["Pomp and Circumstance"]
So, thank you, Brother Graham. You're a blessing to me.
Deuteronomy chapter 5.
We're talking about this idea of things that kill contentment.
We've been talking about it for a couple of weeks now,
and we talk about comparing in our lives.
When we compare ourselves to others, we kill contentment.
We talk about complaining.
When we allow ourselves to become complainers,
we will kill contentment in our own lives.
And today I want to talk to you about this idea of covetousness.
Covetousness kills contentment.
We'll be there in Luke chapter 12,
but I want to begin by just defining covetousness.
And what is covetousness, and how can we define it in our lives?
You will find that often in Scripture.
God will define a word by placing a synonym to that word near it or around it
in order to kind of show us what that word means.
In Deuteronomy chapter 5, we have the Ten Commandments being given.
Now, generally, when we think of the Ten Commandments,
we think of Exodus chapter 20.
But the Ten Commandments are given twice in the Old Testament,
and the second time is in Deuteronomy chapter 5.
And in verse 21, the Bible says this,
Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor's wife,
neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor's house,
his field, or his manservants, or his maidservants,
his ox, or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbor's.
The Bible tells us that, you know, one of the Ten Commandments says,
Thou shalt not covet.
Here, God interchanges the word covet with the word desire.
In Exodus, he says, to not covet thy neighbor's wife.
Here, he tells us to not desire thy neighbor's wife.
And then he says, of course,
Neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor's house.
So, I want you to understand that when we're talking about covetousness,
what it means to covet, it means to desire.
It means to, and the word desire means to wish, to long for, to crave for something.
And when we're talking about covetousness,
because covetousness is a negative thing in Scripture, it's a sin,
it's one of the things that God gave us in the Ten Commandments and told us not to do,
we're talking about desiring something that doesn't belong to you.
He says, don't desire your neighbor's wife.
Why? Because it's your neighbor's wife, it's not your wife.
Don't desire, don't covet your neighbor's house,
or his field, or his manservants, or his maidservants,
his ox, or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbor's.
So, when we talk about defining the word covetousness,
we want to look at the definition of covetousness.
We first see that it's a desire for something that doesn't belong to me,
or doesn't belong to you.
Let me give you another synonym.
Go to the book of Proverbs with me.
You're there in Deuteronomy, you can lose your place there,
but you can find Proverbs if you just open your Bible just right in the center,
you'll more than likely fall in the book of Psalms.
Right after the book of Psalms, you've got the book of Proverbs.
And do me a favor, when you get to Proverbs,
put a bulletin, or a ribbon, or a bookmark, or something there,
because we're going to leave Proverbs,
and we're going to come back to it later on in the sermon.
But I want you to notice Proverbs 21 and verse number 26.
Let me give you another word that kind of helps us get a definition
for this idea of covetousness.
Proverbs 21 and verse 26 says this,
He coveteth greedily.
You see that word greedily there?
Greed is another synonym, or another word,
that helps us understand the idea of covetousness.
It says, He coveteth greedily all the day long,
but the righteous giveth and spareth not.
What is greed?
Greed is an excessive desire,
especially for wealth or possessions.
Usually, when we think of covetousness,
we think of money, finances, desiring, wanting money,
but the Bible tells us, as we saw in Deuteronomy 5,
you can covet things that aren't money,
like someone else's wife, or someone else's life,
and that's where we talk about comparing ourselves,
and complaining.
So, we see the word greed.
We see the word desire.
Let me give you another one.
Go with me to the book of Romans.
Now, don't forget to keep your place there in Proverbs.
We're going to leave it, and we're going to come back to it,
but go to the book of Romans in the New Testament.
You've got Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans,
Romans chapter number 7, and look at verse number 7.
So, we're beginning this morning
by just giving you a definition of covetousness.
What is covetousness?
Covetousness is a desire for something
that does not belong to you.
It's greed.
It's an excessive desire,
especially when it comes to things like wealth,
or possessions.
Romans chapter 7 in verse 7, the Bible says this.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans.
Romans 7 and 7, the Bible says,
what shall we say then?
Is the law sin?
God forbid.
Nay, I have not known sin, but by the law.
Now, notice what he said.
He says, the law is not sin,
because the law is what allows me to know what sin is.
The Bible tells us that the law is our schoolmaster.
It teaches us of our transgression
and brings us to Christ.
Here he says, hey, is the law sin?
Is the law something bad?
He says, God forbid.
Nay, he says, I have not known sin,
but by the law.
He said, I wouldn't know what sin was
if it wasn't for the law.
And then notice, he gives us an example.
He says, for I had not known lust.
You see that word lust there?
Now, the word lust means intense desire or appetite.
Usually, when we think of the word lust,
we put it in the context of a physical relationship
between a man and a woman,
but the word lust simply means to have an intense desire.
Now, notice what he says.
He says, I had not known lust,
except the law had said, thou shalt not covet.
Do you see that?
So he says, when the Bible tells me not to covet,
that defines for me what lust is,
because lust is an intense desire.
It's an appetite.
The word covet or covetousness
basically means to have a desire
for something that doesn't belong to you
or doesn't belong to me,
to have an excessive desire,
especially for wealth or possessions,
a greed, or to lust after something,
to have an intense desire or appetite.
