Affluenza! - Part B

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

We could translate, because the Lord is in charge of my life.

He's my personal Shepherd. I don't want anything else.

I don't need anything else. I know he'll provide the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not see coveting she really is a disgrace to his shepherd. It's revealing what I think about how that shepherd cares for me as we go over that saying that the grass is greener on the other side. If you spend any amount of time in a rural area you'll see cattle next read through the wire fence looks reaching out trying their best to eat the grass outside the fence. The amusing thing is that the rest are standing. It is just as lush and green and much easier access well to the hearing could Skip weekend edition Skip part two continues the series God's top 10 this message gives us a detailed look at his commandment not to covet as we prepared today. We invite you to add Skip Heitzigs of your social media for regular updates and encouragement because the hub for all things pastor Skip disconnect was skip.com you can find out all about this month's resource off. Here's more fake news used to be restricted to tabloids at the grocery store checkout used to be so obvious. Chimpanzee had put on human body, but now there are entire websites dedicated to helping us figure out a story, speech or statistic is true or not, Skip Heitzigs, it was an important question. Is there such a thing as absolute truth.

I want to think about that question we would help you get started in answering that question two brand-new book with my pastor Skip why truth matters.suicide see the Bible makes truth claims in some of those claims are well pretty absolute, but how can you know it's really true. These resources will help you better understand the nature of true you can pursue God's truth in your life and there are way to thank you for your gift of $35 or more today to help expand this Bible teaching out your copies when you get online securely connectwithskip.com/offer or call 892 1888 God's commandment is, do not cover. Let's find out what that means, was Skip Heitzig today as we continue the message affluenza is fastest that your conduct be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have, for he himself said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So, we may boldly say the Lord is my helper, I will not fear what can man do to me there somebody who is independent of stuff things. Materialism because he or she realizes the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

He himself that I will never leave or forsake. Speaking of sheep and shepherds.

There's a great book, recommended its old spit out a long time. I remember when his first published back in 19 whatever it's called a Shepherd looks at Psalm 23 and it's written by a Shepherd going through Psalm 23 is somebody who's Sheep and he writes about his own experiences and Philip Keller writes about one particular sheep are you a beautiful gal.

One of his little sheep. He says one of the most attractive sheep that I ever had was this one. Her body was beautifully proportioned. She had a strong constitution and an excellent coat of wall. Her head was clean. She was alert, well set, with bright eyes. But in spite of all of these attractive attributes.

She had one pronounced fault. She was restless, discontented. She was a fence crawler. Maybe that's a good definition of a covetous person off fence crawler that when you have fence crawlers to say God is my shepherd, I love Jesus, I am a Christian but there always complaining and imagine what that sounds like to an unbeliever. The uninitiated looking animal watching the believer, the unbelievers can naturally think it is a logical person.

Why should I follow your Jesus you're never happy you're never contented you're always complaining that you don't have this or do that. So it's very revealing covetousness reveals a dissatisfaction with God's provision out some of you who still think that if you have more stuff you be happier. Listen up happiness is never from the outside in. It's always from the inside out and you know what, there's actually been test case after test case for years on this very subject of happiness.

People take it upon themselves to study that subject. And people who study happiness have discovered whether their sociologist or psychologist or social scientist. They have a word they call adaptation.

The principal called adaptation that says you will always return to a set point of happiness irrespective of your circumstances so you get a lot of stuff you'll always return to the set point. If you have bad things happen to you and you lose a lot of stuff you'll eventually reach equilibrium at that set point of happiness is not outside its inside one author writes this. Most people believe that if their real income were to suddenly double they would feel a lot happier and they would for the first week or two after that the happiness would have perceptibly diminished and within six months or a year. They would only be slightly happier than before the financial improvement interesting. You see, this is why affluenza is a curse. It lies to you. It convinces you that happiness really is from the outside in, rather than from the inside out. It is not well. It's also a curse because coveting ruins relationships that you have with other people go back to our verse. Notice the whole force of the commandment in verse 17 is in the word your neighbors, your neighbors, or his that's the whole force of the command. You shall not covet your neighbor's house. Not just any house you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's seven times your neighbor's mansion.

Here's the point. How are you ever going to love your neighbor as yourself.

If you're coveting what your neighbor asked some possible seizures. The principal, whenever what your neighbor has become the object of your desire then your neighbor will become the object of your disdain because he has and you don't I'll say that again whenever what your neighbor owns has becomes the object of your desire then your neighbor becomes the object of your disdain easily proven in the Scriptures think of King David who saw another man's wife and what Uriah had which was Bathsheba he wanted. She became the object of his desire so Uriah the Hittite became the object of David's disdain in his first order of business was to kill him back in 1975.

