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The '7' Deadly Sins HELP US LORD TO BE SO CONNECTED TO YOU THAT WE MIGHT BECOME THE SERVANTS OF OTHERS. WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO FOR 10 MILLION DOLLARS? AUTHORS JAMES PATTERSON AND PETER KIM ASKED THIS QUESTION IN THEIR BOOK CALLED: THE DAY AMERICA TOLD THE TRUTH… IN RESPONSE TO THAT RATHER TEMPTING QUESTION… 25% OF AMERICANS POLLED WOULD ABANDON THEIR ENTIRE FAMILY… WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO FOR 10 MILLION DOLLARS? 25% WOULD ABANDON THEIR CHURCH… 23% WOULD BECOME PROSTITUTES FOR A WEEK OR MORE… 16% WOULD GIVE UP THEIR CITZENSHIP… 16% WOULD LEAVE THEIR SPOUSES… 10% WOULD WITHOLD TESTIMONY AND LET A MURDERER GO FREE… AND 3% WOULD PUT THEIR CHILDREN UP FOR ADOPTION… WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR 10 MILLION DOLLARS? NOW TODAY WE ARE IN THE THIRD WEEK OF A PREACHING SERIES ON THE 7 DEADLY SINS WE’VE NAMED THIS SERIES… MIND THE GAP… TAKEN FROM THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE LONDON TUBE SYSTEM, WHERE THE VOICE SAYS MIND THE GAP… MEANING WATCH OUT FOR THAT GAP BETWEEN THE TRAIN AND THE STATION PLATFORM. SO IT IS WITH THE WAY WE LEAD OUR LIVES ISN’T IT? THERE ARE GAPS OUT THERE, MINEFIELDS, WHERE IF WE AREN’T MINDING THEM, WATCHING OUT FOR THEM, WE CAN FALL TO OUR OWN SPIRITUAL OR PHYSICAL DEATH. MOST OF THE MINEFIELDS OF THE MIND AND HEART COME IN THE FORM OF ONE OR MORE OF THESE 7 DEADLY SINS… SO FAR WE’VE NAMED TWO OF THEM, ENVY AND LAST WEEK, ANGER. TODAY THOUGH, WE STEP OUT INTO ANOTHER….THAT BEING THE ICY AVARICE… AVARICE SIMPLY PUT IS THE ART OF HOARDING…
MORE ROOM FOR MORE STUFF! WITH MY CHILDREN THE AGES THEY ARE, THEY LOVE THE VEGGIE TALES MOVIES… ONE OF THE VEGGIE TALES SKITS FEATURES MADAM BLUEBERRY GOING NOT TO WAL*MART BUT THE STUFF*MART… STUFF HERE, STUFF THERE, STUFF EVERYWHERE! THIS IS AVARICE, COLLECTING, THEN HOARDING, HOARDING THINGS WE DON’T NEED.. AVARICE IS ESSENTIAL SELFISHINESS, AND INSECURITY… PUTTING THINGS AWAY FOR A RAINY DAY, BUT FOR MANY OF US, A RAINY DAY THAT NEVER COMES! AND THE DANGER WITH AVARICE, IS THAT IT LIVES UP TO ITS NAME! HERE’S WHAT I MEAN… THE LAST 3 LETTERS OF AVARICE SPELL OUT … I-C-E… ROBERT MCCRACKEN WROTE A BOOK RECENTLY CALLED WHAT IS SIN, WHAT IS VIRTUE? IN IT, HE PAINTS AN UGLY PICTURE OF AVARICE.. HE WRITES: ONE WOULD NEVER SEE A PERSON OF AVARICE WITH A SPRING IN HIS STEP, OR A SMILE ON HER FACE… WHEN WE THINK OF AVARICE, WE THINK OF A MISER…A FROWNING MISER! A MISER…
