“THOU SHALL NOT STEAL” (EX.
1. After recently trading cars I needed a ride back to the dealership.
2. The salesman that I had worked with sent a young man out to get me.
3.
As I came to
4. During the course of our conversation, I learned a new fact.
5. My escort told me that most car salesmen start off selling new cars.
6. Only the seasoned pros sell (normally sell) used vehicles.
7. The reason for this is money.
8. The profit margin for salesmen selling new cars is really not that high.
9. On a new car, a salesman might make $125-150.
10. With used cars, dealers can really gouge customers.
11. Used car dealers often buy cars at a reduced rate.
12. Then cars are often sold for more than what they are worth.
13. The profit margin is so high that salesmen must earn the right to sell used vehicles.
14. Selling used cars is a luc. job, at least according to the young man.
I. I USE THIS EXAMPLE BECAUSE OF OUR SCRIPTURE
A.
Ex.
B. As noted in previous lessons, God’s law for man has changed.
C. We are no longer under any part of the Old Covenant.
D. In place of the Old Testament we have the New Testament.
E. In this New Testament God has said something about stealing.
F. Rom. 13:9 says—QUOTE.
G.
Eph.
H. God’s people are not to steal.
I. Tonight I want to set forth ways that stealing can and does happen.
J. In discussing this matter, a definition will be helpful.
K. Stealing is: “taking by stealth or force that which belongs to another (whether tangible or intangible), or a withholding of that which one should give to another.”
1) Let’s apply this definition to a car dealership.
2) We go to the auto lot across town. We find a used car priced at $5,000.
3) The car is only worth $3,500.
4) By the time we finish dealing we have paid $4,500.
5) What has happened? We were cheated out of $1,000.
6) The car dealer robbed us; he was a thief.
7) Force is not necessary to make one a thief. He stole from us, but not by force.
8) As we examine this area, we will find that:
L. There are many ways that people steal from others, and many ways that people can become victims of theft.
M. In the OT we find several examples of how theft occurred.
N. Ex. 22:1, 4 tells of how animals could be stolen. (DON’T READ RIGHT NOW)
O. Moving down to vss. 5-6 we find that trespassing was theft.
P. Verses 7-15 refer to the theft of property (don’t read).
Q. Very early in life I learned how painful theft can be.
R. At the time, I didn’t know what God’s word said about theft.
S. Having experienced theft more than once, God’s word makes sense.
1) My father used to make fishing rods.
2) He made my first rod when I was about 10.
3) I really liked that fishing pole. I used it all the time.
4) Because I used this rod, dad kept it in his pickup truck.
5) One night while dad was at work, someone broke into the truck.
6) My prized fishing pole as well as a lot of other fishing equipment was taken.
T. Teresa and I used to live in Tennessee.
U. We lived along a main highway.
V. During this time we drove a pickup truck that had a camper on the back.
W. In the bed of our truck we had two very nice sleeping bags.
X. One morning I came out to the truck and I saw damage.
Y. Someone had ripped apart our camper window.
Z. They got a hold of the sleeping bags and pulled them through the camper shell.
A. The quality of the bags could not be matched.
B. Our camper was trashed.
C. From these experiences and others that I will not mention,
D. I have discovered first hand that stealing (theft) injures people.
E. This is one of the reasons that God says it is wrong.
F. The fact that theft is wrong does not stop this sin.
G. Day after day pickpockets take what doesn’t belong to them.
H. Shoplifters steal things.
I. Students cheat on tests and this is stealing—taking info that doesn’t belong to them.
J. Embezzlement and fraud are stealing.
K. When people cheat on their income tax forms they are guilty of theft.
L. Padding an expense count is stealing.
M. Improper business dealings are theft.
1) When I can bargain for something, I drive a hard bargain.
2) Good stewardship means that I want to get the most for my money.
3) Our eldership has often joked that I am part Jewish—they want to know which tribe I’m from.
4) Although I drive a hard bargain, I work to avoid cheating people.
5) I do not want to end up stealing from someone.
6) The best price cannot be a price where the seller is cheated.
N. In addition to the areas I have listed, there are ways that stealing/
O. Theft can occur in factories.
P. In Fort Wayne, there is a plant that makes Chevy trucks.
Q. There are plant workers who take some of the line parts home.
R. If the company gave permission, this would not be stealing.
S. Permission is not given for this, and it is theft.
T. Perhaps the same is done in factories here.
U. Theft occurs when people do not pay their bills.
1) From time to time this is a problem in the church.
2) People incur (create) a legitimate expense, and then don’t pay what they owe.
3) I know of a case where two Christians lived in Florida.
4) They had a baby; there was a big bill for the birth.
5) The husband and wife had no insurance; they left the state.
6) They came to Indiana. Guess what?
7) These brethren stole from that hospital.
8) When legitimate bills are not paid, this is theft.
9) Paul taught that obligations are to be met.
10) Rom. 13:8 says—QUOTE.
