Do you consider yourself to be rich? When people were asked how much money they would need to make in order to consider themselves wealthy, the answer varied by how much they were currently making. Those making under $35K a year said they would need to make $70K. Those of you currently making $70K might be thinking right now, wait, I’m not rich. Those making $50K a year said they would need to make over $100K, and those in the top income bracket didn’t talk about how much they would need to make at all, they talked about how much they would need in assets and to be rich they said they needed 5 million dollars.
One of the interesting things about that survey is that it didn’t matter how much money a person was making or had on hand, being rich always meant having more, often twice as much. So it doesn’t matter how much we make or how much we have, being rich is always seen as having more. So being rich is a moving target where the line is always ahead of us. So if we chase after wealth in order to be rich and feel happy and secure, we will never be satisfied, never have enough, and never stop running.
This month we are looking at some of those things we chase after and pursue in life because we think they will make us happy, and for many of us, wealth and possessions is at the top of that list. We know that money won’t make us happy and solve all our problems, in fact, one of the biggest news stories right now is that apparently having $130 Billion can’t save your marriage. We know that wealth and riches are fleeting, and that wanting more only leads us to wanting more, but we get sucked into the culture around us that says we will be happier and be more fulfilled if we can just get a little more money. After all, who wouldn’t want more money?
Chasing wealth and possessions is so common and so dangerous that Jesus spoke about it often. Luke 12:15, Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. It’s not often Jesus tells us twice in a row to watch out about something, but He does here because wealth and possessions are that dangerous.
Jesus told a story that gives us some insight on how we need to look at wealth and possessions. Luke 12:16-21
The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.
One of the surprising truths about this story is that God is not upset with the man for being rich, in fact, it is God who gave him his wealth. It was God who gave this man a bumper crop and a successful harvest. God is not upset with him for being rich, God is upset that the man is not rich toward Him. The man is not humble, he is not thankful, he is not a good steward of what God has given him. The man is not being generous with what he has been given. He simply wants to store up more for himself and take life easy.
It’s important for us to understand this because too often we simply demonize all those who are rich, or we start feeling guilty for what we have earned or been given in life, but there is no shame in wealth or possessions. There is nothing wrong with living in a nice house or driving a new car. It is not evil to put money into a savings account or invest in an IRA. Being rich in the things of the world is not a problem as long as we remain rich toward God.
This is good news for us because the truth is - You are rich! By any measure we might use, when we compare ourselves with the rest of the world, we are rich.
Globally, 10% of the world lives on less than $1.90 a day, which is less than a med coffee at Dunkin and a small coffee at Starbucks. Over 30% of urban populations around the world are living in slums, and if you think the rural population has it better off, they don’t. If you live in a rural area around the world you are 7 times more likely to be drinking contaminated water.
If you want to know if you are rich, just look at the daily struggles that make you mad. If you got mad after you got in your car, drove past 5 or 6 restaurants to go to your favorite, placed your order, drove home, and then found out they forgot to give you your dipping sauce - you are rich. Some people call this a first world problem, and we face many of them. Here are some of the most common first world problems we face:
● Having to watch ads while on youtube or facebook.
● Not getting our amazon prime package in 2 days.
● Forgetting the password for our email or online banking.
● Not knowing what to wear when you get up in the morning.
● Having to wait for netflix to load.
● Not having access to wifi.
If these things have irritated you recently, you are rich. I was frustrated last week because I broke the headphone jack off in my ipad so I had no sound. Not having sound for a few days was frustrating and I spent a lot of time learning how to solve this - a true first world problem. I also spent Monday cleaning out a closet and a couple drawers because I had too much stuff - another first world problem.
We are rich, and again, there is nothing wrong with that, we just need to learn how to be good at it, and we can’t be good at being rich until we acknowledge that we are rich, so let’s just acknowledge it. Say it with me. I am rich.
Now, in no way do I want to minimize the financial struggles you might be facing today. These problems are real and painful and difficult to navigate. What I want us to do is understand that by the world’s standards we are rich and we need to learn how to be good stewards of what God has given us so that no matter where we might be financially, we will not see that the answer to all our problems is more money.
We are rich, and God is the one who has made us rich, Ecclesiastes 5:19, When God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. Whether we are making $35K or $50K or have $5 million in assets, God is the one who has made us rich and it is a gift that we are to enjoy and use faithfully.
So that’s the good news, now here is the bad news: You are rich!
That’s right, being rich is bad news because Jesus said that we are at a spiritual disadvantage because of our wealth. Luke 18: 24-25. How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.
