Drew Boswell

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“Finish the Race Well” BHSE Graduation Commencement Speech 2024

“Finish the Race”

10 Things To Help the Young Man Finish the Race of Life Well

Today we celebrate the high school graduation of seven young men. And I have the privilege of talking to seven young men who are about the enter into life. They have been prepared by a solid education and supported by loving parents.

So as a man who has not yet finished the race of life, but has just passed the half-way-point I would like to give you 10 things to consider so that you can finish the race well. I am still learning and growing, but I have learned a couple of things along the way that I want to pass on you. Ultimately, I want to be like the apostle Paul who, facing the end of his life said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” How does a man finish well?

Here are ten things to help you finish well (as you are getting started):

  1. Invest Your Life In Something That Is Noble.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” You have 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the rest of your life to accomplish something. Let’s say you live to be 80, and let’s say you are 17 right now – that’s 63 years to accomplish something (or not). Starting right now you have 33,112,800 Minutes, 552,264 Hours, 23,011 Days.

So what do you do with all that time? You can build something, but build something that will last. Build something that you will get the most return on all those years of work. There will be a huge temptation as a young man to build an empire in your name. Countless men have spent the years of their youth building their own little empire which in time will crumble, while neglecting the kingdom that will last forever. There will be a time when the sand in the hour glass starts moving really fast, and I don’t want you to look back over your life a regret any wasted years. Find something noble to invest your life in and invest in it early.

  1. When You Fail, Get Back Up.

Anything that has the potential for change, opportunity, expansion, gain will always involve risk. With something new, there is the potential for pain, embarrassment, and financial loss. In the economic market, if you play it safe there are small returns, and if you want huge gains there is high risk. And when you take the risks, and make the jumps – you won’t always make it.

Thomas Edison had 2,774 failures before he discovered the lightbulb that was sustainable. Find something worth investing your life into and keep pushing for innovation and build it – no matter how many times you fail, keep getting back up.

If you are building something there will come a time when the floor beneath your feet will collapse and you will fall. Those men who do not try to accomplish anything will never have failed, that is true. If you don’t try, you don’t fail – but you also don’t build anything. But let me push you to try. Join the small group of men who do the difficult things.

Theodore Roosevelt said, “It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause;”[1]

  1. Be Careful Whom You Listen To For Advice.

If you want to be a successful doctor, then go talk to a successful doctor. If you want to be a successful lawyer, then go talk to a successful lawyer. Everyone will give you advice and how you should do something (including me today), but be wise in who you allow you take up space in your head. Don’t waste your time with people who don’t know what they are talking about.

1 Kings 12 Rehoboam’s Mistake

  1. Be Disciplined.

You become whatever you allow your heart to pursue. If you get up and go running once, then you are just tired. But, If you get up and run five times a week for a year then you are a runner. Anything of great value will cost you something (time, effort, sweat, tears, sacrifice, relationships with others). You cannot accomplish something of great value and have everything your heart wants; you have to make choices. But there are some things your heart will desire that will lead you off of a cliff to destruction.

Discipline is deciding there is something worth doing, and directing your heart toward it. You set goals, you make lists, you learn and educate yourself about it, you move money toward it, and then you build it – whatever the noble task may be (build a family, build a friendship, build a business, build a career, build a ministry, etc.) But the quality of what you are building is directly related to the discipline you put toward it. Things of good quality don’t just happen – it takes a lot of effort. This includes your reputation as a man.

  1. Plant a Garden (Patience).

To take a seed and plant it in the ground will take weeks before you see any plant. Then from seed to the time the plant produces fruit will be months. In the meantime, you have to water it, protect it against insects and animals. But eventually, months after you plant the seed you will be have produce. But you can’t just plant the seed and leave – you have to tend the garden, pull weeds, and watch over it.

Most things of value in life are like a garden; growth takes time, relationships take time, those things that are important have to be protected and cultivated. You don’t just get stuff, you have to invest time and resources to produce something of quality.

  1. Be Careful Who You Allow Into Your Castle (Relationships).

Be incredibly careful and diligent in what you allow into the noble task you are building. As a Husband, and father you are charged with protecting your family. You stand guard at the gate – don’t allow destruction into your home. You are building something (a ministry, a business, a new idea) be diligent in who you let into the gates.

