Explores the meaning of money, the dangers of greed, and the importance of gratitude.
Welcome, everyone. I'm glad you're here. We're here to talk about something we all know. Something we all use. Money. We all need it. We all want it. But what does it mean? Is it just paper and metal? Or is it more?
G.K. Chesterton once said, "When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude." This quote, though not directly about money, speaks volumes on our attitude towards it. Are we taking it for granted? Or are we grateful?
In the book of James, chapter 5, verses 1-6, we read:
"Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter."
Tough words. But necessary. We need to hear them. We need to understand them. We need to live by them.
Let's start with a prayer.
Heavenly Father, we ask for Your guidance as we try to understand Your word. Help us to see the truth in these verses. Help us to apply them in our lives. Make us grateful, not greedy. In Jesus' name, we pray, amen.
So, what is the meaning of money? How does our love for it lead us astray? And how can we reveal the root of our ruin? These are the questions we will answer today. It's not easy. But it's necessary. And it's worth it. Because the truth always is. So, let's get started. Let's find the answers. Together.
Money, in its most basic form, is a medium of exchange. It's a tool we use to trade goods and services. But over time, we've given it more power than it deserves. We've made it a measure of success, of worth, of happiness. We've allowed it to define us, to control us. And this is where we've gone wrong.
The Bible warns us about the dangers of money: Not money itself, but the love of it. The obsession with it. The greed for it. It's this unhealthy relationship with money that leads to all kinds of evil. It's this distorted view of money that causes us to hoard wealth, to exploit others, to live in luxury and self-indulgence.
The verses from James: The rich people are not condemned for being rich, but for how they've used their wealth. They've hoarded it, they've failed to pay their workers, they've lived in luxury and self-indulgence. And now, their wealth has rotted, their clothes have been eaten by moths, their gold and silver have corroded. Their wealth, which they thought was their security, their success, their happiness, has become their downfall.
A reminder for us: Money is not evil, but the love of it is. Money is not our measure of success, of worth, of happiness. It's just a tool. And like any tool, it can be used for good or for evil. It can be used to build or to destroy. It can be used to help or to harm. It's up to us to decide.
Change our perspective on money: We need to see it for what it really is. A tool. A medium of exchange. Nothing more, nothing less. We need to stop giving it more power than it deserves. We need to stop letting it define us, control us. We need to use it wisely, generously, responsibly.
Change our actions: We need to stop hoarding wealth, stop exploiting others, stop living in luxury and self-indulgence. We need to start paying our workers fairly, start sharing our wealth, start living modestly. We need to start using our money for good, for God's glory.
Change our hearts: We need to stop loving money, stop obsessing over it, stop being greedy for it. We need to start loving God, start obsessing over Him, start being greedy for His kingdom. We need to start being grateful, not greedy. We need to start taking things with gratitude, not for granted.
As we delve deeper into the heart of the matter, we find ourselves confronted with the undeniable truth that love, in its most raw and unfiltered form, has the power to lure us into a state of loss ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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