The Christian's Righteous Pursuit and Use of Wealth
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· 24 viewsChristians are to express their New Nature by pursuing wealth through honest means and using it to caring for the needs of others!
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Introduction
Introduction
(Cues from Martin Lloyd Jones)
Practical Reminders
-Christians are not perfect!
-Christians have a new pattern of life! For some that means struggling.
Abstract of Systematic Theology Assurance and Perseverance
Do not such persons sometimes fall into grievous sin?
They do; and years may elapse before they are finally rescued therefrom.
8. Can a child of God be contented in this state?
No; the renewed nature God has given him must be disturbed at the presence of sin.
9. What is his plain duty when he finds himself in this condition?
Still to trust in his Saviour, praying to Him for pardon and for help to avoid sin.
God does not always remove sin immediately, but gives us a new heart give us the power to overcome it and then charges us with dealing with it.
-The Gospel Can save all types of sinners! Christ died for sinners!
The Mandate to Stop Stealing
The Mandate to Stop Stealing
“He must quit stealing”
It’s not an appropriate means of gaining wealth!
Theft Defined
Theft Defined
Stealing: taking without permission what belongs to another for my own gratification. Selfishly seeking to possess things without effort!
Ways of Stealing
Ways of Stealing
Shoplifting (Companies budget for this)
Embezzlement, falsifying reports, decietful business tactics. Bankruptcy (Getting out of your debts)
Overcharging for products or services.
Reporting more hours than you worked.
Not reporting income to the government
Children taking money from the counter, or even a toy from another child.
Misuse of time (Evangelizing when you should be working)
These are normal. Locking cars and houses
Could be as simple as a child taking their parents money off the night stand or seeing a toy and secretly taking it for himself from his friend.
Could be a misuse time from an employer. When you evangelize at work when you should be working, you are stealing from your employer.
The Root of the Issue
The Root of the Issue
At the heart is covetousness.
It’s connected with covetousness and selfishness.
Darkness and Light: An Exposition of Ephesians 4:17–5:17 Chapter 19: Not Stealing But Labouring and Giving
What is really at the back of stealing? The answer is, of curse, selfishness. It is one of the central manifestations of self. The desire to have, and to possess what I want. It is just one of these horrible manifestations of self showing itself in the desire to have and to possess and to hold, that it may build up in various ways the one who steals. That is really at the root of it. But it also needs to be emphasised that stealing is really the desire to have without effort.
So it’s a selfish desire to have, and to have it without any effort!
Examples
David sought to possess Bathsheba and he stole her from Uriah. He selfishly sought to possess what didn’t belong to him and what he didn’t earn it rightfully so he stole her.
Ananias and Sapphire held back part of their money, in essence stealing and therefore breaking the unity of the early Church.
In our text: It’s the Old Man!
In our text: It’s the Old Man!
Stealing comes from the old man, it’s the old nature. It’s natural to every fallen man. Men are corrupt by nature. (out of the heart comes...)
21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
Mark 7
The more a society becomes godless, rejects Christian values, the more it runs into corruption and theft. Heathen societies are rampant with theft.
Story of guy from Iraq who only hires Christians!
A man cannot be a thief and a Christian at the same time!
5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Theft and the selfish desire to possess stuff without effort is the opposite of being a follower of Christ. It’s desiring possessions without willing to do the necessary work to get them.
It’s Anti-Gospel
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
How can we look at our wonderful Lord’s example and then say, he gave up what was rightfully his for my benefit, but now I’m going to purse what doesn’t belong to me!
Why Here?
The Spirit of Covetousness Break the Unity of the Spirit!
The Spirit of Covetousness Break the Unity of the Spirit!
Was David in unity with Uriah when he stole his wife?
Was Annanias and Saphira in Unity with the Church at Jerusalem when they lied and held back what they committed to giving to the Church? (Stole)
Thieves in the church, people who only and primarily look out for their own interests are destructive to the body of Christ. (Extortion, embezzling in the Church)
This is How we maintain the unity of the Spirit.
