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

SERMON: SEVEN DEADLY SINS: ENVY

22 June 2014

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Genesis 4:1-13

Genesis 4:1-13 (NIV)

1 Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man."

2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.

3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD.

4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,

5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?

7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"

10 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground.

11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."

13 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear.

            -- as I mentioned last week, we are going to be starting a new sermon series today on a subject nobody in the church really likes to talk about in specific terms -- the subject of sin

            -- we don't mind talking about sin in general -- as in, "Jesus died for our sins" -- but we don't like to get into the specifics -- to start naming sin -- to start talking about sin in specifics -- because, as one person told me one day, "Pastor, you've gone from preaching to meddling"

            -- when we stop talking about sin as a general concept and start talking about sin in specifics, it hits home really quickly and it gets really uncomfortable, but maybe that's what we need more of in our churches in America today -- a little less comfortable and a lot more stepping on toes to get us right with Jesus

            -- it reminds me of the story I heard about a young associate pastor who had just started serving in a new church -- one Sunday morning he got up and walked outside the parsonage and discovered his bicycle was missing -- he couldn't find it anywhere and he went to his senior pastor and said, "I think my bicycle was stolen last night" -- so the senior pastor suggested that the associate preach a sermon on the ten commandments that morning and really hit hard on "thou shalt not steal"

            -- so the associate got up and preached his message on the ten commandments -- and when it was over, the senior pastor came up to him and said, "that was a real fine sermon, but I really expected you to hit the commandment about stealing a lot harder than you did" -- the associate pastor hung his head and said, "well, I was planning to, but when I started preaching on "thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife," I remembered where I left my bicycle"

            -- other than grace, sin is the one common denominator in the church -- sin is the one thing we all share, and it knows no bounds -- it touches each and every one of us, regardless of race, age, sex, national origin, or position in the church

            -- every single person on earth -- every single person in this room -- is a sinner -- we are born sinners through original sin -- and because we are born sinners, sin is a part of our lives -- as it says in Romans 3:23, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God"

            -- and as you know, even Christians -- even those who name the name of Christ -- who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb and walk in His grace and righteousness -- even we continue to sin because we choose to disobey God and seek to fulfill our own desires in ungodly ways

            -- and so we embark on this journey together this morning to explore the path of sin -- not that we might glorify sin in any way -- but that we might expose it to the light, so that we might put it to death in our bodies through the power of the Holy Spirit and the outpouring of grace through Christ's atoning death on the cross

II.  The Seven Deadly Sins

            -- I have been led to focus this series on what is known historically in the church as the Seven Deadly Sins

            -- now, you need to know the modern list of the seven deadly sins is not found in the Bible -- there are other lists of sins in the Bible, but these seven have been focused on in the church because they are considered capital or cardinal sins -- sins which can open the door to other sins in our lives -- in other words, when one of these sins gets a foothold in our lives, it can start a downward spiral of sin and disobedience in us

            -- and, even though we put these sins forth as the seven deadly sins, don't mistake these sins as being worse than others -- they are worse only in their action of leading to other sins -- never forget, God does not distinguish degrees of sin -- a sin is a sin is a sin -- the sin of murder is just as heinous in the eyes of God as the sin of gossip -- the sin of adultery is just as bad as the sin of telling a lie -- if you break just one commandment -- if you commit just one sin -- the Bible says you have broken the entire law and are condemned by your actions -- so don't confuse that as we go through this series -- all sins are equal in the eyes of God -- we are just focusing on these seven because they are recognized as gateway sins by the church

            -- real quick, let me list the seven deadly sins for you and then we're going to go straight into the first of the seven I want to talk about -- the seven deadly sins recognized by the church today are:

            -- wrath -- unrighteous anger

            -- greed -- excessive pursuit of material possessions

            -- slothfulness, which is physical or spiritual laziness

            -- pride -- exalting yourself above others or especially above God

            -- lust -- which is not just the desire for others as a sexual object, but also the desire for things someone else possesses+

            -- gluttony -- which is not just over-indulgence of food, but the over-indulgence or over-consumption of anything -- this can be too much food or too much TV

            -- and, finally, envy -- which we're going to talk about in a lot more detail today

           

III.  Envy (Genesis 4:1-13)

            -- so what is envy? -- what does it look like? -- how do we define it?

