Wealth

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RICHES and WEALTH

Ephesians 2v10

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

·                     We are created to live lives full of purpose and meaning.

·                     Living a balanced life – making the most of what God has given to us. 

o        Time  

o        Talents and abilities

o        Wealth, money and posessions

·                     Using it to do His work

The way we think and treat wealth, money and possessions is IMPORTANT!.

“The way we handle our money is perhaps the truest indicator of the spiritual condition of our heart …”

If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life.
Billy Graham

Perhaps that is why the Bible has so much to say about it…

The Bible contains more than five hundred references to prayer and almost five hundred references to faith, but there are more than two thousand references to money and possessions.

Out of thirty-eight parables that Jesus told in the Gospels, sixteen deal with how we handle our money.

One out of every ten verses in the Gospels deals with money or possessions—288 verses in the four Gospels.”


!! What is Wealth

·                     (modern) an abundance, particularly of money or possessions (riches)

·                     (archaic) also a sense of well-being or prosperity, fulfilment, what is “good” for you.

·                     The bible has as much emphasis on well-being as it does on riches.

Deut 7v13

He will love you and bless you and make you into a great nation. He will give you many children and give fertility to your land and your animals. When you arrive in the land he swore to give your ancestors, you will have large crops of grain, grapes, and olives, and great herds of cattle, sheep, and goats.

·                     Children                                      |  All forms of “wealth” in their day

·                     Fertile crop-bearing lands              |

·                     Livestock                                    |

Eccl 5v19:

“…it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—that is indeed a gift from God. “

·                     Productive work

·                     Contentment

·                     Health

·                     ENJOY it! 

Biblical view of wealth:

Wealth is having an abundance of things that add true value and fulfilment to people’s lives, along with the ability to appreciate and enjoy them.

·                     Sometimes this includes money and possessions.

Let’s look at some key principles that the Bible teaches about wealth

Principle #1:  All wealth is a blessing from God

As well as the previous verses….

1Chronicles 29v14-15   [King David’s prayer]

14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you have already given us!...”.

·                     The world likes to take God out of the equation

·                     EXAMPLE:  Godless thinking takes God out of your investment decisions.  It’s almost as if you try to insure against the actions of God, try to isolate yourself from dependence upon God. 

o        (In this modern time God seems to be shaking the foundations of the finance world and reminding people throughout the world that He has a key role in “prosperity”.)

·                     EXAMPLE - Superannuation – make sure that wise planning is not overtaken with a form of greed and fear of the future.  (God will provide for your needs).


Eg “I don’t need God when I retire,
I’ve got a Kiwisaver policy”

·                     The issue here is a very important one –The thinking is… “If I have enough money, I won’t need to rely on anyone, not even God.” 

o        Being self sufficient is GOOD, but don’t fall into the trap of becoming Godless in your decisions. 

o         

·                     Best piece of investment advice I can give you…

Proverbs 3v6

“…in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Principle #2:  God blesses with opportunities more often than with cash.

Deut 8  [Promises to His people]

v17 “…He did it so you would never think that it was your own strength and energy that made you wealthy. 18 Always remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you power to become rich, and he does it to fulfill the covenant he made with your ancestors…”

[NIV] “…the ability to produce wealth…”

·                     God wants to pour out blessings and wealth to you – and maybe even money.

·                     God’s economy is not (usually) a “Lotto blessing” economy

·                     In a previous verse :  Deut 8v17 “…it is the Lord your God who gives you power to become rich…”    The “Power to become rich” is different from receiving cold, hard cash.

o        Skills, gifts, opportunities

We ask for a vase.  God gives us a lump of clay.  Go figure!

Phil Pringle (?)

·                     If you go back and read the whole chapter, the preceeding verses show how God blesses with opportunities.  In the case of the Israelites it was a land flowing with milk and honey, with hills rich in minerals and metals. 

o        BUT THEY HAD TO WORK for it.  The land had to be farmed.  The metals mined and forged.

