The Tenth Commandment, Ex 20:17
 
 Introduction:
  1. People often are mistaken concerning the differences
     between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
   a. Say Old Test. deals only with externals; New Test.
      with attitudes and motivations.
   b. There is nothing inferior about the ethical norms of
      Old Testament.
     (1) in fact, they are strikingly continuous and 
         compatible.
     (2) they must, for they have the same unchanging God.
   c. The basic difference is their relationship to Jesus
      Christ.
     (1) Old Test. is a promissory covenant.
     (2) New Test. a completed revelation of God's salvation
         plan
 2. Sin really lies more in the heart than in the hands
    (1) it begins on inside and later shows itself in sinful
        action
    (2) both Old Test. and New Test. teach this.
    (3) Genuine change will have to be produced by altering
        state of mind.
    (4) Rom 12:2
        Eph 4:22-24
 3. The 10th commandment also deals with this heart attitude
    problem.
 
    The 10th Command
 
 1. Breaking this 10th rule for right living can lead to
    violating all others.
   a. to covet 1st place is to deity self and set God aside.
   b. to covet physical assurances in worship can lead to 
      idolatry.
   c. to covet recognition by others can lead to taking 
      God's name in vain.
   d. to covet time for selfish plans can lead to breaking
      Sabbath principle.
   e. to covet our parent's freedom and cause to reject
      their authority.
   f. to covet anothers position in society can lead to 
      murder.
   g. to covet his wife can lead to adultery
   h. to covet his property can lead to stealing.
   i. to covet his good name and cause bearing false 
      witness.

 2. What is covetousness?
  a. Hebrew word literally means "enthusiastic desire" --
     good or bad.
    I Cor 14:1
    I Cor 12:31
    Luke 12:15
  b. When strong desires are misdirected (i.e. toward 
    another's possessions or thing aquired dishonestly)
    they are wrong -- evil.
  c. Broad term embracing all forms of greed -- 
     misdirected energy, heart set on wrong goals.

 3. Examples
   a. King Ahab and Naboth's vineyard
      I King 21:1-16 Death= Naboth's 36 men Uriah
   b. Achan, Josh 7:16-26
   c. David/Bathsheba, 2 Sam 11:1-4
 4. We can be covetous without being a thief, adultress,
    murderer.
   a. Prov 21:26
   b. antithetical parallelism - 1st line names an act,
      2nd the opposite.
   c. wicked covets and holds onto everything -- righteous
      are generous givers.
   d. a person is covetous who lets his values get so
      warped that he desires all the wrong things and
      neglects all the good.
   e. Christians are to set heart on spiritual, not
      covetous  (Col 3:1-5)
  
 Why covetous is so evil.
 
 5. The covetous judge all things from selfish motive
   a. Luke 12:15 - life doesn't consist of accumilating
     things or wealth.
   b. Covetousness lives and breathes in an atmosphere of
      the single desire to get and never give.
 6. How can we restrain covetousness?
   a. Cultivate your own strengths and abilities
     (1) don't resent and envy others' assets -- use your
     own.
   b. Learn to rejoice with others' good fortune.
     (1) Rom 12:15
     (2) It is a mean spirit which resents the good others
         receive and do!
   c. Be content with the things you have.
     (1) I Tim 6:6-8
         Luke 3:10-14
     (2) Most can see the line between godly ambition and
         discontent.
   d. Trust God
 7. Contentment is a unique quality that doesn't long for
   things merely for status, power, or carnal pleasure.
    Matt 6:33
 8. It is fitting that this rule was saved for last.
 
 II. One Rule Covers All
 
 1. As we mentioned earlier, the two covenants are not as
 different as many think.
  a. the entire Bible develops a single theme: the
     redemption of sinful man by divine grace.
  b. the New Test. grows out of and continues what was
     begun in the Old Test (old never claimed to be the 
     final word) (Deut 18:15,18)
  c. There are not two Gods in the Bible.
     (1) a Creator-God of Law, Justice, and Wrath in O.Test.
     (2) a Redeemer God of Love, Grace, and Mercy in N.Test.
  d. Both covenants express love and law -- let's be clear
     about how they relate to each other (Law and Grace)

  2. Which command is most important?  The 11th    :)
     a. Jewish rabbis identified 613 commands in Old Test.
        (248 positive, 365 prohibitions)
     b. They debated regularly about which was most 
        important 
       Matt 22:34-36
       (1) this attitude fostered legalism.  "great"
       were necessary, "least" weren't.  Their idea of
       great wasn't necessarily God's view
        Matt 23:16-24
       (2) Jesus answered, Mt 22:37-39
           a. let's center our lives around LOVE
           b. Love God dealt with the 1st four commands
                  (Ex 20)
           c. Love for fellow man covered the last 6
              commands (Ex 20)
  Salvation is not a checklist of "do's" and "don'ts" not
  by keeping more than is broken. 
   
  c. The greatest command is LOVE
  d. Love is the right motivation for keeping divine law, 
     and divine law is the only proper guideline for 
     expressing love correctly.
   Gal 5:6, 3:10-13
   I Cor 13:1-3
 3. Grace doesn't grant freedom to set aside God's rules
    for right living.
   Rom 5:19
   Rom 6:2
 4. Law and Love are compatible
   John 14:15
   John 23:24
   I John 5:3
   Rom 13:8-10
 5. Listen to Jesus' explanation of why He lived the way
    He did.
   John 14:31

 Conclusion:
  1. Love is the one command that obligates us to all the
     others.
  2. Law and Love are not enemies
     a. Law needs love as its driving force.
     b. Love needs law as its eyes.
  3. Because God loves us, He has given us rules to live
     by for our good.
  4. Because we love God, we will pledge ourselves to
     respect and keep all God's rules for right living.
 
 =END=