First Christian Church of De Queen

08/25/2026

What's on my mind? Anger management. ;)

08/25/2026

08/23/2026

THE MOCKER OUTSIDE THE WALL

Hopefully, by examining the Ten Commandments, each of us are inspecting and repairing the weaknesses in our spiritual wall of protection by confessing, repenting, and getting grace to obey God.

Even while we do this, the enemy never leaves, but continues to look for an opportunity to attack where we are not paying attention. He mocks our attempts to repair our wall of spiritual protection. He tells us we will never succeed; we will always fall short of the glory of God. The more we seek God, the more we deny ourselves, the more we try to obey, the louder our enemy gets, the more temptation he throws our way, and we feel we will never be what we are called to be. He wants to discourage us and cause us to stop repairing the wall.

This happened literally and physically in the days of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah 4:1-3 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, "What are those feeble Jews doing?
"Will they restore their wall?
"Will they offer sacrifices?
"Will they finish in a day?
"Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble -
burned as they are?"
Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, "What they are building--if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!"

Discovering the damage through honest examination with the Word of God is the first important step. After confessing our sin and changing our behavior, our spiritual wall is only half built. There is still work to be done, but unless we get God’s grace (His power inside us) to continue, we will get tired and discouraged as we find more weaknesses in our lives. We discover that anger resurfaces, that lust demands satisfaction again, depression reoccurs, and these stir a strong desire for escape. Without the strength of the Holy Spirit, we lose our will to fight and give into Satan’s temptations again.

Then Satan mocks us for being weak.

In defeat, we mistakenly avoid God. Like Adam and Eve, we are ashamed and we hide from God. Prayer, worship, Bible study - in short, our communion with the Lord - all cease because of an overpowering sense of disgrace. In effect, we cut ourselves off from the only source of grace (His power inside us), wisdom, freedom, and victory.

The enemy tells us it is no use trying, we will never change, God is not with us, we will never build the wall, nor will it withstand his assaults. But, this is where he lies to us and we forget that God is the builder and our protector.

Psalm 127:1
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

Hebrews 3:4
For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.

God is the architect and builder of our wall of protection. We are redeemed laborers under His direction. As we obey the instructions of God’s Spirit, we need to distinguish the difference between good building material and rubble.

Good building material will stand the stress and trials put upon it; rubble will crumble under the same strain.

Satan’s lies are rubble, often twisted, half-truths of God’s Word. They are meant to deceive but we can identify them with the Spirit and Truth of God’s Word. Sometimes there are places in our lives with so much rubble, it seems hopeless that any change can be successful.

However, no one is too messed up for God. He will rebuild our lives from the mess we are in if we give Him control. He will show us what needs to be discarded and what is still useful.

To begin rebuilding, we need to identify the holes and hypocrisy in our wall.

“Holes” are sin that allows the enemy easy access. They are not defensible. Those places in our lives must be repaired with good building material—the Truth, repentance, and obedience.

Hypocrisy is a place in the wall that has been built with rubble. It looks good on the outside but is rotten to the core. Hypocrisy gives mental assent to God’s Word but does not obey it. Only the convicting grace of the Holy Spirit can expose our hypocrisy, soften our hard hearts, and grant genuine repentance.

Proverbs 28:13-14
He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

We must have the Word of God as our standard and use it to gradually grow in faith. At the same time, we must patiently allow others to grow in faith. Remember, those without Christ do not have the ability to walk in the Spirit. It is our job to humbly and lovingly try to help them see their need for salvation. We can acknowledge our struggle with sin and point them to Jesus, but we must be pursuing Him ourselves. We must put away our hypocrisy and grow up to be like Jesus.

1 Peter 2:1-3
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation - if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Second, we need to recognize the difference between conviction and condemnation.

Conviction comes from the Holy Spirit, with a calling to a higher plane. Condemnation comes from the enemy, shouting to us from outside the wall, declaring we are failures, that God does not love us, and we will never be any better. The Truth is:

1Thessalonians 1:4-5
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.
You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

Romans 8:1-2
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Temptation is not the same thing as disobedience. Satan is the tempter. Then he condemns us for being tempted. God does not tempt anyone. He gives us the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin and empowers us to defeat the tempter.

