(upbeat theme music)
00:00:00.66\00:00:02.56
(music ends)
00:00:11.97\00:00:15.48
>>Welcome to "Sabbath School,"
00:00:17.18\00:00:18.21
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:00:18.21\00:00:20.85
This week, we're
looking at lesson number nine;
00:00:20.85\00:00:23.45
the subject is covetousness.
00:00:23.45\00:00:25.85
This quarter, we are looking
at "Managing for the Master
00:00:25.85\00:00:28.96
Till He Comes."
00:00:28.96\00:00:31.03
A fascinating subject
00:00:31.03\00:00:32.36
where we are delving
into faith and finances
00:00:32.36\00:00:35.33
and how they
intersect one with another.
00:00:35.33\00:00:37.97
With us again
this week is the author
00:00:37.97\00:00:39.70
of this quarter's
Sabbath school lesson, Ed Reid.
00:00:39.70\00:00:42.07
He is a licensed attorney
and an ordained minister.
00:00:42.07\00:00:45.71
We're delighted
to have him back.
00:00:45.71\00:00:47.44
And in a moment, we
are going to take a look
00:00:47.44\00:00:49.31
at the subject of covetousness,
00:00:49.31\00:00:51.05
but first, let's have prayer.
00:00:51.05\00:00:53.11
Father, we ask that You will
bless us this week once again
00:00:53.11\00:00:55.88
as we continue
looking at the subject
00:00:55.88\00:00:58.15
of finances and our faith.
00:00:58.15\00:01:00.26
And as we look at covetousness,
00:01:00.26\00:01:01.62
help us to understand the
significance of this illness
00:01:01.62\00:01:05.96
and how we can avoid it
00:01:05.96\00:01:07.66
and head in the right direction.
00:01:07.66\00:01:09.23
We thank You, in
Jesus' name, amen.
00:01:09.23\00:01:12.43
Ed, welcome back once again.
00:01:12.43\00:01:14.10
>>Well, thank you,
it's great to be with you.
00:01:14.10\00:01:16.07
>>So this week,
looking at covetousness,
00:01:16.07\00:01:18.34
the memory text
is Luke 12, verse 15.
00:01:18.34\00:01:22.04
It says, "Take heed
and beware of covetousness,
00:01:22.04\00:01:25.05
"for one's life does not consist
00:01:25.05\00:01:27.68
in the abundance of
the things he possesses."
00:01:27.68\00:01:30.82
So an entire
lesson on covetousness,
00:01:30.82\00:01:34.06
one might say,
"Well, isn't it just enough
00:01:34.06\00:01:36.16
to say, 'Don't covet?'"
00:01:36.16\00:01:38.03
But apparently there's a
little bit more to it than that.
00:01:38.03\00:01:40.76
>>There is actually, Eric,
00:01:40.76\00:01:41.90
and this is a first time
00:01:41.90\00:01:43.70
I've actually
written on this topic,
00:01:43.70\00:01:45.23
but it was really
eyeopening for me,
00:01:45.23\00:01:47.40
and I hope that it
will be for the viewers
00:01:47.40\00:01:49.74
and those who study
the lesson this week.
00:01:49.74\00:01:52.21
Covetousness has been defined
00:01:52.21\00:01:54.48
as the inordinate
desire for the position
00:01:54.48\00:01:58.11
or the possessions of another.
00:01:58.11\00:02:00.35
So, "I'd like to have your job,"
00:02:00.35\00:02:02.82
or, "I'd like to
have your stuff,"
00:02:02.82\00:02:04.39
that's what
covetousness is about.
00:02:04.39\00:02:06.45
And it is so interesting
00:02:06.45\00:02:08.22
that it is actually
one of the 10 Commandments.
00:02:08.22\00:02:11.39
Believe it or not,
the 10th commandment,
00:02:11.39\00:02:12.89
"Thou shalt not
covet thy neighbor's wife
00:02:12.89\00:02:14.30
or anything that belongs
to your neighbor," and so on--
00:02:14.30\00:02:16.70
covetousness is defined
as one of those heinous sins
00:02:16.70\00:02:19.00
that will keep a
person out of heaven.
00:02:19.00\00:02:21.07
So I just wanna read
1 Corinthians 6:9-10,
00:02:21.07\00:02:24.27
and you'll be able
to see this topic listed
00:02:24.27\00:02:27.24
with a whole bunch of
other real heinous sins.
00:02:27.24\00:02:29.51
"Know ye not
that the unrighteous
00:02:29.51\00:02:30.81
"shall not inherit the
kingdom of God? Be not deceived:
00:02:30.81\00:02:34.35
"neither fornicators,
...idolators, ...adulterers,
00:02:34.35\00:02:38.22
"[or] effeminate, nor abusers
of themselves with mankind,
00:02:38.22\00:02:41.62
"nor thieves, [or] covetous,
00:02:41.62\00:02:43.89
"...drunkards, [or]
revilers, [or] extortionists,
00:02:43.89\00:02:46.06
shall inherit
the kingdom of God."
00:02:46.06\00:02:48.03
So if it's this bad,
we ought to talk about it,
00:02:48.03\00:02:50.43
seems to me.
00:02:50.43\00:02:51.70
>>Now, you
mentioned it being this bad.
00:02:51.70\00:02:53.67
You know, when you list the
grand scheme of terrible things
00:02:53.67\00:02:57.51
that people can do to
themselves or to one another--
00:02:57.51\00:03:00.94
you know, we think of murder
00:03:00.94\00:03:02.71
and we think of, you
know, 100 other things;
00:03:02.71\00:03:05.45
covetous, it sounds,
well, it doesn't sound good,
00:03:05.45\00:03:08.98
but it doesn't
sound all that bad
00:03:08.98\00:03:11.89
if you just look
at it on the surface.
00:03:11.89\00:03:13.89
But as you
mentioned in Sunday's lesson,
00:03:13.89\00:03:16.49
the title is
actually a question;
00:03:16.49\00:03:18.66
the question is, "The
Ultimate Original Sin?"
00:03:18.66\00:03:21.50
question mark.
00:03:21.50\00:03:23.37
What is it about
covetousness and its origins--
00:03:23.37\00:03:26.87
I don't know if that's the--
00:03:26.87\00:03:27.94
its history, maybe
that's a better word--
00:03:27.94\00:03:30.44
that got us to
where we are today?
00:03:30.44\00:03:32.74
>>Well, that's a good question,
00:03:32.74\00:03:33.84
and the reason I
put a question there,
00:03:33.84\00:03:34.94
because we call it
the mystery of iniquity;
00:03:34.94\00:03:37.68
why did Lucifer do this?
