Greed

Happy Sunday! Today we're going to finish our series on the seven deadly sins. Thanks for joining me each week. Thus far we've looked at sloth, lust, anger, Pride, envy, and gluttony. Today we will look at greed.

The Bible has a great deal to say about greed. Did you know that there are over 2 000 verses in the Bible about money? So what does Scripture have to say? And First Timothy 6:10, we find these words: "For the Love of Money is the root of all kinds of evil, and some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows."

Please notice that it does not say that money is the root of all evil. It says the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. I know some wonderful Christian people who are very wealthy. The problem is not money; the problem is greed, which is the Love of Money. Greed is not a financial problem. Greed is a heart problem.

Those, the bible really tells us that those who are greedy are idolaters. They put money in themselves before God. Usually God really has no place at all in their lives. Colossians 3:5 says this: "So put to death the sinful Earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don't be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world."

There are stories that abound about the greedy, a lot of them like this one. A Boston woman named Casey announced to her friends that she had ovarian cancer. Her friend supported her and rallied around her and prayed with her and cried with her and cooked for her and did everything they could to help. She told her friends that she had found experimental treatments out of the country that might help, and she also told them that her insurance would not cover the cost.

What did her friends do? They got together and raised over forty thousand dollars for her trip, her treatment. It was a total scam. Casey was not sick, not sick at all. She'd cut her hair to make it look like she'd had chemo. She took the money and went on a nice trip, even bought a car.

She was supposedly having treatments, but she was living high on the hog. She was taken to court for fraud by her friends. At the trial, one of her friends said, "She had a disease far more deadly than cancer. She had the disease of greed." That's well put.

Look what Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:19 to 21. There he says, "Do not store up for yourselves Treasures on Earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves Treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal." And then the last part of that verse: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Sadly, many forget to prepare their heart for heaven because they are so focused on the temporary Treasures of this world.

One day Jesus was asked to settle a Family Feud over money. Luke tells us this story in chapter 12. Jesus is teaching, and then suddenly someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." Usually The Inheritance went to the oldest brother, so this must be a younger one wanting his part.

Jesus said to him, "Friend, who sent me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" And he said to him, "Take care. Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." That's good advice. Be on guard. Once life does not consist and the abundance of possessions.

I was a young pastor and visiting a house in the little community in Mississippi that we called home. The man that we were visiting told me that he was a rich man. I kind of looked around, puzzled. His house said otherwise. It was small, tidy, but of little monetary value, and he said he was rich.

For a while I thought that he was mistaken, but then God opened my eyes. He had a great wife, a wonderful daughter, a great extended family, food on the table. He had his health. He was a believer. I learned a great lesson that day. He was rich, for once life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.

In Paul's letter to Young Timothy, we find this. It's located in first Timothy chapter 6. Paul tells this young preacher, "Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money for good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they'll be storing, storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future, that they may experience true life." Good words.

My son works for a rich man. You've likely heard of Dave Ramsey, my son's boss. Dave has one of the most listened to radio shows on the air. He's authored several best-selling books, and he helps people with money advice all the time. Maybe you've taken his class, Financial Peace, at your church.

Dave encourages people, when they are setting up a budget, to tithe. Dave practices what he preaches. He loves to give. His employees love the yearly Christmas party, where Dave is most generous with them, and to people in the community. While he is worth a lot, I bet he's not greedy. He's grateful, and he is generous.

You know, if you're grateful to God for what you have, and if you're generous with what you have, grade will never be a problem at all. Pray with me.

God, thank you for givers that change the world. Help us all to look around and see what we might be able to do. Thank you for your abundance that you share with us every moment of every day, the breath you have given us this day, the heart beats, all of the blessings. Father, as we've looked at these seven deadly sins over the past seven weeks, we pray that we've drawn closer to you and resisted the devil. You've promised you'll give us strength for just that. In Jesus name, amen.

God bless. Thank you for being with me today.