V. Stealing may also occur by breaking contracts.
W. Let’s suppose that we make a verbal agreement with a farmer—
X. We can buy sweet corn all summer long for $2.00 a dozen.
Y. Midway through the summer, the farmer raises the price on us.
Z. The price increases to $3.00.
A. If we pay $3.00 a dozen to this man, he is stealing from us.
B. People who do not work for the pay that they get are stealing.
C. Employers who do not pay their employees what they should are stealing.
D. Mischief such as carving on a desk is stealing.
E. Vandalizing public property falls under the heading of stealing.
F. If one knowingly accepts too much change this is stealing.
G. To the list I have given I am going to add gambling.
1) Gambling is stealing what another person has.
2) The whole basis of gambling is getting something from someone.
3) This is what stealing is.
4) People may say, and this is right, that gambling is legal.
5) People may truthfully say that gambling is voluntary.
6) Gambling is still an attempt to get what someone else has.
7) This definition meets the broad definition of theft.
H. Another form of theft is in the contributions that people make.
I. In the last book of the OT- Malachi- we have these words in 3:8—
J. READ.
K. These examples of stealing are examples we do not often consider.
L. When most think of stealing they think of shoplifting.
M. Burglary and robbery come to mind.
N. These acts are stealing.
O. Stealing covers more areas than what we normally think about.
P. It covers the things I have listed. It also covers some other things.
1) A person’s good name (reputation) may be stolen.
2) If someone is considered to be an upright citizen,
3) And another person comes along and makes false accusations,
4) And these accusations make the upright citizen look unrighteous,
5) The good person’s name and reputation have been stolen.
6) This theft is not tangible.
7) It is theft. Laws permit lawsuits for this kind of theft.
Q. Theft may also occur in the spiritual realm.
R. In Gal. 4:17, Paul told the Galatians what some false teachers were doing.
S. The matter is stated like this: QUOTE Gal. 4:17.
T. False teachers were trying to lead the Galatians into error.
U. These untrue teachers were attempting to steal souls.
V. I know what Jesus said in Matt. 10:27-28—QUOTE.
W. Jesus did say that sheep cannot be “snatched from his hand”.
X. This is true; no child of God can be forcefully removed from Christ.
Y. While sheep (people) cannot be snatched, they can wander away.
Z. This is how false teachers steal souls.
A. They put out something that is attractive.
B. Brethren smell the bait and they wander away from the Lord.
C. When this happens, a soul has been stolen.
II. THEFT CAN AND DOES OCCUR IN MANY AREAS.
A. As we think about theft we find that it is a serious matter with God.
B. People who stole were required to pay a price.
C. Let’s look at some of the examples that speak of restitution.
D. The first passage I want to direct you to is Ex. 22.
E. The first 10 or so verses in this chapter deal with stealing.
F. For this lesson all ten verses will not be read.
G. Let’s begin with verse 1. READ.
1) If a man stole an ox or a sheep God said: Make restitution.
2) The restitution for stealing an ox was giving the owner 5 oxen.
3) If a sheep was stolen, 4 sheep were to be given in its place.
H. The seriousness of theft is also indicated in verse 2.
I. READ.
J. If a thief broke into someone’s house, and the homeowner killed him,
K. “No blood was to be shed.”
L. In other words, the homeowner who killed the thief is free from guilt.
M. Ex. 22:2 tells us that stealing was a serious crime.
N. Rom. 15:4 tells us that we are to learn from the OT.
O. I need to tell you that v. 2 describes a theft that occurred at night.
P. This is made plain be verse 3—READ.
Q. Moses said, “If the sun be risen upon him”- who is “him”? the THIEF.
R. Moses said “If the break in by a thief is during the day time,
S. And the thief is killed, then the homeowner is guilty.”
T. Thieves were not to be killed during the day. Only at night.
U. Thieves who stole during the day were not free from punishment.
V. Thieves who stole during the day were punished in one of two ways:
1) They could make a full restitution,
2) Or, they could be sold into slavery and then restitution could be made.
W. God was not easy on people who stole things.
X. Can you wonder what this country would be like if Ex. 22 was followed?
Y. Thieves would either make full payment or be sold into slave labor.
Z. We have looked at some of the punishments that were used for theft.
A. I want to look at one more; this one comes from Josh. 7.
B. This is the place where we read about Achan.
C. The children of Israel believed that it was time to fight against AI.
D. About 3, 000 Hebrews went to take the city.
E. These 3,000 men “fled before the men of AI” (7:4).
F. Joshua was confused; he wanted to know what was wrong.
G. The problems all went back to one little sin—stealing.
H. Achan took things that were not his, and things he was not supposed to.
I. We find this information beginning in v. 21.
J. READ vss. 21-25.
CONCLUSION:
1. Stealing was/is serious business.
2. If anyone here has and or is stealing as I have outlined, now is the time to stop.
3. If stealing is being done by brethren, repentance must occur.
4. If stealing is being done by non-Christians, repentance is also necessary.
5. If stealing is being done by our young people, they are headed for destruction.
6. In this life stealing will bring jail and prison time.
7. With God, stealing, if it is not forgiven, leads one to hell.