Riches that Last - Proverbs: The Poor
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Prayer
Intro - Crashing Uncle Ron’s Four Wheeler into the Fence on my 10th Birthday and Owing $75, only having $50
This morning we are going to examine another character in Proverbs: The Poor
We will see the thought patterns we often fall into and the way that God calls Believers to care for the poor
Transition: Proverbs talks about two attitudes towards the poor:
The Oppressor
The Oppressor
Prov 14 31 “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.”
The picture of a person who plays ding dong ditch to a sleeping beggar.
The person who takes advantage, looks down on, makes their life more difficult.
Or the person who has an opportunity to help the poor but chooses not to, leaving them oppressed.
To take advantage of the poor is like sinning against God since God is the maker all - BKC
All people bear the image of God, everyone has the logo of God, they represent God and therefore have value just because of that
To honor God is to be generous to the poor
Prov 17 5 “Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.”
Proverbs -Pulpit Commentary - HDM Spence Proverbs 14:31
“The poor shall never cease out of the land” (Deut. 15:11); “The poor ye have always with you,” said Christ (Matt. 26:11); therefore to harass and oppress the poor because he is in this lowly condition, is virtually to arraign the providence of God, who is the Father of all, and has made all men brothers, however differing in worldly position.
To mock the poor is to presume that they deserve this for one reason or another.
A lack of compassion reveals that you think they deserve to be in this state
Mocking the poor stems from unhealthy pride in yourself, thinking you are better than them
Attitude leads to Action- What thoughts do you have when you hear of someone in need? When you see the beggar on the corner?
Job - Job 4:7-8
“Remember: who that was innocent ever perished?
Or where were the upright cut off?
As I have seen, those who plow iniquity
and sow trouble reap the same.
The way we see this play out today is often believing that those in need did something to deserve to be in need
The beggar is a druggee
The family that needs a scholarship to get to camp spends their money unwisely
The person broken down on the side of road with the clunker of a car, that’s what they get for driving such an old car
Transition: Where does this stem from?
Point 1: The Prideful Person Believes the Poor Get What They Deserve
Point 1: The Prideful Person Believes the Poor Get What They Deserve
The person in need did something to deserve that
Their parents made some mistakes and that’s what their kids gets
Transition: Why is this a big deal?
Pr 29 13 “The poor man and the oppressor meet together; the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.”
The poor can see the mocker, they have been given sight by God. They are fully human with value as made by God
God as sovereign over even the poor. Not viewing them as less than or God forgetting them. Not as “blemishes of his providence” - Matthew Henry
Both the poor and the mocker are put on level playing field when they look at the one who gave them sight: God. -NIVAC
Pr 28 6 “Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.”
A poor man with integrity does more for the world than a deceitful rich man
God’s economy
We would never say that we would rather be poor than to have integrity, but that’s what the writer of Proverbs, and ultimately God, says
“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.” - Malcom S. Forbes
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. XXII Good Cheer for Outcasts (No. 1,302)
I think you may judge of a man’s character by the persons whose affection he seeks. If you find a man seeking only the affection of those who are great, depend upon it he is ambitious and self-seeking; but when you observe that a man seeks the affection of those who can do nothing for him, but for whom he must do everything, you know that he is not seeking himself, but that pure benevolence sways his heart.
True character is revealed in how you treat and think about the person that can do nothing for you
How do you treat those below you?
How do you think about those that can do nothing for you?
Transition: The second attitude towards the poor in Proverbs is...
The Generous
The Generous
Pr 19 17 “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.”
Poor- feeble, weak, helpless
Generosity to those in need is a loan to the Lord. Something He pays back.
Generosity and kindness towards the poor goes beyond just feeling pity but actually meeting some of their needs
It promises faithful recompense, not necessarily one’s money back!
By giving to the poor we are making God our debtor, though we are forever indebted to him - PC, HDM Spence
GOSPEL
Like my parents who paid the debt I could not afford, so Christ paid the debt we could never afford.
Romans 3:23 (ESV)
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Romans 10:9 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Christ paid what we owed, we are forever indebted to Him
The beauty of this principle is that the writer of Proverbs tells us that God becomes indebted to us, paying us back when we give to those in need
Like a lender, be not in a hurry to get your payment back, let it accrue interest. You can trust God to pay you back.
NIVAC Proverbs - Paul E Koptak Proverbs 19:17
Because Yahweh repays such good work, the saying calls this interaction a loan to God (14:31; 17:5). While the poor often cannot repay, Yahweh always can—not as the return for some kind of seed-faith investment but as a general reward for righteousness and its alignment with wisdom. The picture of plenty for all is central to the teaching of torah (Deut. 15:1–11).
