INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED IX & X
IX YOU MUST NOT TESTIFY FALSELY AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” Exodus 20:16 NIV
12 For our offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities: 13 rebellion and treachery against the Lord, turning our backs on our God, inciting revolt and oppression, uttering lies our hearts have conceived. 14So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. 15 Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey… Isaiah 59:12-15 NIV
Jesus speaking to the unsaved Pharisees…You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 NIV
The word devil literally means slanderer. Garden of Eden
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:5-6 NIV
FORMS OF LYING:
● Slander
● Perjury We will stand before the one true judge
● Spreading rumors Once they’re released can’t get them back
● Flattery It is a way of using or manipulating people
THE TRUTH IS BETTER:
● It is better to tell the truth that hurts then heals than to tell a lie that comforts then kills.
● It is better to be hated for telling the truth than to be loved for telling a lie.
● It is better to stand alone with the truth than to be wrong with a multitude
X YOU MUST NOT COVET
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Exodus 20:17 NIV
Covet – To long after; to try to gain.
Lucifer coveted the Throne of God
13You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God… 14 I will make myself like the Most High.” Isaiah 14:13-14 NIV
THIS 10TH COMMANDMENT DEALS WITH THE HEART, OUR ATTITUDE, AND OUR DESIRES.
● Possessions and poor attitudes toward money wreck more marriages than adultery.
● Breaking the Ten Commandments is only a symptom; the real issue is our hearts.
21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” Mark 7:21-23 NLT
It’s not necessarily wrong to desire things and own things. The real question is do they own you?
Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. James 1:17 NLT
● God is a loving Father.
● God is a giving Father
6Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 9But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:6-10 NLT
FIVE STEPS OF SATISFACTION:
1. Give your heart to Christ.
2. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude.
3. Learn to love.
4. Know who you are.
5. Learn to give.
Next steps for me today…
● Give my heart to Jesus Christ.
● Apply the five steps of satisfaction.
● Register today for Step One class in our Growth Track series, which will be held next Sunday, August 11.
