Money and Wealth (Part 2) - Money is Not Evil, Does Money Buy Happiness?
Submitted by Pastor Chad Wagner on Sunday, February 9, 2025.




Money and Wealth (Part 2) - Money is Not Evil, Does Money Buy Happiness? I. Money is not evil. 1. It is not wrong for a Christian to have wealth. A. Abraham had great wealth (Gen 13:2). B. David was rich (1Ch 29:28). C. Solomon had great wealth (1Ki 10:23). D. Rich believers are exhorted, not to give away all their wealth, but rather to not trust in it and be willing to give it to those in need (1Ti 6:17-19). E. Rich Christians are a blessing to their families, churches, friends, neighbors, and community. F. Both rich and poor must be careful to not trust in riches. i. The rich have a tendency to trust in their riches to protect them (Pro 18:11). ii. The poor have a tendency to trust that riches would save them from all their problems. iii. The Bible is replete with warnings to not trust in riches. iv. If riches increase, set not your heart upon them (Psa 62:10). v. To make gold one's hope, or to rejoice in wealth is a sin and a denial of God (Job 31:24-25, 28). vi. We must never glory in riches, but only in the fact that we know and understand God (Jer 9:23-24). vii. Riches don't last forever (Pro 27:24; Pro 23:5; Psa 49:10-12). viii. Trusting in riches will cause one to fall (Pro 11:28). ix. Trusting in riches will obstruct one's way into the kingdom of God (the local church) (Mar 10:23-25). x. Silver and gold will not save a person from the wrath of God (Eze 7:19; Zep 1:18). 2. It is wrong for the acquisition of riches to be your life's goal. A. Labour not to be rich (Pro 23:4). B. A man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses (Luk 12:15). C. What good is having a bunch of stuff you don’t need anyway? (Ecc 5:11-12). D. They that haste to be rich will not be innocent in doing so (Pro 28:20), and they will end up poor in the long run (Pro 28:22). E. They that will be (desire to be) rich fall into a snare (1Ti 6:9). F. The love of money is the root of all evil (1Ti 6:10). G. A man of God must especially be careful to flee these things (1Ti 6:11; 1Ti 3:3). H. You can't serve God and money (Mat 6:24). I. Your heart will be where your treasure is (Mat 6:20-21; Luk 12:33-34). J. Lot chose wealth over righteousness (Gen 13:10-13) and ended up with neither. 3. Filthy lucre A. The Bible condemns using the ministry for financial gain (1Sa 8:3; 1Ti 3:3; Tit 1:7, 11; 1Pe 5:2). i. Lucre n. – 1. Gain, profit, pecuniary advantage. Now only with unfavourable implication: Gain viewed as a low motive for action; ‘pelf’. filthy lucre: ii. Pecuniary adj. – 1. Consisting of money; exacted in money. iii. Filthy adj. – 1. a. Full of filth; besmeared or defiled with filth; dirty, foul, nasty, unclean. 3. Morally foul or polluted; obscene. 1611 Bible Col. iii. 8 You also put off all these, anger+filthy communication out of your mouth. B. But this does not mean that money or the acquisition of it is evil. C. A pastor is supposed to be financially compensated for his labor (1Co 9:6-14), but he is not to be in the ministry for the purpose of making money. II. Does money buy happiness? 1. A certain amount of money can buy a certain amount of happiness. A. $3 will buy a good cup of coffee which will bring some people happiness. B. $15 will buy a delicious lunch at one’s favorite restaurant which will bring happiness. C. $200/month in Florida in August will buy air conditioning which will bring much happiness. 2. Studies and surveys have shown that an increase of income correlates to an increase of happiness, but only to the point at which one’s needs are met and one can live comfortably. A. “A 2010 study based on a Gallup poll of more than 450,000 respondents suggests that making an income up to $75,000 a year may make you feel more satisfied with your life. This survey only looked at people in the United States. Another Gallup poll from 2017Trusted Source surveyed people from around the world and resulted in similar findings. According to survey results, emotional well-being may be reached when a person earns between $60,000 and $75,000. Satiation may occur when a person earns around $95,000.” (Tim Jewell, Can You Buy Happiness?, Healthline, 10-29-2019) B. “A 2010 study by noted economist and psychologist Daniel Kahneman found that, where wealth is concerned, a person’s satisfaction with their life no longer increases after about $75,000 a year. At this point, most people are better able to handle major life stressors like poor health, relationships, or loneliness than if they’re making less or are below the poverty line. Beyond that, daily habits and lifestyle are the main drivers of happiness.” (Ibid) C. Solomon’s experience confirms the findings of this study. D. Great wealth did not bring him great happiness (Ecc 2:1-11). E. If your basic needs are met and you are not happy, chances are you will not be any happier with more money. F. For most people, the more they make, the more they spend. i. The more they spend, the more stuff they have to manage and maintain. ii. The more they have to manage and maintain, the more stress they have (Ecc 5:11-12). iii. The more possessions and stress they have, the less time they have to spend building quality relationships which brings true happiness. 3. Money will not buy true happiness. A. “Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power, or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.” (H. Jackson Brown Jr., The Complete Life’s Little Instruction Book, #383) B. “Money is the short end of life, but everybody needs a little.” (Leon Wagner) III. Acquiring money and wealth 1. If we are to have wealth legitimately, it must be worked for. A. Wealth that is gotten by hard work will last, but wealth gotten by vanity (luck, lottery, etc.) will not last (Pro 13:11). B. Someone that comes into great wealth through inheritance will likely lose it just as quickly (Pro 20:21). C. The prosperity of fools shall destroy them (Pro 1:32). D. Talk is cheap: people that only talk about making money usually don't have any (Pro 14:23). E. Karl Marx's wife allegedly exhorted him to quit writing so much about capital and start working to earn some.
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Money and Wealth (Part 2) - Money is Not Evil, Does Money Buy Happiness, 2-9-25.mp3 | 41.5 MB |