Today, on this first Sunday of 2007, I begin a series of five messages on biblical stewardship. This year's theme is called "Monopoly." Actually, if you think about it, the board game Monopoly can teach us some very important biblical principles about money. So each week we're going to learn something from the game that will teach us what God says about how we handle our money.

First, let me give you a few pieces of Monopoly trivia. In 1934, at the height of the Depression, Charles Darrow from Germantown, PA, presented the Monopoly game he designed to executives at Parker Brothers. They rejected his idea because they cited 52 design errors. Like many others, Darrow was unemployed at the time. So, inspired by a game that promised fame and fortune and undaunted by the rejection, he decided to produce the game on his own.

With the help of a printer he sold 5,000 handmade sets to a department store in Philadelphia. People loved it. He couldn't produce them fast enough; so he went back to Parker Brothers, and the rest is history. In its first year in 1935 it was the best-selling game in America. It is estimated that more than 500 million people have played the game. The longest game in history lasted 70 days.

Well, enough trivia. Let's get into the heart of what I want to teach you today. Actually, it's a negative lesson. I want us to talk about greed.

I have the game on my Palm Pilot. Sometimes I will play the game with three computer-generated players. I've played it enough times to develop a strategy that allows me to win most of the time. It is true that Monopoly can teach you some important principles of how to manage your money. But it also can bring out the worst of your greedy nature.

When I'm playing, I try to buy one of each property set so that others can't buy houses and hotels. When I'm successful, I can finally negotiate deals with the other players that will give me a full set. Once that happens, watch out. I start adding houses and then hotels. Then I love it when someone goes bankrupt. And my empire continues to build. I get other sets and put hotels on them. I mean I've already won the game, but my greedy nature wants as many hotels as possible. I want those other players to suffer and have nothing.

I know the object of the game is to send the other players into bankruptcy. But the game also brings some very important lessons about life. It raises the question: How many hotels are enough? Let me buy just one more. I buy it. Well, maybe just one more. How many hotels are enough?

Confession time-sometimes I struggle with greed. There's a part of my sinful nature that always wants more than I currently have. And there's a part of me that does not want to share what I currently have. I remember years ago, enjoying some potato chips on my lunch plate. There was one chip bigger than all the others. I was going to save it for last. So I ate all the crumbs and the smaller chips. And the big one was the only one left. Before I could blink an eye, Anita reach over, grabbed it, and chomped away. It made me so mad. I was ready to go see an attorney.

Now that's a silly story. Yet it reveals a part of me that struggles. The greedy side of me wants to succeed more than others. The greedy side of me always wants just a little more money. The greedy side of me wants my mutual funds to double every couple of years. The greedy side of me wants the best entertainment system or vacation spot or nicest car. And, yes, the greedy side of me even wants the last potato chip.

What about you? Do you struggle with greed? Is there a part of you that always wants more and thinks you deserve more? How much would it really take to satisfy you? How many hotels would be enough for you? Can you honestly say that you look out for the interests of others more than your own? Do you place more emphasis on material things than you should? What occupies your mind more-how to make more money or how to become more Christ-like?

One day thousands of people crowded around Jesus. But at this particular time He didn't address the multitudes. Instead He spoke directly to His followers, giving them words of encouragement and warning. During His lesson, someone rudely interrupted Him and said, "Teacher, how about telling my brother to share the inheritance with me?" Jesus wasn't about to get entangled with this man's family affairs. But He did turn the interruption into an opportunity to teach a valuable lesson about greed. Let's read.

There was nothing at all wrong with this man having a surplus crop. It's what he did with it that presented a problem. Greed reared its ugly head. He acted foolishly when decided to build bigger barns to store the surplus. He could see retirement coming early. "I will store this stuff, retire early, and fill my life with pleasure from here on out."

But God said to him, "You fool!" That's strong language. The Bible talks a lot about people doing foolish things. But only a couple of times does He call someone a fool. Here is one. "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God'" (Psalm 14:1). So an atheist and a greedy person have much in common. In God's eyes they are both fools. A greedy person is a practical atheist because he is so preoccupied with riches and material things that he excludes spiritual concerns from his life.

Why was this man foolish? For one thing he misused the wealth God gave him. He probably assumed, "I worked hard for this crop. I prepared the soil, I planted the seed, I nurtured the fields, and I'm the one who worked hard to harvest it. I deserve this bumper crop." But look at verse 16. Notice how Jesus begins the story. "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop." Don't you love the way that's worded? He didn't produce the crop. God did. The man thought it was all his. It never dawned on him that he could share his blessings with others.

We find the same story in many other biblical characters. Achan decided to keep some of the battle spoils for himself. Solomon got caught up in wealth and materialism. Ananias and Sapphira in the book of Acts got greedy with the money they received from the sale of property. Demas slid away from his spiritual commitment because he focused too much on money.

