The Heart of the Problem

Everybody Greg Laurie here. You're listening to the Grigori podcast and my objective is to deliver hopefully compelling practical insights and faith culture and current events. From a biblical perspective to find out more about our ministry. Just go to our website harvest.org so thanks for joining me for this podcast. Everybody welcome back to Harvest at Home I Greg Laurie live a message for you that I'm in this year and just a moment before I wanted to let you know we have a special surprise for you after the message you have a little worship section with the special song from my friend Phil Wickham and also from Matt Redman that would be immediately following the message but were in our series on the life of Moses that were calling water fire stone and I do my final message on the 10 Commandments, so grab your Bibles I hope you have a Bible so you can read along because this is a Bible study. Grab your Bible and turn to Exodus chapter 20 in the title of my message is the heart of the problem, because of my grandkids the other day and we are talking about the 10 Commandments and I said I will give $10 to the grandchild who knows all of the 10 Commandments in their proper order.

I have to admit I was very impressed. They had pretty much all of the Commandments that they didn't have them quite in the exact order within one of my younger grandchildren said Papa what is it mean when the Bible says you shall not commit adultery as it then means you should not kiss anyone but the person you're married to that one of my older grandkids said means you shouldn't cheat on your spouse and like that's actually technically true, so those of the Commandments and why did God give us these 10 Commandments low for a lot of reasons. Number one. There, the foundation of all morality secure the absolutes were looking for, so we know right from wrong up from down the ark guard rails given to us so we can live happy lives there given to us for our own protection. Their walls of protection to keep us safe and one last thing I'll say about the Commandments. They are absolutely impossible to keep on your own. The Commandments are sort of like a moral mere observer looked in the magnifying mirror you know you look in the regular mirror and you think I look good and then you look at that magnifying mirror with extralight and you realize you don't look nearly as good as you thought you look because a magnifying mirror. Put your flaws on display. When I look at these 10 Commandments given to me from God. I realize how far short I fall in so there were a moral mere sending me into the open arms of Jesus. Now you remember the first four commandments you shall not have another God before him, you shall not have a graven image, or worship, graven image, you shall not take the Lord's name in vain and you should keep the Sabbath day. The first four have to do with my relationship with God. The final six have to do with my relationship with people. That's what I want to focus on right now the final Commandments in the 10 Commandments.

Let's go to commandment number five detected this chapter 20 verse 12 honor your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you commandment number six you shall not murder. Commandment number seven you shall not commit adultery commandment number eight you shall not steal commandment number nine you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor or the like, and finally the last commandment.

Verse 17 of Exodus 20 you shall not cover your neighbor's house, nor covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servants or anything that belongs to your neighbor all right. Let's dive into commandment number eight you shall not steal. Now we see now, we all fall short in these other areas.

Who among us is not had another God before. Who among us is not at some time taken the Lord's name in vain.

We might say, well, I've never committed adultery or murdered anyone but Jesus said in the sermon on the Mount, if you look on a woman or a man with lust in your heart. At the same as committing adultery.

And if you had a hatred in your heart toward someone. It's the same as murdering them told you every good hatred in your heart toward anyone, let me rephrase the question. Have you ever driven on a freeway, especially in Southern California. So clearly we broken these commandments but not when we come to you shall not steal, we might all breathe a collective sigh of relief because will think well I actually don't steal anything that the poll was done by Barnett that revealed that 86% of those were pulled said they were completely satisfied that they had never broken this commandment we think stealing all that's a problem for thieves and robbers, but not us. And we certainly see this on display as we have people who are rioting and looting in the streets of our major cities and I think theft is become so common you don't even notice signs. For instance I you read that a cashier can't open their St. our clerk in a gas station is working behind bulletproof glass and red lights blink on our dashboards of our cars telling people that the car alarm is on and security cameras monitor our every mood will be going to a store. Our every move.

Rather, as we go to a store and they even monitor us out of the streets as well.

An article in Newsweek pointed out that people shoplift get ready for this figure $13 billion worth of merchandise a year $13 billion were not just talking about high-end items were talking about things like lipstick and batteries. According to this article. It's gotten to the point where some retailers use shoplifting habits as a guide to find out what's hot among teenagers. Oh there stealing more of this. Let's order more that so that's all pervasive theft is in our culture today and all of this, God says in his word. You shall not steal.

