Sermon – “You Shall Not…(Part 2)”

6 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” 18 Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. 19 Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” 20 And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” 21 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was. 22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. 23 You shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves. 24 An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you. 25 And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it.

29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps his soul from troubles.

29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

5-6 Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.

9-11 Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.

A talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. 2 Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. 3 So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” 4 Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. 5 And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.”

And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.” 3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!” 4 So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food. 5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit so sullen that you eat no food?” 6 He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ ” 7 Then Jezebel his wife said to him, “You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. 3 But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. 4 And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! 6 And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.” 7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! 9 Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon.

So this morning we’re going to wrap up our series on the Ten Commandments the title of the message you shall not again but it’s part two you shall not pour too we’re going to do the ninth and tenth command today. But as we go to the prayer of this as I go to prayer of thought of a couple that we forgot. To pray for Mom’s not feeling well. And Sandy is having issues with her neck so and your buddy Jimmy Jimmy my mom and Sandy so I was up or able at those intercept Marsalis to those few up also as we play. Heavenly father we again just come before you with hearts of praise hearts of adoration by that we thank you for the privilege to come into your house and praise and worship you to congregate together in your name we just thank you for your presence in this place we believe and know that your spirit is here and father made your spirit move freely Today Father we just give you permission to have your room way here today you don’t need permission father for your god we acknowledge dad we just thank you for being here father dispraise you would just touch all of our hearts with your presence with your word may we leave this place to glorify in our you father may we let your love flow through us is that some so let the river flow let your love flow through us Father for that’s what it’s about for us being able to share your love in your goodness with others and I pray that you would help prepare us for that today Father I pray that you would be with bronze friend Jimmy and just you know the need air that you would touch and intercede for prayed to be with Sandy and be with mom this much a healing hand be upon them father that they would both just be healed and delivered from their their sickness their illness father just be with them and be with Terri Sandmeyer Father we pray that she would get that good report and I just pray to just be with her through this entire deal dealing with cancer father and to. Pray that you would be glorified as pray that your name would be exalted father in this place to your people and in all things Lord May we rejoice and always be glad in Jesus’ name amen. So this morning again we’re going to read from Exodus. Going to go a little past the end of the tenth commandment to add a little bit this morning I do have seems like as I sent those scriptures to resent I think wow that is a ton of scripture and I’m sure they were saying the same thing but is not it won’t be it’s not as bad as it may seem OK Here the word of the Lord Exodus twenty first sixteen through twenty five you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor you shall not covet your neighbor’s house you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife nor his male servant nor his female servant nor his ox nor his donkey nor any thing that is Renee Bers now all the people witness the thunderings the lightning flashes the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking and when the people saw it they trembled and stood a far off the Moses then they said to Moses you speak with us and we will hear but let not God speak with us left lest we die. And Moses said to the people do not fear for God has come to test you and that his fear may be before you so that you may may not sin so the people stood a far off but Moses drew near the thick darkness were God was then the Lord said to Moses thus you still say to the children of Israel you have seen that I have talked with you from heaven you shall not make any thing to be with me gods of silver or gold or gods of gold you shall not make them for yourselves an altar of earth you shall make for me and you self sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings your sheep and. Oxen in every place where I record my name I will come to you and I will bless you and if you make an altar of stone you shall not build it a human stand for if you use your tool on it you have profaned it. You know as I was working on this this week. But later after I had to stop prepared the the issue about God’s presence there the thunderings the lightning is the flash of the flashes of lightning the trumpet sound and the mountain smoking. Awesome. In Me To me it’s like think about it you’ve been around these thunderstorms where you can feel the ground shake warm magine the presence of God upon this mountain God is letting those people know that he is God Did he is an awesome and mighty and powerful God I mean we might say well they should have went right up there with Moses Well put yourself in their shoes. They were literally shaking they were terrified. Because of the presence of God. Yes God is a loving God He is kind but what did you tell Moses tell him Don’t be afraid. And it just really come to me that God had just given them the Ten Commandments the law is that he expects them to follow the law as it shows them how they should live their lives if they want to live a life pleasing on to him and they he gives later the consequences of those sins. So the people were to know that. God saying I am a holy God I’m a mighty God there are the