·                     Why?  God wants us to be ENGAGED in life, INVOLVED in it.  That is His way…..

o        “…life in all it’s fullness…” – John 10:10

Principle #3:  Wealth is Seasonal, and uncertain

Ecc 7v14:

“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.

[The Message] “On a good day, enjoy yourself; On a bad day, examine your conscience. God arranges for both kinds of days So that we won’t take anything for granted.

Be diligent at working and storing up during seasons of plenty.  You will need it during seasons of need.

·                     In the old days, much of wealth revolved around seasonal influences – crop cycles, herds. 

·                     We often forget this in our modern times – systems work differently, longer, less predictably, but the principles are still the same – for as long as the season of prosperity lasts, enjoy, store up, don’t take it for granted.

A common mistake is that we set our lifestyles on the wealth that we have during seasons of plenty, so instead of storing up, we spend.  Then when the season changes, we get in trouble. 

The principles of the Bible teach us to:

·                     Live within your means – in other words, live within your income.

·                     Don’t postpone enjoyment of what God has provided for you TODAY!  Learn how to develop a thankful heart towards God.

·                     Live sensibly, not assuming or relying on a continual, uninterrupted flow of prosperity and wealth.

o        Eg.  Get the mortgage down to a sensible level, set lower expectations if you have to.  Make sure your lifestyle is sustainable for all seasons.

o        You have other seasons to blend in with this too – life changes and you have to adjust expectations to fit your circumstances.

o        If the lifestyle you have chosen means you have to have to have a second job and miss out on your kids growing up, you’re kinda missing the point…

o        Don’t live fearfully, just set realistic expectations that leave room for the seasonal nature of prosperity, and the involvement of a sovereign GOD.

The tragic events of the week…  teach us to refocus on God, to rely on Him.  Blessings are His to give and His to take away.

Principle #4: Wealth - we are only Stewards of it!

MINE!  MINE!  MY PRECIOUS!  {Golum}

·                     So obsessed with it that it ruined him

·                     This is a key stumbling block for many Christians – we must adopt a different attitude from what is in the world.

·                     A steward of every dollar AND every opportunity – it is not mine, but has been entrusted to me for a purpose that is more important than my comfort.

2Cor 9v8-9:

“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”

·                     Hold your wealth with an OPEN HAND.

·                     God gives us riches to distribute where they are needed.  But sometimes that gets blocked by self interest (or fear of the future).

o        God is looking for people He can bless with wealth.

o        People who have the right heart, the right attitude and a generous spirit. Where will God find those with such a heart?  He wants to pour out blessings and he does it through people who have a heart for Him.

Give me five minutes with a person's checkbook, and I will tell you where their heart is.
Billy Graham

The Tithe (10% of income).

Proverbs 3v9-10: “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything your land produces. 10 Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with the finest wine.

[Phil Pringle, snips from “Keys to Financial Excellence”]

“…The tithe belongs to the house of God.  Not the church down the road, not the local charity.  Not a friend in need – those are good things to give to, but the tithe belongs to God, to the church, to be spent in whatever way seems fit…  Those who spend it are accountable to God for every cent…  those who fail to tithe are just as accountable for every cent…”

·                     There are very distinct promises of God about tithing…

·                     The more I research this, the more I am convinced that there is tremendous significance and a profound link between the tithe and personal blessings.

Principle #5:  The wealth we receive is affected by our attitudes and desires

James 4v2-3:

“…And yet the reason you don’t have what you want is that you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you do ask, you don’t get it because your whole motive is wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.”

1Tim 6v9: 10

For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

From the Lips of Millionaires

• I have made many millions, but they have brought me no happiness.—Rockefeller

• The care of $200,000,000 is enough to kill anyone. There is no pleasure in it.—Vanderbilt

• I am the most miserable man on earth.—John Jacob Astor

• What can I say? I only know I am desolate.—J. Paul Getty

• I was happier when doing a mechanic’s job.—Henry Ford

• Millionaires seldom smile.—Andrew Carnegie

Hebrews 13v5: 

Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.”

