TOYS OR JOYS?
(All my sermons use illustrations found at www.sermoncentral.com and all scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted.)
So many times I have heard people say “the one that dies with the most toys wins” as if gathering material possessions here on earth is what life is all about. There are people in our world that feel the more material possessions they have, the more money they make, the more successful they are. BUT, God says that money and materials possessions mean nothing to Him. Of course this makes sense, seeing He alone is the provider of all things we gather unto ourselves, He has more money and owns everything including our lives and, what we “HAVE” here on earth means nothing to Him at all.
I read of a Pastor that said this: Recently I was asked this question: “What have you sacrificed lately in light of all the sorrow, desolation and bloodshed that have gripped the world?” It was a challenge from a friend of mine who regularly gives to charitable causes and has always considered it his personal task to make others aware of opportunities to do and to give to others. I cited the gifts that I make possible through my church. I also cited a check that I recently sent to a charity that focuses on rebuilding houses that have been destroyed in natural disasters. These, along with my regular gifts to the Salvation Army, the Red Cross and several pro-life organizations, I felt well-qualified me as one who “sacrifices.”
Then he posed this question: “What did these gifts replace in your life?” I thought for a moment and answered, “I don’t know. They probably haven’t really replaced anything.” “Then,” he frowned, “you have not sacrificed at all. While you have truly given, you have not sacrificed.”
During his reign, King Frederick William III of Prussia found himself in trouble. Wars had been costly, and in trying to build the nation, he was seriously short of finances. He couldn’t disappoint his people, and to capitulate to the enemy was unthinkable. After careful reflection, he decided to ask the women of Prussia to bring their jewelry of gold and silver to be melted down for their country. For each ornament received, he determined to exchange a decoration of bronze or iron as a symbol of his gratitude. Each decoration would be inscribed, “I gave gold for iron, 18l3.” The response was overwhelming. Even more important, these women prized their gifts from the king more highly than their former jewelry. The reason, of course, is clear. The decorations were proof that they had sacrificed for their king. Indeed, it became unfashionable to wear jewelry, and thus was established the Order of the Iron Cross. Members wore no ornaments except a cross of iron for all to see. (Lynn Jost)
What differentiates sacrifice? To sacrifice means to give of something that costs the giver in terms of self, time or money. A sacrifice costs. It is more than a token effort or a mere gift. A sacrifice means something in terms of not only how it affects the receiver, but how it affects the giver. A willingness to give is laudable. But, when that willingness stops short of pain, it demonstrates a lack of commitment to the God who blesses us with all things in the first place. A willingness to exchange things in our lives, riches for poverty, our time for someone else’s, our convenience for an inconvenience, is the true meaning of Christian sacrifice. It is our Order of the Cross--the cross of Jesus Christ.
Jesus said this:
Luke 12:13-26 Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." 14 Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" 15 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." 16 And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' 18 "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' 20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' 21 "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." 22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
PRAYER
I. BE ON GUARD AGAINST ALL KINDS OF GREED
In this very important passage of scripture comes a warning that I don’t think many people heed with the sense of urgency that Jesus tells us we should have. BE ON GUARD! Take the defensive position, GREED will attack. It is a sin fiber woven into our humanness. It is something that many can not resist, it is something that faces each of us on some level, it is a poison and we are all tempted to drink of it at some time in our lives. AND yet, the warning goes on to explain that GREED comes in many forms, there are ALL kinds of GREED. There is greed to have more things, more money, more recognition, more power, more influence and more “friends.” There is greed to have a better spouse, a better house, a better mate, a better fate, a better job, and a better car. GREED comes in many forms. Jesus tells us to be on GUARD. You see greed is NOT all about having more money, but having more of anything, more then we need to get by is greed. Even charging to much for our time and service is greed.
An old preacher was dying. He sent a message for his doctor and his lawyer, both church members, to come to his home.
When they arrived, they were ushered up to his bedroom. As they entered the room the preacher held out his hands and motioned for them to sit, one on each side of his bed. The preacher grasped their hands, sighed contentedly, smiled and stared at the ceiling. For a time, no one said anything.
Both the doctor and the lawyer were touched and flattered that the preacher would ask them to be with him during his final moments. They were also puzzled; the preacher had never given them any indication that he particularly liked either of them. They both remembered his many long, uncomfortable sermons about greed, covetousness and avaricious behavior that made them squirm in their seats.
Finally, the doctor said, "Preacher, why did you ask us to come?" The old preacher mustered up his strength, then said weakly, "Jesus died between two thieves ... and that’s how I want to go."
II. LIFE IS NOT ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE
Jesus also tells us that a man’s life is not about what that man has. We should not take pride in what we have here, for everything we have comes from God.