Some of you will remember that on girl, a woman named Lynette Fromm tried to assassinate in Sacramento, California. Pres. Gerald Ford Lynette Fromm was part of the Manson game, the Charles Manson family. They called Jed a bad childhood.

She was very attracted to the philosophy of Charles Manson that she was being interviewed by the press and she said what attracted me to Charles Manson. Was this philosophy and I quote get what ever you want whenever you want it, that is your God inspired right ladies and gentlemen. Whenever you think that you have some cosmic right to have something that somebody else has that you don't have. Whenever you start thinking that it's your cosmic right to have it will start coveting it and as soon as you start coveting it. It just messes up your relationship with other people. They become the object of your disdain, your attitude toward them changes.

Why should they have it and I don't. In Romans chapter 12. There's a verse of Scripture, and what you just think about all say it you recognize it rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep member that one rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those with which you find it harder to do you find it harder to weep with people who weep or rejoice with those who rejoice. All answer. It's a lot harder to rejoice with people who are rejoicing that it is to weep with people who are weeping give you an example. Somebody comes up and says just so bummed out. I lost this or I lost that person. My life is really hard. You'll be the first one to sail brother oh sister I'm so sorry. Let's pray you'll get done right down to their level. It's easier for you to do that because it happened to them that you but but let's say you're in great need. Your car is a beautiful jalopy should of been towed 20 Years Ago Your Dr. and it is what God has provided you can afford anything else.

Okay, some becomes a second service, Afrin the pancakes and says to you, says see you hey brother, rejoice with me this week.

Out of nowhere somebody gave me a brand-new car when you do, hallelujah praise God. It's harder for you to rejoice in that rejoicing then to weep and that other weep. That's our human nature Bob James a paint rock Texas gives a great illustration.

He said he was out in his yard when Danny put he put ant poison and circle around in anthill he wanted to kill the ants is what he said, thinking that the tiny granules of poison were food the ants began to pick them up and carry them throughout the colony.

I return later to see how well the poison was working. Hundreds of stinging ants were carrying the poison down into their hell, then I noticed a break in the circle of poison. Some of the poison was moving in the opposite direction away from the hill. Some smaller non-stinging ants had found this food and were stealing it from their aunt, neighbors, thinking they were getting the other ants treasurer they were unwittingly poisoning that's exactly how affluenza works.

That's exactly how covetousness operates whenever we see someone with more stuff beware because at that very moment, depending on what goes on in our heart, rejoicing or weeping.

We start poisoning ourselves. Finally, it's a curse because coveting ripens into other forms of sin we see affluenza does not stay. It contained a virus. It spreads, it affects other things. It's never stagnant. It always grows in the some other form. It is a contagion. See if your heart says I deserve a better life or I deserve a better husband. You might be looking for one or berating the one you have presently if your heart says I deserve a better home than you might think I need to work three jobs and sacrifice any relationship with any meaningful people just to get the stuff. Or you might pressure your husband into working more jobs because you deserve better. If your heart says I deserve higher status than you will be competing with other people around you. It never stays just coveting it leads to other things. Listen carefully to Paul's admonition to his young protégé Timothy in first Timothy chapter 6 verse nine but those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare this year that it doesn't say, but those who are rich. Those who desire you can be dirt poor and desire to be rich. Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lust which drown men in destruction and perdition for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. How many times you heard that misquote money is the root of all evil.

It's the love of money and people even who don't have it can love it, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Now want to give you some examples of people who coveted and it didn't stop there. It led to some else.

First is lot. Lots coveting led to selfishness. He saw the well watered planes of Jordan, that's nice land and that coveting led to selfishness that was lot second Aiken member Aiken he really was Aiken.

It was all said and done, Aiken was in that first battle of Jericho. When Joshua and the children of Israel conquered the land God said in this first battle when Jericho falls all of the plunder. You don't get it all goes to me you all dedicated to me and my purpose would be used later on for the tabernacle and the temple, there's a guy named Aiken and his coveting led to thievery by his own admission he said in Joshua I saw and I coveted and I took lot Aiken there's 1/3. David is coveting led to adultery and murder. There's 1/4 Judas. His coveting led to bearing false witness, betraying his master in suicide.

It never just stays coveting it always grows into something else.

No wonder Jesus warns in Luke chapter 12 take heed and beware of covetousness for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things that he possesses. That's the premise we began this message with when I said how many of you know that things don't satisfy things really don't matter.