mountains drum on the mound shaking the mound smoking lightning flashing all over the place so that’s going to put the fear of God into them a good healthy fear that they need to have. Yes or God is loving but he is also a just God. The mountain I’m sure I’d have been shaken in my shoes just like the Israelites. Moses is the only one brave enough to give but again God says Do not fear. Because he is a God of compassion he is a God of love he is a God of kindness. You shall not bear false witness against your late your neighbor and what lies and that’s not really a play on words but lot what lies at the heart of this commandment is truthfulness. Do not lie against your neighbor do not bear false witness against your neighbor if we love our neighbors the way Jesus Christ commands us to love our neighbors we are not going to bear false witness against them in Mark chapter twelve vs twenty nine to thirty one Jesus answered him the first of all the commandments is hero Israel the Lord our God The Lord is one you shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart with all your soul with all your mind with all your strength that is the first commandment first number one above all things love God with all that is within you with all that you have your to love God so if you love God the way Jesus tells us you’re going to follow all those commandments you’re not going to have any graven images you’re not going to have any other gods before him you’re going to keep his Sabbath you’re going to do those thing because you love him then the second is like it he says is this you shall love your neighbor. As yourself there is no other commandment greater than these two and there is no other command greater than those two because if we love our neighbor as ourselves we are not going to bear false witness against them we’re not going to covet the things they have we’re not going to murder them we’re not going to do harm to them because we love them as we love ourselves so those two cover all the commandments do they not we should not speak unjustly nor falsely against our neighbor in any way that would tear them down to try to ruin the reputation someone once said that a honey bee finds sweetness because they are a B. because there are honey bee S. there nature right but what a vulture What about a vulture What does a vulture find they find rottenness right I mean I’ve been traveling right out to twenty or coming to church and seen them big all I’m going to call him vulture buzzards or turkey vultures there or on the side of a road feeding on a an old dead carcass rottenness that’s what they find it’s because that’s their nature when you talk about your neighbor. Or you like that honey bee or you like the vulture think about that for a moment you don’t have to raise your hand tell me but when you talk about you your neighbor or you like the honey bee are you searching for the sweetness that you know about that person. Or are you looking for the all the rottenness that you can dig up to share. Why I hope you’re like the honey bee. Looking for the sweetness and not the rottenness the Apostle Paul in writing to the fees and it’s said that their walk meaning their manner of life had caused their nature to be sinful and he jps to two and three they were not these people were not born Yule I didn’t have that scripture you can look it up they were not born sinful but had practiced it so long that they become their nature. They were not born critical but they develop that critical nature brothers and says we are not born with a critical nature but our walk. By the walk that we live we can become critical. Lord help us not to be critical we were not born gossip worse. But our walk our nature may lead us to be a gossip worse turn from it a calmness in Boston’s wrote an article in the Alabama Eagle and titled Keeping the mouse the trouble keeps troubles away from the soul well that’s actually a proverb Proverbs twenty one twenty three Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles she told this story about a gossip or. A gossip or said early in life I developed a tendency to repeat things anything kid talked home secrets adult gossip or things that I may have heard even behind closed doors and I suppose that made me feel important she said as the years passed I realize how wrong I was I tried to check the impulse to repeat what I heard but I still kept gossiping she just could not control the urge to gossip she said then something happened that made me take a good hard look at my bad habit. She said one day at a coffee party one nice spring day like a bomb dropped into a friendly chit chat one woman said I heard Elsie came to school drunk yesterday and Elsie was a pretty blonde senior in high school. Well a couple of days later she was returning a book that she had borrowed from a neighbor upon her arrival she found her neighbor and two other ladies that she didn’t know mix in a huge bowl of salad and she said my old repeat itis stuck struck she said I stand and there are not cyst out of the blue said Did you hear about Elsie coming to school drunk the other day while the room fell silent and one woman’s face turned pale. Because that was Elsie’s mother. So she learned a great lesson that day keep her mouth shut. Keep her mouth shut. You know the fact that God gave us mouse that clothes and ears that don’t should tell us something. So they not or should not write. Big quake to listen. But sometimes. A scape or a mouse shut there are several questions that we especially we as believers should ask ourselves before we say things is that according to a fusion is for twenty nine that no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth but what is good and necessary for edification that it may impart grace to the hearers is what we’re going to say going to edify our neighbors or brothers and sisters is that according to Colossians four five to six and this is coming from The Message Bible. Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders don’t miss a trick make the most of every opportunity be gracious. In your speech the goal was to bring out the best in others in a conversation not to put them down not to cut them out is to bring out the best in others should be your goal again back to that honeybee right is what we’re going to say true Paul said in Colossians three one through ten and again from The Message Bible don’t lie to one another you’re done with that old life it’s like a filthy set of ill fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe every item of your new way of life is custom made by the Creator. With his label on it all the old fashions are now obsolete. I like that version when I read I was like that is so cool. Whenever we say that we are a believer in Jesus Christ we are Son of God. We have that label on us so the old is gone we are a whole new wardrobe a whole new set of clothes I am new to that song set where new again we are new in him and guess what and clues our tongues right. That includes our tongues everything we say. Is what we’re going to say gossip Proverbs eleven thirteen says a tale bear reveal secrets but he was of a faithful spirit conceals a matter and also in Proverbs twenty six twenty where there is no wood the fire goes out and where there is no tale bear strife ceases. If we hear that gossip we should be the ones to put an end to it it should go no farther than us we should not be the one to spread it we should not be the one to bear false witness it’s a stop here which the buck stops here. The gossip stops here with us don’t be a part of it. Even if a matter is true before we tell we should ask why am I telling this what do what do I have why do I want to tell it would do any good. What I want this told about me or someone that I love. Man that’s a lot of questions asked before we share some than there really is but you know what. We should do it that makes us be slow to speak and quick to listen doesn’t. Deal Moody in his first grade evangelist a campaign in the British Isles was followed by more of the rumors and criticism that dogged him an IRA Sankey movie was scorched for his motives and even his English because the movie Sankey hymn book was selling well in Britain and America the rumors arose that the two were growing rich off the Rory will tease in truth every dollar was put back into the work neither man made one penny of personal profit. Some even allege that movie was being backed by circus showman P.T. Barnum so there’s no wonder the movie said alive will get halfway around the world before the truth gets it boots on. How true. How true Do not be the ones to bear false witness. Speak the truth and often times we made them want to keep that quiet if it’s not going to esteem and build others up why would we want to tear them down. Do not bear false witness against your neighborhood. Let’s turn to that shalt not covet you shall not covet your neighbor’s house shall not cut your neighbor’s wife nor his mail server in the words female servant nor his ox the words donkey or anything that is your neighbor said today we should read you shall not covet your neighbor’s Chevrolet You shall not covet your neighbor’s Harley you shall not cover to neighbor’s house or as lawn you shall not covet your neighbor’s Jeep ers Dodge who would come out of Dodge Not me a. Little him or a. Dictionary defines covet as the desire or to wish for with eagerness to desire earnestly to obtain or possess you know there can be a good sense to cut it just a thought the definition of cut it doesn’t mean that it’s all bad. It can be bad but it could also be good it depends on why and what we earnestly desire correct. Paul says that we should earnestly desire the best gifts so we should covet the best gifts the best spiritual gifts call First Corinthians twelve twenty seven through thirty one. Now you are the Body of Christ and members individual and God has appointed these in the church first apostles second prophets third teachers after that miracles then gifts of healings helps administration varieties of tongues are all prophets are all of our all possibles are all prophets are all teachers are all workers of miracles to all have gifts of healings do all speak with tongues to all interpret but earnestly desire so that you can put in their earnestly covet the best gifts and yet I show you a more excellent way so if we are coveting someone’s goodness someone’s blessings or coveting the best gifts that’s a good way to cover it so not all covet the covetousness is bad. But to desire. Or to covet something in a bad sense is what we are commanded not to do. I think it’s important that we do not read more into this tenth commandment then it clearly states some might say well if a person longs for desires those things that I JUST FOR mentioned the cars or trucks for this or that that they’re breaking that tenth commandment Well there are plenty of other scripture to address those issues. This commandment is addressing one issue earnestly desiring seeking after that which be longs to someone else not necessarily the longing out of the many things as I said there’s plenty to get through that we might get to that but it’s desiring your neighbor’s wife your neighbor servants your neighbors cars or neighbors ox it’s very clear and there’s a couple very good examples in scripture that’s the reason I had so much scripture today because I don’t need stories from today there’s plenty of stories truth in the Bible in Second same you eleven one through five. And it happened in the spring of the year at the time when kings go out to battle that David sent Joab and his servants with them and all Israel and they destroyed the people of Amman and besieged. But David remained in Jerusalem then it happened one evening that David A rose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house and from the roof he saw a woman bathing and the woman was very beautiful to behold so David said an acquired about the woman and someone said Is this not by Sheba the daughter of a limb the wife of your ra of the Hittite then David sent messengers and took her and she came to him and he lay with her for she was cleansed from her impurity and she returned to her house and the woman can see so she sent old David and said I am with child. You know for many of us that live in America we don’t understand the authority that a king has in a nation. What the king says goes. There he is out there just walking around on the roof of the House sees a woman and says go get her for me so they go and get her. You know he didn’t have to call meeting of the the house the seat of the permission to go and get her. He didn’t have to have a vote on it he says Go and get or. They go and they get or he coveted another man’s wife his neighbor I mean the the commandment says do not covet your neighbor’s wife he’s on the house he looks down he sees or obviously she is a literal neighbor he covered it as her will get back to that there’s a second example of coveting one’s possessions and First Kings Chapter twenty one versus one through seven and it came to pass after these things that in a bath the Jets were light had a vineyard which was in jazz real next to the palace of a have king of some area so they have spoken the Ba’ath saying Give me your vineyard that I may have it for a vegetable garden because it is near next to my house so again their neighbors and for and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it or if it seems good to you I will give you it’s worth in money but not often said to a have the Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my father’s or give the inherits of my father’s to you so I have went into his house Saul and displease because of the word which now Baath the judge of light