Greed or Generosity?

Nothing has more power over us than Money. Sex comes in a close second but money still is the number one influence in our life.   If we got it, we got to either spend it or store it.  We never have enough of it and when you have enough of it you still want more. It has an uncanny power over us. Whether you have a lot or little, it affects our attitude. It affects our attitude toward the rich and the poor.

We choose a job over how much money we are going to make. Over half the working populations hates where they are working and wishes they had another job. This means that if you asked one out of every two people why they work where they work, they will tell you it is for the money.

We love money – that it dangerous. We love money so much that we are totally dependant on it. It is like the blood in our bodies. We can’t live with out it.

Luke 12 tells us to watch out what money can do to us. Specifically it tells us to watch for greed – watch out for all kinds of greed.  Jesus warns us in Luke 12 that we might be more greedy than we think.

None of us in here would admit they were greedy. Over the course my ministry I have counseled a number of people about on a lot of different issues. Not once over my 22 years of ministry has any one come into my office and confess they were greedy. Not once has anyone said, “pastor, I think I own too big of house”, or “pastor, I think I own too much stuff what do I do”, or “pastor I own too nice a car”. No one has ever asked me how to get out to the trap of materialism. No one wants to confess that they might be greedy. In reality, probably no one recognizes they are greedy.

Greediness is one of those sins that is not easy to recognize. With adultery you don’t all of sudden wake up one morning and realize and say, “you’re not my wife.”

The reality is we all know someone who has more money than we do. They spend it on far more expensive things than we do. We call them materialistic. Most of us in here would not consider ourselves to be materialistic – why? because we know somebody that has more money and stuff than we do.

If today, you are saying that materialism is not a big problem of mine- that is a bad sign. This is one of those sins that has the sign, a symptom that says, “I am sure this is not true of me.” This is why Jesus says watch out because this can harden your heart toward God. Because if you say, “I am sure this is not true of me”, It is a sign you have a greed problem.

Greed and materialism blind us and don’t allow us (meaning followers of Christ) to ask the questions that need to be asked:

1. Do I really need to spend this much money on this?
2. Do I need to be putting this much money into my apartment or my house?
3. Do I need to be putting this much money on clothes, shoes, and tv’s?
4. Do i need to be spending this much money on this or this or this ……?

Because we don’t think we are greedy or materialistic we don’t ask these kinds of questions.

We don’t think about ways we can give more money to the church, the poor, to my friends, or to my neighbors. We don’t want to ask, “Isn’t there ways I can be much more radically generous if I made this and that change in my life?”  We don’t want to think of ways to be generous towards others and towards our church – why? Because we begin to feel  guilty (by the way guilt is a sign that something needs to change in your life). and we know that if we are to be generous we will have to make some kind of lifestyle change in order to become generous.

To become generous, we can no longer take a blind eye to the sin of greed.

All throughout the gospels Jesus taught about giving everything away. It is true from last week that Jesus commended the religious leaders for tithing their resources to the church. But it doesn’t stop at tithing – that is just the beginning.

In the book of Acts, where the church began, they used to put all their resources together and care for one another. The rich and poor worked together. No one was better than the other. There was no greed. They supported each other and gave generously to one another. If you remember, the church grew by leaps and bounds. Why? Because everyone was looking out for the interest of their brother and sister instead of themselves.

After Jesus came, the score card changes. 10% is just the starting point now. He teaches us to share everything and be generous with all your resources.

Imagine with me (if you will), if the whole church was generous with its resources as Jesus asked us to be. The government  wouldn’t need to tax the wealthy because the wealthy would be willing to share their resources. The government wouldn’t need to take $20 out of every check to fund those who are less fortunate. A friend of my mine on facebook said, “We could view the increase in taxes joyfully as giving to and loving people in need. The government wouldn’t have started to do it if the church had.” OUCH!

That was a convicting statement. I have wrestled a long time with the lack of generosity of the church and of the Christians towards the community in which it resides. Because of the lack of generosity of the Christian community, the government has stepped up and is doing what the church should be doing. I don’t think we can miss this opportunity to be the church in our community. A church that can have a meaningful impact in the lives of our neighbors.

It is the greed of Christians and non-christians a like who have created the mess we are in. Let’s stop blaming the government for what is going on and take responsibility for our sin of greediness.

As Christians, we need to step up and confront our own greed and ask the hard questions – how much do I really need? What can I live without so that I can become more generous to my friends, the poor, the church, and my neighbors?

Look at the people of Israel sacrificed in Exodus 35 and 36 (click on the chapter numbers to read the story).

They brought expensive stones,  expensive  wood,  bronze and silver (which were more valuable than gold),  their gold jewelry – they were bringing everything including the kitchen sink. They were bringing it all. They brought so much they had to tell them stop.

How do you get to the place of generosity?

• We must be wiling to ask the hard questions:

What am I doing with my money?

Is there a way I can simplify my life so that I can become generous to others?

Is there something I need to give up so that I can give out?

Do I need to be spending this amount of money on this or this or this and this?

Might the money be used to bless someone else? Bless the church? Bless the poor?

• Strive for spiritual wealth by freeing yourself from money

Money controls us.

Here is a test to see if your money controls you:

When you look at a rich person do you have the feeling of spiritual superiority. Do you look at them and say, “boy I am sure glad I’m not materialistic like them?”

When you look at a poor person do you have the feeling of spiritual superiority. Do you look down at them and have the feeling of being better than them.

How do you get free?

First of all recognize what  you treasure the most.  What we treasure the most is what we are willing to spend our life and resources on.

Matthew 6:21   For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

If you look at the life of Jesus – you find out what he treasures the most. He was willing to do die for you and me. He gave his life for the most precious thing to him.

He could do that because he was free from greed. He died for the rich Pharisee and the poor publican. He gave himself.

If you notice he never gave us any kind of treasures here on earth because he had no earthly treasures to give. He simply gave the most valuable thing he could give  and that was his life.

By dying for us he gave us treasures in heaven.

He reminds that the stuff on this earth, rust, decays, wears out, and money runs out- don’t put your “treasure” in things on this earth. He encourages us to be generous with our resources.

Once you are free from your stuff – generosity soon follows.

Secondly, be generous with your stuff.

2 Cor. 9 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

If you sow generously you will reap generously.  In other words if you invest your resources and yourself generously in those around you God is able to bless you abundantly.

So, are you greedy or generous?