00:03:37.68\00:03:39.55
But one factor at
least was covetousness,
00:03:39.55\00:03:42.05
because the Bible says in
the book of Isaiah, chapter 14,
00:03:42.05\00:03:47.12
that in verse 14,
Lucifer is saying--
00:03:48.22\00:03:50.66
King of Tyre in this
illustration--is saying,
00:03:50.66\00:03:53.66
"I will be like the Most High."
00:03:53.66\00:03:55.66
And the interesting thing
to me is, the interesting part,
00:03:55.66\00:04:00.07
is that the Bible talks about,
00:04:00.07\00:04:01.27
"Godliness with
contentment is great gain."
00:04:01.27\00:04:02.60
You read that earlier.
Paul says in Colossians 3:5,
00:04:02.60\00:04:05.81
"covetousness,
which is idolatry,"
00:04:05.81\00:04:07.64
he calls it idolatry.
00:04:07.64\00:04:08.91
The interesting thing also is...
00:04:08.91\00:04:10.75
I just, I know I
put this in the book,
00:04:11.85\00:04:13.62
it's not in the lesson,
but I'll just tell it to you,
00:04:13.62\00:04:16.69
that I believe Adam and
Eve were in the Garden of Eden
00:04:16.69\00:04:18.72
for some time before
the sin problem came along,
00:04:18.72\00:04:21.46
because they had, they
watched the seasons come and go,
00:04:21.46\00:04:24.06
and Eden was a
school, et cetera.
00:04:24.06\00:04:27.00
And the devil was
limited to one tree,
00:04:27.00\00:04:30.77
and he could only tempt 'em
00:04:30.77\00:04:32.73
in that Tree of
Knowledge of Good and Evil,
00:04:32.73\00:04:33.84
and they'd had
warning about it and so on.
00:04:33.84\00:04:36.00
He's thinking now, "How
am I gonna get to them?"
00:04:36.00\00:04:38.57
And the basic thing,
I think, has happened
00:04:38.57\00:04:41.44
is he said, "I'll
do what took me down."
00:04:41.44\00:04:44.21
So when Eve came by the tree,
00:04:44.21\00:04:45.95
he used the serpent
as a medium, of course,
00:04:45.95\00:04:47.92
but he said that,
"If you eat this fruit,
00:04:47.92\00:04:50.72
you'll be like God
to know good and evil."
00:04:50.72\00:04:54.42
So do you see the desire
00:04:54.42\00:04:56.42
to have more
knowledge than you have,
00:04:56.42\00:04:58.06
or more than God has given you,
00:04:58.06\00:04:59.29
or lack of trust and so on?
00:04:59.29\00:05:00.83
So that's probably
part of the problem as well.
00:05:00.83\00:05:03.57
>>So we've got a
picture here of covetousness
00:05:03.57\00:05:06.13
originating with Lucifer,
00:05:07.17\00:05:09.27
who wanted God's position.
00:05:09.27\00:05:10.64
Then we see it make its
way down here to Planet Earth
00:05:10.64\00:05:13.41
with the offer that he
gives to Eve and she accepts,
00:05:13.41\00:05:16.61
and of course, Adam
comes along as well.
00:05:16.61\00:05:20.08
We get to Monday's lesson
00:05:20.08\00:05:21.72
and that story or these stories
that we've just looked at,
00:05:21.72\00:05:25.22
the story of
Lucifer and his fall,
00:05:25.22\00:05:26.99
and Adam and Eve and their fall,
00:05:26.99\00:05:28.82
those aren't the
only stories in the Bible
00:05:28.82\00:05:31.06
that deal with covetousness.
00:05:31.06\00:05:32.56
And on Monday, you
delved into a story
00:05:32.56\00:05:36.67
that I think many of us are
at least somewhat familiar with,
00:05:36.67\00:05:39.43
it may not be one of the
most frequently quoted stories
00:05:39.43\00:05:41.90
in the Bible,
00:05:41.90\00:05:43.20
but it's entitled "An
Accursed Thing in the Camp."
00:05:43.20\00:05:46.54
So give us a little background
on the setting of this story
00:05:46.54\00:05:50.58
and why it's significant
as we're talking about
00:05:50.58\00:05:52.88
the subject of covetousness.
00:05:52.88\00:05:54.85
>>Well, it's
interesting that the devil
00:05:54.85\00:05:56.52
tries to use the
miracles that God performs
00:05:56.52\00:05:58.65
to his own advantage.
00:05:58.65\00:06:00.29
And it's very interesting
that two major miracles happened
00:06:00.29\00:06:04.83
when Israel finally
crossed the Jordan River.
00:06:04.83\00:06:07.96
You remember that for 40 years
00:06:07.96\00:06:09.26
they'd been in the
wilderness wandering,
00:06:09.26\00:06:10.67
and God fed them
with manna and so on.
00:06:10.67\00:06:12.50
That was a big
miracle in itself,
00:06:12.50\00:06:13.97
but they
encountered the Jordan River
00:06:13.97\00:06:16.44
at springtime flood stage.
00:06:16.44\00:06:18.87
And it was so wide,
just like some of the rivers
00:06:18.87\00:06:20.98
that we have in
America and other places
00:06:20.98\00:06:22.91
are very big in flood stage.
00:06:22.91\00:06:25.55
God performed a miracle
and dried that river up,
00:06:25.55\00:06:29.38
a path wide enough, dry ground,
00:06:29.38\00:06:31.85
for them to go through it.
00:06:31.85\00:06:32.89
It just piled up on one side
00:06:32.89\00:06:34.16
and ran away on the other side,
00:06:34.16\00:06:35.92
and they went
across on dry ground;
00:06:35.92\00:06:37.79
more than a million
people crossed on dry ground.
00:06:37.79\00:06:40.26
Now, that's a big miracle.
00:06:40.26\00:06:42.06
The next one was
the conquest of Jericho.
00:06:42.06\00:06:44.67
This is
incredible. Do you understand?
00:06:44.67\00:06:47.30
Joshua was leading them then,
00:06:47.30\00:06:49.10
didn't know what to do for sure,
00:06:49.10\00:06:50.44
and so he went out to pray
00:06:50.44\00:06:51.71
and encountered the
captain of the Lord's host;
00:06:51.71\00:06:53.51
Christ was there to tell him,
00:06:53.51\00:06:55.04
"Here's what you're gonna do.
00:06:55.04\00:06:56.58
"You're gonna march around
it once a day for six days.
00:06:56.58\00:06:59.68
"And on the seventh
day, you march around seven.
00:06:59.68\00:07:01.35
"And by the way, everybody's
gonna be absolutely quiet,
00:07:01.35\00:07:04.39
"no talking, no
joking, no singing,
00:07:04.39\00:07:06.76
"nothing; you're
absolutely quiet.
