Well, tonight, if you're visiting, we're working through what we believe and confess together. Tonight we come to the Tenth Commandment, and we're going to say that together from in the Forms and Prayers book, if you have those. We're looking at the Tenth Commandment, and that is found on page 250, page 250, Lord's Day 44. And we will say together three question and answers. I'll ask the question beginning at question 113 and have you to please respond with the answers after the questions. What is God's will for you in the 10th commandment? That not even the slightest desire or thought contrary to any one of God's commandments should ever arise in our hearts. Rather, with our hearts, we should always hate sin and delight in all righteousness. But can those converted to God keep these commandments perfectly? No. In this life, even the holiness have only a small beginning of disobedience. Nevertheless, with all seriousness of purpose, they do begin to live according to all, not only some, of God's commandments. Since no one in this life can keep the Ten Commandments perfectly, why does God want them to preach so pointedly? First, so that all our life long we may more come to know our sinful nature and thus more eagerly seek the forgiveness of sins and righteousness in Christ. Second, so that we may never stop striving and never stop praying to God for the grace of the Holy Spirit so that we may be renewed more and more after God's image until after this life we reach our goal, perfection. Most likely I'll probably have another follow-up sermon on 1.14 and 1.15. The main focus tonight is 1.13 in what is God's will for us in the 10th commandment. And the scripture text tonight comes out of 1 John 2, verses 15 through 17, three verses there, found on page 12, 11, which really does summarize well the intention of the 10th commandment. And this is what we read at 1 John 2, beginning at verse 15. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that's in the world, the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the Father but is from the world and the world is passing away along with its desires. But whoever does the will of God abides forever. There will end tonight the reading of God's Word. Tenth commandment tonight I think you see as we're going to look through this shows the beautiful coherence to the entirety of God's ten words to us. There was something very special when Paul was trying to make the case in Romans 7 about sin and that struggle in sin. When he was describing what it was like to be under the law, he could have really chosen any commandment. And the commandment that he chose to illustrate that all are sold under sin was the 10th commandment. You remember he said that. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? No, the law is good. The law is not the problem. He said, on the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. And he goes on to say, for I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said thou shall not covet there was um there was something about the the 10th commandment that really proves to us the breaking of them all if anyone thought and james says this if you break one you break all the commandments but if there was anyone who thought and came along and said you know i've done really well with the law i've done really well in keeping the law the 10th commandment makes sure the bus runs you over in other words the 10th commandment goes right to the heart it gets right to the heart of the matter and shows us what's wrong with the human heart and that's why tonight the approach of the 10th commandment is so important the commandments you shall not steal you shall not bear false witness you shall not murder are all outward actions we've looked at of course they have we've gone further than that and showed of the spirit of the law and the inward actions. But when it comes to the 10th, you'll notice that this particular commandment drives right into the human heart, doesn't it? And make sure we leave the study from the 10 commandments saying, no one walk away saying, you know, I've really made the mark here myself in this life. Of course, it's a rule of gratitude for the Christian. This is what we call the third use of the law. It becomes a rule of gratitude. But you'll notice, even as we looked at in the question and answers, it's a law, as we hear this law and study this law, it continues to put us on our knees before the Lord so that we continue to trust Him and recognize our dependency upon Him every day of life. We cannot live this life without Him. A rich young ruler thought he could. Remember, he had come to Jesus and had said he kept all the commandments to enter into eternal life. And then Jesus, of course, does the same thing as Paul in Romans 7 when he says, Really? Well, then why don't you go and sell all your possessions and give to the poor and then come and follow me? It was the command, the 10th commandment of covetousness that broke him and he realized right then and there he couldn't do it as he walked away sad. This has been one of the great points in our study of the Ten Commandments, that the heart is the mainspring from which all of the actions come. Jesus taught us that. It's out of the heart that proceeds murder, adultery, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies. That's how bad the human heart is and how contrary our whole society wants to tell us about the goodness of the human heart. By the way, you know this is true because the sort of common way that sinners define themselves is as good. You know the truth of the Bible because God says the heart is desperately wicked. Who can know it? No one wants to give that assessment about themselves, do they? It's been rightly said that the final commandment is like the rudder of the ship. Whatever way the rudder is directed, that's where the ship is going to go. That's a really good little comparison to help understand which way is the rudder directed. You can be sure that any time one has committed adultery or murder or theft or false witness, it all started with covetousness. It all started with covetousness. The man who loves after a woman who's not his wife commits adultery, which resulted, of course, first in the fact that he coveted a woman who was not his own. The one who steals something from a store first set his desire on what he wanted to take, didn't he? The man who hates and murders in the heart and refuses to forgive first has envy in