One of the disadvantages of being rich is that because of our wealth, we have learned to trust in ourselves and our wealth more than God. For example, when we pray, give us this day our daily bread, most of us aren’t really trusting God to give us the food we need for dinner tonight because we will go and get it out of the fridge, the freezer, the cabinet, or our favorite restaurant. When we have a roof over our heads, cars to drive, clean water in our homes, and food on our tables, we really don’t have to trust God from day to day. In many ways we have never learned to trust God because we have never known what it means to be in need.
Another disadvantage is that with all of our wealth and possessions come a lot of distractions. The more we have, the more we need to take care of what we have. We have to clean it, store it, fix it, and update it. We have to watch over and protect all our stuff which means learning new passwords every 30 days for all our online accounts, or making sure our ring doorbell has had the latest update so we can make sure no one gets our packages. The more we have, the more we have to manage, care for, and sort through our stuff, and this makes life more complicated, takes up more time, and pulls us away from the things that matter most. \
A third disadvantage to being rich is that with wealth comes great responsibilities. Jesus said, From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48. Since our wealth and possessions come from God, God gives them to us not just to enjoy but to use faithfully. Are we being faithful and generous? Are we using our wealth to be a blessing to others?
There are real challenges we face because we are rich, which is why Jesus said, be on guard AND watch out because life, real life, is not found in an abundance of wealth or possessions. And here’s the thing, we know this. None of what I said is new - we know this, we just struggle to live this. Too often we buy into the world around us which constantly tells us that more stuff will make us happier, but we know that money won’t strength our marriage, keep our kids off of drugs, lift us out of depression, or heal our hearts, minds, or bodies. Every time we chase after money, we are living under the curse of money and the power of the world, and we don’t need more of the world, we need more of God. We don’t need more stuff, we need more Jesus.
Paul said to his companion in ministry, Timothy, but the words are true for us today. Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:17.
Once again, notice that it is God who provides us with riches and wealth and He gives it to us to enjoy, so there is no shame or guilt in being rich, but we can’t be arrogant, look down on others, or trust our money to take care of us, we have to be good stewards of what we have and use it all according to God’s will, and trust God.
Paul goes on and says, Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:18-19
We are to be rich in good deeds and generosity. We are to be rich in humility and faith in God. We are to use responsibly all that God has given us and if we do this, Paul says, we will take hold of true life. Chasing money won’t bring us life - chasing God will.
This week I invite you to stop chasing money and do something that ultimately matters. Take your riches and richly bless someone. If you can, pay it forward for someone else. Send an anonymous gift to a friend in need, support the mission of Faith Church or one of our mission partners like the Bridge of Hope, or Habitat for Humanity. Give your time to serve in the community, or give your time to our upcoming VBS and help children learn how to place their faith and trust in Jesus. Maybe you can save up your vacation time at work and go on a mission trip this fall and bless others with your gift of service and faith.
The world will never stop telling us that we need more and that the more we have and spend ourselves, the better life will be, and Jesus will never stop saying, watch out AND, be on your guard, for life is not found in an abundance of wealth and possessions.
Let me close with three sentences that I hope you will write down and repeat this week. I am going to ask that you repeat these with me. They can be found in the next steps on the digital bulletin and we will be posting them on facebook later today.
God has blessed me with more than I need, I am rich!
But I will not trust in my riches, but in Him who richly provides.
Because I have more, I will give more and do more.
We are rich. God has richly blessed us, don’t be embarrassed or ashamed for being rich, learn to be good at it. First, keep your faith and trust in God and then learn to give more and do more. Because we have more, let us learn to give more and do more - in Jesus’ name.
Next Steps
Chasing Wealth
Important questions for reflection:
● Do you consider yourself wealthy?
● How much would you need to consider yourself rich?
● Why do we always think that we need a little bit more?
By any global standard we are rich. Ask God to help you see all the ways in which you are rich. What “first world problem” do you struggle with?
Read Luke 12:13-21
Who gives the rich man his wealth?
Being rich is not a problem if we are also rich toward God.
How would you describe a life that is rich toward God?
In what ways do you need to grow in being rich toward God?
Jesus tells us to watch out AND be on guard as there are spiritual disadvantages to wealth. In what ways do you struggle with these 3 disadvantages:
● Trusting in our wealth more than God
● Being distracted by all our possessions
● Being responsible for faithfully using all our wealth according to God’s will and purpose.
Read Luke 12:48 and 1 Timothy 6:17-19
What is one thing you can do this week to bless others with the wealth God has given to you? Where can you use your wealth of time, talent, and treasure to make a real difference in our community or world?
Read and reflect on these 3 sentences each day this week:
God has blessed me with more than I need, I am rich!
I will not trust in my riches, but in Him who richly provides.
Because I have more, I will give more and do more.