HAVE YOU EVER KNOWN A HAPPY MISER? AVARICE IS HOLDING A PENNY SO CLOSE TO YOUR EYE IT BLOCKS OUT THE SUN! THIS IS WHAT AVARICE DOES! IT BLOCKS OUT THE LIGHT OF LOVE AND CONCERN FOR OTHERS! LIVING TO HOARD AND COLLECT TURNS US INTO ICE DOESN’T IT? WHICH OFTEN LEADS TO MORE AND MORE SECLUSION, TURNING MORE AND MORE INWARD! I THINK OF SOME FORMER NEIGHBORS OF OURS… LOVELY PEOPLE AND OVER TIME TURNED THEIR HOUSE INTO AN ABSOLUTE SHOWPLACE… BEAUTIFUL GARDENS, INCREDIBLE PORCHES, BUT AS THEY TIRELESSLY PUT MONEY INTO THEIR HOME, THEY ALSO SEEMED TO TURN MORE AND MORE INWARD… MORE AND MORE UNTIL ONE DAY, THEY PUT A SIGN ON THEIR GATE NEXT TO THE STREET, IT SAID IT ALL… TRUE STORY…THE SIGN THEY PUT UP SAID THIS… PLEASE ADMIRE FROM THE STREET! IN OTHER WORDS, DON’T COME IN! AVARICE IS COLD, IT’S FRIGID. ONE OF THE COLD HEARTED SINS. AND THERE IS NO OTHER BETTER STORY IN ALL OF SCRIPTURE THAT DEFINES AVARICE THAN LUKE 12… WHAT A GREAT STORY! THE STORY OF THE FARMER WHO HAS SUCH AN AMAZING HARVEST, HE NEEDS TO TEAR DOWN HIS SMALL BARNS AND BUILD BIGGER ONES. BEFORE WE CONDEMN HIM, WE NEED TO KNOW HE’S A PRETTY GOOD GUY! HECK, HE HAD A GREAT YEAR, A TREMENDOUS HARVEST, HE DID NOTHING IMMORAL, HE EARNED ALL HE RECEIVED… WHAT THIS TELLS US IS THAT TO BE RICH IS NOT A SIN! WEALTH IS NOT SINFUL! BEAUTIFUL THINGS, ARE NOT BAD! WHERE DID THE GUY GO WRONG? HIS ERROR COMES IN THINKING IT’S ALL HIS! COUNT THE NUMBER OF TIMES IN THIS SHORT PARABLE THE MAN SAYS I, OR ME OR MINE! IT’S AMAZING… IT’S ALL ABOUT ME, MY WEALTH IS ALL ABOUT MY FAMILY, MY STUFF, MY CLOSETS, MORE, MORE, MORE! A PARISHIONER TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE A 2 YEAR RULE, ANYTHING NOT WORN AFTER TWO YEARS IS GIVEN AWAY…AND OF COURSE IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT ALL SAINTS’ HAS A THRIFT SHOP SO YOU CAN MAKE REGULAR DELIVERIES! THE SIN OF COVETOUSNESS ISN’T THE STUFF, IT’S THINKING THAT IT IS YOURS AND NEVER GIVING A BIT OF IT AWAY! THIS IS THE ULTIMATE…YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU PARABLE! THE CENTER PIECE OF THIS PARABLE IS THAT THIS MAN THINKS HE CAN WRITE HIS OWN STORY… HE THINKS HE CAN CONTROL HIS FUTURE, HE THINKS THAT IT WILL GIVE HIM ULTIMATE SECURITY DOWN THE ROAD…. AH, BUT LET’S CUT TO THE CHASE ON THIS PARABLE AND GET DOWN TO VERSE 20… THE RICH MAN DISCOVERS THAT IT IS GOD WHO REALLY WRITES HIS STORY… HE REALIZES THAT ALL HE’S BEEN GIVEN CAN BE TAKEN BACK JUST LIKE THAT! IN FACT, IN THE PARABLE, GOD TELLS THE MAN… TONIGHT, YOUR LIFE IS BEING DEMANDED OF YOU… IN OTHER WORDS YOUR SOUL, YOUR VERY LIFE, YOUR MONEY IS ON LOAN FROM GOD… HE CAN TAKE IT AWAY QUICKER THAN YOU REALIZE! IT REMINDS ME OF COMEDIAN BILL COSBY… TALKING TOI HIS CHILDREN ABOUT DISCPLINE… HE SAYS I BROUGHT YOU INTO THE WORLD,
IF NOT, WE TURN TO ICE. AFTER ALL, DO THE MATH! IF ONE BARN MAKES A PERSON 10% HAPPY, THEN 2 BARNS SHOULD MAKE THE SAME MAN 20% HAPPIER… 3 BARNS, 30%... 10 BARNS 100% HAPPIER… DOES IT REALLY WORK THAT WAY? WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAW SOMEONE COME INTO WEALTH WHERE THAT KIND OF MATH WORKED? I THINK OF A SPECIAL BEING DONE BY THE TODAY SHOW, AS THEY HAVE ANALYZED THE LIVES OF ALL THE LOTTERY WINNERS…GUESS WHAT, THE LOTTERY FOR MOST BROUGHT DISASTER FOR MANY! IN FACT, OUR GENERATION HAS 10 TIMES MORE THINGS THAN ANY PRECEEDING GENERATION, ARE WE 10 TIMES HAPPIER?
