SERMON: SEVEN DEADLY SINS: GREED

29 June 2014

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Luke 12:13-21

Luke 12:13-21 (NIV)

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; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

16 And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.

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 all my grain and my goods.

19 And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things 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 anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

            -- in June 2012 Aubrey Lee Price, a local banker who lived here in Valdosta, disappeared -- leaving behind a rambling suicide note telling his family and bank regulators the stress of his poor financial decisions that resulted in the loss of over $21 million in investments under his stewardship had led him to the decision to take his own life

            -- two days letter, Price's family received a letter from him detailing his plans to kill himself by jumping from a ferry between Key West and Fort Meyers -- the local authorities and the Coast Guard were notified, and credit card records discovered showing Price purchased dive weights and a ferry ticket, but no one could find Price or his body

            -- in October, Price's wife filed a petition for a declaration of death and a presumptive death certificate -- and on December 31st, 2012, Aubrey Lee Price was officially declared dead

            -- but not everyone was convinced Price had actually killed himself -- authorities who had been investigating Price on suspicion of embezzlement and wire fraud before his disappearance remembered Price owned a home in Venezuela, which does not have an extradition treaty with the U.S. -- they wondered if the suicide was just a smoke-screen to allow Price to disappear with $21 million in investor's money and suspected Price was either hiding in south Florida or had fled to Venezuela

            -- acting on these suspicions, in late January 2013 a New York Grand Jury indicted the missing man for securities and wire fraud and investigations continued -- but still the trail went cold -- authorities could not say for certain if Price had indeed killed himself or if he was a criminal on the run

            -- but all this changed in December 2013 when the Glynn County Sheriff's Department in Brunswick, GA, pulled over a vehicle on I-95 for a traffic violation -- the driver? -- you guessed it -- Aubrey Lee Price

            -- turns out he had neither killed himself or was living in south Florida or Venezuela -- he was hiding just a few hours away from his family on the coast of Georgia

            -- just a couple of weeks ago, Price pleaded guilty in federal court as part of a plea agreement -- he faces 30 years in prison and will pay restitution of up to $51 million, with sentencing scheduled for August, bringing to an end the sad and sordid tale of Aubrey Lee Price

            -- in the aftermath of this story, many people in our area have been asking the question, "Why?  Why did this trusted man -- a former Baptist minister -- a man described as loyal, trustworthy, dependable -- a man who apparently loved and cared about his family -- why did he disappear and leave his family behind assuming he had killed himself? -- why did he go into hiding for eighteen months, telling no one where he was? -- was it just for the money?"

            -- well, according to the draft copy of his memoir, yes -- it was just the money -- it was just...greed

II.  Greed

            -- this morning we are continuing in our sermon series on the Seven Deadly Sins -- and let me remind you as we begin that these are called the deadly or capital sins -- not because they are worse than any other sins in the eyes of God -- but because they open the door to other sin in our lives

            -- this morning we are going to consider the sin of greed and the effect it has on our lives and on the lives of our church

            -- so what is greed? -- you know, that's a term we use in our materialistic society a lot -- it got thrown around a lot the past couple of years with the demonstrations at Wall Street against the so-called 1% and the bail-out of corporate America

            -- what comes to mind when you think of greed? -- someone like Aubrey Lee Price? -- Bill Gates? -- Warren Buffet? -- Scrooge McDuck? -- rich bankers and businessmen hoarding gold and money in underground vaults? -- people amassing vast quantities of resources for their personal use?

            -- let me ask you this -- have you ever used that term to describe yourself? -- if you're like me, probably not -- I mean, I certainly am not living the life of luxury -- certainly not hoarding wealth -- if there's any of the seven deadly sins that don't apply, greed is probably it, right?

            -- I thought about that as I was going through the list -- envy? -- sure, I do that -- lust? -- I'm a dude -- kind of goes with the territory -- slothfulness? -- yeah, I can resemble that -- wrath? -- ask Brooke -- gluttony? -- yeah, look at me -- pride? -- been convicted of that -- but greed? -- no, that's not me -- that's the one thing in the whole list that just doesn't seem to apply

            -- but remember what the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:10 -- if you think you're standing firm, be careful that you don't fall

            -- so with that in mind, let me ask again, what is greed? -- the dictionary defines greed as an excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth

            -- did you catch what that definition said? -- it didn't say greed was being rich -- it said greed was an excessive desire

            -- kind of similar to what the Apostle Paul wrote in the commonly misquoted passage of 1 Timothy 6:10 -- we always hear this verse as "money is the root of all evil" -- but it actually says, "the love of money is the root of all evil" -- in other words the desire to possess money is the root of all evil -- you could paraphrase this to read, "greed is the root of all evil"

            -- I didn't like that definition -- that's not talking about rich bankers and wealthy businessmen -- that's not talking about other people hoarding wealth -- that's talking about me -- and then I ran across a definition for greed in the Urban Dictionary that really brought it home

            -- the Urban Dictionary defined greed as "the defining characteristic of human nature" -- in other words, greed is what defines us as human -- greed is the one thing that we all share? -- how can that be? -- how can I be greedy by nature? -- how can I be guilty of this deadly sin?