Now, here's what you need to understand.
Why are you spending the beginning of the sermon
just defining the word covetousness?
Here's why.
We live in a very covetous society.
In the United States of America,
we are probably the most covetous people on earth.
And I think today, we as Christian,
you know, Christians who live in the United States of America,
I don't even think we understand what covetousness is
or that we're even coveting when we do it.
So we got to begin by just kind of laying that foundation.
If you desire something that doesn't belong to you,
that's covetousness.
If you have greed and excessive desire,
especially for wealth or possessions,
that's covetousness.
If you are lusting after something,
you have an extreme intense desire or appetite,
that's covetousness.
And the Bible tells us that we are not to covet.
The Bible tells us it's a sin.
But we got to begin by defining covetousness
because today, covetousness is seen as a positive thing.
And you may say,
well, who looks at covetousness as a positive thing?
No one teaches that.
But except we, you know, in our society,
we idolize actors and singers and rappers and whatever,
all these different, you know, musicians.
And what is the number one thing that we see in their lives
that makes us want to be like them?
It's covetousness.
It's the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,
the pride of life.
Our politicians today are all a bunch of crooks
and all a bunch of covetous lying thieves.
I mean, you say, are you, you know, for Donald Trump?
Are you for Hillary Clinton?
I'm not for any of them.
They're all liars.
They're all covetous.
They're all in it for themselves.
That's why these politicians,
they're not trying to help people.
They're trying to help their bank accounts.
They're just becoming rich off the system, you know.
And even today, preachers are covetous.
I mean, you go to many churches here in Sacramento,
and I could name the names, and I won't take the time to do it,
but you go to churches in Sacramento,
and you've got pastors driving Bentleys.
You've got pastors driving Mercedes.
You've got them living in luxury.
You know, Jeremiah, you don't have to turn there,
but in Jeremiah 6, 6, the Bible says this.
Everyone is given to covetousness
from the prophet even unto the priest.
In 1 Timothy 3, when we're given the qualifications for a pastor,
one of the things we're told is that a pastor should not be covetous.
But today, you look at the average, limp-wristed, positive only,
won't stand up and preach the Bible preacher,
and they are motivated by one thing, money.
They are motivated by their own covetousness.
They want to be wealthy.
They want to be famous.
I mean, look at the Joel Osteens.
Look at the T.D. Jakes.
Look at the Billy Grahams.
It's all done for covetousness,
because we live in a society of covetousness.
And this morning, I really, and I can't do this
other than just pray that the Holy Spirit will work in your heart,
but I want us, as we look at this idea of covetousness,
I want you to really study your own heart,
to really look at your own life,
and I'm not going to ask you to confess anything to me
or admit anything to me or admit anything to anybody else here,
but in your own mind, in your own heart,
as we look at this idea, I want you to think,
you know, do I struggle with covetousness in my own life?
Is there covetousness in my heart that I have to deal with?
So we begin this morning, number one,
with the definition of covetousness.
What is covetousness?
To desire something that does not belong to you.
To have an excessive desire, especially for wealth or possessions,
to have greed in your heart and in your mind and in your life,
or it means to lust, to have an intense desire or an appetite.
Can you make your way back to Luke chapter 12 where we started this morning?
I said, number one, we begin with this idea of the definition of covetousness,
but number two, I want you to understand the diversion of covetousness.
You say, what is the problem?
What is the danger with covetousness?
Why does God tell us not to covet?
What is the problem with desiring something that doesn't belong to me,
with having greed and loving money?
What is the problem with lusting after things
and wanting to have an excessive appetite for money or possessions or things that don't?
You say, what's wrong with that?
Are you there in Luke chapter 12?
Look at verse number 13.
Luke chapter 12 and verse number 13.
The Bible says this,
And one of the companies said unto him,
We have a man that comes to Jesus,
and he basically is asking Jesus for a favor.
He says, Master, speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me.
Here, you've got something that we see a lot of in our society today.
You've got family members fighting over money.
You've got two siblings who had their parents die.
They were left in inheritance.
And they're arguing and fighting.
One sibling wants to keep more or all of the inheritance.
And you've got another sibling coming to Jesus saying,
Can you help me?
Can you speak?
Because Jesus is an influential man.
He's a leader of a movement here.
And this man is asking Jesus,
Could you speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me?
Could you tell him,
Hey, you've got to split this money that was left to your family?
And you know what?
In our society today, you've got so many families that will argue over money,
that will fight over money,
that will throw away relationships over money.
Look at verse 14.
And he said unto him,
This is Jesus' response,
Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
Jesus said,
That's not what I'm here to do.
I'm not here to try to help you figure out your financial differences with your sibling.
He said,
Who made me a judge or a divider over you?
Now notice what he says in verse 15.
He says,
And he said unto them,
Take heed and beware of covetousness.
He says,
Be weary of covetousness.
He says,
Be cautious or be very careful.
He says,
You're fighting with your brother about money,
and you want me to step in and kind of be on your side.
He said,
But you know what?
What I'm going to do instead is I'm going to teach you and help you to understand.
