Greed to Generosity

Good morning.

All doing good.

It's officially Christmas time, right?

Merry Christmas.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.

I'm excited about this morning.

By the way, my name is Jonah, like Russ said.

I'm the student pastor here for our Warner Grove campus.

And I'm super excited for this morning.

We are continuing our series, Enough is Enough.

Over the past few weeks, we have continued to ask this question: when is enough enough?

We live in a world that is constantly telling us we need more and more.

We need this, we need that.

We live in a world and a culture that tells us we need to earn our way up this ladder of status.

And we've been asking this question, when is enough enough?

Sometimes it feels like we're constantly chasing after what's next, and we're never content with what we have, and we never live just simply, simple lives in the presence of Jesus.

And that's what we've talked about the past couple weeks, is contentment and simplicity, how these two things are so important to living a life that is satisfied and grounded in Christ.

We live in a busy world, again, that is telling us we need more and more.

However, as Christians, we need to understand that we have to fight for contentment and simplicity.

And we, when we do that, we realize that we have enough in Christ.

So this morning, as we wrap up this series, um, Enough is enough.

We are going to be talking about how as Christians, believers and followers of Christ, we have to move from greed to generosity.

We have to move from this place of greed to this place of generosity.

In order to be disciples of Christ, we must make sure our hearts are not enslaved to greed, but rather full of generosity.

So this morning, I'm going to start out about talking, talking about a man that we probably all know.

Reese is about to flash his picture up on the screen.

And when she does so, I want y'all to shout out who this man is.

I have no idea.

Everyone knows, well, maybe not everyone.

I don't want to take that for granted.

But most of y'all probably know who Tom Brady is.

If you do not, he is a professional football player.

He is what some people will call the greatest quarterback of all time.

Um, some people would even make the silly argument that he's the greatest athlete of all time, um, which I just completely disagree with.

But Tom Brady is this known figure in the sports world.

He is known for everything he has achieved.

Um he has such a high status, um, he has so so much fame, so much money, um, and he has achieved so much in his life.

And when we think of someone like Tom Brady and all that he has, we may begin to think to ourselves, that would be enough.

That would be enough.

If I could be like Tom Brady, if I could have everything Tom Brady has, if I could achieve everything he's achieved, then that would be enough for me.

I think I would be content at that moment.

Or then in that moment, I would be satisfied and my life would be fulfilled.

However, in an interview Tom Brady did with 60 Minutes, he reveals that even everything he has and everything he has accomplished is still not enough for him.

I want you to read this transcript from this interview.

Tom Brady says this Why do I have three Super Bowl rings?

This was years ago.

Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there's something greater out there for me?

I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, hey man, this is it.

He says, I reached my goal, my dream, my life.

But me, I think, gosh, it's gotta be more than this.

I mean, this can't be what it's all cracked up to be.

I mean, I've done it.

I'm 27, and what else is there for me?

And the interviewer, um, Stephen Croft says, What's the answer?

He asks Tom Brady, what's the answer?

If you think there's something more, then what's the answer?

Tom Brady says, I wish I knew.

I wish I knew.

Tom Brady's a seven-time Super Bowl champion, five-time Super Bowl MVP, three-time league MVP, two-time offensive player of the year, 15-time Pro Bowl player.

Tom Brady's net worth just from the NFL, not including the millions and millions he makes from endorsements, is around$250 million, averaging about$30 million a year.

Some of us might say that's enough.

Outside of football success, Tom Brady also has three kids, and he was previously married at the time of this interview to a Brazilian fashion model.

He had a supermodel wife.

He had all these things, all this money, all this fame, all of this success, but even after all these things, even Tom Brady himself will tell you, it's gotta be more than this.

This can't be what it's all cracked up to be.

So we read this, we man, I listen to this interview and I can't help but think, what does this mean for us?

The people that live here in Wanagrove, me and you, what does the words that Tom Brady says right here mean for us?

It means that we're in trouble, right?

We're in trouble.

Because I've I will boldly proclaim I will probably never be as successful, as famous, as as rich, I will never have as much money as Tom Brady will ever have.

And if it's not enough for him, then that means I'm in trouble.

If I can't ever get to that point and it's not enough, then I will never get to a point where it's enough.

