Money Is Tricky Series

Illustration

Go to Andretti theme park- pay money to play arcade games, when you play earn tickets that allow you to redeem them for the most incredible prizes. Prizes that will make you happy and fulfilled for the rest of your life. So it is exciting to get as many tickets as you can so you can get the best prize available.

(Example prize)

When grow up- we think- if we can get enough tickets we can buy- things that will make us happy/secure

for the rest of our lives.

Now when we get older the tickets look like this …

(hold up wad of money- bills).

The problem we all face is that wealth or riches is deceitful- I am not saying evil or bad- deceitful …

Mt 13:22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. NIV

Wealth is deceitful in that it promises things that it cannot deliver.

It promises security and happiness- things only God can give to man- wealth is deceitful.

Review

If- not here last week- go to website- listen to- sermon

I laid some important ground work for this series.

Last week we talked about- good news and bad news.

Good news- you are rich.

Many of us do not feel rich because we consume everything we take in.

If we look at our lives in relationship to everybody in the world- i.e. earn $37K- top 4% of wage earners.

That makes most of us rich.

If you make $45K- top 1% of wage earners today.

Good news is that we are rich and …

we can enjoy what God has given us, as well as

having resources to bless others with.

Now the bad news is- you are rich.

How can that be bad news …

riches distract us from the important things, and

we can trust in our riches rather than in God.

Jesus- talking to a wealthy man- challenged him …

Lk 18:25 "For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." NASU

The point- impossible to get a camel through the eye of a needle- that makes being rich really bad news.

Lk 18:26-30 NASU

God can get a rich person into heaven- but difficult for that person- why?- wealth is deceitful.

We examined last week how the Bible was written for everyone in the world- not just the church in- US.

Now when- read- Bible and it talks about- rich-I know it applies to me-I am rich by the world’s standards.

1Tim 6:17-18 NASU

Paul- talking to Timothy- whenever you are around rich people this is what I want you to tell them.

Your wealth comes from God- who wants you to …

enjoy it and use it to bless others.

Clarification

Let me clarify a couple of things.

In this series- talking about How to be Rich.

In other words, since we are those who the Bible is talking about when it talks about the rich,

then how do we live in a way that honors God.

Two ditches I do not want to fall into …

prosperity ditch- not a prosperity message- I did not say God wants you to be rich,

this is not an anti-wealth message either, God does want to bless His people.

I pray God- bless you financially/at the same time- you would not put your trust in those blessings.

Jesus does say whoever is faithful with little can be trusted with much.

Typically- will see God bless those who are generous.

Declaration

Last week we made this statement:

God has blessed me

with more than I need,

I am truly rich.

I want us to add to it …

God has blessed me

with more than I need,

I am truly rich.

I will not trust in my riches

but in God who richly provides.

Satan- spiritual enemy- wants us to worship money.

Video Illustration

Deceitfulness of Riches

For many of us, money/things it can buy/security - will be the number one competitor for our hearts.

You cannot serve both God and money.

1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. NIV

Most of us know people who we would say love money, but we would not say that we love money.

If- look carefully at what the Bible says about money, we may need to re-evaluate our own hearts.

How do I know if I love money?

People who love and trust money …