Sunday Messages

God wants us to first give ourselves to him, who is working in and through us so we can give for the benefit of others.

God has been disclosing to us from his Word that there are so many ways money can be an issue to us. Money becomes a way that we measure our value—we think we have security, significance and satisfaction. So money often becomes a source of our security, significance, and satisfaction—it becomes America’s #1 Obsession.

We want to begin this final message in our series on America’s #1 Obsession through the following exercise. Perhaps this illustration using Play-Doh can help us understand how money and priorities work together as we become partners with God in the holy work of Christ.

I’m going to pass out a canister of Play-Doh to four volunteers. As I pass out the Play-Doh it looks like I have plenty of Play-Doh to go around. Each person will receive a canister of Play-Doh. However, it looks like I’m going to be one canister short of providing Play-Doh for each volunteer. So I’m going to go back to each person who has received some Play-Doh and ask each of them to give me a portion of their Play-Doh so we will have enough for each person. This action of sharing will accumulate enough Play-Doh to enable every person to receive their share of the Play-Doh.

This little exercise teaches us some important lessons about the power of generosity and sharing—lessons we can learn when it comes to giving our resources to God for Christ’s holy work. On this Thanksgiving weekend, we celebrate the act of giving through giving thanks to God for his many blessings upon our families, church, community and nation.

We have something special in our ministry at Christ First that enables us to expand and extend our unique voice into the community. From children’s ministries to worship ministries, to student ministries and the variety of Christian education and connecting events that occur at this church, the heart of the ministry is encouraging individuals to know Christ, growing toward spiritual maturity in him in an intergenerational setting. That's the frame we should see as we give. We give not only to Christ First, but to this community and the larger Covina valley.

The motion of giving (demonstrating with the Play-Doh) activates important life-dynamics—dynamics important to the health and authenticity of our lives. Sacrificial commitment is an important dynamic in giving, but confusion exists when it comes to distinguishing between a faith-share commitment and a pledge commitment. What is the difference between the two?

Faith-Share Commitment =

A commitment to give a certain amount, which allows ministries to prepare good, logical financial planning for the year. It is understood that if God doesn’t provide the funds, we’re not obligated to give them.

Pledge Commitment =

An absolute obligation to pay something; a presumptuous type of giving.

Jesus says giving is all about attitude in Luke 6:38…

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Few Scripture verses are quoted more often than that verse regarding the principle of giving and receiving. Jesus reminds us that we will reap what we sow and in the amount that we sow. If our attitude is “we live to give”, God will see to it that we receive; but if our attitude is “we live only to get”, God will see to it that we lose. This principle applies not only to our giving of money, but also to the giving of ourselves in relationships with others throughout the different contexts of life.

Last May at our camp benefit dinner I secured 4 Angel baseball tickets from the silent auction. The seats were two rows right behind the Angel dugout. What excitement we experienced being so close to the action. But I’ve been going to professional baseball games and trying to get a souvenir baseball as far back as I can remember. A foul ball, a homerun ball, or even a batting practice ball—anything would do. I’ve never got a ball at any game.

So on that evening I was encouraged about my chances of getting a souvenir ball. I was so close to the action, it was a done deal. However, as the game progressed I didn’t get a ball. People all around me were getting balls, but not me. Then my attention turned to a little boy sitting right in front of us. He was attending the game with his Dad, and he wasn’t having any luck getting a ball as well. Our attention turned to this boy who was wearing his baseball glove, and the people around him were chanting for this little guy to receive a ball. Well, the boy finally received a ball from the Angel’s first base coach at the conclusion of an inning.

At the end of the game, it was even more amazing what happened to this little boy. Chone Figgins hit a triple and scored the winning run in the 10th inning. The security guard was handed a bat from Chone, and that bat was given to this boy who promptly got on the cell phone to call mom. He was in seventh heaven. Well, this happens when you attend an Angel’s game! I wouldn’t be telling this story if I was disheartened about not receiving a ball that evening. My joy in being a part of helping a boy receive a souvenir baseball and bat was my reward. I wonder how often God waits to give us something until we are willing to give it away?

Unlike the early Jesus-followers, most of us aren’t faced with the possibility of sacrificing our lives for the gospel. But we can follow the Christlike example of the Macedonians, who not only gave out of love but loved to give. The message of the gospel had gone out to the Macedonians from Jerusalem. In return, they showed their thanksgiving to God and their love for the poor saints in Jerusalem by giving to meet their needs.

This attitude can be seen in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5…

1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord's people. 5 And they went beyond our expectations; having given themselves first of all to the Lord, they gave themselves by the will of God also to us.

The Macedonians not only gave sacrificially but actually begged for an opportunity to give. Once they had gone beyond the first step of giving themselves to the Lord, they would then be in the position to give their possessions in love. Why? Because they had yielded their will to the God of love, who was working in and through them for the benefit of others.

How Do We Give?

Giving begins with thanksgiving unto God through the motivation of love. We give out of thanksgiving for God’s indescribable gift of love in Jesus (2 Corinthians 9:15). Jesus in return gave out of love when he left heaven and equality with God to come to earth. It was because of love that Jesus became a servant and gave his life to save us from our sins. And the Bible tells us that God was motivated by love when he gave his only unique Son.

The acronym G.I.V.E. will represent the Macedonian’s priorities of Thanks-Giving:

1. Thanks-Giving enables us to grow

1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.

The Macedonians gave out of great risk. They had not simply gone through “trial’: they were in the midst of severe trial, and yet they had given generously. They were in extreme poverty, which means “rock-bottom destitution”. The word describes a beggar who has absolutely nothing and has no hope of getting anything. But their circumstances did not hinder them from giving. In fact, they gave joyfully and generously.

There's often a part of the act of giving that's risky. When we give to another or to a cause, there's usually a risk involved. It might be a financial risk or a risk to share some of our energy or time. It might be a risk because we have to stretch ourselves into new territory. Risk can be a wonderfully frightening place to be, both wonderful and frightening. And it's at the intersection of wonder and healthy fright (or risk) that we grow. Is it a hard place to be? Yes, but it has been said, and we must take note: "Those who tremble are never bored."

Giving—the act of turning toward another and releasing our energy and life to that person—activates our growth. Is there a risk we need to take today? Growth awaits!

2. Thanks-Giving invites us to invest

3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.

The Macedonians invested even beyond their ability. It is possible to give generously but not invest enthusiastically. They needed no prompting or reminding. When they gave they finally invested their lives somewhere and in something where they could make a difference.

