Beware of covetousness.  You can be so poor that you don’t covet after anything because you don’t even know it’s there, but man is basically covetous.  He wants to be preeminent.  He wants to be above others. “Godliness, with contentment, is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6); amen?  We brought nothing in to this world and we’re taking nothing out. 

Let me just encourage you with this as we’re talking about establishing His covenant.  In Africa, we’re getting ready to build a new church.  Our brothers and sisters have been saving up.  We’re trying to use the wisdom of God to teach them not to look to America but to trust God and believe God.  And when we’re confident that they’ve done everything they can do, we’ll be ready to help in any way possible.  Just throwing out the biblical principle.  So, many of us are prospering and being blessed, and we’re putting these blessings in bigger barns.  “I’m blessed!”  Amen?  “More’s coming, what should I do?”  “Well, I know what I’ll do.  I’ll just build bigger barns.”  Should the Lord lead you to build bigger barns, there is nothing in that parable that speaks against bigger barns (Luke 12:18).  There was no reproof for building bigger barns.  There’s nothing in the Bible that says that you can only have this size barn and no bigger.  God is not a communist.  But would we be wise, to see those fat cows, see our current prosperity and prepare for hard times?  Maybe we need to fatten up some of our cows; amen?  See, we’re enjoying pleasures, which is good.  It’s not unscriptural.  In fact, it is biblical for you to enjoy it.  But make sure you’re putting some aside. 

Now, the Bible gives us some other truths.  Part of the reason we need to put stuff aside is because, as we look at the book of Acts, times can get tough and our brothers and sisters might have need of some of that we’ve put aside; amen?  So, that we can all exist.  “Well, I don’t really care about the others.  I’m putting it aside for me.”  Well, is that the Scriptural heart?  Is that what the Bible teaches?  Us four and no more?  We know the responsibility to provide for our families, that’s without question.  But does anybody believe it’s more blessed to give than to receive?  “Well, I have to make sure, and I’m putting all of this aside so I can leave it for my kids.”  Maybe, your kids could do with $50,000 less and put that into the ministry in Africa that’s going to reach souls and lay up treasures in heaven where moth and rust does not corrupt; amen?  Do you ever pray about that?  Have you ever sought God on that?  Do you know there’s a lot more in the Bible about you laying up spiritual treasures and about you establishing the covenant than there is putting money aside for other people?  Something to pray about, and ask God about, as we’re going into these days.  It’s yours to do with as you please.  Isn’t that what they told Ananias and Sapphira?  It’s yours; you can do with it what you please.  There was no rebuke to the man for building the bigger barns.  But the conclusion of the matter was, “Be rich toward God” (Luke 12:21).  Do we have more in heaven?  Are we doing more to be rich in God than we are doing to bless our earthly families and us?  Where is that scale of honoring God with our substance?