Transition: For the generous person, what’s the takeaway?
Point 2: Trusting God Leads to True Generosity
Point 2: Trusting God Leads to True Generosity
Generosity trusts that God is a righteous lender
Grace meets the needs of the poor because your needs have been met
Why should I care?
Being generous with the poor is a loan to God that He will pay back
Insulting the poor is an insult to God their maker
Everyone is made in the image of God and has value
God cares about and for the poor
If the person that trusts God is generous, what does look like for us today?
What does generosity look like for us today?
What does generosity look like for us today?
1 Tim 6:17-19 “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
Paul previously, verses 3-10, dealt with those that were not wealthy but desired to be. He showed the pitfalls that greed leads to and closed with 1 Tim 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
The Danger of Wealth
We think we deserve it
We begin to love the creation more than the creator
Once we get a taste we continue to want more
Now he is talking those that are wealthy-
1 Tim 6:17 “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.”
Attitude toward Money
Do Not be haughty, arrogant
The greek for haughty here is two words that mean “to think” “exalted thoughts” - to hold onto high thoughts about yourself
Arrogance comes from thinking you deserve something.
I have more than most, therefore, I am better than most. I deserve the to have more than most.
Reflecting back to Proverbs, thinking that the poor always deserve to be poor
This creates a disconnect between those who have plenty and those that lack
In the American church, those that have money, that hopefully, tithe a lot of money, think that they can throw their weight around in the church. It is dangerous to think that you can make your church do what you want it to do.
Do Not trust in your money, thinking that it will/can save you
DO - Set your hope on God who richly provides, the giver of wealth, the source of all material things
1 Timothy - HDM Spence 1 Timothy 6:17
The gifts are God’s. Trust, therefore, in the Giver, not in the gift. The gift is uncertain; the Giver liveth for ever.
God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy
Paul is writing against false teachers that were telling those in Ephesus that they needed to deny themselves of everything enjoyable and discipline (or essentially torture themselves)
He is calling the rich to take a middle ground
He does not say to get rid of wealth, but not to trust in it. Trust in God, the giver of it. Place your hope in him
What does your hope depend on? Honestly, if God were to examine you, what does it depend on?
Has your wealth caused you to think you are better than others? Let’s say the poor, those that lack, beggars?
1 Tim 6:18-19 “They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
Actions with Money
Do Good
Do good here is an action word, make a difference, move on it, take action
This is not “be a good person”
Be Rich in Good Works
Not just rich in that which is perishing
Being rich in good works is putting your richness to work for the sake of others
Having your money serve you (and others) instead of serving your money
Be Generous and Ready to Share
Approaching wealth with an open hand, “Do as you please, God”
True generosity comes from kindness of heart. This is not begrudging giving
You can see a truly generous person the moment you talk to them
Generous People at The River that offer repeatedly “If you need anything for the ministry, please let us know.”
Why?
This stores up treasure in heaven, a foundation for eternity
Reflection back to Prov 19:17 “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.”
Jesus’ words - Matthew 6:19-20 ““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
1–2 Timothy & Titus - IVP - Philip Towner 1 Timothy 6:19
For the rich, responsible use of wealth (sharing, giving) is evidence of genuine faith. In this way they “work out their salvation” in this age.
Leads to True Life (aka eternal life)
Plastic goods, electronics, vehicles, houses, large bank accounts are a trap that will never satisfy
Generous givers thrill in their salvation, rejoice in the fruit of the Spirit, and live the life of the coming age now.
Point 3: Riches that Last are Found in Serving Others with Your Resources
Point 3: Riches that Last are Found in Serving Others with Your Resources
Serving others with your resources leads to true life
What treasure are you building up? What treasure are you seeking?
Misconceptions About Generosity
It won’t make a difference
“Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.” - Andy Stanley
Emerson- For me this began with my first job. I used my Chick-fil-A paycheck to sponsor a child in El Salvador
This has since transitioned to Haleigh and I supporting missionaries that we know personally and believe in their mission
I don’t have poor people around me
Look around, ask God to show you the needs around you.
Be willing to be generous! As your heart changes, God will send people and needs your way.
I don’t have enough to help out others
Start with 1
Start Somewhere: Prison Trips next week
Mens- Aug 17-19
Womens- Aug 20
As You Go, Go With the Gospel
Conclusion
Read 1 Timothy 6:17-19
1 Timothy 6:17–19 (ESV)
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
Let’s be a church that is rich- in good works and generosity!