James 1:16-18 Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Don’t kid yourselves into thinking that anything we have came from our own power, folks everything we have comes from GOD. We might say, “Well I have a talent for this, and I used it and that is why I have what I have.” I will acknowledge that may be true, BUT, who is it that gave you the talent? So many times we believe that we are entitled to what we have and like the man in the story today, we think I have all of this, I should invest in THINGS so I don’t have to worry about tomorrow. I want you to look closely at the story with me for a moment, who was it that produced the abundance of crops that this man would think he needed to build bigger store houses?
Luke 12:16 And he told them this parable: "The GROUND of a certain rich man produced a good crop.
The ground produced it, not the man. A subtle reminder that we can do NOTHING without GOD. If you remember that is what we spoke of last week.
John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
A man is not made up of what material possessions, or awards, or friends, or stacks of money he has here on earth. NONE of those things will get him into heaven, and none of those things will go to heaven with him. I think that God is telling us that we should never purchase or receive anything that we would not readily give away. To never be attached to our things to a point where we would struggle in giving them up. To think, “I worked hard for what I have, I am not just giving them away without getting something in return.” Matt 19:21-24 Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
If we are unwilling to part with the things we have here on earth, it will be difficult to do as God wants us to do. Money, and power can make people do things we would never imagine people could do. So many people believe that they are truly made of what THEY HAVE.
What are you willing to do for $10,000,000? In 1991 James Patterson and Peter Kim, in their book The Day America Told the Truth, reported a survey where that question was asked. Two-thirds of Americans polled would agree to at least one, some to several of the following:
Would abandon their entire family (25%)_
Would abandon their church (25%)_
Would become prostitutes for a week or more (23%)_
Would give up their American citizenships (16%)_
Would leave their spouses (16%)_
Would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free (10%)_
Would kill a stranger (7%)_
Would put their children up for adoption (3%)
That shows us what greed can do.
III. IT’S REALLY ALL ABOUT WHO WE HAVE
It really is NOT about WHAT we have but WHO we have. Jesus tells us in our story this morning:
Luke 12:23-24 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!
Life is so much more then what we have, it really is WHO we have. If God takes care of the birds of the air how much more will He take care of what we need? It really boils down to having contentment with what we do have, and learning to find joy in the blessings of life. I think that Paul found this:
Phil 4:11-13 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Paul knew what it meant to really have needs, he also knew what it felt like to want for nothing, and he says that there is a SECRET to finding contentment. A secret he readily shares with all of us. He says in so many words, IT IS NOT ABOUT WHAT I HAVE, BUT WHO I KNOW.
13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Last week I spoke or remaining in Christ, and this week we learn that it is not about what we have but who we know. Jesus is the answer to finding contentment, He is the key to finding the JOY that God wants us all to have.
Professional golfer Paul Azinger was diagnosed with cancer at age 33.
He had just won a PGA championship and had ten tournament victories to his credit.
He wrote, "A genuine feeling of fear came over me. I could die from cancer. Then another reality hit me even harder. I’m going to die eventually anyway, whether from cancer or something else. It’s just a question of when. Everything I had accomplished in golf became meaningless to me. All I wanted to do was live."
Then he remembered something that Larry Moody, who teaches a Bible study on the tour, had said to him. "Zinger, we’re not in the land of the living going to the land of the dying. We’re in the land of the dying trying to get to the land of the living."
Golfer Paul Azinger recovered from chemotherapy and returned to the PGA tour.
He’s done pretty well.
But that bout with cancer deepened his perspective. He wrote, "I’ve made a lot of money since I’ve been on the tour, and I’ve won a lot of tournaments, but that happiness is always temporary.
The only way you will ever have true contentment is in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I’m not saying that nothing ever bothers me and I don’t have problems, but I feel like I’ve found the answer to the six-foot hole."
Jesus tells us that: Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Our greatest JOY will not come from the toys we have, but from the things we GIVE AWAY. For if we GIVE we will get from God the things we really need in this life and the eternal life offered through Jesus Christ His Son.
So this morning we should all be ON GUARD, for GREED comes in many different forms. It could be a desire to have more money, more things, more recognition, more respect, more friends or MORE THEN WE NEED.
A man is not made of what HE has, but WHO he knows.
This morning the questions is, do you know Jesus? Have you accepted Him as your personal Lord and Savior? Have you asked Jesus into your heart and been baptized fore the forgiveness of sins and to receive the great gift of the Holy Spirit?
As the musicians come forward this morning, perhaps you can challenge yourself, ask where do I get my JOY? Is it in the things you have or in the Lord you know.
Perhaps you know Jesus as Lord, but you have drifted away from the vine. Jesus tells us to remain in Him because apart from Him we can nothing. Do you need to come forward this morning and ask Jesus if you can come home?
I know He is waiting for you.
INVITATION