James 1:13-15
When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me."
For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

To continue building our spiritual wall, our minds must be renewed to the Truth and old mental habits discarded. Do we have our minds set on what the enemy entices us with, or do we set our minds upon the Spirit? Do we focus on Jesus, and by God’s grace throw off the temptation to sin that easily entangles us?

Hebrews 12:1-4
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

Third, we need to know the difference between repentance and rebellion. The difference should be obvious, but many who claim to walk in repentance still disobey God. They are deceiving themselves.

Repentance is not a one-time act. It is a lifestyle. Repentance is a change of direction in our lives, where we follow Jesus instead of our fleshly desires.

Rebellion is where we remain our own god, doing what we please, excusing our actions, and justifying our decisions. Rebellion allows for “small” infractions and does not like to be told it is wrong. When we walk in rebellion, we are following Satan, not Jesus.

1 John 2:1-6
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.
But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.
The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him.
This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

Again, repentance is a lifestyle. God is after children who resemble Jesus. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. He changes us as we submit to Him, and our spiritual wall becomes stronger and taller by His grace. In this way, we gain victory and freedom from the enemy.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Lastly, we need to know the difference between accepting discipline and despising the Lord’s correction. Again, the contrast should be easy to identify, but we deceive ourselves. For example, are we thankful for the Lord’s discipline and correction, or do we grumble and complain? When a discipline comes, do you think that God doesn’t love you?

Hebrews 12:5-11
And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.
For what son is not disciplined by his father?
If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.
Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it.
How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!
Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.
Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

God uses His Law, which we have been looking at, to discipline us, to expose our holes, our weak points, places where Satan has access to our lives, areas where we are ignorant and act in unbelief, so that we can confess our sin and He can show us how to repair our spiritual wall.

Discipline is a loving act. God loves us too much to leave us in our sinful condition. That is why He sent His Son to die on the cross. The purpose of His discipline is to promote repentance and bring us into His blessings. He wants to make us like His Son, so that others will be drawn to Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy 1:8-17
We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.
We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers--and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.
Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.
The grace (His power inside us) of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst.
But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Satan is afraid we will become powerful in the Spirit and effective in leading others to Christ. This is why he continues to attack, mock, and discourage us. He doesn’t want our wall repaired. He wants access to our life. He doesn’t want us to have an effective witness. He wants us ashamed and defeated. He doesn’t want us full of the Holy Spirit, acting like Jesus, lifting up Jesus, and drawing others to Christ. He wants us to give up.

Nehemiah realized the mocking outside the wall would turn into a battle. So, he armed some men and posted guards. He fortified the weakest points in the wall. We must do likewise. We will be attacked. Don’t be caught off-guard. Don’t be surprised. Expect it and don’t be afraid. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, will fight for us. In turn, we need to fight for each other and our families. God gives us His armor for protection, His Word as a weapon, and His Spirit so we can recognize the enemy’s attacks, He can lead us in battle and show us how to pray for one another.

Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

All of us are under the same attack, hearing the same lies from the mocker on the outside of our wall. Don’t listen to his discouragement, temptations, and threats. Continue to rebuild the wall. Rebuke his attacks in the Name of Jesus. Pray.
The Lord will give us victory.

If you are under attack and need prayer, come and let us pray for you and stand with you. If you need to make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior, come and confess Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Repent of your sin and submit yourself to baptism so that you can receive a new life in His Spirit.
Without Jesus, you are a captive of the enemy.
You have no other hope.

08/16/2026

Overcoming Covetousness

Coveting is the mother of all sin. To keep our spiritual wall of protection intact, we must not covet anything other than a closer relationship with Jesus. We have learned the signs of coveting, the danger of coveting, and today, we will learn how to overcome coveting.

Before we do that, I have a confession to make. I dislike someone—the ice cream truck man. His music is annoying, but that makes me pity him, because it must be torture to listen to that same song all day long. What I dislike is that he ruins my perfectly content moment by giving me a desire for something I don’t need.

Are you a contented person (or do you covet some ice cream right now)? We lose our contentment when we covet something we don’t have.

Philippians 4:11-13 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

When the Apostle Paul says, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” we should keep in mind: He’s getting old – he once was young. His health is beginning to decline - he once was strong. He doesn’t have any money - he once was rich. He’s in prison - he once was free. Yet, he says, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” That secret is what we need to learn.

