Sermon – Beware of Covetousness

Luke 12:13-37

1 Tim. 6:6-12

1 Tim. 6:17-19

Philippians 4:6-9

Prov. 30:7-9

Last week the message from Luke in chapter 12 was be aware of apocrypha see hypocrisy being trying to make yourself out to be more than you really are or to be higher or mightier than you really are to be have more power than you really have today we’re going to continue in chapter 12 I said last week there’s probably going to be another message out of Chapter 12 and today it’s the where of covetousness There’s also a 2nd warning there at the end of Chapter 12 about worry that we are not to worry so we’re to be aware of covetousness and a warning a warning not to worry not to stress and fret about things so before we begin must go and begin with prayer because I have a feeling I’m going to be starting to preach through this as I work my way through it. Gracious Heavenly Father we praise you and magnify you we thank you for your presence in our lives each and every day to your amazing Holy Spirit father’s we just sang poor your spirit out upon us may your spirit be poured out and just flowing through us more like a river Father God it would flow to those around us by other that they would experience your love through your people for those that are your children and father we again just pray that you would just point the word today and I just pray that every word that goes forth father would be for your glory for Your Honor that it would would reach fertile ground Father God and it would just burst forth and produce a great harvest for your kingdom father that’s what it’s all about glorifying you and lifting up your name and bringing others into your kingdom Father God not is pray that you would use us and use all the churches were today that are sharing forth your word of proclaiming your name and father just pray that you would be glorified and your son would be lifted on high we thank you again for your righteousness we thank you towards Jesus that our souls are well because of the sacrifice that you made on our behalf and again just think you for all things and just bless us Father even now in Jesus name Amen Luke Chapter 12 versus want 13 through 37

then one from the crowd if you remember last week’s message they said that there was an innumerable multitude So there was a great multitude of people visiting need to Jesus’ teaching so he still teaching the people so one from the crowd said to him Teacher Tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me but he said to him man who made me judge or an arbitrator over you. And he said to them so he’s not speaking just to the man now he’s speaking to the crowd he said to them take heed and be ware of covetousness for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses and I’m going to pause again I’m going to tell you that that is probably the most important sentence for this entire message today the most important sentence in the or important verse in all of it for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses remember that I’m sure by the end of the service you’ll you’ll have that in your mind then he spoke a parable to them saying the ground of a certain man yielded plenty fully and he thought within himself saying What shall I do since I have no room to store my crops so he said I will do this I will put down my barns a bill greater and there I will store all my crops and my goods and I will say to my soul so you have many goods laid up for many years take your ease eat drink and be merry sounds good done it eat drink and be merry but God said to him full this night your soul will be required of you then those then whose Will those things be which you have provided.

So is he who lays up treasures for himself and his not rich toward God then he said to His disciples therefore I say to you do not worry about your life what you eat nor about the body what you put on life is more than food and the body is more than clothing can you see how those 2 verses go together life is more than food in the body more than clothing So again our life does not consist in the abundance of the things we possess It’s not about the food it’s not about what we’re going to be clothed with life is more important than those things he says consider the Ravens for they neither so nor reap which have neither storehouse nor barn and God feeds them of how much more value are you then the birds here that friends you are more valuable than all the birds only earth how much more valuable are you than the Ravens You are much more valuable God loves you dearly and which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature if you then are not able to do the least why are you anxious for the rest Consider the lilies how they grow they neither toil nor spin and yet I say to you even Solomon in all his glory was not afraid like one of the aides and then God If God so clothes the grass which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown in the oven how much more will he clothe you oh you of little faith saying trust me trust me too close you trust me to feed you have faith and do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink nor have an anxious mind for all these things the nations of the world seek after and your father knows that you need these things but seek the Kingdom of God I’m going to have a little bit there and leave the rest up to him. Seek the Kingdom of God and leave all the rest of stuff up to him because it says in all these things shall be added to you do not fear little flock for it is your father’s good plays are to give you the kingdom so what you have and give alms provide yourselves moneybags which do not grow all but a treasure in the Heavens that does not fail where no thief approaches nor Maf destroys for where your treasure is there your heart will be also let your waist be girded and your lamps burning and you yourselves be like man who wait for their master when he returns from the wedding that when he that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately bless or those servants whom the master when he comes will find watching for assuredly I say to you

that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat and will calm and serve them

what a wonderful ending to that blessid are those who wait on the Lord for when he comes in he finds them waiting has their lamps burning there’s a it’s like the one of the the those waiting on the Bridegroom the 10.

