Prosper With a Clear Conscience
(Pastor Dave preaches from an outline, which you can follow as you listen to his sermon.)
“You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15
As I begin this message, as you all entered here this morning I am sure that at least some
Are thinking, “How much is there to really say about this Commandment?
Thou shalt not steal is a simple concept right?
Taking something that belongs to someone is wrong!
February 20, 2011: Exodus 20:15, Prosper With a Clear Conscience
Dave Anderson, Brewster Baptist Church
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As I began to work on this morning’s message I was amazed at the number of different words or synonyms to describe stealing:
Theft, nick, robbery, burglary, larceny, shoplifting, plunder, hold-up, defraud, embezzle, swindle, misappropriation, loot, pilfer, swipe, rob, cheat, make off with, take, pinch, seize, extort, poach, pick-pocketing, hijack.
That is lot of words to further describe stealing.
Let me give you one statistic about stealing (I usually do not like using statistics)
The one statistic is this, hang on no – are you ready for this?
Everyone here is a thief – everyone here has stolen. How is that for a beginning?
You have all stolen at one time or another, I include myself in this – I have stolen.
At one time or another we have all taken what was not given, lifted something that was
not purchased, owned something we did not earn, kept something we did not inherit,
destroyed or disposed of something that was not ours to demolish….
I am sure some of you are already thinking, “Ok Pastor Dave – you are really stretching it to try to make a point. Am I!
Whether it’s a candy in the grocery store, a friend’s toy or belonging (kids and adults)
An unreported income on your tax return, a scammed slice of soft wear,
A copyrighted piece of music – recorded or written, an office supply from work,
The idea someone else worked hard on, time from our employer,
An extra special deal at a garage sale on an item the seller did not know the worth of
Finding something and not trying to return it to the owner,
Not correcting the bank’s error, The unearned winnings through gambling
Even a person’s innocence or reputation taken through gossip and slander….
How about this – we steal when we do not give to God what belongs to Him?
When we hold back through lack of faith what we know we should be giving to God?
Am I stretching it? Do you feel I am because at least one of these items stung a little?
For many people they hear the word stealing and think of something being taken from a store without paying – they think of a car being taken – or a house being broken into….
We think big-ticket items – not the subtle things…. we justify or rationalize our actions
Part of our sinful nature finds us justifying our actions and the things we say
Our excuses, the things we say to try to gloss over what we do:
Finders keepers……..They made the error, not me……..I deserve this……..It’s nothing
They won’t notice it is missing……..The always profound “I won’t get caught”……..
I couldn’t help myself……..The always popular “Everyone is doing it”……..
I have worked here a long time – I have earned this……..No one will notice it missing….
I needed it……..They were overcharging…….It was from the Internet……..
Am I stretching it? Have I gone too far with the peripheral edges of this commandment?
If so where do we draw the line? Who gets to draw those lines?
How about this: “When you are the one who has had something taken FROM you
Do these excuses work when someone is pleading with us? I am guessing not.
The sixth Commandment – Thou shall not murder safeguards LIFE
The seventh Commandment – Thou shall not commit adultery safeguards FAMLY
The eighth Commandment – Thou shall not steal safeguards PROPERTY
The lying this is what we use to cover up the above three Commandments
And the Coveting thing is the desire that left unchecked finds us committing….
Who gets to draw the lines? How about this….
Proverbs 16:11 states: “The Lord demands accurate scales and balances; He sets the standard for fairness.
God demands not just accuracy but fairness in our business dealings
No amount of rationalizing or justifying can ever cover for a dishonest business practice
Is we want to obey God there is no middle ground
Proverbs 11:1 continues to speak of this standard: “The Lord hates cheating and delights in honesty.”
