Some of you will remember the old TV show “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” (For you younger folks, MTV once produced a very similar show called “Cribs.”) Robin Leach was the host of “Lifestyles,” and on every show he would give us a behind-the-scenes look at the lavish comfort that was enjoyed by some rich and famous person. Normally, the show would focus on that person’s house, their cars, and all of their other possessions. The producers of the show were often criticized for their apparent adoration of people who often looked very selfish, but Robin Leach simply responded to the criticism by saying, “No one would watch ‘Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown.’”
I suppose he was probably correct. People want to learn about the rich and famous because that’s what many people aspire to be. You can gain a crowd easily by promising people that you can tell them how to be wealthy.
Well, believe it or not, Proverbs actually describes the lifestyle of a person who is both wise and prosperous. It also tells us what we should do if we would like to become poor. Today we’re going to look at what Proverbs says about the path to prosperity and the path to poverty.
Now as we look at this subject today, it is very important that we remember that proverbs are principles, not promises. Proverbs tell us what the normal outcome of our behavior will be unless some other factor intervenes. So as we look at the path to prosperity, God is not promising any of us that we will be wealthy. Sometimes He allows other factors to intervene. Sometimes people become wealthy without any connection to wisdom. Some people are rich simply because they are 6’6” and 300 pounds—we call these people “football players.” Some people are rich in spite of their foolishness—we call these people “rock stars.” And sometimes people are poor despite the fact that they are very wise. So don’t automatically assume that rich people have been wise and poor people have been foolish. That isn’t always the case. (By the way, this is why we have the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible—it tells us how to live when life is not like we expect.)
So with this frame of reference in mind, let’s take a look at the path to prosperity and the path to poverty.
I. What characterizes the path to prosperity?
A. Honoring the Lord with your money (3:9–10)
Let’s look at Prov. 3:9–10 [READ 3:9–10]. This is quite a statement, but it makes sense when we remember the biblical concept that we are simply caretakers of what God has entrusted to us. So if we honor God with His money, it makes sense that He might entrust us with more of it.
Now at the time that these verses were written, honoring God with your money would have involved basically two things—first, paying your tithe to support the priests and Levites who served at the Temple; and second, being generous to the needy. Taking care of the needy was explicitly commanded in the Old Testament law, so if you did so you were obeying God and thus honoring Him.
Today, honoring God with your money would look very similar. The center of our worship as a community today is not the Temple but the church, so we can give to support the ministries of our church. We also have organizations today that seek to help the church—like radio programs, Bible colleges, and missions agencies. We can give to missionaries and of course we can give to those in need. These are all ways that we can honor the Lord with our money.
Again, it all goes back to remembering that our money is really God’s money anyway. One pastor said it well when he said, “There are two ways in which a Christian may view his money: ‘How much of my money shall I use for God?’ or ‘How much of God’s money shall I use for myself?’”* If we remember that everything belongs to God, then we will be on the path to prosperity.
B. Giving generously to those in need (11:24, 19:17, 28:27)
We’ve already touched on this thought a little bit, but Proverbs mentions it several times, so we can, too. Look at a few verses with me [READ 11:24, 19:17, 28:27]. Now at first, this might seem counter-intuitive: if we’re going to end up with more money, doesn’t it seem like we should hang on to everything we get? Well, again, we have to remember where our money comes from—it comes from the Lord, and if we use His money the way He wants us to, then He may be inclined to entrust us with more of it.
But the opposite is also true: if we don’t use God’s money the way He wants us to, then He may not entrust us with more of it. Imagine if you gave your son or daughter some money to buy clothes and he or she came home with a new video game instead. Would you be very inclined to give them more money? No, because they hadn’t used the other money the right way.
So it is with God. He cares for the needy and He wants us to be channels of blessing for them. So if we are generous to them, then God will see to it that we have enough to continue being generous.
C. Working hard at your job (10:4–5)
Let’s read Prov. 10:4–5 [READ 10:4–5]. In many ways, our income is tied directly to the effort that we put out. Those of you who are self-employed certainly understand this. You could certainly choose to be lazy if you wanted, but your income would reflect that. For you farmers—you could choose not to prepare your fields for the harvest, but your yield would reflect that. Even for those of us who have employers—if you work hard at your job, you may be rewarded with a raise or a promotion.
As our parents used to tell us, money doesn’t grow on trees. We have to work for it, and hard work will put us on the path to prosperity. This doesn’t mean that we need to be workaholics. Verse 5 shows us that its all about working hard at the right time. Harvest is the time for work; there will be time for rest later, but when its time to work, work hard, and you’ll be headed toward prosperity.
