Living in the last days: Selfishness & Greed
Introduction: I'm going to spend the next couple of weeks explaining through the Bible, what the state of society will be like, living in the last days before the coming of Jesus. It promises to be informative, interesting and thoroughly biblical.
Ill. You may have heard the story of two friends who met for dinner in a restaurant. Each requested filet of sole, and after a few minutes the waiter came back with their order. Two pieces of fish, a large and a small, were on the same platter. One of the men proceeded to serve his friend. Placing the small piece on a plate, he handed it across the table. "Well, you certainly do have nerve!" exclaimed his friend.
"What's troubling you?" asked the other. "Look what you've done," he answered. "You've given me the little piece and kept the big one for yourself." "How would you have done it?" the man asked. His friend replied, "If I were serving, I would have given you the big piece." "Well," replied the man, "I've got it, haven't I?" At this, they both laughed. (Daily Bread - August 11 1992)
This is symbolic of what will be prevalent in the world in the last days: Society will be Selfish and Greedy. We read in 2 Timothy 3:2 what people will be like in the last days
Scripture: II Timothy 3:2 “People will be lovers of themselves...”
Selfishness in the last days
A few of us were talking after service Wednesday night how the selfishness of the last days seems to present today. I have said it before but bears repeating, there are many people in the world that make it very difficult to be nice. But before we jump to judgment let's see what's behind it.
In the last days people will be '...lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God'. - 2 Tim. 3:4
Their only concern is themselves. 'How will this effect me? How will that benefit me? How will this elevate, promote, or profit me?' Notice that selfish people aren't happy people. Selfish people are miserable people. They aren't happy unless they are constantly being entertained. It's because they are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. a love that can not be gratified for long. In the last days people will be consumed with gratifying their lusts.
There are many words in 2 Timothy that describe the attitude of people in the last days. But I chose four of them to illustrate how selfish people will be in the last days. They will be proud, boastful, ungrateful (v.2) & conceited (v.4)
1) They will be proud. They are proud of their looks, they are proud of their works, they are proud of their life either good or bad, they are proud of it! If they do nothing, then they are proud of doing nothing. If they do wrong, they are proud of doing wrong. If they do good (in their own eyes) they are proud of doing good. Even though doing good seems to be the proper thing to be proud of, we can be deceived, thinking it will earn us eternal life in Heaven. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” -Eph. 2:8
2) They will be boastful. Samuel Brengle of the Salvation Army made a great point about boasting: He mentions the axe can not brag about chopping down trees. After all, if it weren't for the lumberjack who made it, sharpened it, carried it from tree to tree, swinging it over and over, what could it do? If He threw it to the side it would just be another piece of iron. (Sermon Central ill.) A braggart is someone who will strut around telling anyone who will listen how great and special they are. People in the last days will be boastful.
3) They will be ungrateful. They may say 'thank you' but that doesn't mean they are thankful. It's seems rare to even hear someone say 'thank you' anymore. Someone once said “The ungrateful man is like a Hog eating acorns under an oak tree, He never looks up to see where they came from.” (Sermon Central ill.) People in the last days will be ungrateful. Ungrateful to others, and ungrateful to God - deliberately forgetting that their blessings come from above.
4) They will be conceited. Is there anything that describes selfishness better than being conceited? I don't know that there is. In 3 John, we read about a conceited church leader named Diotrephes. In verse 9: “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.”
John Stott said “Self-love spoils all relationships. Diotrephes slandered John, cold-shouldered the missionaries and excommunicated loyal believers-all because he loved himself and wanted to have pre-eminence. Personal vanity still lies at the root of most church divisions today.”
How Diotrephes could refuse those God sent apostles, those men of God that walked with Jesus and talked with Jesus, who witnessed and even experienced his miracles is beyond me.
But conceit won't allow anyone to be greater than ourselves, the thought that someone might replace us in the minds of our peers, is more than we can bear. This is what is at the heart of jealousy.
