Wisdom and Wealth

OPENING ILLUSTRATION

Video clip Money money money ABBA

PREAMBLE ... We’ve been looking at this great book and have seen that it contains WISDOM and PRUDENCE and DISCIPLINE .. these are TOOLS not RULES for living life in God’s world and making sense of a very complicated and messed up environment we live in .. how do we become the BEST people we want to be ... how do we relate to people around us

We’ve seen TWO paths .. LADY WISDOM and LADY FOLLY .. ways that lead to life and death .. and it all depends on our focus in life .. or our FOUNDATION

Proverbs states it well .. and repeatedly .. it’s all bound up in the FEAR OF THE LORD .. here’s a snapshot

““The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honour.

Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil.

Ect (; ; ; , ; ; ; NIV)

And many more ... You sort of get the idea .. Do you what to be wise? START with the FEAR of the Lord

We’ve started looking at the bulk of the rest of the book and as you know there are heaps of wise sayings .. pithy one-liners .. practical thoughts and directives and they build on the FOUNDATION of the FEAR of the Lord .. there are TWO main pillars of FRAMEWORK

1) OBLIGATIONS and 2) OBSERVATIONS

OBLIGATIONS .. we see that there are attitudes and actions that we MUST do if we fear God .. there are value judgements to be made .. morally there are directives that are no brainers ... better this .. than that .. these are issues of RIGHT and WRONG ... these are not options but just the way the godly live as they FEAR God and TRUST Him and what you find is that there are so many instructions on a wide range of topics .. all aspects of life .. which is true isn’t it .. God’s Word has bearing on ALL OF LIFE .. Jesus isn’t just a HOUSE GUEST in our lives .. as a Christian He is the OWNER OCCUPIER

So how I use my tongue .. not deceiving or lying .. not insulting or gossiping .. that’s a no brainer

Being honest in my dealings with people ... not exaggerating ... not illegally downloading from the internet (... Australians download music illegally more frequently, by head of population, than any other country) flirting with other men / women ... enjoying your marriage and not looking to other spouses ... being generous .. having integrity .. being a good friend .. all these areas get attention and as the Lord’s people we DELIGHT to walk that path .. it is not drudgery

The second pillar

OBSERVATIONS .. there are parts of the book ... some of the sayings .. that just describe the way things are without any value judgement .. so there are sayings like

“the poor are despised but the rich have many friends”

“It is bad, it is bad says the buyer, but when he goes away he boasts”

“Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it”

That’s life ... the way it can be .. but not always and there is no moral judgement being made ... yes poor people can have friends (and who are the rich man’s REAL friends?) ... and sometimes well trained and loved and instructed kids do depart from what they’ve been taught ... it’s not hard and fast

But these are helpful things to consider when applying wisdom in life

SO ... this morning we are going to look at just ONE aspect of life and see what Lady Wisdom says about WEALTH .. riches

The Blessing of Wealth

When we look at the book of Proverbs there is clearly a very positive attitude toward money .. Proverbs .. in fact the OT often talks of blessing in terms or PHYSICAL things

“The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.”

( NIV)

“Honour the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”

( NIV)

and yet there are some warnings and observations as we will see

We have to admit .. sadly .. that money can have an almost hypnotic spell over us .. our own Aussie history is spotted with GOLD RUSH fever ... I recently read Peter Fitzsimmons book EUREKA .. interesting history .. the whole cross section of the community .. police .. teachers .. lawyers .. sailors pulling into Australian ports abandon ship and join the traffic heading for the gold fields starry eyed in believing they’d make their fortune in a day

There is lots of instruction about MONEY .. the LOVE of MONEY etc ... our world is fixated with wealth / greed .. so .. what do we learn from Proverbs about WEALTH or RICHES .. these are the areas PROVERBS wants to address

MONEY : earn it honestly ... esteem it accurately ... share it generously OR it will destroy you

EARN IT HONESTLY ... yes honest .. hard work ... don’t be lazy .. don’t be a SLUGGARD .. get in there and do something ... pay your taxes .. don’t defraud people or rip them off ... do a hard days work so you can hold your hand out for the pay cheque .. or not feel guilty when you see the $$$ added to your account

Poverty because of injustice is no disgrace, but laziness is Ray Ortlund

Preaching the Word: Proverbs—Wisdom that Works God Made Money a Blessing—And It’s Available

Poverty because of injustice is no disgrace, but laziness is

“Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.”