But what about the path to poverty? What kind of lifestyle would put us on that path?
II. What characterizes the path to poverty?
A. Guaranteeing someone else’s debts (11:15, 17:18, 22:26–27)
If you get on the hook for someone else’s debt, don’t be surprised when the collector comes knocking at your door. Let’s read a few verses [READ 11:15, 17:18, 22:26–27]. Today, guaranteeing someone else’s debt would take the form of being a co-signer on their loan. Now the reason that a bank might require a co-signer is because they have good reason to think that the person may not pay back the money. So don’t think that you’re smarter than the bank! Don’t be so sure that the other person will pay back the money when the professionals consider them to be a big risk. Don’t be quick to think that your broke friend’s latest investment scheme is going to pan out!
Be very wary of this with family members as well. Few things can ruin a relationship as quickly as a loan gone bad, whether it’s a personal loan or a loan that you co-signed on through the bank. So if you want to take a big step toward poverty, then guarantee someone else’s debt.
B. Going into debt yourself (22:7)
Look with me at Prov. 22:7 [READ 22:7]. What a picture! Solomon describes debt as economic slavery, and that’s true. When you’re in debt, whatever money you have really isn’t your own until your debt is paid off. You may only have to make a monthly payment on your debt, but your lender has a claim on the full amount of the debt until its paid off.
Now I won’t presume to talk about debt on your business or your farm, because I’m no expert in those things. I’m sure its not wise to run up a bunch of debt there either, but I can tell you that in your personal finances you will never get ahead if you run up debt on a credit card and then pay 19% interest on it. Not only that, but you really do lose a degree of control over your life. You may not be able to do what you would really like to do because you’ve got shackles on your hands that say “Visa” and shackles on your feet that say “MasterCard.” We have to learn to live within our means so that we don’t enslave ourselves with a bunch of debt.
C. Trying to get rich quick (28:19–20, 28:22)
I know all of you have seen the books and the infomercials that promise to show you the secret to getting rich quick. Well, many people have pointed out that if it really is easy and quick to get rich, then everyone would be rich! But since everyone is not rich, then maybe the path isn’t as quick and easy as it seems. Look with me at a few verses from Prov. 28 [READ 28:19–20, 28:22].
As we have already seen, the path to prosperity is characterized by hard, diligent work. When we try to take shortcuts on that path, we will only end up on the path to poverty. Now some people do manage to get wealth quickly and suddenly, but that money often becomes a destructive force in their lives because they haven’t forged the character that is required to handle wealth correctly. If you prosper through slow and steady hard work, that process instills a character in you that will help you manage money correctly if you end up with a lot of it.
Trying to get rich quick is usually motivated by greed and the false idea that money will bring happiness. The sad part is that if you try to find happiness through a pile of money, you’ll generally lose both.
D. Oppressing the poor or being generous to the rich (22:16)
Let’s read Prov. 22:16 [READ 22:16]. This verse describes two stepping stones on the path to poverty. The first is oppressing the poor in order to get rich. The reason that this leads to poverty is spelled out in Prov. 14:31—“Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.” If we insult our Maker—from whom our money comes in the first place—do you think He is going to cause us to prosper? No way! God does not bless that kind of behavior.
The second stepping stone mentioned is giving to the rich. The idea here seems to be that of trying to win the favor of a rich person by giving them gifts. I don’t think we’re talking about giving a birthday present to your wealthy relative; I’m sure that’s okay. The kind of giving mentioned in this verse would have selfish motives behind it, and it would be an improper use of your money. And again, if God entrusts us with His money and we misuse it, we have no reason to think that He will cause us to prosper.
E. Loving a lavish lifestyle (21:17)
Turn with me to Prov. 21:17 [READ 21:17]. The oil mentioned here may refer to the cooking oil that would be used to make fancy foods, or it may refer to a fragrant perfume. Either way, the point is clear—if you fall in love with the so-called “finer things in life,” you will be headed down the path to poverty. This verse is not saying that one should never enjoy such things; rather, it is talking about a love of them—an excessive pursuit and consumption of them.
How many times in our world have people proven this verse to be true? This is one of the reasons that so many people have so much credit card debt. They have fallen in love with nice things that they can’t afford, but they go into debt just to get their hands on them. We dig ourselves into a financial hole just because we won’t buy something that doesn’t have a name brand on it!