Summary

One thought in closing,

Matthew 6:32-33

“…Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.”

Channel Tunnel, 50km long, drilling from both ends, not in a straight line.  What an exciting day it must have been when they were to break through and meet in the middle.  Would the ends meet?

·                     Sometimes I think this is like our lives – we are working with God on a project of tremendous scale and significance – he has us tunnelling from a certain direction and wants us to intersect with him at a predetermined place and time. 

·                     Will we make it?  Will we persevere long enough to make the distance?  When we get there will we successfully connect with the main line?

·                     Are our plans in line with God’s.  If not, one of you is wrong.  Go figure.

Sure, there will be rocks and obstacles and hazards to overcome.  But He has given us everything we need to get the job done.

·                     As long as we don’t get distracted and start spending it all on other projects, like “me”.   Or a personally designed “I-don’t-need-God” assurance fund.  (I wonder how much of God’s money is locked up in these kind of fear-based schemes?)

I don’t know about you, but I want to make it successfully – I want my life to count, to achieve the goal that God has given for my life.  Sometimes I don’t understand the reasons or the way of it, but I see those as opportunities to trust the Master Planner – he knows, he understands, he guides, he comforts.

·                     When you get that understanding fixed in your spirit, you just want to invest everything, time, money, energy and opportunities, in the service of a loving God.  His purposes become your purposes.  And you start to understand what life is really all about.

·                     We were all created for a purpose that is bigger than us.  The sooner we wake up to that, the sooner we can start to live the life that we were designed for.

NOTES

An electric guitar.  It’s beautiful, if you like that kind of thing.  But what really matters is how it can be used.  If I were to use it, it would not be a very nice sound.  But get someone talented and it can become a thing of beauty.  Just like money.  Depends who is using it and what it is being used for.

Proverbs 3v5-7:  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths. 7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn your back on evil.

Proverbs 8v7  [in context of “wisdom”]

 “I love all who love me. Those who search for me will surely find me. 18 Unending riches, honor, wealth, and justice are mine to distribute. 19 My gifts are better than the purest gold, my wages better than sterling silver! 20 I walk in righteousness, in paths of justice. 21 Those who love me inherit wealth, for I fill their treasuries.”

Deut 5v33

Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

Deut 8v11-18  [Promises to His people about a land of plenty]

12 “…when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, 13 and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, 14 that is the time to be careful. Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God…”.

Proverbs 23v4-5: 

Don’t weary yourself trying to get rich. Why waste your time? 5 For riches can disappear as though they had the wings of a bird!

Debt

·                     Live within your income.

·                     Debt is dangerous – it can enslave you.  Then, the things you have purchased tie you down, limit your flexibility and become a burden rather than a bessing…

·                    “If the Word taught me anything, it taught me to have no connection with debt. I could not think that God was poor, that He was short on resources, or unwilling to supply any want of whatever work was really His. It seemed to me that if there were lack of funds to carry on work, then to that degree, in that special development, or at that time, it could not be the work of God” (Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret, p. 58).

·                     If you have something you can’t live without, you don’t own it; it owns you.

There is nothing wrong with men possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess men.
Billy Graham

"The greatest wealth is to live content with little."   --  Plato

·                     FEAR and GREED

o        Rid yourselves of any motive of greed or fear

o        (example – getting a business case approved – appeal to management’s greed or fear). 

o        This is not cynical – it is reality.

o        Don’t get fooled into thinking you can insure against relying on God.

Colossians 3v23

23 Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Love of Money

·                     There was and still is an attitude in the church that there is something wrong with wealth.  The bible does not teach this – it teaches that wealth is good, a blessing from God. 

·                     What is wrong, is the love of money.