Many people today don’t know what to do with their lives. They wrestle with what to do with the rest of their lives because they want to keep making a difference—even expand their influence. Most of the time we don't find the next piece of our calling only through reflection. We find what's next by remaining faithful to invest in what is and risking toward what could be.

Giving—the act of making a difference beyond our ability—stimulates our investment. Is there an investment we need to make today? Supply awaits!

3. Thanks-Giving clarifies our values

3 …Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord's people.

The Macedonians had their values clarified in their giving. Their giving was voluntarily and spontaneously offered. In fact, they begged to be included in the investment of God’s work. How many times have we heard a Jesus-follower beg for somebody to take an offering? It was of grace, not pressure. Grace not only freed them from their sins, but it freed them from themselves. The grace of God opened their hearts along with their hands. This service to the Lord’s people helped them to see their values more clearly.

The motion of giving clarifies our values as well. What we give our energy, money, and time to is what we really value. If we look at how we invest we’ll see what we value. For all of us there are probably things we would like to value more. When we find one of these areas we often spend a lot of time talking about how we wish we could value this or that.

Let's take the value of good health as an example. Most of us would say we want to make health a value. OK, well, exercise, rest and nutrition are a part of good health. Do we really value health? Then we should do something. We give ourselves to something that will recreate it -- like exercise, rest and nutrition. We can be good at talking about good health, reading books, even buying videos and equipment. We can do all of that and never really value good health. Why? We’re not giving ourselves to it. What we give our time and energy to is what we value.

Giving—the act of sharing in the Lord’s service—clarifies our values. Is there a service we need to utilize today? Purpose awaits!

4. Thanks-Giving requires us to engage

5 And they went beyond our expectations; having given themselves first of all to the Lord, they gave themselves by the will of God also to us.

The Macedonians not only gave themselves to the Lord, but they engaged themselves to God’s people. When they gave; when they shared their resources and life-energy, they engaged other people in the process. Giving offered the Macedonians the opportunity to be in community with others—to serve others and to find the lives of others changing them as well.

The bond of a relationship is strengthened as we give to each other. The measure of a person's friendships is proportionate to the person's engagement and giving in those relationships. The more we give, the stronger the bond. Now, of course not every bond can be equally strong. We can't give all of ourselves to everyone. But, our friendships do strengthen as we give because when we give to another person, that person's well being increases. Community is directly related to giving.

Giving—the act of bonding with others in the Lord—requires us to engage. Is their a relationship we need to strengthen today? Community awaits!

So the examples of Jesus and the Macedonians teach us an important perspective when it comes to money and priorities. Sacrificial giving is a way to give honor to God, but it also should be the result of a good attitude or gratitude of thanksgiving, not a desire to impress others. Three perspectives on sacrificial giving are prevalent when it comes to money and priorities:

The Eternal Perspective: Is what we are doing going to last forever?

The Practical Perspective: How can we live and do what we must do?

The Missions Perspective: What could this money do for others?

To become a Jesus-follower…

ADMIT that you are a sinner who needs a Savior.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

BELIEVE that Jesus is the only Savior available.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

CHOOSE to follow Jesus.

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)

PRAYER: “Jesus, thank you for loving me so much that you died on the cross to pay in full for all of my sins. I am sorry for going my own way for so long. I now admit that I am a sinner who needs a Savior. I believe that Heaven is a gift that you alone can give me, a gift that I cannot earn and will never deserve. Help me to become your child—the individual you created me to be as I choose to follow you and become a worldchanger.”

Paul Brand was a brilliant medical doctor who did pioneering work in the treatment of leprosy. He passed away in 2003 at the age of 89. He was an extraordinary, gifted orthopaedic surgeon who straightened crooked hands and unravelled the riddle of leprosy. He had received the Albert Lasker Award, been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by the Queen, served as the only Westerner on the Mahatma Ghandi foundation, and had medical procedures named after him. Brand grew up in India, where his parents were missionaries. At the age of nine he was sent to boarding school in England. Five years later, while a 14 year old student there, he received a telegram informing him that his beloved father had died of blackwater fever. Brand cherished fond memories of his father, a man who had a great love for people and a great love for the natural world around him. A short time after he received news of his father's death Paul Brand received a letter from his father. It had been posted prior to his father's death but took some time to reach Brand as it came by ship. Its words impacted deeply upon the young son. Paul's father described the hills around their home and then finished with these words: "God means us to delight in his world. It isn't necessary to know botany or zoology or biology in order to enjoy the manifold life of nature. Just observe. And remember. And compare. And be always looking to God with thankfulness and worship for having placed you in such a delightful corner of the universe as the planet Earth."

We gather this Thanksgiving weekend in a delightful corner of the universe, looking to God with thankfulness and worship. This week we will have multiple occasions to offer another person a piece of our Play-Doh. When we offer it, we must remember—giving will enable us to grow, will allow us to invest, will clarify our values and will require us to engage. GIVE -- Grow, Invest, Value, and Engage. On this Thanksgiving weekend, it's a four-letter word worth repeating and living! Amen.

God wants us to examine our own sacrificial giving by making eternal investments that not only pay off now, but will reap immeasurable dividends forever.

God has been disclosing to us from his Word that there are so many ways money can be an issue to us. Money becomes a way that we measure our value—we think we have security and significance. So money often becomes a source of our security and significance, and can be a way we keep score.

Money being America’s #1 Obsession, we continue to dig a pretty deep hole for ourselves and we need to work our way back out of that tight spot. We’ve established the fact that 92% of us have a financial issue going on and 65% of us are in serious financial trouble. All of us need money to survive. Yet, whether we have a little or a lot, what money represents for most of us is a hammerlock on our hearts.

We get our paycheck and we know we have bills to pay out of that income, but all of a sudden we've spent our money and we're not really sure where it went or how we used it. For many of us this is a huge problem. According to the Federal Reserve Board, the average household debt today on credit cards is $9,000. Most of us are deeper in debt than the average household debt. That's a big hole.

Let’s continue to look for a moment in this message at some statistics on charitable giving in reference to Jesus-followers.

As opportunities for church growth grow globally, U.S. Jesus-followers continue to accumulate record wealth while giving away proportionately less than we did during the Great Depression. During the last half-century in America, increased wealth has coincided with decreased giving.

Pollster George Barna writes, “Generally, the more money a person makes the less likely he or she is to tithe.” Barna confirmed that a key factor influencing giving levels is faith-commitment: Giving is proportionately higher among born-again Jesus-followers.

