Hello, My Name Is Brian And I Struggle With A Secret Sin

Hello, my name is Brian and I struggle with a secret sin.  Well, it is not a complete secret.  My wife and daughter are well aware of it.  My secret sin is greed.  There you go.  I said it.  I’m greedy.  I never thought I was greedy but I was deceiving myself.

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending The Glade Church in Mt Juliet, TN where I listened to Senior Pastor Mark Marshall’s incredible message on worry, greed, money, and possessions.

Using Luke 12:13-34 as his focal passage, Mark made the argument that greed and worry are two sides of the very same coin.  In essence, worry is indicative of greed.

I have struggled with worry my entire adult life.  I have struggled with losing my reputation, losing my house, losing my money, and losing my stuff.  My worrying about losing my stuff has been a sin and I needed to repent.  I don’t think I’m alone with his sin.  Perhaps the same can be said about you.

The following are Mark’s insightful comments.  I wanted to share them with you.

Introductory Comments

1. Richard Halverson said, “Money is an exact index to a man’s true character. All through Scripture there is an intimate correlation between the development of a man’s character and how he handles his money.”
2. Randy Alcorn says, “We come to the Bible for comfort, not financial instruction. If we want to know about money, we are more apt to pick up The Wall Street Journal, or Forbes, or Money.”

12 Comments On Greed And Worry

1. Comfort isn’t enough.  We want luxury.
2. 80% of the world lives on less than $10 a day.
3. Greed and worry are both wrong perspectives on stuff.
4. Greed and worry are two sides of the same coin.
5. Having money does not make you a bad person.
6. Most who suffer from greed are not aware of it.
7. Think about it: Someone who is greedy is obsessed thinking about what? (their stuff) …….. and someone who worries (is anxious) is obsessed with what? (their stuff … or lack of stuff)
8. Blindness to greed is part of the condition of being greedy.
9. Greed is the most deceptive sin any of us can have.
10. I’ve never in 30 years of ministry had anyone come into my office and say, “I’m greedy.”
11. The more you have when you die the more you will simply leave behind.
12. Worry is an indication you have set your heart on material things as much as someone with abundance.

3 Symptoms Of Greed

1. Self-centered view of the possessions God has given you.
2. Living as if there is no God.  A fool lacks discernment and makes decisions as if God doesn’t exist.
3. Reliance on stuff for your security.

4 Reasons Not To Worry

1. It is unreasonable because it ultimately doesn’t matter. v. 22
2. It is unnatural. v. 24
3. It is unhelpful.  It doesn’t change anything. v. 25
4. It is unnecessary.  God will meet your needs because that is what a Heavenly Father does.

Antidote For Greed And Worry

1. Replace greed and worry with a higher purpose. v. 31
2. Experience God’s grace. 2 Corinthians 8:9
3. Invest wisely. v. 33
4. Try to out-give God. v. 33, Proverbs 11:24

Final Thoughts

1. You see growth in Christians by where they put their treasure.
2. If you take care of God’s business, He will take care of you.

What is one thing you learned which will help you deal with worry, greed, money, possessions and generosity.

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