SERIES OVERVIEW
How many of you, when were a kid, you hoped to be rich when you grew up? In this series, Pastor Greg wants us to realize that, as Christians, and especially as American Christians, we ARE rich in many different ways. This series focuses on teaching that instead of trying to GET rich financially, we must realize that we already ARE rich financially AND with God’s help we can ALSO be rich in what matters most. This week is PART TWO. Pastor G is talking about “the deceitfulness of riches.” He shares two of the many things money promises but does not deliver. He also shares three of the problems we encounter when we love and trust in money.
MESSAGE NOTES
Life is not about what we HAVE, but what we DO with WHAT we have that really matters. Do you have your stuff or does your stuff have you?
LAST WEEK:
The Good News is YOU ARE RICH!
The Bad News is YOU ARE RICH!
TODAY:
I want to talk to you today about “the deceitfulness of riches.”
And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ~ Matthew 13:22
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. ~ Matthew 6:24
Money promises, but cannot deliver, what only God can provide.
TWO OF THE MANY THINGS MONEY PROMISES
1) Money promises happiness.
2) Money promises security.
Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. ~ 1 Timothy 6:17-19
Week 1: God has blessed me with more than I need. I am rich.
Week 2: I will not trust in riches but in Him who richly provides.
God has blessed me with more than I need. I’m rich. I will not trust in riches, but in Him who richly provides.
THREE PROBLEMS FOR THOSE WHO LOVE AND TRUST MONEY
1) People who love and trust money never have “enough.”
One who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor one who loves abundance with its income. This too is futility. ~ Ecclesiastes 5:10
How big does your stack need to get to feel secure? The answer will be “a little bit more than I currently have.”
A rich person’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination. ~ Proverbs 18:11
In other words, my wealth will protect me.
2) People who love and trust money find it increasingly difficult to give big.
They don’t feel like they can afford to give big because, in their mind, their stack is not big enough yet. It has been proven (with rare exceptions) the wealthier people are, the smaller percentage that they give to charitable causes. Those who make below $12,000 a year give the largest percentage of their wealth to charitable causes.
Jesus doesn’t care as much about the AMOUNTS we give as He does about the PERCENTAGE and the MOTIVE of our giving.
And Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and began watching how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large amounts. And a poor widow came and put in two lepta coins, which amount to a quadrans. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.” ~ Mark 12:41-44
The wealthy there gave more overall cash in the amounts they gave, but it was just a very small percentage of what they had. Like Jeff Bezos of Amazon tossing $100,000 in our YAY GOD box. That’s a lot of dough but it costs him very little, just .000056% of his net worth. Jesus was impressed not impressed by the amounts given. He was impressed by the percentage. The widow gave all she had, 100%. The reason is she wasn’t trusting in her stack, she was trusting in Him who richly provides. She was trusting in God.
3) You may have money in the bank but you’ve got no peace in your heart.
Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure, and turmoil with the treasure. ~ Proverbs 15:16
More money will not solve most of your problems. What will solve most of your problems is more Jesus.