Gods at War - Gods of Success, Part 2

Water is absolutely necessary for life.

You only last a few days without, but on the flipside, did you know it's possible to die from drinking too much water will stay with me as we discover too much of a good thing can actually be dangerous to your well-being. Welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with treatment Living on the Edges and international discipleship focused on helping Christians really live what Christian thanks for being left off last time in our new series gossip or taught by our guest teacher Kyle this program. Kyle continues teaching the story of the rich young Jeffrey Springs home money, success and achievements can sabotage our relationship with God before you get started.

Let me encourage you to use our message notes will include Carl's brief outline and all the supporting Scripture references to download these message notes just go to the broadcasts tab@livingontheedge.org abolitionist Field notes there now is part two of Kyle's message God's of success.

So this man has great confidence in his spiritual success. I've kept all the since I was verse 22 Jesus takes aim at the God of the primary God that sits on the throne of this man's heart. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, you still lack. One thing sell everything you have given to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. When he heard this, the man became very sad because he was a man of great wealth of the adjective that's used here to describe this man's wealth would put him above. Pretty much everyone else at that time and in that geographical area he was. He was towards the very top and as you read the story here is what often is done and this is how we often read the stories we see we see this as a story about money. This is not a story about money.

This is a story about idolatry that the problem with this man is not that he had a lot of money. The problem is that the money had him. The Bible does not say that money is the root of all kinds of evil. It says the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, and you may be rich or you may be poor. That's really not the issue. It's not about whether or not you have money is whether or not money has you, he sees turned it into a false God and in the reason Jesus talks so much about money in Scripture is because money has for us. The most potential. I think of any false God to become a God substitute. And so Jesus talk more about money than he talked about heaven and hell when he talked about sin and judgment talk more about money than he talked about prayer in the sermon on the Mount mentions idolatry only briefly, but when he speaks of idolatry. The only application he gives is that of money. Listen to what he says in Matthew 624 Jesus says no one can serve two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other, he will be devoted to one and despise the other.

You cannot serve both God and money and so money in the Bible is consistently portrayed as as God's chief competition and here's why this was this was very helpful to me personally when I understood this. The things in our life that have the most ability most potential to become a false God, are the things that promise to do for us what only God can do the things that have the most potential to become a false God, are the things that carry with them a false promise that they can do for us what only God can do woman by the name of Simone wheel. She says this was the issue for her in her life. One has only the choice between God and idolatry is your only choice. If one denies God one is worshiping some things of this world and the belief that one sees them only as such, your worshiping these things.

Thinking these are just things worshiping the things of this world thinking they're just the things of this world, but in fact she says, though unknown to oneself, so you don't even realize it. You are in fact imagining the attributes of divinity in them. Your imagining the attributes of divinity in them you are ascribing to them things that are only true of God. I think how we do this when it comes to money. What we say about money will one thing we say is that money will satisfy me. We give money. This divine attributes that it has the power to satisfy our souls and in doing so we make it a God in our lives with you as most people. What is the definition of success for you. The word happiness would show up. Aristotle called happiness. The chief good. It is the ultimate purpose he would say for existence is to be happy and when you talk to people about what's it gonna take to be happy for you. It doesn't take long for them to start speaking in terms of dollars and cents. Eventually, money becomes the symbol for our happiness. And so when we see money as something that has the ability to satisfy us were giving it a divine attribute, and yet we've seen over and over against the evidence says otherwise.

Forbes magazine when they put out their 75th anniversary issue was 570 pages long, and the majority of it went to unpacking this theme. Why do we in America feel so bad if we have it so good.

They asked 11 of their best writers to to probe this question while you can read through the whole thing. It really comes down to a very simple equation money does not equal happiness. And yet we want to believe that it would satisfy satisfaction is not something that you can take off the rack order off the Internet or drive off the lot. We think we can do that, we think, if I could drive this car. I would be satisfied and every time we see. So, else driving a car. We think of only I could drive that car. We go through the home around the homes and we think if only I lived in this home. Then I would be satisfied, but what are we doing weird giving money and wealth and possessions a divine attribute were saying that it has the power to do for us what only God can do another thing we say about money is is that money can make me significant and when we talk about people's worse, we almost always talk about their net worth what we start to determine someone's value by their valuables and when we do that we are ascribing to money a divine attribute to God wants to be the person who gives the significance he wants to be the person to give us worse.