It's not only a crime. It is a sin. Here's what the Bible says about stealing in Ephesians 428. He was been stealing must deal no longer. He must work to do something useful with his own hands and he may have something to share with those in need is a very important verse, and it tells us three very practical things about stealing number one we should steal no longer verse 28. Who is Vince. He was been stealing should no longer do it.

Also, if you've taken something from someone to put that it doesn't belong to you. That's very important.

The story of Zacchaeus I think is the perfect illustration say key is was a tax collector, so he didn't have many friends because back in those days a tax collector such as like some of the work for the IRS. It was someone who work with the Roman government. So Zacchaeus being the Jewish men work for the occupying force. So he was perceived by his fellow Jews as a trader or a turncoat and it wasn't bad enough to collect the taxes for Rome. The tax collectors often added on more of their own benefit.

So no one likes NTS. So one day Jesus came into the town that he lived and called Jericho for a visit and as he's walking to the town accuses cannibal little dudes. We climbs up a tree to get a look at Jesus and here's Christ moving to this crowd.

Suddenly he stopped and looks up and says that key is coming over to your house today and Zacchaeus scrambled down the tree in joke Jesus to his home and they disappeared behind the closed door a little bit of time just in the emerge together and said she is said to all of the people that were there.

If I've taken anything in a wrong way.

I'll get back four times as much and Jesus said truly salvation has come to this house today so this is amended understood he stole from others, so he should return what he had taken and compensate for this is called restitution. So you steal something from someone you don't go to say sorry I stole this from you.

Forgive me know. Given that, and if you broke it all lost it or sold it to someone else by them a new one. So number one, don't steal any longer. Number two do something useful. It says in Ephesians 428 but then men must work like it or not.

The Bible teaches that we are to earn our bread by this what a bar brown. A second Thessalonians 310 set 10 says whoever does not work should not eat yet we hear that some of your living idle lives, refusing to work wasting time meddling in other people's business.

Listen to what Paul says in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we appeal to such people know we command them settle down and get to work and earn your own living lesson. The world does not owe you a living. Nor does the government that your parents can't support you forever, learner work ethic.

Get out there and apply yourself. This is so important and then thirdly share what you have with others. Again, what is he say he says so you might have something to share with those in need. Sharing is the opposite of stealing socialism is become very popular in our culture more and more people, especially those were young say they think it's a new way of life we should adopt for America.

The Bible does not advocate socialism is able wait.

I heard that in the Bible be shared one with another. Yes, voluntarily they were forced to do it and the redistribution of wealth in the Bible. We have many parables were the person who takes a little and multiplies it is rewarded and the person who is given something and does not use it are investor properly as what they have taken away from them. The point is simply this, we should share instead of take from others and by the way, if you think the government is good at doing these things. I don't know when you went to the DMV. The last time, or even the post office, but I think government efficiency may be something of an obscene moron.

So we want to give to others. Now here's something to think about when we talk about stealing. Did you know it's possible to steal from God himself, but to here's what we need to understand everything that we have comes from God. Everything that you own comes from God because you belong to God, he has provided that back to you so we should give back to the Lord of our finances now when we talk about stealing from God in the book of Malachi we read this incredible statement. Malachi 38 Leman, Rob God, yet you are robbing me when then we say, but how if you robbed you and the Lord says in your ties and offerings so it should be understood by the Christian that it is a privilege to give of our finances to God.

We should all want to do it and we all should do it because as I already said everything that we have comes from the Lord, and he makes specific promises to us as we faithfully invest into his kingdom.

He will bless us as a result, about Matthew 633 Jesus says seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you, what things the context of what he was talking about is don't be like nonbelievers who just worry about the gun aware what they're getting, eat what the going to drink Jesus as your father knows you have need of these things.

One, instead put God first seek first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you. Then I Malachi this amazing promise is made in Malachi 310 bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there be enough food in my Temple. And if you do, says the Lord will open up the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing so great you won't have room enough to take it in and then the Lord just try it put me to the test.

I challenge you put the Lord to the test. Give faithfully begin. Don't steal from the Lord, don't steal from other people. Commandment number nine verse 16 of Exodus 20, shall not bear false witness against your neighbor or a simpler way to understand it you shall not lie.

We know lying is wrong.

So why do we do it it's all because we been caught doing something wrong and we won't find a way to explain it. So a lot will come as a result I read an article from the Washington Post Magazine are that said that lying happens. 92% of the time because people want to save face and 98% of the time to keep from offending someone else so you can be challenging.