( NIV)

“He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.”

( NIV)

Some people live a lie to get wealth .. claim to be Godly but they will forget/subdue their own principles to gain wealth .. pretending to be something they are not to get rich ... don’t compromise your integrity for money .... honest dealings with people .. no exaggerations to get someone’s custom

I know of a Christian guy who was in that notoriously shonky industry of car sales ... he was salesman of the year 2 years running ..Why .. because he served people and was honest with them

“Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse.”

There are some that are looking for easy money ... lottery ticket mentality but it’s a snare

“Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.”

We might want to dispute whether lottery money is “dishonest” money .. but talk to those who have won big time .. it has caused pain and distrust .. who are my real friends .. what do I do with this wealth ... some who are bored because they threw in their job .. thinking work was all about gaining wealth .... the pursuit of money can bring out some horrible things in people

I heard of a mother and son going halves in a lotto ticket .. which won a mottsa .. the son then said he’d actually bought another ticket which was the winning ticket ... the mum is now suing the son

Esteem Money accurately ..

Some people think money can make them : happy .. content ... appreciated by the family .. feel better about themselves ... be accepted by others

Some think wealth is security

..“The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall.”

wealth = strong city .. security / protection ..

Some tend to think they are more important .. rock stars .. celebrities .. mining magnates .. politicians

“Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.”

Striving .. working hard .. overworking to be rich .. we can think that it will bring security to our children .. in our western world this is a great trap

We that are blessed with children have to ask ourselves .. what attitudes are we setting/have set in our homes ... what examples models are we to the kids re WEALTH .. what do we pursue .. talk about .. think is so important we get into our children’s ear?

We can get sucked into the effort .. honest hard work earning good money to give to our children .. we can knock ourselves out to give them what we never had .. better education .. more stuff ... things they can’t go without .. give them a leg up in life ... try and take away financial burdens ... give them a better chance .. we don’t want them to struggle

And while we are doing that we can be depriving our children of what they desperately need .. a loving “together” family ... parents that get on and love each other and have time for each other ... a dad /mum who is home … a strong spiritual foundation .. time to read and pray with kids ... show the priority of the christian community

... “The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him.”

And sometimes we parents don’t listen to what we are saying .. or implying

Some parents are actually saying ... “Well I want to give my kids GOD and MONEY”

.. I think Jesus gave us some clear teaching on that ... our kids are growing up very rich on the world stage .. we want more .. they want more .. and it’s dangerous .. you can’t serve God and Money .. you’ll hate one and love the other

Here’s the remedy

SHARE IT GENEROUSLY ...

Do you want to break the BIND of money Give it away .. bless others with your wealth

“A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.”

( NIV)

“Honour the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”

( NIV)

“Do not eat the food of a stingy man, do not crave his delicacies;

for he is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.”

( NIV)

“A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”

( NIV)

Now this is a constant theme in the scriptures ... if only we would see that we are constantly swimming, every moment, in an ocean of divine generosity ... the father of lights gives us good things ... He created this world for us to enjoy ... and to share

Some people have more financial opportunities than others .. but no matter what we have we can be generous and share it .. that’s true wealth

And when we move to the NT .. there is so much more incentive to be generous

There’s that great passage in

... But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”

( NIV)

Doesn't the gospel infuse us with generosity? ... look at Jesus’ great love .. laying down His life for us .. though He was RICH He became poor ... the great exchange .. HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS for my SINFULNESS

Jesus DISADVANTAGED Himself for OUR ADVANTAGE

Isn’t that what happens as people come to faith in Jesus .. the early church saved and looking for ways to help others .. share with them ... look after the needs .. some sold their property so that they could give to the leadership for them to distribute to others .. we read there was NO NEED in their community

It’s a hallmark of our maturity in the faith .. that the gospel has taken root .. our generous heart

Friends so much competes for our time and our wealth we need WISDOM to balance all these things out .. yes there are bills to pay .. and yes there are good things to enjoy .. but what are we buying/spending .. AND what do we purposely put away so we do not neglect the work of the gospel .. sometimes they are tough decisions

In the OT it was a black and white decision .. Israel were called on to give 10% .. a TITHE of what they had

A common question is .. do I still have to tithe today as a Christian .. and it it GROSS or NET income??