Please understand that in all of this there is no hidden message – God is straightforward
Commandments 5-10 all deal with our human relationships with our neighbors and
remember that Jesus Himself explained that everyone is our neighbor
We somewhat minimize the power of this commandment by relegating it to “kid rules”
“Now boys and girls remember we respect the property of others – do not steal”
Commandment # 8 – Thou shall not steal is a life philosophy that needs to be developed
Stealing is getting a reward without paying a price….A short cut philosophy
In Matthew chapter 4 Satan tried to tempt Jesus into being King without “paying for it”
Jesus did not accept because He had not accomplished what He had come to do
Jesus did not take a short cut
In Luke 19:1-10 we have the story of Zacchaeus – a story I am sure most of you know
Zacchaeus was the short tax collector – the wee little man that many sing about in S.S.
As a tax collector Zacchaeus was hated –
For being a Jew serving the Roman Empire – working for and with unclean Gentiles
AND because as a tax collector he cheated people in the tax process – overtaxing-profit
This was the life Zacchaeus was living – an occupation that rooted itself in theft/stealing
His dishonest ways found him wealthy – having all that his day could afford a person
Zacchaeus was not happy – he did not seem to be satisfied or happy
He went out in search of Jesus – it appears he knew something about Him
We find Zacchaeus wanting something more out of life – something significant
We can leave that message for another time
Zacchaeus’ response to his life and to Jesus standing there with him face to face was repentance – a life change – a surrendering he wanted everyone to know it
The law required full restitution plus 20% – That did not appear to be enough for him
Faced with Jesus and forgiveness and the promise of a new life Zac gave more
He gave half of hat he owned to the poor
To anyone he cheated he paid back four times the amount – not the amount plus 20%
Zacchaeus met Jesus and his heart and life were transformed by Christ’s love
Gratitude produces a natural and spontaneous overflow of giving – Opposite of stealing
E give or we take – there is very little middle ground
Let’s bring this on home with one more encounter that Jesus had
A dinner was given in his honor – Lazarus, Martha and Mary – Martha served the meal
Mary took a pint of nard perfume – very expensive – a year’s wages
She broke open the jar – poured it on Jesus’ feet – wiped them with her hair
The house was filled with the sweet fragrance of the perfume
We find here an elegant and passionate act of worship – an offering everything to Him
We read in Scripture the God has lavished His love and His grace out on us – lavished
In the word we have a giving with no restraint – a holding nothing back
We see Mary lavishing Jesus with this incredible expensive gift
Not all are happy or pleased with this gracious and compassionate gift
Judas Iscariot – the one who would betray Jesus objected
Why as the perfume not sold and the money given to the poor – a year’s wages
Judas did not care about the poor – or the treasury that he oversaw – Judas was a thief
The keeper of the moneybag only cared about himself – he helped himself to the money
Worship finds us rarely thinking of self – Theft is all about self
Judas might have been happier is Mary had been more restrained giving to Jesus drips and dribbles of the perfume
Mary would not be happy until she emptied her jar and herself before Jesus
And here is where many need for grow – here is where we many find themselves stealing
Hear the Word of God:
“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, “How do we rob you?”
“In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse – the whole nation of you – because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my storehouse. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “ and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have enough room for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will calls you blessed, for your will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty. Malachi 3:8-12
The Old Testament gives us the standard for giving:
A tenth is first mentioned in Genesis 14:20 when Abraham gave this amount
The tithe was only one part of the agricultural income –
Giving that was intended to reflect gratitude to God and care for one’s neighbor
Our true standard of giving and generosity is found in Jesus’ sacrificial life
And the call to offer our bodies as living sacrifices – holy and pleasing to God Rom. 12:1
We are called to give in every aspect of our lives – not selected portions of or lives
Giving – or Taking indicates the spiritual state of our hearts
Many live their lives as thieves and robbers
The resources we cling to as our own are rightfully God’s
We enjoy those blessing because God has chosen to share them with us
Yet sometimes we see giving as a task or burden or obligation
As we close in a time of prayer I encourage you to look at the vessel that is your life
Is there a continual pouring our of God’s blessing from you to others?
Is there a hesitant nature – guarded, protective, holding back?
Is there a desire to simply and continually receive from and not giving to?
Are there areas in which you are “robbing or stealing from God?
In our time of prayer let us ask God to move in our hearts making them like Mary’s
In our time of prayer let us ask God to nurture in our hearts a true repentance like the one we see in Zacchaeus