Covetousness

"He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase." Eccl. 5:10

COVETOUSNESS

"Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." Luke 12:15

I. Money and possessions in themselves are not evil (James 1:17). However, when they take a place in the heart (Matthew 6:21) that belongs to God alone (1 Timothy 6:10 "the love of money"), riches can become not only "a snare" (1 Timothy 6:9) or "stumblingblock" (Ezekiel 7:19) to one's spiritual walk, but may eventually lead to his spiritual destruction (1 Timothy 6:9) as well.

Hebrews 12:1 "...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us..."

II. Covetousness (the excessive desire and greed for gain) is sin.

Joshua 7:20-21
Job 31:24-25, 28
Psalms 52:7

A. It is a serious offense.

1. Covetousness is listed in the Ten Commandments alongside such sins as
idolatry, adultery, murder, etc.

Exodus 20:17
Deuteronomy 5:21

2. The covetous cannot enter God's kingdom.

1 Corinthians 6:10; Ephesians 5:5

3. The sin is "worthy of death" (Romans 1:32) and shall be met with severe
judgment (Jeremiah 51:13; 2 Peter 2:3, 14).

B. It greatly angers God (Isaiah 57:17; John 2:15; Colossians 3:5-6); He abhors it
(Psalms 10:3)!

C. "Covetousness ... is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5, cp. Ephesians 5:5), for it takes the
place in our hearts that belongs to God alone.

D. It is extremely "evil."

Mark 7:21-23
Proverbs 28:22
1 Timothy 6:10

E. It is a form of lust. (1 Timothy 6:9, James 4:1-3), originating in the heart (Ezekiel
33:31; Mark 7:21-33).

1. "Beware of covetousness" (implies the subtlety of its hold).

Luke 12:15

2. "Mortify therefore ... " (put to death: an act of the will).

Colossians 3:5

3. "Flee!" (one of three things the New Testament specifically exhorts new believers to "flee").

a. Idolatry.

1 Corinthians 10:14

b. Fornication; youthful lusts.

1 Corinthians 6:18
2 Timothy 2:22

c. Covetousness.

1 Timothy 6:10-11

III. "The love of money is the root of all evil."

1 Timothy 6:10

A. Greed for gain is the motivation behind much spiritual wickedness.

1. Idolatry

Acts 19:24, 27 The making and selling of idol shrines "brought no small gain ... "

2. Witchcraft.

Acts 16:16, 19 "a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination ...
brought her masters much gain by soothsaying ... the hope of their gain ... "

B. It is the cause of much social unrest and trouble.

1. Murder.

1 Kings 21:2-16
   Proverbs 1:19
   Matthew 26:15-16 (Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:3-6; John 12:6)
   James 4: 2

2. Robbery.

   Joshua 7:15, 21
   Ezekiel 22:12-13
   Micah 2:2

3. Kidnapping.

Genesis 37:26-28, etc. ''What profit is it if we slay our brother... Come, let us sell him..."

4. Rioting; anger and confusion.

Acts 19:28-29, 32

5. Bribery and perverting of judgment.

   1 Samuel 8:3
   Proverbs 19:4; 29:4
   Micah 3:11; 7:3
   Acts 24:26

6. Perjury; lying.

   1 Kings 21:10, 13
   Micah 6:12
   Matthew 28:12-15

7. Violence and oppression of others' rights.

   Ezekiel 22:12-13
   Micah 2:2:6:12
   Acts 16:19, 22-23

8. Prostitution.

   Genesis 38:15-18
   Deuteronomy 23:18
   Proverbs 6:26; 29:3
   Luke 15: 30

9. Extortion..

Jeremiah 22:17

10. Fighting (James 4:1-3) and family trouble (Proverbs 15:27).

C. Covetousness is the cause of many spiritual and personal conflicts, for it greatly
affects one's character (Isaiah 1:23; Micah 6:12; James 2:6-7).

