Saturday Prior to Proper 13

 

John 6:22-58 - The hymn, Father, we Thank Thee (LSB 652) is a liturgical hymn based on John 6. The point of Jesus’ teaching and the text of the hymn is that to live spiritually we need the bread which comes from heaven namely our Lord and Savior Jesus. As Christ is received we as the children of God live new lives. Throughout the next several weeks we will be focusing on Jesus’ teaching on this import chapter from the gospel of John.

Louis Bourgeois (b. Paris, France, c. 1510; d. Paris, 1561). In both his early and later years Bourgeois wrote French songs to entertain the rich, but in the history of church music he is known especially for his contribution to the Genevan Psalter. Apparently moving to Geneva in 1541, the same year John Calvin returned to Geneva from Strasbourg, Bourgeois served as cantor and master of the choristers at both St. Pierre and St. Gervais, which is to say he was music director there under the pastoral leadership of Calvin. Bourgeois used the choristers to teach the new psalm tunes to the congregation.

The extent of Bourgeois's involvement in the Genevan Psalter is a matter of scholar­ly debate. Calvin had published several partial psalters, including one in Strasbourg in 1539 and another in Geneva in 1542, with melodies by unknown composers. In 1551 another French psalter appeared in Geneva, Eighty-three Psalms of David, with texts by Marot and de Beze, and with most of the melodies by Bourgeois, who supplied thirty­ four original tunes and thirty-six revisions of older tunes. This edition was republished repeatedly, and later Bourgeois's tunes were incorporated into the complete Genevan Psalter (1562). However, his revision of some older tunes was not uniformly appreciat­ed by those who were familiar with the original versions; he was actually imprisoned overnight for some of his musical arrangements but freed after Calvin's intervention. 

In addition to his contribution to the 1551 Psalter, Bourgeois produced a four-part harmonization of fifty psalms, published in Lyons (1547, enlarged 1554), and wrote a textbook on singing and sight-reading, La Droit Chemin de Musique (1550). He left Geneva in 1552 and lived in Lyons and Paris for the remainder of his life.1 

Sources:

Loaves and Fish, copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

1. https://hymnary.org/person/Bourgeois_Louis 

Friday Prior to Proper 13

 

John 6:22-35 — Bread satisfies hunger. John urges the people to seek bread from heaven and reveals Himself as the Bread of Life. What is the work of God? Jesus replies that the work of God is to believe in Him. The people ask for a sign that would persuade them to believe in Him and refer to the manna received in the wilderness. 

Jesus assures them that God sent the bread from heaven, the bread that gives life to the world. Then they ask Him to give this king of bread. He reveals that He is the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to Him and believes in Him will never hunger nor thirst.

In John 6:1-15 is recorded the feeding of the 5,000. (A prelude to the next three Sundays of readings)  Some believe that the crowd could have been over 5,000 as only "men" were counted. If you would count "women and children" it could have been up to 15,000 (See Matthew 14:21). Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana seats close to 17,000 people....

According to the phone conversation I had with the concessions manager the following items were sold at the Indiana v Wisconsin game, on Saturday, March 12, 1994...

400 1bs of hot dogs,
3,000 popcorn boxes,
8,200 cokes (about 1,000 gallons)
684 candy bars,
436 nachos,
284 boxes of caramel corn,
917 soft pretzels,
247 polish sausages,
100 sandwiches,
179 bags of peanuts,
50 muffins,
160 cups of coffee.

This game was played on an afternoon, with tip-off scheduled for 2:00 pm. Most fans had eaten their breakfast and had probably had their lunch also! Besides fans had to pay for their food at the concessions stand at stadium prices!

1

Jesus feeds the crowd freely. Without cost! When we pray "give us this day our daily bread" we can know that the Savior will supply us with all that we need to support our body and life.