What does matter is your attitude toward those things Jesus said a man's life doesn't consist of what he owns in the abundance of things that he possesses so affluenza is a contagious disease, covetousness is sin, but as one commentator said it's not just sin. It's stupid it really is a stupid it stupid because it says happiness is from the outside in. When all along you know that's not the truth that happiness is from the inside out. Somebody once said there's two ways to get rich.

One is to have a lot of possessions and the other is to have few needs so that we get there. How do we arrive there. What's the cure for this virus that's we want to look at next time we take part two of this the cure for affluenza. In the meantime. In the meantime, maybe there's a note you need to write some like case of accident. Honey, remember it's you I love another car a note like that honey it's you I love and not the TV remote, honey, it's you I love and not the job the stuff, the more it's you I love I love you. The relationships are more important.

More than that.

Maybe it's time to say Lord it's you I love and not the stuff. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want you.

Jesus said what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul. That's what you call the bottom line and it what if you have everything you lose your own soul. Imagine a person has the biggest piece of real estate oceanfront property very wealthy, has no needs dies and goes to hell forever. Wow, what a good life really what profit a man if he gains the whole or lose his own soul.

The soul is much more important than the stuff so were you with the staff were you with the sole is the shepherd.

Your shepherd is the master your master is the Savior you're saying. Are you rich spiritually, and you say the Lord is my shepherd need a trust is the first step toward true wealth. Well, if you're ready to move towards the true wealth that comes from a relationship with Jesus. I hope you take time to make that relationship real today that if you need some direction. We have help available and connectwithskip.com. Click the new God tab at the top of the page and learn what God did to save us teaching. We just heard was the second half of affluenza. Now let's check in with Skip and learn you and some thoughts about today's teacher letting you.

I think the topic of today's study is clever because you call it affluenza and instead of influenza, and we talk about the problem of covetousness – that fits this message really well and it is contagious is your neighbor get something new are your friend gets new shoes and now you don't like yours or whatever it is as if at least one commercialism it ties in my teeth and bright enough for or this that they just come out with a new model of that phone or that iPad or that or that right cell and sometimes we been bitten by this bug of affluenza and what are some practical suggestions to help us get our lives back on track to purge ourselves of this disease. That's a big question because you know Paul, I love what he said because I've learned to be content. You just don't be content you learned and that's kind of a lesson you learned over time and through a few hard knocks and buying things spending money and then those things don't satisfy after a while you realize this is. This could be a black hole.

I could sink a lot of money and to try to make myself happy outwardly and this is not going to do it.

So when we look to the Scripture we know that contentment is related to godliness, also godliness with contentment is great gain. I love the way Jesus put it, and I remember what a life shattering truth was when I first read the Jesus said seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you and that struck me that the world spends most of its time. Self included up to that point seeking things instead of the kingdom of God, hoping the God or just add the kingdom as I go. But if you said, if you make a priority. The kingdom of God and his righteousness everything you need.

Basically will be all to supply that to you so godliness with contentment is great gain.

So that's the best place to begin. Then I would also say that contentment rejoices in the essentials of life having food and raiment or clothing related content. We will be content.

So if you could look around and it's good to take inventory to stop and go.

Thank you for that. Lord, thank you for that. Thank you for this refrigerator.

Thank you for this glass of water to learn to be thankful will make us more content as we realize what God has blessed us with. Then the third thing I would say is learn to regard others. One of the great things that you started recently. You gave me my own bag for my car. RR these are these packets of food that are nonperishable items that provide a good wholesome blunt blessing bags blessing bag is packed lunch fare when Emily on the street and we see a street person, a homeless person offramp of the freeway and they say need food need whatever we can give them that and and bless them in, and I think when we regard others.

Put it this way if we have loose hands and an open heart.

You know, let it let it flow through us. We start living that way we walk away really blessed satisfying its content to something you've always said is that happiness and cannot be found in direct pursuit that it's a byproduct and says so often we think those things are going to be the key to happiness. But new things turning to old things until they become vintage things and then their desirable and that really happiness is a byproduct and when we help others. We were happy when we do other things and so I think for some of us if we would just tap thinking that the next car the next outfitter the next time.

Hairstyles can take us happy. Yet there's a cure for that bug of your bit. Well thanks a lot.

Skip the lamia. This message is part of her series, God's top 10. This series opens up the 10 Commandments in a way that's easy to understand and apply to your life. It's a great series to have your audio library and you can today when you get all 17 teachings bundled as an audio CD package for only $39 plus shipping. Or if you prefer to give each teaching individually. You could also do that when you visit the store and connectwithskip.com affluenza is reaching epic proportions of our country. So is there a cure will find out next I was here and connect with Skip weekend division presentation of connections so God never ever changing time