Or bridesmaids waiting on the bridegroom there were 5 wives and 5 that were foolish we need to be wise in waiting for him looking for him

covetousness has been defined as an unquenchable unquenchable thirst for getting more and more and more of something that we think we need because we think that this is going to bring us bring us true satisfaction it’s going to bring us happiness and joy you know can be a thirst for more money were could be a thirst for more of the things that money can buy a house it could be a thirst for power or position. But it’s just the thirst for more one thing always wanting more more and more and more it’s not being satisfied with what we have when we are called to be content with what the Lord has given us I found an illustration and I’m not sure if I’ve ever used this before May have I don’t know but it says a very wealthy businessman an American businessman and says he decided to take a small vacation to a tropical island in the South Pacific he had worked hard all of his life and has decided that now’s the time to enjoy the fruits of his labor he’s very excited about visiting this island because he heard that the fishing there is absolutely incredible and he remembers as a young child he liked the fish though he hasn’t had much time to fish for many years because he’s been so busy working and saving for retirement so in the 1st day of bees visit there the island he has his breakfast he’s not in a big hurry where he has down for the docks and it’s around 930 and once he gets serious spots a fisherman coming in with a large stringer of fish a very large trailer we asked imagine how long did you fish for the fisherman looked at the businessman with a wide grin as he explains I only fish for about 3 hours I fish for about 3 hours every day with a businessman ask him Well why did you return so quickly it’s only 9 30 in the morning oh don’t worry says a fisherman he says are still plenty of fish out there what kind of dumbfounded the business man asked a fisherman why didn’t he continue to catch more fish. Well the fisherman patiently explained to the man he says I caught all that I need he says I’ll spend the rest of my day playing with my family talking with my friends I may drink a little wine after that I might even relax on the beach while the businessman figured he needed to teach this peasant fisherman a thing or 2 so explain to him that he should stay out all day catch more fish he could save up that extra money and buy a bigger boat then he could even reinvest those profits and buy more boats he could hire more men to work for him and then it $20.00 or 30 years who be very rich indeed

the business man is very pleased that he’s to help teach this fellow something he thought he needed to know but the fisherman looked at the businessman with a puzzled look on his face and asked where after I become very rich then what the business man responded was then you can spend some time with your family talk with your friends might drink a little wine on the and then maybe go relax on the beach to which the fisherman as you know has replied Well isn’t that what I’m doing now

but he thought he needed more and more and more

back to Luke

the man in a crowd want to Jesus to speak to his brother he wanted to tell him to divide up the inheritance with him

it could have been that the father had died and left an inheritance and probably was the older brother that he was wanting to Jesus to intercede with in time to share the inheritance he’s probably what we would call today the power of attorney he had control over the inheritance in a prairie this brother thought he didn’t get his fair share or maybe he didn’t get any I don’t know

but why would he ask Jesus to help with this problem

because in those days rabbis were expected to help settle legal matters among families or among neighbors.

But as we can see Jesus did not get involved with this man’s problems instead Jesus saw this as an amazing teaching moment for the entire crowd a wonderful teaching moment because he shared the parable that spoke of the real issue between these brothers it wasn’t the issue of how much inheritance you got it was the issue of the heart you know Jesus often talks about money money or possessions he talks about it often in the scripture no he shared the prodigal son that message was about or that parable was about a young man one is inheritance father give me ma heritance now so he takes that inheritance and we know what happens he goes and he squanders it