And Jesus begins to give a parable about coveting,
and about a covetous man.
But I want you to understand the context in which he gives this parable.
He says to this man,
Take heed and beware of covetousness,
for a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.
Look at verse 16.
And he spake a parable unto them, saying,
The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully.
He says,
There is a rich man whose ground,
and I like how it's worded here.
He says,
The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully.
You know the book of Ecclesiastes tells us that time and chance happens to all men.
And you know,
sometimes people become rich and wealthy because they're talented,
because they're smart,
because they're educated,
because they work hard.
In fact I would say most of the time,
those are the attributes of people who make money or become rich.
But you know,
you cannot take away the part that if you're wealthy or if you're successful,
it's not all only because of your talent or your hard work.
There's a God factor in there,
that it's God that allowed you to come to the right time and the right place,
to be able to make the money or to have the opportunities.
This rich man had a certain field,
a ground that brought forth plentifully.
That was God.
God was the one that gave him that ground.
God was the one that allowed that ground to bring forth plentifully.
There's always this God factor in our success.
It's not just my talent or my energy or my education.
It's always the God.
The Bible tells us that it is God that giveth you the power to get wealth.
So here we have this rich man who had a ground which brought forth plentifully.
Look at verse 17.
And he thought within himself,
what shall I do?
Because I have no room where to bestow my fruits.
He's got too much stuff and nowhere to put it.
You know, you should write next to this verse,
just right next to that you should write,
the average American.
You say, I don't have too much stuff.
I don't even know where to put it.
Yeah, let's go take a look at your garage.
I mean, we've got, you know, you've got a 15, 20, $30,000 car sitting in the driveway
because the garage that's meant to house the car
has too much of your stuff that doesn't fit in your house.
And then on top of that we've got, you know, storage places.
You know, we rent out storage facilities and we put things in the attic and we put things.
Look, you and I are very blessed of God.
And we live in a very wealthy nation, a very successful nation.
God, even the poorest in America do better than the average person in this world.
And here you have a man.
He said, I've got no room where to bestow my fruits.
He said, my garage is full.
He says, my attic is full.
He said, I've already rented a storage place
and I don't have anywhere to put everything that I have.
Look at verse 18.
And he said, this will I do.
I will pull down my barns and build greater.
And there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
And I will say to my soul, soul, thou hast much goods.
Now look, this was the goal, to have much goods.
Thou hast much goods laid up for many years.
Take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry.
If you don't mind writing in your Bible,
I would encourage you to write next to verse 19, the American dream.
Isn't that the American dream?
Pastor, are you going to speak against the American dream?
Look, I'm just here to tell you.
In America we grow up and we're told, you know,
that we are to pursue happiness.
That we are to, you know, life is just about,
and what is the American dream?
To have a house, to have a couple of cars, to work hard,
to make money so that what?
We can all retire.
So that we can all move to Florida.
So that we can all, you know, golf or bowl
or whatever it is you want to do for the rest of your life.
Travel, go live in an RV somewhere.
Now look, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that.
I'm not saying there's anything wrong with retiring
and if you worked hard your life.
I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that.
But here's what I'm saying.
If that is your goal in life, if your goal, your mindset,
I just want to make enough money so that I don't have to work anymore.
I just want to make enough money so that I can relax,
so that I can retire, so that I can just sit and take my knees
and drink and be merry.
That is a covetous goal.
And in fact in America we instill that in our society.
We teach our children.
That's the goal.
What's the goal?
The goal is to get educated.
The goal is to go to college.
The goal is to get a degree.
You say, do you think it's bad for people to go to college?
All I'm saying is this.
We are often put in front of our children.
We put this carrot and it's money.
It's possessions.
It's about where you live or what you drive or the clothes that you wear.
And I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that.
God blesses people and God gives money.
In fact in the Bible often God would use very wealthy and successful people to do his work.
There's nothing wrong with money, but when we have a love of money,
that's when we fall into snares and temptations.
Here he says, you have, this man says, I'm going to build greater barns.
I'm going to store everything I have and I'm going to take my needs and I'm going to eat and drink and be married.
Look, there's nothing wrong with retiring from your job.
In fact I think in some cases you get to a place in life where you can't work maybe the job that you worked as a young man.
But don't ever retire life.
You know what I mean?
Like retire, you say, the past few minutes are you ever going to retire as a pastor of a radio Baptist church?
There may come a day, like 40 years from now, so don't get excited, all right?
But there may come a day when I retire from a radio Baptist church as a pastor here.
Because I do think what I've noticed is a lot of churches begin to decline and begin to die
when the pastor gets to the place where he's just too old to really care for the flock.
And you know I'm praying that God will allow a young man in our ministry,
maybe one of my sons or maybe one of your sons to be able to be trained in our ministry and take that reign.
When I'm too old to do it, when I start kind of rambling and forgetting my thoughts
and forgetting what were we preaching about, you know, that maybe someone will step in and do that.
But you know what? I'm not going to retire life.
In fact, you know, I've told my wife, you know, I said when we retire, you know,
something I'd like to do is during the next 40 years here at Radio Baptist Church
to start as many churches up and down the west coast as possible,
we're starting in Washington here in a couple of weeks.