WEALTH

The word “wealth” today causes us to think of bulging pocketbooks and luxuriant lifestyles, but in the sixteenth century the word was also used in the sense of “well-being” or “welfare.” Unless we remember this, Paul’s counsel in 1 Corinthians 10:24 looks like encouragement to theft: “let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.” The nasb translates as “let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.” The nkjv renders “wealth” (kjv) here as “well-being.”

In the kjv Old Testament, the word “wealth” is used three times as a translation for the Hebrew tob, which means “good,” either as an adjective or as a noun. The passages are Ezra’s recital of the commandment not to intermarry with the people of the land, “nor seek their peace or their wealth” (Ezra 9:12); the praise of Mordecai as “seeking the wealth of his people” (Esther 10:3); and Job’s description of the prosperity of the wicked who “spend their days in wealth” (Job 21:13).

The nasb, nkjv, nrsv, and rsv use “prosperity” in the passages from Ezra and Job, and “welfare” (rsv) and “good” (nasb, nkjv, nrsv) in the passage concerning Mordecai—“he sought the good of his people” (nrsv).

The kjv and the nasb, nrsv, and rsv use “welfare” as the translation for tob in Nehemiah 2:10, which tells how Sanballat and Tobiah were greatly displeased that Nehemiah had come “to seek the welfare of the people of Israel” (nrsv). The nkjv again uses the word “well-being.”

The kjv “wealthy” occurs twice. At Psalm 66:12, “a wealthy place” in “thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place” is rendered in the contemporary versions as “a place of abundance” (nasb, niv, nlt), “a spacious place” (nrsv, rsv), “rich fulfillment” (nkjv), “a land of plenty” (cev), and at Jeremiah 49:31, “get you up unto the wealthy nation” is a nation that is “at ease” (nasb, niv, nrsv, rsv); one that is “comfortable” (ncv); and “self-sufficient” (nlt); the nkjv retains the kjv “wealthy.”

[1]

WEALTH—an abundance of possessions or resources. During the times of the patriarchs, wealth was measured largely in livestock—sheep, goats, cattle, donkeys, and camels. This was true of Abraham (Gen. 13:2), Isaac (Gen. 26:12-14), and Jacob (Gen. 30:43; 32:5). People of the ancient world also measured wealth in terms of land, houses, servants, slaves, and precious metals. The prime example is King Solomon, whose great wealth is described in 1 Kings 10:14-29.

Wealth is a major theme in the *Wisdom literature of the Bible (Prov. 10:15; 13:11; 19:4). The most important observation of these writings is that wealth comes from God (Prov. 3:9-10). The possession of wealth is not always the sign of God’s favor. “Why does the way of the wicked prosper?” (Jer. 12:1) became a familiar theme to the writers of the Old Testament.

The prophet Amos thundered against the rich and prosperous inhabitants of Israel who sold “the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals” (Amos 2:6). Their wealth was corrupt and under a curse because it was founded on exploitation of the poor.

In the New Testament, many warnings are given of the dangers of letting money and things possess a person’s heart. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke of “treasures on earth” and “treasures in heaven” and called upon His followers to be careful of which treasure they chose (Matt. 6:19-21, 24).

Many of Jesus’ parables, such as the rich fool (Luke 12:13-21) and the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), deal with people who made the wrong choice, choosing earthly wealth over heavenly wealth. But the only true and lasting wealth is the spiritual riches of God’s grace (Matt. 13:44-46).

Wealth is not deemed unworthy or ungodly in the Scriptures, as long as the person so blessed retains godly priorities and is generous to others, faithful in worship to God with his or her substance, and serves human need.

[2]

MAMMON [MAM mun] (riches)—a word that speaks of wealth (Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:9, 11, 13), especially wealth that is used in opposition to God. Mammon is a transliteration of the Aramaic word mamon, which means “wealth, riches,” or “earthly goods.” It is related in ancient lore to a Babylonian deity. Modern Bible versions have “money,” “gold,” and “material possessions,” and would probably best leave the word as Mammon, because it carries more than the material significance of money in its meaning. Jesus said that no one can serve two masters—God and money—at the same time, and makes Mammon a potential “master”; thus, great spiritual consequence is here. Mammon (money) cannot purchase security (see Jesus’ parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21). “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matt. 16:26; Mark 8:36; Luke 9:25).