But when we look to money to do that which we often do we.

We are making a God in our life of me I don't know if you're like me, but I could. I can do that like if I'm I'm drive and I've driven a number of run down trashy cars in my life and when I'm driving one of those cars you know how I feel about myself. I don't feel very good.

I put the mere flat down and I put the seat back and I try not to be seen and set why because we start to determine our R-value buyer value.

When we do that were making it a got another thing we say about money is that money will bring us security.

That's a belief that we have. God wants to be our security and we look to money for security were making that are God were giving it a divine attributes saying oh you can make me secure and whatever you put your security in is ultimately your God. Most of us have come to believe that comfort and security is something that has a price tag that with enough money, we can be comfortable we can find a security I just had enough money then I can have health insurance and it wouldn't really matter if I got sick of the hospitals would be paid for by had enough money, life insurance and my my family would be taken care of if I could to save enough they would have that nest egg if I have enough money that I and all the sudden God doesn't become who we are dependent on for provision in our life. You see how this works when we ascribe to money these divine attributes. We make it God. God is jealous because we're looking to money for security for significance� I want to do that.

I want to be your source of satisfaction I want to be your source of significance. I want to be your source of security. When I started this message preparing for. I wouldn't have said that money is a false God in my life. Certainly it is that war within me, but I wouldn't have said it sat on the throne and I started asking myself these difficult questions, I began to be convicted, and otherwise question number one what you complain the most about. Remember that question would you complain the most about you complain about your financial status. The car you drive the house you live in that reveals a false God, what you sacrifice your time for are you mostly giving your time to making money. What you worry about are most of your worries and fears revolving around finances, gas prices, the retirement fund house payments. What you dream of what brings you the most joy for many people when they dream of things. It's things that can be bought and what about this question. What controls you. What controls you III know some people in the church who have have told me that they really feel called by God to leave their job in the secular workplace at end and to be involved in full-time Christian service in some way they feel like that's what God wants them to do. They haven't done it because money says it doesn't make sense. Money says you can't afford it. So if God is saying this is what you should do and money is saying you can't do it. What you decide to do reveals your God I've talked to moms who really feel called by God to quit their jobs to stay at home with their kids. If you like. This is what God wants them to do, but they have to downsize and I don't see how than the numbers can work and so they they they they have God saying this is what you this is what you should do this and I want you to do and money saying you can't do it. What they decide to do determines who their God is and understand the different situations or art are not so cut and dry and sometimes sometimes if it can be more difficult to determine exactly what God wants. But at the end of the day what is it that controls you see God once the throne of your heart to himself.

He will not share your love seat of your heart with money. He just won't do it. And if you're putting your work or your success or your money ahead of God and you are either experiencing God's active wrath are you're experiencing his passive wrath. Expressing his passive wrath and that perhaps he's just turned you over to these things and I said fine if that's what you want to worship you go ahead and worship it. One day you'll realize it was a waste or your experience in God's active wrath where he's taking some of these things away from you. In an effort to turn you back towards him on some very good friends give you permission to share story of what happened early on in their marriage. This is more more than 10 years ago first year of marriage and Pam was the primary breadwinner in the family and she was doing well for herself and she was finding identity and in her money. Like many of us worshiping the gods of our father's wealth and surcease finding her identity and this and this is a purpose for life and she's holding it over her husband's head, holding it over Kyle's head and and is taking a toll on their marriage and and things are not good at home and then one day she's trading some stocks and she buys 2000 shares of an IPO stock with an IPO stock you don't know how much it cost until after you buy it came out to about hundred and $80,000 worth of stock. This was all of the money they had.

Plus some by the end of the day her hundred and $80,000 worth of stock was worth $25,000 worth of stock and so she had. She had lost everything.

The family would have to take out a loan just to pay off the debt and she was devastated, lost over hundred $50,000. She calls her husband Kyle and tells tells him what's happened is what Kyle says. He says it's just money.

We still have each other and God began to teach her some things he began to teach her about what's most important began to teacher about what you can truly put your trust in.

He began to teach her what true love really is and if you talk to her today about it. You get the impression that the day she lost $150,000 is one of the best days of her life. You see, if that wouldn't happen. She's not sure that she would've realized how much her husband loved her and maybe maybe their marriage would've ended in divorce is that wouldn't have happened. And perhaps she would continue to pursue this path of career and money and find her identity and those things and so instead of being a committed stay-at-home mom with her three beautiful kids.

