We come this morning to the final commandment in the passage of Scripture that we refer to as the 10 Commandments. We have seen that God has given us principles by which we are to live. These principles govern our relationship to God and to others.
Put in simple terms, this command simply says that we should quit worrying about what our neighbor has. It is his, not ours. We need not be like, better than, or superior to our neighbor. Set our priorities on God, not our neighbor’s possessions. Leave our neighbor’s possessions alone. Leave our neighbor’s mate alone, and be satisfied with what God has given us.
I. THE REQUIREMENT
Covetousness is an uncontrolled desire to acquire.
A. Notice four things we are not to covet:
1. Don't covet your neighbor's house.
2. Don't covet your neighbor's wife.
3. Don't covet your neighbor's manservant or maidservant.
4. Don't covet your neighbor's ox or donkey.
B. This is a very difficult command to obey for two reasons:
1. Advertising stimulates a desire for more.
2. So much emphasis in this culture is directly attached to possessions.
a. You are successful if ...
b. You can feel good about yourself if...
II. REASONS
A. Coveting destroys contentment.
1. Destination Disease says, "When I get (you fill it in), then I'll be happy."
(ECCL 5:10) "HE THAT LOVETH SILVER SHALL NOT BE SATISFIED WITH SILVER; NOR HE THAT LOVETH ABUNDANCE WITH INCREASE: THIS IS ALSO VANITY."
2. However, things do not satisfy!
B. Coveting destroys friendships.
(1 KI 21:4) "AND AHAB CAME INTO HIS HOUSE HEAVY AND DISPLEASED BECAUSE OF THE WORD WHICH NABOTH THE JEZREELITE HAD SPOKEN TO HIM: FOR HE HAD SAID, I WILL NOT GIVE THEE THE INHERITANCE OF MY FATHERS. AND HE LAID HIM DOWN UPON HIS BED, AND TURNED AWAY HIS FACE, AND WOULD EAT NO BREAD."
(JAMES 4:1-2) "FROM WHENCE COME WARS AND FIGHTINGS AMONG YOU? COME THEY NOT HENCE, EVEN OF YOUR LUSTS THAT WAR IN YOUR MEMBERS? {2} YE LUST, AND HAVE NOT: YE KILL, AND DESIRE TO HAVE, AND CANNOT OBTAIN: YE FIGHT AND WAR, YET YE HAVE NOT, BECAUSE YE ASK NOT."
C. Coveting devastates budgets.
D. But the primary reason that it is wrong to covet is that it obscures the spiritual.
(LUKE 12:15) "AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, TAKE HEED, AND BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS: FOR A MAN'S LIFE CONSISTETH NOT IN THE ABUNDANCE OF THE THINGS WHICH HE POSSESSETH."
(1 TIM 6:17) "CHARGE THEM THAT ARE RICH IN THIS WORLD, THAT THEY BE NOT HIGHMINDED, NOR TRUST IN UNCERTAIN RICHES, BUT IN THE LIVING GOD, WHO GIVETH US RICHLY ALL THINGS TO ENJOY;"
III. OUR RESPONSE
A. Open our eyes.
(1 TIM 6:6) "BUT GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT IS GREAT GAIN."
(PHIL 4:12-13) "I KNOW BOTH HOW TO BE ABASED, AND I KNOW HOW TO ABOUND: EVERY WHERE AND IN ALL THINGS I AM INSTRUCTED BOTH TO BE FULL AND TO BE HUNGRY, BOTH TO ABOUND AND TO SUFFER NEED. {13} I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHICH STRENGTHENETH ME."
(HEB 13:5) "LET YOUR CONVERSATION BE WITHOUT COVETOUSNESS; AND BE CONTENT WITH SUCH THINGS AS YE HAVE: FOR HE HATH SAID, I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE, NOR FORSAKE THEE."
B. Open your hands.
(MAT 6:19-21) "LAY NOT UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES UPON EARTH, WHERE MOTH AND RUST DOTH CORRUPT, AND WHERE THIEVES BREAK THROUGH AND STEAL: {20} BUT LAY UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES IN HEAVEN, WHERE NEITHER MOTH NOR RUST DOTH CORRUPT, AND WHERE THIEVES DO NOT BREAK THROUGH NOR STEAL: {21} FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE WILL YOUR HEART BE ALSO." (2 COR 9:6) "BUT THIS I SAY, HE WHICH SOWETH SPARINGLY SHALL REAP ALSO SPARINGLY; AND HE WHICH SOWETH BOUNTIFULLY SHALL REAP ALSO BOUNTIFULLY."
C. Open your heart.
1. If you have never been saved, open your heart to Jesus Christ.
a. Acknowledge our need.
b. Accept God’s provision through Jesus Christ.
c. Ask God to forgive us.
2. If you are a Christian, open your heart and be content with what God has for us.
a. "Godliness with contentment is great gain." Cf 1 Tim 6:6
b. Do not believe the lie of the devil, God will not keep any good thing from us.
c. (Psa 84:11) "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."
3. Let’s learn to open our heart to the needs of others.
a. Riches and material wealth are just tools to be used to minister to the needs of others.
b. Are we only concerned with our needs, our family, etc.?
c. Time and time again the Lord calls us to look to others and not ourselves.
Contentment is the opposite of covetousness. Are we content this morning? Content spiritually....have you been born again? Do you know the contentment of being sure of your salvation? Why not come this morning and allow us to show you from the Word of God how you can be saved.
Christians, are we content with our lives? Are we looking to God with thanksgiving in our hearts for the way that He has blessed us? I am not talking about being complacent, but contented that God is in control and at work in and through us. Praise Him this morning for His greatness and His goodness that He has expressed in our lives.
Covetousness looks to others while contentment looks to God. Are we looking to the Lord today?