“They will be lovers of themselves...” 2 Timothy 3:2
What's interesting about this, is that in order to accomplish this type of love. You must abandon the love for two others: love for God and love for man. Selfish people in the last days will not love God and they will not love men. Generosity and charity which is the furthest thing from greed will grow cold.
Ill. Bob Zuppke, a famous football coach, once asked the question, “What makes a man fight?” He answered his own question by saying, “Two forces are at war in every fighter, the self and the goal. An overdose of self-love, coddling of the ego, makes bums of men who ought to be champions. However, forgetfulness of self, complete absorption in the goal, often makes champions out of bums.” (Swindoll's ultimate book of illustrations and quotes: Charles Allen, Joyful Living in the Fourth Dimension)
If we were more focused on our purpose rather than ourselves, it would bring out the best in all of us and in every church.
Transition: Not only will people be selfish in the last days they will also be greedy.
Scripture: “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,...” -2 Timothy 3:2
Greed in the last days
Greed can be found in unlikely people, including professed believers. We tend to think of tax evaders, entrepreneurs, corporate CEO's or crooked politicians are the only ones capable of greed, but people in the church at all income levels can be greedy as well. A great example of this is found with a couple named Ananias and Sapphira
We first read in Acts 4:36, 37 how Barnabas sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles feet. (A very noble and generous act) Well not to be outdone by Barnabas, Ananias wanted to be esteemed for his spiritual integrity as well. (if he had any) So let's read it together.
Acts 5:1-11 (read)
Ananias & Sapphira couldn't live up to the same integrity of Barnabas and they were not humble enough to know it, but it didn't stop them from trying to convince everyone they could.
It's possible for hypocrites to deny themselves in one area of their life, but it's only so they can benefit themselves in another. Ananias and Sapphira made a big show of the “sacrifice” they were making, when in fact they weren't making much of a sacrifice at all and God knew it. And by the power of the Holy Ghost they were called out on it.
At least the rich young ruler knew in himself that He didn't have the integrity needed for discipleship and he went away sorrowful. He didn't lie and say “Ok Lord I will sell all and be back” and then pretend to do so and follow Jesus. Maybe He could've pondered the cost of discipleship and after much conviction come to a better conclusion and dedicate himself to the Lord's service. The point is there was still hope for him. But this couple jumped into discipleship for attention's sake not having the heart for it and as a result Satan filled the void. (v.3)
It's dangerous to go further in profession than we are inwardly capable of. Ananias and Sapphira didn't trust God's providence (God providing their needs), they were covetous of the world's wealth. They loved money more than they loved God.
They sold their land and vowed to give the money to the apostles. But “With his wifes' full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles feet.” (v.2)
It's typical for hypocrites give God what's left rather than what's first.
What's amazing is how hard it is to give up 10%. We struggle with the temptation to “keep back part of the money”
I think we tend to look at Tithing and giving for that matter with the wrong perspective: Tithing isn't having to give to God 10% of what's ours – It is being allowed to keep 90% of what's God's. God created all things including the gold and silver in the mines, the trees and cotton from which our paper money is made from. All you have really belongs to him anyway, no?
Why did Ananias keep 'back part of the money for himself'? Because he loved money. He loved the creation more than the creator.
Ananias and Sapphira thought they could serve both God and money. Serve God by bringing part of the money to the apostles' feet and serve money by keeping the rest for themselves.
They were lukewarm, halfhearted wannabes. Just like those in I Kings 18:21, they halted between two opinions. They weren't completely worldly, because if they were, they would have never sold their land. But they weren't completely dedicated to God either or they wouldn't have 'kept back part of the money'
Some people have enough 'faith' for show (It impresses the less discerning) but when it's tested, whenever it's tried, when the pressure is put on them, they fold like a wet paper bag in the wind.