If we look at the life of Tom Brady and we hear his words and we just allow them to punch us in the gut, we understand that if we are living for this world, then we are in trouble.

If it's not enough for Tom Brady, why would it be enough for us?

We will probably never, ever, ever come close to the success, fame, or money that Tom Brady has.

And if what he has isn't enough, then how can we expect to ever, ever have enough from this world and ever be satisfied with the things of this world?

How could this world ever satisfy the desire of our souls?

So my goal for this message is for us to leave understanding two things that we will never have as much money as Tom Brady, probably combined, everyone in this room.

We will never have as much money as Tom Brady.

But the truth of God's word tells us that we can leave here.

We can walk out of these doors richer than he ever has been, hopefully will be in the future.

Um even though we will never have as much money as Tom Brady, we can leave here richer than he is.

And this leads us perfectly into what we're talking about this morning, the deceitfulness and uncertainty of riches, and how we must move from greed to generosity.

So our main passage for us this morning is going to be 1 Timothy 6, um, 17 through 19.

And once again, my hope is that as we read this passage, we'll move from being people that are just naturally sinfully full of greed, and we'll move to being a people that's full of generosity.

So 1 Timothy 6, 17 through 19.

Paul says this, one of his final commands, one of his final charges to his disciple Timothy, as he prepares him to be a pastor of a church.

He says, As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

So, starting at the beginning of this passage, I think we can pull out this truth.

This is going to be kind of our big idea for the morning, and it's this whether we choose greed or generosity, so whether we're people of greed or generosity is dependent upon where our hope is set.

Whether we choose greed or generosity is dependent on where our hope is set.

That's what Paul kind of brings to the realization in the very first verse that we just read in verse 17.

Greed is the main thing that keeps us from generosity.

If there's one thing that keeps us from being a generous people, from giving the way that we should, from giving the way that Scripture commands us to, it's greed.

It's the sin of greed.

And greed comes as a result of setting our hope on the uncertainty of riches.

What I mean by this is that when we place all of our hope and trust in the things we have, the money we have, the possessions we have, we will naturally become selfish and greedy.

If this is where our hope is, then we are not going to be very quick to share it with others.

Does that make sense?

Where our hope is, if our hope is in the riches we have, we are not going to want to share it with other people because that's where our hope is.

So if greed is a result of where our hope is placed, then we have to evaluate where our hope is.

And I believe that's what Paul wanted Timothy to charge the people in Ephesus to charge the rich to do, evaluate where your hope is.

So we can either set our hope on the uncertainty of riches, or we can set our hope on God.

That's the two options that Paul gives Timothy in verse 17.

We can set our hope on the uncertainty of riches, or we can set our hope in God.

So we have to compare the two.

First off, we probably all know in this room, good and well, that it's foolish to set our hope on the uncertainty of riches.

It's foolish to set our hope in riches and possessions of this world because they are uncertain.

We all know how uncertain the riches of this world are.

And because we know this, we tend to be a people full of greed.

Because we know how uncertain and temporary the riches that we come across in this world are, we have the tendency to hold on to them with a tight hand.

Because we know how uncertain money is and how quickly it can be taken away, or how quickly a bill can come in that can wipe out our bank account, we tend to hold on to everything we have.

We know that everything we have in our possession can be here today and gone tomorrow, and that's why we are just naturally, sinfully full of greed.

And Jesus says it this way in Matthew 6, 19 through 20.

We talked about it last week, but he says, Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

So why are riches so uncertain?

Why are they not a viable option to set our hope in?

Because they can be destroyed or stolen or taken away in an instant.

When you think about it, it's it's kind of crazy because at this very moment, someone could be out in that parking lot stealing your car.

Like right now.

In this moment, someone could be out there stealing your car.

At this very moment in time, while you're sitting here, your neighbors could have been picking up on your routine.

Man, y'all are good.

Y'all go to church every Sunday, your neighbors know that.

Therefore, they know that you're not home.

So they could be robbing your house at this very moment.

At this very moment, someone across the world could be hacking into your bank account, taking money that that you think is yours, and stealing it away from you.

That's what Jesus is talking about.

Everything of this world is temporary, it's uncertain.

Riches are simply uncertain.