AS WE MIND THIS INCREASINGLY LARGE GAP OF AVARICE, LET’S TEST OURSELVES…
AND WILL NEVER WEAR AGAIN, YET YOU HOLD ON TO THEM…FOR WHAT PURPOSE? AND NO, THOSE FLAIR JEANS WILL NEVER COME BACK IN STYLE…
DO WE POSSESS WHAT WE OWN OR DOES WHAT WE OWN POSSESS US? DOES WHAT WE OWN BRING US CLOSER TO JESUS OR AWAY FROM JESUS? CASE IN POINT, IN EVERY CHURCH I’VE MINISTERED IN, THIS IS TOUGH BUT TRUE, EVERYTIME A FAMILY HAD THE JOY OF PURCHASING A SECOND HOUSE, A HOUSE AT THE BEACH, A HOUSE IN THE COUNTRY… AS JOYFUL AS THAT WAS AND IS, IT WOULD OFTEN MEAN AN END TO CHURCH! SOME FIND A CHURCH AT THE BEACH, BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, WORSHIP IS PUT ASIDE… SIMPLY BECAUSE THAT GIFT IS CHOSEN OVER THE ONE WHO GAVE THEM THE GIFT! I’VE SEEN IT IN MY OWN FAMILY! DOES WHAT WE POSSESS BRING US CLOSER OR FURTHER AWAY FROM THE CHRIST? BUT WE CAN ALSO BE FILLED WITH AVARICE ON NON-MATERIAL THINGS!
KEEPING THINGS ALL TUCKED AWAY, AND IN THE PROCESS BECOMING COLDER AND ICIER…
HOLDING A FRIEND OF OURS IN CHECK BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT TO LOSE THEM! OR, NOT SHARING FRIENDS WITH OTHERS! HAVE YOU EVER DONE THAT? AFRAID THAT A FRIEND MIGHT LIKE ANOTHER OF YOUR FRIENDS BETTER THAN YOU!
BEING A FINANCIER MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, BUT NEVER USING THOSE GIFTS TO BUILD UP THE KINGDOM! WE CAN BE A MUSICIAN ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT NEVER USING THOSE GIFTS IN THE CHURCH!
TAKING IT IN, STORING IT, STUFFING IT, IN A WAY THAT OUR NEIGHBOR WOULD NEVER KNOW WE ARE BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST! I’VE SAID IT BEFORE, THE AVERAGE EPISCOPALIAN INVITES SOMEONE TO CHURCH ONCE EVERY 27 YEARS! WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU BROUGHT SOMEONE TO CHURCH? WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU TOOK YOUR FAITH OUT OF THE CLOSET AND SHARED YOUR STORY WITH ANOTHER? IT IS SO EASY TO BE FILLED WITH AVARICE BECAUSE WE JUST GO TO THE NEXT CLASS, THE NEXT WORSHIP SERVICE, THE NEXT SERMON TO DO SOMETHING FOR ME… NEVER THINKING THAT THE PURPOSE OF ALL THE ABOVE IS FOR YOU TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER PERSON! OKAY, THIS IS ALL PRETTY NEGATIVE, IS THERE A GOOD SIDE OF AVARICE? CAN AVARICE EVER BE GOOD? YES, THERE ARE TIMES IN OUR LIVES WHEN SOMETHINGS NEED TO BE HOARDED! SPENDING TIME WITH YOUR CHILDREN AWAY FROM THE CROWDS! HOARDING THAT TIME AND FOCUSING ON THEM! CARVING OUT TIME IN YOUR DAY TO PRAY, PROTECTING THAT TIME EVERY SINGLE DAY, IN A WAY IT’S NEVER BOTHERED! BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, AVARICE TURNS US TO ICE IF WE ARE NOT MINDING ITS GAP. SO, WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS TO IT? HOW DO WE MELT THE ICE OF AVARICE?
DON’T WORRY ABOUT YOUR LIFE TO THE POINT THAT YOU LIVE WITH A FURROWED BROW! RELINQUISH TO THE LORD! HOW? PUT EVERYTHING INTO 3 CATEGORIES… THINGS THAT ARE
AND THEN ASK YOURSELF 3 QUESTIONS… THESE CHALLENGING QUESTIONS CAME TO ME FROM OUR PARISHIONER SALLY NEVIUS… 1. LORD… 2. LORD, HOLD ON TO? WHEN IT COMES TO MONEY….