And it doesn’t matter how much money a person makes—if you fall in love with a lavish lifestyle, you can find a way to blow through any amount of money that comes in. Some athletes and entertainers demonstrate this for us every day. How many times have we seen people pull in a 7-figure income only to land in Chapter 7 bankruptcy? And its all because of the temptation to live in luxury rather than live within your means.
Once again, the book of Proverbs has laid out two very clear paths for us—the path to prosperity and the path to poverty. As we learned last week, we should not set our sights on becoming rich, but we do want to handle God’s money in a way that will cause it to prosper rather than disappear. So the path to prosperity is very clear and very straightforward—we must honor God with our money, be generous to those in need, and work hard. Shortcuts won’t get us there; debt won’t do it; a lavish lifestyle will only put us in reverse. But if we follow God’s path with God’s money, God may bless us with prosperity that we may enjoy and use for His glory.
*W. Graham Scroggie, as found at http://bible.org/node/16166, accessed 2/16/11
Monday, February 21, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Balancing Your Money Mindset--Proverbs series
A stool is a very handy thing to have around. It offers you a place to sit down, of course, but it still offers you a lot of freedom to move around. A stool is great for projects because you can sit down and still move around without having to deal with armrests or other things that might get in your way. But a stool has to be in balance if its going to be useful; if you remove one of its legs, it just becomes dangerous to sit on.
Many lessons in the Bible are the same—they have to be balanced in order to serve their purpose. For virtually every subject that the Bible addresses, it offers a couple of viewpoints that have to be balanced if you’re going to see things correctly. For example, the Bible tells us that God is just and holy, He has wrath toward sin; yet the Bible also tells us that He is loving, gracious, and merciful. These perspectives have to be balanced if we’re going to have a correct view of God.
This observation holds true when we think about money. During church history, we’ve seen some very different perspectives on money and wealth. In the last few decades, a teaching has arisen called the “prosperity gospel” which basically teaches that God wants to fulfill every materialistic whim that you may have. On the other side of the spectrum, we have also seen Christian groups who felt it was necessary to take a vow of poverty.
I think both of those viewpoints are unbiblical extremes, but if that’s true, then what is a balanced mindset regarding money and wealth? The book of Proverbs helps us keep our balance on this subject, so today we’ll take a look at what it has to say about balancing your money mindset.
What does a balanced money mindset look like?
We might say that Proverbs gives us three supports to help us balance our money mindset.
I. Wealth properly acquired is a blessing from God
We all know that wealth can be improperly acquired at times, and God may allow that for His own reasons, but if we acquire wealth without resorting to sinful means, then we can rest assured that that wealth is a blessing from God. Prov. 10:22 makes an almost startling statement when it says, [READ 10:22]. Do you understand what this verse is saying? God may choose to make someone rich as a blessing to them, and if He does, He doesn’t intend for that person to feel sorrowful about it! God is not in the business of giving us a blessing and then making us feel guilty for possessing the blessing that He gave us!
So riches are a blessing that God may choose to give. We see this lesson elsewhere in Scripture as well. Before the children of Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses told them in Deut. 28 that if they would obey God, “the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow” (Deut. 28:11–12).
We can also think of the story of Solomon from 1 Kings 3. God spoke to Solomon in that chapter and told him that he would give him anything he asked for. Solomon asked for wisdom to govern God’s people in the right way, and God was so pleased that He told Solomon that even though He didn’t ask for riches, He was going to make him a wealthy man!
I think its clear that God doesn’t see wealth as an automatically negative thing. Otherwise, why would He grant it to someone and call it a blessing? Apparently God does not see wealth as an automatic temptation either, because James 1 says that God does not tempt anyone, but we are tempted when we are lead astray by our own desires. That’s the real problem—we take God’s blessings and turn them into idols. We can take any of God’s blessings and turn them into idols—our marriage, our kids, our jobs, our possessions. Our hearts have been described as an idol-making factory—just give us the raw materials and we can make an idol out of it. Money is no different—it’s a blessing that we can turn into a curse.
Now we have also seen in a previous sermon that wise living normally results in prosperity. In Prov. 8, the personified Lady Wisdom talks about the benefits of following her way of life [READ 8:18–21]. The way of wisdom and the way of prosperity are often on the same path because they involve the same kinds of behavior—actions like honesty, integrity, hard work, generosity and attitudes like contentment and the fear of the Lord. That makes sense, doesn’t it? If you work hard and you’re honest and generous and content with life so that you’re not driven by greed, then most likely you’re going to prosper. And if you do, just count it as a blessing from God. There’s no reason to feel guilty about it. If you do prosper and you feel guilty about it, then either you’re dealing with unnecessary guilt, or you may be acquiring it in the wrong way or managing it the wrong way. Those are thoughts to consider, but we need not feel guilty if God has blessed us.