There will come a day when you see a young woman and you may even have the courage to talk to her. She is beautiful, but after spending time with her, you begin to realize that her values and life direction is not the same as yours. If you continue in a relationship with a woman who is going in a different direction as you, it ends one of three ways 1) you part ways 2) she goes your way, or 3) you go her way. But you can’t stay together and go in opposite directions at the same time.

A yoke is a wooden beam that connects two large animals, like oxen, and helps them work equally and together. They carry the burden of work together. It would be attached to a plow or cart, and they’d pull it simultaneously as partners. Basically, they’re teamed up together. 2 Corinthians 6:14 “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?”

This is not just dating relationships, but business relationships, church relationships – as you are building your life, don’t allow yourself to get entangled in relationships that will pull you away from the eternal, “laying up for yourself treasures in heaven.” To the lost world these things are frivolous and foolish. Find people who can pull in the same direction with you.

There are people who love to kick down the sand castle you are building. They are in every church, every business, they are everywhere. These people don’t build, they only look for ways to tear down what others have built (or are trying to build). They stand to side and criticize and tell you why your idea won’t work. So, as you are guarding who you allow into the castle you are building, make sure you keep out those that want to burn it to the ground. It’s ok to say “no” to destructive people being in your life.  

  1. Your Character Is What Determines Your Success.

Since I have been in ministry many of those who were with me in seminary aren’t in ministry any more. It was not their inability to keep up with technology, their ability to sway crowds with their words, even their ability to charm people with a smile – no, what go them in the end, before they could finish the race was their character.

Psalm 119:10-11 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

The first time you take something that is not yours to take, or exaggerate something to make yourself look better, or linger too long with someone’s spouse who is not your own while your heart goes pitta-patt, – you are on a downward path, and it is one that leads to your own destruction (those things have nothing to do with how many awards or degrees are on the wall). Guard your heart, put things into place so that you stay true to what you want to accomplish. Don’t allow a short-term emotion or temptation to wreck what you have built for decades.

  1. Have Three Men In Your Life.

Most successful men I know don’t go around giving advice – but they are willing to share it when asked. I have known some wonderful wise men who were willing to invest in me as a young leader. But they did not approach me, I had to approach them. If you want to be a successful whatever, then ask the successful person in that field and ask them out to lunch, and pay for their lunch. Ask them to meet with you from time to time and invest in you – and more than likely they will.

But as a man, you need three men in your life: 1.) Paul represents that person in your life who mentors, leads, and directs you. 2.) Barnabas is someone who encourages you and holds you accountable in your faith and life. 3.) Timothy is that man you help guide along the road of faith and life.

  1. Keep these Two Things On Hand; 1) A Joke and 2) Pocket Knife.

Life is hard, and you can bring joy and laughter into people’s lives with a simple joke. If people associate you with laughter and joy, then when you show up, simply your presence will make their lives easier. Seek to take the load off of others.

If it is in your pocket, you will use a pocket knife every day of your life. People will ask if you “have your pocket knife on you?” Don’t sit around and wait for others to move; look for ways to be a problem solver. Add value to whatever team you are on.

  1. “Love the Lord Your God, With All Your Heart, All Your Soul, and With All Your Strength.” Luke 10:27

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[1] https://www.trcp.org/2011/01/18/it-is-not-the-critic-who-counts/

“Scripture Alone” 2 Timothy 3:14-17

A Sermon Series

The Five Solas

“Sola Scriptura; God’s Word Alone”

2 Timothy 3:14-17

 Introduction

“500 ago, on October 31st, a very special thing took place in Church history. A Catholic priest named Martin Luther nailed a challenge to the Catholic Church on a Church door Wittenberg, Germany. It was called the “95 Theses” (or 95 criticisms) of the Roman Catholic Church’s practice of selling indulgences – which were essentially legal papers that “sold forgiveness.” The Catholic church taught that people who bought these papers were assured that they would not suffer for their sins in a fictitious place called Purgatory. Purgatory was a place where “good Catholics” had to go to work off the guilt of sins they already been forgiven of.

Luther rejected that false teaching and the Church became so angry with him that they intended to have him executed … but they just couldn’t get it done. But Luther wasn’t the first to challenge Catholic teachings.

