True Wealth
TRUE WEALTH
(A 21st Century Look at the Big 10)
5/5/2001 and 5/6/2001
Exodus 20
1 ¶ And God spoke all these words:
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 "You shall have no other gods before me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
6 but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
9 Six days you shall labour and do all your work
10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.
11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 ¶ "Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
13 "You shall not murder.
14 "You shall not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal.
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.
17 "You shall not covet your neighbour's house. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour."
18 ¶ When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance
19 and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."
20 Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."
21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.
-Overview of 10 commandments and this passage.
John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
(NIV)
-Notice that the Israelites/Israeli’s response to the law was to stay at at distance from God.
-The intention was to provide a framework so the people could come close.
-God was always trying to draw near to people.
-The end is that He will dwell with us and live among us.
-An interesting study of the Bible is to trace God trying to walk with people.
-Here we are a t the last commandment.
YOU SHALL NOT COVET
-Notice the relationship to people.
-You shall not covet from your neighbor. Again it has to do with your relationship with others.
-What does it mean to covet?
COVET= THE UNCONTROLLED DESIRE FOR MORE.
-It isn’t wrong to want more. It is wrong to have an uncontrolled desire.
-There is a Godly desire to reach goals and increase.
-God is a God of increase.
-The key is to not let it get out of hand.
THE EFFECTS OF ALWAYS WANTING MORE
* Fatigue
“Do not wear yourself out to be rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.” Proverbs 23:4
*Debt
“The more money you have, the more you spend…” Ecclesiastes 5:11 LB
- In America we typically spend 1300 for each 1000 we earn.
*WORRY
“A working man…can get a good night’s sleep. But the rich man has so much that he stays awake worrying.” Ecclesiastes 5:12 GN
-Insomnia increases with income.
-Example of Doctor who went to Africa for a year. He didn’t want to leave. Jerry and Sonja are sacrificing some things but we really have a problem with it because we think so many things are normal.
*CONFLICT
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the desires that battle within you?” James 4:1
-Notice it says don’t covet your neighbor’s stuff. The point is not the stuff really but the fact that it belongs to your neighbor.
· DISSATISFACTION
“You will never be satisfied if you long to be rich. You will never get all you want.” Ecclesiastes 5:10 GN
Ec 5:10 Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.
(NIV)
Pr 27:20 ¶ Death and Destruction {Hebrew Sheol and Abaddon} are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man.
(NIV)
“Its foolish to think wealth brings happiness!” LB
-In America our worst four letter word is MORE.
-The antidote to that is to quench the fire in you by finding ENOUGH.
-See if you can write down on your bulletin or in your notes what you got last Christmas.
HOW TO LEARN CONTENTMENT
Philippians 4
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
-I believe God wants us to prosper. I believe the Bible teaches increase.
-I believe that God enjoys blessing us…HE DELIGHTS IN OUR PROSPERITY.
-He gives good gifts to those He loves.
-Having said that; the greatest opportunity for idolatry in America is through MATERIALISM.
-The Bible tells us greed is idolatry.
-It is hard to resist Madison Avenue telling you that you aren’t normal if you don’t have all the right stuff.
EXAMPLE WITH MY DAD
He gave up a job with an ever-increasing income and responsibility to have a life. Nearing retirement and you could see him age.
Most people would have said he made a bad choice because he didn’t go for the most money he could.
1.RESIST COMPARISON
“We do not dare classify or compare ourselves….it is not wise.” 2 Corinthians 12:12
“When we long to be rich, we are a prey to temptation; We get trapped into all sorts of foolish and dangerous ambitions which eventually plunge us into ruin.” 1 Timothy 6:9 JB
-I was sharing a situation this week with someone where I struggled with jealousy because there was some people in a church who wanted to just underwrite the building program. I had to pray and get help to get over that. In talking to that person they said it is competition.
-Learn to admire without having to acquire.
2. LEARN TO BE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE
-John Osteen bought a car and then heard a radio ad. He realized that he wanted the car on the ad until he realized it was the car he just bought.
-A lady won 17 million in the lottery and she called her live-in boyfriend to tell him. She said get packed. He said great, cold weather/warm weather? She said it doesn’t matter just be gone when I get home.
“If God gives a man wealth and property…he should be grateful and enjoy what he has…it is a gift from God.” Ecclesiastes 5:19 GN
“It is better to be satisfied with what you do have than to be always wanting something else.” Ecclesiastes 6:9 GN
-A rich widow in Hollywood died and the person looking in at her said she had so much to live for. The friend said no she had so much to live with and nothing to live for.
-There are several ways to meet the need for more in your life:
GET MORE/WANT LESS
-How much should you have- as much as you can be truly thankful for.
3. GIVE/RELEASE WHAT YOU HAVE TO HELP OTHERS
Acts 20:35
“….remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: `It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
Lu 16:11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
(NIV)
-Obviously money is not considered true wealth/true riches to God.
1 Timothy 6
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
19 In this way they will lay up treasure (real treasure-LB) for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
-Can you have money and not covet? YES.
-You have to convert it to true riches.
-This Scripture applies to all of us if we are American. We are all in the top 2-5% of the richest people on the planet.
-Some are really rich but all of us, even homeless people in America are above the world’s standar.
-Do I feel guilty-NO. I accept the responsibility of having wealth to bless others.
NOBLISE OBLIQUE-The obligation of nobility.
-Paul said he was a debtor to the Jews and Greeks. I have a responsibility to tell them the gospel.
HOW DO I STAY FREE FROM COVETOUSNESS?
1. DON’T BE ARROGANT/PROUD
2. DON’T TRUST OR PUT YOUR HOPE IN MONEY
3. USE THEIR MONEY TO DO GOOD
4. GIVE HAPPILY
-Poverty doesn’t mean you don’t have…it is the fear of not getting and it causes you to hold tighter to what you have now.
-The word for prosperity means to push forward/breakout. It means to not be contained.
-Prosperity should lead to generousity.
-You aren’t prosperous because you have money…you are prosperous when you share. Only then is the spirit of poverty and covetousness broken.
5. REFOCUS YOUR LIFE ON REALITY
“We fix our attention, not on the things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time; but what cannot be seen lasts forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:18
Luke 12
13 ¶ And someone in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the [family] inheritance with me."
14 But He said to him, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbiter over you?"
15 And He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not [even] when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."
16 And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a certain rich man was very productive.
17 "And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?'
18 "And he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
19 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years [to come;] take your ease, eat, drink [and] be merry."'
20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This [very] night your soul is required of you; and [now] who will own what you have prepared?'
21 "So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
PRAY FOR PROSPERITY WITH WISDOM AND GRATEFULNESS
LET’S RAISE THE BAR
