Thank you for reading the Weekend Sermon. It is good to be able to post the sermon this week. As I have said previously, it is the highlight of the week.
I am just about finished with all of the revisions for the book that I've been working on. It has taken me longer to finish up than I'd originally anticipated, but I think that it is a pretty good book. I will give you more information about the book when there is a publication date. Please pray that all continues to go well with this project.
I want to thank all of you who prayed regarding the bad storms we were having in my area. We have had way too much rain lately. My house is still fine, but heavy rain is once again predicted for this weekend. I would ask that you please continue to be in prayer regarding this matter.
In prayer this week, let us remember the people of Taiwan and Louisiana who are still recovering from the storms they have had to deal with. Also, continue to pray for an end to the Zika virus. We had been praying that the Ebola epidemic in Africa would stop. I've not heard much on that front lately, so I am taking that as a good sign and thanking the Lord that things are improving on that front.
Please continue to pray for peace in the world. Syria, Libya and South Sudan have been at the forefront of my thoughts this week. For our prayer focus countries, let us pray that many people will hear about the love of Jesus in Kazakhstan and Vietnam this week.
One of the sermon series that we've been going through this summer was on the Ten Commandments. This week's sermon will bring our series on the Ten Commandments to a close. This week, we concentrate our attention on the final commandment which tells us not to covet our neighbors house, wife, animals or other possessions. One of the best definitions that I have read about what it means to covet states that to covet means to wrongfully desire something that someone else has without regard to the due rights of the other person.
When we covet something in the context of this commandment, it means that we want something that someone else has, and we will do what we can to try to get it away from them. Of course, this is not a Biblical attitude by any means. The Lord wants us to be grateful for the things that he has provided for us in life. When we aren't happy with what we have and want what someone else has because we find it better in some way, that is an expression of ungratefulness.
It also expresses an attitude that our lives are focused on the things that we possess. It is a manifestation of the fact that we are intent on building up for ourselves treasures on earth and not treasures in heaven.
So many people are engaged throughout their lives in comparing themselves to others and trying to achieve what someone else has or what someone else has accomplished. They are obsessed with keeping up.
For instance, if the neighbor gets a new car, suddenly the good car the we might have isn't good enough anymore. We have to have one like theirs or better than theirs. This isn't the way our lives are to be focused. Our focus is not to be on worldly gain and worldly ideas of success.
In regard to the idea of success, so many are focused on building what the world deems a successful career. They compare themselves to their classmates or friends, and then become upset when they think that they don't measure up in some way to what others have done. I've been guilty of this is my life.
One non-Christian spiritual teacher I was listening to said something that I think is so true. He said, "Life is not a competition." I agree, Jesus told us again and again to focus on what is important. We are to lay up treasure in Heaven. That means we are to fulfill the Great Commission and do as much good in this world as we possibly can. We aren't to spend our time trying to get what someone else has in regard to earthly possessions.
Now, I want to give a word of caution. Sometimes this commandment is misused into keeping the oppressed in a state of oppression. This shouldn't be. There are great injustices in this world. There are many people in this world who are exploited by the rich and powerful. Some people barely have enough to put food on the table.
Often in history, the rich, the powerful and the exploiters would use verses like this commandment and other Scriptures to tell people that they shouldn't want economic justice or betterment. They would justify their exploitation as God's will. People were told that they should just look forward to better things in Heaven.
Sadly, religious leaders often joined in with the powerful and the oppressors. Things like this give religion a bad reputation.
There is nothing wrong with trying to get enough for your family. Of course it is right and good for someone to want to help his family have enough to eat, good clothes and a good house and healthcare. That is not coveting. That is wanting what is fair and decent in life.
The church should never be on the side of those seeking to oppress others. The church should stand on the side of those seeking economic and social justice in the world.
I think the best way that we should view this commandment is that we should not set our focus on worldly gain. We shouldn't try to just keep trying to collect more and more stuff when we already have plenty, and we shouldn't try to get what someone else has.
This ends our series on the Ten Commandments. I've enjoyed going through this series and the series on lessons from the animals during the summer.
Next week, Lord willing, we will begin a new series of messages on what I am referring to as lesser known Bible characters. We will look at the lives of some of the people in both the Old and New Testaments who we don't hear sermons on very often. I hope you will join me for this series of messages. This series will take us to Advent and maybe a few weeks after that. Early in 2017, it is my plan at this time to have a series covering all the parables of Jesus.
I will post the verses on Monday, and I will have a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
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