If only I had

 

Matthew 6:33, 24-34

 

It is well with my soul or if only I had

·        The rich young ruler had it all, was moral but knew that he was missing something

·        Solomon was the wisest, wealthiest man of his day, he tried it all and tired of it all and finally said vanity of vanities…all is vanity so he concluded that all that the important thing was to fear God and keep his commandments

·        Jesus said what does a man profit if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul

·        The psalmist said that God gave them what they wanted but sent leanness to their souls

 

The love of money is the root of all evil and no man can serve two masters

 

The story of Jack Whittaker

·        Won $314.9 million but only took 113.9 million home on December 26, 2002

·        How it affected the life of the waitress

·        gave a tithe

·        started a foundation to help low income families

·        two years later at Christmas his daughter Brandi was found dead of a drug overdose

·        many legal problems

·        wife wished that he had never won

 

 

Other Lottery winner’s stories

·        William "Bud" Post, who won $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania Lottery in 1988, had a brother who tried to have him killed for the inheritance. Post lost and spent all his winnings. He was living off Social Security when he died in January.

·        Two years after winning a $31 million Texas Lottery in 1997, Billie Bob Harrell Jr. committed suicide. He had bought cars, real estate, gave money to his family, church and friends. After his death it was not clear whether there was money left for estate taxes.

 

The Truth about the big money

·        “The reality is that 70 percent of all lottery winners will squander away their winnings in a few years,” the Connecticut financial advisers said in a news release. “In the process, they will see family and friendships destroyed and the financial security they hoped for disappear.”

·        Statistics show lottery winners often go bankrupt, get divorced and have family feuds

 

As a rule, man’s a fool. When it’s hot, he wants it cool. And when it’s cool, he wants it hot, Always wanting what is not. (Don Jaques, The Secret of Contentment)

 

US Census info according to Poverty American Style

·        Over 95% of Americans are employed

·        76% of households have air conditioning

·        46% own their own homes

·        97% own a color television

·        30% own two or more cars

·        62% have cable or satellite TV

·        The average American home is over 2400 square feet

 

I am not trying to diminish the value or need for money in any way

 

 

I.                     If only I had

a.      A life’s mate or significant other

b.      A godly parent

c.      A million dollars

d.      Something that I am missing and need

e.      Israel wanted a king and God gave them what they wanted

 

II.                   The truth behind the statement

a.      The statement gives a false hope

b.      We think that some object or person can do for us what only God can do

c.      The statement misses totally the spiritual side of man

d.      We are missing something and will not be complete without it

 

III.                  What Jesus taught

a.      We are all looking for the same things Matthew 6:31-32

b.      He recognizes that we need these things

c.      The problem is our wrong priorities

d.      If you seek Him first He will provide all these things Matthew 6:33