            -- envy is a form of covetousness -- envy is desiring another person's traits, status, abilities or rewards for yourself, but taking it one step further -- not only desiring it for yourself, but wanting to deprive the other person from having it

            -- a lot of times we confuse envy with jealousy -- we think they're the same thing, but they are two completely different concepts -- as we said, envy is desiring what another person is or what another person rightfully has

            -- jealousy is when you possess something and you don't want to share it or you fear it will be taken away by another person -- jealousy is when something is rightfully yours, and you don't want to give it away

            -- envy is always a sin, but jealousy is not -- the Bible describes God as a jealous God -- it also says that God is jealous for us -- think about it like this -- God rightfully possesses all honor and glory and power and He is to be worshiped and honored above all things -- the sin of the Israelites was taking their worship from God and giving it to idols -- God was jealous in the sense that something that was owed to Him was given to something else

            -- there are some things we possess that are not meant to be shared -- and when we are jealous of those things, that is not a sin -- but, when we don't share other possessions simply because we're greedy or don't want someone else to have it out of selfish purposes, then jealousy can be a sin

            -- but envy is always a sin, because it seeks personal exaltation at the expense of another person

            -- you can clearly see the problem with envy in the story of Wanda Holloway, the Texas cheerleader mother -- if you remember her story, Wanda Holloway's daughter had tried out for a spot on her junior high cheerleading squad, but lost out to another girl -- Wanda was livid that someone else should have the spot she felt her daughter deserved -- she was envious of that other girl's cheerleading position

            -- so she contacted her ex-brother-in-law and asked him to hire a hitman to kill the other girl's mother -- Wanda thought that the girl would be so upset at the death of her mother, she would quit the team and the spot would automatically go to the runner-up -- Wanda's daughter

            -- thankfully, the ex-brother-in-law went to the police, Wanda was arrested and ended up serving 10 years in prison for conspiracy to murder -- all because of the sin of envy

            -- Wanda's story shows the danger of envy as a cardinal sin -- envy opened the door to other sins -- in this case envy led to rivalry, conflict, hatred, and eventually the desire for murder just to get what someone else possessed

            -- we see that same pattern here in Genesis 4 in the first recorded instance of envy in the Bible, the familiar story of Cain and Abel

            -- let's look back at this passage and see where Cain's downfall began

            -- verse 1-2a

Genesis 4:1-2a (NIV)

1 Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man."

2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.

            -- now before we go further, let me point out one thing here -- when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, God made a promise to them -- God promised that a Savior would come from the seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent and destroy the works of sin and death forever

            -- when Cain was born, it appears Eve assumed this was the son of prophecy -- that Cain was the chosen one -- that Cain was the promised Messiah -- and maybe this led to his ultimate downfall

            -- perhaps, and this is only speculation, perhaps Cain was told his whole life how special he was -- how much better he was than Abel and all of Adam and Eve's unnamed daughters -- perhaps he became somewhat spoiled and felt he deserved all of the acclaim and the glory rather than his siblings -- perhaps pride opened the door to his ultimate sin of envy

            -- look at the second part of verse 2b-5

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.

3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD.

4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,

5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

            -- so Cain and Abel both brought offerings to God as a means of worship -- Cain, being a farmer, brought some of the fruit of the land to God -- while Abel, a shepherd, brought fat portions from the firstborn of the flock

            -- now while it's not really relevant to our subject today, there is something to note here -- Abel's offering came from the firstborn -- from the best of his flock -- while the scripture just says Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil to the Lord -- note that it doesn't say Cain brought the firstfruits or that Cain brought the best of the harvest -- he just brought "some" of the fruits

            -- in other words Abel offered his best to God while Cain did not -- and God accepted Abel's offering, but did not accept Cain's -- so Cain got angry and his face was downcast

            -- verse 6-7

6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?

7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

            -- Cain's anger was unrighteous, and God warned him about it -- God told Cain to do what is right -- another indication that Cain's offering was not from the firstfruits -- and said if you do what is right, your offering will be accepted

            -- God could see the sin and temptation raging through Cain's heart -- He tells Cain he must master it -- he must make the choice to do what is right -- he must choose to turn away from sin and turn towards righteousness -- but Cain chose differently

            -- verse 8-13

8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"

10 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground.