Collect for Proper 13 –Merciful Father, You gave Your Son Jesus as the heavenly bread of life. Grant us faith to feast on Him in Your Word and Sacraments that we may be nourished unto life everlasting;; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 2

Sources:

Loaves and Fish, copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

1. The Crowd copyright © Indiana University Athletics 

2. Collect for Proper 13, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

Thursday Prior to Proper 13

 

Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16 — Bread makes for bodily growth. Christians are to live lives worthy of their calling in love, unity, and growth to maturity in Christ. The church is urged to become what they are by the grace of Christ. Paul appeals for unity on the basis of the unity of Spirit and body. Various functions are gifts of Christ to equip the members and to build up the church in love. The goal of the growth is the matching of the stature of Jesus so that we are not children but mature in faith and love.

Paul identifies himself here as a prisoner of Christ. At other times he refers to himself as a servant, apostle, ambassador and spokesman. To be a prisoner of Christ is to suffer for him. When we are zealous Christians, we will be subject to the opposition and persecution of the enemy, Satan. The test of the true Christian is the suffering he/she experiences in living out the Christian faith.

Seven times the word “one” is used. Repetition indicates the importance of the word in the thinking of Paul. On one side is the word “all”, and on the other side is “one.” All are to be one in Christ, in hope, faith, and love. This unity is demanded because we have one God, one faith, one Spirit. 

The word “unity” gives us the insight into the Christian religion as a process of becoming what we are by the grace of God. We are not what we have been and what we will be. We are a growing people of God. We are in the process of attaining unity, of building up the church, of matching the full stature of Jesus. This “unity” continues to the end of our existence on earth and is only completed in the heavenly world to come.   1

Collect for Proper 13 –Merciful Father, You gave Your Son Jesus as the heavenly bread of life. Grant us faith to feast on Him in Your Word and Sacraments that we may be nourished unto life everlasting;; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen   2

Sources:

Loaves and Fish, copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

1. Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series B, John Brokhoff © 1981 CSS Publishing, Lima, OH

2. Collect for Proper 13, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

Wednesday Prior to Proper 13

Exodus 16:2-15— In response to the people’s complaint that they had no food, the Lord sends food from heaven. Only a few weeks after deliverance from Egypt the people complain about the lack of food. They murmur against Moses and Aaron, but God knows that they complain about Him. They doubt whether the Lord cares about them and His ability to provide for them. In response to their complaints the Lord sends quail in the evening and bread, “manna,” in the morning. To this day the Manna is a mystery – “What is it?”  Moses answered, “it is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.” By this the people are to know that He is their God.

Didn’t the Israelites in the wilderness have a right to murmur against Moses and the LORD? They followed His leader out of Egypt where at least, they had food, but now they were starving. They had reason to complain, but they went about getting food in the wrong way. Instead of complaining, why did they not discuss their needs with Moses and take it to God in prayer? Their complaining reveals a lack of faith in the LORD’s hearing and answering prayer.

The LORD’s glory appeared in a cloud. Like a cloud, the LORD is mysterious and hidden – one can’t see much when fly in a cloud or driving in a fog. The LORD is the unknowable an hidden God. Yet, as the cloud indicated, God is ever present. His glory appears when he comes to the rescue of his people, who are in need. His glory is seen best in the cross where the LORD in his Son saves the world.  1 

Collect for Proper 13 –Merciful Father, You gave Your Son Jesus as the heavenly bread of life. Grant us faith to feast on Him in Your Word and Sacraments that we may be nourished unto life everlasting;; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen 2

Sources:

Loaves and Fish, copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

1. Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series C, John Brokhoff © 1981 CSS Publishing, Lima, OH

2. Collect for Proper 13, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St Louis

Tuesday Prior to Proper 13

 

Psalm145:10-21; key verse v15—The eyes of all look to You and You give them their food at the proper time. This is a psalm of praise and fitting for our theme for this week. The Lord is the provider of all both physical and spiritual blessings. He supplies physical food for us daily as we acknowledge in the Lord’s Prayer. He also supplies us spiritually as He comes to us through the means of grace.  

PRAISING GOD FOR WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE DOES

This psalm is titled A Praise of David. Though Psalms 17 and 86 were also called A Prayer of David, this is the only one titled A Praise of David, and it is a high point of praise. “Psalm 145 is indeed a monumental praise psalm, a fit summary of all David had learned about God during a long lifetime of following hard after the Almighty.” (James Montgomery Boice)

Psalm 145 is the last psalm attributed to David in the collection of psalms, and it is the last of the nine psalms using some kind of acrostic pattern (9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, and 145). Five of these acrostic psalms are attributed to David.

