And we live in a time where those who love money are exalted as godly role models and
poor or working class godly Christians are looked down upon.
We live in a world where things are backwards.
Who are the heroes today in the world?
Lovers of money.
Those who want to have the fancy cars and the fancy house and the fancy clothes, that's
who's lifted up as a role model today.
And people who are just salt of the earth, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, landscapers,
computer programmers, whatever, machinists, hey, they're looked down upon today when
you know what, that's the godly role model I want my kids to have.
You know what, I would love for my kids to grow up and be blue collar servants of
God any day of the week.
What does the Bible say?
Luke chapter 16 verse 14, and the Pharisees also who were covetous.
What does it mean to be covetous?
This is a greedy lover of money.
That's what we're talking about in this context.
That's what we're talking about in most contexts with the word covetous.
When they heard these things, they derided him.
So they're attacking Jesus, they're mocking Jesus, they're laughing him to scorn, derision,
what does derision mean, right, because it says they derided him.
Derision is mockery, scorn, what an idiot, can you believe this guy?
Because he's teaching them to use the mammon of this world, he said to make friends for
yourselves of the mammon of unrighteousness that when you fall they may be able to receive
you into everlasting habitations.
They're like, what a stupid advice.
They don't want to be generous with money at all in any way, shape, or form, and
that whole story is another sermon.
But here's the thing, you know, Jesus taught to be generous, to lend, to give
to the poor, and they're like, what a stupid teaching because they just want to hoard
everything for themselves because they're greedy lovers of money.
So they're covetous.
And Jesus says to them in verse 15, and he said to them, ye are they which justify yourselves
before men, but God knoweth your hearts, for that which is highly esteemed among men
is abomination in the sight of God.
Now what does that say?
That says that what men call good is often evil, and what men call evil is often good.
Now which is highly esteemed among men, turns out it's an abomination in the sight of God.
And he said that to the covetous, and the last place we'll turn, go to Isaiah 5 to
end up.
But while you're turning there, I'm going to read you a familiar passage from 1 Timothy
6.
The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6, 5, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute
of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness.
From such withdraw thy selves.
And then he goes on to say the love of money is the root of all evil, which while
some covet it after they've erred from the faith and pierced themselves through
with many sorrows.
He said that these people who are destitute of truth, I mean destitute of truth means
they don't have it at all.
He says that they think that gain is godliness.
You know what they're doing?
They're putting good for evil and evil for good.
Sweet for bitter, bitter for sweet.
Light for dark, dark for light.
Why?
Because they look at someone who's covetous and greedy of money, and they look at that
person as a good person, a godly person.
They think gain is godliness.
So basically they look at a nice house, a nice car, nice clothes, and they say God's
blessing that.
God's blessing that person.
Folks, there are a lot of people with a nice house and a nice car and nice clothes that
God's not blessing them.
Gain does not equal godliness.
There are a lot of people who are prospering in this world financially that are not godly
because financial gain is not godliness.
Folks, there are people today that they reject the virtues that God lifts up and
says, hey, we should be honest.
We should be clean.
We should be pure.
We should be faithful to our spouse.
We should be peaceful.
We should be loving.
We should be pious toward God and religious toward God, and we should attend church,
and we should love our neighbor, and we should give and be generous.
They rejected that, and they want to see you do good to yourself.
Men will praise you when you do good to yourself.
They want to see you in nice clothes, nice car, nice house.
Because on TV, that's what's lifted up as success.
Who are your heroes today?
Who do you look up to?
Who do you want to be?
Who do your kids want to be?
So and so the rap artist who loves money.
So and so the actor, actress who loves money.
Folks, people don't go into acting for their health.
They go into acting typically because they want to have a lot of vainglory and a lot
of money, and that's why they end up doing immoral things and things that they're
probably not even comfortable with just in order to make a buck.
I mean, what about the things that they do on camera for money like unto a prostitute,
and yet we look to them and think, that's an idol.
That's a hero.
That's a role model today, and you know, I'm sure I'll step on some toes with this
one, but you know what?
Donald Trump is lifted up today as a role model, and he's even looked at as a godly Christian.
You know what?
You've got to kind of have a little dose of Isaiah 5-20 in order to think that Donald
Trump's a godly Christian.
You got to put a little light for darkness, darkness for light, sweet, bitter, bittersweet.
You say he's a great president.
Hey, he's done great for us financially and gains godliness, and then I mean, hey,
I like the way he handles the finances and then gain is godliness.
Therefore he's godly.
Amen.
No, that's ridiculous.
That's nonsense.