11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."

13 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear.

            -- the end of the story we know so well -- Cain took Abel into the field and killed him -- and when confronted by God, Cain lied about his actions and was ultimately cursed by God for his sin

            -- this story of Cain is multifaceted -- the sins of anger and pride and rivalry and conflict and hatred and murder weave their way through this sad narrative

            -- but if you look at the ultimate cause of Cain's downfall, you have to ascribe it to one thing -- envy

            -- God accepted Abel's offering -- God looked with favor on Abel, and not on Cain -- and Cain wanted it -- Cain wanted what Abel had -- he wanted the acclaim -- he wanted the favor God had given Abel for himself -- he wanted it and he didn't want Abel to have it -- and so, as in the case of Wanda Holloway, envy led to murder

            -- envy is an insidious disease of the heart -- envy can eat you up from the inside out -- envy can lead you to more and greater sins -- anytime you strive for another's downfall, it will ultimately lead to your own

            -- Dwight L. Moody once told the fable of an eagle who was envious of another eagle that could fly better than he could -- One day the bird saw a sportsman with a bow and arrow and said to him, “I wish you would bring down that eagle up there.”

            -- The man said he would if he had some feathers for his arrow -- so the envious eagle pulled one out of his wing -- the man took aim and shot at the eagle's rival, but the arrow didn’t quite reach the other bird because he was flying too high above the ground

            -- The first eagle pulled out another feather, then another—until he had lost so many that he himself couldn’t fly -- the archer realized what had just happened and, remembering the old proverb, "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," took advantage of the situation -- he turned around and killed the helpless bird and took an eagle home to his family

            -- the point of this fable is clear -- when you are envious of others, the one you hurt the most by your actions will always be yourself

[http://www.sermoncentral.com/illustrations/sermon-illustration-lou-nicholes-stories-envy-18759.asp]

            -- Wanda Holloway's envy led to her desire to kill another person and her imprisonment for 10 years -- Cain's envy led to hatred, murder, and a lifelong curse from God

           

IV.  Closing

            -- so what do we do about envy? -- how can we master this sin in our own lives?

            -- I think the key is recognizing the power of envy comes from the side-long glance at others -- envy is the result of comparing ourselves to those around us

            -- in 1 Corinthians the Apostle Paul wrote to a church struggling with spiritual envy -- members of the church were desiring the more visible spiritual gifts -- they were envious of God's blessings on others and were following the path of Cain

            -- so Paul counseled them to stop looking at others, but to look at themselves and how God was using them in the body of Christ -- we can't all be the eye, Paul said -- we can't all be the hands and the feet -- in order to have a body, you have to have all parts present -- and while you may think the eye or the hands or the feet are the better part, every part is essential and every part is needed

            -- don't desire what another has, but look at what you possess and use it to the glory of God

            -- the key to mastering envy in our lives is to quit looking at the gifts of another and appreciating what we have ourselves

            -- In her new book, Linda Ronstadt, the 11-time Grammy Award singer, recalls the first time she heard fellow singer Emmylou Harris:

            -- "My first reaction to it was slightly conflicted. First, I loved her singing wildly.

            -- "Second, in my opinion, she was doing what I was trying to do, only a whole lot better.

            -- "Then came a split-second decision that I made that affected the way I listened to and enjoyed music for the rest of my life -- I thought that if I allowed myself to become envious of Emmy, it would be painful to listen to her, and I would deny myself the pleasure of it.

            -- "If I simply surrendered to loving what she did, I could take my rightful place among the other drooling Emmylou fans, and then maybe, just maybe, I might be able to sing with her. I surrendered."

            -- Linda went on to not only sing with Emmy, but also record three award-winning albums with her and Dolly Parton as a trio.

