The sermon at PCC today was entitled “The Eighth Commandment”. In short, it was about stealing. (I’ve posted the downloaded LIVE video below.)
Today’s message was yet another example of God’s goodness and how He speaks to His people. Throughout the last week I had a message sort of downloaded into my spirit and mind that I believe takes this morning’s sermon even further. The message basically was that the sin of stealing is the summary of all sin. This is not a new message as I considered this possibility several years ago, but it has been a long time since I thought about it and I do not believe it is a coincidence that just days before today’s sermon I was meditating on this very topic.
So how is the sin of stealing the summary of all sin? Well let’s think about it for a moment by taking a look at the other nine commandments given to us in Exodus 20.
Commandments one, two, and three: when we place other gods before the almighty God, and/or worship idols, or misuse His name, we are stealing from God the glory, honor, and worship that He alone deserves.
Commandment four: Jesus tells us that the Sabbath was created for man, not man for the Sabbath; so when we do not set it aside as a holy day to rest and remember our Lord, we are actually stealing from ourselves. Both our physical and spiritual well-being are compromised.
Commandment five: When we dishonor our parents we are stealing from them the respect that God has placed upon them within our lives. Dishonor and respect is not dependent upon their behavior, but because God has placed them before us. This is also known as a commandment with promise, and that He promises that if we honor our father and mother we will have long life. By not honoring our father and mother we can be stealing years from our own life.
Commandment six: Murder is essentially stealing another person’s life. It is also stealing a loved one from the lives of others.
Commandment seven: Adultery is having sexual relations with someone other than your spouse. By having an affair, you are stealing from your spouse as well as the spouse of the other person. You are infringing upon and taking part in a covenant that is between two other people. Fornication is defined differently as sexual relations outside of marriage all together. Fornication is the stealing of another’s future spouse’s purity as well as stealing from the sacredness of the marriage covenant.
Commandment nine: False testimony, as well as all lying, is stealing truth. Everyone has the right to know and be told the truth and lying in all forms steals that truth both from yourself and from others.
Commandment ten: Coveting is a way we can steal both from God and from ourselves. When we covet that which belongs to someone else, we are basically guilty of an ungrateful heart for that which God has given to us. So we are stealing from God the gratitude that He deserves. We also are stealing from ourselves in that we rob ourselves from the peace that comes with recognizing our blessings.
What do you think? Is the sin of stealing a summary of all sin? Does all sin,one way or another, point back to the sin of stealing? This is what the Lord laid upon my heart throughout the last few days and I believe the sermon given at my church this morning is confirmation of such.
Here is the video of today’s sermon. While it talks about stealing it does not go the direction that I went above, but I continue to see it as confirmation. Be blessed and maranatha!
