Seven Deadly Sins: Greed 7.3 - June 27, 2010

The 7 Deadly Sins
7.3 – Greed

Review:Ephesians 5:1-6 (New International Version)
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (New International Version)
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. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In 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.
What is it?
Why is greed such a big deal?
 
How do we fight greed?
1.    Generosity is the action that conquers greed.
2 Corinthians 8:7 (New International Version)
But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

2.    Eternal things is the focus that conquers greed.
Matthew 6:19-33 (New International Version)
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
 
Some questions to ask about greed:
1.    Do I give to the church (the way God defines it)?
2.    Do I keep from giving to others in the name of “thrift?”
3.    Do I run to my possessions for comfort?
4.    Do I find value in what I have?

Seven Deadly Sins: #2 Gluttony - June 20, 2010

7 Deadly Sins
7.2 – Gluttony
Review the history of the list:
 

What is it?

Why is gluttony such a big deal?

5 ways to commit the sin of gluttony (according to Pope Gregory)

1.    Eating before the time of meals in order to satisfy the palate. (Time – When and How Much)
Philippians 3:17-21 (New International Version)
Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

2.    Seeking Delicacies or Better Quality of Food to Gratify the “Vile Sense of Taste.” (Quality)
Proverbs 23:1-3 (New International Version)
When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.
Numbers 11:1-6 (English Standard Version)
Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the LORD and the fire died down. So that place was called Taberah*, because fire from the LORD had burned among them. The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat. We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”

3.    Seeking After Sauces and Seasoning for the Enjoyment of the Palate. (Stimulants)
1 Samuel 2:12-16 (ESV)
Eli’s sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD. Now it was the practice of the priests with the people that whenever anyone offered a sacrifice and while the meat was being boiled, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand. He would plunge it into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot, and the priest would take for himself whatever the fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. But even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.” If the man said to him, “Let the fat be burned up first, and then take whatever you want,” the servant would then answer, “No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.”

4.    Exceeding the Necessary Amount of Food. (Quantity)
Proverbs 23:20-21 (New International Version)
Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

Ezekiel 16:49 (ESV)
“ ‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.

5.    Taking Food With Too Much Eagerness – Even When Eating Proper Amounts and Not Too Luxurious. (Eagerness)
Genesis 25:29-34 (ESV)
Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.

Some questions to ask in regards to gluttony:
1. Why am I eating?
2. Why am I eating what I am eating?
3. By consuming this, did I put myself in a position where I didn’t trust God?
4. Do I trust God to provide for me?
5. Am I leveraging “freedom” to minimize my convictions?
6. Am I making excuses for what I know is wrong?

Seven Deadly Sins: 7.1 Envy - June 13, 2010

The 7 Deadly Sins
7.1 – Envy

A Brief History of the List.........

Today, we are going to look at Envy…
Envy is the one deadly sin that even sinners don’t like to mention.

Proverbs 14:30 (New International Version)
A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

In the Bible, there are all kinds of examples of Envy causing problems.
• Cain and Able
• Ishmael and Isaac
• Jacob and Esau
• Joseph and his coat of many colors caused his brothers to sell him into slavery
• None more famous than Saul’s Envy of David.

1 Samuel 18:1-9 (New International Version)
After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father's house. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people, and Saul's officers as well. When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. As they danced, they sang: 
"Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands." Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. "They have credited David with tens of thousands," he thought, "but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?" And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

What did Saul do as a result of his Envy?
1. He stopped ruling his kingdom
2. He pursued David and tried to kill him exclusively
3. He spent national resources to eliminate the next King chosen by God
4. He showed that he didn’t care about God’s plan, the country, or even his own family. He
only cared about himself. This is where Envy always leads.

Some Questions to ask yourself about envy:

1. Does God have good things for you?
Luke 11:11-13 (New International Version)
Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

John 10:10 (New International Version)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

2. What drives you?
1 Timothy 6:9-12 (New International Version)
People 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. For 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. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

3. Are you focused on Temporary or Eternal things?
2 Corinthians 10:5 (New International Version)
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Hebrews 3:12-13 (New International Version)
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

Reaching the World - June 6, 2010

Introduction:
  •    Our culture breeds numbness. How?
     o    The American dream says get my comfort all figured out
     o    The American dream says get more than I need so I don’t have to worry about anything.
     o    The American dream says comfort is king.
  •    With our comfort and wealth as king, there is no room for Jesus on the throne.
  •    Our goal is comfort, and numbness is the goal.  Not feeling anything is good.  No wonder
          Buddhism is working so well in America.  Nirvana is the state of ultimate being that suggests
          that we can be free from all this cycle of scramble and toil.
  •    Pop-Buddhism’s expert Eckhart Tolle says, that this peace of being, is not out there, it is in you.
           (The box you the beggar sit on contains the treasure you have been looking for, -The power of
           now) You work it out, you figure it out.  It is within you.  So we work towards numbness and
           nothingness so as to somehow obtain this peace within us.
Tension:
  •    Think about how your life is organized…I need a break; I need some peace and quiet.  I need to
         get this retirement thing figured out so I can just finally relax.  I need to get to this place of peace
         and quiet soon.
  •    We are striving for numb.
  •    This is not what Jesus modeled or asked us to be like.
  •    He models awareness and seeking .

In this kind of culture how do we cultivate spiritual awareness into our lives?

Jesus and His Father:

•    John 5.17-20 – NLT “But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” So the                   Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he         called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.   
    So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he
        sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son
        and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater
        works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished.

•    John 12.49-50 – NLT “I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has                     commanded me what to say and how to say it. 50 And I know his commands lead to eternal                   life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”

•    John 7.16 – NLT “So Jesus told them, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent           me.”

•    John 7.29 – NLT “But I know him because I come from him, and he sent me to you.”

•    John 14.6-7, 9 – NLT “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to             the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father               is.[a] From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” “…Jesus replied, “Have I been with            you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has               seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you?

  •    John 17.11 – NIV  “…so that they may be one as we are one.”

  •    In these passages you see an intimacy between Jesus and His father.


The solution is INTIMACY with a Person…JESUS.

1.    Intimacy with Jesus Relationally

  •    John 15.4-5 – NLT “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
  •    Abiding/Remaining
  •     John 6.56-57 –NLT “Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in                   him. 57 I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on             me will live because of me.
  •    Communion is a picture of submission (Ezekiel’s call)
  •    John 10.14-15- NLT ““I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just          as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.”
  •    John 10.3-4 – NLT “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and           come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his                own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.
  •    Knowing His voice/home group/Time together

2.    Intimacy with Jesus Practically

  •    John 13.13-15 – NLT “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I           am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each               other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.”
  •    John 14.12 – NIV “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been              doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
  •    John 15.12  - NIV  “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
  •    John 15.10 – NIV “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed              my Father's commands and remain in his love.”
  •    A life of doing what Jesus did.

Conclusion:

1.    This numbness only goes away as we press into Jesus.
2.    This numbness always creeps back in…no days off.
3.    This numbness walks hand in hand with a sense of entitlement that we carry…we deserve nothing.
4.    Awareness is knowing Jesus’ character, ways, likes, dislikes.
5.    Awareness is seeing where Jesus is working.
6.    Awareness is doing what Jesus does.



Questions/feedback or help getting someone in Spokane connected to Jesus and His church:
Richie Shaw – rshaw@reallifeministries.com

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