and any regrets what he’s done it comes back to his father and asked for forgiveness and we know that the father received Him There is the parable of the wicked servant that owed his master probably the equivalent of a $1000000.00 and he begs for mercy and he has mercy on him but then that wicked servant goes out and finds another servant that owes him maybe $50.00 and he has been beaten and thrown in prison until he could pay it back so Jesus often uses money or finances or things to get the point across in those cases it was a matter of the heart he knew that both men were greedy and he knew that his intervention would not satisfy either man the one wouldn’t be happy to give it up and the other women still would be happy with what he got their greatest need was a change of heart their greatest need was to realize that life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things we possess

you know made many people may call the farmer in Jesus’ parable a very wise man saying wow this farmer was really blessed. He was really bless a wise man he he planted an abundant crop and was able to harvest an abundance of things he the very wise man to build big barns to store up

now it’s time to relax and enjoy life right

you know Americans are often painted as people that has a great abundance of things and for the most part that is true Americans do have a great abundance of things as a matter of fact Americans have so much stuff that many people have to go out and rent storage units to put it all because we just have too much stuff to put in our homes there are more than $52000.00 storage facilities in America no I’m not talking about 52000 little single units I’m talking about the facilities that have many units so there’s 52000 storage facilities in the United States so we do have a lot of stuff there’s no doubt about it

and friends all say this it is absolutely not a sin to be wealthy

you know many of the men in the Bible were very wealthy men many of the righteous minister groups were very wealthy men Abraham was wealthy Solomon course very very wealthy

they that was wealthy

but the problem with wealth in the things is whenever we make them more important in our lives then God when they push God out of our lives that’s when the problem comes that’s the real problem that’s the root of the problem

I want to reread verses 17 to 19 and I want you to listen to the personal pronouns in this passage and he thought within himself say what shall I do since I have no room to store my crops so he said I will do this I will pull down my barns. And Bill greater and there I will store all my crops and my goods and I will say to my soul so you have many goods laid up for many years take your ease eat drink and be merry Did anybody count

1111 times he used I or Ma

we live in a society today when you watch advertisements I don’t care if you’re watching commercials on t.v. or listen to the radio in the commercials on radio or magazines or newspapers or billboards they’re all trying to get you to buy what they have to sell the new cars be it make up be a do whatever they’re trying to get you to buy they’re trying to get you to believe that you need what they have that’s the entire purpose of the advertising that you need what they have to sell.

And they play with our desires or without looks good I’d look good in that new car up the good with jewelry but the greatest snare that can come with prosperity

is again where it leaves no room for God in our lives when we make that our goal we have becomes our goal we’ll build bigger barns We’ll have more stuff we’ll use storage units if we have to hold all of our stuff that we gather up

Matthew $1322.00 says now he who receives seed among the thorns is he who hears the word and the cares of this world in the deceitful midst of the riches choke the word and it becomes unfruitful It’s when we has so much stuff that it chokes out the Word of God It chokes out God’s presence in our lives so what’s the answer the only trustworthy answer of course can be found in the Scriptures. 1st Timothy 6 verses 6 through 12 and then 17 through 1000

now godliness with contentment is great gain for we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can take nothing carry nothing out we brought nothing in and we will carry nothing out when we leave this world and having food and clothing with these we shall be content but those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition for the love of money it did not say that money is evil its not going to say that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil for what some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and peers themselves through with many sorrows but you know man of God

lead the sayings and pursue righteousness godliness faith love patience and gentleness so we as believers what are we to pursue we are to pursue righteousness godliness faith love patience and gentleness fight the good fight of faith to lay hold of eternal life to which you were also called Enough confessed to good confession in the presence of many witnesses then verse 17 command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy

let them do good that they be rich and good works ready to give willing to share storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come that they may lay hold of eternal life how we are to store up for that that life which is to come. It’s not about whether you’re rich or further you’re poor but it’s what you are pursuing what you are doing what you’re doing with what God has given you when Jesus finished the parable of the rich man in Luke Chapter 12 he told the disciples therefore I say to you do not worry do not worry about your life don’t worry about what you eat don’t worry about the body don’t worry about what you put on life is more than food in the body is more than clothing the Greek meaning of worry is a state of disturbance from care and exile it is to fret about things