Not only did this farmer misuse the wealth God gave him. His wealth caused him to neglect his soul. Oh, how common this is today. I see it often, especially in a community like ours. People get so caught up in their efforts to make more money and play with the toys their money buys them that they take their eyes off Jesus. Spiritual growth slows and eventually they slip through the cracks with very little passion for serving Christ and others.

Greed is such a powerful tool Satan uses to divert us away from spiritual commitments. God's comments about this sin are not confined to this parable Jesus told. Listen to some other verses that warn us about this problem. Referring to godless people, the Bible says, "They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity" (Romans 1:29). In other words, greed is a symptom of a depraved mind. "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people" (Ephesians 5:3). Does it tell you anything about the serious nature of greed when you see that it is listed alongside of sexual immorality?

1 Corinthians 6 indicates that the greedy person will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. Proverbs 15 tells us that a greedy man brings trouble to his family. Colossians 3 indicates that greed is a form of idolatry and represents part of our pre-Christian nature.

I read an article this week which reminded me of the parable of the rich fool. It was about the ever-growing storage business in America. This country possesses about 1.9 billion square feet of personal storage space outside the home. There are nearly 40,000 storage facilities operated across the country. I guess you've seen the new one on Highway 76 between Hilton and White Rock. One out of eleven families rents storage space.

Here is what is interesting. In the last 20 years the average size home grew from 1660 sq. ft. to 2400 sq. ft. So let me get this straight. Houses got bigger. Families got smaller. And yet we need to tack on almost 2 billion square feet of extra space to store our stuff. Have you ever pondered the fact that families get along fine without using the stuff they have in storage? Just a thought.

Over the holidays two very famous people died-former President Gerald Ford and James "I Feel Good" Brown. Two very different kinds of people. Yet both most likely were very wealthy when they died. I wonder how much they wealth they left. I can't give you a dollar figure. But I can give you a percentage. They left it all behind. One hundred percent stayed here.

Shoot straight with me. Have you allowed material things to detract you from your commitment to Jesus Christ? Then you have allowed greed to creep into your soul. And greed is a destructive trait. You may think you're living on the high road and enjoying life, but you're not really. The only way you will find true fulfillment is by getting preoccupied with Jesus. You need to come clean, confessing to God your greed and asking Him to help you refocus your life.

Wrapped around both ends of this story in Luke 12 are two tremendous insights if you are serious about fighting the greed that affects your life. In verse 15, Jesus says, "Watch out!" In other words, you've got to recognize how easily you can fall into selfish materialism. Be on your guard. Call it what it is. Don't sugarcoat it. Greed is sin and it is a serious sin that puts you on a slippery slope that slides toward spiritual sickness and uselessness.

Wrapped on the other end in verse 21, Jesus suggests that we need to be rich toward God. What an awesome thought. He just got through telling a story of a man who was rich toward himself. He piled up his stuff and built a barn large enough to hold it all. Jesus, however, turned the tables and talked about being rich toward God. If you're rich toward God, it really doesn't matter how many toys you have. It just doesn't matter.

When I think of this term "be rich toward God," a couple of things come to mind. I know the term suggests more than these two things. But I want to leave you with something you can put your hands on-a way that you can go to battle and overcome this enemy of greed. If you truly want to be obedient to God in every area of your life, including your money, then try to put these two things in your life. Be content. Be generous.

Be content. Enjoy the blessings God has given you. Stop comparing yourself to others. Anita and I spent a good bit of time over the holidays assessing our financial situation and planning our budget for 2007. It's easy to whine about college tuition and huge property tax increases. It's easy to grow jealous of those who have it made financially. But God reminded me, "Ken, count your blessings. Be content with what I've given you.

Be generous. Greed says, "Get, get, get." Generosity says, "Give, give, give." In one of my Monopoly sermons I will develop more fully the theme of generosity. But let me say right now that a good way to test your level of greed is to measure how much you give. The Bible teaches that we need to bring to the church at least ten percent of our income for the various works of ministry. How generous of God to ask for only ten percent. Here is one of the clearest tests to see if you're greedy. Do you tithe? If not, you've allowed greed to take root in your life. That greed clouds your ability to become all God created you to be. But you can be a tither and still be greedy. How generous are you? My prayer is that God will use these messages to prompt you to become more generous with your material resources.

How many hotels are enough? Are you just as content to live on Mediterranean Avenue as on Boardwalk? Are you just as content when you land on the income tax spot as you are when you pass go and collect $200? The next time you draw the card that says, "Pay every player $50," why don't you double it and pay them $100 each. That will make you feel real good.

Seriously-watch out for the greed demon. Counteract it by being rich toward God. Be content. Be generous. Speaking of generosity, what about what Jesus did on the cross? Has there ever been a greater act of generosity? He did it for you. What can you do in return? Be generous by giving Him your life.