Greed?
By Pastor Paul Klusewicz
March 16, 2008

Luke 12:13-15 (NIV)
“ Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."

Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" 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."

Money! It does us in at times. It hinders us. It takes our focus off the Lord and puts it on the world. Our goal becomes climbing the ladder of success. We want to have things; we want to accumulate things. The more we have, the more we want. And we take the people around us along for the climb. We bring our spouses with us and we bring our children too! We push our children early towards high educational goals and good jobs that will pay them lots and lots of money and may even give them a work week of sixty, seventy or even eighty hours. Now, having a good education and getting a good job are not bad things, but how often do our desires get out of control. How many actors, politicians and other famous people can we think of who pushed and shoved and climbed way up the ladder only to come tumbling down. And how often did these same people wind up in deep pain, addictions and even dead because of the intensity of their desires.

Are we Christians thinking of Jesus? The Lord, who came to us as an infant, lived for us, died for us and rose again. The Lord who taught us in Matthew 5:3 (NIV) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” As Christians we are being called to examine our real value system. Are we truly “in the world but not of it?” Is our vocation a true calling from God? Or does our success still rest in a world which says Success=More Things (i.e. BMW’s; Armani Suits; 100 inch TV’s)? And is a person really successful if he works 16 hours a day? Are we too busy trying to get to the top of the ladder that we’re missing the boat?

Mark 8:36 (KJV)
“ For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

As Christians we should go before our Lord God, our Maker and ask Him “What do you want me to do Lord? How can I best serve you? What is my ministry for this day, week or year?” Am I being called to be a pastor, a counselor, a person who works with the handicapped, a garage mechanic, or an accountant?” Remember “whatsoever you do, you do unto the Lord”. Maybe I’m being called to lend a helping hand to the poor-buy a neighbor some milk and a loaf of bread.

What are we living for as believers in Christ?

Matthew 6:19 (NIV)
“ Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”

Matthew 23:25 (NIV)
" Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside are full of greed and self-indulgence.”

Let’s take these scriptures and examine ourselves; Let’s not point our fingers at others, but let us truly look at ourselves before the Lord.

1st Timothy 6:6-12 (NIV)
“ But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 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. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

At times, we equate loving God and pursing holiness as being subject to rules and regulations. We should realize that Godliness truly means being God focused and God driven. As sons and daughters of God we must find our contentment and our satisfaction with knowing that God is always with us-that truly we have intimacy with God. Contentment means we are in a real relationship with Jesus Christ. We are called to have ‘mega’ relationships with Jesus. There should be intensity with God. We should know that God is our provider-He provides our daily bread, our manna; we live for Him and in Him in this moment; this hour; this day. Psalm 118:24 (NIV) “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Let us praise the name of the Lord; let us dance before the Lord; let us cry before the Lord; and let our total faith and trust be in God and God alone.

It’s easy for Christians to fall into temptation at times; to be snared by the devil; to let our focus slip from Jesus. We get trapped by the devil. We get so caught up, we start to let our physical, emotional and financial problems overwhelm us. And then we think if only I had more money my problems would be solved. But this is not the case. As the Lord said “for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil”. How often do our possessions own us? How often is money involved in drug related problems, gambling problems, prostitution and other social ills.

Our possessions and our unholy desires cause us grief and pain; they push us to wander far from the Lord and from our faith.

We walk fine lines and lives as Christians; we have many demands on our time; prayer time and personal time for the Lord; time for ministry work; time for family and friends; time for our jobs; time for the many normal errands which come our way. But let’s remember what the Lord said: Colossians 3:23-24 (KJV)) “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ”. We are called to live by faith; we are called to trust in the Lord and not in ourselves. We are called to “continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in us to will and to act according to His good purpose” Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV).

We need to crucify the greed in us; we need to flee from it; we need to “fight the good fight of the faith and take hold of the eternal life to which we were called when we made our good confession in the presence of many witnesses” 1st Timothy 6:12 (NIV).

1 John 4:4 (KJV) ”Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

Colossians 1:26-27 (NIV)
“ I have become its (the body of Christ; the church) servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Let us be open to and listen to the Holy Spirit. Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to fight for us!

Zechariah 4:6 (NIV)
“ Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit says the LORD Almighty.”

Romans 8:28-32 (NIV)
“ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

Romans 8:37-39 (NIV)
“ In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God gives us His very best every moment. Let us take hold of God! “Live a life worthy of the calling” Ephesians 4:1 (NIV). "Love the Lord our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and Love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV).

AMEN!