Friends we can’t reduce our OBEDIENCE to percentages! Our systematic giving to the work of the gospel is a vital part of our discipleship .. considering where we put our funds can’t be sloppy and haphazard when we consider all that Christ has done for us .. and the importance of getting that message to others around us

Yes .. 10% is a good guide but this is ENTRY LEVEL OBEDIENCE .. not high end commitment .. we can’t lose sight of the fact that EVERYTHING is the Lord’s. And giving generously will be SACRIFICIAL .. it will hurt .. and it will mean we go without .. it won’t be convenient. It won’t be measured by what we give so much as what we keep for ourselves. Are we prayerfully seeking God’s guidance and WISDOM .. money is a resource to be used and enjoyed .. and don’t we need heart felt .. God honouring WISDOM to glorify God with our cash

That’s a challenge to us as families and individuals .. and also as a church family .. do we build something on out block of dirt .. another paid worker .. we need to prayerfully consider our needs and humbly seek the Lord’s direction .. and it might well lead to us giving generously and sacrificially

Glad hearted generosity comes from people who are marinated in the gospel

So the message of Proverbs .. WISDOM AND WEALTH ... boils down to

Earn it honestly ... esteem it accurately ... share it generously OR it will destroy you

Destroyed By Wealth

You might be thinking .. there he goes again .. exaggerating!

DESTROY YOU ? .. Bit harsh .. I mean you might say it’s

IMPORTANT .. DECEPTIVE perhaps ..but money can destroy?

Proverbs doesn’t say that in so many words .. but you get things like

“The house of the righteous contains great treasure, but the income of the wicked brings them trouble.”

( NIV)

Proverbs alerts us to the dark side of money or wealth .. destructive powers .. e.g. control

“People curse the man who hoards grain, but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell.”

( NIV)

“A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.”

( NIV)

“The wicked man earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.”

( NIV)

Yet we are well read enough in the Bible to know that these destructive and dark powers are constantly linked to MONEY

There is a love for money ..

“A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honour your father and mother.’’”

“All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.””

( NIV)

More camels get through the eye of needles than rich people going to heaven .. sobering !

In fact there’s a lot of teaching in Luke’s gospel about money ... remember this

“Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

“This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.””

( NIV)

And Proverbs underscores that ...

“Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.”

( NIV)

What a ridiculous picture ... getting to heaven and thinking you can open your wallet to pay entry

NOW is the time to make sure all is right with your soul .. now is the time to surrender everything to Jesus who died in your place .. that’s where great HOPE and FORGIVENESS lies ... it’s a PATHETIC picture to think we make an idol of money and wealth .. try and fill our emptiness with THINGS when we need to see that in Jesus we have our significance and worth being children of the kingdom

ILLUSTRATION

David Kennedy 14 June 1968 .. Life magazine ... there’s a young David Kennedy sitting outside the White House .. and the caption reads the future president inspects his property .. written by his uncle John .. JFK .. years before

David Kennedy have wealth and status and name .. all that money could buy but was found dead by his own hand in 1984 .. aged 28 .. money led to despair and desperation

CONCLUSION

Friends ... we are rich .. we live in a world where there is much poverty but not here in Australia .. we are among the wealthiest in the world .. yet we are in massive levels or credit card debt ... high bankruptcy .. there are the “haves” and the “have nots” and the “have not paid for what they haves”

There is marital and family breakdown over money .. the stress of getting it .. spending it .. managing it

But it’s more than that .. it can so lead us astray that we will find ourselves in that place of destruction .. hell itself

Hell .. is it real for you? Real place where people are who have died outside of Christ are now suffering eternal punishment .. the judgement for not putting Jesus first .. ignoring Jesus in this life means God ignores us in the next .. it that right ? Do you believe it?

BUT .. what a freedom to be released from that burden of being controlled by money .. what a joy to know a GENEROUS GOD who has done EVERYTHING for us so that it is not a day of WRATH but a great day of DELIGHT when Jesus returns .. His righteousness (RICHES) are mine

Let’s learn the WISDOM of dealing with money :

earn it honestly ... esteem it accurately ... share it generously