that heart, which is an emphatic form of covetousness. I like the example a pastor gave as I was reading through this, that the heart is like the boardroom of a corporation. From this room, all sorts of thoughts and plans are made that are then executed. But what goes on in the boardroom, no one can see. But soon enough, once the plans are executed, everyone knows what decision was made in the boardroom. That's helpful. That's what the human heart is like. You know I'm not a fan of meetings. Meetings are cumbersome. There's always a meeting going on in the human heart. And that's where it all starts. It's a dialogue in the self. It begins to entertain something. It begins to think about something. And that's the heart tonight, an issue of the 10th commandment. And so we need to understand this commandment properly when it's understood that really it's a commandment about desire. Think of in our whole culture today, how much that people will say, as long as I don't do the outward action, the desires of my heart are okay. And the Bible and the scriptures and the assessment of the heart say it comes down to the great problem of human desire. This is the sense of covet. The command could rightly be translated, you shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house, wife, all these things in life, anything that is your neighbor's. So when we set desire on something that is not ours, the boardroom has already had a meeting, there's already a meeting in place, and the way of execution is soon to follow. That's the planning that goes on. That's what the heart does. It's like John Owen who said, Sin that takes one step always takes another. So the commandment has everything to do with unlawful desire. It's really getting into the dissecting the human heart with desire. And the execution of desire. One of the crucial passages that explains this is James chapter 1. It said, let no one say when he's tempted, I'm tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he himself tempt anyone. So how does this all happen then? Well, he says, each one is tempted when he's drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it's like giving birth in a sense. And conception, when the sin comes out, it's like giving birth. The conception is that desire when it's conceived. There's a conception there, he says. It gives birth to sin. And sin, when it's fully grown, brings forth death. Now we can then look at the 10th commandment with that in mind and understand the course of action that occurs. the desire enters the boardroom, so to speak. The desire is in the boardroom when we entertain it, when we're enticed by something. And then when you entertain and are enticed by that, and you've coveted, the plan goes into action and becomes fully revealed outwardly in what is done. And if it's not stopped, and this is why sin is so serious. This is why sin, the Bible says, don't play with sin. And we all do it. This is not saying that we don't do it. we all do this but when sin is played with and when sin takes a root and that desire is strongly there and then it's built up into the heart and it continues to be practiced it leads to the hardening of that heart so that then there's no what the apostle will say you have a seared conscience with regard to sin and when that heart is fully hardened and then you run off in the sin and and and sin fully grown destroys people you don't have to look at that you can just look in the world and see that how sin destroys people's lives so the tenth commandment becomes this great exposure of the breaking of all of the commandments that's really why i said there's such a coherence to the law it's beautiful you could see the inspiration of the spirit and how he crafted the law of god and what he did here and it's helpful to look at what's been outlined i think one little great story is the story of of ahab and naboth remember his naboth's vineyard and remember boys and girls that that story you've read in first kings let me just read a few passages from it so you see what this looks like in action it came to pass after these things that naboth the jezreelite had a vineyard which was in jezreel next to the place of ahab king of samaria so ahab spoke to naboth saying give me your vineyard so that i may have it for a vegetable garden it means this sounds so goofy for a king to be saying that i need vegetables right it's near my house and for it i'll give you a better vineyard or if it seems good to you i'll give you money for it. But this tells us, you know, it's interesting. Ahab had all these palaces and this one vineyard who, when he walked out on his palace there, he looked at this one vineyard that was really beautiful. And he started saying, I got to have that vineyard. Ahab wanted that vineyard. And what Ahab did is he set his eyes on the vineyard and then as that desire was conceived it gave birth to all kinds of sin in almost every circumstance whatever does not belong to us always looks better it's really a remarkable thing about the human heart i'll come back to that what is desirable what's desirable is what we don't have god gives us all kinds of good gifts to enjoy and if we were always satisfied in them we wouldn't always want more we always want excitement lies in the thing that we don't have yet john boys once said the poor man wants many things the rich man wants everything we all have this problem there's a difference between temptation and the practice of evil desires in some sense that looking out at the vineyard the temptation came outside of ahab right and what god god recognizes there's a fundamental difference here that we avoid entering into all forms of temptation that's his call temptation is not sin when it when it originates outside of us. Temptation becomes sin when we entertain and welcome into the boardroom a sinful desire of that heart and then we act on it. That's a difference. Covetousness arises from a lust in the heart for something that will seem to provide more happiness. It will have a greater feel of pleasure for us. And that's the case here with Ahab. Ahab offers to buy the vineyard. Naboth says, the Lord forbid. This is the inheritance of my fathers. I'm not giving you my vineyard. So Ahab went into his house, sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth, the Jezreelite, had spoken to him. He said, I won't give you the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid down on his bed and he turned around his face