I remember the time my wife and I decided to go to the beach. As we were walking along the beach and watching the waves, we noticed some people that were very busy. They weren’t swimming or sunbathing like many others and they paid little or no attention to who or what was going on around them. They were busy building sandcastles in the wet sand. Their sandcastles were very beautiful.
We walked on down the beach, and later as we were walking back, I noticed that most of the sandcastles had been destroyed by the waves and the high tide. Some of the builders were frantically trying to construct a sand wall to protect their work, but to no avail.
That scene reminded me of a problem we can face in life.
It is striving after wealth, things, pleasures, fame.
Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (See also Matthew 6:23-34, Luke 18:24-25) There is nothing wrong in having nice things, but if it is all we think of and do not put God in the picture or in our lives, it will all be in vain.
1 Timothy 6:7-11 ... for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Just as the ocean wiped everything away in a short time...
Luke 12:19-21 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
...so it will be for those who just strive after wealth.
Proverbs 11:4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
We are told to seek God first.
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Colossians 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
We start by asking for God to forgive our sins and inviting Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior.
John 3:16-21 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
See you in Church next Sunday.