Contentment is not apathy. It is not being downhearted. It is not a spirit of laziness nor adapting an attitude of complacency. Contentment is taking a realistic view of our situation and adjusting to it without anxiety. Contentment is independent from circumstances. Its power comes from relying on God no matter what situation we find ourselves.

Paul says the secret of contentment is learned. It’s not natural. The situations of life are where we learn contentment. The problem is many people turn bitter instead of better when they face difficulties. Some people never learn how to be content and they live life unfulfilled, unsatisfied, and unhappy. Here’s why:

The first enemy of contentment is “Unrealistic expectations.” We expect perfection. Sometimes people get married and then realize their spouse is not perfect. They go to work, and discover that their boss is not perfect. Their friends aren’t perfect, either. Perhaps they go to church, thinking that Christians are perfect and that they will become perfect, too. But they find that’s not the case, either. They are still attacked by temptations, and they still sin. So, there is disappointment and discontentment simply because of “unrealistic expectations.”

Another enemy of contentment is “Unfair comparisons.” When we compare ourselves to others, we are sure to find someone else more attractive, someone more gifted and talented, or someone younger and stronger. Therefore, we will always be unhappy if we compare ourselves to others, for one of two things will happen: 1. We become prideful – because we see ourselves better than others. 2. We become jealous – because we don’t have what others have.

A third enemy of contentment is “Unnoticed blessings.” We live in the most affluent nation in the world. We have more possessions, more freedoms, and more opportunities than almost anyone else. Still, we’re among the most discontented people on earth. One problem is that we don’t notice our blessings. We take things for granted.

For example, is air-conditioning a necessity or a luxury? “Well,” you say, “it’s a necessity for me.” But 60-70 years ago, people in Arkansas coped with the summer heat. This church was built without air-conditioning. Still, people came to worship. You see, air-conditioning is one of those things that most of us just take for granted. We expect our homes and our church building to be delightfully comfortable. The only time we even consider air conditioning a blessing is when it breaks down and we begin to sweat.

What about an automobile – is it a luxury or a necessity? What about television, cell phones, computers? For thousands of years, people were content without these things, but then the “ice cream man” shows up, producing in us a desire for the latest and greatest gadget? The old one is not good enough anymore. It no longer satisfies us.

1Timothy 6:6-10 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Today we have a lot more than food and clothing. But still very few people are content. We have many “Unnoticed blessings” that we take for granted. We need to take time to count our blessings daily and thank God for them.

Another enemy of contentment is “Uncontrolled ambition.” Now the Bible does not condemn ambition. It encourages us to pursue excellence in the faith. However, when ambition is uncontrolled, selfish, or increases our ego, it is sin.

James 3:13-16 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

We are to be ambitious for the right things. Believers should never be satisfied with their level of spiritual growth. The Bible never says, “Be content with who you are.” But it does say, “Be content with what you have.”

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money and be content with what you have, for He has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Now, let’s look at the secret of being content that Paul learned. The secret of contentment is not a principle, but a person—Jesus Christ. By His grace, believers are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be content no matter the circumstances. If our eyes are fixed upon Jesus and what He’s doing in this world, then we will agree with the songwriter: “You can have all this world; give me Jesus.” If our eyes are not fixed on Jesus, we will experience discontentment.

Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You."

With our mind on Christ and our trust in Him, we can begin each day by saying, “Father, thank you for the new day you’ve given me. Help me today to do something that will last eternally. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and use me this day to glorify Jesus.”

Contentment is not acquired by some holy “zap.” Paul learned the secret of being content through the things that happened in his daily life and the presence of the Holy Spirit sustaining him in everything.

Therefore, Paul could write, Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose.



Through everything Paul endured and everywhere he went, Jesus taught him the secret of being content. Paul often experienced what it was like “to be hungry,” and “to suffer need.” Paul learned contentment, even in the loss of all things, because he had learned to rely upon the One who is everything and the source of his supply and contentment.

The world promises to give us contentment through more possessions. God promises to give us contentment through decreased desires. More accurately, God will produce contentment in us by giving us a single desire—the desire for Jesus, who is all we need.

Paul learned that when he had everything, it didn’t add anything to him, because it paled in value when compared to Jesus. When Paul had nothing, he learned that it didn’t take anything from him, because Jesus was everything to him!