[Linda Ronstadt, Linda Ronstadt: Simple Dreams, a Musical Memoir (Simon Schuster, 2013), pp. 79-80; submitted by Van Morris, Mt. Washington, Kentucky --

http://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2013/october/3101413.html]

            -- rather than looking at another person's gifts and talents and position with envy, we should celebrate what God is doing in them and through them -- you know, I look at the people around me and it's easy to become envious of them -- I never was popular in school -- I never was one of the cool kids -- I wasn't comfortable being around people -- talking to people -- sharing with them -- and it's still that way today

            -- but I have to come to understand God has just made some people more likable than me -- more outgoing -- more encouraging -- He's certainly made better preachers and better teachers -- there are people who are so comfortable and so easy with evangelism and sharing their faith and inviting people to church and I think, "I want that -- I want to be able to do that"

            -- but I've come to realize that is not me -- that's not who God made me to be -- and that's okay -- I can look at those people and see how God is using them and say, "You're doing a great job for the kingdom!" -- I can call them and say, "Hey, I've got a friend I want you to talk to," and I know they'll do much more than I ever could

            -- it's a choice I have to make to not be envious of them -- it's a choice I have to make every day

            -- and I make that choice by casting my gaze off them and onto myself -- and when I quit looking at what I don't have and start looking at what I do have, I can see how I fit in God's picture -- I can see how God uses me in ways these other people can't be used -- I may not be an eye or a hand or a foot, but God uses kneecaps, too

            -- the key to avoiding envy is to stop looking out and start looking in -- and when you do look outwards and see another's talents or gifts or position or status, celebrate it and encourage them to use their blessings for God

            -- envy is overcomable -- envy is a choice -- so choose wisely today

            -- let's pray

SERMON: SEARCHING FOR BURIED TREASURE

11 May 2014

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bible to Matthew 13:44-46

Matthew 13:44-46 (NIV)

44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.

46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

            -- as far back as I can remember, I have been fascinated with the idea of finding a buried treasure -- of stumbling on a parchment map hidden in the back of an old book, with a definitive "X" marking the spot of wealth untold

            -- this fascination was only reinforced when I learned in Georgia History that the infamous pirate Edward Teach -- Blackbeard himself -- used to sail along the coast and rivers of Georgia -- and rumor had it that he had buried some of his treasure on a Georgia island -- treasure that has not been recovered to this day -- it's still out there somewhere -- and maybe, just maybe, I would be the one to find it

            -- it seems like everyone is just as fascinated as me with the idea of finding a lost treasure -- I think that's one reason movies like "Indiana Jones," "National Treasure," and "The Goonies" are so popular -- it's not really outside the realm of possibility for us to actually stumble on a real, buried treasure -- people really do find buried treasure, even in our day and time

            -- and, as Kim can attest, for the past two weeks I've been driving her and my friends and family crazy about this idea of buried treasure because I just learned of a modern-day treasure hunt that has been going on for the past few years

            -- Forrest Fenn is an author and art dealer in the southwestern U.S. whose life reads like a character from an Indiana Jones movie -- growing up hiking and camping in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains -- exploring areas few people had ever been to -- becoming a fighter pilot and amateur archeologist -- discovering and excavating archeological finds all over the world, from the Philippine Islands to the deserts of New Mexico

            -- as Forrest was approaching the end of his life and began to experience some severe medical conditions, he wanted to leave a legacy that would be more lasting and enduring than simply the books he had written and the art he had collected -- he gathered up a small chest -- 10 inches by 10 inches -- and filled it with gold coins and precious stones and other valuable artifacts

            -- he carried it out into the wilds of the Rockies and set it down and walked away -- he then crafted a poem that contains all the clues necessary to find the hidden treasure -- and invited everyone to join in the chase for the gold

            -- whoever finds the chest, gets to keep it and all the valuables -- best estimates put the value of the chest at between $2 and $7 million dollars

            -- and while Forrest has added a clues and hints along the way in interviews and on blogs and in his 2010 memoir, "The Thrill of the Chase," over the past four years, no one has been able to find it -- it's still there

            -- all you have to do is decipher the poem, figure out where "X" is, and retrieve the hidden treasure

            -- this morning finds us in Matthew Chapter 13, where Matthew gives us a collection of parables from Jesus about the kingdom of heaven -- we've looked at several of these already in the time we've been together here at Koinonia, and I'm sure you are very familiar with the rest

            -- it's in this chapter we find the parable of the sower and the seed -- the parable of the wheat and the tares -- and the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast

            -- this morning I want us to take a moment to discuss two parables Jesus gave us about finding treasure -- the first was a treasure hidden in the field -- the second, the pearl of great price