00:07:06.76\00:07:08.12
"Just march
around one time a day,
00:07:08.12\00:07:10.43
"and then seven
on the seventh day.
00:07:10.43\00:07:12.53
"When the priests
blow seven trumpets,
00:07:12.53\00:07:15.80
then the walls are
gonna come crashing down."
00:07:15.80\00:07:18.30
And the walls
came crashing down.
00:07:18.30\00:07:20.24
This is amazing.
00:07:21.84\00:07:23.74
All they had to do was
walk in like a cakewalk
00:07:23.74\00:07:25.77
to conquer the city.
00:07:25.77\00:07:27.61
The only thing
that didn't fall down
00:07:27.61\00:07:29.48
was Rahab's house
that was in the wall.
00:07:29.48\00:07:32.05
And the two spies
that had been there said,
00:07:32.05\00:07:33.88
"If you're in your house
and anybody you wanna save
00:07:33.88\00:07:36.75
in your house with you
when you come, you'll be saved."
00:07:36.75\00:07:39.09
They were spared.
00:07:39.09\00:07:40.66
But this is interesting, now.
00:07:40.66\00:07:42.26
You have to feel sorry
for bad guys sometimes.
00:07:43.56\00:07:46.06
Achan was one of the
people that went there.
00:07:47.13\00:07:49.96
He saw a "goodly
Babylonish garment," a new suit,
00:07:49.96\00:07:53.64
200 shekels of silver
and 50 shekels of gold,
00:07:53.64\00:07:57.44
a golden web--a wedge of
gold, and he took those things.
00:07:57.44\00:08:01.78
Now, this wasn't unusual
00:08:01.78\00:08:02.88
because God,
through Joshua, told them,
00:08:02.88\00:08:05.85
"All the spoils,
destroy everything inside,
00:08:05.85\00:08:08.75
"but all the spoils,
the gold and the silver
00:08:08.75\00:08:11.15
"and precious things like that,
00:08:11.15\00:08:12.82
bring back to the temple
to start the temple economy."
00:08:12.82\00:08:15.56
So everybody's
hauling stuff back,
00:08:15.56\00:08:17.33
but Achan stopped by his
tent and hid it in his tent.
00:08:17.33\00:08:20.63
Now, the "accursed
thing" is interesting;
00:08:20.63\00:08:22.63
that happened so
interesting that they decided
00:08:22.63\00:08:25.27
that they wouldn't send
the whole group up to Ai;
00:08:25.27\00:08:27.80
they would just send 3,000 men.
00:08:27.80\00:08:29.60
When they sent 'em up there,
00:08:30.41\00:08:31.51
the men of Ai fought
for them, their own lives,
00:08:31.51\00:08:34.38
and they actually
killed 36 Israelites.
00:08:34.38\00:08:37.38
So when they came back
00:08:37.38\00:08:38.45
after being defeated
like that, running away,
00:08:38.45\00:08:41.18
Joshua said, "What's going on?"
00:08:41.18\00:08:43.12
And he laid down on the
ground and prayed all day,
00:08:43.12\00:08:46.39
and God said, "There's a
cursed thing in your midst.
00:08:46.39\00:08:48.72
"There's no way
you can go forward
00:08:48.72\00:08:50.13
until you take the
cursed thing out of your midst."
00:08:50.13\00:08:52.39
So they cast lots,
00:08:52.39\00:08:53.46
and the lot fell on
Achan, as you remember.
00:08:53.46\00:08:56.06
The amazing thing
about this story is that...
00:08:56.06\00:08:59.63
Achan said, "I coveted
this when I saw these things,
00:09:01.57\00:09:04.41
and I hid them in my tent."
00:09:04.41\00:09:05.91
So bad is covetousness--
00:09:06.68\00:09:08.04
what was God's counsel
to Joshua to do with Achan?
00:09:08.04\00:09:11.41
Believe it or not, he said,
00:09:12.51\00:09:13.85
"Stone him to death,
along with his whole family,
00:09:13.85\00:09:16.62
"pile all their stuff upon them,
00:09:16.62\00:09:18.12
all their
belongings, and burn them up."
00:09:18.12\00:09:20.12
Then they made a big
heap of stones there.
00:09:20.12\00:09:22.89
The bottom line is,
00:09:22.89\00:09:24.76
trust God to take
care of your family;
00:09:24.76\00:09:27.00
don't covet the
possessions of someone else.
00:09:27.00\00:09:29.60
>>So this story of Achan
00:09:29.60\00:09:31.20
is one that is
absolutely a cautionary tale,
00:09:31.20\00:09:34.70
an instructive tale,
00:09:34.70\00:09:36.77
but there are other
stories in the Bible.
00:09:36.77\00:09:38.51
We've got just a few
minutes before we take a break.
00:09:38.51\00:09:40.64
Let's talk a little
bit about Tuesday's lesson,
00:09:40.64\00:09:43.78
"The Heart of Judas."
00:09:43.78\00:09:46.15
What was it about
Judas that was covetous?
00:09:46.15\00:09:50.02
What was he after? What was
he, what were his ambitions?
00:09:50.02\00:09:53.92
And what caused him to--
00:09:53.92\00:09:55.49
if you think of the
great evils in the Bible,
00:09:55.49\00:09:59.93
Judas is
probably right up there.
00:09:59.93\00:10:02.53
What was it that motivated him
00:10:02.53\00:10:04.27
to make the
decisions that he made?
00:10:04.27\00:10:08.00
>>Well, this is a
very good question
00:10:08.00\00:10:10.34
because the story
is an amazing story.
00:10:10.34\00:10:13.01
In the Bible, we read about
the feast at Simon's house.
00:10:13.01\00:10:17.01
And this was the
last week of Jesus' life,
00:10:17.01\00:10:18.55
and He was in
Jerusalem for the last time.
00:10:18.55\00:10:20.48
And He's out at Bethany,
and Simon invited Him to come.
00:10:20.48\00:10:23.69
He also invited Lazarus,
00:10:23.69\00:10:25.85
who Jesus had
recently raised from the dead,
00:10:25.85\00:10:27.46
which was the
greatest miracle Jesus did
00:10:27.46\00:10:28.92
in His whole 3 and
1/2 years of ministry.
00:10:28.92\00:10:31.29
But interestingly enough,
00:10:31.29\00:10:32.66
the Bible says that many
people came to this feast
00:10:32.66\00:10:34.86
to see Lazarus more than Jesus
00:10:34.86\00:10:36.36
because here's a guy
that'd been dead for four days,
00:10:36.36\00:10:37.97
and now he's eating supper.
I mean, this is incredible.
