Where Are Your Riches? - The 10th Command
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Where are Your Riches? - The 10th Command
Ex. 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house; (B)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 belongs to your neighbor."
To covet: To desire greatly that which belongs to another (Neg) (Better known as GREED) or the higher ways of God (Pos).
There is a story I heard once that goes something like this…(parable about the rich man that was granted permission to bring one suitcase full of anything he wanted to heaven…Pavement Crew!)
Have you ever looked at someone you know and thought, “It must be nice to afford all those things?” I know I have at times. It is a constant battle!!! Satan would like nothing more than to keep us in a constant state of worry!
If anyone has been paying attention to the latest economic news, we have seen some very troubling reports about the global economy!
Where are you looking for riches? Are you looking for them in the stock market, your job or perhaps your 401(K)? Are you worried? If we are honest, we will probably say “YES!” I will confess to you all today that I have been very worried and ANGRY these past few weeks with all the news of the “Wall street bail out”! I have even called and written my congressman and senators to express my opinion.
Today I want us to think about our personal definition of “riches”.
Let’s take a look at some of the warnings of scripture concerning coveting…
Luke 12:13 Someone in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." 14But He said to him, "(A)Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?" 15Then He said to them, "(B)Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed (Covetousness-Greek: desire to have more); for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." 16And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive. 17"And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' 18"Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, (C)you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."' 20"But God said to him, '(D)You fool! This very night (E)your soul is required of you; and (F)now who will own what you have prepared?' 21"So is the man who (G)stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
Psalm 10: For the wicked (A)boasts of his (B)heart's desire, And [a]the greedy man curses and (C)spurns the LORD.
1 Cor. 5:11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called (A)brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or (B)an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one.
1 Cor 6:9 Or (A)do you not know that the unrighteous will not (B)inherit the
Eph. 5: For this you know with certainty, that (A)no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom (B)of Christ and God.
2 Tim 3:1 But realize this, that (A)in the last days difficult times will come.
2For men will be (B)lovers of self, (C)lovers of money, (D)boastful, (E)arrogant, (F)revilers, (G)disobedient to parents, (H)ungrateful, (I)unholy, 3(J)unloving, irreconcilable, (K)malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, (L)haters of good, 4(M)treacherous, (N)reckless, (O)conceited, (P)lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5holding to a form of (Q)godliness, although they have (R)denied its power; (S)Avoid such men as these.
How many times have any of us said to ourselves, “I want one of those (you fill in the blank) and then spend much time and effort to get that thing?”
How often do we “window shop” at the mall, looking through a catalog or browsing online?”
Have you ever thought about something for so long you could not stand it anymore and went a head and bought it?
1 Tim 3:1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires (Greek: oregÅ – meaning desire or covet) to the (B)office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE THE GOOD FORM OF COVETING…THE THINGS OF GOD!!!
2(C)An overseer, then, must be above reproach, (D)the husband of one wife, (E)temperate, prudent, respectable, (F)hospitable, (G)able to teach, 3(H)not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, (I)free from the love of money.
1 Tim 6:6 But godliness actually is a means of (N)great gain when accompanied by (O)contentment. 7For (P)we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. 8If we (Q)have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 9(R)But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and (S)a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.
10For (T)the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have (U)wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
11But (V)flee from these things, you (W)man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, (X)faith, (Y)love, perseverance and gentleness. 12(Z)Fight the good fight of (AA)faith; (AB)take hold of the eternal life (AC)to which you were called, and you made the good (AD)confession in the presence of (AE)many witnesses.
Godliness with contentment…
Are you godly? What is it to be content?
What is your personal definition of “riches”. There are only two things that I can think of that will last for eternity:
1) Our relationship with Jesus Christ
2) Our relationships with each other (Family, Friends, Believers and the unsaved)
How should we live our lives?
1) Love God with all our hearts
2) Seek first the Kingdom of heaven
3) Love your neighbor as your self
Do you apply these to how you shop, how you work, what you read, what you watch and how you spend your time?
If you will begin to honestly evaluate your life on these three principles, God will show you where to make changes that will truly bring LIFE!
If we will strive to apply these three things to every aspect of our lives and frame everything we do around them, we will find what are really TRUE RICHES!!!
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