IN OTHER WORDS, GIVE IT AWAY, BECAUSE IT’S NOT YOURS AND YOU WILL LIVE AN AMAZING LIFE OF FREEDOM! I THINK OF THE WOMAN WHO DID SOMETHING YOU COULD DO THIS WEEK. SHE WAS CROSSING A TOLL BRIDGE IN DELAWARE, AND PAID FOR 8 OF THE CARS BEHIND HER. ONE AFTER THE OTHER, THE CARS CAME UP TO THE TOLLBOOTH WITH HANDS OUT THE WINDOW HOLDING THEIR CASH… ALL THE TOLL COLLECTOR COULD DO WAS SAY, ITS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF, HAVE A NICE DAY. WHY IS THAT SO HARD? THE MORE WE HAVE, THE HARDER IT IS TO GIVE AWAY, AND THE EASIER IT IS TO FALL INTO AVARICE! IT REMINDS ME OF THE PRIESTLY PRAYER, PRAYED BY ONE RECTOR… ALMIGHTY GOD, PROTECT US FROM MEMBERS OF THIS CHURCH, WHO, WHEN IT COMES TO GIVING, STOP AT NOTHING! IT WAS JOHN WESLEY, THAT 18TH CENTURY ANGLICAN WHO DID THIS… HE MADE 30 POUNDS IN HIS FIRST YEAR OF MINISTRY… HE GAVE AWAY 2 POUNDS, LIVED ON 28. THEN AS HIS SALARY INCREASED TO 60, 90, 100, 120… WHAT DO I HOLD ON TO? REMEMBER, WHAT WE LOVE DETERMINES WHO WE ARE… WHAT WE LOVE, WHAT WE HOARD DETERMINES WHO WE ARE… IN FACT, LET ME CONTINUE THAT CHALLENGE TO YOU BY SAYING… YOU WILL NEVER KNOW THAT JESUS IS ALL YOU NEED, UNTIL JESUS IS ALL YOU GOT. YOU SEE, WITH THAT THOUGHT, AVARICE BECOMES MORE THAN JUST SELFISHNESS, IT THEN BECOMES A SURE SIGN WE REALLY DON’T TRUST GOD. NOT GIVING OURSELVES AWAY EMOTIONALLY… NOT GIVING WHAT WE’VE BEEN GIVEN MATERIALLY.. IS SAYING TO JESUS, LORD, I DON’T TRUST YOU ENOUGH TO GIVE THIS PIECE AWAY. LET ME TURN THIS AROUND AND ASK YOU… HAS THERE BEEN A TIME IN YOUR LIFE WHEN JESUS WAS ALL YOU HAD? TO BRING THIS HOME, DURING LENT ONLY THE CRUCIFER GOES DOWN THE MAIN AISLE, ALL CHOIR AND CLERGY PROCESS THROUGH THE SIDE AISLES TO KEEP THE FOCUS ON THE CHRIST. WHEN JESUS BEGAN THE MELTING PROCESS IN YOUR HEART BY MAYBE TAKING YOU SOMEWHERE YOU HAD NEVER BEEN? WHEN JESUS BEGAN THE MELTING PROCESS IN YOUR HEART BY STRIPPING YOUR MONEY FROM YOU? A TIME WHERE YOU LOST YOUR SHIRT? LOST YOUR FRIENDS, LOST JUST ABOUT DOGGONE EVERYTHING… AND IN THAT DEFROST MOMENT SAID I AM ALL YOU NEED… WHEN LIBBY AND I CAME TO ALL SAINTS NEARLY 5 YEARS AGO, WE BOTH MELTED… WE CAME AGAIN TO THAT RADICAL REALIZATION THAT IN THIS FOREIGN PLACE, JESUS WAS REALLY ALL WE HAD… HE STRIPPED US, TO BLESS US. ARE WE WILLING TO BE MELTED FROM THE ICE OF AVARICE? WHAT NEEDS TO BE GIVEN AWAY IN YOUR LIFE? WHAT NEEDS A CHANGE SO THAT JESUS AGAIN BECOMES ALL YOU HAVE, SO THAT HE BECOMES THE CENTER OF YOUR LIFE, YOUR FINANICAL LIFE, YOUR FAMILY LIFE, YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE?
WHAT IS IT LORD, THAT YOU WOULD BE MY VERY CENTER? THAT’S ALL HE WANTS! AND IN THAT PROCESS HE WILL GIVE YOU RICHES THAT WILL KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF! YOU CAN COUNT ON IT! COUNT ON IT! DO YOU, DO WE HAVE THE COURAGE TO TAKE THAT FIRST STEP? AMEN. |
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