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| Keeping up with the Jones' |
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Are you trying to keep up with the Jones'? How about the Johnson's, Jackson's, and the Smith's?
We have been talking about using the 10 commandments as we evangelize and today we are talking about the 10th commandment, Do not covet! Again, the commandments show your listener what sin is and the Holy Spirit uses them to reveal that they have come short of the glory of God.
7:7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I should not have known sin. I should not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."
The Bible is full of scriptures about being content, not loving money, and in the end all the pitfalls people could fall into. LIke Paul, I too would not have known what coveting was except I look it up in the dictionary. (ha, ha) Covet: to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others: to covet another's property.
In today's world, coveting someone's job, coveting someone's wife or husband, covet someone's home, car, cell phone, plasma, dog, cat, hair(for balding), muscles, friends, etc.... There are so many things to covet, your coveter could get worn out. Most lost people have coveted because they have not come to Christ and had their heart settled with the contentment the Father brings. I know He has settled my heart and I can cheer you on and rejoice in your success, even if it's greater than mine. (that is the Lord seeing I came from such a competitive background)
So you can simply ask your listener, "Have you ever wanted something that was somebody elses that you had no right to like their spouse, job, or money?" You can show them that not being content with what God has given them to the point where they feel they need to have what someone else has is sin. Covetous people will not inherit the kingdom and again the law like a schoolmaster will drive them to Christ. (Gal 3:24)
Has anybody used any of these suggestions with a lost friend? If so, please share.
Go to www.citytaker.com and get further equipped to win the lost! |
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| To add a comment to "Keeping up with the Jones'" |
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| December 13, 2007 |
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| Jeff--This is a tough one. We can deal with the notion of covetousness as sin when it is blatant greed, obvious excess, or jealousy over a neighbor's possessions. But we live in a culture and economy that is driven by covetousness. The multi-billion dollar marketing and money-market industries' very survival depends on their ability to continually create new desire and the illusion of need in the hearts of the public. Otherwise people will just stop buying most of the 'stuff' they spend themselves on. |
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| December 13, 2007 |
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| I know it Don. We can be covetous in ministry and so much more. May the Lord help us to slow down and keep it simple. We have heard so much on prosperity, it can roll over into covetousness. |
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| December 13, 2007 |
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| You're right about there being so much to covet, Jeff. Coveting is not only prevalent, but as Don pointed out, in our culture it's expected...and even accepted! ~mike |
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| December 13, 2007 |
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Amen. Dutch Sheets has some powerful teaching on the spirit/idol Baal. Among other things he was the god of prosperity, and in many ways is the dominant ruling spirit over America and the west. This is probably why 'covetousness' is such a difficult notion for U.S./Western Christians to grasp with any clarity. Our culture is so saturated and driven by it that it is literally the atmosphere through which we move every day. The ONLY antidote is for us to be moment by moment walking in the Spirit, having our minds and hearts renewed by the Word, the Word, the Word, and living and moving and having our being in a different place, an atmosphere saturated with the very Presence of God. |
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| December 13, 2007 |
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| It's also important to note the scope of influence that the commandment assigns to this drive. It is not restricted to material possessions. It extends to lust and sexual conquest (thy neighbor's wife), and power and status (his servants). It really begs the question for any sphere of life: "When is enough enough?". Is it about the sensual power of control? The core of rebellion against God..."I will ascend the throne..." |
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| December 13, 2007 |
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This is your fault, Jeff. You got me goin' on this one! We as Christians cry out about abortion and broken marriages and the plight of poor. But having eyes to see, we still do not see. These are symptoms. We will never truly have our hearts seized by the heart of God and see breakthrough in these areas, even in the broader Christian community, until we purpose to bring down the god on whose altar these human sacrifices are actually being offered. |
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| December 13, 2007 |
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Could the American Dream be the American curse? What is the line between coveting and prosperity as it pertains to finances. I think many of us need to understand what the meaning of these words are such as coveting, factions, dissentions, discord. I have had to literally look some of these up in the dictionary. The Bible warns us that those who fall into that category won't inherit the kingdom and many of us don't know what they mean.
5:19 Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, 5:21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
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| December 13, 2007 |
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| Somewhat off topic, but that "party spirit" always caught my eye. When I first got saved, given where I was at, I read it to mean, like, "partying"...You know! But it's really talking about divisions, or partisanship. Maybe democrats and republicans? |
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