What if I am Covetous?
When we are covetous, we need to see that a would be thief is beginning to rise up in us.
Rather we should be thankful, and commit ourselves to the Lord. “If the Lord wants me to have it, he’ll provide the means for me to earn it!” If he didn’t provide the means for you to earn it, he doesn’t intend for you to have it.”
He must quit stealing!
The Dignity of Honest Laboring
The Dignity of Honest Laboring
Honest Work Commended
Honest Work Commended
Honest Work Commended
Honest work is dignified, its commendable. Whether it’s sweeping the floors. It’s Godly!
Work that is good in quality. It doesn’t deceive nor does it harm.
Examples:
Selling alcohol is harmful to people! Selling marijuana is harmful to people. Over charging for materials and services is deceitful. (Don’t feel bad if you make money on a business deal, just do it honestly)
These are not honest ways of making money.
How to Pursue wealth?
How to Pursue wealth?
We work
It’s commanded. “he must”
It’s my duty to God!
Paul would discipline people for not working
7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
Work Hard!
Labor: work to the point of exhaustion
Laziness is not excusable.
Be self-supporting
“you own hands” Not depending on others to provide for me. Slothful, lazy, dependent people are a strain on a community and dishonor God!
He’s not excluding other types of labor that aren’t physical!
Example
Preaching is honest labor, and can be exhausting.
29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
It’s Godly, it pleases God. This is the expression of my new nature.
God’s means of pursuing wealth.
God’s means of pursuing wealth.
God is not against you gaining wealth. He has provided you the means to do it!
We don’t sit around waiting for Christ to return like we are on a holiday, sitting around the campfire singing kumbaya! We are redeemed we are sons of God. He has lavished his kindness on us, and we are new! Now my life has purpose, now the work that I once pursued is purposeful, it brings glory to God. We work!
Honest Work Commended
Work that is good in quality. It doesn’t deceive nor does it harm.
Selling alcohol is harmful to people! Selling marijuana is harmful to people. Over charging for materials and services is deceitful. (Don’t feel bad if you make money on a business deal, just do it honestly)
These are not honest ways of making money.
In Our Verse
It’s commanded. “he must”
It’s my duty to God!
Paul would discipline people for not
It’s to consume me!
Labor:
Laziness is not excusable.
With my own hands.
Not depending on others to provide for me. Slothful, lazy, dependent people are a strain on a community and dishonor God!
Not literally my hands, by me myself!
Preaching is honest labor, and can be exhausting.
It’s Godly, it pleases God. This is the expression of my new nature.
It commends the gospel we preach!
What an opportunity to demonstrate your Christianity in a godless society. Your work ethic could be the handmaiden to the gospel you preach. You are demonstrating in part the reality of the gospel brothers by the way you work by simply working hard.
The Goal of Christian Labor
The Goal of Christian Labor
To help those who have need. It doesn’t mean to give everything away, but that this is a chief goal of our lives? Could we look at your checkbook and say, he loves others?
Our Goal is to love others, our brothers. How, with our stuff!
It’s the remedy to a covetous Christian.
33 I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
Put this on and wear it like you would a shirt. Purpose to do good, and be a benefit to those around you. Be more consumed with it than you would be if you were selfishly pursuing your own stuff. (Assess how much effort you’d put into a selfish endeavor, and then purpose to use that amount of energy to blessing someone else.
This is How We Maintain the Unity of the Spirit.
Cast aside selfish sinful desire, and pursue love, loving people with our stuff?
Questions to Consider? Local Church Context
Are you seeking to actively pursue using your energies to bless your brothers and sisters in Christ? Pray, fellowship, encourage. Invite over for a meal. Look out for people who you think need encouragement and make that your goal!
10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
2. Are you giving regularly to the Church so that others may benefit and hear the gospel?
3. Have you come to you offered yourself to the Church leadership to say “Whatever you guys need, I’ll try to do it” I’ll teach a small group?