Paul experienced trials that make our worst days seem easy. Beatings, stonings, jailings, shipwrecks, hunger, desertion, misunderstanding – you name it. But he says, with the confidence that comes from experience, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”

In other words, Paul is saying, “As long as I’m in Christ and He is in me, I am content with whatever circumstances come upon me.” Likewise, contentment comes to us when we focus on Christ and trust Him for the power to prevail over circumstances.

Jesus said in John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

We can do nothing apart from Christ, except sin. On the other hand, we can do everything through Christ who gives us strength. One of those “everythings” is learning the secret of contentment in all situations.

Whether we are experiencing plenty or scarcity in our life right now, the secret to being content is Jesus. It is HIS grace that provides the contentment we need when we have plenty. It is HIS power that gives us hope and contentment even when the cupboards are bare and the bills are overdue.

When we are spending time on a regular basis praying to Jesus, studying His Word, and surrendering our life to the power of the Holy Spirit, we find that no matter what else is going on in our life, we feel content. Why is that? Because when we are living our life for Jesus Christ, we begin to understand that nothing happens without His knowledge. He is in control. Nothing can take us away from God’s love.

It was because of this connection to Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit, that Paul was also able to say with contentment, Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

And, he said in Philippians 3:8, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”

Contentment comes when everything in our life pales in comparison to knowing Christ Jesus. When this is true in our life, suddenly having the best material things and the need to receive everything we desire in life become less important to us.

If we rely upon the power of the Holy Spirit, we find that our daily circumstances will have less and less control over our state of mind. Contentment will begin to be the norm of our life, and the “ice cream truck” will not make us covetous.

Paul encouraged others while he was a prisoner, chained to a guard, and awaiting a trial that could end with his ex*****on. He wrote:

Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

There will always be people who make more money than us. There will always be people who are smarter than us. There will always be people who are better looking than us. So what? These comparisons have no bearing at all on our personal contentment.

Besides, everything in life changes. Nothing stays the same except Jesus Christ, who is same yesterday and today and forever (Heb 13:8).

If nothing else is changing in your life right now, you are at least getting older. Are you content with that change? I dislike the effects of getting older. However, I can do nothing about it, and if I focus on aging, it makes me discontented. Therefore, I must learn to take my eyes off of self and focus on Jesus, who is my life and source of contentment.

Contentment is not based on our situations of life, but on our relationship with Jesus Christ. The closer we get to Jesus, the more contentment we experience. Instead of depending on our own strength and effort, we learn to draw on Christ’s power. God, the Holy Spirit, has more power than we can imagine – and He wants to strengthen us.

Paul did not sit around and mope while in prison – he had learned how to be content in every situation. He had learned to be content with Jesus. Therefore, he continued his ministry by writing letters. These letters were inspired by the Holy Spirit and encouraged others, just as they continue to encourage us today.

The reason that people are unhappy, unsatisfied, and unfulfilled is because Jesus Christ is not the center of their lives. They are seeking contentment in all the wrong places. They are not coveting God’s Kingdom and His righteousness.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:31-34, “So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

We were made for a purpose and that is to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. When we try to find satisfaction in life through people, popularity, possessions, or prestige – we will never be content – we will never be satisfied. Jesus is the secret of contentment and the way we overcome covetousness.

Jesus said John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

A contented life comes from having a relationship with Jesus and learning to trust Him. If you are not content, then learn the secret of contentment by accepting Jesus as your Savior, making Him the Lord of your life.

If you will surrender your life into His hands, you will never worry about having what you need. God will give you the Holy Spirit. He will give you power to be content in every situation. He promises to never leave you nor forsake you.

08/10/2026

Not enough eyes on this one. ;)

08/10/2026

ALL BECAUSE OF COVETING.

08/09/2026

THE DANGERS OF COVETING

We are still inspecting our spiritual wall of protection by examining our faithfulness in keeping the Ten Commandments. Last week we looked at the signs of coveting. The Bible has much more to say about coveting than can be covered in one sermon. Let’s briefly review.

Exodus 20:17
You shall not covet your neighbor's house.
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

The dictionary definition of “covetousness” is “grasping for more.”

