Facing the Giant of Money (3)
What happens when Money is Master
Man's heart is "desperately wicked" (Genesis 6:5, Jeremiah 17:9)
Without the constraint of God's law in a man's heart, man left to himself will act out his sinful desires.
People blame evil with illegal aliens, or a lack of gun control and a myriad of other things. The blame game continues until it has pointed the finger at everything and everyone in whom we want radical change.
However, the basic problem is that Man is a sinner and his heart is desperately sick. Evil lurks in the heart of man and it will erupt when it is allowed to act unconstrained.
One of the most horrific things that is happening to our society today is that we are removing God's law from the teaching of our children. Jesus is no longer Master.
However, we also struggle when we allow our own fleshly desires and materialistic lusts to become Master over our hearts. We must have Jesus in our hearts if we are to have any hope of overcoming the pressures and manipulations of evil that lurks just outside every heart's door.
Jesus says one fear we must all have is the fear that money will become a master in our lives and destroy our sense of health, happiness, joy and peace.
Jesus can and will provide the stability in our lives that we need, if we will let Him.
What happens when Jesus is Master?
"No servant can be the slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can't be slaves to both God and money."
Luke 16:13 (HCSB)
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A. GENEROSITY - You are generous with what God gives you and do not withhold good Prov 11:24-25
There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more.The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.
B. EXPECTATIONS - You don't expect finances to bring you happiness. Prov 11:28, 30
He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like the green leaf. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls.
C. SATISFACTION - You seek to be happy with what you already have Prov 15: 15-17,
All the days of the oppressed are miserable, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast. Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and turmoil with it. Better is a dish of vegetables where love is than a fattened ox served with hatred.
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D. STABILITY - You commit your works to the Lord
Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established. Prov 16:3
1. "It's impossible" God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)
"What is impossible with men is possible with God."
2. "I'm too tired" God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)
"Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
3. "Nobody really loves me" God says: I love you (Jn 3:16)
"For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."
4. "I can't go on" God says: My grace is sufficient (II Cor 12:9)
"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."
Lane Palmer, Youth Pastor
Sometimes the phrase "it seemed like yesterday" can be viewed as an overused cliché, but in this case it is absolutely accurate.
I'm talking about the April 20th, 1999 tragedy at Columbine High School, where 12 students and one teacher were killed by two students who later took their lives. The reason it still seems like yesterday is because of my closeness to the situation. I was a youth pastor in Littleton, Colorado with a youth group made up primarily of Columbine students.
At first the images from that day struck me as a fire at the school, but within seconds the cold hard reality of what was really going on sunk into my conscious mind. The unthinkable was happening. Of course you remember that day as well . images of aerial shots over the school, children jumping out of windows, and groups of students holding on to each other for dear life. A quiet suburban neighborhood was transformed into a war zone; except instead of soldiers being shot, there were innocent teens going through hell on earth.
Over the next several months I met with each of my students who were there to let them pour out their anger and grief, and somehow try to answer the unanswerable question of why God would allow this to happen. Each teen had a different perspective, but they all shared one thing in common: the loss of innocence and the illusion of safety forever shattered.
WE REAP WHAT WE SOW
Sept 2003
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this happen?" (regarding the attacks on Sept. 11).
Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.
And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"
In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.
Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school .. the Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."
Lane Palmer (cont')
Now eight years later?almost to the day?the old wounds are reopened with visceral intensity. It was painfully surreal as I drove by Columbine High School this morning with the unfolding details of the Virginia Tech tragedy blaring through my radio. Once again I am not only faced with my own questions and fears, but also the ones from those in my family and ministry.
When wickedness is allowed to rear its ugly head (and seemingly triumph) in situations like this, God can again show us His love by turning what was meant for evil and use it for good.
Point #1 - In the aftermath of the worst devastation, God does his biggest miracles.
We need a message of hope and perspective. We need to take time to focus on the truth in Scripture that when times seem darkest, the Light of the World shines brightest.
In the pages of the Bible, human tragedy is almost always followed by miraculous transformation.
§ Consider the story of the world-wide flood. When everything on the planet and everyone on it were destroyed by a flood, God brought about a new existence for mankind through Noah and his family. He wiped the slate clean through destruction and gave mankind a fresh start. Every rainbow is a reminder of this.
§ Through the ten plagues in Egypt God delivered his people from slavery
§ Through the destruction of Jericho came the birth of a new nation in a promised land
§ Through the death of Christ came the salvation of all mankind
§ Through the horrific judgments in Revelation will come the Eternal Kingdom.
The God who accomplished all these things is the same God who somehow, some way, will accomplish good in the midst of our evil today.
Point #2 - Every human tragedy has its root in humanity's fall, but evil will one day be eradicated.
When Adam sinned, he planted the seed that will continue to produce the weeds of murderous people in society. Romans 5:12:
When Adam sinned; sin entered the entire human race. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
Think about that last phrase, "death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned." The real catastrophe is the chain reaction of transgression that Adam unleashed on this planet when he ate of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Up until then there was no death or tragedy.
Yet someday God will contain the disastrous presence of sin in the darkness of hell. Every particle of evil will be compressed into the Lake of Fire where every unforgiven sinner and every fallen angel will suffer the ultimate, eternal catastrophe.
We cannot expect the ?not yet' in the ?now'. Until that day, there will continue to be shootings and tragedies, but praise God?there will be an ultimate end to the grieving and tears.
Point #3 - True hope can only be found in Jesus Christ.
In a sense, this Sunday may very well feel like a national memorial service. Many will meet and grieve the senseless loss of life and pray for all those affected directly and indirectly.
Most importantly, people will be thinking through the issues of life that matter most. Questions of what is truly important may be in the forefront of our hearts and minds.
Therefore, in the midst of this, we have a holy opportunity to share the most marvelous hope of life in the universe. the offer of eternal life for those who trust in Christ for salvation.
We need to know that while there is no guarantee of safety in this life, there is a guarantee of salvation in the life to come, in Christ.
Jesus Christ left his place of safety in heaven and entered into this dangerous world of wars and school shootings to give us hope by subjecting himself, and becoming a victim of a tragedy Himself.
The only innocent man to ever live died the most undeserved death - and our Heavenly Father knows the pain of the loss of a son.
While there is no guarantee of safety in this life, there is a guarantee of salvation in the life to come.
We cannot change the horrendous events in Virginia. However, we can repent of our own personal sins and trust Jesus as our Savior. We can receive God's gift of eternal life and a sure hope that one day we will live in God's total and perfect protection.
For those of us who have already trusted Jesus as our personal Savior, we can be used by God to bring about the hope of God's coming Kingdom in every human tragedy we face!
I leave you with this very appropriate Pauline benediction from Ephesians 3:20
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
"I can't figure things out" God says: I will direct your steps (Prv 3:5-6)
"I can't do it" God says: You can do all things (Phil 4:13)
"I'm not able" God says: I am able (II Cor 9:8)
"It's not worth it" God says: It will be worth it (Rom 8:28)
"I can't forgive myself" God says: I Forgive you (I Jn 1:9; Rom 8:1)
"I can't manage" God says: I will supply all your needs (Phil 4:19)
"I'm afraid" God says: Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God" (Jn 14:1)
"I'm always worried and frustrated" God says: Cast all your cares on ME (I Pet 5:7)
"I don't have enough faith" God says: I've given everyone a measure of faith (Rom 12:3)
"I'm not smart enough" God says: I give you wisdom (I Cor 1:30)
"I feel all alone" God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Heb 13:5)