00:10:37.97\00:10:41.14
What happened at
that feast is interesting
00:10:41.14\00:10:43.00
because Mary, who Jesus
had healed and cleansed,
00:10:43.00\00:10:47.98
had an alabaster
box of spikenard,
00:10:49.18\00:10:51.61
which is very
costly and very expensive,
00:10:51.61\00:10:54.02
worth about 300 denari,
which is like a year's wages.
00:10:54.02\00:10:57.92
And at this Simon's feast,
she broke the box, sealed up,
00:10:57.92\00:11:01.72
and anointed Jesus' head with it
00:11:01.72\00:11:03.86
and washed His
feet with it as well,
00:11:03.86\00:11:05.79
and the perfume went
all through the building.
00:11:05.79\00:11:08.26
And it's
interesting that Judas said,
00:11:08.26\00:11:09.83
"This could've been
sold and given to the poor."
00:11:09.83\00:11:12.80
Now, interestingly
enough, he wanted the money.
00:11:12.80\00:11:16.40
Here's why. I've
written in the lesson there
00:11:16.40\00:11:20.24
he said this; this is verse
6 of John, the 12th chapter.
00:11:20.24\00:11:23.45
"Not that he cared for the poor;
but because he was a thief,
00:11:23.45\00:11:26.61
and [he] had the bag, and
[he] bare what was put therein."
00:11:26.61\00:11:29.92
Since Matthew was a
publican and a tax collector,
00:11:29.92\00:11:32.52
he knew, he was probably
an accountant or an attorney,
00:11:32.52\00:11:34.39
he probably
should've been the manager,
00:11:34.39\00:11:35.69
but somehow Judas got himself
00:11:35.69\00:11:37.29
as the
treasurer, carried the bag.
00:11:37.29\00:11:39.19
And the Bible says right here
00:11:39.19\00:11:40.50
he was a thief and
took stuff out of it.
00:11:40.50\00:11:42.00
So he wanted it; this
was an act of covetousness.
00:11:42.00\00:11:45.10
So I'll just tell you
this interesting thing.
00:11:45.10\00:11:48.00
Mary had this 300
denarii, a year's wages,
00:11:48.00\00:11:52.71
invested in this spikenard.
00:11:52.71\00:11:55.28
Judas went out from that feast
00:11:55.28\00:11:56.98
and bargained
with the Jewish leaders
00:11:56.98\00:12:00.35
and sold Jesus for
30 pieces of silver,
00:12:00.35\00:12:03.52
which was much smaller
than what that was worth.
00:12:03.52\00:12:05.92
So this is an interesting story
00:12:05.92\00:12:07.49
in the fact
that his covetousness
00:12:07.49\00:12:09.42
led him to that
point in his life.
00:12:09.42\00:12:13.19
>>So an amazing
story of where Judas went,
00:12:13.19\00:12:16.73
the slippery slope that
led him to betraying Jesus
00:12:16.73\00:12:20.47
and really to be listed among
00:12:20.47\00:12:22.84
the great wicked
individuals in the Bible,
00:12:22.84\00:12:26.61
all because of, or largely
because of, covetousness.
00:12:26.61\00:12:30.51
>>Yes.
00:12:30.51\00:12:31.88
>>So we're gonna
continue looking at some stories
00:12:31.88\00:12:34.02
in the Bible about covetousness,
00:12:34.02\00:12:36.15
but if you have been
enjoying this quarter's lessons
00:12:36.15\00:12:38.45
and you want to
get more out of it,
00:12:38.45\00:12:40.72
I wanna encourage you to
pick up the companion book
00:12:40.72\00:12:43.02
to this quarter's
Sabbath school lesson.
00:12:43.02\00:12:45.03
It is called
"Managing for the Master."
00:12:45.03\00:12:47.10
Of course, it's by Ed Reid,
00:12:47.10\00:12:48.33
our guest this quarter
00:12:48.33\00:12:49.63
as we are looking
at these subjects.
00:12:49.63\00:12:51.60
You can pick this up
00:12:51.60\00:12:52.43
at itiswritten.shop.
00:12:52.43\00:12:54.64
Again, that's itiswritten.shop.
00:12:54.64\00:12:56.91
This particular book
contains more insight,
00:12:56.91\00:12:59.91
more wisdom, more stories
00:12:59.91\00:13:01.94
than what you will find
in the quarterly itself,
00:13:01.94\00:13:05.05
in the study guide itself.
00:13:05.05\00:13:06.58
You will be blessed
if you pick that up.
00:13:06.58\00:13:08.38
We're going to be back
in just a moment or two
00:13:08.38\00:13:10.72
as we continue looking
at this fascinating subject,
00:13:10.72\00:13:13.22
the subject of covetousness.
00:13:13.22\00:13:15.09
We'll be right back.
00:13:15.09\00:13:16.16
(upbeat theme
music swells and ends)
00:13:16.16\00:13:18.53
>>[John Bradshaw] You
know that at It Is Written
00:13:20.50\00:13:22.30
we are serious about
studying the Word of God,
00:13:22.30\00:13:24.70
and we encourage you
to be serious as well.
00:13:24.70\00:13:27.44
Well, here's what you do
00:13:27.44\00:13:28.44
if you wanna dig
deeper into God's Word.
00:13:28.44\00:13:30.54
Go to itiswritten.study
00:13:30.54\00:13:32.77
for the It Is Written
Bible Study Guides online,
00:13:32.77\00:13:35.74
25 in-depth Bible studies
00:13:35.74\00:13:37.68
that will take you through the
major teachings of the Bible.
00:13:37.68\00:13:40.65
You'll be blessed,
00:13:40.65\00:13:42.05
and it's something you'll want
to tell others about as well:
00:13:42.05\00:13:44.22
itiswritten.study.
00:13:44.22\00:13:45.99
Go further: itiswritten.study.
00:13:45.99\00:13:48.62
There's something I
wanna tell you about
00:13:50.89\00:13:52.69
that is so important.
00:13:52.69\00:13:54.66
It's My Place With Jesus,
00:13:54.66\00:13:57.23
It Is Written's
ministry to children.
00:13:57.23\00:14:00.50
Take the children you care
about to myplacewithjesus.com.
00:14:00.50\00:14:05.34
At My Place With Jesus,
00:14:05.34\00:14:06.91
you'll find so much
that will bless your children
00:14:06.91\00:14:09.74
or grandchildren
or great-grandchildren
00:14:09.74\00:14:12.41
or the children at church.
00:14:12.41\00:14:14.72
There are the My Place
With Jesus Bible Guides,
00:14:14.72\00:14:18.45
21 studies that will take
the children you care about
00:14:18.45\00:14:21.82
into the Word of God.
