Sermon Tone Analysis
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*Thomas** S. Myers*
*The Eighth Commandment*
*Exodus 20:15** *
*"You shall not steal."
(NIV)*
Looking through a daily paper I discovered the most recent thefts.
There was the Islamic militant kidnapping of an Israeli soldier.
Another was "Dangerous Thief Gets 6-years Term," while another was "Audit Says Treasurer Stole $563,000.
Those are the headlines but the headlines should read, Stealing Becomes Accepted Lifestyle.
There was a man with a problem that he couldn't keep to himself anymore.
So he went to his pastor to confess that for years he had been stealing building supplies from the lumberyard where he worked.
His pastor asked him to explain the kinds of things he had taken.
He laid it all out, "Enough to build my own house and enough for my son's house.
And houses for our two daughters.
And our cottage at the lake."
The pastor frowned and thought about this, finally commented, "This is very serious, I shall have to think of a far-reaching consequence.
Have you ever done a retreat?"
The man quickly replied, "No, pastor, I haven't, but if you can get the plans, I can get the lumber."
That is how some view stealing.
As long as they can get someone's approval or they don't get caught, they do not view themselves as a thief.
But I want us to look at stealing from God's perspective.
First, I want us to
think about stealing from others.
Second, I want us to look at stealing from God. Third, I want us to think about stealing from ourselves.
*FIRST -- STEALING FROM OTHERS.**
*
*A.
ROBBING OTHERS IS STEALING.
*This is where someone thinks it is O.K. to steal so long as
*1*no one is looking.
The test of a man's character is what he will do when on one is looking.
Several years ago when New York city lost its electricity and the lights went out, 3,500 were arrested for looting.
But the Bible says,
* *
*Psalm 139:12** *
*12 **even** the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
(NIV)*
Today people will use any excuse for stealing.
A young man was arrested for stealing a car.
He had the year's most novel excuse.
He said he found the automobile in front of a cemetery.
He explained, "I thought the owner was dead."
Is does not make any difference if anyone sees you or not, because God sees what you are doing.
I heard of a bank robber who went into a bank, took a note and passed it to the teller.
The note said, "Give me all of your money.
This is a stick up."
The teller wrote a note back to the thief and the note said, "Straighten up your tie stupid, their taking your picture."
God's camera is always running.
Whether it is night or day, God says, "You shall not steal."
*B.
DECEPTION IS STEALING -- *Many consider fraud as not stealing.
People who fraud others never think of themselves as thieves.
For example, the person who refuses to do an honest days work never thinks that they are stealing.
But the Bible clearly says
*Colossians 3:22** *
*22** **Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.
(NIV)*
There is another side of this.
There is the employer who cheats his employees by not paying proper wages.
* *
*James** 5:4*
*4** **Look**!
The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you.
The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.
(NIV)*
If you as an employer are not paying a decent wage, you will have to answer to almighty God about it.
If as an employer, you are taking advantage of someone who has to work you also will have to answer to God.
You may be thinking, "I'm a shroud business man."
But God calls you a thief.
And you will face God at the judgment.
We are to give an honest days work for a day's pay.
And we are to give an honest days pay for a days work.
Otherwise the Bible says we are stealing.
Some men are very proud of their business mind.
They know a good deal when they see it.
But for some men, the business deal is really just shrewdness.
Look at
*Mark 12:40** *
*40 **They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers.
Such men will be punished most severely."
(NIV)*
What does it mean by* "**They devour widows' houses**?"
*There are men who see a widow who does not understand business principles or finances.
These men steal away the widow's finances.
They say that business is business.
God says, *"**Such men will be punished most severely."
*God is saying that at the judgment, the lake of fire will be very not no matter how religious you are.
*C.
GAMBLING IS STEALING.
*
Someone says, "What's wrong with gambling?"
Gambling is stealing because no one can win without another person losing.
You see, when you're gambling, it is profit and pleasure at the expense of someone's pain and lost.
It violates the concern and love of others.
You see, it is trying to get into your pocket what belongs to someone else without working for it.
We are not to take by chance that which belongs to someone else.
That's greed!
Some people try to justify gambling by saying that the stock market is gambling.
The stock market is not gambling, it is taking a risk.
One man may meet another man in the dark and with the point of a gun takes away another man's cash.
Two men meet each other around a table, each seeking to get what belongs to the other and we call that gambling.
The only difference is in the first case there was one man with a gun, and the in the second case there are 2 men with the spirit of thievery.
Someone has said, "When a man gambles and wins, he's a thief.
And when he gambles and loses he's a fool."
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