STRANGER SCRIPTURES - PART FOUR

STUPID RICH

Have you ever read something in the Bible and been thoroughly confused about what it meant or how it fit with the rest of the Scriptures?

Maybe you feel really comfortable with the Jesus you know and accepted as Lord and Savior, but you come across a verse that doesn’t really seem to fit.

What we believe about the Bible is absolutely paramount to our faith.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

If we believe that ALL Scripture is inspired by God, then we can’t just set some verses aside became they make us uncomfortable. We have to believe every single word of this Bible as deeply as we believe the passages we know that make us feel good.

John 3:16 is awesome. Mark 11:22-24 are powerful. Psalm 91 is comforting. Those are easy to believe and memorize and confess and claim all day long. What do we do with some of these others, though? If you’re able to disqualify even one verse as not being born out of the heart of God, you open up the conversation for any verse to be thrown out.

For the next few weeks, we’re going to be dissecting some of the most commonly misunderstood verses in the Bible. I believe this will help us to be stronger in our faith and more assured that the Word of God in its entirety is useful to teach us what is true and make us realize what is wrong in our lives, according to Paul’s letter to Timothy.

The Bible was not written for your comfort. It was not meant to reinforce the instincts of your flesh or affirm your feelings. It is Jesus on paper, which means that it is going to challenge your paradigms. It’s going to disrupt your comfort zone.

At the same time, God is not schizophrenic. He doesn’t suffer from an identity crisis. He is consistent, which means His Word is consistent. In this series, we’re going to take a closer look at some passages in the Bible that may seem confusing or even contradictory on the surface and discuss their real meaning and how they fit into the truth of who God is, His heart for you, and how the whole Bible shows us that without exception.

Every weekend, we’ll put up a poll on Instagram with four options from which you can choose which passage you’d like to discuss the following Tuesday. This week’s poll came down to the wire, but our winner was...

Mark 10:23–26 (ESV)

23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?”

Let’s talk about money. This passage might seem troublesome to a church like ours, but only if you read it out of context and through a biased lens. For centuries, it has been the strategy of the enemy to convince Christians that God’s will for them is to be broke. We’re told that it’s somehow holier for you to be poor than it is to be rich. This is a passage often cited in arguing that point. It’s one-sided and incomplete, but it’s not to be disregarded entirely.

Let’s take a step back and look at the full context of this story.

Mark 10:17–31 (ESV)

17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

What’s crazy about this is that finishing the story with verse 26 leads you to believe that you can’t be rich and enter the Kingdom of God. Verse 27 tells us differently, though. It’s just a few words away. Is it hard to be rich and enter into the Kingdom? Sure. Is it impossible? No! What does it take? Some good teaching and discipline. An understanding of what money’s purpose is. Money is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. We have to make a decision right now as the next generation of faith leaders that we are going to take a balanced approach to this. We’re going to look at money for what it is. It can be abused. It can be worshipped. It is very easy to get your priorities out of line when it comes to your money. Is it wrong to be wealthy? Not at all. Can it be a temptation to put your trust in something other than God? Absolutely. Money is only valuable when you use it, so for us to take control over our money, we have to decide the Godly way to use it. And Scripture tells us what that is. Before we get there, here are some ways to not use your money.

1. Space Rock Price: $450,000 The year was 1962. A Martian rock lands in Nigeria, and scientists rejoice! 44 years later, it was available for purchase on none other than eBay, alongside the old baseball cards and discount shoes. So, behold. The world's most expensive impulse buy.

2. Diamond Dog Collar Price: $3,200,000 Dogs are great. They're loyal, optimistic, and they'll love you unconditionally. But does your dog deserve this 18K white gold, platinum, crocodile leather collar? I'm not even sure the Queen deserves this thing.

3. Lock of Elvis Hair Price: $115,000 Elvis had a nice head of hair. He really did. He also had a very smart barber. Fact: Elvis' barber pocketed a lock of his iconic 'do, and it set the record for ridiculous dead-person hair purchases.