I'd like to see churches in the Bay Area, I'd like to see churches in Southern California.
And something I'd love to do is just go up and down those churches that we start and just help young men.
Just say, hey, look, I'm 60 years old, I'm retired.
You know, can I go soloing 40 hours for you this week?
You know, do you want me to preach for you on a Sunday night so you can have a break
so you can go on a little getaway with your wife, you know, and help some of these young men?
Here's what I'm saying, there's nothing wrong with retiring your job, but don't retire life.
Don't just say, I'm going to sit around and eat and drink and take ease and be merry.
But see, that's the goal that we're given today.
And we got everybody's working towards the day that I don't have to work anymore.
Notice verse 20.
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.
Then who shall those things be which thou hast provided?
So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
And you know, let me say this, I thank God for the senior saints we have at Verity Baptist Church,
those that have maybe retired their work, but they haven't retired on God.
They still serve and work and go soloing and drive vans and help and serve here.
Hey, praise the Lord for that, that's the goal.
Here's what God says.
He says, look, if your goal is covetousness, if your goal is to make enough money,
so that you don't have to worry anymore.
Isn't that the dream?
I just don't want to have to worry about finances.
I just don't want, look, you can stop worrying about finances right now.
Jesus said, take no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the days, the evil thereof.
Jesus said, you don't have to, you know, I just got to make enough money to quit worrying,
so I don't have to worry about money.
Look, I make no money and I don't worry about money.
You say, Pastor, are you worried about the future of Verity Baptist Church?
Do you know where the next building is going to be?
Do you know where the finances are going to be?
Are you going to be able to afford this church?
You know what, I just let God worry about that and I just do what God has called me to do.
God said, take no thought.
You know, God looks at us and says, quit thinking so much, you're not good at it.
Every time you think about, you know, all the problems, you just make things worse.
He said, let me deal with that and you take no thought for the morrow.
He said, let me deal with it and you just talk.
And I'm not talking about being irresponsible.
I think it's fine to plan.
Do you understand what I'm saying?
God says, you're a foolish man.
You're a foolish woman.
If this is how you live your life, verse 21, so is he that layeth up treasure for himself.
If your life is about laying up treasure for myself,
if your life is about making sure that I'm taken care of, that I have an easy life,
that I can eat and drink and be merry, he says, you are living.
This is what God called this man, a fool.
Because here's what you need to understand.
This is foolish because life is about more than money and possessions.
In fact, that's how he began the parable.
Look at verse 15.
And he said unto them, take heed and beware of covetousness.
You ought to underline this in your Bible.
This is a great quote by our Savior in the Bible.
For a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Do you understand that there are more important things in life than the things you own?
Do you understand that there are more important things in life?
Your life does not consist on the things.
And I've said this before and I'll say it again.
No one gets to the end of their life.
No one is, you know, on that deathbed getting ready to pass away and is asking,
can you just bring that, you know, can you just bring that, you know, boat
and then just let me see it one more time.
Can you just bring that, you know, whatever, whatever you're talking about,
that RV, can you just bring me that motorcycle?
Can you just bring me that nice car?
Can you just let me see that house just one last time?
You know, nobody says that on their deathbed.
You know what they say on their deathbed?
Can I just see my kids one last time?
Can I just see my grandkids one last time?
Can I just spend time with my wife or with my husband or I spend my life with, you know.
You know, when we think about death and we think about the end of our lives,
it really puts things in perspective for us that the same thing that Jesus is trying to do here.
He says, a man's life consists of not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.
At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter how much you own or where you live
or what you drive or what name brand clothes you wear.
He says it doesn't matter.
That's not what life consists of.
Because if you live your life in that pursuit, you will waste your life.
He says you're a fool.
Because here's what you need to understand.
Keep your place there in Luke 12.
We're going to come back to it.
Go to 1 Timothy chapter number 6.
1 Timothy, if you can find those T-books, you got 1 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy Titus.
Here's what you need to understand.
The pursuit of wealth is a distraction from what really matters.
I'm not saying wealth is bad.
Many people in the Bible, God prospered and God blessed with finances and made them wealthy.
Nothing wrong with that.
But if your life becomes about pursuing wealth, it will deviate you.
It will distract you from what life is really supposed to be about.
And that's the problem.
That's the danger.
The diversion of covetousness is the problem with covetousness
is that you can succeed at getting everything you want and get to the end of your life
and have God say you were a fool with your life.
You wasted it.
You ruined it.
1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 9, notice what he says.
1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 9.
But they that will, is that word will there?
That word will means to desire, covet or lust after.
It's a desire.
He's saying those that are willing or those that are wanting.
He says but they that will be rich.
That's their goal.
That's their agenda.
That's their desire.
He says but they that will be rich, notice, don't miss this, fall into temptation and a snare.
The word snare means a trap.
He says if your desire, you're coveting after, you're lusting after, being rich,
you're going to fall into a snare, you're going to fall into a trap
and into many foolish and hurtful, don't miss this word, lust.
Notice which drown men, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
Here's the thing about covetousness is that it's never enough.
You always need more.
You ever notice how, you know, you get a raise and you're like, oh, man, now I've got more money.
