Sermon Tone Analysis

7 Deadly Sins - Coveting (Rough Draft)

Introduction-

Joshua 7

I. Start Right out with Achan

Research Quote - John D Rockefeller (one of the wealthiest men of his time - owned most of the oil business in America) was asked, How much money is enough money?

“Just a little more.”

And so it is with our nature to think that more will be enough.

Our souls are not like our stomachs.

Our soul is like the stomach of an 18 year old guy.

When fed from this world our soul can never be full.

Commentary - today as we look at our 2nd of 7 deadly sins we look at coveting.

Commentary - today as we look at our 2nd of 7 deadly sins - coveting.

Coveting is desiring something more than you desire God.

Today we will look at how God desires to free us from this.

Lets pray.

In we are given an important Old Testament teaching on coveting.

Coveting will leave me with consequences I never thought would happen.

... take you further than you thought you would go

… effect those around you in ways that are unpredectble

In Joshua chapter 7 we are introduced to a man named Achan.

A man who struggled with coveting.

sets up our story.

The people of Israel went in to conquer the Promised Land.

The first city was Jericho.

The Israelites were told to destroy everything in the city and take no plunder for themselves, but all silver and gold were to go into God’s treasury.

God worked a miracle.

He caused the impenetrable city walls of Jericho (6 feet thick) to fall outward and gave a victory to the Israelites over this well fortified city.

This battle the was won against this city was totally the Lord’s doing.

BUT - Every story has a big butt in it.

- A man named Achan coveted silver, gold and a robe and secretly took what God said not to take.

This man Achan robed God.

God said to give the gold and silver to his treasury.

Achan took it for himself.

But this was a secret.

Only the man Achan and God knew what happened.

The Israelites after having this great battle at Jericho, and feeling really good about God’s help, go on their campaign to a small weak city of Ai.

They only sent 3,000 troops to handle this small city.

This is an easy battle.

It’s a 3 inch put - just a tap in.

Even by mans standards 3,000 troop would overwhelm such a small city.

The Lord’s hand was against them.

They lost the battle and 36 people died.

The Lord’s hand was against them because Achan had robbed God, coveted and stole the Gold, silver and robe.

In front of probably over a million Israelites - God calls out Achan the coveting thief and his family.

Achan has to stand in front of all these people and give an account.

Achan says this when he is confronted about his coveting and stealing.

Josh 7:25-26

Achan never thought that coveting would take him to the place where 36 soldiers died because of his sin.

Achan never expected that taking the robe, gold and silver would cause the death of himself and his family.

And when you covet, you never think that there will be severe consequences.

We think that coveting is something hidden on the inside that no one sees and that it stays hidden.

Coveting - exacts from us a high price.

A price higher than we ever imagine.

Achan and his family are stoned to death and burned.

When we covet:

Coveting defined briefly -

-our mind esteems something or someone as greater in value than God.

-our heart desires a thing or a person above it’s desire for God.

-our hands reach out to something or someone more than they reach out to God.

Story of coveting -

-our soul worships something above God.

The heart of a worshiper of God says, “Jesus is better”

The heart of coveter says, “my want is better”.

We live in a culture that approves of coveting.

Our culture approves of us gaining “happiness” using the next thing, the next relationship, the next experience - as our temporary happy fix.

Coveting will leave you with consequences you never thought would happen.

The person who coveted wealth never thought they would find themselves wasting the money they needed to feed their family on scratch off tickets.

The man or woman who covets shiny vehicles or new clothes never thought they would find themselves in unmanageable debt.

The person who covets the warm full feeling of when they overeating never thought second helpings would eventually land them with serious medical problems.

The New Testament word for coveting is Lust.

The woman who hides her lust for a man who will tell her she is beautiful or a man who hides his lust for the shape of a woman … Never thought there lust, there coveting, would leave them so deeply dissatisfied in their marriage.

Achan in our O.T. story never thought his coveting would cause 36 people to lose their life.

Achan in our O.T. story never thought his coveting would cause 36 people to lose their life.

Coveting will leave you with consequences you never thought would happen.

As Christ followers are called to live a life that finds it’s deep satisfaction in God.

The beauty of God is that He desires to save us from the sin that draws us away from Him, and also the consequences that this sin would bring on our lives.

Isn’t God good?

Isn’t He a God that loves that warns us of what can wreck us?

Would you in your heart right now worship God and tell Him,

“God you are good for pulling me away from coveting.”

God and His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.

As Christ followers are called to live a life that finds its deep satisfaction in God.

Not in Stuff.

Transition - So if coveting is so poisonous to us, how do I avoid it?

So we find the fight against coveting is not just against our flesh, but against our culture.

-It is something that other people do not understand.

In the 10 commandments - the last commandment is against coveting - the beauty of the command against coveting is that God is trying to save us from the addiction to trying to find satisfaction in more.

-When you try to be satisfied is something more than God you waste you life by chasing your tail.

You waste years of your life, years of your passion, lots of money.

Of all the 10 commandments does God warn about the addiction to alcohol?

Or … No, but He tries to stop us from an addiction to living for more.

2. How do I do war against Coveting?

In the fight against terror the U.S. developed bomb that would destroy bunkers and tunnels in Afganistan.

It is the largest non nuclear bomb the U.S. has ever produced.

It is 22,000-pound and called "MOAB" — stands for “Massive Ordnance Air Blast”, or as it's also known, the "Mother of All Bombs".

Every war calls for specialized weaponry that will help fight against the enemy.

We are going to look at 4 verses.

I want you to observe similarity in these New Testament texts that talk about coveting.

In our fight against Coveting I was to you to observe 3 steps that we see in several New Testament verses about coveting.

This is our special warhead against coveting.