About 200 years before Martin Luther, a Catholic priest in England named John Wycliffe had the audacity to declare that the pope and the church were second in authority to Scripture. The Catholic Church believe that they wrote the Bible, therefore they have authority interpret it or alter it as they see fit); Wycliffe denied that the church had the authority to sell forgiveness (indulgences) and he began a translation of the Bible into English. This English translation wasn’t finished until after he died a natural death 64, but the Catholic Church wasn’t pleased that he was doing that. They condemned Wycliffe with these words:

“By this translation, the Scriptures have become vulgar, and they are more available to lay, and even to women who can read, than they were to learned scholars, who have a high intelligence. So the pearl of the gospel is scattered and trodden underfoot by swine.”

For this reason, the followers of Wycliffe’s teachings were often designated by Catholic officials as “Bible men.” About 30 years later, Catholic officials dug up Wycliffe’s body, burned his remains, and scattered his ashes over the river Swift to show their disdain for his efforts.

About 30 years after Wycliffe died, a man named John Hus also rejected indulgences and taught that we don’t have to pay for or work off our sins (essentially what Luther did 100 years later). The Church arrested him and burned him to death at the stake for his teachings.

These were brave men who faced the threat of death because they stood up for Scripture, but it was only when Martin Luther came along that things began to change. From the 1500s on, about 250 other brave men stepped up to join him, and they began what we call the Protestant Reformation. They built their theology around something they eventually called the “5 Solas.” The 5 Solas were doctrines that they believed would be the 5 foundational truths of their belief system.”[1]

Over the next five weeks we will look at these Five Solas beginning with Sola Scriptura.

Sola Scriptura means that “only Scripture, because it is God’s inspired Word, is our inerrant, sufficient, and final authority for the church.”[2]

I have this morning several books that have greatly influenced the history of civilization.  I have Homer’s Odyssey, I have Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, and I have God’s Bible.  They are all typed pages of paper, but is there any difference?

 The difference is summed up in the word “unique.”  Webster defines unique as “1.  One and only, single; sole 2.  Different from all others; having no like or equal.”

It is the only book that was:

Written over a 1500 year span. Written by more than 40 authors from every walk of life, including kings, military leaders, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, tax collectors, poets, musicians, statesmen, scholars, and shepherds. Written in different places: By Moses in the wilderness, Jeremiah in a dungeon, Daniel on a hillside and in a palace, Paul inside prison, Luke while traveling, John while in exile on the isle of Patmos. Written during different moods: joy, depths of sorrow and despair, times of certainty and conviction, others from times of confusion and doubt. Written on three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. Written in three languages: Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic

Written in a wide variety of literary styles, including: poetry, historical narrative, song, romance, didactical treatise, personal correspondence, memoirs, satire, biography, autobiography, law, prophecy, parable, and allegory. It addresses hundreds of controversial issues and while scanning several centuries it is completely harmonious.

In its’ uniqueness, the leading character is the known throughout the whole book.  God is the one, true, living, God known through Jesus Christ. Compared with other ancient writings, the Bible has more manuscript evidence to support it than any ten pieces of classical literature combined. The Bible has stood the world’s persecution and criticism.  These are but a few things that can be given to show how the Bible is different from a worldly perspective. But what does it say about itself?

 Prayer

The Word of God is Precious (3:14-15)

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

 We should continue in it (v. 14)

Because it tells us who God is, what He does, and What He is like (His Personality).  It is the only way to accurately know what God’s will is for our lives. The Bible can be read and reread hundreds of times and it will never cease to provide new discoveries and increased depth.  As we continue to read and study it, our lives are changed by its contents.

Our spiritual growth is dependant upon our staying in the Word.  We must continue in it because it is like a river or stream that we come to in times of thirst.   It is like meat and bread that we need for nourishment.

This morning, if you are returning to the same sin, if your spiritual walk has grown cold, if you feel distanced from God, are you continuing in the Word?

We should have confidence in it (v. 14)

 The Bible is not just a book of doctrines, or teachings, about God; it is the story of history as seen from God’s perspective.  It is God’s recounting of history as seen from God’s perspective. It is given from the very beginning.

We can have confidence in it for two reasons: first, is the life of the ones that taught us “knowing from whom you learned it.” Paul’s point is that we can observe the life of more mature Christian’s and see the difference it has made in their lives. Can the world look at you as an example of the truth of the Bible?

Luke 6:40 says “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.”  If the teacher believes in the Bible it will be shown in his own life and how he or she teaches it to others. This is why those who teach the Word of God will have a harsher judgment, because their own lives will be observed to see if what the have taught is really true (James 3:1).

