Choking Hazards 4-26-26 AM

I.            The distractions of the world.

a.      The first thing Jesus notes as a choking hazard are the cares of this world.

b.      Think about all that is going on around us or in which we are involved.

           i.      These things are not wrong by themselves are they?

           ii.      They become wrong when they cause us to turn our attention to them and from God’s word.

c.      Our jobs are not wrong are they?

          i.      We are told that if a man does not work he should not eat (2 Th. 3:10-12).

          ii.      Working is right and commanded.

          iii.      How many do we know that have allowed work to take them from God?

d.     Sports are not wrong.

          i.      Paul used multiple athletic illustrations and did so by inspiration.

          ii.      Wrestling, boxing, and running come to mind.

          iii.      How many families will miss services to be at an athletic event for their children?

          iv.      How many children are allowed to miss services for a practice or a game?

e.      These things, and others that you may think of, are not sinful.

f.        But they can be consuming if we allow them to be.

g.      Remember the account of Jesus being in the home of Mary and Martha?

           i.      Mary was sitting there listening to Jesus.

           ii.      We know what it says about Martha (Lu. 10:41-42).

           iii.      Jesus was right there in her house teaching and she was caught up with things, though nice, that were less important.

h.      We cannot give in to the temptation to make unimportant things more important than Jesus and His word because that is a choking hazard.

II.            The deceitfulness of riches.

a.      As we come to this choking hazard, we need to understand that having riches, or wealth, is not sinful.

           i.      Many of God’s great people have been people of wealth.

           ii.      Abraham, Job, David all come to mind.

           iii.      Joseph of Arimathea had wealth.

           iv.      What is sinful is the love of money (1 Tim. 6:10).

b.      We need wealthy Christians to help support the Lord’s work.

c.      Problems arise when we allow riches to deceive us.

d.      You might say, riches are inanimate, so how can they deceive us?

e.      The possession of wealth gives a false feeling of security.

           i.      In Luke 12, we read of a wealthy man.

           ii.      This man had a great harvest one year.

           iii.      Notice how he felt about this (Lu. 12:17-19).

           iv.      Look how God viewed him (Lu. 12:20).

           v.      The man’s attitude was “I’m safe because I have enough.”

           vi.      Many people feel money is the answer to all of life’s problems and if they have it, they cannot be harmed.

           vii.      Money is fleeting and, as the wise preacher points out, we are going to die and just leave it to someone else (Ecc. 2:17-19).

f.        The possession of wealth promises satisfaction.

           i.      John D. Rockefeller founded Standard Oil and became America’s first billionaire.

           ii.      He was asked by a reporter, “How much is enough?”

           iii.      His reply was “Just a little bit more.

           iv.      In his chase for wealth, Rockefeller had terrible stress, lost his hair early, had digestive issues, and was constantly worried about losing his money.

           v.      He said later in life, “I have made many millions, but they have brought be no happiness.

           vi.      Listen to something else the wise preacher said…(Ecc. 5:10).

g.      The possession of wealth promises significance.

           i.      Having money makes many people feel that they matter more than others.

           ii.      We’ve seen this attitude in many movies and it is made fun of in that sense.

           iii.      Movies generally point out things that are true in society.

           iv.      How much wealth we have does not matter in the end (Mk. 8:36).

           v.      Paul warned about the uncertainty of riches (1 Tim. 6:17).

           vi.      Money will always meet certain needs, but it will never meet the needs of the soul.

h.      We cannot give into the temptation of placing wealth over our soul because that is a choking hazard.

III.            The desire for more.

a.      In case something was left out, Jesus finished His thought of things that can be choking hazards with “the lust of other things.”

b.      This goes deeper than a harmful desire for wealth.

c.      It may be a craving for status.

          i.      Children today do not aspire to be astronauts or ball players nearly as much as they used to.

          ii.      What many children aspire to be now is known as an influencer.

          iii.      They want the status that goes along with social media fame.

          iv.      They want fame, to be known by many.

d.     It may be chasing comfort.

          i.      This usually involves a chase for wealth.

          ii.      It goes beyond it because it is a great desire for the things that wealth can get you.

          iii.      The nicer car, the fancier house, the better gadgets or toys.

e.      It has to do with wanting more of anything in place of God.

f.       1 John 2:16.

g.     It is not what you have that matters, but what has you.

h.     I read this very true statement: When desire is disordered, devotion is diminished.

i. Too many allow their possessions to possess them and our Lord says that is a choking hazard.