We learned last week that coveting is more than that. It includes fantasizing a life other than what God has given me. My focus is on what I don’t have instead of thanking God for what I do have.

In other words, covetousness is also the itch to be somewhere else, with someone else, doing something else. It is the opposite of contentment. It is an extremely selfish sin.

The other commandments deal with actions, but this one deals with attitude. The others are about behavior, but this one is about our mind, our soul. “Don’t Steal” says keep your hands off stuff that is not yours. “Don’t Covet” says don’t even think about it!

Why does God have a law against coveting? Basically, because it is very dangerous. If we don’t recognize the signs of coveting and repent of this sin, we will lose everything. All of God’s commands have logical, loving reasons. Here are some of His reasons:

1. GOD FORBIDS COVETING BECAUSE IT PUTS OUR FOCUS IN THE WRONG PLACE.

All of the things mentioned in the 10th commandment have at least one thing in common. Each one of them is a part of this life. They are temporary. They are a part of the world that we will leave behind when we die.

1 John 2:15
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

As this verse plainly says, coveting, which is loving the world, takes our focus away from loving God.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

The question is not, “What are we gathering here on earth?” but “What are we sending on ahead of us into eternity?” Coveting causes us to focus on the wrong things and corrupts our values about what is most important—our relationship with God.

2. GOD FORBIDS COVETING BECAUSE IT PUTS A BARRIER BETWEEN US AND OUR NEIGHBOR.

The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," are summed up in this rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matt 22:39)

My attitude toward my neighbor is supposed to be love. Love is characterized by self-sacrifice not by self-gratification. Love rejoices with those who rejoice and weeps with those who weep.

Conversely, a covetous spirit causes me to envy when my neighbor gets a new car, or new furniture, or when he gets a raise at work. A covetous spirit causes me to secretly rejoice when that new car that he just bought gets damaged in a fender-bender. But a loving spirit allows me to be glad when someone else is able to purchase my dream car while I’m still driving a clunker.

3. GOD FORBIDS COVETING BECAUSE IT LEADS TO BREAKING ALL GOD'S COMMANDMENTS.

God gives us the tenth commandment to prevent us from doing something more serious and harmful. Last week, we looked at what King Ahab did when he coveted his neighbor’s vineyard.

However, in 2 Samuel 11, we have the greatest example of coveting in the Bible—KING DAVID—a man after God’s own heart, a man who worshipped God with songs and dancing, a man who loved the Word, wrote Psalms, and considered the Law his pathway for life!

David had riches, several wives, and concubines, but he forgot all that when he saw his neighbor’s wife bathing on her rooftop. Instead of walking away, he stayed and coveted her for himself.

As a result:
* David broke the 10th Commandment by coveting Bathsheba, his neighbor Uriah's wife. (Uriah was one of David’s 30 mighty men—Special Forces—Secret Service type; Bathsheba was the granddaughter of one of his advisors. These two were loyal, dedicated, trusting friends, who devoted their lives to serving David)
* His coveting led to adultery, which broke the 7th Commandment.
* Bathsheba became pregnant with David’s child. When the initial cover up plan failed, David decided to steal Bathsheba to make her his wife (breaking the 8th Commandment)
* To do that, David planned Uriah’s death and thus, committed murder, which broke the 6th Commandment.
* Then, he broke the 9th Commandment by lying about it.
* All this brought dishonor to his parents, breaking the 5th Commandment.
* Obviously, David didn’t put God first, breaking the 1st and 2nd Commandments.
* He dishonored God’s name and obeyed his idol of lust, breaking the 3rd and 4th Commandments.

Every commandment was broken, but it began with breaking the tenth: “Do not covet.” Coveting is the mother of all sins! All 9 of the previous commandments are rooted in it.

4. GOD FORBIDS COVETING BECAUSE IT WILL DESTROY OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE.

Jesus said in Mark 4:18-19, “Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.”

Jesus also said it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He has so much tying him to this world. He clings to it although he cannot take it with him. To keep from losing it, he must focus on his investments and his spiritual life suffers.

The same is true for those deeply in debt. They coveted and bought more than they could afford. Now, they must make those payments or they will lose their possessions. The focus becomes making money to stay afloat, so they take a second job that requires work on Sunday. They can’t afford to tithe. They are too tired to read their Bible or pray, and their spiritual life suffers.