“In Jewish practice this psalm was recited twice in the morning and once in the evening service. The Talmud commends all who repeat it three times a day as having a share in the world to come.” (Willem VanGemeren)  1

Collect for Psalm 145: Loving Father, you are faithful in your promises and tender in your compassion. Listen to our hymn of joy, and continue to satisfy the needs of your creatures, that all flesh may bless your name in your everlasting kingdom, where with your Son and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, now and forever. 2

Sources:

Loaves and Fish, copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

1. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-145/ 

2. Collect for Psalm 145, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church Vol. IV © 1996The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY

Monday Prior to Proper 13

 

Psalm 78:23-25, Antiphon, Psalm 78:72 – With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with His skillful hand. Israel under the care of the Lord’s royal shepherd from the house of David was for the prophets the hope of God’s people (see Ezekiel 34:23; 37:23 Micah 5:4) fulfilled in Jesus Christ. (See Matthew 2:6; John 10:11; Revelation 7:17)

This coming Sunday marks an interlude in the long series of passages from Mark during the Pentecost season. The Gospels for three Sundays are taken in course from John 6 - The Bread of Life chapter. Jesus explains that the people have come for more physical bread, but He would rather they had spiritual food which comes from heaven, food for the soul. He then identifies Himself as the bread from heaven similar to the manna God sent to His people in the wilderness Exodus 16:2-15. 

Paul in our Epistle lesson Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16 speaks repeatedly of growth into the fullness of Christ’s stature and growth as “bodily growth”.  As everyone knows, physical growth is not possible without adequate food. The Psalm of the Day Psalm145:10-21; key verse v15—The eyes of all look to You and You give them their food at the proper time sings of God’s goodness and greatness in satisfying the physical needs of every person. Jesus our Savior fills our deepest needs.

In the center of Pentecost we will be reading the Bread of Life chapter of John 6. Following are the Gospel readings for the next three Sundays.

–Proper 13 John 6:22-35

Eat More Than Bread - The Necessity of spiritual bread for life.

–Proper 14 John 6:35-51

Eat and Live – Spiritual food gives eternal life

– Proper 15 John 6:51-69

To Eat or Not to Eat – The decision whether or not to follow Christ  

Collect for Psalm 78: Lord Jesus Christ, shepherd of your Church, to strengthen our faith and to lead us to the Kingdom, you renewed and surpassed the marvels of the old covenant. Through the uncertainties of this earthly journey, lead us home to the everlasting pastures, where we may praise you now and forever. 

Sources:

Loaves and Fish, copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things

Collect for Psalm 78, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church. Vol. IV The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, © 1996 Delhi, NY  

Pentecost 11 - Proper 13

Pentecost 11 – Proper 13

August 5, 2018

John 6:22-35

Saved by Work, not works

Certainly most in the parish know that we are not saved by our good works. Yet Jesus says in our text there is a work that saves. How so? It is to believe in Him.

To be saved by the work of God simply means…

1. That salvation is a gift from Jesus - the Bread of Life –V.27
2. That faith is the receptive agent – V.29
3. That faith needs working –V.29

I.        To be saved by the work of God simply means that salvation is a gift of the bread of life –

A.     Salvation is not something to be achieved – Jesus tells us “Do not work for food that spoils”

1.           Man with His own schemes. Plans. And agendas. Will attempt to please God. By his vain attempts to be good. “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.”  – Proverbs 21:2 “The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.”   - Psalm 14:2-3

2.           Yet we can’t come to God on your own terms. Scripture is quite clear. By nature we are;

a.        Blind – “But the natural man cannot accept the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually appraised.” – 1 Corinthians 2:14

b.        Dead – “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.”- Ephesians 2:1

c.        An enemy of God –“The mind set on the flesh it is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the Law of God, for it is not able to do so.” - Romans 8:7

B.     Faith rather places its focus on Jesus. Who took all of your sin to Himself. Thus Jesus will say, “Work for food that endures to eternal life.”

1.         Since we cannot achieve eternal life “by our own reason or strength,” we receive it as a gift. With no strings attached. If it were a loan. There would be an expectation of repayment. With a gift it becomes a gracious inheritance.