Now we're going to be fine.
Six months later, you're like, man, I need another raise.
Because, you know, usually what happens is when we make more money, we just spend more money.
When we make more money, we don't live within our means.
We just learn, you know, well, I got a raise, so I got to live in a nicer house.
Well, I got a raise, so I got to drive a nicer vehicle.
Well, I got a raise, so I'm going to start dressing better.
Well, I got a raise.
And here's the thing, if your goal is to pursue money, there will always be more.
There's always another million to make.
There's always another paycheck, another bonus to be had.
Notice what he says.
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and despair, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts,
which drown men in destruction and perdition.
Look at verse 10.
For the love of money.
Notice it's not money.
People often will quote this verse and say, well, money is the root of all evil.
No, no, no.
Money is just an object.
Especially in America, money is just paper, all right?
It's monopoly money.
We're just all playing the game, okay?
Money is not evil in and of itself, but he says the love of money.
When you love money, that is the root of all evil.
Which while some, don't miss this word, coveted after, they have erred.
You see that word er there?
The word er means to deviate, to go astray, to make an error.
He says they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves to do with many sorrows.
You say, well, what's the big problem with covetousness?
What's the danger there?
Here's the danger.
It's a diversion.
It's a distraction from what God actually wants you to do.
He says some coveted after and they have erred from the faith.
He said they deviated.
They went astray from what they were supposed to be doing, from what they were supposed to be engaged in,
from what they were supposed to be involved in.
They deviated from the faith and they pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
So we see the definition of covetousness and we see the danger of covetousness.
What's the danger?
That it's going to deviate you.
It's going to send you the wrong way.
It's going to waste your life.
Go back to Luke if you kept your place there.
We were in Luke 12.
Go to Luke chapter 16.
Here's what you need to understand.
You say, well, can't I follow after faith and follow after money?
No.
Can't I be consumed with the things of God and be consumed with coveting and possessions and success and wealth?
No.
The Bible says you've got to make a choice.
Now sometimes, sometimes we follow God and God brings the financial success with that.
But here's the thing.
Sometimes He doesn't.
Sometimes we're a job on the good days and sometimes we're a job on the bad days.
Are you there in Luke 16?
Look at verse 13.
No servant.
That's you.
That's me.
No servant can serve two masters.
For either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other.
Ye cannot serve God and...
Now here's the thing.
If you and I were writing that, you know how we would finish that statement?
We'd say, you cannot serve God and the devil.
Isn't that what you and I would write?
We'd say, you cannot serve God and the world.
Isn't that how you and I would write that?
We'd say, you cannot serve God and yourself.
Isn't that how you and I would write that?
But Jesus in His wisdom said this, you cannot serve God and mammon.
Say, what's mammon?
Mammon is money, riches, material wealth.
You say, why would He say that?
Why not the devil?
Why not the world?
Here's why He would say that.
Because those that they've earned from the faith, they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare.
He says, they've earned from the faith.
He says, they've pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
He says, if you make your life about coveting, pursuing wealth, pursuing riches.
He said, you can't serve God at the same time.
He said, you cannot serve two masters.
He said, you have to choose whether you will serve God or whether you will serve covetousness.
Money, possessions, the things of this world.
Go to Colossians chapter 3.
Let me give you another proof of that.
Colossians chapter 3.
You're there in Luke.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, verses 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians.
Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians.
Colossians chapter 3.
Look at verse 5.
See, mammon or money or riches or material wealth becomes a god in our lives.
Even in America, people would jokingly say, oh, we serve the almighty dollar.
I don't serve the almighty dollar.
I serve the almighty god.
And let me explain something to you.
The dollar in America is not so almighty.
And it's falling apart.
And you better make sure that your trust is not in uncertain riches, as the Bible says.
Colossians 3 and verse 5, the Bible says this, mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth,
fornication and cleanness, inordinate affections, evil concupiscence, and, notice this, covetousness which is idolatry.
See, covetousness becomes an idol in our lives.
When we pursue money and we pursue things and we pursue riches and we pursue material things,
it becomes an idol that takes the place of God.
And God says, you will either serve me or you will serve mammon.
You will serve me or you will serve things.
You will serve me or you will serve the god of covetousness.
Say, well, I don't understand.
What should the financial goal of a Christian be?
Go to the book of Proverbs.
I don't know.
Do you keep your place in Proverbs?
Remember I told you to keep your place in Proverbs?
Proverbs chapter 30 and look at verse number 8.
If you did not keep your place there, it's right after the book of Psalms.
When you open your Bible in the center, you'll likely fall there.
Psalms, Proverbs, Proverbs chapter 30.
You say, okay, well Pastor Mendez, what do you say?
Are we just supposed to be like monks who don't want to like make many money?
I'm not saying that at all.
In fact, the Bible teaches a lot about the fact that we ought to go and make money.
We ought to work hard and we ought to provide for ourselves and for our family.
The Bible teaches those things.
You say, well, what's the financial goal of a Christian?
What's the financial goal of a believer?
If I want to be right with God and I want to make money and provide for myself and my family,
but I don't want to err from the faith and enter into covetousness, then what is that balance?