and he would not eat food. What a pathetic little guy here. He's crying because he doesn't have the vineyard. He knows he can't acquire the land. He knows the law. He knows he has no right to it. He sulks on his bed. The desire was so strong he couldn't get off his bed. Well, here comes the answer. Jezebel. What are you doing on your bed? I'll give you that vineyard. Since you don't have the courage, I'll go get that vineyard for you. Ahab did nothing. So, nothing to stop this wickedness from Jezebel. He signs a letter with his name on it, even though his wife wrote it. Resulted from one covetous desire from Ahab's heart. Jezebel has this great court case. She brings false witnesses in, infects the whole community of Israel to slander Naboth, something terrible. And what's the outcome? They stoned Naboth and murdered him. Wow, you mean from one little boardroom in the human heart, it led to theft, Eighth Commandment, murder, Sixth Commandment, blaspheme, Ninth Commandment. You see how this all weaves together here all from the boardroom of the human heart. In short, the rudder of the ship with one covetous desire led to murder, theft, bearing false witness against his neighbor and his heart bowed before a covetous desire, breaking the whole law, especially the first, the second, the third, the sixth, the seventh, the eighth, the ninth, the tenth, all in one swoop. And sin is so deceptive. You know, there's a reason every morning we have to get up and ask the Lord to frame our minds correctly in the life of sanctification, in the life of following Christ, in the life of leading a life, because it just takes one little entertaining of a desire and your whole day is filled with it. That's what Paul was saying. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had said, you shall not covet, but sin. Seizing an opportunity through the commandment produced in me all kinds of covetousness. What that saying there is, it's helping us understand how sinful the heart is. Things look so attractive because God said no. Anyone knows this raising kids? We give the law. We say don't do this. And it's just astonishing how quickly it happens. That's the human heart. Jesus said, take heed and beware of covetousness. Luke 12. For one's life. Ever thought about what it means? One's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses. In other words, think about that very carefully. Life doesn't come from those things. Deadness comes from those things. God gives us good gifts to enjoy. That's not what we're talking about. We're talking about living for these things. I can accumulate thinking it will satisfy But my life will never be satisfied and will never be supported through the things that I desire. Think about that. It was the very first thing that happened in the Garden of Eden. Remember? God had said, you shall not eat of the tree. Satan comes in, oh, come on, look at it. Just look at it for a minute. Look at it. Looks really good, doesn't it? That tree didn't look any better than any other tree. But as soon as Satan, the law had come, and as soon as Satan had tempted, Eve began, remember what it says, listen to what it says. She saw the fruit, that it was pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable to make one wise. And then she took. That fruit became great because the desire was set on it. And what desires control the void of an empty heart? I think our Heidelberg is so great here that the will of God in the 10th commandment, think about this, that not even the slightest thought or desire contrary to any one of God's commandments should ever arise in my heart. Rather, with all my heart, notice again, we're right in the heart. Talk about heart religion. Rather, with all my heart, I should always hate sin and take pleasure in what is right. Is there anything mastering? You see how the law does its work? The law searches and tries us and it shows, it shows that why was the law added for transgressions to show how great sin is. We just don't see this unless we ponder the law of God. John Trapp once said, A ship may be filled with silver even to the point of sinking, yet there may be space left to hold ten times more. So a covetous man, though he has enough to sink him, yet he never has enough to satisfy him. A circle cannot fill a triangle, so neither can the world fill the heart of man. You know, the whole society preys on us on this. We're constantly being tricked into thinking that we need all these things to fulfill us. This happens in the Gordon home. I don't know how many times I've seen the MyPillow commercial. Have you seen that commercial? It's like that guy is always on the news. And we think, you know, we're not Sleeping World. We need a MyPillow. A MyPillow is going to make us sleep better, you know. See what it does to us. No, it's not wrong. I'm not saying it's wrong to go buy a MyPillow. We did it. But we place all of our emotions and our desires and spend, think of society, spends billions of dollars to work on the desires of the human heart to create what our false needs. They prey on our fears. They prey on our desires, our insecurities, our vulnerabilities. doing all they can to transform us and take us into a customer and a buyer. That's what happens in the world. Ultimately, we're constantly being exploited with the very problem that is exposed in the 10th commandment. Consuming thinking will be happy. Consuming thinking will be fulfilled. I think it was Pastor Contreras who said a few weeks ago, when Americans are depressed, they shop. well i'm going to get to the gospel but there's a positive dimension to this isn't there what's always reinforced in scripture in the positive dimension when it comes to something like the tent that's the beauty of god's commandments they they say thou shall not but then you study the whole scriptures and you come back and you realize there's a real positive dimension to this and desires aren't always wrong i want to make sure we understand that But desire has to be controlled by God's word, doesn't it? The world and its desires will pass away. But whoever does the will of God will live forever. So I say walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Look at Jesus. all his life he had no place to to lay his head when tempted to fulfill every desire think about this in the temptations in matthew 4 to fulfill every desire contrary to the will of the father he didn't satan came along and said you know what you can have right