"You Shall Not Steal"
THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT
Exodus 20:15; Ephesians 4:28
Pastor Rick Bartosik
Mililani Community Church
July 20, 2003

The Eighth Commandment strikes at the very heart of our attitude toward money and possessions. Today we are going to see how God wants us to treat our possessions and the possessions of others.

I. WHY PEOPLE STEAL

1. Because they want instant HAPPINESS

2. Because they want SECURITY

3. Because they have forgotten about GOD

The reason people deceive, manipulate, and cut ethical corners is because they believe their future lies in their own hands. When people forget who God is they end up being very possessive and greedy. Rather than trusting God with the blessings they have, they begin to horde and protect and guard those things.

(See Ron Mehl, The Ten(der) Commandments, 197-208)

II. WAYS YOU CAN BREAK THIS COMMANDMENT

1. By what you TAKE

2. By what you DO

3. By what you SAY

4. By what you KEEP

Malachi 3:8-10 - stealing from God

III. HOW GOD WANTS US TO VIEW OUR POSSESSIONS

• Matthew 6:19-21 - God calls us to see ourselves as managers of His resources. He wants us to manage the possessions He has entrusted to us to accomplish His purposes.
• The root of the problem of stealing is being possessed by our possessions. We can avoid being possessed by possessions by acknowledging that all we have belongs to God.
• As followers of Jesus, God calls us to manage the possessions He has put under our control. One day we will be asked to give an account to Him of how we invested the resources He has entrusted to us. Did we only invest them in the temporary things of this earth, or did we invest them in "treasures in heaven" by supporting His Kingdom purposes in this world?

THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT
" You shall not steal"
Exodus 20:15

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(From Decision Magazine September 2000)

OBSERVE

1. In the New Testament, what does Jesus say is the source or motivation for stealing? (Matthew 15:18-20)

2. Who is the rightful owner of all things? (Genesis 14:19; Exodus 19:5; Psalm 24:1-2)

3. What is one way that a person can steal from God? (Malachi 3:8-10)

4. What does the Apostle Paul say about thieves and their future inheritance? If a thief turns to Jesus Christ, what hope then does the thief have? (I Corinthians 6:9-11)

INTERPRET

1. Read Ephesians 4:17-28 where the Apostle Paul writes about how people should live. Is it enough for someone just to quit stealing? Why, or why not?

2. Explain why stealing may involve more than taking someone else's possessions (Leviticus 19:9-13)

APPLY

Read Romans 2:21. Have you been stealing without even realizing it? Think about things you have done that you didn't consider to be stealing, and write down specific ways to avoid breaking this Commandment.

Copyright © 1999-2006 Rick Bartosik

Ten Commandment Series

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