22nd April 2025

22nd April 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Exodus 20v17)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


Do you know what an “influencer” is? The world is increasingly full of such people and they make a fortune pushing their influence online. You may have heard of “van living” which sums up the life of many of these so called influencers. Van life sees people living in a van and travelling the world earning money through their internet content. Imagine waking up in the back of your custom built van at the side of some beach in South America before having freshly picked avocados for breakfast - that certainly beats the freezing winter rain at 6:30am when you head to work on a dark November morning.


It shouldn’t surprise us that the influence of the influencers goes far and wide particularly among a new generation who are utterly dissatisfied with their lot. Is there something wrong with making plans? By no means but I think much of modern life is bathed in covetousness. Thomas Watson was a Christian from another age and he described coveting as “the insatiable desire of getting the world.” Why settle for less when you can have it all?


The Lord is not silent and as His commandments come to a close He declares "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." Your neighbour may currently be on a six month world cruise but your life shouldn’t be spent looking over the garden fence and wishing you could join him.


Interestingly there are seven parts to the final commandment. We are not to desire our neighbour’s house, wife, male servant, female servant, ox, donkey or anything that belongs to him. Seven is the perfect number in Scripture and therefore the Lord leaves us no room to covet anything big or small. We should completely and totally shun all kinds of covetousness.


What’s the problem? To covet is to shun our nose at the blessings of the Lord and to demand something more. Do you remember the rich fool (Luke 12v16-21)? He was blessed with an abundant crop but didn’t pause to be thankful. He immediately set about building bigger barns. The man’s life was later taken from him and he didn’t get to kick back and enjoy his abundant possessions. There is nothing in this life which is permanent, all of it fades and we cannot hold on to anything.


Yet Samuel Rutherford was right when he said “Those who gain Christ lose nothing.” There is much more to life than our possessions - faith in Christ is more precious than gold.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC


Q64 What is required in the fifth commandment? The fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honor, and performing the duties, belonging to every one in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.
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