You know, maybe husband, your wife comes to you with the new address and she says no I look fat in this by the way, the answer is always no. But you know you don't want to say. Well, actually, you do a little because I will offend them so you don't want to tell them the truth and it's hard.

Maybe you're invited over to Summit South for a meal and in the meal is so bad you can't even finish it then. And you took it and fed it to the dog and the dog just died in and out for the meals over she says how did you like the dinner I served you, and you see on I would say it was one of the most unusual meals I've ever eaten. I've never eaten anything like it before and up the ghost is me and then to go throw up in the bathroom but the point is, it's hard to say. The accident was horrible.

Don't serve that to anyone again because we don't want to offend them but we tell little white lies to you know someone calls you don't answer the phone so you tell the kids to say tell the mom's not home so does relied of the kids were ever the great ice cream is sick and I have some only don't think you would like it. It's a little too spicy and when we do these little white lies, so to speak all the time. For instance, will say this on.

Oh, sorry, I forgot when you didn't forget you just didn't care enough to do it. You say the sum it's good to see you when actually it isn't good to see them at all is I love your outfit when actually don't love their outfit you're late for an appointment you think. Also I hit traffic when you didn't get traffic. You just left really late oh I was just getting ready to call you when you weren't or the checks in the mail when it isn't, or how about this one. Well I'll be praying for you. Okay that's nice to say, make sure you do you say to someone. I'll be praying for them.

Make sure you pray for them. Here's another way that you can lie gossiping, backbiting the gossiping and backbiting, saying things like have you heard the I don't know if this is true, but I just heard that, or I wouldn't tell you this but I know it won't go any further about this, and I'm telling you this, just so you can pray hold on if you don't know that something is true. Don't you dare repeated that's gossip. The very name kisses God's reminds us of the serpent tempting. Even the garden and the devil can really get into the details of this sort of thing because we can end up slandering a person or destroying the reputation and what were saying is not factually true. As I've said you before applying the acronym. Think before you speak. THINKT is it true H isn't helpful. I is it inspiring and is it necessary J is a crime if it does not pass muster with the acronym of think.

Don't say it's a great abide by the principle of my life. I hardly see anything about anyone could shut up, do us all a huge favor because of you been the victim of gossip or a lie told about you.

You know how hurtful it can be. Let me tell you something God hates it when his people live over in Proverbs 6 it says there are seven things the Lord hates haughty eyes, which means sortable look of arrogance, a lying tongue, and to kill the others in the heart. The plots evil deed that raised to do wrong, a false witness that pours out lies the person sore sows discord in the family. It's interesting. Out of the seven things of God hates two of them had to do with lying and deceit.

Tell you why God hates lime because he is the source of and the very personification of truth.

Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life. In contrast to Jesus who is truth. We have the devil as described in the Bible is the father of lies. So when we lie were behaving more like children of the devil. The children of God. Why do we do it to cover stuff up one of the biggest whoppers of all time is the story of Aaron and the golden calf. So after Moses received the 10 Commandments he dissents from Mount Sinai and what is he fine.

He hears noises in the camp and any thought they were having a war and it turns out they were having a big old party, and here's what Moses sees picture it is holding the commandments. Any chance he comes down from the mountain, having been with the Lord himself and the people are dancing naked around the golden calf in their thinking, said love break good times come on, Stan NNN, that honored others in that but up there celebrating any demands an explanation and Aaron, who we left in charge. By the way, Erin.

The worst babysitter of all time on offered this explanation well Moses I I know this looks bad. Standing in front of a golden image and worshiping it, or it looks like more work should be there but here's what happened. We weed through our gold and of the fire in this calf just came out.

So what else could we do with strip of our clothes and worship it right. Well Moses was unhappy.

Needless to say, but that was a lie would actually happen was Aaron said bring all of your gold. Bring all of your bling. Bring your earrings in your rings and necklaces and she melted and he made it in the shape of a golden child. The people were going before, but that was a lie and we live in a culture where especially on social media, it's literally built online through click date never see one of those images it will have a little headline although they left us too soon, and that some well-known movies are what they guide you click it and it has nothing to do with that. And there lies that are told about people cites the deal primarily in gossip� Be something that's a part of our lives.

Another form of lying. Slattery Flannery. One definition of flattery is quote flattery is seeing things to a certain person stays, you would never say behind their back. So you say oh you're so wonderful. Oh you're so smart then you turn around and say I can't stand that person there such a loser. You're lying when you see these things to a person.

