1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,120 I hope you're all ready for our heart-to-heart talk regarding this, the tenth of God's commandments 2 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:20,080 or the tenth of God's rules for Libby. Let me read it to you. Here it is. 3 00:00:20,080 --> 00:00:29,680 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his 4 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:39,440 manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's. 5 00:00:40,480 --> 00:00:45,920 And there it is. This is the tenth of God's rules for Libby. 6 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:55,520 Those first four words, thou shalt not covet. And in our last of the heart-to-heart talk regarding 7 00:00:55,520 --> 00:01:05,840 this tenth commandment, we saw that this sin of covetousness is the one sin that can be committed 8 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:13,840 without the knowledge of any human being. The sin of covetousness can be in my heart, 9 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:23,920 and the one nearest to me, the one who knows me best, will not be able to discern that sin in my heart. 10 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:34,880 A wife may not be able to discern the sin of covetousness in the heart of her husband. 11 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:44,240 Neither can the husband discern this sin in the heart of his wife. Because of all sins, 12 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:50,160 this is one sin that can be committed without the knowledge of any human being. 13 00:01:52,800 --> 00:02:00,880 And in speaking of sins, I think we can rightfully put this sin down as one of the 14 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:06,160 most treacherous sins that a human being can take into his life. I mean that. 15 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:16,800 I can prove it to you in just a few minutes. The very fact, my friend, that God lists this one sin 16 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,320 as the last of his rules for Libby, 17 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:40,240 the sin against which he has literally given a law, thou shalt not covet a written law from God himself, 18 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:44,960 makes us know it is something that's very treacherous, 19 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:54,720 a sin that involves an awful lot. Consider something. The highest possibilities in a 20 00:02:54,720 --> 00:03:01,520 Christian's life are indicated in the Apostles' Arrangement of the Fruit of the Spirit. 21 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:09,120 Oh, beloved, is there anything greater than the fruit of the Spirit? 22 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:20,160 Oh, beloved, is there anything greater than to be in such a position where literally, 23 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:31,920 through this light of yours, from your personal life, there goes forth the fruits of the Spirit. 24 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:40,880 Love, joy, peace, kindness, long-suffering goodness. They're so thrilling, 25 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:47,440 the things that we desire so deeply. And yet, do you want to know something? 26 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:58,720 This sin of covetousness is the one sin that will rob you and rob me. 27 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:09,200 Of the fruits of the Spirit. You cannot have covetousness in that heart of yours, 28 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:16,960 and at the same time, had even one of the fruits the Spirit. 29 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:25,600 Take love, for instance, if there's covetousness in that heart of yours. 30 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:36,480 This poison of covetousness will rob you of that love and love will turn to hate. 31 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:45,600 Joy will turn to discontent. Peace will be given over to discontentment. 32 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:52,320 Show me any person, any man or any woman who has the sin of covetousness in his heart. 33 00:04:53,120 --> 00:05:00,080 You will never find contentment. You will never find peace. 34 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:04,880 You may think there is peace, but it's something that's very surface and something that's only 35 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:12,960 temporary because a covetous person cannot have peace of mind. 36 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:23,600 The poison of covetousness will rob that one of their peace, their contentment, 37 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:30,000 and instead there will be a constant dissatisfaction. Where there was kindness, you'll find cruelty. 38 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:39,920 Where there was goodness, you'll find deceit. Where there was faithfulness, you'll find the 39 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:48,560 poison of covetousness robbing that one of that faithfulness and you will never find contentment. 40 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:56,560 Robbing that one of that faithfulness and you'll soon find infidelity. It's like that. 41 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:06,320 God knew exactly the treacherousness of this sin. That's the reason it was so important 42 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:23,440 and so widespread that he lists this as one of the sins in which he has given a written law, 43 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:25,760 saying thou shalt not covet. 44 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:37,120 Out of covetousness will spring sins that break every written law. I can prove it to you. 45 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:41,920 Criminal records will prove that in a great majority of cases, 46 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:49,120 unholy desire was the inspiration of murder. 47 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:55,520 I'm talking about something that you dare not take issue with me because our lives prove it. 48 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:03,920 The things that I'm saying to you are things that your own life will prove. 49 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:11,760 The life of your neighbor will prove these very things that I'm saying right now. 50 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:18,560 A fool is the person who will take issue with my statement that criminal records will prove 51 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:30,720 that in a great majority of cases, unholy desire was the inspiration of the murder that was 52 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:42,000 committed. The theft of every description is the offspring of desire to possess that which is 53 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:55,200 unreachable by lawful means. There's never been a theft committed. But what is unholy desire? 