[3]

STEWARDSHIP : Tithing: Managing Material Wealth (Gen. 14:17-24). Tithing, giving ten percent of our income, is the physical manifestation of Christian stewardship. Tithing is important because it is the recognition of God as the sole possessor of heaven and earth (v. 22).

Abram introduce tithing during his encounter with Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the most high God. Upon returning from his victorious battle against the kings of Mesopotamia, Abram gives to Melchizedek ten percent of all the spoils. By tithing, Abram recognized that God, the sole possessor of all things, should be given all praise for His mercy to His stewards, the borrowers of time. Tithing preceded the Law as a practice and transcends it as a principle to be applied today. Jesus reinforced the practice of tithing as an “ought to do,” and so we should (Matt. 23:23).

King David, one of God’s most admired servants, also gave recognition to God as being the only divine king when he accumulated wealth to build the temple. In 1 Chronicles 29:11, David says, “all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours.” Verse 12 says, “Both riches and honor come from You,” and verse 14 says, “for all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You.” Finally, in verse 16, he says, “O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own.”

[4]

Keys to Handling MoneyBeing a righteous steward of worldly wealth flows out of a godly perspective with regard to money. Money is a servant to utilize, not a god to serve. One’s motives in acquiring and using money are the determining factors. 5:10 Consider and understand that wealth is intrinsically elusive. 5:11 Understand that wealth is by its very nature deceptive. 5:19 Know the difference between wealth that has been sought and wealth that has come from the hand of God. Understand that the latter has no curse associated with it.

[5]

Jesus said more about money and possessions than about heaven and hell combined.

Worldly principles: Bible Principles
Get wealth by any means necessary  
Wealth comes from work God provides the opportunity to work
Wealth leads to self-sufficiency  
   


Common Sense”. 

There are fundamental principles to guide you about wealth and prosperity.  They are general principles of life.

Much common wisdom has its roots in God given wisdom, although God has been forgotten, the principles are still true.

·                     Eg, Accumulation of wealth by hard work, don’t be reckless

Proverbs 13v11: Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows.

·                     Common sense – our modern world vales were originally based this wisdom.  Sounds like common sense – because it used to be common.

·                     Now the world has kept the principles of the Bible but removed the God of the Bible from them.  They have become “godless” principles.

·                     Thus, just because it is common, doesn’t make it sense.  We have go back to the source of the wisdom and understand it in the context of wealth being a blessing from God.

Picture of us all on the field, like a rugby game, the stands filled with cheering angels, urging us on.  As each player is handed the ball, there is a shout of enthusiasm from the angels – “Go for IT!”  “Yeah!  Go!”  all of them with knowledge of what we are capable of, but wondering whether we will realise it.

·                     What will you do with what God has given to you?

·                     He has given them into your care and is excited about your potential, and what you might do with them.

·                     What will you do with life?

·                     Will you grasp your opportunities in both hands and run?

1Tim 6v17-19

Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. 19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of real life.

Don’t trust wealth – trust the God who gives it and can take it away.


----

[1]Manser, M. H., Fleming, N. B., Hughes, K., & Bridges, R. F. (2000, c1999). I never knew that was in the Bible!. Rev. ed. of: The Bible word book / Ronald Bridges. 1960. (electronic ed.) (478). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

[2]Hayford, J. W., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995). Hayford's Bible handbook. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

[3]Hayford, J. W., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995). Hayford's Bible handbook. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

[4]Hayford, J. W., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995). Hayford's Bible handbook. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

[5]Hayford, J. W., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995). Hayford's Bible handbook. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

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