Where do I go?
Proverbs chapter 30 and verse 8 gives us that answer.
Proverbs chapter 30 and verse 8, the Bible says this, remove far from me vanity and lies.
Now notice what he says.
He says, give me neither poverty nor riches.
The prayer of Proverbs is, you say the goal, the financial goal for a Christian is this,
don't give me poverty, but don't give me riches either.
He says, give me neither poverty nor riches.
Feed me with food convenient for me.
Notice verse 9, lest I be full.
He says, if you give me too much, if I'm overflowing, if I've got so much, I've got nowhere to put it.
My garage is filled with junk, my attic is filled with junk, I've got two different storage places,
I've got two different facilities, they're all filled with stuff.
He says, lest I be full and deny thee.
And isn't that what most rich people do?
Now look, not all rich people do that.
But Jesus himself said, you know, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Now look, with men this is impossible, with God all things are possible, we understand that.
But greed and money, look, we go to the ghettos and we knock on doors, we get people saved.
We go to the nice neighborhoods or the neighborhoods where people think they live in a nice neighborhood
and they're cold, they won't talk to us, why?
Because they're trusting in their riches.
He said, lest I be full and deny thee, verse 9, and say, who is the Lord?
Like Pharaoh, remember Pharaoh with his riches and his wealth,
Moses comes to him and he says, well who is the Lord that I should serve him?
But then he says this, or, lest I be poor, he said, and have too little,
and steal and take the name of God in vain.
He said, don't make me so poor that I'm tempted to steal and I'm tempted to blame God and charge God foolishly,
like we talked about yesterday, and complain and take the name of God in vain.
He said, that's not my prayer to be that poor.
But he said, my prayer is not to be just filthy rich either,
because then I might deny thee, God, and say, who is the Lord?
He said, I just want to live, Lord, somewhere in the middle.
Well, I've got enough money to be able to take care of my family and serve God and tithe, bless God,
and go to church and serve the Lord.
He said, that's the goal, and I will submit to you this,
every person in the Bible that became rich was not trying to become rich.
Their goal was not to be rich.
Abraham and Isaac and Jacob were just working hard,
and they were rich men that the ground just gave forth plentifully.
God blessed them, because God knew that he could trust them with that money.
To whom much is given, much shall be required.
But if your goal, if your desire, if your will is to be rich, you will fall into temptations and a snare.
So what's the financial goal for a Christian?
Not poverty, not riches.
So we saw the definition of covetousness.
What is covetousness?
It's a desire for things that don't belong to me.
It's a lust, an extreme appetite.
It's a greed, an excessive desire for things and possessions.
What's the danger of covetousness?
The danger is that it'll get you off track.
It'll make you waste your life.
It'll cause everyone to think you're great, you're successful.
Everyone will look at you and say, wow, isn't this person wonderful?
Everyone will look at the rich man in Luke chapter 12 and say, this man hit it.
This man did it.
This man got it.
This man did everything that he was supposed to do.
He fulfilled the American dream.
And he gets to the end of his life and God says, you're a fool.
You wasted your life.
That's the problem with covetousness.
See, covetousness in some ways is more dangerous than other sins.
Because you get on drugs and you don't want people to respect that.
They look at you and say, like, you're wasting your life.
You start drinking and get out of control, you know, become a drunkard of your life.
What are you doing?
But you get that greed out of control and no one says, what are you doing?
They all say, wow, isn't he doing great?
Isn't she doing wonderful?
Did you see their new house?
And God is saying, you're a fool, wasting your life.
You say, okay, pastor, so how do we defeat covetousness?
I get it.
Maybe I do struggle with covetousness.
And by the way, let me say this, we all struggle with covetousness.
I struggle with covetousness.
So how do you defeat it in your life?
Well, let me give you a couple of things.
Get back to 1 Timothy chapter 6.
We're going to be in 1 Timothy 6 and then in Luke chapter 12.
Let me give you three steps to defeating covetousness,
to getting victory over covetousness in your life.
Number one, diagnose covetousness in your own life.
You've got to start by diagnosing it, seeing it in yourself.
You've got to be able to confess it to yourself and God.
You don't have to confess it to me.
I'm not a priest up here.
You don't have to confess it to anybody in this building.
But you do have to say, you know what, God?
I think I do have a problem with covetousness.
You say, well, how do I know if I have a problem with covetousness?
Let me give you a couple of things.
And here's the thing, you can just blow me off.
I'm not asking you to answer these things out loud,
but I am asking you to really answer these things in your heart,
in your mind truthfully.
And don't change the answers based on the last 30 minutes of my preaching.
If we would have asked you these questions last night
and you honestly answered them truthfully,
how would you answer these questions?
What are your top goals?
Think about that.
What are your top goals in life?
These are the things I want to do.
Listen to me, there's nothing wrong with having a financial goal.
In fact, I teach and preach that.
Every, you know, beginning of new year,
I'll teach on the subject of setting goals and things like that,
and I think there should be a financial goal in everyone's life.
But if you've got five major goals
and four of them or three of them are about money,
you may be a covetous person.
If your goals involve a property you want to buy,
a house you want to live in, a toy you want to buy,
a car you want to drive, you may have covetousness in your heart.
