Idol - Greed, Part 1

Money is the count of God there's only room for one on the throne of your life. Dr. Tony Evans says it's time to choose who that will be once it turns which means spiritual file. You and I have put ourselves in a this is the alternative with Dr. Tony Potter speaker senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the alternative, if someone asks you to choose between God and money. It is hard to come up with the right answer but possession of session is a real problem today. Dr. Evans explains why it's so important to loosen your grip on the stuff that can easily take over your life. Let's turn to Colossians chapter 3 as we join him most cause lights.

These lights come on. To let you know something needs to be looked at. The light is not a problem but it is pointing you to a deeper problem when the light comes on you. Don't try to fix the life because you know the light is therefore a bigger purpose that is to show you what to get you to investigate something on the hood that needs to be repaired or fixed. The light is only calling your attention to it because without the life you may not know that an adjustment or repair is needed. When God wanted to shine the light's on our hearts and our spiritual priorities. He would regularly use an indicator light. Jesus used it all the time throughout the Gospels. He would bring up money he would bring him money because he knew that that would be a lie to our souls because of how important it is how valuable it is. How needed it is, but also how idolatrous it can become so he would turn on the light.

In fact, Jesus talk more about money than he did about heaven or hell he would regularly shine it, not because there is a problem with money but because the light would indicate a deeper issue that needed to be examined and if necessary repaired and so today I want to talk you about and I will that money can lead to money is just the light. Nothing wrong with the light but it can point to something that doesn't need to be addressed and you see it here in verse five he says greed which is idolatry.

So there is an idol called greed and it is a big deal. As you will see, now let me define my term so that we are talking about the same thing when we talk about greed or being greedy. Greed is the illegitimate and unauthorized desire pursuits. Addition of material gain so catastrophic is greed as an item that in Romans 1/29 and 30th. Put alongside of murder is identified as an idol because it is trusted and served not know some people say why don't love money but you fantasize about and dated money seeks to become a master and it does it through a motivation and the motivation emanates from this thing called greed. Now I know that mentally I may be being challenged right now because greed is not something we necessarily attribute to ourselves. Somebody give you a test and then you can decide if your greeting you are greedy. I am greedy if we use illegal or immoral means to acquire things illegal or immoral means of acquisition means that you are driven by greed. We are greedy when we complain more than we give thanks we are greedy when we are more concerned about outcast character. We are greedy when your financial life is going up but your spiritual life is going down. We are driven by greed. When we treat people with money better than we treat people without we are greedy when we pray, and plot to possess what legitimately belongs to somebody else called covetousness. All we are greedy when we heard others in order to get something for ourselves. All those expressions of Greek thought any greedy people in the house. I guess I'll know okay let me keep going. Money is the leading counterfeit God of our culture is the leading counterfeit God of our culture not because money is all that it's not but because when the long motivation sets in. People hurt each other. People damage themselves in a moment. So this is a big deal. And God called it an idol, something to be worshiped instead of human reminded of the story of the man who became depressed was passed the past am so depressed, so what, what's wrong. Three weeks ago my father died and left me $50,000.

So okay two weeks ago my aunt died and left me $20,000. Okay one week ago my cousin died and left me $10,000 and I'm so depressed you're depressed because these people.this is not depressed because this week. Nobody died, we can become so driven by greed that the matter no matter in the right proportion that they are to chapter 12 there is a story that Jesus tells Jesus have been teaching in Luke 12 spiritual truths in the middle of this instructional man comes to members 13 someone in the crowd said the teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me. But Jesus said the man appointed me judge or arbitrator over you. Then he said to them, beware, and be on God against every form of greed for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions. So Jesus is teaching spiritual truth.

He's trying to get people to think God work this God breaks into the teaching and says Jesus. My brother is holding money out on me from our family.

Would you please tell my brother to show me the money.

Jesus looks at him and says, you better watch out for every form, every shape, every side was all greed is not the same in whatever way greed, I'm trying to teach virtual principal and you want to jump to money you better beware now notice this is not the God who has the money. The guy who wants the money so you can be poor and greedy have it yet, but he wants it so bad. He's willing to skip the spiritual master for him to solve this financial dilemma so that means Jesus to tell the story in Luke 12, summarizer will correct that the rich man in verse 16. He's got this big piece of property. So he starts talking to himself.

He says to himself without Amanda stopped and was in a man, and he says, verse 19 soul watch. We start talking to yourself so you have many good things laid up for many years to come. Take your ease, eat, drink and be merry. But God said to him, this very night your soul is required of you and now who will would you have prepared so is the man who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

We have a man got up only agricultural business I maybe got a bill more storage to handle how great his business and our culture has become underneath blowing though building storages. Any thoughts on doing something for himself. You got a go and all you about you all lease and so self-centered you all out of the bag of chips.

Wiggle pate. We will eat drink and be merry. We go retire early my 401(k) and we got it going on because you are a success. If you read the story you'll read this word over and over again. Me me me me himself himself himself.

It was all about him and he's bragging.

God enters into this cell phone and while he's talking to himself from heaven, says you will so that means you can be productive and beautiful at the same time successful and at the same time that you got going all beautiful at the same time because this man had economic plans that were about to be interrupted that night because he says you're so is required of you. Now tell me how rich you said you are. In other words, if you are. Pour toward God matter how rich you are toward man or toward yourself.

Not condemning the man for being productive.

Please print condemning the man being spiritually impoverished, although he was financially successful and he says I'm coming to get you when I come to get you and it will be tonight. Even though you don't know it yet is godly tonight and now you will get to enjoy anything you plan most of us have plans. We got retirements. We got things were looking forward to.

We got the time we don't have to do a 9 to 5.