00:14:21.82\00:14:23.63
They'll learn
the important things,
00:14:23.63\00:14:25.93
especially the love of God
00:14:25.93\00:14:28.30
and the sacrifice
Jesus made for them.
00:14:28.30\00:14:31.17
As well, take your children
to Journey Through the Bible;
00:14:31.17\00:14:34.44
it's there at
myplacewithjesus.com.
00:14:34.44\00:14:36.91
It's a special
Bible-reading program
00:14:36.91\00:14:39.94
that will get
children into the habit
00:14:39.94\00:14:41.71
of reading their Bible daily
00:14:41.71\00:14:43.35
and connecting
with God regularly.
00:14:43.35\00:14:45.41
So don't forget
myplacewithjesus.com
00:14:45.41\00:14:48.52
from It Is Written.
00:14:48.52\00:14:49.92
(upbeat theme music)
00:14:50.89\00:14:53.52
>>[Eric] Welcome
back to "Sabbath School,"
00:14:55.79\00:14:57.36
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:14:57.36\00:14:59.26
We are looking this week at
the subject of covetousness;
00:14:59.26\00:15:02.96
this is lesson
number nine of 12.
00:15:02.96\00:15:05.73
We're getting close to
the end and dealing with
00:15:05.73\00:15:07.97
some very significant
subjects, covetousness.
00:15:07.97\00:15:11.21
Ed, why is covetousness so bad?
00:15:11.21\00:15:15.68
It doesn't sound real bad,
but why is it listed up there
00:15:15.68\00:15:19.71
amongst some of these
other terrible, terrible things?
00:15:19.71\00:15:23.42
>>Well, that's a good question
00:15:23.42\00:15:24.52
because the
answer is quite simple,
00:15:24.52\00:15:27.76
but it's amazing as well.
00:15:27.76\00:15:29.42
Covetousness is a
matter of character;
00:15:29.42\00:15:31.13
it's a matter of the heart.
00:15:31.13\00:15:32.83
And so you can't look at
me and I can't look at you
00:15:32.83\00:15:35.13
and tell whether we're covetous;
00:15:35.13\00:15:36.50
that's something
between you and God
00:15:36.50\00:15:37.83
and your relationship with
God, and what you read earlier
00:15:37.83\00:15:40.97
and what we'll
read again in this one:
00:15:40.97\00:15:42.54
"Godliness with
contentment is great gain."
00:15:42.54\00:15:45.17
So if you want something,
you wanna desire to be rich,
00:15:45.17\00:15:47.84
that can be a
real problem for you.
00:15:47.84\00:15:49.78
So one of these stories,
00:15:49.78\00:15:51.38
all of these stories, deal
with people who had a problem.
00:15:51.38\00:15:56.28
And I think what
we're gonna find out
00:15:56.28\00:15:57.99
is that if we follow
the council of Scripture,
00:15:57.99\00:16:00.12
we'll be able to overcome that
00:16:00.12\00:16:01.19
when we look at
Thursday's section.
00:16:01.19\00:16:02.82
>>So before we get to Thursday,
00:16:02.82\00:16:03.96
which is coming
up here very quickly,
00:16:03.96\00:16:06.80
let's look at one more story
00:16:06.80\00:16:09.30
that you make mention of
here on Wednesday's lesson.
00:16:09.30\00:16:12.03
Wednesday's lesson is
about Ananias and Sapphira.
00:16:12.03\00:16:15.20
Who were Ananias and Sapphira?
00:16:15.20\00:16:18.37
What was going on in this story?
00:16:18.37\00:16:21.28
Why were they
dealt with so harshly?
00:16:21.28\00:16:23.61
Because it may seem
to some people like,
00:16:23.61\00:16:26.35
"Wow, that's a pretty severe
00:16:26.35\00:16:29.38
"and fast
punishment for these two
00:16:29.38\00:16:33.86
for something that
doesn't sound so bad."
00:16:33.86\00:16:36.19
But my guess is there's
something under the surface
00:16:36.19\00:16:39.36
that helps us to understand why
00:16:39.36\00:16:41.30
what they did, or
didn't do, is so significant.
00:16:41.30\00:16:45.10
Talk with us about
Ananias and Sapphira.
00:16:45.10\00:16:46.97
>>Well, the story's in
Acts, the fourth chapter.
00:16:46.97\00:16:49.34
And this is an
interesting chapter
00:16:49.34\00:16:50.71
because in Acts,
the second chapter,
00:16:50.71\00:16:53.34
you have Pentecost
00:16:53.34\00:16:54.71
and the apostles speaking in
different languages and so on,
00:16:54.71\00:16:58.38
because Pentecost was one
of those times of the year
00:16:58.38\00:17:01.15
when people came bringing
their offerings to Jerusalem--
00:17:01.15\00:17:03.55
Pentecost, the Passover,
and Feast of Tabernacles.
00:17:03.55\00:17:06.52
So the fourth chapter of Acts,
00:17:06.52\00:17:09.62
the disciples, two of
the disciples had been put in
00:17:09.62\00:17:12.93
prison, and they had a
miraculous deliverance from
00:17:12.93\00:17:16.60
prison, as you may remember.
00:17:16.60\00:17:17.73
But the interesting part is
00:17:18.53\00:17:20.54
the leaders had told them,
00:17:20.54\00:17:21.60
"Don't ever talk
about Jesus again,"
00:17:21.60\00:17:22.67
and they said,
"Well, you be the judge.
00:17:22.67\00:17:25.71
Should we obey God or man?"
00:17:25.71\00:17:27.84
But they had a season of prayer,
00:17:27.84\00:17:30.11
and they asked God to
give them boldness to speak.
00:17:30.11\00:17:33.18
And the
interesting part about that
00:17:33.18\00:17:34.85
was God did give them boldness.
00:17:34.85\00:17:37.69
And during their prayer session,
00:17:37.69\00:17:39.39
a large group of
people were there,
00:17:40.49\00:17:42.02
and apparently
Ananias and Sapphira
00:17:42.02\00:17:43.39
were a part of that group.
00:17:43.39\00:17:44.89
And they all
received the Holy Spirit again
00:17:44.89\00:17:47.76
and boldness to speak,
00:17:47.76\00:17:49.20
and they said,
"Things are going great.
00:17:49.20\00:17:50.70
If we just had the funds, we
could do this, this, and this."
00:17:50.70\00:17:52.70
So people were selling stuff
and pledging money and so on.
00:17:52.70\00:17:56.37
So Ananias and
Sapphira said to themselves,
00:17:56.37\00:17:58.67
probably bumped each
other with their elbow and said,
00:18:00.14\00:18:01.54
"We could sell that
piece of land we have."