            -- so, if you would, join me again at Matthew 13:44 and let's look at these together

II.  Scripture Lesson (Matthew 13:44-46)

            -- verse 44

 44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

            -- the parable of the hidden treasure is a very straight-forward parable -- as Jesus tells us here, a man goes out into a field, finds a buried treasure, covers it up again, and then buys the field and keeps the treasure for himself

            -- now when we read this, it just sounds wrong to us, doesn't it? -- just this week I had someone tell me they thought the man in the story was dishonest in his actions -- an honest man, he said, would have gone to the owner and told them about the treasure since it was hidden on their property and rightfully belonged to them

            -- but here we see the difference between Roman law and Jewish law -- and we are Romans -- we are the descendants of the Roman empire -- our law and our culture and even our language and world-view -- our way of looking at and understanding this world -- all come from the Romans

            -- and yes, in our mind, the actions of this man appear to be dishonest, if not outright illegal -- that's based on our Roman heritage -- that's based on our way of thinking and understanding

            -- but when you study the Bible, you have to keep in mind the audience and how they received the message originally -- in order to properly understand and interpret the Bible and then apply it to our lives, you have to think of the context -- not just what it says -- but what it meant to the original reader -- before you do anything else with the text

            -- in this case, Matthew tells us the audience for this parable was Jesus' disciples -- Jewish men -- raised in Jewish tradition -- steeped in Jewish law -- they would immediately understand what Jesus was saying in this parable, and to them, the actions of the man would not be dishonest, but would be perfectly in keeping with the law of the Jews

            -- as William Barclay pointed out in his commentary on these parables, "in regard to hidden treasure Jewish Rabbinic law was quite clear" -- it stated, and I quote, "What finds belong to the finder, and what finds must one cause to be proclaimed? -- These finds belong to the finder--if a man finds scattered fruit, scattered money...these belong to the finder."

            -- in other words, the man who found the treasure hidden in the field had the right to keep what he had found according to the law -- in fact, a dishonest man would never have purchased the field -- he would have just kept the treasure and not said anything

            -- you've got to keep in mind it was a common practice in first century Palestine for people to bury their treasure for safe-keeping -- think about the parable of the talents -- the one servant who didn't use his talents as the master wanted kept them safe by burying them and digging them up when the master returned

            -- the thing about burying treasure is sometimes the treasure gets lost -- as apparently in this case -- if the owner of the field knew the treasure was there, he would have dug it up and moved it before he had the man work in the field -- more than likely, this was a treasure buried before the current owner possessed the field, and he had no idea it was there in the first place

            -- but, that's getting in the weeds -- the point of the parable remains -- the kingdom of heaven is like a buried treasure that a man finds in a field -- a treasure that is so valuable and so desirable that the man goes and sells all he has in order to purchase the field and claim it for his own

            -- the second parable is very similar to this one -- look at verse 45-46

45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.

46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

            -- in this case, the finder of the treasure is a merchant who is actively looking for fine pearls -- and when he finds a pearl that is more valuable than all of the others, he sells all he has in order to buy this one great pearl -- the pearl of great price

            -- the point of this parable parallels that of the first -- when a treasure of great price is discovered, the finder sells all he has in order to acquire the treasure he has found

            -- now I'm sure you've heard these parables taught in the past -- and I'm sure the interpretation of these parables has always been similar -- the actor in the parable -- the man who finds the treasure in the field and the merchant seeking fine pearls -- represent you and me -- sinners seeking eternal life

            -- and the interpretation we're given is that when we find eternal life through Christ, we are to sell all we have -- to give ourselves completely to Him -- in order to claim the treasure of the kingdom of heaven for our own

            -- however, just like we learned in the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the yeast, the popular interpretation may not be the correct interpretation

            -- let's think for a moment about how these parables are usually interpreted and let's see where the popular interpretation just might not be right

            -- the first place we find problems with the popular interpretation is in the definition of the actor in the parable

            -- while these parables are similar, there are differences among them

            -- in the first parable, the man finds the treasure in the field while he is working in the field, going about his daily labors -- the interpretation you usually hear is that we find God in the every day -- that we find God, not only at church, but also in the ways and byways of life

            -- in the second parable, the merchant is actively seeking fine pearls -- he is looking for a pearl of great price -- and when he finds it, he sells all he has to buy it -- the interpretation here is that we find God when we seek Him -- that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us, which we read in James 4:8

            -- as I said, in both cases, we are told by most commentators that the actor in the parable is us -- you and me -- sinners in need for forgiveness and eternal life

            -- in one parable the sinner stumbles over the kingdom of God in the field -- in the other, the sinner is actively seeking God when he finds the pearl of great price

            -- everybody with me?