2.         Because this salvation is a gift. It becomes your most prized possession. Days after the devastating Hurricane Katrina rolled through the Gulf Coast. There was a discussion. As to what would you take with you. Had you to evacuate your home. What would you take with you? Pictures of your family? Jewelry? A rare family heirloom? We place value on those things. But there is something that is so valuable. That there can be no price fixed. It is your salvation.

A pastor who had lost everything was asked how valuable his library was. He commented, “The only books I have left are the ones I gave away.” Your salvation was “given away” freely by your Savior. When He was nailed to a tree. For this reason you salvation is priceless!

II.     To be saved by works means that Faith is the receptive agent. Jesus tells us “The work of God is this – to believe in the one He sent.”

A.      Jesus came into this world with a purpose. – To destroy the work of the devil. “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” –1 John 3:8

B.      Jesus came into this world to re-establish God and man. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” - 1 John 1:8-10

C.      Jesus came into this world to bring peace to a sin sick world. Which knows nothing but disharmony, bitterness and despair

D.     As He has won this salvation. He now imparts it to you. In His Word preached. Taught. Read. And shared. He also attaches His forgiveness to things which are tangible.  In Baptism. In His Supper. In His word of absolution.

III.   To be saved by works means faith needs working.

A.      The faith is certainly taught. – This is what we do. And what we want to do well. Through our educational ministry. Be it at Wyneken. In our Adult Bible classes. In our Sunday School. Or our Oasis youth ministry.

B.     The faith is also caught. – By living your life for Christ. Being a witness. Living your life with a noble purpose. – To be salt and light in this sin filled world. Giving hope to those in a need. 

This may be a new thought – Faith at work. Is like love in marriage. To be successful you must work at it. To be saved means we must work at our faith so that it continues to exist and grow. The spiritual bread comes as a gift. Yet faith is needed to receive it. Faith is all important for without the Bread of Life (Christ) we cannot be saved.

_______________

Words-900

Passive Sentences-12%

Readability-88.2

Reading Level-3.0

Time in the Word - Pentecost 11 - Proper 13

Time in the Word

July 30-August 4 2018

Proper 13

Preparation for next week, Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

This coming Sunday marks an interlude in the long series of passages from Mark during the Pentecost season. The Gospels for three Sundays are taken in course from John 6 - The Bread of Life chapter. Jesus explains that the people have come for more physical bread, but He would rather they had spiritual food which comes from heaven, food for the soul. He then identifies Himself as the bread from heaven similar to the manna God sent to His people in the wilderness. The Old Testament. Paul speaks repeatedly of growth into the fullness of Christ’s stature and growth as “bodily growth”.  As everyone knows, physical growth is not possible without adequate food. The Psalm of the Day sings of God’s goodness and greatness in satisfying the physical needs of every person. Jesus our Savior fills our deepest needs.

Collect for Proper 13 –Merciful Father, You gave Your Son Jesus as the heavenly bread of life. Grant us faith to feast on Him in Your Word and Sacraments that we may be nourished unto life everlasting;; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

                                                                   

Monday, 30 July 2018—Psalm 78:23-25, Antiphon, Psalm 78:72 – With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with His skillful hand. Israel under the care of the Lord’s royal shepherd from the house of David was for the prophets the hope of God’s people (see Ezekiel 34:23; 37:23 Micah 5:4) fulfilled in Jesus Christ. (See Matthew 2:6’ John 10:11; Revelation 7:17)

Tuesday, 31 July 2018—Psalm145:10-21; key verse v15—The eyes of all look to You and You give them their food at the proper time. This is a psalm of praise and fitting for our theme for this week. The Lord is the provider of all both physical and spiritual blessings. He supplies physical food for us daily as we acknowledge in the Lord’s Prayer. He also supplies us spiritually as He comes to us through the means of grace.  

Wednesday, 01 August 2018— Exodus 16:2-15— In response to the people’s complaint that they had no food, the Lord sends food from heaven. Only a few weeks after deliverance from Egypt the people complain about the lack of food. They murmur against Moses and Aaron, but God knows that hey complain about Him. They doubt whether the Lord cares about them and His ability to provide for them. In response to their complaints the Lord sends quail in the evening and bread, “manna,” in the morning. To this day the Manna is a mystery – “What is it?”  Moses answered, “it is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.” By this the people are to know that He is their God.

