In 1731 John Wesley began to limit his expenses so he would have more money to give to the poor. He records that one year his income was £30, and his living expenses £28, so he had £2 to give away. The next year, his income doubled, but he still lived on £28 and gave £32 away. In the third year, his income jumped to £90; again he lived on £28, giving £62 away. The fourth year, he made £120, lived again on £28, and gave £92 to the poor.
And we wonder why we haven’t seen a revival for a while?!
The Apostle is commanding we put off immorality and impurity and then what seems to be a curve-ball he says greed.
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Ephesians 5:3
The Message has ‘bullying greed’ and other translations use ‘covetousness’.
Here are 7 sins of greed:
- It’s about me, me and me.
- It’s about me and having what is yours.
- It’s about me getting what I want with no thought to the pain I may cause you in getting it.
- It’s about me not having enough or what me deserves.
- It’s about me and my ego.
- It’s about me regardless of any consequences.
- It’s about me taking short-cuts.
Rick warren of Saddleback Church, America’s 8th largest Church lives on 10 percent of his income and donates the rest to charity. “I drive a 12-year-old Ford, have lived in the same house for the last 22 years, bought my watch at Wal-Mart, and I don’t own a boat or a jet.”
Jesus said he had no place to lay his head. We all want an open heaven. Out of that open heaven we want everything we can possibly get, a blessing of finance, promotion, this and that. When Jesus experienced an open heaven as he was standing in the Jordan being baptised he received a bird. We all want to be like Jesus but maybe if all we got was a bird perhaps we would be disappointed!
It’s not about me. Put it off.
Missions Paul 