00:18:01.54\00:18:04.11
So they said to the brethren,
00:18:04.11\00:18:05.91
"We've got a piece
of land we'll sell,
00:18:05.91\00:18:07.22
and when we get the
money, we'll turn it in."
00:18:07.22\00:18:09.78
So when they went back home,
00:18:09.78\00:18:12.19
they found this out that they
needed to sell this property,
00:18:12.19\00:18:17.26
but when they got it,
00:18:17.93\00:18:19.03
maybe there's a time
of inflation like now,
00:18:19.03\00:18:20.40
and they got a lot more
for it than they thought.
00:18:20.40\00:18:21.76
And they said, "Well,
the brethren will never know;
00:18:21.76\00:18:22.90
we'll keep part
of it for ourselves."
00:18:22.90\00:18:24.67
>>And so they kept
that part for themselves.
00:18:25.73\00:18:27.80
In essence, who
were they stealing from?
00:18:27.80\00:18:31.51
>>Well, they had
received the Holy Spirit,
00:18:31.51\00:18:33.11
you see, that's the point,
00:18:33.11\00:18:34.44
and they were stealing from God.
00:18:34.44\00:18:36.68
And when Ananias came back--
00:18:36.68\00:18:39.25
this, to me, is an
interesting topic--
00:18:39.25\00:18:41.32
when Ananias came back,
00:18:41.32\00:18:43.62
the...he laid the
money at the disciples' feet.
00:18:43.62\00:18:48.02
I should also say
that they decided together
00:18:48.02\00:18:50.06
that they wouldn't
turn the whole amount in.
00:18:50.06\00:18:52.66
So from a legal perspective,
00:18:52.66\00:18:54.20
I can tell you that they
were co-conspirators to this,
00:18:54.20\00:18:56.26
so they're both guilty.
00:18:56.26\00:18:58.50
He came back with
his check, and they said,
00:18:58.50\00:19:00.27
"Thank you so much,
00:19:00.27\00:19:01.40
"this is gonna be a
real blessing to the church.
00:19:01.40\00:19:03.87
By the way, is this all
you got for the property?"
00:19:03.87\00:19:06.34
And he said, "Yes," and he
dropped dead right in church.
00:19:06.34\00:19:10.11
Now, this is incredible,
00:19:10.11\00:19:11.25
because he had
lied to the Holy Spirit.
00:19:11.25\00:19:13.11
This is the sin that
will not be forgiven,
00:19:13.11\00:19:14.82
you see; this is amazing,
blasphemy against the Holy
00:19:14.82\00:19:18.19
Spirit. And the
interesting thing is
00:19:18.19\00:19:19.59
the young men, they didn't
even wait for the funeral;
00:19:19.59\00:19:22.02
they buried him that day.
00:19:22.02\00:19:23.69
So men came in and dug a
grave and buried him in it.
00:19:23.69\00:19:26.53
And the story's
interesting to me
00:19:26.53\00:19:28.40
because the Bible
says several hours passed,
00:19:28.40\00:19:31.20
and Sapphira thought, "Well,
00:19:31.20\00:19:33.10
"I should've
taken the money myself.
00:19:33.10\00:19:34.44
"He goes down there and
gets talking to the brethren,
00:19:34.44\00:19:35.80
and we were going out to Olive
Garden or someplace to eat."
00:19:35.80\00:19:39.41
This is a big story in her mind,
00:19:39.41\00:19:41.51
so she said, "I'll
go down and see myself."
00:19:41.51\00:19:43.45
She goes down there and said,
00:19:43.45\00:19:44.25
"Has anybody seen my husband?"
00:19:44.25\00:19:45.28
And they said,
"Yeah, he's been here,
00:19:45.28\00:19:46.08
"but he brought us this check.
00:19:46.08\00:19:47.88
"Oh, and by the
way, is this how much
00:19:47.88\00:19:49.12
you got for the property?"
00:19:49.12\00:19:50.42
What did she say? "Of
course that's what we got."
00:19:50.42\00:19:53.36
And she said, "Well, the men
that have buried your husband
00:19:53.36\00:19:55.86
are coming to bury you,"
00:19:55.86\00:19:56.93
and she dropped
dead right in church.
00:19:56.93\00:19:58.59
The real
interesting part about that,
00:19:58.59\00:19:59.93
they had had the
privilege of being
00:19:59.93\00:20:01.16
where the Holy
Spirit was poured out,
00:20:01.16\00:20:02.86
they made a covenant with God,
00:20:02.86\00:20:04.50
and then they didn't fill it.
00:20:04.50\00:20:06.67
The big question
is people should say,
00:20:06.67\00:20:08.20
"Well, maybe we
shouldn't make promises to God."
00:20:08.20\00:20:10.97
If the Holy Spirit
impresses you to do something,
00:20:10.97\00:20:12.94
you should do it.
00:20:12.94\00:20:14.01
We're doing that
right now in our lives,
00:20:14.01\00:20:16.24
doing what God's asked
us to do, what we can do.
00:20:16.24\00:20:19.31
So the whole point of this is
00:20:19.31\00:20:21.82
God sees our hearts, and
He'd like us to be faithful,
00:20:21.82\00:20:25.25
but if we're
covetous for more money
00:20:25.25\00:20:26.69
and keeping stuff
back for ourselves,
00:20:26.69\00:20:28.02
that's selfishness as
well; bad things can turn out.
00:20:28.02\00:20:30.89
The story didn't turn out
too well, as you can understand.
00:20:30.89\00:20:34.10
>>So they started out
with the best of intentions,
00:20:34.10\00:20:36.40
wanting to do a good thing,
00:20:36.40\00:20:38.47
and then
somewhere along the line,
00:20:38.47\00:20:40.50
covetous worked itself in there
00:20:40.50\00:20:42.94
and they were looking for a way
00:20:42.94\00:20:44.47
that they could
benefit themselves afterward.
00:20:44.47\00:20:46.47
And like you said, it didn't
turn out very well for them.
00:20:46.47\00:20:49.74
So all of these that we've
looked at are cautionary tales.
00:20:49.74\00:20:53.28
God gives us these in the Bible
00:20:53.28\00:20:54.92
so that we can learn from them
00:20:54.92\00:20:56.38
so that we don't
follow in the footsteps,
00:20:56.38\00:20:58.15
follow in the
path of individuals
00:20:58.15\00:20:59.59
who have gone this way before us
00:20:59.59\00:21:02.39
and had unpleasant endings,
00:21:02.39\00:21:05.56
I guess is a good way of
saying that. So what about us?
00:21:05.56\00:21:08.73
Thursday's lesson talks
about overcoming covetousness.