And not only are riches uncertain, not only can they be taken away like that, but the riches of this world do not possess the ability to satisfy the desires of our souls.

That's where our good friend Tom Brady just told us earlier.

The riches of this world do not possess the capability to desire or to fulfill the desires of our souls.

Even if your car never gets stolen, your house never gets robbed, or your bank account never gets hacked, riches still can't satisfy your soul.

And this is why it is foolish for us to place our hope in these things.

This is why it is foolish for us to live our entire lives desiring more, desiring more, desiring more, desiring to have more money, desire to have a nicer car or a bigger house, never being satisfied with what God has already given us.

So then, if it's foolish for us to set our hope in riches, where should our hope be placed?

And again, Paul covers that.

Our hope should be placed on God.

He is generous, he is everlasting.

We just sang a song that he is the same today as he was yesterday and forever, and the same he will be in the future.

God is never changing, but rather everlasting.

So here's some good news that I want us to know this morning as we enter into even just another holiday season, enter into the Christmas season.

And it's this rather than placing our hope in something that is uncertain, like the riches of this world, we can place our hope in someone who is certain.

We know that the riches of this world offer us no hope.

So now we have to look.

We have to compare the hope that is offered to us in God.

We have to compare and outweigh the costs and the benefits to it and decide where are we going to place our hope.

So one of my favorite passages talking about the hope that we have in God is 1 Peter 1, 3 through 5.

Um, let me just read it.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

And what does this hope offer us?

It says, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

As we read that verse, I just want to I want to give it some time to let the truth of those verses just kind of sink in to your heart, to your soul.

So often we hear scripture, we know these things.

We know with our head that we should place our hope in God.

We know that.

But when we let passages like this sink into our soul, into our heart, and just permeate and captivate our desires, then we begin to actually live in the hope of God.

When we understand that we have been given an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.

I can't think of three greater words to describe the hope that we have been given in God.

Three greater words to describe the inheritance that we are promised when we place our faith in Jesus.

When we place our hope on God, we are given an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.

You see, there's nothing in this world, nothing in this world that that will ever come close to containing these three adjectives.

We will never come across anything in this world that is imperishable, undefiled, or unfading.

We can't even comprehend what these things mean.

However, when we place our hope in God rather than the uncertainty of riches, this is what we are promised.

This is the inheritance that we are promised, an inheritance that's characterized by these three things.

So again, first, our inheritance is imperishable.

I want us to focus in on this because it gives us such a good glimpse of the hope that we have in God.

Our inheritance is imperishable.

The inheritance we are given when our hope is on God is incorruptible.

It is not liable to decay, it is not liable to destruction, it is not liable to theft or robbery.

And this sounds a lot like what Jesus said back in Matthew 6, that the treasures that are here on earth are imperishable because they are liable to all these things.

However, the inheritance we are given in Christ is not.

It's imperishable, it can never be destroyed.

Any treasure that we could have on this earth is temporary.

Everything that this world has to offer will eventually come to an end.

However, the inheritance that we have been given through Christ will never be destroyed.

It'll never be taken away, it will never rot, it will never decay, it will never be stolen away from you, not even by the work of Satan.

The inheritance that we have is guaranteed, and it will never, ever, ever be taken away.

And above all, it will never come to an end.

And this is good news.

This is the good news that we have when we place our hope in God.

The second thing is that our inheritance is undefiled.

Not only is our inheritance imperishable, it's untouchable by anyone and anything, it will never end, but it's also undefiled.

In other words, our inheritance, it's without defect.

It is pure, it is holy, it is perfect.

Something being pure or undefiled is completely foreign to us because this world offers nothing like that.

There is nothing we'll ever come across in this world that is undefiled, that is pure, that is holy, that is without flaw.

When I was thinking about this, I was trying to think of the closest thing I've ever come to experience being undefiled.

This is gonna sound really cheesy, um, but when me and Reese were dating, um, the the best way I could describe her to um my friends at college that never met her, is I just I just said, she just like she's pure.

Like I don't I don't notice any flaw in her.

I was very picky.

Um I I unfortunately dated a lot of girls throughout high school and stuff, and I was very picky.

That's why I was constantly going from girl to girl.