4. Form Hair Wax Price: $1,300 So what is this, exactly? It's hair wax. Wax for your hair. It keeps the frizzies down, the style in place, and your hair will shine bright like a diamond. But when your local $4 drug store tub won't do, you can drop four figures on this diamond-studded, mahogany-encased hair product. It's custom made for each buyer, and it's got diamonds in it, guys.

5. A Texas Town Price: $2,500,000 What would you even do with your own town? Fill it with moon bounces? The lucky buyer of Albert, Texas received this magnificent dance hall, along with a human population of five whole people. The whole transaction went down on eBay — where else? 6. Computer Mouse Price: $34,000 White Austrian strass. Swarovski crystals. One of those little scrolly wheels. Worth it? Worth it. 7. Perfume Price: $4,150 (for 30ML) Literally fit for a Queen, Clive Christian's No. 1 perfume has been revamped on numerous occasions to commemorate Queen Elizabeth's 60th year on the throne, and also the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Fancy! 8. World's Most Expensive Poker Set Price: $7,100,000 All 384 solid 18c white gold chips in this set are encrusted with diamonds, and those decks of cards aren't your standard drug-store purchase. They're platinum-plated. This custom set has a crocodile case, and the chips are inlaid with — wait for it — stingray skin. Forget the $5 buy-in. This thing is for real.

9. Pure Gold Shirt Price: $22,400 Datta Phuge of India commissioned this shirt in 2012. It's made of pure gold, white velvet, and Swarovski crystal buttons. 15 goldsmiths worked 16 hours a day over the course of two weeks to finish this piece of wearable metal. And the statement piece necklaces really pull the look together, don't you think? 10. Gold-Plated Staples Price: $175 Nothing says "I'm wealthy" more than golden staples in your paper stacks. It's all in the details! The extremely subtle, nuanced details. 11. Da Hong Pao Tea Price: $1,250,000 (per kilogram) This ain't your grandmother's tea. It's said that this particular leaf is preserved from the Ming Dynasty, and has some real medicinal benefits. It's so rare, in fact, that it's kept by the Chinese government and usually only given as national gifts. It's difficult to purchase, but not impossible. Follow your dreams! 12. Guinea Pig Armor Price: $24,300 Are we good with not discussing this one? Just admiring it? Good. Just admire it.

Psalm 24:1 (ESV)

1 The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein...

James 1:17 (ESV)

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

2 Corinthians 8:9 (ESV)

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.

That feels pretty good to me. He intended for you to become rich. What does that word mean? Well, it’s not a metaphor. It’s literally the word used to describe the elite wealth of the Greeks. In contrast to other cultures, Greek wealth was plouteō.

So…if God intends for you to be rich, let’s answer another question. Why?

2 Corinthians 9:8–15 (ESV)

8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written,

“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever.”

10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

Pastor George says it the best.

Our motivation for accumulation is distribution.

God has no problem with you being wealthy. He has no problem with you having stuff. He has a problem with your stuff having you.

Is there anything you own that you wouldn’t be willing to give away if the Lord told you?

What is most valuable to you?

Matthew 6:19–21 (ESV)

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

So how do we lay up treasures in Heaven? How do we accumulate to distribute?

It’s an interesting cycle. We give. We receive. We give more. We receive more. We give even more. We receive even more.

Proverbs 11:24–25 (ESV)

24 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;

another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.

25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,

and one who waters will himself be watered.

And how do we give? A couple of thoughts.

Matthew 6:1–4 (ESV)

1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Don’t give for the accolades. Don’t give to get. Give to be obedient and to demonstrate the love of God to people. The example God set in giving is a good one.

John 3:16 (ESV)

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

God loved, so God gave. What does your love for God and your love for others compel you to do?

God wants you to have all that you need to be able to take care of yourself and others. He wants you to be rich enough to be an example of good stewardship and abundant generosity. That’s what prosperity looks like.