00:21:08.73\00:21:12.37
If it is such a terrible thing,
00:21:12.37\00:21:15.80
if it has taken so
many people in its wake
00:21:15.80\00:21:20.14
and we have these lessons
00:21:20.14\00:21:21.84
that we've
learned from the Bible
00:21:21.84\00:21:22.94
or these stories that
we've read in the Bible,
00:21:22.94\00:21:25.81
we should realize
it's a significant problem
00:21:25.81\00:21:28.12
for us, too, to recognize.
00:21:28.12\00:21:30.72
So what is it that we can do
00:21:30.72\00:21:32.39
to overcome this
thing, covetousness,
00:21:32.39\00:21:36.96
that has taken down
so many other people?
00:21:36.96\00:21:39.13
What hope can we have that
it's not gonna take us down to?
00:21:39.13\00:21:43.13
>>Well, Eric,
this should be a matter
00:21:43.13\00:21:44.67
of our personal prayer
life, I think, as a matter of--
00:21:44.67\00:21:46.50
I'll just tell you
that to begin with,
00:21:46.50\00:21:47.77
but I will just tell you
00:21:47.77\00:21:49.04
that since it's a
matter of the heart,
00:21:49.04\00:21:50.67
that's between us and
God to take care of it.
00:21:50.67\00:21:52.67
And there are many references;
00:21:52.67\00:21:54.18
I'll share some with you
here; 1 Corinthians 10:13 says,
00:21:54.18\00:21:57.31
"There hath no
temptation taken you
00:21:57.31\00:21:59.21
"but such as is common
to man: but God is faithful,
00:21:59.21\00:22:02.65
"who will not suffer you
00:22:02.65\00:22:03.75
"to be tempted
above that ye are able,
00:22:03.75\00:22:04.55
"but will with the temptation
00:22:04.55\00:22:06.12
"make also a way [of] escape
00:22:06.12\00:22:07.59
that [you] may
be able to bear it."
00:22:07.59\00:22:08.86
So if we're
tempted to be covetous,
00:22:08.86\00:22:11.03
ask God to take it away from us.
00:22:11.03\00:22:13.36
There are many things
that people do in their lives
00:22:13.36\00:22:15.20
that the devil's
got them trapped.
00:22:15.20\00:22:17.73
People get involved
with bad habits and so on
00:22:17.73\00:22:19.47
and say, "Man,
I like to do this;
00:22:19.47\00:22:20.84
there's no way I'm
gonna give this up,"
00:22:20.84\00:22:21.97
but the bottom line
is it's true, you can't,
00:22:21.97\00:22:25.67
but if you surrender to the Lord
00:22:25.67\00:22:27.04
and ask Him to take care
of it for you, He will do it,
00:22:27.04\00:22:29.21
and that's the point there.
00:22:29.21\00:22:32.01
Philippians 4:13 says,
"I can do"--how much?--
00:22:32.01\00:22:35.95
"all things through
Christ who strengthens me."
00:22:35.95\00:22:38.02
God gives us the power.
That's Philippians 4:13.
00:22:38.02\00:22:40.62
God's power can protect us
00:22:40.62\00:22:42.49
against these very
dangerous, deceptive sins
00:22:42.49\00:22:45.06
like covetousness.
00:22:45.06\00:22:46.36
I have, I put down three
things here that I suggested,
00:22:47.66\00:22:50.43
that I thought would
be valuable to people,
00:22:50.43\00:22:52.93
and I'd like to
share them with you.
00:22:52.93\00:22:55.34
One of them is make a decision
to serve and depend on God
00:22:55.34\00:22:58.87
and to be part of his family.
00:22:58.87\00:23:00.18
"Choose you this day
whom [you] will serve."
00:23:00.18\00:23:02.04
Are you gonna
serve God or mammon?
00:23:02.04\00:23:04.05
You just have to decide.
00:23:04.05\00:23:05.45
And talk about the rewards of
faithfulness at the last week,
00:23:05.45\00:23:10.19
and you can read it in the
book as soon as you want to,
00:23:10.19\00:23:11.82
but the bottom line is
00:23:11.82\00:23:13.12
it's incredible
when you think about it.
00:23:13.12\00:23:15.52
So make a decision: "I'm gonna
follow God no matter what."
00:23:15.52\00:23:19.63
The second one, be
daily in your prayer
00:23:19.63\00:23:21.50
and include Matthew 6:13--"Lead
us not into temptation"--
00:23:21.50\00:23:25.20
in other words, lead
us away from temptation--
00:23:25.20\00:23:27.24
"but deliver us from evil:
00:23:27.24\00:23:28.90
for Thine is the
kingdom, and the power,
00:23:28.90\00:23:31.04
and the glory, for ever."
00:23:31.04\00:23:32.57
This is the prayer
Jesus taught us to say--
00:23:32.57\00:23:34.84
help us to get away
from these temptations.
00:23:34.84\00:23:37.08
The third one is be
regular in Bible study.
00:23:38.31\00:23:41.05
"Your word I have
hidden in my heart,
00:23:41.05\00:23:42.92
that I might not
sin against You."
00:23:42.92\00:23:44.59
I tell people, "If you
regularly read the Bible,
00:23:44.59\00:23:48.39
"whether you're a scholar
00:23:48.39\00:23:49.82
"or understand biblical
languages or not, doesn't
00:23:49.82\00:23:52.39
matter. "If you read the Bible,
00:23:52.39\00:23:53.73
God has pledged
Himself to transform you."
00:23:53.73\00:23:56.40
And I can just tell you when
you spend time in the Bible,
00:23:56.40\00:23:58.50
your heart is changed.
00:23:58.50\00:24:00.10
People will just come
away from the Bible reading,
00:24:00.10\00:24:01.47
and they'll say, "I
no longer have a desire
00:24:01.47\00:24:03.51
for doing these
kinds of things,"
00:24:03.51\00:24:05.21
because the Holy
Spirit that inspired the Bible
00:24:05.21\00:24:07.08
will inspire you as well
00:24:07.08\00:24:08.14
and give you the
power to be victorious.
00:24:08.14\00:24:10.21
So those are things that I
would just recommend to people
00:24:10.21\00:24:13.62
to think about.
00:24:13.62\00:24:14.75
Another one is
Isaiah 55 in verses 6 and 7:
00:24:14.75\00:24:18.82
"Seek the Lord
while He may be found."
00:24:18.82\00:24:21.52
Now, this is incredible
00:24:21.52\00:24:22.86
because He's not always
gonna be whispering in your ear.
00:24:22.86\00:24:25.03
"Seek the Lord
while He may be found,
00:24:25.03\00:24:26.66
"call upon Him while He is near.