But when I met Reese, it was just this I I didn't know how to describe her, other than that she was just pure.

It felt as if she was undefiled.

Um, and there's no good way to say this.

But we're married now, and when you do life with someone together long enough, you're going to see flaws that we all have.

As human, sinful beings, we have flaws.

Um, Reese was the closest thing I could possibly think of to being undefiled, but even she has flaws.

They're not big flaws, um, and I'm not gonna say what they are, um, but she she is still flawed.

That is how everything in this world is, no matter how perfect we think it is, no matter how much happiness we think it's gonna bring us, everything in this world is flawed as a result of sin.

That is ultimately why nothing on this earth can satisfy us.

It's because everything on this earth is flawed.

However, this is not the case with our inheritance in heaven.

Our inheritance, the hope we are offered in God, is so pure.

It's perfect.

The eternity that we will be given is one that's full of joy, of peace, just full of God's presence, his glory, his holiness.

It's an inheritance that that will never leave us sad, will never never leave us just feeling empty and feeling as if there's something more.

Our inheritance is undefiled, it's perfect, it's holy, it's pure.

And we will spend all of eternity in the presence of a holy father.

Once again, this is good news.

And then to add on to all of that, our inheritance is unfading.

When we place our hope in God, the inheritance we are given is unfading.

And out of all three of these words, I think this is the one that blows me away the most because we, again, we have just never experienced something that is unfading.

We have never come across something in this world that is unfading that doesn't lose its glamour, doesn't lose its sparkle, doesn't lose just its its attractiveness.

We're coming up on Christmas where we spend so much time, so much money, so much resources thinking about the perfect gift to give to everybody, right?

Whether it's a a parent, um, a child, a spouse, a family member, whatever it may be, we spend so much time trying to think of the perfect gift to give someone.

Um, I would imagine that most of you parents have experienced this at some point.

You want to give your child just the best gifts they have ever received.

And every year it's like a competition with the with last year, right?

You want to give a gift that is perfect.

That is, that is gonna be the best gift that they have ever gotten.

However, we all know that this is just not the case.

We've all seen it before.

You give your kids what you think is the best gift ever.

They unwrap it and they're ecstatic.

You think, yes, I've done it.

That's the best gift they've ever gotten.

They're gonna love this forever.

For the rest of Christmas morning, they may just play with that gift constantly.

Just want nothing else to do with anything else, just focused on that one gift.

And in this moment, you're filled with joy.

However, we all know that this gift doesn't last.

The glory of this gift, the the just the excitement of this gift that your child has slowly begins to fade away.

This gift that they were so captivated with slowly begins to move closer and closer to the back of the closet, right?

My parents just moved and I found so many things back there in the back of the closet that I once cherished so much.

But it's this idea that that everything of this world is just unfading.

The excitement of it wears off, the glory of it eventually fades away.

This is just such a good example of how quickly the things of this world fade away in our eyes.

It's how it's it's such a good example of how fleeting the pleasures of this world are.

We simply get bored with stuff.

Something new comes out that we just have to have.

However, this is just not the case for the inheritance that we've been given in Christ.

It's just so hard to comprehend that we're going to spend all of eternity.

We have been given an inheritance that's imperishable.

It will never be taken away, it will last forever for all of eternity.

A gift that is pure, that is so holy, that is so glorious.

And on top of that, we will never get tired of it.

For all of eternity, we will be given an inheritance that will never grow dim, that we will never get bored with.

We will never, ever get tired or bored of sitting at the feet of Jesus, of worshiping God while he sits on his throne, of giving glory and praise, just surrounded by other saints, with by other brothers and sisters in Christ.

We will never get bored with the inheritance that we have been given.

For all of eternity, the glory of our inheritance will never fade away.

And this is good news.

This is what we have been promised when we place our hope in God.

So going back to our big idea, whether we choose greed or generosity is dependent on where our hope is set.

When our hope is set on the uncertainty of riches, we're gonna be full of greed.

We're gonna have tight hands holding on to everything.

Everything we have for dear life, but when our hope is on God and we understand this inheritance that we have been given, an inheritance that is priceless, then we will be full of generosity.

Generosity is the natural response to someone who has no hope in the uncertainty of riches, but all hope in the inheritance that we will one day receive.