Of every dollar given to a U.S. Protestant church, the average amount that goes to overseas missions is two cents. In 1920 the church gave 10 percent of the total offering to missions, compared to today’s 2 percent. Christ First gives approximately 9 percent to worldwide mission. The American church’s current spending practice seems to indicate an increased emphasis on internal operations and local programs over the broader mission of the church.

It is safe to say that most people do not give 10 percent of their income to the work of God through the church. Studies show that average giving in mainline American churches is between 1.7—2.3 percent. But it is also true that many do tithe, including many Christ First members.

God's Word does not just teach us how to handle money; it teaches us how to view it. Money is a trust from God; a test that God uses to determine our ability to be good stewards, handling or managing "true riches." And, money is not to be used as a substitute for our security, significance, and satisfaction in God.

One of the keys to having a right view of money is satisfaction. The biblical word is contentment. The word translated contentment is used in the New Testament in 1 Timothy 6:6 and in 2 Corinthians 9:8, where it is translated “sufficiency.”

Contentment = a state or condition in life which we need no other help or support.

This condition is a lost quality in a modern culture that emphasizes materialism and possessions as being the key to happiness and satisfaction, yet it is absolutely necessary for us if we are to live effective, Christ-honoring lives.

Contentment is not…

just settling for what we have and where we are in life.

being happy that we are poor and refusing to work hard to lift our standard of living.

waiting around for handouts from God or others.

Contentment is…

realizing that if our basic physical needs are met, we can be content.

believing that no matter what happens, God is enough.

the ability to have joy regardless of our possessions or financial situation.

being grateful for what we do have, not what we wish we could have.

knowing that our value as persons is in no way tied to the value of our assets.

the ability to say "no" to things that we don't need, even though we could use and afford them.

keeping an "open-hand" with what we have, because we know that God will provide for us, if we are seeking his kingdom and righteousness.

Therefore, Jesus says in Matthew 6:33…

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Jesus is saying that we need not to worry because God will take care of our basic needs. When seen in this light, the multiplication and accumulation of wealth can become a curse rather than a blessing in basically two ways. It removes from us the place of being truly dependant upon God. And its management demands more and more of our time and energy. If we can and do achieve the kind of financial security and independence so highly hyped in our culture, at what real points in life do we have to trust God? At what point do we cease expanding our “needs” list? How much is enough?

There's an old joke about the guy who said, "I'm not going to worry about anything anymore. I've found the solution. I've taken care of it. I have a guy that I pay $500 a week to worry for me. He worries about the kids, my job, my money, my stuff." His friend says, "How are you going to pay him $500?" The man said, "That's not my worry."

What is Gain?

What's the real problem? Money is the real problem and the symptom is the way we live and conduct ourselves with it. Paul's writing a letter to his young son in the faith Timothy and he is giving him some advice on how to live and how to conduct himself and ways to be responsible, and then he says this in 1 Timothy 6:6-10…

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

We can observe from these verses the fact that if we're honoring God and we're satisfied, we'll have great gain. What's the gain?

Gain = a sense of peace and a lack of conflict in our lives; a sense of contentment; a sense that God is in control and this isn't for significance or security but rather a useful tool for us to live with satisfaction.

Growth in godliness does not guarantee material gain. The gain of godliness is godliness itself. And with it comes contentment. To warn Timothy—and us as Jesus-followers today—about the dangers of money becoming our #1 obsession, Paul shared three facts that can help us to keep “right on the money.”

1. The conception: Contentment comes with possessing godliness, not gain

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain

True contentment comes from godliness in the heart, not wealth in the hand. A person who depends on material things for peace and assurance will never be satisfied, for the things that money can buy have a way of losing their appeal. It is the wealthy people, not the poor who have the most difficulty managing their money due to the time and energy materials things demand.

The great novelist Rudyard Kipling, once gave a commencement address at McGill University in Montreal. He warned them about making money, position or glory their life ambition. "Some day," he said, "you will meet a man who cares for none of these things. Then you will know how poor you are."

If we are truly seeking to live with kingdom values, so that we find contentment by pleasing God, it will show up in how we spend money and in how much we give to his kingdom work. That’s why tithing can become a misleading concept. If we choose to live in godliness, we don’t just pay God off with ten percent and then we’re free to squander the rest as we like. God owns it all; we just manage it for him. An outsider ought to be able to look at our checkbook and tell if we’re seeking first God’s kingdom!

2. The perception: Contentment sees eternal values, not the temporal

7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

We bring nothing into this world because we can carry nothing out. When our spirit leaves our bodies at death, it can take nothing with it because when we came into the world at birth, we brought nothing with us. We came in empty handed and we're going out empty handed. But the truth is we can live as if we will never die. If somehow our money is where our security, significance and satisfaction lie, then neither one of those statements are true.

The Russian author Tolstoy tells the story of a rich peasant who was never satisfied. He always wanted more. He heard of a wonderful chance to get more land. For 1,000 rubles he could have all the land he could walk around in a day. But he had to make it back by sundown or lose all his money. He arose early and set out. He walked on and on, his greed driving him just a little farther as he saw new territory. Finally he realized that he had to turn back and he had to walk very fast if he was to get back in time to claim the land. s the sun got lower in the sky, he quickened his pace. As the sun neared the horizon, he began to run. Finally, he saw the starting place. His heart was pounding rapidly and he was gasping for breath, but he gave it everything he had and plunged over the finish line, fell to the ground, and collapsed, just seconds before the sun disappeared below the horizon. A stream of blood poured out of his mouth and he lay dead. His servant took a spade and dug a grave. He made it just long enough and just wide enough and buried him. The title of Tolstoy’s story is “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” He concludes by saying, “Six feet from his head to his heels was all he needed.” Although Tolstoy penned his tale in 1886 in Russia, it speaks to our times.

A couple of years ago more people declared personal bankruptcy in the United States than graduated from college. More personal bankruptcies were declared per capita than were declared during the depression. Yes, we have a problem with money.

But do we know that we're also not very happy? Who said so? By the time we’re 20, the average American will have seen a million commercials. Marketing is designed to create one thing in us: a sense of dissatisfaction in what we currently have so we'll pursue something else to fulfill our lives. It doesn't matter whether we have a little or a lot. We always need something bigger or better or nicer. There's a real lack of contentment in our lives. We're driven to say that our lives aren’t worth very much if we can't stack up much of this and the stuff it represents. The truth is we live well beyond our means so that we can have what we want to have.