Not even know it.
So I didn't know.
I know because we live in America because we're told this is a good thing.
So here's the question.
What are my top goals?
Honestly, answer that question.
What are your top goals in life?
Here's another thing.
What do you think about?
What consumes your thoughts?
Well, what consumes my thoughts is I got to get that next, you know, whatever.
Got to get that next outfit.
I've got to get that next jacket.
I've got to get that next toy.
You're probably a covetous person.
Here's a good one.
What do you talk about?
What consumes your conversation?
Are you always talking about just the next thing, the next job, the next business,
the next money, the next thing you're going to purchase?
I remember this was maybe a year ago or two years ago.
We're out soul winning and we're talking about in the Bible because in the Bible
there are certain sins that God says you should actually kick people out of church for.
And we're talking about that and we're talking about the fact that, you know,
if you're living in fornication, God actually commands us to kick you out of church
that, you know, that you need to get that right.
And one of the things on that list is covetousness.
And, you know, God tells us if you are a covetous person we should leave,
we should kick you out of church because a little leaven leaven it the whole lump
and somebody comes in here and all they are about money and loving money, loving money,
that spreads and God says you got to remove that.
You know, I get fornication.
Someone's living in fornication, you know, you kick them out of church
but how do you know if someone's covetous?
You know, it's like something you do in your heart.
I said to them, I said, I don't know.
I have no idea how you determine if someone's covetous.
But, you know, over the last year or so I've actually seen people become covetous.
I've seen people, you used to talk about spiritual things.
They used to be excited about the things of God.
They used to be excited about, you know, soul waiting in the Bible.
Now all they talk about, look, I know it's fine to talk about work, it's fine to talk about business.
I talk about business, I talk about money, I talk about, but look,
when all your conversations, when everything you talk about is about the next purchase,
the next paycheck, the next thing, here's what Peter said.
He said, we can only speak the things which we have seen and heard.
The things that come out of your mouth reveal your heart.
And if you're constantly talking about things, possessions and money, you may be a covetous person.
Answer this question, what motivates you?
What motivates you?
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
What is the reason you do the things you do?
There are some people, if you notice everything they do, if you dig far enough,
you will find a connection to money somewhere.
Is there ever anything you do that you do for no other reason than just the love for your wife
or the love for your children or the love for God?
That there's no financial benefit to you at all?
There's nothing you're going to gain from this transaction or gain from this, you know, objective?
Hey, what motivates you may determine or may identify the fact that you've allowed covetousness in your heart.
What you talk about, what you think about, what your goals are.
So, Pastor, how do I defeat covetousness?
You will never defeat covetousness until you are willing to confront it in your own life,
until you are willing to diagnose it.
You say, okay, well, I've diagnosed it, I struggle with covetousness.
I've become a covetous person, what do I do next?
Here's step number two, develop a proper perspective of life.
Develop a proper perspective of life.
Are you there in 1 Timothy 6?
Look at verse 6.
1 Timothy 6 and verse 6.
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
Godliness and walking with God is greater gain and living a content life.
Ask Job.
Job lost everything and yet lived a content life.
Did not complain.
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
Here's the perspective.
For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
Isn't that similar to what Job said?
The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord.
See, if you get this understanding that I'm not taking it with me.
I can't take it with me.
You're not taking that car, you're not taking that house, you're not taking that cruise,
you're not taking that toy, they might bury you in a nice suit, but you're still dead.
We brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out and having
food and raiment, let us be there with content.
Do you notice he doesn't mention a house?
Do you notice he doesn't mention a job?
Do you notice he doesn't mention an iPad?
Do you notice he doesn't mention an iPhone?
Do you notice he doesn't mention shoes or clothes or, well he mentions raiment but you
know, expensive things?
He doesn't mention these things.
He said, hey look, if you got food and raiment, if you got clothes, I think everybody here
has clothes, and you got food, we got donuts, then he says, let us be there with content.
That's enough.
Well, I'm just complaining because I don't like the house I live in.
I'm just complaining because I don't like the job I have.
I'm just complaining.
Then you're not right with God because God says, if you have food and raiment, let us
be there with content.
And you know, he said, well I don't like the clothes I have.
Look, he didn't say expensive clothes.
He didn't say fancy clothes.
He didn't say name brand clothes.
He just said, you got clothes on you?
You got food in your belly?
Then be content.
So how can I develop that?
Understanding this, that we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry
nothing out.
I can't take it with me.
You can't take it with you.
You're going to die and you're going to leave it all behind like the rich man in Luke chapter 12.
You say, okay, so then what do I do?
I diagnosed it.
I realized that I am a covetous person and I've developed a proper perspective of life
that things don't matter, that I can't take them with me.
The life of a man does not consist with the things that he possesses.
So then what do you do?
Here's what you do, step three.
Determine to be generous in your life.
The best way to stop greed is to give it away.
And this is what the Bible says, 1 Timothy 6, look at verse 17.
Charge them that are rich in this world.
You see that term rich in this world?
Let me just say this, that's you.
You are rich in this world.
If you live in the United States of America, 99% of Americans are in the top 2 to 3% of
wage earners in the world.