Another form of line is exaggeration. Let's be honest, sometimes preachers are guilty of exaggeration, especially when it comes to numbers. How many people come to their church. How many people attended this event.

It's sort of like a band elastically speaking that up evangelistic leaves speaking. That's why we try to keep very accurate numbers and when we give you a number. It is really factual, but we might exaggerate our skills to get that promotion at work or whatever this stretching the fact that some form of lying is another when you can also lie when you remain silent when you should speak.

You can lie by remaining silent when you should speak. Maybe you're in a setting work. Something is said about someone that you know that is not true and you don't refute it. You say nothing even though you know what they're saying is not true about this person you know that's called slander by silence or complicity bypass 70 Christians need to be telling the truth and not be telling lies.

This is a reflection of the Lord in his will for us all right one last commandment, number, commandment number 10 about the way I think this is the hardest of all 10 to keep.

I think it's harder to keep then you should not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not take the Lord's name in vain. It's harder than all of because it's a matter of the heart. The title of this message is the heart of the problem was in the best the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart.

What is the final commandment here it is. You shall not covet. Exodus 2017.

Don't covet your neighbor's house or his wife or his manservant or maidservant, or alter donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor coveting isn't simply desiring something that someone else has coveting is being devoured by desire or something that is not yours.

It actually means to eagerly desire that which belongs to another artist said your heart on something the New Testament translates the Hebrew word for coveting with the word lost and it can be translated to pant after something Kent after something so you think of a dog. You know, panting after its food. You know you put food in a dog. Is this a dog what to eat that food, you better not touch that after that. That dog food is a canteen after I must have this thing.

That thing must be mine. Remember the Lord of the rings of film series and there was a little creature called Gollum and he was obsessed with getting the ring from Frodo and he called during my shift had to have the ring he was obsessed with the ring.

That's a coveting this like you become obsessed with something you feel that you must have this thing earned about a Roman Catholic priest to her the confessions of some 2000 people. He said every imaginable sin was confessed, including adultery and even murder. But this priest said I never heard one person admit to committing the sin of coveting I think that's because we don't really know what it is we don't understand how bad that can be. How does coveting work will basically be eyes look at an object. The mind admires it the will goes over to it and the body moves in to possess it. That's covet friends that you might admire your neighbor's new car and gone by one exactly like it. That's not coveting that's actually copying it may irritate him, but I don't think that's a sin, though my dog a little bit but coveting this different. It's when you admire your neighbor's car and then you say can I take it for a spin around the block and you never come back again. That's coveting likely that's also Grand Theft Auto. But the point of it is you've taken something that belongs to another. I so would somebody else had. I decided I wanted that thing for my self mother would cost me your any body else that's coveting words and he can destroy your life reading of Judas who betrayed the Lord for 30 pieces of silver. First Timothy 610 says the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. While some have coveted after, there's a word. While some of covet it after they veered from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. It's not a sin to want to be successful in your business and make a good living, but when you become obsessed with it when you're willing to do whatever it takes to get there when the most important thing to you in life is that thing instead of wanting to see cover the Lord coveting has turned into idolatry. Colossians 35 warns us and says covetousness is I Dollar Tree maybe one of the best examples of this is King David Mrs. amend was very successful.

He was the gushing over Israel. He was loved by his people and he was on the grounds of his beautiful pallets. Back in those days. On the top of their policy with over little garden, the walk around on my back should been to Israel and they have the city of David that they've unearthed and excavated and you can see the general area where David's palace wasn't so there that elevated spot.

David's looking over his kingdom and he happens is he a beautiful woman named Bathsheba.

Ironically, taking a bath so you know you saw a woman bathing herself and that was something that obviously had an effect on Jim and he began to lust after her, so we should have just repented taken a cold shower and call it a day but instead he says I want the woman brought up to my chambers.

They have sexual relations together and she gets pregnant and then instead of admitting this in the Lord. He tries to cover it up by bringing her husband back from battle to have relations with his wife and the husband name Uriah doesn't do what David wants them to do so. David effectively hasn't killed and then he marries Bathsheba to look at all of these things that happened.

It started with coveting seeing something that belonged to someone else I should say someone that was the wife of another started there.

Then they gave way to adultery.

And that gave way to murder and then he lied to cover it up. He broke for commandment but it started with coveting our first parents in the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve. They were given the run of the garden. The Lord said you can eat of any tree of the garden but don't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil seemed to her at the tree that they're not supposed to be by and the devil comes along and he says, is God really said what you think. He said why didn't you go ahead and eat of this fruit in the shows on the forbidden fruit that we don't know what it was. Sometimes we will think when Adam and Eve ate the apple.