Paul also instructs us to face the fact that food and shelter are basic needs; if we lose them, we lose the ability to secure other things. A miser without food would starve to death counting his money. We want what we want, now! We live in a day and age when not only do we think we ought to have it, we feel like we're entitled to it. It's our right to have these things, no sense waiting for a house or a car or holding off for a vacation. We can get it now. We don't have to wait. We can have what we want to have today.

Wise Solomon says in Proverbs 30:8-9…

Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, "Who is the Lord?" Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Do we hear what Solomon is saying? He says, "Help me to be satisfied with what I have. I don't need a lot and don't let me have a little; I need just enough so that I will keep you in front of me the whole time."

The economic and energy crises that the world faces will probably be used by God to encourage people to simplify their lives. Too many of us know the “price of everything and the value of nothing.” We are so glutted with luxuries that we have forgotten how to enjoy our necessities.

3. The deception: Contentment declines as the delusion of riches follows the desire

9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Paul says that the desire for riches draws us in. If we don’t confront our desires to get rich we will fall into a trap. If we don’t face up to our love of money and yank it by the roots every time we see it spring up in another corner of our lives, it will delude us until it takes over and destroys us.

These words describe those people who desire to have more and more material things in order to be happy and feel successful. But riches are a trap; they lead to bondage, not freedom. Instead of giving satisfaction, riches create additional lusts; and these must be satisfied. Instead of proving help and health, an excess of material things hurts and wounds.

The story is told of a man who every time he said the word "money," he repeated it three times. He said to his wife, "Give me some money--money--money and I'll buy some groceries." His family suggested he consult a psychiatrist. "You are uptight about money," explained the psychiatrist. "Replace that fear with a stronger emotion. Every time you say the word "love," repeat it three times. That will help you get over your problem with money." "What a terrific idea," said the man. "If there's anything I love--love--love, its money--money--money."

Paul said that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Money isn’t evil in of itself. It’s the love, love, love of money or lusting after it that leads to all kinds of evil!

The issue for us is the lack of self-control. We're such a self-indulgent society that we chase after all kinds of schemes and dreams that somehow this is going to make us rich. We're addicted to debt today. The average household in America spends 110% of its annual disposable income. We may not be very good with math but the formula is simple: “if our ‘out go’ exceeds our ‘income’, then our ‘overhead’ will cause our downfall.”

Tithing Makes Little Sense

Let’s close out this message with a few words on the biblical discipline of tithing. The Bible has much to say about stewardship of our money. It begins with Abraham giving 10 percent from a heart overflowing with gratitude (Genesis 14:18-20). The spiritual discipline of tithing teaches us always to put God first in our lives (Deuteronomy 14:23). Most of us could do some growing in these areas and the world surely needs more of these holy gifts.

But tithing makes little sense unless we are:

persons of faithfulness and devotion, or hope to be;

yearning for God's will in our lives;

seeking a way to thank God for priceless gifts and to share them with others.

But if any of these qualities of a Jesus-follower describe us or the person we want to be, tithing, or a step toward the tithe, makes a lot of sense.

We can think of tithing like training wheels on a bikecycle. The training wheels provide stability until the rider can integrate balance in the skill of riding. Once balance is obtained, the training wheels come off so the rider can more fully enjoy riding the bike without restrictions. The similar is true in tithing. God desires the biblical tithe of 10%, but delights in free will giving. So if we can’t tithe, then we can start at a percentage and work toward the tithe. We keep the training wheels on the bike until we can obtain optimum balance. Then we take the training wheels off and give freely beyond the tithe.

Until we come to a time and a place where we can take the training wheels off, we will continue to struggle with this spiritual disciple of giving—tithing will make little sense. However, just as we need to develop self-control in the spiritual disciplines of worship, prayer, study, service and witness; we learn to develop self-control in sacrificial giving. A bottom line in sacrificial giving is: if God doesn’t bless, then stop giving!

We’ve been affirming over and over in this series that our lives do not consist in the abundance of our possessions. So we watch out that we don't become so arrogant about what we have that it puts that hammerlock on our heart. We guard against money competing with God for our allegiance because we cannot serve two masters. We become dependent upon God to satisfy us by seeking first his kingdom values. Therefore, we find our security, our significance and our satisfaction in God, not in our stuff. Again, we must affirm the fact that our souls count for eternity, not our money or the stuff we accumulate.

Jesus is far more interested in the size of the sacrifice than the size of the gift. And what kind of giving did Jesus model? Sacrificial giving. Without Jesus’ sacrificial giving not only would our daily needs be mislaid, but our eternal souls would be lost. Is it any wonder that so many ministries are struggling financially as never before; those who are called to reach lost people? After all, the lost are those people, not my people. But those people are why Jesus came! It's time for each of us to examine our own priorities before the Lord, because he's the one we answer to. The holy work of Jesus is an eternal investment that can not only pay off now, but will reap immeasurable dividends forever! Amen.

God wants us to lay up treasures as groundwork for lasting purposes as we put into action something far more stable and significant—eternal life.

In our first message on America’s #1 Obsession, Jesus cautioned us: “be on guard against greed.” Jesus also gave us a life principle: “be on watch against stuff” for our life doesn't consist in the abundance of our possessions. But that's not how many of us live today. We must be surprised when we recognize that our disposable income, accounting for inflation, is at an all-time high. Yet many of us live as if we're just going to barely make it from one paycheck to the next.

We've dug a pretty deep hole for ourselves and we need to work our way back out of that. If the stats are true, 92% of us have a financial issue going on and 65% of us are in serious financial trouble. All of us need money to get by. Yet, whether we have a little or a lot, what money represents for most of us is a hammerlock on our hearts.

Maybe that's why the Bible speaks so much about money. Faith and prayer are important topics, things that ought to be considered in our relationship to God. Yet the Bible talks twice as much about money and possessions -- 2,350 verses -- than it does about faith and prayer. Why? Heaven and hell are kind of big deal topics and yet Jesus had more to say about money and possessions than he did about eternity. Why? 16 of the 38 teaching stories, parables that Jesus taught, had to do with money and possessions. Again why? Because money is a huge issue for almost all of us.

Whether we have a little or a lot, when the Bible speaks of money, it often accordingly speaks of greed, and when it speaks of greed it gives the sense of idolatry. For most of us this has replaced the spot in our lives that God should occupy and we will never have peace.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:24…

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

There will be havoc and chaos that is created when money becomes what we serve, when money matters more to us than anything else. So let’s restate the fact that God talks more about money and possessions than nearly anything else in Scripture, because if we're not careful, money can get in the way of everything else in our lives—so it puts a hammerlock on our heart!

