Money and Wealth (Part 28) - Being Rich (Part C) - Use Wealth for Good

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Money and Wealth (Part 28) - Being Rich (Part C) - Use Wealth for Good A. Use your wealth for good (1Ti 6:17-18). i. Being wealthy comes with great responsibility. ii. Wealthy people should be ready to distribute (Rom 12:13) and willing to communicate (give) (Heb 13:16) of their wealth to others in need. iii. Helping the poor is doing good (Mar 14:7). iv. The most enjoyable thing to do with wealth is to give it away. (i) Wealthy people are in a blessed position to be able to help others, because doing so usually requires money. (ii) “If you want to help someone, many times you can’t do so without money. The Bible states that pure religion is actually helping the poor, not theorizing over why they are poor (see James 1:27). Margaret Thatcher said, “No one would have remembered the good Samaritan if he hadn’t had money.” The good Samaritan had a good heart and a heavy enough purse to pay an innkeeper to help take care of the injured man. Money was involved. Money was at its best that day. Money gives power to good intentions. That’s why I’m unashamedly in favor of building wealth.” (Dave Ramsey, The Total Money Makeover, p. 213) B. Don’t make it your overarching goal in life to be rich. i. Being wise with money to build wealth so that you can take care of you and your wife during your latter years, leave an inheritance to your children and grandchildren, and give generously to God and others is a great goal. ii. But making it your goal to be rich so that you can spend it all on yourself, live a lavish life, live for pleasure, and try to impress others is a bad and dangerous goal. iii. He that makes haste to be rich has an evil eye and shall not be innocent (Pro 28:20, 22). (i) Evil men who amass riches by unjust means will be divested of it, and God will see to it that it is given to a good man who will pity the poor (Pro 28:8). (ii) The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just (Pro 13:22; Exo 3:21- 22; 2Sa 9:7-9; 2Ch 20:23-25; Est 8:1-2; Job 27:16-17; Psa 105:44; Ecc 2:26; Isa 23:17-18; Mat 25:28; Luk 19:24). iv. They that will be (desire to be) rich fall into temptation, snares, and destruction (1Ti 6:9). v. The love of money is the root of all evil (1Ti 6:10). vi. It’s better to be in the middle station of life, rather than in poverty or riches (Pro 30:8-9). vii. There are more important things in life than having riches. (i) Christians should rejoice in God’s word more than in riches (Psa 119:14). (ii) The word of God is far more precious than riches (Psa 19:10). (iii)Wisdom found in the word of God is far more valuable than gold or silver (Pro 16:16; Pro 3:13-15). (iv) Being with the people of God and suffering the reproach of Christ is more valuable than earthly riches (Heb 11:25-26).  (v) A good name is to be chosen over great riches (Pro 22:1). C. Being rich comes with its share of troubles. i. Sometimes after amassing a lot of wealth, one is not able to enjoy it due to bad health or other reasons, which is a source of vexation (Ecc 6:1-2). ii. Much riches and many possessions are a source of trouble (Pro 15:16; Ecc 4:6). iii. You don’t own stuff―it owns you. iv. The abundance of the rich suffers him not to sleep (Ecc 5:12). (i) Having too many things (vehicles, equipment, anything with wheels or a motor, houses, buildings, etc.) creates a wearisome and chaotic life which consists of attending to one crisis after another and never getting caught up. (ii) Wealth brings stress due to having to manage it, invest it wisely, try to minimize taxes, and make difficult decisions about who to help with it and leave it to. (iii)“A good mind possesses a kingdom: a great fortune is a great slavery.” (Seneca) v. Wealth also is a temptation to forget about God (Deut 6:10-12; Deut 8:11- 20; Deut 32:15; Neh 9:25-26). vi. “The human race has had long experience and a fine tradition in surviving adversity. But we now face a task for which we have little experience, the task of surviving prosperity.” (Alan Gregg) D. Wealth will not bring contentment to the discontent and covetous. i. He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver (Ecc 5:10; Ecc 4:8). (i) “Nature is content with little, grace with less, but lust with nothing.” (Matthew Henry) (ii) “…the evil lies in the love―not the possession of silver.” (Charles Bridges) (iii)“He is rich―not who possesses much, but who desires little.” (Brentius) ii. The eyes of man are never satisfied, especially in his carnal state (Pro 27:20; Ecc 1:8; Ecc 6:7). iii. “Riches enlarge, rather than satisfy appetites.” (Thomas Fuller)