Second, is that we have been raised “from childhood” in the teachings of Scripture and you can look at how it has changed your own life.  This infancy can refer to your spiritual new birth, or in the case of Timothy was taught the things of God from a very young age.

Paul says “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.”  (2 Timothy 1:5) And because of his grandmother’s and mother’s teachings and obedience, he knows his life is different because of it.  You can have confidence in the Bible because of how it has already worked in your own life.

It is a source of comfort (Ps. 139:1-12) in times of despair, it is a tool of correction when we get off the path, it is a balm that opens our eyes to the truth, it is a source of hope when surrounded by a world of disappointment, it is a guide for our marriages and parenting, it is everything we need (it is all sufficient).

The Word of God is precious because if children are exposed to it and know the Scriptures, it will make them wise, not as the world knows wisdom, but a godly wisdom based on the truth.

We are converted by it (v. 15)

It is only through the gospel laid out in Scripture that a person can be saved.  It makes one “wise for salvation.”  It shows us how we truly are and shows us what God has done about it. The Bible is one continuous story of how God created man and man rebelled, which meant separation, but God in His love provided a way for their sin to be done away with forever.

No other book is able to make one wise unto salvation.  It is only Scripture that cuts to the heart of the matter. Hebrews 4:12 says “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

The Word of God is Perfect (3:16)

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, . . .”

 It is completely inspired

 Inerrancy is a word that refers to the Bible having no mistakes, at all in the original manuscripts (not translations).  All of the Bible is true, even the parts that make us uncomfortable and convict us of weakness in our lives.

The Bible is the Word of God, and God does not make mistakes (Heb. 6:18; Titus 1:12).  To deny the inerrancy of Scripture is to suggest either the integrity of God or to the identity of the Bible as God’s Word.  Either it is God’s Word in its’ entirety or none of it can be counted on as truth.  One cannot pick and choose what they believe to be true or not, or what they will obey and not obey. God’s Word is above us, not us above it – we don’t sit in judgement above it.

He has a message that he wants the whole world to hear.  Sadly, often times in Israel’s history they chose not to tell others of what God had done for them. In fact many times, just because they were the chosen race as the holders of this message, they became prideful and didn’t want anyone else to even know the message. We can also become apathetic with this special message.  Since we are saved, we forget that there are many who have not heard the “good news” of the Bible.

It is divinely inspired

It is without error because it is “God-breathed.”   The bottom line is that the Bible has been breathed by God.  He used men to write out exactly what He wanted them to write.

 He kept them free from error but at the same time used their unique personalities and styles to convey exactly what He wanted.  The idea conveyed is that just as the wind controls the sails of a boat, so also the breath of God controlled the writers of the Bible.[3]

The Word of God is Profitable (3:16)

God’s Word is “profitable” or “useful” meaning it will bring a positive return. If we take the time and invest ourselves into it, there will be a great return. Often times, other things distract us that do not have much of a return (TV, internet, sleep, etc).

God has given us four ways that His Word is completely sufficient to deal with every spiritual need:

for teaching

Scripture is the operational manual of divine truth that must govern our lives.  Our holiness is directly proportional to our knowledge of and obedience to God’s Word.  Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” The more complete our knowledge of Scripture is the less susceptible we are to sin and error.  Hosea 4:6 says “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

Everything that we teach from the nursery to the pulpit should come from the Bible, not man’s philosophies or wisdom.  The best way to avoid serious spiritual problems is to give yourself to the faithful, patient, and thorough study of Scripture with an obedient heart. Allow God’s Word to teach you truth.

for rebuking (error)

It confronts and rebukes misconduct and false teaching. Scripture convicts us of sin as we study it or in others as we direct them to it.  Hebrews 4:13 says “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

 The Greek word translated “exposed” in that verse was used of criminals who were being led to trial or execution.  Often a soldier would hold the point of a dagger under the criminal’s chin to force him to hold his head high so everyone could see who he was.  Scripture exposes us for who we really are and forces us to face the reality of our sin.

 for correcting (setting right)

“Correction” literally means to “straighten up” or “lift up.”  Scripture restores us to a proper spiritual posture.  The Bible doesn’t just show how we have gone astray but it also gives us instruction of how to straighten our path.