Now we want to look at a passage in1Timothy 6:17-19…

17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Paul had already written about the danger of the love of money, but he added a special “charge” to Timothy to give to the rich. We may not think that this charge applies to us, but it does. After all, our standard of living as Jesus-followers today would certainly make us “rich” in the eyes of Timothy’s congregation!

"Command those who are rich in this present world,” Paul says. So here's what we're thinking and it's what I used to think. “For 2 weeks now Pastor Bob has been beating on me and now I can take a breather because I'm not one of those rich people." I'm guessing that's what you're thinking and that may be true. You may not be rich by your standards. So for those who think they’re not rich, here's what I'd suggest you do for about the next 15 or 20 minutes as we go through the rest of the things that Paul has to say to the rich people. If you're not rich just check out mentally for a little while right now, just daydream about your next fantasy vacation.

Who's rich? Benjamin Franklin once said, "Who is rich? He who is content? Who is that? Nobody."

So who is rich?

If we're on welfare today, we possess more income that 95% of the people in third world countries.

If we make the average household income in America, we possess 5 times the wealth of two out of every three people in the world.

If we were to take the 6 billion people on the planet today and spin that down to a village of a hundred people, but keep every other statistic the same, here's what that global village of a hundred people would look like.

• 57 would be Asian , 21 European, 14 from North or South America, and 8 Africans
• 51 would be female and 49 male
• 70 would be nonwhite, 30 Anglo
• 70 non-Christian, and 30 Christian

50% of the entire world's wealth would be in the hands of 6 people and all 6 would be citizens of the United States

80 would live in substandard housing, 70 would be unable to read, 50 would suffer from malnutrition, 1 would be near death, 1 would be near birth, only 1 would have a college education, and none of them would own a computer.

Who is Rich?

Who is rich? We are as Jesus-followers. By nearly every standard we would measure a person's wealth; most of us in this worship center are rich. Paul says to Timothy,

"Command those who are rich in the world…"

Apparently there were wealthy believers in Timothy’s church at Ephesus. The city was extraordinarily prosperous. In fact, its tourist trade brought in so much revenue that the town leaders opened the first world bank. Paul had penetrated this vibrant economic life with the gospel, winning many converts. No doubt some of the rich Jesus-followers he addresses here brought their money with them into the faith—just like many Jesus-followers in the modern church.

The question, then, especially in light of the teaching in the previous verses from 1 Timothy 6, is what should people with money do if they want to honor God? Paul says they should start by examining their attitudes. Money has incredible power to create feelings of pride, superiority, and significance. But attitude is only half the battle. Sooner or later rich Jesus-followers need to take conscious, decisive action with their wealth. They need to put it into action serving God and others.

So Paul gives them some commands: count on what God gives, take pleasure in what God gives, and make use of what God gives. Here’s the secret: we’re “right on the money” when we understand what God gives, when we learn to look beyond our money to God, the ultimate source of wealth.

Since we are rich, Paul’s words to Timothy apply to us. He offers us three commands dealing money and significance:

1. Count on what God gives

17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God…

If wealth makes people proud, then they understand neither themselves nor their wealth. We are not the owners; we are stewards. If we have wealth, it is by the goodness of God and not because of any special merits on our part. The possessing of material wealth that God gives ought not to make us arrogant, but to humble us and cause us to glorify God, nor ourselves.

We learned in our last message that the rich farmer in Jesus’ parable (Luke 12:13-21) thought that his wealth meant security, when really it was an evidence of insecurity. He was not really trusting God. Riches are uncertain, not only in their value (which changes constantly), but also in their durability. Thieves can steal wealth, investments can drop in value, and the devastations of time can ruin houses and cars. If God gives us wealth as Jesus-followers, we should trust him, the Giver, and not the gifts!

2. Take Pleasure in what God gives

17…who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

Yes, the word enjoy is in the Bible! In fact, one of the reoccurring themes in the book of Ecclesiastes is, “Enjoy the blessings of life now, because life will end one day” (2:24; 3:12-15; 22; 5:18-20; 9:7-10; 11:9-10).

Have we heard the story about Mr. Jones, who dies and goes to heaven? When he arrives, St Peter is waiting at the Pearly Gates and takes Mr. Jones on a tour of heaven. Mr. Jones is awestruck. The streets are paved with gold, beautiful mansions glisten in the sunshine, and choirs of angels sing the most beautiful songs. Partway through his tour of heaven Mr. Jones’ eye is drawn to an odd looking building, an enormous warehouse with no windows and just one door.

What an odd structure for heaven! "You don’t really want to see what’s in there" says St Peter. "But I do, I do" says Mr. Jones. He races across the lawn and pushes open the door to discover rows and rows of shelves, floor to ceiling. Stacked on the shelves are thousands of white boxes. The boxes all have names on them. "Is there one with my name on it?" asks Mr. Jones as he rushes to the J aisle. He finds the box with his name on it and opens it up.

His mouth drops, his pulse quickens, and finally he says to Peter, "What are all these wonderful things inside my box? Are they the good things in store for me now I’ve reached heaven?” "No" replies St Peter. "They’re all the blessings God wanted to give you while you were alive on earth, but which you never received." A sad look came over Mr. Jones. He looked into the box, to St Peter and then back to the box. "Why?" he asked St Peter. "Why did I miss out on all these blessings?" Well, that’s a long story…" replied St Peter.

This is not sinful “hedonism,” living for the pleasures of life. It is simply taking pleasure in what God gives. We enjoy all that God gives us for his glory.

3. Make use of what God gives

18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

We should use our wealth to do good to others; we should share; we should put our money to work. When we do, we enrich ourselves spiritually, and we make investments for the future. Riches can lure a person into a make-believe world of shallow pleasure. But riches plus God’s will can introduce a person to life that is real and ministry that is lasting.

There was once a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won first prize. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned the farmer's strategy for growing winning corn. What was it? Simply this: the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. "How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked. "Why" said the farmer, "don’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn." The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn.

Last week someone said to me, "You've done a good job of telling us how bad we're doing. Are you going to give us any help getting out of our hectic financial condition?" So today let's shift gears a little bit. Let’s look at 5 very quick things or steps that will help. They're not original. These suggestions come from Randy Alcorn, Ron Blue, Larry Burkett, and other financial consultants. They are compiled as practical ideas.