1. Pride and conceit.

Proverbs 18:11; 28:11
Ezekiel 28:5
1 Timothy 6:17

2. Unfruitfulness.

Matthew 13:22 (Mark 4:19; Luke 8:14)

3. Spiritual destruction; temptation and lusts.

1 Timothy 6:9

4. Backsliding; forsaking God.

   Deuteronomy 6:10-12; 8:10-18; 31:20; 32:15
   Jeremiah 5:7-9
   Matthew 13:22
   Romans 1:29 reprobate
   1 Timothy 6:10 "erred from the faith"
   2 Timothy 4:10 "forsook the gospel"

5. Rejecting the will of God.

Luke 14:18; 18:22-23

6. Difficulty entering the kingdom.

Matthew 19:23-24 (Luke 18:24-25)

7. Guilt.

1 Kings 21:20

8. Insensitivity to the needs of others.

Proverbs 18:23

9. Being kept from God's best, that "they made light of" their call.

Matthew 22:5

IV. Covetousness should have no place among the body of believers, the house of God.

John 2:16 (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46)
Ephesians 5:3, 5 " ... covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints."

A. The scriptures exhort us to cut off fellowship with such persons.

1 Corinthians 5:11
1 Timothy 6:5 "from such withdraw thyself"
2 Timothy 3:1-2 "from such turn away"

B. Covetousness should especially have no place in the hearts of those in
spiritual leadership.

1 Thessalonians 2:5

1. All the lists of qualifications for eldership and spiritual leadership warn
against the choosing of men with such tendencies.

   Exodus 18:21 "hating covetousness"
Deuteronomy 17:15-17 "neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold"
  1 Timothy 3:3 "not greedy of filthy lucre ... not covetous"
   Titus 1:7 "not given to filthy lucre"

2. Covetousness tends to corrupt the ministry.

Ezekiel 22:25, 27 "devoured souls ... to get dishonest gain"
   Micah 3:11 "the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money"
   2 Timothy 4:10 "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world ... "
   1 Peter 5:2 "oversight ... not for filthy lucre ..."

V. It is important that we have a right attitude toward our possessions.

A. We are to "be content" with what we have.

Job 1:20-22; Psalms 37:16; Proverbs 30:8-9; Ecclesiastes 6:9
1 Timothy 6:6, 8; Hebrews 13:5

B. We are not to seek financial prosperity.

Proverbs 23:4
Matthew 6:19
Luke 12:29-30

C. We should not trust in "uncertain riches."

Job 31:24-25, 28
Psalms 52:7
Proverbs 11:4, 28, 13:7
Jeremiah 9:23
1 Timothy 6:17
James 4:13-14

D. If rich, we should give to the poor.

Proverbs 21:25-26; 28:27
Mark 10:21
Luke 12:33; 19:8
Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35
1 Timothy 6:17-19
1 John 3:17

E. We are not to love the world or anything in it.

1 John 2:15

1. Do not be attached to possessions.

Matthew 6:19
Luke 18:18-27
Philippians 3:19
Psalms 62:10b "If riches increase, set not your heart on them."

2. "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth ... "

Colossians 3:1-3

3. It is impossible to serve both.

   Matthew 6:24
   Luke 16:13-14
   Colossians 3:2
   James 4:4
   1 John 2:16

VI. We must continually guard our hearts against "the deceitfulness of riches."

Matthew 13:22 (Mark 4:19; Luke 8:14)

A. We can see from the book of Ecclesiastes that material possessions do not
bring happiness. Solomon had everything (1 Kings 3:11-13; 10:23) and said
it was all "vanity" (Ecclesiastes 2:11; 5:15; etc.; cp. Psalms 39:6).

B. The pleasures that riches provide are only temporary.

Job 21:13
   Psalms 49:16-18
   Proverbs 23:4-5
   Matthew 6:19
Luke 12:15-21
   James 1:9-11; 5:1-3, 5
   1 John 2:17

C. They do not satisfy.

   Proverbs 27:20 "The eyes of a man are never satisfied"
   Ecclesiastes 4:8 "neither is his eye satisfied with riches"
Ecclesiastes 5:10 "He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver;
nor he that loveth abundance with increase."
   Isaiah 56:11
   Ezekiel 7:19
   Haggai 1:6
   Luke 12:18

D. There is no security in riches.

   Job 27:16-17
   Proverbs 23:4-5
   Matthew 6:20
1 Timothy 6:17 "uncertain riches"

E. By kingdom standards, money and possessions are really worthless.

Proverbs 10:2, 22; 11:4; 13:7-8
Ezekiel 7:19 cast in the streets
Zephaniah 1:18
Matthew 16:26

F. The rich die like everyone else.

Psalms 4:16-17
Ecclesiastes
James 1:9-11

1. " ...then whose shall those things be?"

