-
Covetousness Series
Contributed by Jimmy Chapman on Jan 30, 2010 (message contributor)
Summary: The obvious sins of our hands we abhor, yet allow the obscure sins of our hearts. It is the obscure (hidden…internal sins of the heart) that I want to deal with the next several weeks. Most of us will not be overtaken by the deeds of our flesh, but
He knew how to make a living, but he did not know how to make a life! He did not own possessions - they owned him!
A covetousness person is so taken up with this life that he loses sight of the eternal life.
Look at Ecclesiastes 5:10.
II. The POWER WITHIN COVETOUSNESS
Covetousness is a very powerful thing.
A. It has power to DECEIVE Us.
We can be so misled that we do not even recognize when we are committing this sin. Covetousness is very deceitful.
In all my years of ministry, I have never had anyone confess to me the sin of covetousness. I have never had anyone own up to the sin of covetousness.
In 1 Thessalonians 2:5 Paul talks about a cloak of covetousness. Covetousness is something no one things he has. We think the other person has it but not us.
B. It has power to DOMINATE Us.
1 Timothy 6:9 states, "The love of money is the root of all evil." Covetousness can cause a man to break all the other commandments. It is the mother of all sins.
If allowed covetousness to go unchecked, it will soon master us. We fall prey to its force and seem to have little power to overcome it.
C. It has power to DESTORY us.
Let me remind you of some from the Scriptures that covetousness destroyed better men than you and I.
1. Achan’s covetousness led to theft and disobedience and ultimately the death of he and his family.
2. David’s covetousness led to adultery and to murder.
3. Ahab’s covetousness led to the murder of Naboth.
4. Ananias and Sapphria covetousness lead to lying to Holy Ghost and ultimately instant death.
III. The PERSCRIPTION FOR COVETOUSNESS
The Bible not only condemns covetousness but it also offers the best cure for those who have been poisoned by it.
See Hebrews 13:5. Contentment is the solution to covetousness.
A college professor once asked , :who is the most contented man…is it the man with six million dollars or the man with six children?”
“Why that is easy,” answered one man, “It is the man with six million dollars because he would me the only one who still wants more.”
You will always be covetousness until you learn contentment. Contentment is the prescription for covetousness, and contentment is found in Christ.
Once there was a wealthy man in England who possessed a wonderful and unique art collection worth millions of dollars in our currency. This man had one son whom he loved very dearly and had desired to leave his art collection to him upon his death. The son however, was killed during the World War II.
Since the wealthy Englishman had no other living heir, he stipulated in his will that his art collection was to be auctioned off upon his death, but with the requirement that the portrait of his son was to be sold first.
Eventually the wealthy man died. On the day of the auction, people from around the world were in attendance to bid on this priceless art collection. The rich man’s lawyer stood and informed the people present of the stipulation placed upon the auction by his client.
When the bidding was opened, no one wanted to bid on the portrait of the owner’s son, because they were waiting for the more valuable pieces to come on the auction block. However, there was a former servant of the owner in attendance, who had greatly loved the owner’s son and had cared for him for many years. It was he who made the only bid on the portrait of the owner’s son. Finally, the auctioneer said, “Going, going, gone. Sold, to the man at the back of the room.”