Luke 12:15
And he [Jesus] said to them, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

Another example of the danger of coveting is found in Joshua 7. Achan coveted and brought judgment upon Joshua’s army:

The Lord told Joshua to destroy Jericho after the walls fell down flat. He warned him that all the gold, all the silver, and all the spoils of battle were to go into the Temple treasury. Achan saw a wedge of gold, 200 shekels of silver, and a beautiful Babylonian robe. He began to covet them, and he took them. He hid the articles and initially lied about it.
After the defeat at Ai, Joshua sought the Lord for the reason they lost. God told him it was because of sin in the camp, and eventually, God pointed out Achan, and he confessed.

Joshua 7:20-21
Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel.
"This is what I have done:
"When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them.
"They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath."

Achan could not help what he saw, but he could help what he coveted and what he did. Then he tried to hide what he had done, but God sees it all. The outcome of this story is devastating....

Joshua 7:24-25
Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor.
Joshua said, "Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today."
Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them.

Do you think this was a harsh judgement? Achan’s sin caused the death, defeat, and suffering of a whole nation. With Achan’s punishment, God is giving us a picture of what will happen to the covetous. They will suffer death and be destroyed in a burning Hell. Their family will suffer the consequences of their sin, too. Covetousness is a devastating sin! That is why God says, “Do not covet!”

Peace and joy do not come by getting what you want. They come by being thankful for what you’ve got.

Money cannot buy the abundant life Jesus came to give us. Abundant life is found in the Holy Spirit, who gives us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

We must not deceive ourselves by thinking that because we are not covetous of money or worldly possessions, we are not covetous of anything. Some things we easily avoid, but the devil still tempts us to covet things that are good, pleasing to the eye, and beneficial to our life; such as a dream job, a church position, a romance, marriage, children, and grandchildren. Coveting makes us impatient and discontented with the blessings we have.

Usually the covetous person doesn’t know they are covetous. It is so common, and we covet so often, we think it is normal. True, it is normal sinful behavior, but we must wake up to the seriousness of it and repent!

Romans 7:7
What shall we say, then?
Is the law sin?
Certainly not!
Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law.
For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."

You may not have given much thought to coveting. Perhaps you haven’t understood the source of your discontentment, not realizing it comes from coveting.

Satan’s greatest weapon is man’s ignorance of God’s Word. The Holy Spirit uses the Word to convict us of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Even though conviction is uncomfortable, the Holy Spirit’s purpose in bringing it to us is for our good.

This is why we must read the Word and preach the Word—so we can be aware of our condition and repent. Ignorance of God’s Word is no excuse on Judgement Day.

The Holy Spirit makes us aware of what is hidden in our hearts and frees us from self-deception. When this happens, conviction brings godly sorrow, but it is God expressing His love for you, purifying you, and preparing you to be the Bride of Christ.

Ephesians 5:5-6
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.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Colossians 3:5-6
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:
sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
On account of these the wrath of God is coming.

Covetousness is called idolatry because every bit of spiritual life of a covetous man is drawn away from God toward the object he covets. Anything or anyone you covet more than God is an idol.

Covetousness and idolatry are dangerous and deceitful sins. They are so common to our sinful nature, we don’t consider them serious, but they are enough to damn our souls for eternity without the Atonement of Jesus Christ!

For example, people all over this town will not attend church because they have it in their head that all we want is their money. You have heard that excuse—I used it myself before Christ changed me. We know it is not true, but even if it were true, it shows that the thing standing between them and God is their idol, their money!

I’m not saying attending church will save you. I’m saying the love of money is coveting an idol that can damn us eternally unless we repent and begin to covet the things God wants us to covet.

1 Timothy 6:9-11
People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

We need to covet God and His Kingdom, and pursue His Spirit and His righteousness.

Colossians 3:1-6
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.

2 Timothy 2:22
Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

The attitude and desire we are to have is in Psalm 73:25---
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit your one desire?

Jesus Christ has given us victory over coveting through His Atonement on the Cross.
Confess your sin to the Father and desire Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Die to your selfish covetousness and all sin through water baptism, and be raised to a new life in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus has provided grace for us to overcome covetousness and all temptation from the enemy.
Come to Jesus today and make Him your one and only desire.