Luke 12:20

2. You "can't take it with you."

         Job 1:21
      Psalms 49: 10, 16-18
      Ecclesiastes 2:18-19; 5:15
            1 Timothy 6:7
      James 1:9-11

G. Covetousness leads to "many sorrows" (1 Timothy 6:10; James 5:1).
Only God can give true, lasting satisfaction (Psalms 107:9; Isaiah 55:1-2)
and joy that cannot be taken away (John 16:22).

VII. What scriptural basis, if any, is there for the popular "prosperity preaching"?

A. True, prosperity and success are the blessing of God.

Genesis 24:1, 35; 26:12-14; 39:2, 23; Deuteronomy 6:3, 10-11; 9: 17-18
1 Samuel 2:7; 1 Kings 3:11-13; 1 Chronicles 29:25, 28, etc.
2 Chronicles 32:27-30; Job 1:3, 10;42:10, 12; Psalms 112:1, 3
Proverbs 28:20; Ecclesiastes 5:18-19; 6:2; John 3:27; 1 Timothy 6:17
James 1:17

B. However, the early church leaders did not seek financial success or abundance of
material possessions.

1. The apostle Peter declared, "Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have
give I thee ..."

Acts 3:6

2. Paul said, "I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel ... It is more blessed
to give than to receive" (Acts 20:33-35). "I seek not yours, but you" (2 Corinthians
12:14).

C. Jesus' own disciples forsook all to follow Him.

Matthew 19:27-29 (Mark 10:28-30; Luke 18:28-30)

1. Few of Jesus' disciples were rich (ex: Joseph of Arimathea, Matthew 27:57;

Zachaeus, Luke 19:2).

2. Jesus Himself declared "how difficult" it is (but not impossible, Mark 10:27)
for the rich to enter His kingdom.

Matthew 19:25-26

Mark 10:23-25, etc. (like a camel going through the eye of a needle).

3. Members of the early church contributed all their possessions to the church
community for redistribution according to individual needs.

Acts 2:4445; 4:32-35

4. Some left Him when they found out it would cost them their wealth.

Matthew 19:16-24 (Mark 10:21-22; Luke 18:23)

5. Those who continued to follow Him were clearly instructed not to be
concerned about or attached to worldly possessions.

Luke 12:22, 29-31, 33; Matthew 10:10 (cp. Luke 3:11)

D. The prosperity message itself, being false doctrine (1 Timothy 6:5) and a product of
false ministry (Titus 1:11; 2 Peter 2:1-3, 14), is evidence of the days in which we live,
that these are the end-times.

2 Timothy 3:2 "... men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous ... lovers of pleasure... "

VIII. It is a common motive of false ministry to use the gift of God for monetary gain.

Nehemiah 6:12-13
Ezekiel 22:25, 27 "devoured souls ... to get dishonest gain"
Ezekiel 34:2-3, 8-10; Micah 3:11; Acts 8:9, 18-23
Titus 1:11 "teaching ... for filthy lucre's sake"
   2 Peter 2:3 "false prophets... false teachers... through covetousness... make
      merchandise of you"
   Revelation 18:12-13 "merchandise of ... the souls of men."

IX. God wants our security and trust to be in Him.

Psalms 91:2

A. Only then can He reveal to us His true riches.

Proverbs 3:9-18; 13:7; Isaiah 45:3; Colossians 2:3

B. He wants our treasure to be in Him.

Matthew 6:20-21 (Luke 12:33-34); Matthew 13:44
Mark 10:21 (Matthew 19:21; Luke 18:22); 2 Corinthians 4:7
Colossians 2:3

C. His riches are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:18
Hebrews 9:15

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