 This is why no other philosophy or secular psychology can help man in his lost and wayward spiritual condition.  It lacks the power that comes from having a relationship with Jesus Christ and the truth and power of Scripture. The Bible is completely sufficient to meet any spiritual need we have in our lives.

for training (in righteousness)

This verse pictures God’s Word training believers as a parent or teacher would train a child.  From spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity, Scripture trains and educates believers in godly living.

But we must be willing to accept the training that it has to offer.  James 1:21 says “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” As we receive God’s Word with an open and humble heart it renews and transforms our thinking, attitudes, actions, and words. It is essential to spiritual health and victory over sin. Even those who know the Bible must be refreshed by its power and reminded of its truths.

The Word of God is Powerful (3:17)

“that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

It prepares for ministry

The Bible was not given to us to make us smart, the Bible was given to us to put us to work.  It is designed to equip us to do the work that He has called us all to be doing.  Since God created Christians for good works and calls them to do good works (Eph. 2:10; Tit. 3:1; 2 Tim. 2:21), he has given Scripture to instruct them so that they may know in principle what God expects of them and thus be equipped to do that particular “good deed” called for in each situation.[4]

God’s Word has been described as a sword (Eph. 6:11) but it’s not the two handed swords.  It is a small dagger (machaira) that in order to be effective has to expertly handled with precision.

What Makes These Books Different? 

 It’s all about who wrote them, the author.  God wrote this book (hold up Bible), men wrote these books (hold up other books).  This book is alive (Heb. 4:12)

Many years ago in a Moscow theater, matinee idol Alexander Rostovzev was converted while playing the role of Jesus in a sacrilegious play entitled Christ in a Tuxedo. He was supposed to read two verses from the Sermon on the Mount, remove his gown, and cry out, “Give me my tuxedo and top hat!” But as he read the words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted,” he began to tremble. Instead of following the script, he kept reading from Matthew 5, ignoring the coughs, calls, and foot-stamping of his fellow actors. Finally, recalling a verse he had learned in his childhood in a Russian Orthodox church, he cried, “Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom!” (Luke 23:42). Before the curtain could be lowered, Rostovzev had trusted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior.

This morning before the service is over won’t you give your heart to Jesus?  This morning are you in the Word?  Is it a part of your daily living?   This morning I want to share one of my favorite verses. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

______________________

[1] https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/sola-sola-sola-jeff-strite-sermon-on-randy-alcorn-226738

[2] Matthew Barrett, God’s Word Alone, The Authority of Scripture (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 2016) 23.

[3] Josh McDowell, The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishing, ) 338.

[4] George W. Knight, The Pastoral Epistles (Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing. p. 443.

“The Ten Commandments, Part 3” Exodus 20:15-17

“Into the Wilderness”

A Sermon Series in the Book of Exodus

“The Ten Commandments, Part 3”

Exodus 20:15-17

Introduction

The First Commandment; The Exclusivity of God (v. 1-3)  If/Then not And

The Second Commandment: No Other Gods (v. 4-6) No idols

The Third Commandment; Honor the Lord’s Name (v. 7)

The Fourth Commandment; Keep the Sabbath (v. 8-11)

The Fifth Commandment; Honor Your Father and Mother (v. 12)

The Sixth Commandment; Do Not Murder (v. 13)

The Seventh Commandment; Do Not Commit Adultery (v. 14)

Prayer

The Eighth Commandment; Do Not Steal (v. 15)

15 “You shall not steal.”

Norman Rockwell painting, the butcher and the lady

“The Hebrew word for stealing (ganaf) literally means to carry something away, as if by stealth, to appropriate someone else’s property unlawfully.”[1] God’s law is comprehensive, it covers all ways that humanity can steal from someone else. There are many ways people have come up with ways to steal something from someone else: “burglary (breaking into a home or building to commit theft); robbery (taking property directly from another person using violence or intimidation); larceny (taking something with out permission and not returning it); hijacking (using force to take goods in transit or seizing control of a bus, trucks, plane, etc.); shoplifting (taking items from a store during business hours without paying for them); pickpocketing and purse snatching. It also covers embezzlement (the fraudulent taking of money or other goods entrusted to one’s care), extortion (getting money from someone by means of threats or misuses of authority), and racketeering (obtaining money by any illegal means).”[2]

People steal from their government (cheating on taxes), and governments steal from its’ citizenry (using taxes in wasteful ways). Employers steal from employees, and employees steal from their companies. This is just a partial list of ways mankind has thought to take something that does not belong to him.

