Deuteronomy 5:21 – “And you shall not covet.”

Jon Beck

My sermon notes for Sunday morning, Nov 8th as we walk through the book of Deuteronomy. Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon.  They are provided to help you follow the sermon as you listen each week. The church provides a live stream of the service each Sunday at 10:45 on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/firstbaptistavonpark/  We also provide the services through our website by Sunday afternoon at www.fbcap.net

Deuteronomy 5:21 – And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.

COVET

To want and DESIRE wrongly. To wrongly want something someone else has. (an unhealthy ambition)

You neighbor’s spouse

  • They are nice looking
  • They act differently then my spouse
  • I wish my spouse treated me like that

Your neighbor’s house, servant, ox, donkey

  • They have nice stuff.
  • More than me, better than me

Or anything that is your neighbors

  • their talents and abilities
  • job, success,
  • family
We should take it very serious

Romans 1:28–32 – [28] And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. [29] They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, [30] slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, [31] foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. [32] Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. (ESV)

Ephesians 5:1–5 – [1] Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. [2] And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.[3] But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. [4] Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. [5] For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (ESV)

THIS DOES NOT MEAN we cannot have ambition… a desire for things or for a desire for things to be different.

The Key to not COVETING is CONTENTMENT

We want what someone else has….AND when our DESIRE leads to DISCONTENTMENT

Not satisfied with what GOD HAS GIVEN (HIS PROVISION AND CARE)

  • Confusing needs and wants
  • Colossians 3:5 –  Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (ESV)

WE BEGIN TO GRUMBLE ABOUT OUR MARRIAGE, OUR HOME, OUR JOB.

  • WHEN WE GRUMBLE we are questioning God
    • His Wisdom – He knows what is best
    • His Love – He knows what is best for His glory and our benefit.
The Seriousness of it

To Covent…or lack of Contentment (the 10th commandment) could be viewed as a summation of the other 9 commandments

  • Contentment with my HEAVENLY RELATIONSHIP
  • Contentment with my EARTHLY RELATIONSHIPS

HEART FOR God

  • I am content in who He is and my relationship with Him.
    • HE IS ENOUGH
  • I am content in my daily life with HIM
    • LIVING DAILY FOR HIS GLORY…not dependent on stuff that I do not have, but in what God has provided.
    • PROVIDED FROM HIM TO ME
    • WHAT I HAVE AND HOW I SHOW IT. (GRARTITUDE!!!!)

1 Timothy 6:6–10 – [6] But godliness with contentment is great gain, [7] for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. [8] But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. [9] But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. [10] For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (ESV)

OUR GREATEST UNDERSTANDING OF CONTENTMENT AND GRATITUDE IS REMEMBERING AND REJOICING IN WHO I AM IN CHRIST. (Paul gives a great example)

Philippians 4:10–13 – [10] I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. [11] Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. [12] I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. [13] I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (ESV)

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