            -- the only problem with the popular interpretation is that we can't find God on our own -- the Bible tells us we have no desire to find God because our hearts are wicked and deceitful above all things -- Romans 5:10 says that we are actually enemies of God -- "the natural man has no ability to come to God" on his own

            -- in other words, in our natural state we aren't looking for God -- we don't have any desire to find God -- and even if we tripped over God in a field or found Him hidden in a market, we wouldn't care

            -- how many people have you talked to who have no interest at all in Jesus? -- how many people have you talked to who just don't care about religion or the Bible or any other trapping of Christianity? -- there's a reason for that

            -- in John 6:44 Jesus says "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." -- no one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him

            -- to put it another way, no one is going to look for God unless God first calls him through His prevenient grace -- the grace that reaches out to us before we are saved -- the grace that woos us to the cross -- the grace that makes us aware of our lostness and our need for salvation -- without God calling us in the first place, no one would even know there was a treasure available that offered eternal life

            -- let me give you an example of what I'm talking about -- several years ago Kim and I were trying to find a small station wagon she could use to haul dogs in -- and we saw one listed in the paper at an estate sale, so we went to go look at it

            -- we walked through the house and everything was for sale -- they had taken the pictures down and leaned them against the wall by the front door and we just glanced at them as we walked past looking for the owner -- we found him -- drove the car -- and ended up buying it

            -- a few weeks later we found out someone had found a treasure in that house -- they had discovered an original lithograph of the Washington Monument -- an artist's proof that had been made by the designer for approval before construction -- it had been signed on the back by several prominent early politicians -- I forget the value of the picture, but it was worth thousands of dollars

            -- and Kim and I walked right past it -- we walked right past a treasure -- inches from our knees -- why? -- we didn't know it existed -- we had no idea it was there -- because we weren't aware of it, we didn't look for it -- and even if we had stumbled across it, like something hidden in a field, we would not have recognized its value

            -- this is the problem with the common interpretation of this parable -- the natural man is not going to be looking for or recognizing the kingdom of God

            -- the second problem with this parable is what the actor does when he finds the hidden treasure or the pearl of great price -- in both cases, we are told the actor sells all he has to buy the field or to buy the pearl -- the interpretation is that we must give all we have to Jesus in order to find eternal life -- in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven

            -- now, I hope you can gather what is wrong with this interpretation now that you're looking at this parable with discerning eyes

            -- Ephesians 2:8-9 -- "For it is by grace you have been saved -- through faith -- and this not of yourself -- it is the gift of God -- not by works -- so that no one can boast"

            -- we are saved by grace through faith -- not by works -- as we often proclaim, "you can't buy your way to heaven -- you can't do enough good things to get to heaven -- you can only get to heaven through faith in Jesus"

            -- now, I don't know about you, but when I read here we are to go and sell all we have to buy the field with the hidden treasure or to buy the pearl of great price, that sure sounds like it's telling me we have to buy our way to heaven

            -- of course, the commentators are quick to say that's not what it means -- they say what Jesus meant is we should make any sacrifice necessary and give up whatever we need to in order to gain eternal life -- as Barclay said in his commentary, you have to be willing to give up everything in order to gain the treasure

            -- but they're skirting around the literal meaning in order to make sure their interpretation lines up with doctrine -- in other words, "this parable can't really mean you sell all you have to buy the field or to buy the pearl because you can't buy your way to heaven, so this is what it really means"

            -- but when I read it, it seems to be clear that Jesus says both the man and the merchant sold all they had so they could buy the treasure with their resources on hand -- they sacrificed all they had to buy the treasure -- and this just does not line up with the foundations of our faith -- "for it is by grace you have been saved -- through faith -- not by works"

            -- also, to further confound the issue, Isaiah told us in Isaiah 64:6 that our righteous acts are like filthy rags -- we don't even have the money to buy the field if we wanted to -- even the richest man in the world -- even the best man you know -- isn't good enough or rich enough to atone for their sin -- so how could we buy the field or the pearl in the first place?