In ancient times it may be moving a property stone that marks someone’s property, or using weights that were not weighted properly in the sale of goods. Stealing is a sin against God because in taking something that does not belong to you, you show your lack of belief that God will take care of you or give you what you need. God also has provided something to someone else, and you have violated God’s provision to them.

In the eight commandment God has established a person’s right to personal property. We do not have the right to take what God has given to someone else. But there is also the understanding of stewardship. God has given us resources, but we receive those resources to bring glory to God.

When the Israelites left Egypt they plundered the Egyptians as they were leaving, Exodus 12:35-36, “The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. 36 And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.” Now that God had given them silver, gold, and clothing they then were asked to give it to build the tabernacle. Exodus 35:21 “And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the LORD’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments.” They gave as they desired, willingly, as their hearts were stirred.

You can steal from other people, and you can also steal from God. In Malachi God’s people were not following the law, specifically in the types of animals the were bringing to sacrifice, and in their giving toward the work of God, Malachi 3:8-9 “Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.” God gives us everything we have, and then we are to use those resources to bring glory to Him. So the eight commandment is not just about stealing, but it is also about stewardship. Giving God a portion back to Him, keeps money from having a grip on our hearts.

Paul gives an answer to the person tempted to steal, Ephesians 4:28 “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” Work hard, labor, slowly build wealth by being a wise steward and eventually you will give toward those that have a need.

So there are three views toward stewardship; 1) “What is yours should be mine, so I will take it.” This is the thief. 2) “What is mine, is mine; so I will keep it.” This is the selfish person. 3) “What is mine, is Gods; so I will share it.” This is the godly attitude.

W. Tozer once said, “Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality.” Jesus said it this way, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

As God’s Steward, Use the Resources in Your Possession to Bring Him Glory.

 The Ninth Commandment; Do Not Bear False Witness (v. 16)

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”[3]

Deuteronomy 17:6 says, “On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.” So in an ancient court, two witnesses could come forward and give the same claim of wrongdoing, and the person could be killed on the spot.

In 1 Kings 21:11-13, the king wants a piece of property that was next to the king’s residence. He asks for it, the owner, Naboth, refuses to sell it so the king pouts, and his wife Jezebel develops a scheme to get it. She writes letters to the towns elders and put a plan in motion. “As it was written in the letters that she had sent to them, 12 they proclaimed a fast and set Naboth (the property owner) at the head of the people. 13 And the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him. And the worthless men brought a (false) charge against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones.” The king then got the property he wanted.

“We often think of the ninth commandment as “do not lie,” and that is the gist of it, but it’s specifically put in the context of the courtroom. Witnesses were everything in the ancient world.”[4] There were no audio recordings, no DNA traces, nor fingerprints to supplement an eye witness. So, the intention of the ninth commandment is that it is wrong to gain by deception from someone else’s loss. Through deception you are causing someone to be viewed in such a way that is not truthful (including gossip, slander, exaggeration, slanting events toward your favor, etc.)

Emitt Till[5]

The ability to speak is a gift[6], “God has given us the capacity to speak so that we can use words to praise him and to bless others. However, our speech is corrupted by our sin, so it has the power to do great damage.”[7] This is why sins such as gossip and slander are so wicked, because a person who does these things is trying to tear down a person’s reputation. These sins try to steal the treasure of a good name. Proverbs 22:1 “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” It is hard work to build a reputation, and it is evil to seek to destroy something you don’t own. “Trueblood translates the command, ‘Thou shalt be meticulously honest in dealing with the reputation of others.’”[8] Impartial justice and good reputation are equally endangered by the sin of false witness. The command calls for both impartial justice and the maintenance of reputation.

In 1949 George Orwell of Animal Farm and 1984 fame is claimed to have said, “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” We live in a day when certain truths, that was once said, “we hold these truths to be self-evident,” are no longer accepted as being true. The truth is no longer the truth. We have to overlook the obvious and blaring truth and present pronouns of what simply is not true. A person is expected to accept and support a non-truth or fear being cancelled, lose their job, etc. As Christians we are commanded by our God to speak the truth, not your truth, or my truth – but the truth as defined by God.

The Tenth Commandment ; Do Not Covet (v. 17)

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Coveting is to want for ourselves something that belongs to someone else. It’s more than thinking, “I would like to have a nice house,” or “I’d like to have a better job.” Coveting is longing to make someone else’s stuff your stuff.