Our faith will be tested. When we go through the furnace of trials the extreme heat will either burn us up or remove the dross and make us shine like gold! When the faith of Job went through that furnace He came out the other side like fine gold. You may remember after the test, Job was doubly blessed, whereas Ananias and Sapphira were doubly dead. Like the five foolish virgins they had enough 'faith' for show but not enough for use.
I wonder how many will lie about their works on the last day? – Will they brag about the generous thing they never did? Will they try to make the good works they did seem better than they were? Will they attempt to promise to do better if given another chance?
They had no reason to do this. They didn't have any debts to pay for, they didn't have any children to provide for – They could have kept the land or sold the land and kept the money. Pretending to do a noble thing for the purpose of looking good, is bad enough; but to do it and then keep back part of the money for yourself - deserves death. The question we must ask ourselves is “would I give in secret, what I give on record?” “do not let the left hand know what the right hand is doing.”
It's better not to promise anything, than to promise something you can't follow through on.
It would've been better to keep the land, than to sell it and keep part of the money. Better to do a good work fully, than to do it by halves. God will have all or have none. He won't have you just on Sunday, He wants you the rest of the week as well. He won't have a part of your allegiance, He wants all of your allegiance. He won't have part of your life, He wants all of your life. Anything less is getting dangerously close to Ananias.
Ill. In her recently published book “Dance with the Devil” Barbara Bentley shares her experience with husband, John Perry, a mysterious man, whose father was supposedly portrayed by John Wayne in a World War II movie. She fell in love with him when He dazzled her with his heroic stories of World War II, flying with the Blue Angels, serving with the Navy Seals, working in the CIA and fighting in Vietnam. He had several medals, including the prestigious medal of honor and proudly displayed them in their living room and would show off his naval uniform at dinner engagements, he had been in pictures with high ranking officials, and even had the then president George H.W. Bush salute him during his inauguration. Impressive!
But in reality He was never in the armed forces even though His father was a real admiral in the Navy. In fact, after doing some investigating, Barbara found that He was never mentioned in his own father's obituary. She later found out He was the black sheep of the family and that the FBI was looking for him for impersonating an officer. After several suspicious close calls, things reached the breaking point when He had tried to kill her with ether soaked rag. He later was arrested. She has since remarried but its amazing how close she came to death. John Perry was NOT an honorable military veteran; He was an imposter looking for a way to murder his wife to get money.
It's amazing how John Perry portrayed himself as the son of an Admiral for so many years when his own father disowned him. How many people enjoy the privileges of the church, and their standing in it and pretend to be the children of God? How easily they can lie to men, but how impossible it is to lie to God. On the last day He will say “I never knew you, depart from me, you worker of iniquity.” Men may be easily fooled but how dangerous is the penalty for impersonating a Christian?!
Conclusion: In the last days men will be lovers of themselves and lovers of money. One leads to the other. Being selfish leads to being greedy. Things certainly seem bleak, even today when I look around this world, I sympathize with the psalmist in psalm 11:3 – “when the foundations are being destroyed what can the righteous do?” It seems futile, but I notice some characteristics in Galatians that are opposite of those we've seen today. When we look at the fruit of the Holy Spirit, we read that it produces love, patience, kindness and goodness. Paul told the Corinthians: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil..” -I Corinthians 13:4-6
It seems that love is the antidote to the selfishness and greed that will be so abundant in the last days. John said “By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.” -John 13:35
This love that John talks about is not natural. (Eph. 2:3) I repeat it is not natural love, it is supernatural, because only the supernatural could love those that do what they will do in the last days. Thank God, he gave us his supernatural Son with his supernatural love. Through Jesus we wont only counter but influence this dark and dying world. Jesus calls us to be the antidote to a decaying world. He calls us to be salt of the earth, changing the flavor of a corrupt place, and by being the light of the world shining truth everywhere for men to repent and receive life. I encourage you to be that salt and light that influences a corrupt world by receiving Jesus into your life today.
