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The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE. Greed. Previously on 7 Sins. The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE. We have looked at 6 sins: Pride = wanting to be like God, or to be God. Envy = wanting the other person not to have what I don’t have. Gluttony
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The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE Greed
Previously on 7 Sins The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE We have looked at 6 sins: Pride = wanting to be like God, or to be God. Envy = wanting the other person not to have what I don’t have. Gluttony = wanting to feed the soul with the body’s food.
Previously on 7 Sins The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE We have looked at 6 sins: Anger = rage and resentment. Lust = thinking other people are objects for our sexual satisfaction Sloth = keeping yourself on the bench of the game, rather than partnering with God.
Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE Scripture Reading Luke 12:13-21
Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE Story of Banker and his BMW Rick Ezell, The 7 Sins of Highly Defective People, p.87-88
Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE Greed= - “an inordinate desire for more, an excessive, unsatisfied hunger to possess.”Rick Ezell, The 7 Sins of Highly Defective People, p.87-88 - Greek [pleonexia]: “the thirst for having more.”
Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE Greed is like drinking salt water to quench a thirst. It makes you more thirsty. You drink more and more without quenching your thirst. Then you die.
Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE Examples of Greed: Edmund in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Gollum in Lord of the Rings Gehazi in II Kings 5:20-27
Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE Examples of Greed: Cutting up the pie at home When a family divides up the parent’s belongings after they have died.
Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE The fallacy of Greed: “You are what you own.” “You will be happy having more stuff.”
Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE Jesus said: "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Luke 12:15
Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE The parable of the greedy fool Not a bad guy Didn’t cheat anyone Focus on himself [8 “I”s; 4 “my”s]
Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE 17He 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. 19And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."
Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE God calls him a fool because: • He does not realize his time is limited • He thinks that God blessings are for his own enjoyment only • No where does the man thank God • No where does he seek to help others
Overcoming Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE The remedy for greed is not to sit back and let things just happen. Then we would be back to the sin of sloth. Remember Proverbs 6:6-11
Overcoming Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE 6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! 7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, 8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- 11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
Overcoming Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE We find the answer to overcoming greed in Jesus’ words: Luke 12:21 "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
Overcoming Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE Paul helps us understand how we can be rich toward God in I Timothy 6:17-19:
Overcoming Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE 17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” I Timothy 6:17-19
Overcoming Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” Lk 12:17 • Live a life of dependence on God. • Put your hope in God not money/things • Thank God for the blessings you enjoy
Overcoming Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” Luke 12:18-19 • Be generous, willing to share - following Christ’s example
Overcoming Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE II Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
Overcoming Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” Luke 12:18-19 4. Be generous, willing to share • Lay up treasures in heaven • Live Life that is truly life.
Overcoming Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE 6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Overcoming Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE Have a spirit of contentment and develop a life of generosity. [more on this on GEMS Sunday, April 22] For this we need God.
Overcoming Greed The 7 SINS of HIGHLY defective PEOPLE Story of European wrestling champion Yussif the Turk Rick Ezell, The 7 Sins of Highly Defective People, p.94