now glory glory i'll give you just look at it take your eyes jesus and look at all the kingdoms of the world think of the arrogancy of this I'll give them to you right now Jesus said get away from me Satan my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work again not all desires are bad God gives us good gifts we make decisions in life but we don't live for those things, right? What Jesus was saying there is, my food, he was speaking of desire, my food is to do the will of my Father who sent me. What was that food? To give eternal life to you. And he was saying that I find the most satisfaction in doing my Father's will. One thing I've desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple. So what is the positive dimension for us? It's contentment. That's difficult. This is a great stride in sanctification when you learn just the least bit of contentment. It's been a whole battle for me as a pastor. contentment in this life. A recognition in this life that all your sufficiency is in Jesus and in all your circumstances and in every situation with everything we have comes from his fatherly hand that he's going to care for us and he's going to provide for us but that there's something bigger than us. Jeremiah Burroughs said in his little book on contentment, you are the spouse of Christ? What? One married to Jesus Christ and yet troubled and discontented? Have you not enough in him? Doesn't Christ your husband say to you, am I not better to you than a thousand riches and comforts? Such comforts you murmur for one of? Has not God given you his son and he's given you all things it's already yours why are so discontented oh my soul right i've learned as paul said in whatever state i am to be content i know how to be abased and i know how to abound everywhere and in all things i've learned how to be both full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need i can do all things through christ who strengthens me we express contentment this great mystery of sanctification it's tough business when we express contentment we're demonstrating satisfaction in him and he's glorified in our lives now godliness 1 Timothy 6 with contentment is great gain for we brought nothing into this world and certain we can carry nothing out and having food and clothing with these we shall be content but those who desire notice it there it is again it's just all over those who desire to be rich it's not bad being rich that's God's good gift to you if you're rich and we're all rich in America by the way those who desire it fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men into destruction and perdition for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil notice that a desire, a love for which some have strayed from the faith and their greediness and what was the end result and pierced themselves through with many sorrows but you oh man of god flee these things pursue here's here's the here's the the goal pursue righteousness godliness faith love patience and gentleness we'll come to hebrews 13 let your conduct be without covetousness be content with such things as you have for he himself has said i will never leave you nor forsake you that is an amazing verse you don't have to live with covetous desire because jesus said i'll never leave you nor forsake you he's the treasure of our hearts. And that's why I think the Heidelberg, you know, to close this tonight, when we look at the end of this and we think about in questions 115, just briefly, what it says there. I can get there can those converted to god keep these commandments perfectly no even the holiness holiest in this life who do you think is the holiest person in the escondido urc should i ask who would that be james lund just put his hand up so listen to this nevertheless we have only a small beginning of this obedience nevertheless with all seriousness of purpose they do begin to live according to all not only some of god's commandments well since no one in this life can keep the ten commandments perfectly why does god want them preached this way that searches us and tries us so pointedly first so that all our life we may more and more come to know our sinful nature the part of sanctification is learning to see yourself as god has assessed you and thus more eagerly to seek what from him every day forgiveness no one's up here and no one in this building has kept all this perfectly you need forgiveness and you need righteousness in christ and so that now listen to this in this life we may never stop striving and may never stop praying to god for the grace of the holy spirit that we may be renewed more and more after god's image until after this life we reach our goal perfection this is what he wants he wants us dependent and trusting him for help everyone's in a different place in sanctification we all expect everyone to be where we think we are and somebody else thinks you need to be farther along than you are did you know that that's the challenge of sanctification the reality is we all have made a small step in this and we have daily dependence upon the Lord but I want to close with this Jesus said I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I give for the life of the world. I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never hunger. And he who believes in me will never thirst. May Jesus be our delight. And when we have contentment and satisfaction in trusting him, then we begin to make a small beginning in honoring the 10th commandment. Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, thank you for your good law to us. We recognize how needy we are. And we recognize, Lord, that by nature we are not a content people. We are a covetous people. We confess that together tonight. We're never satisfied with the situation in life we're in. We're always looking for something better and something more and something we think will make us more happy and it doesn't satisfy. But we are so thankful for Christ, so thankful for righteousness in life. Let us find our life not in the abundance of sinful desires that we pursue, but let us enjoy the life we have given to us from the true bread who has come down from heaven who has given life so that we might live abundantly. Thank you for training us in your law and help us, oh Lord, to be a people who pursue righteousness and sanctification for your praise and for your glory. And thank you for forgiving all of our sins. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.