Outline Stewardship Sermon 1: Lot Shows Us Money's Dark Side

I. Introduction with Ecclesiastes 10:19 and Ecclesiastes 5:10. The author of Ecclesiastes wrote in Ecclesiastes 10:19, “Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything.” Whatever your problem is, more money is the answer. End of sermon. The writer of Ecclesiastes is using exaggeration to make his point. Just as eating bread does not always make people happy and wine does not always make people glad, so also money does not solve every problem. Earlier in Ecclesiastes 5:10 we read, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.”

II. Money Troubles of Adrian Peterson. A few days ago I read about the money troubles of Adrian Peterson, the rushing leader of the Minnesota Vikings. According to one report, “Peterson has been ordered by a Houston judge to turn in numerous assets to help pay back his debt that is estimated to be north of $12 million. This is the latest in an ongoing legal battle that started with the former All-Pro running back taking out a loan from a Pennsylvania lending company back in 2016 that was intended to pay off other lenders, according to court records (via USA Today). Peterson did not pay it back and it since has grown with interest that led to an $8.3 million judgment against him back in 2021. …

“Peterson, 39, made over $103 million during his 15-year NFL career, but the majority of his earnings took place prior to 2016 when he took out the loan. After making about a combined $25 million during the 2015 and '16 seasons, Peterson made about $3.5 million in 2017, just over $1 million in 2018, $2.5 million in 2019, $1.154 million in 2020 and just over $300,000 in 2021, his final season.”

Sadly, making millions of dollars has not made Adrian Peterson’s life easy and without problems. The Beatles sang, “Money can’t buy you love.” Other athletes and entertainers have gone from having millions of dollars to going bankrupt, too.

III. Manage Money Biblically.

IV. Dark Side of Money.

V. Lot and Abraham’s split.

VI. Dark Side of Money is Wanting More.

VII. Read Genesis 13:13 and comment. Genesis 13:13 tells us about the men in Sodom, “Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.”

VIII. Two angels sent to destroy Sodom.

IX. Read Genesis 12:3 and comment. God promised Abraham in Genesis 12:3, “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Through Abraham God wanted to bless Lot and his family, but they ended up losing everything dear to them. God wants to bless families today, too. How? Through the One who would come out of the line of Abraham and Issac and Jacob. Through Jesus.

X. Money vs. Jesus and our deepest needs.

XI. Money is fleeting, but Jesus is forever. Money says, “Work hard to keep more of me.” Jesus says, “I have completed the hard work on the cross for you.” Money leaves us in the end. Jesus stays with us every day and leads us to everlasting life!

XII. Conclusion. There is a way to break the dark side of money. “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income.” (1 Corinthians 16:2) God directs our giving to be regular and on purpose. Whether that amount is ten percent of the money God gives us or twenty percent or five percent, the important thing is to bless others with the money God has blessed us with on a regular basis.

The dark side of money says, “Get! Get! Get!” That destroys us and our families. Remember the example of Lot. Want a better way to live? G-I-V-E. Give! Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.