The Omaha guide., 1946-05-25
FINDING A NEW SENSE
OF VALUES

FINDING A NEW SENSE
OF VALUES
LESSON ~TEXT-Luke IL: 10. 20; 10:
24-30; 10: 1-1o.
MEMORY SELECTION - The king
dom of God is not meat and drink: but
righteousness. and peace. and joy in the
Holy Ghost.-Rornans 14:17.
Money, riches. possessions-that's
what men are living and striving
for in u day. 1t is going to seem
a bit strange, but it will be very
salutary to stress once again the
eternal truth, best summarized by
our Lord Jesus when he said, "A
mans life CONSISTENT not in the
abundance of the things which he
possesseth" duke 12:15).
I. Don't Depend on Riches C12:19,
20).
The rich man increased in selfish
IS as he increased in wealth. He
began to feel secure because he had
laid up much goods. Now he be-
came proud and boastful. He
thought he saw years of comfort
and ease ahead. Evidently he had
not read, or did not believe, the
words of Scripture, Boast not thy
self of tomorrow; for thou knowest
not what a day may bring forth"
prov. 27:1; see also James Alb
ID.
Well, can a man depend on
riches? The answer is no. They
are here today and gone tomorrow.
Man himself is here today and gone
tomorrow. When he goes. he leaves
all that he has unless he has invest
ed it for God.
Money is like a broken reed. The
man who leans on it will not only
fall. but will pierce himself through
with many sorrows q. Tim. go, 10)..
Don't depend on riches-they will.
miserably fail you in your hour Of
need.
ii. Beware Of the Snare of Riches
Q8:24-27).
The rich young ruler had come
running to Jesus to seek eternal life,
but had turned away sorrowful
when he found that a man cannot
love money and love God at the
same time. ,
Jesus improved the opportunity to
point 1T that it is impossible for a
rich /. n to be saved, except as the
srace of God gets hold of him and.
sets him free from dependence ~
his wealth.
Apart from the grace of God, it
is so easy for a rich man or woman
to trust in riches, and to feel no
need Of God.
Look again at I Timothy SO, 10
and you will see that even the de-
sire to be rich leads a mar into a
temptation and a snare. The man
of God is warned to flee these
things; and follow after righteous
ness, goodness, faith, love. patience,
meekness," and thus to be able to
fight the good fight of faith Il Tim.
Sill, 12).
We repeat that all this has al
strange sound to modern ears, SOL
accustomed to the worldly philos-
ophy of trust in things and in dol
lars. We need to warn our young
men and women about the awful
danger Of loving money.
There is something infinitely bet
ter than riches, and that is what we
find in next point.
iii. Seek True Riches in Christ Q8:
28-30).
Peter and the other disciples had
forsaken all the things of the world
to follow Christ, and now as he re-
minds the Lord of that fact, he re-
ceives the assurance that there is
a higher level of riches and reward
for the loyal disciple.
: God will never be in debt to any,
one. There is no sacrifice made
for his glory which does not find its
glorious recompense, and no bur-
den borne for his sake which does
not bring its rich reward.
All this is not the result Of some
kind Of 2 IDEAL" with God. We do
not serve him because we expect a
reward. but the assurance of the re-
ward is there to encourage and spur
US on in life and service for him.
The fact is, spiritual currency has
far higher value than gold and sill
yer of this world.
~. Ask Christ to Deliver You
From Riches Q9:1-10).
Zacchaeus was a man well versed
in the devious ways of the extor-
toner. He knew money, and how
to make it. But he was not salts
fed. He knew there was something
more worth while than riches. His
life was empty.
He sought Jesus. One look from /
the Master and he knew that he
must lay his sinful heart open be-
fore him in confession. Salvation
came to Zacchaeus that day.
Here. then. is the way to be &C.,
livered from the snare of riches
take Jesus Christ as your Saviour.
and LORD. He may then entrust,
riches to your care to use for him
but he will deliver you from a.
love for gold and from the folly Of
putting your trust in it.
The person who lives for riches
IS lost ". 10), caught in a snare
II Tim. SO, 100, trusting in some
thing that Vin fail him when most
needed duke 1919, 20), and trust
ing something which will keep him
from God duke 18:24-2D, unless
there is grace to fee from it and turn
to God.