By international standards, you are a rich person.
He says, charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, that's pride.
No trust in uncertain riches, remember Joe?
He says, but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, he's saying,
look, it comes from God, every good gift comes from the Father above.
Look at verse 18, the Father of lights, look at verse 18.
That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute.
You know what the word distribute means?
To give away and willing to communicate.
Here comes a sermon on communism, but it's not what Evan was wanting.
The word communicate comes from the same root that we get the word communism from,
which means willing to impart or share.
He says, if you are the rich in this world,
he said, you ought to be ready to distribute and willing to communicate,
laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come,
that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Here's what he's saying, you can't take it with you, but you can send it ahead.
He said, you can't take it with you, but when you give it away in the name of Jesus Christ,
he said, you earn rewards in heaven.
He said, the riches of this world where rust and dust,
a moth doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal.
He said, on this earth it's wasted, but you can send it ahead and have treasures in heaven,
where neither rust nor moth doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through and steal.
And he says, look, if you're ready to distribute, if you're willing to communicate,
if you're generous with your money, here's a question that I have for that rich ruler.
When he said, I have no room where to but sow my fruit,
why was it not an option to just give it away?
I've got more than I can spend, then why don't you give it away?
I've got more than I can store, then why don't you give it away?
I'm sure there were people around him that were hungry.
I'm sure there were people around him that were poor and needy.
See, when you have greed in your heart, you can solve it by determining to live a generous life.
Jesus said the same thing in the context of the parable.
Go back to Luke chapter 12, verse 33. We're almost done.
We're going to come back to 1 Timothy 6, but Luke chapter 12 and verse 33.
Notice what he says.
Because remember, in Luke 12 he gives this parable about the rich fool, the covetous man who wasted his life.
And then here's the application that Jesus gives in Luke 12, 33.
Notice what he says.
He says, sell that ye have and give alms.
Alms means to give to charity, to the poor.
He said, provide for yourselves bags which wax not old,
a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, where neither moth corrupteth.
Here's what Jesus said.
He said, you have this man who's living for himself, living for things, living for property, living for finances,
wanted to just be a rich, covetous man.
He said, well, how do we solve that?
He said, sell what you have and give alms.
He said, learn to be generous, learn to give away,
learn to not just hold on and grip the money.
He said, look, the best thing you can do to help your greed is to just give it away.
I've got too much, I don't even know what to do with it.
Then find someone to give it to.
I mean, I've worked hard for that money.
Okay, then live a covetous life and waste your life.
And get to the end of your life.
And when your children hates you and your spouse hates you and no one wants to come visit you at the hospital,
make sure the nurse is, take a picture of your nice car in the parking lot and show it to you.
And they take a nice picture of your house and show it to you.
Because I'm sure that's how you want to end your life.
Look, I may live in a very humble home and drive a very humble vehicle.
And that's okay.
Because I want to get to the end of my life and have children that love the Lord
and have people that I invested my life into.
And I help their marriages and I help them raise their children.
I help them love the Lord.
I help them get saved.
I help them walk with God.
Look, life consists of more than about the things that you and I possess.
There are some things that are more important in life.
So you've got to diagnose it.
You've got to confess it.
You've got to look at it and say, I've got a problem with this.
And then you've got to get a right perspective of life and realize, I can't take it with me.
Life is more than just possessions.
Life is more than meat.
Life is more than the things that I own.
And then determine to be generous.
Look, just exercise generosity in your life.
And you know what I've noticed?
Is the people who are the most generous, often God blesses the most financially.
People just learn to give and God gives back to them.
But it's because they've determined in their heart to not hold on to it.
See, you and I hold money like this.
God wants us to hold money like this.
And things like this.
And possessions like this.
And to realize that I brought nothing into this world and it's certain I can carry nothing out.
Go to 1 Timothy chapter 6, let me give you, well actually I'm sorry.
Look at Luke 12, 34, just real quickly and then 1 Timothy 6 and we'll be done.
Luke 12, 34, notice what he says.
Where your treasure is, that where your heart be also.
Here's a question I have for you.
Where's your heart?
Well my heart is, no, no, no, don't answer it.
Answer it this way.
Where's your treasure?
Because where your treasure is, that's where your heart is.
Where you're invested in, that's where your heart is.
Jesus said, for where your treasure is, that where your heart be also.
Go to 1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 11, notice what it says.
We'll be done right here.
1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 11, notice what the Bible says.
At the end of the whole conversation on being content and not loving money and the root of all evil, notice what it says, verse 11.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things.
Flee these things.
What things?
Covetousness.
In another passage we're told to flee idolatry, which we saw that covetousness is idolatry.
He says, flee these things and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Look, if you struggle with covetousness, you need to learn to flee from that.
Because it will waste and rot and destroy your life.
He says, run from it.
Here Paul is telling Timothy, he said, thou, O man of God, you flee these things.
You don't love money.
Anything in this world that you're not willing to do away with or you would complain and charge God foolishly if he took it from you.
You may struggle with covetousness.
And you've got to learn to live in perspective and realize that everything I have came from God anyway.
And God can take it whenever he wants.
And having food and raiment, let us be there with content.
Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer.
Amen.