Chasing Light: Part 2 - "Greed" with Pierre du Plessis - LifeChurch.tv

Chasing the Light: Trading Greed for Generosity

Scripture References

• Luke 12:5-20
• 2 Corinthians 9:8
• 1 John 3:17

Overview

Greed darkens the soul because it convinces us that possessions, not God, secure our future. Pastor Pierre DuPlessis shows how the light breaks in when we loosen our grip and give. Through the parable of the rich fool, Malachi’s call to tithe, and Paul’s promise that “God is able,” we learn that generosity is the only cure for the infection of greed and the surest way to look like Jesus, who “so loved … that He gave.”

Main Points

1. Greed Begins Early and Grows Quietly

• Every baby arrives clutching—our default setting is “mine.”
• Culture reinforces the grip: teenage branding, college credit cards, “play now, pay later.”
• Greed isn’t measured by the size of our garage but by an infection of the heart that says, “I have a right to more.”
  • Envy, gluttony of stuff, anger when we can’t get it, pride when we do—same root disease.

2. Why Greed Is So Dangerous

• It erases God as Provider: “If I store enough, I don’t need a Shepherd.”
• Parable of the rich fool (Luke 12): 11 first-person statements, zero mention of God or others—greed makes no room for anyone else.
• Greed feeds on fear and unbelief: economic news tightens fists; focusing on the Good Shepherd loosens them.

3. Detecting the Infection

• Easiest test: review the last six months of your giving.
  • “Feeling generous” doesn’t count; track the actual dollars.
• Two God-appointed outlets:
  1. The tithe—returning 10 % to God’s storehouse (Malachi reference).
  2. Meeting human need—“If a believer has enough and sees a brother in need yet does not help…” (1 John 3:17).

4. Living in Generosity—Practical Rhythms

• Tithe weekly; automate it so you don’t wrestle every paycheck.
• Stay alert for daily prompts:
  • Illustration: Paying for the car behind you at the drive-thru—only after asking the total first!
  • Illustration: Covering groceries for an elderly woman buying “white bread, Spam, and milk,” then disappearing “like a ninja” so God gets the credit.
• Declutter attention: staring at oil prices, gold prices, or ISIS breeds anxiety; fixing eyes on “the Author and Finisher” breeds open-handedness.

5. God’s Promise to Givers

“God is able to make all grace—every favor and earthly blessing—abound to you, so that in all circumstances you possess enough for every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8, read aloud)

• You can’t empty a generous pocket; God keeps refilling channels He can trust.
• Giving makes us look like Jesus: “For God so loved the world that He gave.”

Key Truths

• Greed is unbelief in disguise; generosity is faith in action.
• The surest X-ray of the heart is a bank statement, not a worship playlist.
• God funds His earthly and heavenly purposes through obedient, open-handed sons and daughters.
• Fear freezes giving; focus on God’s past faithfulness fuels it.
• You cannot pray or fast greed away—you must give it away.

Response

• Review your bank and credit-card records; calculate real giving over the past six months.
• Set up (or restart) a systematic weekly tithe.
• Keep cash or a loaded gift card handy for spontaneous blessings.
• Ask God each morning, “Whom can I surprise with Your generosity today?”
• Share one story this week where you gave quietly and God got the credit.

Closing

Greed whispers, “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me.” The gospel shouts, “God so loved that He gave.” When we mirror that love, light floods the boarded-up rooms of our souls and spills into the world.

“You cannot empty a generous pocket—God keeps refilling what He can trust.”

Prayer

Father, we confess the tight-fisted fear that still lurks in us. Help our unbelief. Open our eyes to Your past provision and Your future faithfulness. Give us courage to return the tithe, compassion to meet need, and joy to give like Jesus. May Your kingdom come through open hands and generous hearts. In Jesus’ name, amen.