Nothing wrong with that but don't beautiful, he says, beware of reform of grief when you get so into stuff that you become spiritually impoverished and there is nothing God word even though there's everything that's earthbound and what interrupts this man is an unexpected end-of-life minutes by good long time.

Eat drink and be merry.

That's the thing about the end-of-life. It can be so unexpected. Dr. Evans will share one such unexpected incident. He continues her lesson in just a moment. Stay with us. Why is America falling morally, culturally, economically and politically these issues and how can we recover resignation Dr. Tony Evans of Randy message series called American Idol and turning a nation's guide to help you find answers now is the time to stand together Tony Evans.org part of the greatest revival in history, and if we hear from you right away. Both the book and the message series can be yours as her.

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Tony's current American Idol series contains eight full-length messages and you get them to review on both CD and digital download. Along with this popular book America turning a nation to God. Just visit Tony Evans.org to get the details and make the arrangements. Again, that's Tony Evans.org or give us a call at 1-800-800-3222 and speak with one of our friendly resource team members that ready to help you around the clock, so call 1-800-800-3222. I'll have the contact information for you again after part to today's message.

One of our staff members is that is sitting in front of the television join the TV program he wants to change the channel. He asked his wife to give him the remote's wife goals given the remote walks into the kitchen. She is the remote drop to the floor. She comes in and he's passed away what God wants you to say is look while you live this life. Don't be so in the stuff that you miss me because when push comes to shove back and go to somebody else and you may not be here to enjoy it. So no way to to build up your spiritual bank account while you are focusing on your earthly bank account because you don't know whether it will be interrupted supernaturally reminded of the story who the men were death was tracking him down.

Death was tracking down and he heard about a semi-got to get on the town before death comes here so death is due here today so I better get on the train runs to the next on the next day when he comes out of his hotel room in the next town. He runs in the death. Death is then to get it set.

You are coming to the town yesterday. That's why Randy said here about my appointment was with you today. No matter how hard you run how fast you go is appointed on the man once to die, and after that the judgment don't let greed make you a fool.

Don't let money make you a fool by trying to get a degree. Nothing well with indicator light money itself, but once it turns into Paris, which means it will spiritual priority. You and I have put ourselves in a damaging devilish scenario. Now here we have a man.

Jesus says in verse 21, so is the man or woman. Whoever they are.

So is the person who stores up treasure for himself and not rich toward God. So the question was how spiritually rich are you how spiritually rich are you now, this issue would dream is not merely a individual problem is a family problem.

The amount of couples who fight over money who break up over money will get divorce over money who have to speak in high money from each other because of money has gotten the wrong foothold in the home and nothing manifests. Read more than the growth of family people using money that I don't have to buy things they don't need to impress people they don't know about catastrophic things that you can't control about choices that are made when you know you do not have the resources, the coverage just because you wanted to become families today. I know I owe so off to work I go where your liabilities are greater than your assets due to irresponsibility due to disobedience to God and not being spiritually rich. You live in day out is what the Bible calls a slave for the Scripture says, the borrower becomes a slave to the lender.

We should rename visa to voluntary institutional servitude always because that has dominated our lives because the culture keeps inviting us to get in debt and we accept the invitation even when God tells us not to because report toward God, but is not only an individual problem and a family problem with church from running around for years. Prosperity theology when you speak wealth into existence where God becomes your slot machine and you come for your blessed nevermind. I'm not going spiritually. I want my blessed God becomes use in the name of God. Many pulpits have put goal before God money before the mass and then try to spiritualize it.

God wants you to prosper.

God doesn't want you to prosper you prosper without him. What you grow economically without him is not what you don't miss him and use the pulpit to trick people out of their money.

All to use the pulpit to guarantee something. God didn't guarantee him making God look like his word about giving God a bad name is misuse of church charts to be greedy. We have godly people today. Doing business and calling themselves Christians, that is a form of corporate greed in the name of profit. Don't get me wrong, God is not against properties against greed. Then there is America being built on greed, the birth of our great Republic was using economics to empower the evil institution of slavery is economic development legitimate absolutely, but not people against their will into a system that tracks the nothing to woman out and does so generationally. That's a form of greed with all the great things that are contrary to offer when greed takes over our individualized personal lives, family lives, governmental, corporate lives that we have set ourselves up and I know that is against the true and living God.

Dr. Evans will come back with a powerful personal example about that in just a moment. Stay with us the first reminder that today's lesson is part of Tony's brand-new series American idols for limited time you can get all eight messages in this powerful collection is our gift along with his popular book America turning a nation to God all and appreciation for your contribution to help us keep this program coming your way. Each day, resource Center at 1-800-800-3222 to make the arrangements any time day or night staff with friendly team members ready to help you with your request. That's 1-800-800-3222 or visit us@tonyevans.org or you can make your donation and instantly download all the messages in this series. Imagine waking up one day to discover the dollars were no longer accepted the cash in your pocket would be worthless. Your bank account balance, just an meaningless number tomorrow. Dr. Evans will tell us why that's pretty much the case as he explains what makes us truly rich in God's economy right now though he's back with a closing thought for today when we built this building in 1995. This facility was constructed we were viewing a number of construction companies. One of the interviewed companies asked to meet with me privately in my office I went to meet with him and they said no if you will leverage your influence to get this contract we will set up an account in your name for $250,000.

This will be your private account. Nobody will know about this, but you always want you to do is to leverage your influence to get us this account that I know you're wondering what I did not. Obviously, they did not get the account what they wanted to do was appeal to greed to leverage influence for their business and they were telling me about that Christianity greed can be part of the churches profile when it abuses the misuses divine resources you want to watch out for that that greed is not driving the ministry God is driving the alternative with Dr. Tony is made possible by the generous confusion of listeners like