had spoken to him for he had said I will not give you the inheritance of my father’s and he laid down on his bed and turned away his face and would not eat no food but just a bell his wicked wife I had at an air Jess a bell his wife came to him and said to him why is your spears so solemn that you eat no food he said there because I spoke to the just relight and said to him Give me your vineyard for money or else if it pleases you I will give you another Vineyard for and he answered I will not give you my vineyard then Jed’s a bell his wife said to him you now exercise authority over Israel arise eat food let your heart be cheerful I will give you the vineyard and the box the just relight. She took it she had no Baf put the death took his vineyard. Took it from him and gave it to a have. Both of these scriptures reveal coveting something that belonged to a neighbor someone else it shows that whenever we covet that sin will lead to an even worse and. More sin. It will sleep to sin against man and also sin against God. Back to David. David as he had them bring but Sheba to him of course the scripture reveal that she was with child so she sends word back to him that she is with child so what does he do but the vases another plot in his head he devises this plan he has Joab bring your RA A back from the battlefield brings him to the palace and says Now GO GO TO YOUR HOUSE Well you’re right it shows what kind of man he is he would not go home to be with his wife because David’s plan was going to let him go home and be with his wife and he can think that the child is his oh what would have happened that child was born and he seen it it looked like David. But he had this planned this plot in his in his evil plan in his mind but your riot laid on the doorstep of the palace and would not go home to be with his wife so the next day it’s like well I’m going to try this again he gets him grow. Yet he still would not go home. To be with his wife he says how could I why my brothers are there on the battlefield fighting How could I go and be in the comfort of my wife the comfort of my home so he would not go so then David turns to is third plan he wrote a letter to the commander of the Army says put your Ryo. In the front line and when the battle was fierce draw back from him that he will die he sent that letter with your Raphael. He took the letter himself to the commander. So you can see that this covetousness turn to murder. Sin will lead to more sin but there are consequences to sin in Second Samuel. Chapter twelve versus one through nine then the Lord sent Nathan to David and he came to him and said to him there were two men in one city one rich in the other poor the rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds but the poor man had nothing except one little unit lamb which he had bought and nourished and it grew up that it grew up together with them and with his children it ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his own bosom and it was like a daughter to him and a traveler came to the rich man who refused to take from his own flock and from his own her to prepare one for the weight bearing man who had come to him but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared for the man who had come to him so David’s Agger was greatly aroused against him and he said to Nathan as the Lord lives the man who has done this I’ll surely die. And he shall restore fourfold for the land because he did this thing and because he had no pity the Nathan said to David you are that man thus says the Lord God of Israel I had no need you can go over Israel and I delivered you from the hand of solved I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping and gave you the house of Israel and Judah and if that had been too little I would have given you much more why have you despise the commandment of the Lord David knew the commandments he despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight you have killed your ra of the Hittite with the sword you have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the people of them on. Consequences. The sword never left David’s house. He had more strife in his life after this than anyone could imagine with his children he did it one completely unsavory because he sent those to get her but he had much more that sin and his family to follow and the openness his sons with his wives he paid the consequences. Covetousness is like a poison that would destroy. Bob James shared an example of how covered covetousness can destroy a person he laid a small circle of poison around a hill of stinging ants thinking the tiny granules of poison were food the ants began to pick them up and carry them throughout the colony Bob returned some time later to see how well the poison was working hundreds of these stinging ants were carrying the poison down into the hill then Bob noticed a hole in the circle of poison some of the poison was move in the opposite direction away from the Hill some smaller nonce thing in a man’s head found this food and were stealing it from the ant neighbors thinking that they were getting the other ant stranger they were carrying Knapp poison off which was going to kill them friends is that not what covetousness will do to us it is like a poison that will destroy. It will destroy us. Yes there are plenty of scriptures to warn against lusting after the things of the world Jesus says in Luke twelve fifteen and he said to them take heed and be aware of covetousness for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses but it consists in our love in our relationship with God. First Timothy six six or ten says now godliness with contentment is great gain for we have brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out and having food and clothing with these we shall be content but those who desire to be rich fall into temptation in a snare into many foolish and harmful us which drown men in destruction and perdition for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. For which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and peers themselves through with many sorrows friends money is not evil but is the love of it the covetousness of it what is Jesus tells Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to us his contentment. If we do not have contentment in our hearts then we are going to covet we are going to last we are going to eagerly earnestly desire the things of this world but when we have the peace of God the contentment of God in our hearts. Like the song the things of this world will grow strangely D.M. and surely they will they do when you allow God’s. Label when you allow God your New You put on a whole new set of clothes remember you’re his and allow that to permeate your tire being with all your heart soul mind and body all that you are and you won’t long for the things of this world you’ll long for him.