            -- it comes down to this -- motive and intent -- greed is not a matter of how much you own or how much you possess -- greed is a matter of how you view what you own -- greed is an issue of contentment and stewardship

            -- no where in the Bible do you see wealth condemned -- no where in the Bible do you see Jesus say that you can't follow Him if you're wealthy, provided you look at wealth in a proper way -- no where in the epistles of Paul or Peter or John do you see them counsel followers of Christ to give away all they own

            -- God is not against wealth -- God is not against owning things -- but God is against greed

           

III.  Scripture Lesson (Luke 12:13-21)

            -- let's look at this passage here in Luke 12 and see what we can discover about the deadly sin of greed from Jesus Himself

            -- look back at Luke 12:13-14

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?"

            -- as Jesus was teaching, a heckler from the crowd cries out to Him and says, "tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me" -- it was the accepted practice in those days for the older son to receive a double inheritance, so what this man is asking is for Jesus to issue a command that would go against the Law and Jewish tradition -- so Jesus turns aside the man's request

            -- but Jesus does more than that -- He sees the heart of the man who's made that request -- Jesus knows the real issue is not one of inheritance, but one of motive and intent -- Jesus sees the real issue is the love of money -- the real issue is greed

            -- look at verse 15

15 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

-- The Urban Dictionary said greed was the defining characteristic of a person, but Jesus implies something completely different in this verse -- "Watch out for greed," He says -- "Be on your guard against greed, for your life does not consist of your possessions"

-- it has been said, when God made us, He made us with a God-shaped void in our lives -- and then He gave us the desire -- the longing -- to fill this void -- to satisfy this part of us that just knows something is missing

-- God intended that we would fill the void with Him -- that we would turn to Him early in life and let the Holy Spirit fill our very being and give our lives meaning and purpose -- but, unfortunately, we sometimes follow a different path and try to fill the void with the things of this earth -- for Aubrey Lee Price, it was money -- for us, it may be something else -- work -- bigger house -- better car -- better truck -- more money -- more things

-- in and of themselves, these things are not bad -- it's when we start living for them and not for God that we start down that path of greed -- it all comes down to motive and intent

-- what are you living for? -- is it God, or is it something else? -- where do you spend your time and your energy and your life?

-- in response to the cry of the man from the crowd, Jesus warns His listeners -- your life is not defined by what you have in the way of possessions -- your life is not defined by your job -- your life is defined by whether or not you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior

-- verse 16-19

16 And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.

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 all my grain and my goods.

19 And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."'

-- can you see what was important to the rich fool? -- his life was defined by what he had -- he gave no thought at all to God -- it's was all about him and his crop -- he says, "MY crops" -- "MY barns" -- "MY grain" -- "MY goods" -- not once did he stop and thank God for allowing him to have such an abundant harvest -- not once did he stop and ask God what God wanted him to do with his crops and grain

-- this is a problem that we have in America today -- we tend to think of everything we own and everything we have as "ours" -- even we Christians do that -- we say "my car -- my house -- my family -- my kids -- my job -- my skills -- my talent" -- but the Bible says that all we have comes from God -- it is only on loan to us -- even though we may say "my life" it is not our own -- we were bought with a price and our very lives belong to God

-- let me pose to you a hypothetical situation -- let's say you had an extremely productive year -- maybe you received a large bonus -- maybe you just received back a large tax rebate -- what did you do with it?

-- did you thank God for it and ask Him what He wanted you to do with it -- or did you just start making your own plans for it just like the farmer in this story?

-- the danger of greed lurks everywhere -- the danger of making an idol out of the things of the world is in my heart and it's in your heart

-- this man's farm and his produce and his crop were his most important possession -- he didn't once consider what God wanted him to do with the extra crops -- he never thought about saving up for eternity -- all he was concerned with was making things for himself easy in retirement -- all he thought about was himself and what he was going to do with his new-found wealth -- his motives and intent were all selfish and self-serving

-- verse 20-21

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 anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

-- Jesus tells us that we should be rich towards God -- in other words, we should focus on God and on His kingdom and not on the things of the world -- it comes down to motive and intent -- how do you view your possessions? -- how do you approach your desires for material things?

