A New Life: Dealing with Greed

Audio from Senior Pastor Vaughn Drawdy on Sunday morning January 29, 2017.

What is greed from a Biblical standpoint? What should a Christ follower do with that information? What is the measure of greed? How can we deal with greed in our own hearts?

Colossians 3:1-11 NIV
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. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

What is Greed?
Definition: intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food.
In context of this study: Greed is the insatiable desire to have more money or possessions for self-gratification, while ignoring God and eternity.
In the Text:
1 Timothy 6:10
Romans 7:7
Mark 7:21-22

How should Christians view greed and wealth?
Greed is a serious sin to be avoided; wealth is a serious responsibility to do good.
In the Text:
Colossians 3:5
1 Cor. 6:9-10
Ephesians 5:5
1 Corinthians 5:10-11

1 Timothy 6:9-10 NIV
Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

1 Timothy 6:17-18 NIV
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

A New Life: Dealing with Our Nature

Audio from Senior Pastor Vaughn Drawdy on Sunday morning January 22, 2017.

Colossians 3:1-11
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. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

What is Paul telling us about living this redeemed life?
Verse 1-2 Set your hearts & minds on things above
(Set) To seek in order to find
(Heart/Mind) The core of who we are
(Things Above) Not things full of sin and strife, contrary to God

How is this possible to achieve?
2 Corinthians 5:15-18

Paul is specific about putting off the old ways of life:
Verses 5-7 (Sexual Immorality and Impurity)
See this link for startling new facts about pornography from the Barna Research Group.

(Lust, Evil Desires, Greed/Idolatry)
The worship of anything other than Almighty God

So what do we do with our sinful nature?
We have to DEAL with it!
Galatians 5:24-25

We have been set free from the bondage (slavery) of sin.
Romans 12:1-2

Grow Deep

Audio from Senior Pastor Vaughn Drawdy on Sunday morning January 15, 2017.

Colossians 2:6-8
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

Paul's letter to Colossae not only recognizes them as a body of new believers, but also encourages them to grow in the ways of Christ to fully reveal God’s character and love. Growing deeper is vitally important for us as we grow in our relationship with God and connect to His purpose for our lives.

Points for us to be encouraged and challenged in:

1. Recognize a need for Growth.
Matthew 7:24-27
Proverbs 1:5-7

2. Take Responsibility for Personal Growth in Faith.
1 Samuel 30:1-6

3. Position Yourself for Growth (Discipline).
Psalms 1:1-3

4. Dig Deep in the Word (Haggah).
Psalm 1:2

5. Apply the Word (Bear Fruit).
John 15:5-8

A Life that Pleases God

Audio from Senior Pastor Vaughn Drawdy on Sunday morning January 8, 2017.

Colossians 1:9-14
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

When we believe the truth of God’s love for us and submit our lives to the purposes of God through the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives, we are then in the place to fill the missing pieces of our lives with love, hope, purpose and meaning given to us by the Holy Spirit.

Let's be encouraged to:
1.      Recognize our frailty and recognize His power and submit our lives to Him (repent). Humble ourselves before God.

2.      Acknowledge that the counterfeit pieces that the world provides are not eternal, lasting or indefinitely fulfilling (sin is pleasurable - for a season).

3.      Meet God on His terms when we do, we grow in our relationship with Him.

4.     Engage in prayer. This is one of the greatest core building stones of growing in a strong faith. We need to pray like Paul prayed for the church at Colossae.

   4a.   Pray that God would fill us with the Knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and knowledge of God.

   4b.   Spiritual Wisdom - This is not of man, outside at times of man’s reasoning and understanding yet bearing witness to other spiritual minded people.

5.    Study God’s word, and allow it to saturate our mind in such a way that we encounter the truth of it, allowing it to judge and challenge our nature, our way of thinking and our carnal world view.

 

Inspire Others to Live for Jesus

Audio from Senior Pastor Vaughn Drawdy on Sunday morning January 1, 2017.

Ephesians 5:15-16 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

The central definition, the drive and purpose of a resolution is to make a firm decision to do or not do something.

As you think back over 2016… how did you measure up to God’s purpose? How did you reflect God’s love? How did we do as a Church in revealing Christ and His purpose?
These are very important questions for us to ask individually and as a church.

Three questions to be challenged and encouraged in today:
1. Ask God to help you evaluate your effectiveness in His purpose for your life. Simply:  How is your walk with God?
2. What areas need to be improved?
(Word life, prayer life, Worship life, stronger relationships with the Church, involved in inspiring others to live for Jesus)
3. How do we go about improving and growing deeper inthese areas. What is your plan?

Putting a plan into action:
1. Repentance
To recognize and agree with God that the path we are walking is the wrong path.  Step over to the right path and walk it out.
Psalms 119:9-16
2. Accountability
We all need support, help, encouragement, teachers. Part of accountability is realizing that we need others in our lives.  Don’t go it alone.
Romans 12:4-8
1 Corinthians 12:27-28
3. Equipping
Why do we come to Church? Do you come to church in order to be equipped to fulfill God’s plan?
Ephesians 4:11-16
4. Empowerment
We need the power of God, the Holy Spirit to empower us to fulfill God’s divine purpose in and through our lives.  Do you feel timid, fearful, inferior, ineffective, weak?  Cry out for God to strengthen you with Boldness and courage.
Acts 1:8
Acts 4:31