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Read Exodus 20:1-17

*Illustration: The story of the Aspen Tree.   The largest organism in the world “Pando” is found in Fishlake National Forest in Utah.  It is made up of 40k Aspen trees, weighing over 13M pounds, and covering 106 acres and originating from one single seed.  Each tree is a shoot off the root system that began with a single tree and is now a single network of roots.

The 10th Commandment addresses the root of many variants of sin—wanting what is not ours.

• Coveting is a root issue related to the previous 9 commandments.
  
  
• Consider Adam and Eve. What did they desire?  To be like God.
  
  
• What is behind the Golden Calf atrocity? Credit their own hands by looking upon something that will not demand of them anything but promise whatever they wish.
  
  
• Sabbath days have become self-indulgiant days with no acknowledgement or time with God.
  
  
• Take without honor; Please yourself at the cost of your neighbor; Take what is not yours; Steal the reputation of another to enhance your own…

Just like the Pando Forest.  Coveting begins with a single seed, but it spreads into so many parts of your life from a single root system.

How does it begin?

The gate to your heart begins with your eyes.  Matthew 6:22-24

• The primary entry point of that which fills our mind are our eyes.
  
  
• What you let your eyes fix upon will fill your mind.
  
  
• What fills your mind will affect your heart.
  
  
• Where your heart goes so goes your life.
  
  
• The result will be a life filled with light or a life mired in darkness.
  
  
• Job understood this progression. Job 31:1-8

Godliness thrives with a content heart.  1 Timothy 6:6-10 [The opposite side of the spectrum] 

• Walking with God with a content heart will experience gain.
  • It is not a status quo no forward movement approach.
  • It is movement forward in a different direction.

• The gains are more eternal, and joy filled.
  
  
• In contrast, worldly gain is insatiable.

A divided heart will be a slow death of vibrant faith. [WARNING]

• Minimally, you will experience a slow weakening of relationship with Jesus.

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

• Cannot serve two masters.
• A kingdom divided cannot stand. Matthew 12:25

A potential outcome is you walking away from the faith.

1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

• The coveting of money, possessions, or earthly accomplishments will provide an elaborate root system that harm all areas of your life—ultimately your faith.

How to protect your heart.

1. Gratefulness for what God has given you.

• This is the antidote of greed or dissatisfaction.

2. Identify what makes your eye wander and remove its space in your heart. Cut the root!

• Bring the issue to light before God and with a trusted person. Expose it.
• Avoid delight in it by delighting in Heaven’s resources. Starve it.
• Pray for God’s strength and help. Release it.

3. Fix your eyes upon Jesus.

• Study his life.
• Commune with him especially with a Sabbath.
• Journey closely with others who are pursuing Jesus as well.

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

Benediction: Exodus 20:18-20 “When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance ¹⁹ and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.  ²⁰ Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”

The fear of God be with you as you cast off the sinful restraints of the flesh by the power of the Spirit of God.