“One way of looking at things is to see the tenth commandment as the internalization of the eighth commandment (stealing). Just as adultery of the heart is lust, and murder of the heart is hatred, so theft is the heart of covetousness. When Achan was found to have stolen and hidden things from a battle where he was told not to take anything, Joshua 7:21 he says, “when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels,3 then I coveted them and took them.” Every outward act of sin begins in the heart.

“This is how sinful deeds start – with sinful desire, First we see something we want. Then we start thinking about how much we want it, and why. Soon it starts to dominate our thoughts, until finally it becomes an obsession.”[9]

Coveting is desiring what others have, which leads to other sin. James says, 4:2-3 “You desire and do not have, so you murder. (Cain wanted God’s acceptance, which Abel had) You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! (Their passion should be directed toward God but instead their passions are for the things of this world) Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?

Coveting begins where ever your heart is focused. It is the last of the commandments because it’s a summation of all the ones that came before. There is something that makes you unhappy, something you want, but don’t have – and God should have given it to you, but He is keeping it from you. You know better than God what you need in your life to make you happy. Coveting eventually leads to one of the other commandments (adultery, lying, stealing, etc.) These are feelings you put before God and His plan for your life.

There is something different about the tenth commandment in that it starts in the heart and works its way out, all the others condemn outward expressions (murder, adultery, working on the Sabbath, making and bowing down to idols). This command is about what we want to do. This commandment shows us that God is concerned not just with our actions (what happens on the outside), but also with the direction of our heart (our desires on the inside).

God wants our love for Him to begin inside (in our heart) and make its way outside in obedient action. Deuteronomy 6:5 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.”[10]

Just like fighting off the temptation to steal is hard labor, the way to fight off the temptation of covetousness is contentment. 1 Timothy 6:6-10 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

Be content with what you have. What are you chasing after right now? If you were asked, “if you could have anything, and that would make you happy, what would it be?” If your answer is “if only I had,” and you says anything other than the first commandment (God alone), then you are a coveting idolater.

Have you ever had a new car, or a new-to-you car? How long did it take before it became just a car, and as you drive through traffic began to think ,”man I sure would like to have that car, instead this old thing.” This is how it is with anything of this earth, Ecclesiastes 5:10 “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.” How much money do you need to be happy? Just a little bit more.

The sin that Adam and Eve committed on the garden was covetousness, Genesis 3:6 “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate,” God did not want them to have the knowledge that the tree provided, but they wanted it anyway. God provides what we need, are you content with that provision? “Contentment means wanting what God wants for us rather than what we want for us.”[11]

There is also another way to think about contentment. Michael Thornton once said, “It is not poverty or wealth that leads us to contentment and trust in the Lord, but the confidence that if God provided so richly for our salvation by choosing, redeeming, calling, adopting, and justifying us, and by sending His Spirit to cause us to grow up into Christ’s likeness, then surely we can count on Him for the less essential matters of daily existence.”[12] God has shown in a priceless way that He wants something wonderful for you; You trust Him for the eternal, trust Him then for the daily little things. “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33.

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[1] Philip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word, Exodus (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2015) 602.

[2] Ryken, 602.

[3] “In Numbers 12 Miriam became leprous after she spoke evil against Moses. Based on this text, the thought has emerged in Jewish tradition that the sins of the tongue defile persons, just as leprosy does in the Bible. Therefore, these sins were regarded as more serious than most other sins. They were sometimes mentioned together with the three mortal sins: idolatry, adultery, and murder.” Göran Larsson, Bound For Freedom, The Book of Exodus in Jewish and Christian Traditions (Peabody, Massachusetts; Hendrickson Publishing, 1999) 154.

[4] Kevin DeYoung, The 10 Commandments (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2018) 144.

[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Till and also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivLSKE4wpRU

[6] Some other thoughts on the concept of “the power of words.” https://drewboswell.com/the-power-of-words/

[7] Ryken, 616.

[8] Elton Trueblood, Foundations for Reconstruction (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Judson Press, 1946) 9.

[9] Ryken, 628.

[10] Another. 1 Samuel 16:7 “but the LORD looks upon the heart.”

[11] Ryken. 634.

[12] Ryken, 635.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith." Ephesians 2:8

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