If that wouldn't have happened than than maybe she wouldn't put her complete dependence in God. Maybe she wouldn't put her complete trust in him. May you be so blessed that God pries your false God out of your white knuckled hands rather than spend your life sacrificing, and giving yourself to what is not real.

See the problem with idolatry is that ultimately we are putting our trust in something other than Jesus were looking for something other than Jesus for us, our salvation, for many of us it's money. Maybe you're lonely, though, and you're looking to a relationship for salvation, maybe, are empty and you're looking to possessions for salvation are you're depressed and you're looking to food for salvation free feel rejected and you're looking to pornography for salvation. Maybe you're angry and you look to alcohol for salvation, maybe feel no purpose in life and you look to work for salvation. Maybe you're worried and anxious and so your you're looking to money for salvation, and so you made these things your Savior.

You said that this is where I'm gonna look for salvation in my life, but in the end, there is nothing there. This is what we read in Psalm 106 reflects back on the Israelites worshiping a golden image. While Moses is receiving the 10 Commandments, and here's what it says this is the day the people of God made a calf at Mount Horeb and they exchange their glorious God for an image of a bull which eats grass. This is not a good trait and yet this is what we've done, we look at this and we think how ridiculous that they would trade their glorious God for an image of a golden calf.

Well, at least it's gold made some of us have traded our glorious God for a car that can handle the corners really well.

We traded our glorious God for jobs and that he has even called us to put a page pretty good.

We traded our glorious God for a house that has a lot of upgrades we trade our glorious God for more impressive portfolio.

Don't misunderstand me. I'm not against these things. They are not wrong in and of themselves, but when good things become God. Things we are guilty of idolatry and for many of us, these are the things that have become too important in our lives. And so I'm wondering if for some of you, your business has become your religion. The Wall Street Journal has become your Bible, you pay closer attention to economic growth than you do your own spiritual growth. These are not good traits I was reading a story this last week of Millard Fuller and his wife Linda Miller tells about becoming a millionaire by the age of 29 and he says it age 29 he he bought everything for his wife that she could possibly want. But one day he came home from work to find a note announcing that she had left him.

He went after her. He catches up to her and on a Saturday night and it in a in a hotel in New York City and the two of them stay up talking into the wee hours of the morning and she just expresses to him that the things that they have given their lives to the things that our society says are supposed so satisfying had left her cold sore heart was empty. Her spirit was burned down.

She said she felt that inside and wanted to live again. So the two of them in that hotel room, knelt beside their bed and Millard, and Linda decided to sell every thing they had and commit the rest of their lives to serving poor people. The next day was Sunday, they found the nearest Baptist Church and went there to worship and thank God for their new beginning. They shared with the minister. Their decision in the minister told them that such a radical decision wasn't necessary. Millard writes these words, he says, the minister told us it was not necessary to give up everything he just didn't understand we weren't giving up money and the things that money could buy. We were giving up. We were we were giving up. And Millard, and Linda started an organization, you may be familiar with Habitat for Humanity. It is tempting in teaching a passage like the one were studying from Luke 18 to say about Jesus when he speaks to the rich young ruler, and says sell everything you have. It's tempting to say he didn't really mean he's just speaking metaphorically, Jesus meant it.

I wonder about this man to the rich young ruler just become a richer older ruler or did he send at some point realize what what he should truly give his life to one of the strangest verses you read in the Bible is in verse 22, 23, since he became very sad because he was a man of great wealth stud make any sense. Strange to read a sentence like that he was sad because he he wanted both God and money. He did not want to have to choose, and yet that was the only invitation. Jesus offered.

It's all or nothing.

I'm either Lord of all or not at all. That was his invitation and so the man walked away sad and the invitation has not changed, it is still the invitation where you make God the Lord of your life. I just parts of it, but of your entire life and let him have been thrown on the seat of your heart how you walk away today is Jesus is patiently waited for that position of glory in your life. Listening to Living on the Edge with shipping and the message you just heard is from our new series, God is at war, taught by our guest teacher Kyle idling.

She will be in studio shortly to share his application for this message. When you hear the word idle, you probably picture those big stone figures that people worshiped centuries ago but did you know that while most people don't bow down to man-made statues anymore. We all worship something in the series are guest teacher Kyle idling reveals the subtle nature of idolatry and just how rampant it is in our lives. Oftentimes without us even realizing it.

