More, Please

ALL – Psalm 115:1-18
ALL – Proverbs 27:21-22
OT – Ezekiel 33:1-34:31
NT – Hebrews 12:13:1-25

Interesting passage for the day: Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never, never fail you nor forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5, The Living Bible

Thought: Does God want you to stop earning money? Is He against an income (we’ll leave income taxes for another discussion)? Or does God just want your attention on Him rather than on accumulating George Washingtons?

It’s easy to think that money can solve all our problems. Everything we can’t have has a price tag attached to it. We’re constantly told that the primary barrier between us and our dreams is the sheer limitations of our bank accounts.

So we get educated to pursue a higher income. We stuff our consciences away somewhere in the dusty corners of our closets to avoid offending that boss who might just be about to give us a raise. We leave friends and family behind because our career is beckoning. We make money our god—we’ll do anything to deserve its blessings.

God isn’t against work. He spent the first six days of creation working. God isn’t against compensation for work. He says, “The worker deserves his wages.” But God hates to watch His people cry out to false gods for food, clothes, shelter, transportation, joy, security or anything else. If anyone’s capable of providing those things for us, it’s God. Our God has pledged to be faithful to us, to stay with us, never to leave us high and dry.

So should we work? Draw a paycheck? Yes. And breathe a prayer of thanks to Jesus for the strength and opportunity to work, the money He’s provided, the food and clothes and everything else. Pursue more? Not necessarily. Accept raises, promotions, new job opportunities? Often, if we’re convinced that they’re coming from Jesus’ hand. But pursue them? No. Instead, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well.”

You can either love God or money. Not both.

Question: Have you ever been uncertain of whether you were about to choose a direction out of love for God or out of love for money? How did you guard your love for God? How did you oppose your love for money?

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Make Your Loyalties Clear

The message, preached on October 3rd, 2010, covered 1 Corinthians 10:14-22, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. Sometimes practicing our Christian freedom can lead us unintentionally to support demonic lies, leading other people into idolatry (spiritual adultery). We need to realize that our behaviors are actually a sign of our associations, and to carefully live loyally. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Weekly Sermons in Swanton: Find Security in Jesus

The message, preached on April 11th, 2010, covered 1 John 5:13-21, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. We may not recognize it, but our world is full of idols competing for our worship—and idols kill. Often we turn to idols for security, but we can know our lives are secure only through Jesus Christ, who died and rose to give us eternal life. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.

Sell and Give and Follow

ALL – Psalm 44:9-26
ALL – Proverbs 10:20-21
OT – Leviticus 24:1-25:46
NT – Mark 10:13-31

Which of the Ten Commandments do you get hung up on? Anything come to mind? Seriously. Have you ever murdered anyone? Are you a thief? A liar? An adulterer? Do you hate your momma?

A young man came to Jesus, asking about the way to eternal life. Jesus pointed him back to the commandments. And this young man said he’d kept them all. A.L.L.

So. What’s left?

Jesus felt genuine love for this man as he looked at him. “You lack only one thing,” he told him; “go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor—and you shall have treasure in heaven—and come, follow me.” – Mark 10:21, The Living Bible

I’ve often heard that Jesus was pointing this young man to his covetousness. But covetousness really seems to be about wanting what others own, primarily. Still, Jesus was clearly pointing out a heart-sin closely related to covetousness: greed. And greed is idolatry (Col. 3:5). Greed is the sin of a heart that refuses to be generous toward those in need, as God commands. Greed says that wealth is more important than God; therefore, greed is idolatry.

Then the man’s face fell, and he went sadly away, for he was very rich. – Mark 10:22, The Living Bible

Rather than following Jesus, God the Son, the man went away “for he was very rich.” He chose wealth over God. He committed idolatry, breaking the second commandment. And in so doing, he made it very plain that he was not fulfilling the first commandment, either: “You may worship no other god than me” (Exodus 20:3, The Living Bible).

When I look at the number of possessions I own—and the number of possessions I allow my children to own, implicitly teaching them that owning a lot is a normal part of life—this passage pulls me up short. I’d like to say that I’m not committing idolatry, that I’d willingly sell everything and follow Jesus, if Jesus called me to do it. It’s easy enough to say; but would I sell everything, give to the poor, and follow Jesus? Would you? I recognize in my heart a root of greed, which is idolatry. I recognize my desire to own, to possess, to have, to keep.

Jesus, forgive me and cleanse me of greed. Make me generous. May there be no idolatry in my heart. Be my Lord, my Christ, my King.

To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.