54 00:07:55,200 --> 00:08:05,760 There's never been a theft committed. But what before the act of thievery, there was a desire 55 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:16,480 in the heart of that one who committed that deed, a desire to possess that which was 56 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:23,760 unreachable by lawful means. There it is. Therefore, in analyzing the whole thing, 57 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:31,200 we see that the whole realm of inner relation is broken up by the breaking of this 10th commandment. 58 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:39,280 God knew it. He knew the seriousness of covetousness, and yet we take it so lightly. 59 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:48,880 Now, in the study of these 10 commandments, I have not only taken the Old Testament, 60 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:57,120 I have also taken the New Testament to show you that in the coming of Jesus, 61 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:08,800 he did not destroy the law. He came to fulfill the law, and he even went further than just the law 62 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:20,400 itself. Therefore, turning out to the New Testament, nothing can be clearer or more emphatic than the 63 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:30,880 repetition of this commandment given from the lips of Jesus himself. Turn, if you will, please, 64 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:39,920 if your Bible is handy, to the 12th chapter of Luke, the 15th verse. The words of Jesus himself 65 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:46,000 leaves no misunderstanding regarding the sin of covetousness. 66 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:54,880 I read it to you, and one of the company said unto him, that's unto Jesus, Master, 67 00:09:54,880 --> 00:10:00,080 speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 68 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:10,880 And he said unto him, man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 69 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:24,000 And he said unto them, take heed, and beware of covetousness, for a man's life consisted 70 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:30,400 not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 71 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:37,520 Let's just stop a minute and get the whole picture. Before we do, remember that human nature has not 72 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:50,720 changed. Know that customs have changed, means of dress has changed, but when it comes to the human 73 00:10:50,720 --> 00:11:01,200 heart, when it comes to the mind of man, man himself, his ideas, his principles, his thoughts, 74 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:10,400 his greed, his desires, have not changed. They've always been the same. Human nature has 75 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:16,640 always been the same. And the human nature has always been the same. 76 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:28,160 And how true it is today, even as it was then, many a family can go on for years and years, and 77 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:35,920 there'll not be an unkind word spoken. As long as the mother is living and the father is there and 78 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:48,240 they've had nice training, good ideas, and why there was never a disturbance in the family, an argument. 79 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:56,160 Everything was wonderful until when? The father dies, the mother dies, 80 00:11:56,160 --> 00:12:05,760 the will is read, and inheritance has been left. Then begins a great big family row, 81 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:14,400 a knockdown drag out, and you will soon find a brother not speaking to the sister or a sister 82 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:22,800 with an unforgiving spirit regarding another's son, and you will soon find a brother not speaking to 83 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:28,560 the sister with an unforgiving spirit regarding another's sister or brother. It's been like that 84 00:12:28,560 --> 00:12:39,600 from the beginning of time. We're a part of humanity. It's that deceitfulness. It's that sin 85 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:48,160 of covetousness. Nine times out of ten, wherever there has been an inheritance left and it has to 86 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:55,840 be divided in the family, there's an ill feeling. It's like that. It always has been. So it was here. 87 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:04,960 Two brothers, and the one brother came with his problem and said to Jesus, 88 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:12,320 now Jesus, I've got a little thing that I wish you would do for me, please. Would you please 89 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:26,080 speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me? Now, it doesn't say in the Bible, but 90 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:35,600 I wouldn't be at all surprised, but what? Maybe he was right in asking for his earthly inheritance. 91 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:42,960 Maybe he deserved it. Who knows? Maybe he was the brother who had taken care of his father and mother 92 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:51,040 all of his life. Who knows? It doesn't say here, but anyway, there was a bad feeling there, 93 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:58,720 and he was a little concerned because his brother had gotten the inheritance 94 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:11,040 and his eye was on that money. And that's what he saw. He saw the money that was involved. He saw 95 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:19,360 the inheritance that was there and he wanted it, my friend. And when he came to Jesus and asked 96 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:29,520 Jesus to help him out on this problem, I do not believe that Jesus took a step forward. I do not 97 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:39,120 believe that he seemed disturbed whatsoever. He just stood there. And this is what Jesus said 98 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:54,320 and is profound. Take heed and beware of covetousness. Beware of it. Now, this comes 99 00:14:54,320 --> 00:15:06,240 from the lips of Jesus himself. He leaves no misunderstanding regarding his attitude when it 100 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:19,120 comes to covetousness. Be careful. Take heed. Beware of covetousness, for a man's life consists of 101 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:27,520 nort in the abundance of the things which he possesses. And it's just like that. 102 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:38,000 Like that. Here came the man asking the master to satisfy his desire by compelling his brother 103 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:49,840 to divide the inheritance with him. Jesus in substance could have said, yes, I know it's there. 