Sermon Series dealing with the present day dangers to the family…

“A Clear and Present Danger!” (“I Want It All!”) 1 Timothy 6:3-10; Hebrews 13:5

Several years ago it was calculated the average American had seventy wants. A similar calculation was recently taken and now that figure has ballooned to over five hundred wants!

“SHE DIED FOR WANT OF THINGS” “HE DIED TRYING TO GIVE THEM TO HER”

Purpose: to better recognize the danger/threat discontent brings in our relationship with God

I FACING THE FACTS A. Working More Hours B. Being Less Content

We live in a consumer-driven society We live in a consumer-driven society. For example: every billboard, TV/radio commercial, magazine ad… etc. is painstakingly created to make you be discontent!

I FACING THE FACTS A. Working More Hours B. Being Less Content C. Needing More Stuff

Our society has launched us into an age of unbridled consumerism… Spending is at a rate never matched in history…

II FACING THE DANGER A. Wealth Makes It Tough

Matthew 19:21-24 “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to His disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 19:21-24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Jesus simply saying wealth isn’t evil, but it does make it more difficult to enter the kingdom of God…

II FACING THE DANGER A. Wealth Makes It Tough B. Love of Money is the Root

Achan stole and tried to cover up it up…

Gehazi, servant of Elijah, lied, snuck around and lied again to cover it all up…

Ahab pouted and Jezebel plotted the murder of the man named Naboth… Later Elijah denounces their actions to their face

Ananias and Sapphira lied to Holy Spirit and the church…

John 12:6 “…he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.” Judas Iscariot

Matthew 26:14-15 “Then one of the Twelve – the one called Judas Iscariot – went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I hand Him [Jesus] over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.” Judas Iscariot

II FACING THE DANGER A. Wealth Makes It Tough B. Love of Money is the Root C. Never Satisfied

Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?”

II FACING THE DANGER A. Wealth Makes It Tough B. Love of Money is the Root C. Never Satisfied D. It Won’t Last

Proverbs 23:4-5 “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like and eagle.”

Matthew 6:19-20 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

III FACING THE SOLUTION A. Differentiate Between Temporary and Eternal

2 Corinthians 4:18 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Colossians 3:1-3 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”

G. K. Chesterton “There are two ways to get enough. One is to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less and less.”

III FACING THE SOLUTION A. Differentiate Between Temporary and Eternal B. Differentiate Between Wants and Needs

1 Timothy 6:6-8 “…godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”

III FACING THE SOLUTION A. Differentiate Between Temporary and Eternal B. Differentiate Between Wants and Needs C. Differentiate Between Gift and Wages

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

If a man gave his wife a million dollars and told her to spend a thousand dollars a day, it would take…

If a man gave his wife a billion dollars and told her to spend a thousand dollars a day, it would take…

Summary and Conclusion: Our text makes clear it is the love of money (i.e. the “I Want It ALL” syndrome…) that is the root of all evil. A man can drown in a pond, as well as, an ocean. In other words, you can be just as wrecked by setting your affections on a thousand dollars as on a billion…