And the very next verse of our main passage in 1 Timothy, right after Paul charges to charge the rich to set their hope on God, he immediately follows with an action, meaning when we set our hope on God, this is what happens.

They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.

Again, those who set their hope on God are going to be rich in good works.

They're going to be a people that are generous, that are ready to share, that have open hands, ready and eager to provide for other people that are in need.

When we understand how priceless our inheritance is, we no longer cling to the riches of this world because we understand how insignificant they are compared to with what we have already been given.

We can also see from this that not only is greed a natural response, but it's a command because greed or generosity is this defense against greed.

Paul commands Timothy to command the church because Paul understands that generosity, when we live in generosity, it is such a good defense, such a good weapon against the sin of greed.

When we live generous lives, we are less likely to be slaves to greed.

We are less likely to cling so tightly to the possessions we have.

We have to understand that generosity, it's not just this thing we do to do, but generosity is something that's so vital to the health of our souls.

It's so vital to our lives and our relationship in Christ.

David Guzick says this.

He says, being a giver and doing good with our resources is what guards our heart from materialism and trusting in uncertain riches.

Many think the main reason for giving unto the Lord is because the church needs money.

That isn't true.

The most important reason to give is because you need to be a giver.

It is God's way of guarding you against greed and trust in uncertain riches.

God will provide for his work even if you do not give.

But what will happen to you?

What will happen to you if you do not give?

If we want to move from greed to generosity, we have to be givers.

We have to be people who live out this just this idea of radical generosity, ready to share with other people.

Generosity, it brings this spiritual health to our souls.

It's something that just springs us forward into more and more spiritual formation into the image of Jesus.

We've been given such a priceless inheritance so that, so that we will become characterized by generosity.

And then as we live in generosity and we're rich in good works, Paul says we are storing up more and more treasures for ourselves as a good foundation for the future.

That's what verse 19 says, that storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

So our material treasures, the things that we have in this life, we know that they don't pass to the next.

There's thousands of tombs in Egypt from kings that we've all probably learned about in history class that just have riches sitting inside or beside their tombs that are still there to this day, thousands and thousands of years later.

Why is that?

Because we know we can't take what we have now with us in the future.

We know that the things of this world are temporary, but the good that has been done for the kingdom of God, through the use of your treasures, it lasts for eternity.

The good that's done for the kingdom of God through what we give lasts for eternity.

And the work that God does in us through our faithful giving, through our faithful generosity, that also lasts for all of eternity.

So as we learn to thank God for what we have, we freely share it to others.

We stop trying to fulfill just this depthless void in our heart.

When we love Jesus more than money and possessions, what we ultimately discover is that He is the greatest treasure of our lives.

We discover that knowing Jesus is the source of genuine satisfaction.

We discover what Tom Brady didn't know at the moment, that what was missing in his life is just simply Jesus.

When we love Jesus more than money and possessions, we discover that knowing him is enough.

When is enough enough when we know Jesus?

Satan wants us to believe that true life is found in the success, and the money, and the fame, and the popularity, and what other people think about you, and your status.

That's what Satan wants you to believe.

He wants you to believe that when you have those things, that would be enough.

However, the truth found in God's word is that true life is found in the hope we have in Christ and nothing else.

And when the hope we have in Christ is the treasure of our lives, we will live in constant generosity.

So again, we have to ask, where is our life found?

Where is our hope found?

The end of that end of that passage, it says we may take hold of that which is truly life.

So where is your life found?

When is enough enough?

Is your life found in the kingdom of God?

Or is it found in the kingdom of this world?

Is your life found with the things that are above, with the things that are eternal, or is your life found here and now with the things that are transient, that are temporary, that can be here today and gone tomorrow?

Is your life found in the hope of the uncertainty of riches?

Or is your life found in the hope of God?

Are you constantly hoping in that next paycheck that comes in or the Christmas bonus that you're about to get in a couple weeks?

Are you constantly hoping in the new house that you hope to have in the future?

Or are you setting your hope on God, on inheritance that is that is imperishable, that is undefiled, that is unfading?

And lastly, is your life found in greed or generosity?

So as we continue to just um ponder these questions, Russ is going to come up and uh just give us some apple or practical application.