He unpacks the ways we've put money, pleasure, achievements, careers, even our families in place of God and how we've allowed those false gods to satisfy control and to finance will stay with us as Kyle exposes the idols were holding onto and challenges us to take radical steps to get back to worshiping the one true God. To learn more about the series God's at war defeating the idols the battle for your heart go to LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003 Listeners, special offers one joined now by our host Chip Ingram and Chip. I really think Kyle's message today will resonate with our listeners because were all guilty of over prioritizing money and success in our lives, but a very clear remedy for this issue. As we've heard today is generosity. So Chip if you would take a minute and talk about the opportunity. Our listeners have to practice generosity by partnering with Living on the Edge will first of all, ministry is always issue of the heart. And Jesus says that wherever our treasure is. That is where heart will be. The Bible also commands us to be generous and open and free and everything that I have everyone listening by voice right now everything they have not is entrusted that to them. The second is the Bible's really clear. Not only that we should be generous but aware, we should be generous. I personally believe that your first commitment at your local church, but then there's that opportunity to give over and above that first portion and to express love because God says were ever you're spiritually ministered unto, that the apostle Paul would say to a group of Christians.

I ministered spiritually to you and he actually went so far to say is you have a financial obligation to minister back to me in his situation.

It wasn't like for airtime I guess was maybe a donkey time or or you know I need some new parchment sore.

I need your financial resources to get on that ship to go from Corinth to Ephesus, and is just the same. Here you know if you get ministered unto one of the ways that you not only say thank you but then you generously pass it on to others is to support that ministry that's that's ministering to you.

So that's kinda what biblically why we do it and you know there's just that the reality of need and it's a partnership than a team and so MP4 generous. I mean, I'm thrilled I'm very excited about how they do give and so I want to say. If you haven't, you can get in on this and if you have thank you very much will if you're benefiting from the work of this ministry now would be a great time for you to join us. Your gift will help others receive the same encouragement you're enjoying to send a gift or become a monthly partner go to LivingontheEdge.org Donate on the app or call AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. All now here's Chip with his application. As we close today's broadcast on ask you a simple question who are you listening to.

Are you listening to the lies from money that you need more of it that you will find security in it that it's the source of your joy that all your dreams.

We fulfilled by it. When we believe and follow these lies as Kyle put it, describing attributes to money that only God can fulfill then were in deep trouble.

We believed a lie were actually asking money to deliver to save us to give us what only God can. I love this line money may be whispering in your ear. But Jesus is shouting at you, Christ wants to provide all that you need with no strings attached and no money is not a bad thing. Money is it is a great tool and I remember talking to a very very wealthy man who went broke two or three different times and EE told me said you know I asked money to deliver what it never had the power to and so no matter how much I had.

I just kept taking bigger and bigger and bigger risks, and then went broke and I'm pretty gifted at making money.

So I made a fortune again and I did the same thing in the and then went broke and and then God showed me that my problem wasn't money. My problem was what the Bible calls the low Korea was the love of money. It was an idol in my life and I remember going to a conference with that man.

It was a turning point in his life was a conference on the generous giving and it was a conference where you go to and no one ask you for any money. It's a conference where they teach. What's the Bible say about generosity and then different people tell their stories of the joy in the fulfillment of increasing levels of generosity and he turned to me and he said you know something. I've got a new mission and then he kind of smiled. I said once that he goes I'm gonna make a lot of money and he said it sort of like that and then he paused, he said, so I can give a lot of money away and that was the beginning and he committed that he wanted to give at least $1 million away every year a beginning.

Back then, and that was a number of years ago and I watched how God has put his hand upon his life and the joy that he has and how he's now sorta become an evangelist for generosity, but he he did some radical radical things to begin to dethrone money because it had a hold on him and you know the seeds of money start very early in her life and so let me just tell you straight up money will destroy your life. If it's an idol so let me encourage you be as radical as you need to be taken of radical step stop justifying, rationalizing and playing games. Money is the other God. This is a test that God is brought into your life today, but it's a test for you to win.

It's a test where you can say yes to life and no to death. Take that step. You know a great way to get plugged in with our resources here, Living on the Edge is through the chipping remap. There you can listen to past series sign up for daily discipleship and much more. Let us help you experience God in a new personal way. Starting today with the chipping remap until next time. This is the saying thanks for listening to this edition of living on VA