Sermon Title: You Shall Not Covet
Scripture: Exodus 20:17

The commandments show us that morally upright people also need a savior.

Exhibit A: The Rich Young Ruler

1. The man who was living the American Dream

2. He’s a person with strong values

3. He’s a person of faith

“And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 18:18

“[Jesus said] You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” Luke 18:20-21

“When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Luke 18:22

However you and I may change our behavior, we cannot change our heart.

2 Common Reasons why people act morally.

1. The Peer Factor

2. The Fear Factor

Exhibit B: Saul of Tarsus.

1. Born into a successful and well-connected family

2. Received the best education of the day under Rabbi Gamaliel

3. Legalistic righteousness - faultless

4. Morally upright & conscientious

5. He’s a person of faith

“What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin.” Romans 7:7

For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” Romans 8:8

I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. Romans 8:9-11

The 10th commandment shows us that the heart of our problem….is the problem of our heart.

As long as we live under the illusion that we are morally healthy because we found a way of suppressing the symptoms, we will never come to Christ to deal with our heart.

The great question the Commandments force us to ask isn’t, “how do I change my behavior?” but “how do I change my heart?”

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

Additional Notes:

Exodus 20:17
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”