you know disciples had given up everything to follow Jesus they left their businesses or their careers to follow Jesus you know they would go from you know when he said that 70 out would he tell him go into this town and whatever house you enter you stay there and you eat whatever they put before you so that the disciples and Jesus would travel from town to town and they would eat whatever was put before them they stayed from whatever house they could find hospitality and right so they were living by faith and my friends faith is always tested so are we willing to live by faith this past week a Bible study was in a store talked about George Morris said wait wait wait you can’t talk about him there’s a snow George Mueller was a Christian missionary he lived from 1805 to 898 he was an evangelists and he was a coordinator of orphanages and Bristol wingmen an amazing

man of God Amanda trusted God with everything everything he trusted God to provide for in-cell for the the the orphans and the all the orphanages over there

for one morning when.

They woke up and all the kids were dressed and all the kids were ready for school. But they had a problem there was no food in the orphanage at morning the house mother the orphanage came and told George of the problem he said there’s no food George there’s new food to feed the children so George told the house Mother he said I want you to take all 300 children take them into the dining room have them sit down at the tables George came in had the blessing he thanked God for the food that they were about to receive and he waited George knew George Mueller knew that God would provide for these children as he always did within minutes there was a knock at the door George

went to the door and opened it up in the baker’s there he says Mr Mueller he says last night I could not sleep he said somehow I knew that you would need bread this morning he said so I got up and baked 3 batches for you I’ll bring it in so he brings all the bread in for the children soon after that there’s another knock at the door George goes to the door and opens it up there’s the milkman the milkman says George my cart broke down right in front you’re worth an age he said the actual broken he said By the time I get some one here to help with it he said the milk is going to spoil he says I’m going to bring it in for you and kids so he brings in enough milk for all 300 children so they had bread and had milk for that day

his faith was tested he trusted God to provide he didn’t fret about it he didn’t worry about it he trusted God and God proved himself as he always did

Jesus said God cares for His creation he makes the flowers beautiful doesn’t me

my friend the springtime look out doesn’t he make the flowers beautiful the grass are green he cares for the unclean Ravens provides for them. So don’t you think that he cares for you and will provide for you

you’re his children and surely he will feed and clothe his children

trust in him today trust in him to provide and be content with what he provides How can we as believers how can we as a Christian witness to the world

worry and fret

why should we worry and fret we should not worry and fret because the world is looking at us my friends even these times that we are in times that we’ve never experienced before in our lifetime I know there’s been pandemics in the past we have never lived through something like this should we be worrying and fretting and and scared about what’s going on no we should trust God trusting God and not worry how can we overcome morning

well the 1st step of course is to realize that God knows our needs do you know that all s. that I know I can hear you but do you know that you know that God knows your needs he knows your every need then secondly we trust Him The made it just says God knew that those children needed bread God knew that those children needed milk

George trusted him do we trust Him Do we trust him to provide our every need

we are the sheep of his flock we are the children of his family he will see to it that our needs are met

but if our hearts are fixed on the things of the world if our hearts are fixed on getting more and more and more then we are going to have worry and anxiety because we think we don’t have enough. Philippians 4639 says Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus folly brother and whatever things are true whatever things are noble whatever things are just whatever things are pure whatever things are lovely whatever things are of good report if there is any virtue if and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things the things which you learn and receive and heard and Sol in me these do and the peace of God will be with you whatever what a wonderful word when we meditate on these things look to these things then the peace of God will fill our hearts will fill our hearts according to Jesus to seek and to worry about the things of the world is full wish Miss is foolishness What did he say in a parable but God said to him full this night your soul will be required of you then whose Will those things be which you have provided

so so is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God So if we work our entire lives just try to get more and more and more

it’s going to be left to our family or if we had a family left to whomever it’s all for not right

to be rich for rich towards God is to acknowledge gratefully that every single thing we have is a gift from him

and is to make every effort to use what we have from him for the good of others and for the good of his kingdom

wealth and prosperity friends can be enjoyed and employed. At the same time it can be enjoyed and it can be employed for his kingdom for his good for his people and a man it shouldn’t be about in me and my but about him in his

