sf771 - HOW MUCH MONEY IS ENOUGH - 8 of 11 ANSWERING LIFES TOUGHEST QUESTIONS (Ecclesiastes 5 10-17)
Ecclesiastes 5:10-17
Introduction
Salaries of professional athletes.
Income increase in our area…
The average family income is expected to rise by over $14,000 over the next five years.
How much is enough?
Solomon asked that question about 5000 years ago.
(Ecclesiastes 5:11 NLT) "The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what is the advantage of wealth…!"
Today, I'd like to look at three things:
1. What we hope wealth will bring
2. What wealth really brings
3. What God wants us to do with our money
1A. What We Hope Wealth will Bring.
1B. Satisfaction
The problem is that your yearning power will always exceed your earning power.
You always want more.
(Ecclesiastes 5:10 NCV) "Whoever loves money will never have enough money; Whoever loves wealth will not be satisfied with it. This is also useless."
Ø If money brought satisfaction then the wealthiest people would be the happiest and that's not true.
2B. Significance
(Luke 12:15 NCV) "Then Jesus said to them, "Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. Life is not measured by how much one owns.""
3B. Security
If you put your security in something that can be taken away from you, you're not very secure.
(Proverbs 23:5 NLT) "For riches can disappear as though they had the wings of a bird!"
Money doesn't talk, it just flies away!
Whatever you put your security in ends up being your god.
2A. What Wealth Really Brings.
1B. More expenses.
The more money you make the more money you spend.
(Ecclesiastes 5:11 NLT) "The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what is the advantage of wealth--except perhaps to watch it run through your fingers!"
2B. More worries.
(Ecclesiastes 5:12 NLT) "People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich are always worrying and seldom get a good night's sleep."
Ø How do I save it? Protect it? Invest it?
3B. More pain if it is lost.
(Ecclesiastes 5:14, 17 NLT) "… risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left… {17} Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud--frustrated, discouraged, and angry."
There are all kinds of pain when you lose wealth.
Ø Frustration – When you make ends meet somebody moves the ends.
Ø Discouragement – Money will let you down.
Ø Anger – Marital problems are linked to money.
4B. More responsibility to use it wisely.
God uses money to test our character.
(Luke 12:48 NIV) "…From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."
(Luke 16:11 NLT) "And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?"
3A. What God Wants Us to do with Our Money?
1B. Be grateful for it.
For what we have.
(Ecclesiastes 5:19 NIV) "Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work--this is a gift of God."
For how we got what we have.
(Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV) "But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…"
Thanksgiving is not a holiday for a believer. It's a lifestyle.
2B. Be glad we have it.
(Ecclesiastes 7:14 NLT) "Enjoy prosperity while you can. But when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. That way you will realize that nothing is certain in this life."
Happiness is not getting whatever you want. Happiness is enjoying whatever you have.
Ø Most people are so busy getting more, that they don't have any time to enjoy what they have.
(Ecclesiastes 6:9 NCV) "It is better to see what you have than to want more. …."
The secret to financial freedom is not increasing your income it is decreasing you out –go.
3B. Be generous with it.
(Ecclesiastes 11:1 NLT) "Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later."
Posses your possesions
(1 Timothy 6:17-19 NIV) "Command those who are rich in this present world [This includes everybody in this room. In relationship to the rest of the world, we're all rich. If you have a house you're in the top 3% of the world. If you own a car you're in the top 6%.] 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 for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."
Ø There is only one antidote to materialism. GIVE.
Suppose that Congress passed a law that in the next twelve months that the Japanese yen would become the official currency of America. Since the dollar then would be worthless, to make it fair to everybody, then Congress said that they would not say the exact date that the exchange would take place. Since dollars would become worthless, and you didn't know the exact day of exchange, what would your strategy be? If you were wise you'd take most off your American currency now and you'd immediately exchange it into Japanese yen so you wouldn't loose it when the day of exchange comes. You'd change it right now. And you'd probably only keep enough American dollars to meet your daily expenses, because when the day of exchange came that money would be worthless
Jesus says that's exactly what's going to happen related to your wealth in eternity. One day your time on earth is going to be up. You don't know when it's going to be. In eternity the wealth you had here on earth is going to be worthless. The only way that what you have right now can start counting for eternity is for you to begin converting it to the economy of eternity right now. This is what's called storing up treasure in heaven and it's taught all through the scripture.
Begin using what you have for God's purposes.
Begin giving systematically to God’s work.
Ø All of us intend to be generous. The problem is we never seem to be able to afford it.
Ø God has a systematic savings plan for eternity. It's called tithing.
4B. Be Godly -- put God first in your life
(Luke 16:13 NIV) "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
God will test us to see who or what is first in our life.
Ø The way He's going to test your priorities is He's going to ask you to give something away to see what's really first in your life.
Ø Our giving demonstrates what's in first place in our life.
Ø If the Lord is the Lord of my life He's going to be the Lord of my wallet too.
If someone came up to you and drew a box and said that represents your life, what is in the center of your box? What would your checkbook stubs indicate was the center of your box? Regardless of what I say is first place, the way I spend my time and the way I spend my money really tells me what's first place in my life. Ultimately I must be confronted with two key choices: Who will be my master? and Where will I put my money? Eternity or here and now.
(Matthew 6:20-21 NIV) "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. {21} For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
God does not need your money. He wants what it represents. It represents you, your heart.
Application
Are you going to live for eternity or for today?
Are you going to invest your wealth in something that will last or something that will pass away?
Who is your master, God or money?
HOW MUCH MONEY IS ENOUGH?
Answering Life's Toughest Questions - Part 8 of 11
June 7, 1998 - Ecclesiastes 5:10-17
1A. What We Hope Wealth will Bring.
1B. Satisfaction
(Ecclesiastes 5:10 NCV) "Whoever loves money will never have enough money; Whoever loves wealth will not be satisfied with it. This is also useless."
2B. Significance
(Luke 12:15 NCV) "Then Jesus said to them, "Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. Life is not measured by how much one owns.""
3B. Security
(Proverbs 23:5 NLT) "For riches can disappear as though they had the wings of a bird!"
2A. What Wealth _______________ Brings.
1B. More ________________.
(Ecclesiastes 5:11 NLT) "The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what is the advantage of wealth--except perhaps to watch it run through your fingers!"
2B. More ________________.
(Ecclesiastes 5:12 NLT) "People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich are always worrying and seldom get a good night's sleep."
3B. More ______________ if it's lost.
(Ecclesiastes 5:14, 17 NLT) "… risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left… {17} Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud--frustrated, discouraged, and angry."
4B. More responsibility to use it ______________.
(Luke 12:48 NIV) "…From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."
3A. What God Wants Us to do with Our Money?
1B. Be ______________ for it.
(Ecclesiastes 5:19 NIV) "Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work--this is a gift of God."
(Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV) "But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…"
2B. Be ______________ we have it.
(Ecclesiastes 7:14 NLT) "Enjoy prosperity while you can. But when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. That way you will realize that nothing is certain in this life."
3B. Be _________________ with it.
(Ecclesiastes 11:1 NLT) "Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later."
Posses your possesions (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
Use what you have for God's _____________.
___________ systematically to God’s work.
4B. Be _______________ -- put God first in your life
(Luke 16:13 NIV) "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
(Matthew 6:20-21 NIV) "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. {21} For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."