7 Deadly Sins 04
October 23, 2022

7 Deadly Sins - #4 Greed

Luke 12:13-21 (NLT))

7 Deadly Sins 04 | Mick Veach | Lead Pastor | first aired on 10.23.2022

Read Scripture
Parable of the Rich Fool
13 Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” 15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’
21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” —Luke 12:13-21
A. Review
B. Remember your identity is in Christ—Eph. 1

  1. We have received all spiritual blessings in Christ
  2. We are united in Christ
  3. We are chosen in Christ to be holy
  4. We are adopted in Christ
  5. We are forgiven in Christ
  6. We are granted wisdom and understanding
  7. We have been granted the Holy Spirit as our guarantee

C. Greed says I owe me and what does that look like in our daily lives?
D. Greed screams at us and says I am never satisfied thus we end up using every moment chasing after something that is not obtainable.
E. Richard Foster says that we look at sin as one act but the proper way to look at it is as a state of being. Our sin shows the condition of our heart.
F. What is the bottom line about greed?

  1. Everything good I have, I deserve and have earned it—it is mine. And I never have enough…

G. There are two items that feed greed in us:

  1. The view that it is mine
  2. The fear of never having enough

H. How or what does greedy person look like?

  1. Talks about money a lot
  2. Not a cheerful giver
  3. Reluctant to share
  4. Always say they just have enough to get by
  5. Culture of secrecy
  6. Aren’t content with what they have

II. 3 Essential Items to Understand Concerning Greed

A. God Blessed You to be a

Reveal Answer
to Others

  1. It is important to know that you have won the lottery

    a. The vast majority of Americans are in the top 1% of income in the world
    b. The majority of the world lives on a $1 a day

  2. We live in culture of “more” and “mine” and we have a choice to how we will live

    a. Mindlessly consume
    b. Lazily copy
    c. Conscientiously create

  3. The Rich Farmer did not see that he had opportunity

  4. Verse 15—Be on guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist of stuff.

  5. We never ask why we have so much; we ask why we don’t have more?

    a. Fear—What ifs
    b. Fear that God can’t or won’t provide so I must
    c. Greed says there is never enough, appetite cannot be satisfied

  6. Verse 18-19—The farmer does not ask the question; he seeks:

    a. How to build more barns?
    b. How to secure a great retirement?
    c. The bible answers why we have so much. Gen. 12:1-3—Blessed to Bless

Key Point—We are blessed to bless others

B.

Reveal Answer
is the Cure for Greed

  1. How does generosity play out? We must understand that nothing is ours

  2. Bigger is better

    a. The farmer is hoarding because he has so much and he never thought about sharing it but building more barns
    b. Agriculture society realizes their abundance has little to do with their hard work but factors beyond their control.
    c. Greedy people see stuff for consumption only

  3. Matthew 7—Jesus says “don’t worry about your life…”

    a. The scarcity mentality compared to the abundance mentality

  4. 2 Cor. 9:7— “God loves a cheerful giver…”

  5. The Farmer in Luke 12 focuses on his stuff solely and how he can preserve it.

  6. Mark Batterson says there are 4 levels of Generosity

    a. Giving Spontaneously—Giving is Spirit-led
    b. Giving Consistently—Healthy Spiritual Discipline
    c. Giving Proportionately—10% of your income
    d. Giving Radically—Giving beyond 10%

  7. What am I to do?

    a. Create a plan to give 10% back to God

    1. O.T. principle 10%
    2. N.T. principle 100%

b. Which are you?

  1. Tipper
  2. Tither
  3. Trustee

Key Point—Generosity frees us from the power of greed and allows our lives to count for the things that are eternal

C. Decide to be

Reveal Answer
in God

  1. Verse 20-21—the farmer was a fool and a bad investor. His life was lost.

    a. He lost his life because he was focused on himself
    b. Investment is toward God

  2. We become rich in God when we focus on the items that are true:

    a. Matthew 5:42—give to the one who asks you…
    b. Galatians 5:22-23—Invest in fruits that will change you, forever
    c. Matthew 22:37-38—lover of God and people

  3. How does one know when they are becoming rich in God?
  4. Perspective is on things above—Col. 3
  5. Focus is not on the temporal—I John 2:15-17
  6. Your heart aligns to God’s Mission—Matthew 28:18-20
  7. It is critical to find someone who you can learn from and model—II Tim. 2:2

Key Point—Richness in God will defeat Greed

III. Call to Action

1. Confess your greed before God and a friend

2. Surrender your rights to the stuff you have

3. Begin the process of giving back to God

4. Find a mentor who can help you with being rich in God

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