5 steps to follow when money puts a hammerlock on our hearts…

1. Take a reality check

If we're in money trouble right now, the first step is this: we do the math. We sit down and figure out where we really are right now. One of the signs of financial trouble is to figure out what our total debt is. How long will it take to pay things off? We look at how much our debt is really costing us. Very few of us actually know what kind of financial shape we're really in. We tend to duck our head about that issue so let’s encourage each other to do a reality check and to sit down and calculate where we are financially.

2. Invite no new debt

The second step is to quit digging a deeper hole. No new debt. We don't buy anything that comes with a payment plan. We don't buy anything on our credit cards that we're not going to pay off this month. We don't do that windfall fantasy thing we do, like "I know I can buy that washer and dryer because I'm going to be walking down the street, and I am going to stumble upon a bag, and in that bag is going to be $500" or "I know my next raise will come, and I know we have that next refund check coming." We quit playing that game! We don't dig the hole any deeper than it already is and for some of us that will mean a huge adjustment in the way we live.

Last Christmas, Sue was shopping early in December and she got her wallet out to pay and some guy grabbed her wallet right off the counter and took off. All her credit cards were gone. I haven't turned the guy in yet because he's using the cards less then she was, so I'm much better off. Seriously, the truth is it’s me that has to do some plastic surgery, because credit cards are too easy for me. Too easy for me to convince myself that I can buy this now and surely if I do the right kinds of things and we don't eat for a week we can pay that off. The truth is we are going to eat this week and I won’t pay it off.

3. Get a grip

The third step is to get a hold on our finances. We design a plan, an idea, and a way to go. We simply create a budget, figure out what our income is and what our expenses are. A budget is simply a guide to spending. This is one of the reasons we're offering a “Good $ense” class this coming January. It’s a budget course that highlights practical biblical financial principles for transforming our finances and life. We have counselors and mentors who are willing to sit down and help us do this. They'll work with us on this because most of us have a difficult time actually putting a plan together that will enable us to move forward, to go from where we're now to where we want to be. We don't have any actual idea how we're going to design that plan to follow.

4. Find a liable friend

The fourth step is to find a person who will hold us accountable and show tough love. We all have one, so we ask them to help us. Someone who can look at us and say convincingly, "NO!" We don't use somebody in our house because we'll say, "I think we really need this," and they'll say, "NO" and then we'll whine and then it will escalate. The truth is we all need someone who can hold us accountable. Maybe we need a friend who will take our checkbook for a while and help us manage our money.

5. Celebrate the victories

The fifth and final step each of us can take is to discover ways to look at our money differently. We can celebrate the victories that come when they happen. For example, if we're about to pay off a car loan, instead of trading that vehicle in for something new and getting a whole new book of payments, we celebrate that we've paid that car off. We go and upgrade our house. No, no, no. Just joking. We go to Mc Donald’s and have a Mc wonderful meal and pay cash. We celebrate that we've paid something off. We need to celebrate the victories we make related to our income.

Kathleen Gurney of US News and World Report said, "For most of us, money and our feelings toward it are dynamic and intense. We love money or we hate it, we fear it or we worship it -- but we certainly never ignore it." Her whole point is that money is a constant issue in our lives. Maybe that's why God has so much to say about money and possessions because it gets in the way of our lives.

Our lives do not consist in the abundance of our possessions. So we watch out that we don't become so arrogant about what we have that it puts that hammerlock on our heart. If we're not careful, we trust our stuff more than anything else. We find our security and our significance in our stuff. Again, we must affirm the fact that our souls count for eternity, not our money or the stuff we accumulate.

To become a Jesus-follower…

ADMIT that you are a sinner who needs a Savior.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

BELIEVE that Jesus is the only Savior available.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

CHOOSE to follow Jesus.

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)

PRAYER: “Jesus, thank you for loving me so much that you died on the cross to pay in full for all of my sins. I am sorry for going my own way for so long. I now admit that I am a sinner who needs a Savior. I believe that Heaven is a gift that you alone can give me, a gift that I cannot earn and will never deserve. Help me to become your child—the individual you created me to be as I choose to follow you and become a worldchanger.”

If we don't give our money to God will we go to hell? No, it doesn't work like that; we don't get to buy our way into heaven.

Wayne Smith said, "If I don't give, someone else might go to hell."

• When we give, that money is used to influence others.
• When we give there are people who are helped out with needs.
• When we give, there are people across the street and around the world who benefit because of our giving.
• When we give there are things that happen with children and students, and families.
• When we give, the message of God's grace continues to circulate.
• When we give, God uses that money to be a blessing in somebody else's life.

Now, that’s significance at its finest! Amen.

We're going to start a new message series today about America's number one obsession and what the Bible has to say about it. The series is entitled: “Right on the Money: Revealing America’s #1 Obsession.” It's truly an issue for nearly every person in this worship center, if the statistics are true about us. This can be a problem for almost all of us. Basically, in capitalist America, the accumulation of wealth has always been a well-respected endeavor, but now money—more and more money—dominates too much of the talk and the thought in the lifestyles of most Americans. Just for the record, money is America’s #1 obsession, work is #2, and sex is #3.

I don’t usually carry a lot of cash. But recently I officiated at a funeral and my honorarium was $100. So right now I’m carrying a $100 bill in my wallet. Now let's suppose I was to give you this hundred dollar bill. I'm not going to, but suppose I would. What would you do with a hundred dollars? There are a lot of things you might do with this hundred dollars and the first response that came to your mind generally speaks of a pattern in the way you use money. Whatever your first thought was about what you might do with this hundred dollars generally speaks to an attitude, a lifestyle, a pattern, or a direction that you have established in how you utilize this $100 bill. If you are a child or youth, the value of this $100 bill would take on a different attitude or pattern than an adult. I’m going to put this $100 bill back into my wallet and monitor the spending of it over the next four weeks. I’ll share with you weekly an update on my spending of this money.

Let’s continue this message with a fun activity.

[I’m so excited because I found this old bottle with a note inside. It must be a treasure map! Take out the map and read the title, which says, “The Key to Riches.” Would anyone like to see where it leads? I need a volunteer to help me find “the key to riches.” Here are the instructions on the treasure map: “Find a person wearing blue. Move three people to the left. Go two rows back. Find the closest person wearing glasses. Move one row forward, and then take five steps toward the center of the worship center. Finally, go to the closest person with a birthday in this month. Look under the person’s seat for the treasure.”

The key is most likely not under the seat that they land on. So say, “perhaps we misread the directions. Anyway, everyone look under your seat and see if you can find the hidden treasure!” Will the person who found the “key to riches” please come forward and reveal what the hidden treasure represents? Ask this person to read Matthew 6:19-21 aloud which is printed on the key.]