The Bible never says he ate an apple. It was called forbidden fruit. I imagine a pulsated with flight had its own theme song. Who knows, it was really appealing. The Bible says it was pleasant to look at with the eyes. It desirable to make one wise. So what were they doing there were coveting they were wanting something that was not theirs.

They took it. You know the rest of that story. Sin entered in to the human race so it starts here it starts with controlling our mind and shuttling our thoughts toward the Lord. So in conclusion, have you broken any of these commandments have you committed adultery have you lusted after a man or a woman. Have you hated someone have used stolen. Have you live. Have you coveted the answer is, of course you have liver restated. Of course we have.

We've all broken these commandments.

So sometimes we have peen in our life and we say why do I have this pain. It's the teen of sin in your life you're experiencing the implications of sin.

You don't want to just get rid of the pain you want to get rid of the problem that causes the pain I here's a problem it's sent again as I said earlier the heart of the problem is the problem of a heart. You can't control your heart. The Bible says the heart is deceitfully working above all things.

Who can know it.

Sometimes people say I'll just follow my heart I do with my heart tells me to do. I hope not because your heart to mislead you, but God can change the human heart, but I have to say to him.

I know why I fall short. I know that I'm not good enough. Some people say I live by the 10 Commandments that's all the religion I need and you'll say okay you know the 10 Commandments. I do not, but I believe in then yeah the 10 Commandments again are given to drivers into the open arms of Jesus who died on the cross and took the penalty for every sin you and I have committed. And then he rose again from the dead three days later and now he stands at the door of our heart. If you will, and he knocks and he says a full hear his voice and open the door he will come in, have you been trying to be a good person.

Have you been trying to be a moral person. Have you even tried to be a religious person and you fall short lesson.

I'm not talking to you right now about religion I'm talking to you about our relationship with God through Jesus Christ of friendship with the Lord but is more than a friend. He becomes your father, he becomes your God, he becomes your Lord. He's your protector is your provider. All of those things and more, but he wants to enter into your life and show you. She is plan that he has for you that you have to ask him in seat. Sometimes people say were all children of God.

Well, actually that's not technically true, we are not all children of God know were all created by God. Well loved by God with the way you become a child of God is when you are adopted into the family of God.

That happens when you believe in Jesus Christ. The Bible says, for as many as received him, he gave them the power to become children of God.

So if you want to know that you're a child of God. You must receive him. You must ask Christ to come into your life as an illustration, let's say that I said I meant to give you my supercool ring Bible with all these extra ribbons and me look at it there's three ribbons there.

I meant to give you this beautiful green Bible and you say I love the Bible I accepted and you reach out and you take the gift from me, you receive the gift that I've offered to even more the Lord to some of the give to you eternal life I were to give to you the forgiveness of your sin. I'm in a coven live inside of you. Do you want this to if we say yes and you receive because they help by prayer the prayer you say Lord come into my life.

I know I'm a center I know I broken the commandments.

I know I fall short of your standards and I'm sorry for my sin and I want Jesus Christ to come in the my heart be my Savior and my Lord, would you like to do that right now in a moment and lead you in a prayer and I would ask you if you want to know that you go to heaven when you die if you want your guilt taken away if you want your sins forgiven. If you want to be ready for the return of Jesus. I want you to pray this prayer after me right now.

You can even pray it out loud. Maybe you're in a room with some other people up your little embarrassed to do that when you can print silently if you like you're all alone somewhere watching this wherever you are. I would like you to pray this prayer after music, the great one.

We need to pray this for after you because the Bible says whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be say. So that's what you're doing when you're praying you're calling out to God you acknowledging your need in your acknowledging that God has what you need in your accepting and receiving the gift that is offering you so if you want Jesus coming to your life if you want to go to heaven when you die if you want him to fill the big hole inside of you pray this prayer after me right now. Just pray these words. If you would, Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner but I know that you are the Savior who died in the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead three days later.

Now Jesus, I turn from that sin and I choose to follow you from this moment forward is my Savior, my Lord is my God, my friend in Jesus name I pray, amen.

Everybody Greg Laurie here. Thanks for listening to our podcast and the learn more about harvest ministries. Please subscribe and consider supporting this show. Just go to harvest.org and by the way, if you want to find out how to come into a personal relationship with God. Go to know God.org that's key NOW GLD.org