00:24:26.66\00:24:28.33
"Let the wicked forsake his way,
00:24:28.33\00:24:29.63
"and the
unrighteous man his thoughts;
00:24:29.63\00:24:31.47
"let him return to the Lord,
00:24:31.47\00:24:32.90
"and He will have mercy on him,
00:24:32.90\00:24:34.00
and...our God, and He
will abundantly pardon."
00:24:34.00\00:24:36.20
God will pardon
you if you seek pardon,
00:24:36.20\00:24:38.37
but the bottom
line is we must do that
00:24:38.37\00:24:40.58
to be able to get the
victory over covetousness.
00:24:40.58\00:24:43.68
It is a big deal, and it's
not one that you can just say,
00:24:43.68\00:24:46.75
"Well, sometime in the future
00:24:46.75\00:24:47.72
I'm gonna give up covetousness."
00:24:47.72\00:24:48.82
That's not
gonna happen that way.
00:24:48.82\00:24:50.52
This is part of our
daily transformation,
00:24:50.52\00:24:52.85
part of our
covenant relation with God.
00:24:52.85\00:24:55.12
Let me tell you one
other interesting thing.
00:24:55.12\00:24:57.39
When we trust God
with our finances,
00:24:57.39\00:24:59.46
we really trust Him,
and we get to know Him.
00:24:59.46\00:25:03.16
God will take care of us;
00:25:03.16\00:25:04.60
He has fulfilled
His promises to us.
00:25:04.60\00:25:06.84
You'll never hear the words
00:25:06.84\00:25:08.10
that are spoken to the
unfaithful people at the end,
00:25:08.10\00:25:11.61
"Depart from me;
I never knew you."
00:25:11.61\00:25:13.74
That's not
gonna happen to people
00:25:13.74\00:25:14.81
who trust God
with their finances
00:25:14.81\00:25:16.28
because they've
learned to know Him,
00:25:16.28\00:25:17.95
they trusted Him
and take care of Him.
00:25:17.95\00:25:20.28
>>Ed, I wanna conclude
things for this week's study
00:25:20.28\00:25:23.32
by reading a passage
from 1 Timothy, chapter 6;
00:25:23.32\00:25:26.35
it's found in verses 6-10.
It says in 1 Timothy 6, verse 6,
00:25:26.35\00:25:30.69
"Now godliness with
contentment is great gain.
00:25:30.69\00:25:34.10
"For we brought
nothing into this world,
00:25:34.10\00:25:35.93
"and it is certain we
can carry nothing out.
00:25:35.93\00:25:38.50
"And having food and clothing,
00:25:38.50\00:25:40.54
"with these we shall be content.
00:25:40.54\00:25:42.94
"But those who desire to be rich
00:25:42.94\00:25:45.04
"fall into
temptation and a snare,
00:25:45.04\00:25:47.48
"and into many
foolish and harmful lusts
00:25:47.48\00:25:49.84
"which drown men in
destruction and perdition.
00:25:49.84\00:25:52.58
"For the love of money is
a root of all kinds of evil,
00:25:52.58\00:25:55.42
"for which some have
strayed from the faith
00:25:55.42\00:25:57.85
"in their greediness,
00:25:57.85\00:25:59.15
and pierced themselves
through with many sorrows."
00:25:59.15\00:26:02.62
It kinda brings
things nicely to a head.
00:26:02.62\00:26:05.63
Any final
comments on covetousness
00:26:05.63\00:26:08.63
as we tie up this week's lesson?
00:26:08.63\00:26:10.53
>>One interesting
thing about covetousness,
00:26:10.53\00:26:12.17
we talked earlier
about tithe and offerings.
00:26:12.17\00:26:15.00
If I'm faithful with God
00:26:15.00\00:26:16.10
and put Him first in
my tithes and offerings,
00:26:16.10\00:26:18.67
then I'm not wanting
to keep more for myself.
00:26:18.67\00:26:22.24
Generous contributions helps
00:26:23.04\00:26:24.78
to overcome
covetousness as well.
00:26:24.78\00:26:27.42
And I think that's
very valuable to people,
00:26:27.42\00:26:29.55
because we're not trying to look
00:26:29.55\00:26:30.65
and see how big
of a bank account;
00:26:30.65\00:26:32.02
we wanna see how much we
can help God's cause advance.
00:26:32.02\00:26:34.79
And that's very helpful
to me to understand that.
00:26:34.79\00:26:37.73
I can also tell you
that God is faithful;
00:26:37.73\00:26:41.46
we should be faithful as well.
00:26:41.46\00:26:43.33
And if we're
faithful, He'll take care of us.
00:26:43.33\00:26:45.47
He told us that, you know,
00:26:45.47\00:26:46.84
"Call [on] me in the day of
trouble." If you're faithful,
00:26:46.84\00:26:48.50
"[I'll] deliver you,"
and I'll take care of you.
00:26:48.50\00:26:50.24
That's Psalm, chapter 50.
00:26:50.24\00:26:52.17
>>Ed, I wanna
thank you once again
00:26:53.48\00:26:54.78
for being with us this week.
00:26:54.78\00:26:56.08
We're still looking
forward to several more weeks
00:26:56.08\00:26:58.05
of you sharing the wisdom
that God has shared with you
00:26:58.05\00:27:01.02
over several decades of working
in the area of stewardship
00:27:01.02\00:27:04.25
and in ministry and law and
some valuable, valuable insights
00:27:04.25\00:27:08.52
that we've learned this week
00:27:08.52\00:27:09.96
about the
subject of covetousness.
00:27:09.96\00:27:13.03
So we have
several more weeks to go.
00:27:13.03\00:27:14.83
In the very near future,
00:27:14.83\00:27:16.20
we are going to be tying this
particular quarter together,
00:27:16.20\00:27:19.60
but we're not there yet.
00:27:19.60\00:27:21.27
And you can expect
that the coming lessons
00:27:21.27\00:27:23.81
are going to be
just as valuable,
00:27:23.81\00:27:25.87
just as practical as the lessons
00:27:25.87\00:27:28.21
that we have had in the past.
00:27:28.21\00:27:30.65
So invite others to
watch this with you.
00:27:30.65\00:27:32.61
If you know
somebody who's going through
00:27:32.61\00:27:34.15
some financial challenges,
00:27:34.15\00:27:35.75
this is a fantastic
program to share with them.
00:27:35.75\00:27:38.82
We're going to be
back next week with more
00:27:38.82\00:27:40.96
on the subject of stewardship.
00:27:40.96\00:27:43.59
God's finances, your
finances, and your future.
00:27:43.59\00:27:46.80
God bless you,
have a wonderful week;
00:27:46.80\00:27:48.16
we'll see you back next time.
00:27:48.16\00:27:49.40
(upbeat theme music)
00:27:49.40\00:27:52.40
(music ends)
00:28:26.87\00:28:28.94