19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

These words from Jesus are really a treasure. This passage has the greatest instruction that we could ever receive regarding our money and security. It shifts the focus from saving up treasures here on earth to saving up treasures in heaven. It advises us to shift from worldly, materialistic things to the things of God. If money is America’s number one obsession based upon the value we place upon it, chase it, and work for it, then we must be convinced that for those who are Jesus-followers, it’s also our number one spiritual problem because money can so often put a hammer lock on our hearts.

The great American philosopher Forrest Gump said, "When someone says to you I'm here to help you, hang on to your wallet." This series can be an encouragement for us to hang on to our wallets because over the next four messages we want to talk about some things the Bible has to say about money. Money issues are real issues and this is not going to be a series only about giving. We will talk about why giving is important to us, but it's really more important for us to think in terms of how God views our money because the Bible has a lot to say about money. In the next message we will discover all the stats about how many verses there are about money and possessions.

What is Money Anyway?

Money is simply “a medium for exchange.” Money, in and of itself, does not guarantee security because it is merely acquired in exchange for labor and traded for goods or services. It is nothing more than a piece of paper or cut metal with an allotted amount imprinted or stamped upon it.

The Bible talks more about money than nearly any other topic, because it can get in the way of our relationship with God. Money issues are real issues and there are some numbers to back that up.

If we were to look at current surveys,

55% of us in the United States worry about money. According to these surveys this is what we think about a great deal of the time. If we were to say that some of the time we're anxious about money that number would go up to over 90%.

90% of all crime is committed for money.

89% of all divorces in America list finances as one of the primary reasons for conflict in the relationship.

96% of Americans will retire financially dependent on the government or family or charity to make ends meet on an average household lifestyle.

2% of homes in America are debt-free or paid for, and the #1 cause of stress for all of us is finances.

60% of our health issues are stress related.

Money's a problem. Whether we want to think it is or isn't -- for almost every person in this worship center, money becomes an issue for us. What we do with it, how we handle it. The Bible has a lot to say and we want to look at a story today because we're going to discover three things. Jesus gives a warning and a principle, and then he tells a story to illustrate that warning and principle.

Jesus has been teaching and thousands of people have shown up to listen to him. While teaching, he is interrupted in Luke 12:13-21…

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." 14 Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" 15 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."

16 And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' 18 "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' 20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' 21 "This is how it will be with those who store up things for themselves but are not rich toward God."

I put a lot of time into my messages. I guesstimate that I put in about thirty-minutes for each minute that I talk. But no matter how well-researched the message is, how interesting or challenging the message is, some people may miss the point of it. Usually this is due to some dilemma or personal tragedy.

Jesus had the same problem. He had been preaching on hypocrisy, hell and unforgivable sin. But this guy in the crowd didn’t hear a word of it. He had a problem that so distracted him that he could think of nothing else. So it wasn’t an uncommon thing in Jesus' day that people would even bring their legal disputes into the public forum and ask a teacher to settle them right there.

So here is someone saying in a contemporary frame of mind…

"Hey teacher, my brother has ripped me off. My brother has withheld some money from me. Tell him to give me my share." Jesus replied, "Hey man, who appointed me a referee to make a judgment call on hassles in your home life?" (Luke 12:13-14).

Commentators think that this was probably a younger brother asking this question who was bothered over the fact that according to the Levitical law, family inheritances gave 2/3 of the possessions to the older son and only 1/3rd to the younger son. We've all seen families fight over inheritances, or questions and accusations leveled against business associates. Were they lining their pockets? Were they embezzling? Were they greedy?

Jesus sized up the situation, and decides to use it as a time of teaching and practical application for those listening. He knew that the problem went much deeper. This man's problem was not how he could help him receive a bigger inheritance, but it was how he could overcome selfishness and materialism. But Jesus answers the man. Let's look at Jesus' response of warning and principle.

A warning: be on guard against greed!

15 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed”…

Jesus gives this warning. Warnings are a good thing aren't they? When a sign says "caution," it's usually wise for us to slow down just a little bit. When one of the lights on our dashboard begins to flash we probably should pay some attention to that eventually. When someone says to us, "hey, be careful with . . ." Almost everything we eat today and the stuff that we drink all have warnings on it. The surgeon general puts a warning on everything.

We should put a warning on our currency: Be careful – money can be hazardous to your heart.

Why? Because it can get a hold of our heart in a way that can create a whole bunch of poor choices for us. Now the Greek word for greed that Jesus uses here means “an unquenchable thirst or desire, something that cannot be resolved, insatiable.”

Greed is forever discontented. It's an insatiable craving for more and more and more and more. What we have isn't enough; we want just ‘a little bit more’.

Larry Burkett, a Christian financial expert who a few years ago passed away from cancer, did a great deal of counseling with people in financial trouble. He said that 95% of the couples he counseled were in financial trouble because of overspending. How many of us think it's because of the wife's overspending? The husbands? He said that 95% of the couples he counseled were in financial trouble because of the husband's overspending. He said that women tend to splurge on things like clothes and food. Men tend to splurge on things like new SUV’s, boats, and satellite dishes.

Spending and hoarding may be different in process but both are rooted in greed, this insatiable desire for more things. That's why we buy on credit, and why we refuse to get rid of what we have. The shopping season really kicks in at the end of this week. We must be careful how much we put on our magical credit card. The bill will come due in four weeks. The storage business is a booming industry because people buy more than they need or could ever use and then they are not willing to part with their stuff, so they pay to store it.

A principle: be on watch against stuff!

15 ... “life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."

Jesus gives this principle: Your life is not your stuff. “A person's life does not consist in an abundance of possessions," Jesus says. For so many of us we find our security, our value, our worth based on the car we drive, the clothes we wear, the house and neighborhoods we live in, the places we eat, who sees us, and how we vacation. Those things that somehow give us a sense of value and all of us want to be valued and the way we keep score today is with our money or the fruit of our money. We become adept at justifying our ability to buy anything like a new car every year, an upgrade to our home, new clothes.

We must listen to Jesus’ principle on accumulating stuff. Jesus implies that if we will fix this problem we'll fix all the other issues in our lives. If we can get this issue resolved we will experience more peace and freedom, that we will find more satisfaction in our lives and our relationships, and that we will see God a lot clearer, if we can just resolve this financial issue.

If we were running a fever and were breaking out all over and had chills and it lasted several days we would probably go see a doctor. If our car were sputtering down the road, eventually we'd go see a mechanic or try to figure out what is wrong. There's no embarrassment if we're in some financial issue right now, because all we have to do is look around the worship center and most everybody else whether they're going to admit it or not, is in a similar situation. The embarrassment should be that we choose to do nothing about it.

