The Games People Play - Monopoly Series

The Games People Play – Monopoly

Intro:

In 1923, nine of the worlds most successful financiers met at Chicago’s Edgewater Beach Hotel. Financially they held the world by the tail. Anything that money could buy was in their grasp. They were by all definitions rich. The members of this group were:

1) Charles Schwab, The president of the worlds largest steel company.

2) Samuel Insull, President of the Worlds largest electric Company.

3) Howard Hopson, President of the worlds largest Gas company.

4) Arthur Cutten, The great Wheat Speculator.

5) Richard Witney, President of the New York Stock Exchange.

6) Albert Fall, Secretary of the Interior in President Harding’s Cabinet.

7) Jesse Livermore, The greatest “Bear” on Wall Street.

8) Ivar Kreuger, Head of the world’s greatest Monopoly.

9) Leon Fraser, President of the bank of international settlements.

Financially this was the most impressive group of men ever gathered in one place. These men had it all. Fine homes, Fine cars, the best of everything. Everything they saw and desired belonged to them.

With the exception of one thing. You see in 1948, 25 years later the picture was quite different.

1) Mr. Schwab was forced into bankruptcy and died penniless

2) Mr. Insull died a fugitive from justice, penniless.

3) Mr. Hopson died in an asylum penniless.

4) Mr. Whitney had just been released from prison, penniless.

5) The rest of the group had all committed Suicide, Penniless.

The one thing these men didn’t have and could not buy was peace with themselves and with God.

I do not believe that riches or possessions are wrong. Some of God’s greatest servants were rich.

1) Abraham

2) Job

3) David

I believe that the problem comes when we allow the wealth to define our lives.

I. Let us consider these New Testament situations

A. Lk 12:13-21 The rich fool

1. Jesus did not condemn him for having possessions

2. He was condemned for his attitude towards his possessions

a) He became self centered

1) 11 times in verses 16-19 he uses the words “I, or My”

2) He owned everything and God owned nothing.

b) He became covetous

1) What he had wasn’t good enough

2) He needed bigger barns to store more stuff

c) He became self sufficient

1) He looked no further than himself

2) He believed that he provided all of his needs.

3) He believed that his wealth guaranteed him a life of leisure.

B. Lk 16:19-22 The rich man ... and Lazarus

Jesus said, "There was a rich man who always dressed in the finest clothes and lived in luxury every day. And a very poor man named Lazarus, whose body was covered with sores, was laid at the rich man’s gate. He wanted to eat only the small pieces of food that fell from the rich man’s table. And the dogs would come and lick his sores. Later, Lazarus died, and the angels carried him to the arms of Abraham. The rich man died, too, and was buried.

1. Once again Jesus did not condemn him for having possessions

2. He was condemned because he failed to use his wealth to God’s glory.

a) He could have shared his food,

b) His medicine

c) Or his money

3. But he chose to horde it.

C. Lk 18:18-23 The rich young ruler

A certain leader asked Jesus, "Good Teacher, what must I do to have life forever?" Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? Only God is good. You know the commands: ’You must not be guilty of adultery. You must not murder anyone. You must not steal. You must not tell lies about your neighbor. Honor your father and mother.’" But the leader said, "I have obeyed all these commands since I was a boy." When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "There is still one more thing you need to do. Sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me." But when the man heard this, he became very sad, because he was very rich.

1. Jesus did not condemn him for having possessions

2. but a very real look at how possessions can keep us from true relationship with the Father.

II. Our attitude should be like...

A. 2 Tim 1:16-18 The generous spirit of Onesiphorus

May the Lord show mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, who has often helped me and was not ashamed that I was in prison. When he came to Rome, he looked eagerly for me until he found me. May the Lord allow him to find mercy from the Lord on that day. You know how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.

1. so caring, so generous it was remembered!