IDEA: Covetousness is an insidious infection that undermines every area of society. TEXT: "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's" (Exodus 20:17).

"Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (1 Timothy 6:8-10).

PURPOSE: To help listeners realize that covetousness is not trivial.

Can you imagine if we had only nine commandments, and we lacked the one about covetousness because covetousness just simply did not exist?

What would our world be like without covetousness?

I. Look at the world of business.

Negatively, look at what covetousness does to business.

Positively, think of how business would be different without covetousness.

II. Look at the world of politics and government.

Negatively, look at what covetousness does to politics and government.

Positively, think of how politics and government would be different without covetousness.

III. Look at the religious world.

Negatively, look at what covetousness does in the world of religion.

Positively, think of how religion would be different without covetousness.

IV. Look at the world of various professions (law, medicine, academia, etc).

Negatively, look at what covetousness does in those worlds.

Positively, think of how the various professions would be different without covetousness.

It's pretty clear what covetousness does in our society. We see it in the taxes and fees we pay, in retirements wiped out. It would be something close to a dream world if covetousness did not exist.