104 00:15:49,840 --> 00:16:02,480 I know it could be rightfully yours in a way, but there's something more in life. There's something 105 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:11,440 more to living. Oh, would the God somehow. You and I wouldn't be so short-sighted. A lot of us need 106 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:20,720 our eyes examined. A lot of us need brand new spiritual glasses. We're so short-sighted. We see 107 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:31,280 but today. I want to say again to father's mother's listening to me. I have actually looked upon the 108 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:43,680 hands of precious old dads. And those precious fathers had literally worked their fingers as we 109 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:52,400 say in Missouri. The flesh to the bones. I mean that. I have seen little mamas with hands all 110 00:16:52,400 --> 00:17:03,120 knotted from hard work. I have talked to many a dad and he has told me that he is working and giving 111 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:12,080 his life that after he is gone, he can lead to his children and inheritance. He doesn't want his sons, 112 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:18,240 his daughters to have to work as hard as he has had to work to make a living. He wants to spare them. 113 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:26,800 He wants to save them. He wants them to have the things in life that he did not have. Therefore, 114 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:36,720 that precious godly father has robbed himself of the most important things in life. He's been too 115 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:45,840 busy to really get any real joy out of living. He's been too busy to get any joy out of living. 116 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:55,680 He's been too busy to take time out for the things of God. He's been just too busy making a living 117 00:17:55,680 --> 00:18:00,480 to leave to give to his children when really in the final analysis. 118 00:18:03,120 --> 00:18:14,480 The greatest inheritance that you can leave your children is a good godly example. 119 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:24,160 And in many instances, the worst inheritance, the most unwise inheritance that you can leave 120 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:35,920 to your boy and your girl is money. I mean exactly that. I said the other day 121 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:45,040 from the public platform and of course I stopped long enough to remind our congregation that Papa 122 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:52,320 always did say that it was the old maids and the school teachers who could always tell you how to 123 00:18:52,320 --> 00:19:01,920 raise your kids. And you know some, I think in many cases Papa was right, but what I'm saying to you, 124 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:07,200 is because of experience of what I have experienced myself. 125 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:16,960 I have found out that it's these youngsters, these boys, these girls who have to work for what they 126 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:21,600 get, who appreciate what they have more than when it's handed to them. 127 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:30,400 I'll show you a young man who'll really appreciate his education. He'll really appreciate things. 128 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:40,080 He'll really dig for what he gets out of that college education when he has to work to pay for 129 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:51,600 it himself. When a thing is handed to you and just given it to you without any effort on your part, 130 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:58,400 the things that I appreciate most in life is the thing that I had to make the greatest sacrifice for. 131 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:04,320 That's right. I'm not saying that you should be paying for it yourself. 132 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:10,240 It's a thing that I had to make the greatest sacrifice for. That's right. 133 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:22,720 I can appreciate what I have now because I can go back and remember the days when I had to sleep 134 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:31,280 in a turkey house. I am today what I am because of what I went through back there in those early 135 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:38,240 years of my life. I wouldn't be the person I am today. I wouldn't have the understanding 136 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:45,600 of human nature. I wouldn't be the sympathetic person. I don't believe that I would have the 137 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:53,680 feeling for people. I don't believe I would have the understanding. 138 00:20:53,680 --> 00:21:02,720 I wouldn't have the character that I have today had it not been for back there when 139 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:13,360 I was hungry, had no place to sleep, didn't know what the next day held. Everything is a matter 140 00:21:13,360 --> 00:21:19,040 of comparison. I have an appreciation now because of what I didn't have back there. 141 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:26,880 I didn't have back there. No, my friend, the greatest inheritance that you can leave 142 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:33,120 your son, your daughter, is not in money, in possessions, 143 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:45,600 but in leaving them the influence of a good Christian character when they can say, 144 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:58,960 hey, my dad didn't leave me money. He left me what money could not buy. 145 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:14,960 I had the grandest father in the whole world. He gave me his love. He gave me his understanding, 146 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:27,840 his confidence. That is what Jesus meant. Amen.