So Jesus gives a warning, he gives a life principle, and now he tells a wonderful story.

A Story: when security is failure!

16 And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' 18 "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' 20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' 21 "This is how it will be with those who store up things for themselves but are not rich toward God."

Jesus often taught in parables. We could call this parable “When Security is Failure,” because Jesus gives us a hypothetical situation here but it would describe what we might experience, and it describes some attitudes we ought to watch out for. This isn't the first wealthy person to get into trouble. Just read the newspaper and we're always hearing about people who have billions of dollars going bankrupt. That's always amazing.

A young couple had been married for about a year. They were struggling financially and decided to do something about it. They would develop a strategy. They sat down one day to talk about their finances, and after much analysis, the young wife said to her husband, “If we miss two payments on the refrigerator and one payment on the washing machine, we’ll have enough money to make a down payment on a new plasma television set.”

Does that sound familiar? That little story echoes the truths that we can see in this parable:

1. We already have more than we think we do.

16 …"The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.

The rich man didn’t get rich because he had the good crop. He was already a rich man! He already had plenty! He just didn’t know it.

I remember as a youth pastor thinking that I didn’t have some of the luxuries that others who lived around me possessed. But then I took the youth on a couple of mission trips. Many of the youth were thinking the same thing. We realized how rich we really were. We saw people in poverty conditions, sick with cancer because they didn’t have iodide in their salt, and living in huts made of twigs and cardboard. We discovered that we were really rich.

Friends, we are rich. We have things that many of the people we have met in this world can only dream about. Yes, we are rich … we already have so much more than we think we do.

2. Greed will never allow us to be satisfied. The more we get, the more we want.

17 He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' 18 "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."

Did we see all of the personal pronouns in those verses? I, I’ll, me, my, myself … This guy was really wrapped up in himself, wasn’t he? He had a great crop, a great opportunity, so what did he decide to do with his security? Build more and bigger barns so that he could store all of his stuff … and more! He gave absolutely no thought to blessing anyone else with what he had received. He simply had more, and he wanted more.

This is the cycle of greed. Once it has its grip on us, it is so difficult to escape. Once we get a taste of something more, we have this unquenchable desire for even more. As we have discovered already, greed can never be satisfied. It can never be happy and fulfilled. It can only consume and destroy.

My brother and I when we were growing up expressed greed time and time again, he's on my side of the room, or on a vacation, in the back seat of the car, his arm is on my side, or he's got more ice cream than me, or he gets 3 pieces of pizza and his three were bigger than mine. And when my mom would tire of our bickering, she would quietly say to us 5 words that summarized the situation and reminded us of our greed. She would simply say, "Always a little bit more."

A Little Bit More

Now I lay me down to sleep; I pray my plasma TV to keep. I pray my stocks are on the rise, and that my analyst is wise. That all the wine I sip is white, and that my hot tub’s watertight.
That my jogging won’t get too tough, that all my sushi’s fresh enough. I pray my wireless phone still works, that my career won’t lose its perks. My microwave won’t radiate, my townhouse won’t depreciate. I pray my health club doesn’t close, and that my money market grows. If I go broke before I wake, I pray my Lexus they won’t take.

And, sadly, whether we know it or not, many of us in this worship center are entangled in the grip of greed. We think we have a handle on our desires, but we really don’t. And for us Jesus-followers, this desire for more eats into our effectiveness and our passion for serving Christ.

3. No matter how much we get, we really can’t take it with us.

20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
It really should make us wonder. If we cannot take the material things of this world with us when we die, why are we so totally and completely focused upon accumulating those things? Why do we invest so much passion in getting stuff? No matter how much we get, we really can’t take it with us.

There was a very wealthy man who died. Shortly after the funeral one neighbor asked another neighbor, “How much did he leave?” The wise woman responded, “Everything.”

It has been said that “a u-haul trailer never follows a hearse.” So those rich in heavenly reward will not be sifting gold coins through their fingers as they giggle uncontrollably. They will be rich in God’s pleasure, able to enter into the joy of their Master. They will enjoy wonderful intimacy with God.

4. God has a much better investment plan than we do.

21 "This is how it will be with those who store up things for themselves but are not rich toward God."

Jesus-followers, God has other priorities for us. Replace selfishness with selflessness. Replace stuff with people. Replace investing in our own desires with investing in the kingdom of God. It won’t make much sense to the world … but it makes complete sense in God’s investment plan. If we could only shift our financial focus from ourselves onto the things of God. If we could only focus upon the eternal, and not merely the temporal.

A well-known pastor was invited to dinner at the home of a very wealthy California rancher. After the meal, the host led him to a place where they could get a good view of the surrounding area. Pointing to the barns covering the landscape, the rancher boasted, “Twenty-five years ago I had nothing. Now they’re all mine.” Looking in the opposite direction at his sprawling fields of grain, he bragged, “They’re all mine.” Then he turned east toward huge herds of cattle, and bragged, “They’re all mine.” Then pointing to the west at a beautiful forest, he said, “That, too, is all mine.” Then he paused, expecting the pastor to compliment him on his great success. But the pastor placed one hand on the man’s shoulder and pointed heavenward, toward the sky, and simply asked, “How much do you have in that direction?” Good question: how much have we invested in the heavenly direction?
Many people, even many of us Jesus-followers, haven’t taken enough time to think of this lesson … think of things heavenward, things that really matter.

Some people make some big mistakes in life:
> planning for themselves, they forget others.
> considering their material goodies, they forget the Giver.
> providing for their bodies, they forget their soul.

To become a Jesus-follower…

ADMIT that you are a sinner who needs a Savior.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

BELIEVE that Jesus is the only Savior available.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

CHOOSE to follow Jesus.

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)

PRAYER: “Jesus, thank you for loving me so much that you died on the cross to pay in full for all of my sins. I am sorry for going my own way for so long. I now admit that I am a sinner who needs a Savior. I believe that Heaven is a gift that you alone can give me, a gift that I cannot earn and will never deserve. Help me to become your child—the individual you created me to be as I choose to follow you and become a worldchanger.”

Too many people take part in life the way many people handle money. They get so focused on accumulating the things of this world that they take their focus off of their Savior. Let’s listen to Jesus’ warning. It doesn't matter how much we accumulate in this world, if we lose our soul, if money puts a hammerlock on our hearts, then we lose everything—our money and our security! Amen.