Thursday, 02 August 2018—Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16 — Bread makes for bodily growth. Christians are to live lives worthy of their calling in love, unity, and growth to maturity in Christ. The church is urged to become what they are by the grace of Christ. Paul appeals for unity on the basis of the unity of Spirit and body. Various functions are gifts of Christ to equip the members and to build up the church in love. The goal of the growth is the matching of the stature of Jesus so that we are not children but mature in faith and love.   

Friday, 03 August 2018—John 6:22-35 — Bread satisfies hunger. John urges the people to seek bread from heaven and reveals Himself as the Bread of Life. What is the work of God? Jesus replies that the work of God is to believe in Him. The people ask for a sign that would persuade them to believe in Him and refer to the manna received in the wilderness.

Jesus assures them that God sent the bread from heaven, the bread that gives life to the world. Then they ask Him to give this king of bread. He reveals that He is the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to Him and believes in Him will never hunger nor thirst.

In John 6:1-15 is recorded the feeding of the 5,000. (A prelude to the next three Sundays of readings)  Some believe that the crowd could have been over 5,000 as only "men" were counted. If you would count "women and children" it could have been up to 15,000 (See Matthew 14:21). Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana seats close to 17,000 people....

According to the phone conversation I had with the concessions manager the following items were sold at the Indiana v Wisconsin game, on Saturday, March 12, 1994...

400 1bs of hot dogs,

3,000 popcorn boxes,

8,200 cokes (about 1,000 gallons)

684 candy bars,

436 nachos,

284 boxes of caramel corn,

917 soft pretzels,

247 polish sausages,

100 sandwiches,

179 bags of peanuts,

50 muffins,

160 cups of coffee.

This game was played on an afternoon, with tip-off scheduled for 2:00 pm. Most fans had eaten their breakfast and had probably had their lunch also! Besides fans had to pay for their food at the concessions stand!

Jesus feeds the crowd freely. Without cost! When we pray "give us this day our daily bread" we can know that the Savior will supply us with all that we need to support our body and life.

Saturday, 04 August 2018—John 6:22-58 - The hymn, Father, we Thank Thee (LSB 652) is a liturgical hymn based on John 6. The point of Jesus’ teaching and the text of the hymn is that to live spiritually we need the bread which comes from heaven namely our Lord and Savior Jesus. As Christ is received we as the children of God live new lives. Throughout the next several weeks we will be focusing on Jesus’ teaching on this import chapter from the gospel of John. 

In the center of Pentecost we will be reading the Bread of Life chapter of John 6. Following are the Gospel readings for the next three Sundays.

August 5, 2018 – Pentecost 11 – [Proper 13] John 6:22-35

Eat More Than Bread - The Necessity of spiritual bread for life.

August 9, 2018 – Pentecost 12 – [Proper 14] John 6:35-51

Eat and Live – Spiritual food gives eternal life

August 16, 2018 – Pentecost 13 – [Proper 15] John 6:51-69

To Eat or Not to Eat – The decision whether or not to follow Christ

Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 and Lutheran Worship © 1980 Concordia Publishing House and from Lutheran Worship © 1980 Concordia Publishing House.

Schnorr von Carolsfeld woodcut  used with permission from WELS

Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series B – John Brokhoff © 1981 CSS Publishing, Lima, OH

Pentecost 11 - Proper 13

Proper 13

31 July 2016

Luke 12:13-21

The parable of the rich fool

Jesus said, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” If it does not consist of material goods. Of what does life consist? Most people feel that money is the key to real living. After winning the lottery, a woman once exclaimed, “Now I’m going to start living!” People need to know what makes life worthwhile.

O God, the Protector of all who trust in You, without whom nothing is strong and nothing is holy, increase and multiply Your mercy on us that with You as our Ruler and Guide we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.

