If God Could Be Anybody She Wanted To Be, She'd Be Robin Hood
Preaching
Shaking Wolves Out Of Cherry Trees
And 149 Other Sermon Ideas
Purpose Statement: We need to guard against greed and avarice, and have greater concern for the poor and disadvantaged.
Given the biblical witness, and especially the teachings of Jesus, God has an inordinate concern with the corruption and sinfulness of having wealth, coupled with special attention to the poor. The philosophy of Robin Hood springs to mind. Somewhere a line has to be drawn for each person or family that establishes limits to permissible wealth. Anything in excess of such a limit, in a world filled with poverty and suffering, is disgraceful and immoral. What are those limits?
a. What does the Bible have to say about wealth and poverty?
1. Amos (2:6-8; 4:1-3), Jeremiah (5:26-29), Micah (2 and 6), and Isaiah (1:15-17), as exemplary of Old Testament teaching, were particularly hard on the wealthy.
2. James 2:1-7 is indicative of the New Testament position.
3. Remember how Jesus castigated the wealthy and supplicated for the poor in many dramatic teachings (the rich man and poor man who die; the statement concerning selling everything and giving to the poor; the poor widow putting her all in the offering; camels going through needles' eyes easier than going to heaven rich; etc.).
b. How does that compare with the prevalent philosophy concerning possessions today?
1. Athletes, CEOs, entertainment stars command outrageous incomes and then spend their money childishly.
2. Greed runs rampant: one third-world dictator reportedly shipped $200 million in personal wealth into our country while our country was giving his country $250 million in aid.
3. What used to be extravagant luxuries are now basic necessities.
c. What does that have to do with us?
1. Are we just as greedy as the super wealthy, but we just don't have the same opportunities to get it and waste it?
2. Do we dream of wealth -- buy lottery tickets to win millions?
3. Perhaps most of us are too wealthy now.
Given the biblical witness, and especially the teachings of Jesus, God has an inordinate concern with the corruption and sinfulness of having wealth, coupled with special attention to the poor. The philosophy of Robin Hood springs to mind. Somewhere a line has to be drawn for each person or family that establishes limits to permissible wealth. Anything in excess of such a limit, in a world filled with poverty and suffering, is disgraceful and immoral. What are those limits?
a. What does the Bible have to say about wealth and poverty?
1. Amos (2:6-8; 4:1-3), Jeremiah (5:26-29), Micah (2 and 6), and Isaiah (1:15-17), as exemplary of Old Testament teaching, were particularly hard on the wealthy.
2. James 2:1-7 is indicative of the New Testament position.
3. Remember how Jesus castigated the wealthy and supplicated for the poor in many dramatic teachings (the rich man and poor man who die; the statement concerning selling everything and giving to the poor; the poor widow putting her all in the offering; camels going through needles' eyes easier than going to heaven rich; etc.).
b. How does that compare with the prevalent philosophy concerning possessions today?
1. Athletes, CEOs, entertainment stars command outrageous incomes and then spend their money childishly.
2. Greed runs rampant: one third-world dictator reportedly shipped $200 million in personal wealth into our country while our country was giving his country $250 million in aid.
3. What used to be extravagant luxuries are now basic necessities.
c. What does that have to do with us?
1. Are we just as greedy as the super wealthy, but we just don't have the same opportunities to get it and waste it?
2. Do we dream of wealth -- buy lottery tickets to win millions?
3. Perhaps most of us are too wealthy now.
