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Exodus
| 20:15 |
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Thou shalt not steal. |
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Ten
Commandments #8
“Thou
Shalt Not Steal”
Exodus
20:15
Once
again, as we look to the portion of Scripture that we refer to as
the 10 Commandments, we find a very simple and straightforward
statement from God: “Thou Shalt Not Steal”
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The
Lord does not want to make it difficult for us to understand how
He wants His people to live
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He
gives ten principles for living here in this passage, and it is
His desire that we be obedient to them
This
commandment is the eighth.
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It
falls in the section of commands where God is instructing us in
how to deal with others.
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God
has commanded us to respect the life of others, the marriage of
others, and now God calls on us to respect the rights and
properties of other people.
THE SIN OF DISHONESTY
A.
Simple Stealing
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This
isn’t hard to understand
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Someone who takes something that doesn’t belong to them is a
thief
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Walk
into a bank and demand money – you are a bank robber
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Slip
something into your pocket in a store without paying for it –
you are a shoplifter
FRIENDS
– Honest people
pay for
these thefts by paying the increased prices on items.
B.
Stealing From Employers
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Many
people rationalize their behavior
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It doesn’t matter – they really don’t care
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If they paid me what they should – I wouldn’t do it
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What
about stealing time?
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Phone calls? Making copies?
C.
Sophisticated Stealing
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The
world has made a distinction between “Blue Collar” crime
and “White Collar” crime
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The
person who embezzles is not referred to as a bank robber – but
he/she is just as guilty
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The
government official is charged (sometimes) with misappropriation
of funds
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The
company that intentionally promises what they cannot deliver
Example
– On-line fraud is rampant!
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Have
you ever received an email cluing you in on a deal that was too
good to be true?
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Guess what? – It was!
D.
Companies that Steal from their employees
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Broken promises
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Reclassification
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Downsizing
DEAR
FRIENDS – Call it what you want – but it is still stealing!
James
5:4
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“Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed
your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of
the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of the Sabbath.”
E.
Spiritual Stealing
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Through gossip and slander we steal a person’s good name
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Through our failure to witness for Jesus Christ we steal
opportunities for others to be saved
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Through selfishness we steal from God
I.
Money
Malachi
3:8-10
–
"Will
a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say,
'In what way have we robbed You?' In
tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, For you have
robbed Me, Even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into
the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now
in this," Says the LORD of hosts,
"If I will not open for you the windows
of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there
will not be room enough to receive it.
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God
charges the nation of Israel with robbing God
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They
replied: “How have we robbed God?”
FRIENDS
– God’s answer was very simple: “In tithes and offerings.”
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There is a profound implication herein
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It
is clearly implied that when a person will not tithe, he or she
has departed from God – is not right with God – and is not in
fellowship with God
It is
clearly a sin – likened unto robbery, embezzlement, or
Moreover
– When a man is foolish enough to rob God – he is in a sorry state
spiritually.
V.9 –
God
points out that they were facing hard times financially because they
were not tithing.
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They
were severely chastened economically
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Their crop failure was do to lack of rain – bad weather and
infestation of invading insects
The
reason: Their sin in not tithing.
B.
Time
Ephesians 5:16
– “…
redeeming the time, because the days are
evil.”
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Using time efficiently is a function of walking wisely
FRIENDS
–
Our time
is short – we live in an evil world – we need to use our time wisely
for the Lord
C.
Talents
Romans
12:1-2
– “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good
and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
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Present tense - means we are to continually present our bodies
for God’s service
THE PRESCRITPION FOR THE SIN OF DISHONESTY
A. Self-Examination and Repentance
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A man passed a note to the bank teller demanding money – the
teller wrote him a note and handed it back – “Straighten your
tie stupid, you’re on camera.”
FRIENDS -
God knows what we have done – we need to examine our hearts and
agree with God – That is Confession
B. Restitution
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Note the example of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10
“THEN Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold,
there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax
collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but
could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he
ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was
going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He
looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus,
make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."
So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.
But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has
gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner." Then Zacchaeus stood
and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the
poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation,
I restore fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today
salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of
Abraham; "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which
was lost."
DEAR FRIEND –
We need to make restitution to those we have wronged through
stealing.
C. Integrity
Ephesians 4:28 – “Let him who stole steal
no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands
what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.”
1.
Stop stealing
2.
Start working
3.
Start giving
CLOSE
The greatest need of man is not to be honest – it is to be saved!
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Jesus came to Zacchaeus to meet his needs spiritually first
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Then the rest came
You cannot be honest, upright, and righteous without the Lord Jesus
Christ as your Savior.
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Do you know Him today?
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Jesus died for you and me
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Have you accepted shed blood as payment for your sin?
Some of us may think that this message has nothing to do with us –
but I doubt that.
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We are all thieves at heart
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Selfish and ruthless when it comes to want we want
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God’s desire is that we think of others and their needs.
CHRISTIANS
– Have we been guilty of stealing from others – stealing from God?
Come today and make it right with the Lord! |