (don’t worship God falsely) Don’t take the Name of God in vain (honor God’s holiness) Remember/observe the Sabbath (honor our dependence on God) Honor your father and mother (honor the authority of God Do not murder (instead of hatred, honor those made in the image of God) Do not commit adultery (instead of lust, honor marriage as honoring our covenant relationship with God) Do not steal (care about other people like God cares for us) Do not bear false witness against your neighbor (protect the unity of the Church, and the Church’s unity with Christ) Exodus 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s. This is another way of saying: “Love your neighbor A good safeguard against many other sins (especially Commandments 6-9) Discontent Spouse, kids, family, house, cars, vacations, jobs Why is my life so hard, when other people’s lives are easy? Life isn’t fair; God has not been fair with me Ephesians 5:3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be names among you, as is proper among saints. Coveting is listed with other things that kill a covenant community We are not only saved from sin, but also to lifetime commitment to Christ within a body of believers. It’s not wrong to desire things; it’s wrong when we desire the wrong things When we desire wrong things, it comes from wrong motives/desires “If only I could have what they have, then I would be happy” Coveting fails to love your neighbor as yourself Psalm 73:2-3 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. You might be coveting if: You’re willing to hurt others to get more for yourself If you’re preoccupied with making and accumulating more If you’re unwilling to give up what you already have If you grumble often about your own situation 1 Timothy 6:6-8 But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. We don’t get joy from coveting; we get joy through contentment The people’s response to hearing (seeing) the word of God expressed in the Ten Commandments: Exodus 20:18-20 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightening and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” Fear/Awe/Respect for Who God is, and Humility/Gratitude for what God has done through Jesus is what keeps us from rebellion against Him Dean Inserra/The Unsaved Christian“ We need to be saved from God, by God, to a relationship with God that is expressed in the worship of Jesus Christ.” John 14:15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments If we want to love Jesus as He deserves and He desires, we will keep His commandments. We need help to love Jesus – therefore we need help to obey Jesus. And Jesus, knowing this, gives the Holy Spirit to those who believe and are His John 14:16-17 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.