Proverbs 379 says 2 things I request of you deprive me deprive me not before I die remove falshood and lies far from me give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with the food allotted to me lest I be for and deny you and say Who is the Lord and lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of God who would provide me just what I need

you know a man kind of fall into 2 categories men would either be lovers of themselves and only care about their own needs and because of this or they will be men of truth they will be haters of covetousness and they will be righteous men

so I was reading this week I found a story that in the Old Testament it goes very well with today’s message David doesn’t have that because it was after I sent the scriptures

in Joshua chapter 6 and in Joshua chapter 7

it’s a story of the children of Israel marching around Jericho we all remember that stories and even as a child right remember that wonderful story the children of Israel told to go and marched around Jericho for 7 days for 6 days they were told to March around one time and they marched around there to be silent there not to say anything so they March around the city the 1st day and they sit down they March around the city the 2nd day and so want to so on for 6 days but the 7th day they are told I want you to March around the city 7 times. And at the 7th time you’re to shout in the walls came tumbling down I know we all know that story and there’s more to that story God told them it’s Joshua chapter 6 verses 18 in $1000.00 he says in you by all means abstain from the a curse things lest you become a cursed so we told him when he goes in stay away don’t take once the city comes come in that crumbling down and you go get the booty stay away from the a cursed things and make a camp because it’s all right and we start over lest you become a cursed when you take of the cursed things and make the camp of Israel a curse and trouble it but all the silver and gold and vessels of bronze in our own are consecrated to the Lord they shall come into the treasury of the Lord so they were to take the gold the silver the bronze they aren’t are to take that but it’s only for the Treasury the Lord once Jericho’s destroyed

Chapter 7 begins with but the children of Israel committed a trust pass regarding the a curse things

for a can the son of car my the son of Zappa died the son as a rock of the house of the tribe of Judah took of the a curse things so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel so they had victory over Jericho through the power of God but they can too look at the a curse things so after this the children of Israel are going to love against ai. So they take plenty of men I don’t know how many they take the man to go up against Ai Well the Lord wasn’t with them because he had sinned against the Lord’s command so they had to flee the Amorites they chased after him and 36 men were killed there and so Joshua Tori’s clothes you know he’s all upset because God wasn’t with him then God reveals to him you have cursed you taken of the a curse things so I am not with you I’m not going to be with you when you go to battle so he tells him to bring the tribes in to bring the people when the find out who took of the a curse things

so finally a can comes before Joshua and they can answer Joshua when said Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel and this is what I have done when I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment and 200 shekels a silver and it wedge of gold weighing 50 shekels I coveted them and took them and they are hidden in the earth’s in the midst of my tent with the silver underneath it and you can says I just couldn’t help myself basically I coveted those things that I saw he coveted he wanted more

in the Lord says he coveted But he also stole because those things were to go into the Treasury the Lord

so also we are not to covet but we are not to steal from what is supposed to be gods we are to give God what is rightly his and we are not to covet the riches in the treasures of the world

so I think that story fits very well with the where of covetousness So they took a can and his family and all our belongings took him outside of the city and stoned them to death. And pout all his goods on air and a power and they burned it empowered stones on top of and they said that he deserved to that day because they disobeyed God in coveted that which he should not have touched should have left it there we are not to covet and long for the things of the world but we are to trusting God and know that he will provide all of our needs all of our needs it may not be that we get the proper feet up and relax and eat drink and be merry that’s not a bad thing once in a while we all need a little break but I don’t think that’s what life is about is it that’s not what our life is meant to be about our life does not consist in the abundance of the things that we have but our life is to consist of righteousness godliness and doing God’s work in God’s plan in his will for our lives may we be faithful to him faithful to serve him and faithful to trust in him to provide what we need may we be faithful to trust in him to give us peace in a time of a pandemic that the world will see that hey they’re not worried they’re not fretting Why is that why are we so scared in those Christians look at him they’re confident or confidence my friends is in God not our abilities but in God and God alone I meant.

Sermon – Beware of Covetousness

Luke 12:13-37

1 Tim. 6:6-12

1 Tim. 6:17-19

Philippians 4:6-9

Prov. 30:7-9

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