Possessed by one’s possessions

We need to have a balance in life. We need to learn how to handle our possessions so that our possessions will not handle us. Jesus is not condemning possessions. There is no virtue in being poor, needy, or devoid of material needs. It is a matter of keeping perspective. Do you possess your possessions? Or, do your possessions control you? Are you a slave to material goods? It is not a question of being rich or having fabulous homes, expensive jewelry, and having a high income. It is not only the super – rich who can become obsessed with possessions. Even those of modest means can become enslaved to their possessions – No matter how many or how few they may be. To be possessed by your possessions means.

1. You are greedy for possessions. "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." V. 15

A. Can you handle success? Can you handle wealth? Most people who strike it rich winning the lottery are broke within five to seven years. It wasn’t the money per se. It was their priorities. It was their attitude toward it. Your life does not consist in the abundance of your possessions. We live in a consumed consumer society that shouts at us every day saying, “You need more of this, you won’t be happy without that, you need to look this way, and have these things in order to be accepted, respected and valued by others.” The truth of the matter is this; the things of this world are passing away and only the things of eternity last forever.

B. Can you remember what you received for Christmas when you were seven? So why do you think that your children will be scared for life if they don’t have the latest thing? Remember that day in your life. At the time, what you received might have been the most wonderful thing in the world. Now. Looking back. And reflecting. You now come to realize that what was truly important was having the people who mattered most in your life with you.

2. To be possessed by your possessions means you never get enough possessions. “He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'” V. 17

A. In just a few weeks it will be here, once again, college move- in day. It’s amazing how much “stuff” an 18-year old can cram into a dorm room! What is amazing to me and I see it each year we take our children and their “stuff” back to campus is those students who arrive in a big honking’ SUV pulling a U-Haul which is bigger than the dorm room itself! And remember this student will have a roommate who has come with all of his stuff as well.

B. We can never be satisfied because we always want more. You receive an e-mail from a Mr. Abu-Bakr in Nigeria. He claimed to be the friend to the son of the late senator of Nigeria. You were recommended to him as an honest and reliable person. To whom he can entrust a sum of money. He explains ~ the son of the late senator is sending $22 million dollars out of the country. For your help he will give you 20% of the total. He is confident you would not keep all of the money. Like someone in Germany did a year ago. He asked you to send him your address, fax and phone number, and bank account number. He assures you of privacy. He hoped to hear from you immediately. You don't get something for nothing. We all know that. But why do so many fall for such a scam? We are all tempted by greed.

C. One author put it this way. “If you look carefully you will see that there is one thing and only one thing that cause unhappiness. The name of that thing is Attachment. What is an attachment? An emotional state of clinging caused by the belief that without some particular thing or some person you cannot be happy... Here is a mistake that most people make in their relationships with others. They try to build a steady nesting place in the ever-moving stream of life.” [1]

3. To be possessed by your possessions means you trust your possessions to give the good life. “And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." V. 19

A. Greed seeks worldly things, which must not be equated with true "living”. We stumble when material possessions become a substitute for the proper object of a person's search and worship--God. Therefore, greed . . . is idolatry!

God addresses the man on his own pragmatic terms. He is dealing not with matters of the kingdom or of life beyond death, but with the question of the disposition of his possessions. What will happen to all my stuff? This underscores the fact that in the end he will have to "leave it all." Then it will be someone else’s problem. Walk into any antique shop. It is filled with other people’s stuff. You will never see a U-Haul following a hearse.

Solomon reminds us of this reality in the book of Ecclesiastes. “I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.” - Ecclesiastes 2:18-19

B. Since you can’t take it with you. Since things will not bring eternal happiness. We trust in that one thing needful. The only thing that can cause true contentment and joy, which is the person Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

Contentment, joy, peace, happiness is not found in the amount and the value of your possessions but in knowing Jesus Christ. Trust not in princes. They are but mortal. Look to Christ. Where He may be found. There and there alone will we find lasting peace and joy.

Under Jesus’ protection and by His gifts you can experience the best life can offer. Jesus offers a completely new meaning to living. He provides full satisfaction and perfect guidance. He is your sufficiency. With Him, there is both peace and contentment.

Words –1,270

Passive Sentences –7%

Readability –80.4

Reading level – 4.8

---

[1]Anthony de Mello's 'The Way to Love.'