-- remember: we are mortals -- we have a limited capacity to think and understand -- we cannot live in two worlds at once -- Jesus said you cannot serve God and money -- you can only serve one or the other -- you can't serve both

-- God is not against wealth, but God is against greed

-- greed comes in when you put your desire for possessions above God in your life -- greed comes in when we're holding so tight to the things of this world we can't reach for God -- greed comes in when you look at what you own selfishly and not as an opportunity to give -- greed comes in when your possessions are worth more in your estimation than Jesus Himself

            -- so what do we do about greed? -- how do we keep from following the path of the rich fool and of this world around us? -- what good is it to talk about the dangers of greed and walk right out and join this materialistic world once again?

            -- let me give you some advice

            -- first, we have to change our minds -- and, by this I mean, we have to change our desire from wanting more and more material possessions to being satisfied and content with what God has given us

            -- this one thing, more than any other, will protect us from the dangers of greed

            -- in another passage usually taken out of context, the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:12-13: "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. -- I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me"

            -- contrary to what you see at sporting events, Paul isn't saying that Christ is going to strengthen us to let us win the big game or climb Mt. Everest or any of that -- when he says he can do all things through Christ, he is referring to living contented no matter the situation -- whether he is in need or whether he has plenty -- whether he is well fed or whether he is hungry -- whatever the case, Paul's desire and Paul's focus is on Christ, not on the things of this world, and that is what strengthens him

            -- to defeat greed -- to defeat the desire for more -- we have to change our desire from more of what the world offers to more of Christ -- we have to seek contentment

            -- so that's the first thing -- change your minds -- change your desire

            -- second, consider what you really need to live contented lives -- for instance, what do we really need? -- what is it you are looking for in your life? -- do we need three TVs or two cars or eight dogs or a vacation in the islands or whatever it is? -- is this what we need to be happy, or could we get by on less?

            -- as a pastor I have had the opportunity to sit and listen to the stories of other people -- and I've noticed a common theme in almost all of their stories -- when I talk to people who have been married for some time, I always hear stories about the early days of their marriage or the early days of their family

            -- and they always say something like this -- we didn't have much money, but it didn't matter -- we had each other -- we couldn't go out to eat, but we'd cook out every Saturday night -- we didn't have heat or air conditioning, but that was okay -- it was an adventure -- we didn't have but one car, so we would all pile in and take trips together and just enjoy each other's company -- maybe you've heard stories like this -- maybe you've told stories like this

            -- and every time I hear stories like these, I've noticed they are told with a hint of wistfulness -- I hear their hearts say, "we were really happy back then" -- and I have to wonder -- are they as happy now as they were back then? -- are they better off now with more possessions than they had back then? -- does having multiple storage sheds busting at the seams make their lives more full today? -- are they content? -- are we content?

            -- and, finally, to combat the sin of greed in your life, think before you buy -- just stop for a moment and ask yourself, "Do I really need this?" -- what is it that is driving me to buy this? -- is this a need or a want? -- what longing am I trying to fill with this purchase? -- am I trying to buy happiness? -- am I trying to fill the void of loneliness with entertainment? -- do I think buying this will gain me acceptance in the eyes of the world?

            -- the problem with greed is it's never really black or white -- it's a matter of the heart -- and to stay away from this sin, we have to have our hearts right with Jesus

            -- don't forget -- God is not against wealth -- God is not against us owning things -- but He is against things owning us -- and that is the danger of greed

           

IV.  Closing

-- Frank Martin points out, "The things we hold onto keep Christ at arm's length. -- Only when we turn loose of things are our hands free to take hold of the hands of Jesus."

-- Frank goes on to the tell the story of the time his two-year-old son David tried to cross the room to give him a hug -- David was standing in the midst of a big pile of toys and stuffed animals -- and Frank told him, "Come here, David -- give Daddy a hug"

-- David looked at his feet at the big pile of toys and looked up at Frank and hesitated for a moment -- he then reached down and started gathering everything into his arms -- but they wouldn't all fit -- he'd get what he could, and then toys would drop and then he'd try to pick them up -- all while trying to walk across the room to his daddy

-- he just couldn't do it -- he just couldn't hold on to all that stuff and give his daddy a hug at the same time -- as David got more and more frustrated, Frank finally walked over to him and took all the toys out of his hands and put them back on the ground -- and, once his hands were freed, David wrapped his arms around Frank and gave him a squeeze

-- as Frank put it, "Only when his arms were free of the things he clasped so tightly could he give his full attention to the one who truly loves him."

[Discipleship Journal, Nov/Dec 1993, "Lighten Your Load," by Frank Martin]

            -- that same principle holds for us -- only when we live contented lives -- only when we let go of our possessions and our desires for more -- will we be able to reach out to the One who truly loves us and meets all our needs

            -- perhaps the Urban Dictionary is right -- perhaps greed is an affliction that affects us all -- but Jesus says it doesn't have to be that way -- all we have to do is live for Him instead of living for stuff

            -- let us pray