            -- so, if the common interpretation is not right, then what is the better interpretation? -- let's think about this logically

            -- first, who is the audience? -- to whom did Jesus tell this parable?

            -- Matthew tells us these two parables were given to His disciples -- they were not given to the crowd -- and that means the teachings of this parable were not for the crowd, but for Jesus' chosen disciples -- the men who would build His church on earth after His death and resurrection

            -- so, secondly, what is the message of the parable? -- what is it that Jesus is trying to get across to these men? -- He's telling them the reason He came -- in these parables, Jesus outlines to His closest followers the purpose for the incarnation, for the cross, and for the resurrection

            -- let's consider with new and discerning eyes what the various parts of these parables might be

            -- in the first parable, a man goes out into the field, finds a buried treasure, and sells all he has to acquire the field and possess the treasure

            -- what is the field? -- the field is the world -- the field represents the world -- you could even make the case the field represents the Gentile world, because the next parable deals with the Jews

            -- so who's the man? -- we've already pointed out that it can't be us because we aren't looking for God in the first place -- and, even if we were, we don't have money to buy the field even if we wanted to -- so who has the resources to buy the field? -- who is the man? -- it's Jesus -- Jesus is the man -- or, as He called Himself, the Son of Man

            -- then what's the treasure? -- what is of such great price that He would sell all He had to gain it? -- it's us -- it's you and me and all the other people in this world -- Jesus came to earth looking for us and when He found us, He gave all He had -- even His very own body and blood on the cross of Calvary -- to redeem us from the curse and to offer forgiveness for our sins

            -- as it says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall have eternal life"

            -- Jesus paid it all because He loved us and considered us a treasure of inestimable value

            -- but what about the merchant looking for fine pearls? -- what's up with that?

            -- once again, Jesus is the merchant -- He's the only one who could afford to buy us -- the pearl of great price -- He's the only one who could sell all He had to redeem us

            -- the difference between this parable and the parable of the hidden treasure is location, location, location -- in the first parable, Jesus is looking in the world for those who will believe in Him -- who will respond to God's prevenient grace and put their faith in His atoning sacrifice on the cross

            -- in the second parable, Jesus is searching within the Jewish faith for those who believe and long for the true Messiah -- not the Messiah of their own making -- hidden within the pearls of God's chosen people are those men and women like the Apostle Paul and John and Peter who are pearls of great price -- who recognize and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior -- who respond to His call for salvation

            -- I think John hits the nail on the head as to the meaning of these parables in John 1:10-14 -- listen as I read that for you

John 1:10-14 (NIV)

10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--

13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

III.  Closing

            -- okay, so now that I've turned these parables upside-down for you, what does it mean? -- what are you to take from this interpretation of Jesus' parables of the treasure hidden in the field and the pearl of great price?

            -- it simply comes down to this -- you are loved -- in the eyes of God you are a beloved treasure -- a treasure of inestimable value -- you are worth so much to the God and Creator of this universe that He sent His only Son to save you and redeem you

            -- Jesus gave all He had to purchase you -- to redeem you from your life of sin and death -- to claim you as His own and make you part of the kingdom of heaven

            -- regardless of what the world may say about you -- regardless of what others may think or how they may judge you -- God knows your worth -- God knows your value -- and He moved heaven and earth to find you and call you and draw you to Him

            -- perhaps He's still calling some of you today -- perhaps His voice is still wooing you from your place of lostness in this world -- perhaps He's still waiting for you to come and let Him redeem you and forgive you of your sins

            -- if so, then let me encourage you to respond to His call -- all you have to do is put your faith in Jesus and His atoning death on the cross -- believe that He is the Son of God and that He died for you to pay the price for sins and that He rose again on the third day to prove His victory over sin and death

            -- that's it -- that's all it takes for you to experience forgiveness and freedom and life in the kingdom of heaven

            -- so let us close now in prayer, thanking God for His grace and for His Son, who gave all He had just for us

            -- let's pray