30th Mar 26 | 13:54
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Luke 17 20-37 Be occupied with the work of His kingdom, till He returns 16 Godliness with contentment
📖 Luke 17:20-37
23Aug2020 - Godliness with contentment - _Luke 17:20-37_ - BE OCCUPIED WITH THE WORK OF HIS KINGDOM, TILL HE RETURNS 16 – Bible reading:
_Luke 17:28-30 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; (29) but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. (30) Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed._
To be occupied with the work of His kingdom, as we await His return is to be separated from the evil of sexual immorality. This is what we considered yesterday from the life of Lot.
Thought the people were grovelling in sexual depravity in the time of Lot, the word of God teaches us that the problem of sexual immorality in the lives of people came out of a deeper crisis that was persisting within them.
_Ezekiel 16:49-50 Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. (50) And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit._
The abomination in the lives of the people of Sodom came from a root cause of pride, the fullness of food, an abundance of idleness and a lack of concern for those in need. Materialism and all of its allied actions were what led the people of Sodom to indulge in sexual decadence.
God’s word teaches us to be godly and content with the material things that God has given us. _I Timothy 6:6-10 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. (7) For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. (8) And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. (9) But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. (10) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows._
It is the love of money and the desire for money that the Bible is warning us against. We are called to be God’s vice-regents in stewarding the material resources that God has placed into our hands, for His purpose and glory. The love and desire for money will cause us to stray away from our faith in God and we will be pierced with many sorrows. Materialism has the vicious potential to be our god.
Let us look within, into our own hearts. What do we see there? Consider the motivation that drives us and what we inject into our children too. What do we tell them is the purpose for them to do well in their studies or in their jobs? Aren’t we telling our children that to be well settled, comfortable and successful are the goals in life and inadvertently we give materialistic connotations to all of these aspirations by making comparisons with others? We also tell our children to read their Bible and pray. This is what we practice and this is what we teach our children.
The Rich Young Ruler came to Jesus seeking to know how he could have eternal life. When the Lord made it clear to him that he must let go of materialism, he walked away. He chose materialism and rejected God.
The Lord then gave the teaching to His disciples out of the interaction with the Rich Young Ruler. _Mark 10:23-27 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" (24) And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! (25) It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (26) And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?" (27) But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."_
The Lord knows our hearts and if in our hearts, it is the material that we trust upon, then we must know very clearly that we DO NOT have eternal life, just as it happened with the Rich Young Ruler. The choices that we make in life, reveal the counsels of our hearts and tells us who we trust and whom we worship.
_Ezekiel 33:31 So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain._
_James 5:1-3 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! (2) Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. (3) Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. James 5:7-8 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. (8) You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand._
Let us learn to wait patiently for the early and latter rain in life, for godliness with contentment is great gain.
*Thought to ponder*
```To be occupied with the work of His kingdom, we must stop our materialistic pursuit of life and seek to be content in Him.```