The Seventh Commandment Our Attitude Toward Possessions INTRODUCTION

The Seventh Commandment Our Attitude Toward Possessions

INTRODUCTION �How would you feel if you went over to your aunt's house and saw an expensive tablecloth that you had bought for her torn up and being used as rags? �Why would you have those feelings? �God has given our possessions to each of us, and he is interested in how we use them. So today we ask ourselves: 2

STUDYING GOD’SWORD What Does God Want Our Attitude To Be Toward Possessions He Gives Us And Other People? 3

STUDYING GOD’SWORD How Do People Sin Against God’s Gift Of Possessions? 4

HOW PEOPLE SIN AGAINST GOD � Matthew 14: 20: “They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ” � Matthew 15: 37: “They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ” � PEOPLE SIN BY WASTING THEIR POSSESSIONS. � It’s said that Americans waste enough food every day to feed a million people. Since most of us have more than we can eat at many of our meals, it might not seem too bad if we throw food away instead of eating them later as leftovers. � Jesus taught us that leftovers are also God’s gift to us and are not to be wasted. 5

HOW PEOPLE SIN AGAINST GOD �Luke 10: 30: “In reply Jesus said: ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ’” �Proverbs 22: 16, 22: “He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty. 22 Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court. ” 6

HOW PEOPLE SIN AGAINST GOD �PEOPLE SIN BY TAKING OTHER PEOPLE’S POSSESSIONS BY FORCE. (ROBBERY) �John was a little bigger than Joe. He told Joe he wanted his jacket, and would give him his i. Pod for it. Joe said he didn’t want to trade, but John hinted he might get hurt sometime if he didn’t. �John didn’t lay a hand on Joe, but he was still using force to take something Joe possessed away from him. 7

HOW PEOPLE SIN AGAINST GOD �John 12: 6: “He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. ” �PEOPLE SIN BY TAKING THE POSSESSIONS OF OTHERS SECRETLY. (THEFT) �Joe gave John his jacket because of John’s threat and got the i. Pod in return. Joe felt the i. Pod wasn’t worth what his jacket was, so when John was gone from school one day, Joe looked in John’s desk and took the new i. Pod John had bought for himself. He took it home and only used there so John wouldn’t find out he had taken it. �Joe may have felt it was right for him to do this, but because he took it secretly he was stealing. 8

HOW PEOPLE SIN AGAINST GOD �Proverbs 20: 17: “Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel. ” �Proverbs 21: 6: “A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare. ” 9

HOW PEOPLE SIN AGAINST GOD � PEOPLE SIN BY TAKING THE POSSESSIONS OF OTHERS BY DISHONEST DEALING. (FRAUD) � Take a look at the labels on your clothing. Are you sure that your jeans are really Levi’s, Aeropostale, Old Navy, or Gap? � Are you sure that your shoes are really Nike, Jordan, Under Armor, or Adidas? � There are some people out there putting these brand name labels on their own junk and passing it off as something it isn't. That’s fraud. 10

HOW PEOPLE SIN AGAINST GOD � Luke 12: 15: “Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. ’” � PEOPLE SIN BY HAVING GREEDY THOUGHTS. � If you're in line at the grocery store and happen to glance into the wallet of the person ahead of you and there see a wad of $100 dollar bills, what happens to you? � Does your heart jump a little bit? Do you wonder why he/she has all that money and you don't? Do you wish that you could reach in and take just one or two? � Those types of thoughts are greedy thoughts, and they are sinful. 11

Waste 12

Robbery 13

Theft 14

Fraud 15

Greedy Thoughts 16

STUDYING GOD’SWORD How Does God Want Us To Show We Appreciate The Possessions He Gives Us And Other People? 17

APPRECIATING GOD’SGIFTS � 1 Timothy 6: 6 -7: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ” � GOD WANTS US TO BE CONTENT WITH WHAT HE HAS GIVEN US. � Take a look at a baby who has just finished nursing as it lies by her mother's breast. This baby is warm, cuddled, feels loved, has a full stomach and maybe even a smile on her face. She really doesn’t have any possessions, yet she is perfectly content. � When we see that God has given us all that we need for this life--which is more than we deserve--we can be as content as that baby. 18

APPRECIATING GOD’SGIFTS � Colossians 3: 22 -23: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. ” � GOD WANTS US TO HELP OUR EMPLOYER WITH HIS MONEY AND PROPERTY BY DOING FAITHFUL WORK. � A man on the assembly line at a major car company helped unload parts that were stored with wooden spacers. He would take these spacers and throw them into a pile. Then a fork lift would come and carry them away to the dumpster. One day it him, “Why are we throwing those away? We could ship those spacers back to the other division and they could be used hundreds of times over, in time saving the company thousands upon thousands of dollars. ” This was a man that helped his employer with his money and property. 19

APPRECIATING GOD’SGIFTS � 1 Corinthians 10: 24: “Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. ” � Proverbs 11: 25: “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. ” � GOD ALSO WANTS US TO HELP OTHERS WITH THEIR MONEY AND PROPERTY. � Remember when Abraham’s and Lot’s servants were quarreling over pasture land for their herds? Abraham generously gave Lot the first choice of two options, and Lot took the best for himself. Abraham didn’t complain. Instead, a little later when Lot lost all his possessions to raiders who captured the town in which Lot lived, Abraham risked his and his servants lives to get them back for Lot. � What a wonderful example Abraham gives us of unselfishly helping others with their money and property. 20

Be Content 21

Do Faithful Work 22

Help Others 23

GOD’SWORD IN MY LIFE �Joshua said, “Today's my lucky day. The bank teller gave me one hundred and ten dollars instead of one hundred dollars. ” What do you say to Joshua? �Agree or disagree? Taking a lot of breaks on the job is a sin. �Agree or disagree? In order to be generous a person has to have lots of money. 24

Waste 25

Robbery 26

Theft 27

Fraud 28

Greedy Thoughts 29

Be Content 30

Do Faithful Work 31

Help Others 32

WHAT HAVE I LEARNED? �God wants my attitude to be that I am satisfied with what I have and to be ready to help others in whatever way I can to keep what God has given them. 33

ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT TIME REVIEWING THE LESSON 1. Review your notes; be sure you understand them. Be prepared for a quiz Tuesday. MEMORY WORK 1. Memorize passages 475, 480, 487. 34