The second support for our balanced mindset is this…
II. Wealth can bring trouble and temptations into your life
Many people are tempted to think that wealth would solve any problems that they have, but wealth is kind of like an illegal drug—it may numb the pain of certain problems, but it brings a whole new set of problems with it. Look with me at Prov. 13:8 [READ Prov. 13:8]. Now when does a person have to pay a ransom? When someone is trying to extort them, right? Perhaps when someone has been kidnapped and a payment is demanded for their safe return. So according to this verse, a person’s wealth may become a ransom for his life, but a poor person doesn’t have to deal with threats like that. Generally, people target a wealthy person in a scheme like that. A famous bank robber was once asked why he robbed banks, and he said, “That’s where the money is.” That’s the same reason why wealthy people may be targeted like this—that’s where the money is!
Wealth can make you a target for trouble with other people. Many lottery winners will tell you that this is true. Stories like that of William Post are far too common. Mr. Post won $16.2 million in 1988, but not long after winning the troubles started to come. He was successfully sued by a former girlfriend for part of the winnings, and his brother was arrested for hiring a hit man to kill him because he thought he would inherit a share of the money. His other siblings pressured him into investing in a car dealership and a restaurant, which both went broke. Eventually he had to declare bankruptcy, and now he lives on a $450/month Social Security check.*
So money can bring trouble into your life in the form of attacks from others or even just worry about hanging on to your money. It can also bring temptations with it, particularly the temptation to find security in your money rather than in God. Let’s read Prov. 18:10–11 [READ 18:10–11]. Notice the contrast—the righteous person takes refuge in the Lord, but the rich person imagines that his money can provide the same kind of security. Prov. 11:28 sums up the matter very well when it says, “Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.” That is why Agur made his famous statement in Prov. 30:7–9. Why don’t you turn there with me? [READ 30:7–9] Here he points out that the temptation that comes from wealth is to think that we don’t need God. Here again is that mindset which says, “My money will take care of me if I just get enough of it.” How quickly we forget where our money comes from! Notice that Agur also pointed out a temptation that comes from poverty—the temptation to use sinful means to take care of ourselves. So there’s a note of balance right there!
We have now seen two very different perspectives on money and wealth. One says that wealth is a blessing from the Lord, and the other says that wealth can bring trouble and temptation into your life. So how do we move forward from here? We need our third support to give us some balance! The third support is this:
III. Don’t seek to get wealthy, but manage your wealth biblically if it comes
With all of the potential problems associated with wealth, it is best not to seek to get rich. Look with me at Prov. 23:4–5 [READ 23:4–5]. Not only does wealth bring potential problems, it can also disappear very quickly! It is not the lasting foundation that we’re tempted to think it is, so why should we make acquiring wealth the focus of our efforts?
According to Proverbs, it is better to focus on acquiring a righteous character. Let’s read a few verses [READ 15:16, 16:8, 28:6]. Now let’s make sure that we understand what these verses are saying. They are not saying that money is evil, bad, and terrible; they are simply saying that riches and wealth are not as good as righteousness, integrity, and the fear of the Lord. So if we have to choose between righteousness and riches, the correct choice is a no-brainer—righteousness wins every time! So that’s where our focus should be—on living a righteous life. It would be terribly sad if we left righteousness behind in order to pursue riches.
Thus, wealth should not be our focus in life. This observation has some important lessons for us in all of the various ways that we interact with money. This means that even when we think about saving and investing, our goal in that process should not simply be to get wealthy. Our goal instead should be to aim for righteousness as we save and invest—we should see to it that we have righteous motivations and righteous intentions for that money.
And when we think about earning our money, we shouldn’t work simply with the goal of getting rich. Money should not be the driving force behind our labor. Teenagers, this means that when you’re thinking about a career to pursue, don’t simply get a list of the “Top Ten Highest Paying Jobs” and then pick whatever is #1 on the list! You need to have righteous motivations for your work and righteous intentions for your labor. Don’t just look at money—think of your job as a ministry, and consider how you are best equipped to serve other people.
So let’s not seek to get wealthy, but as I said earlier, the way of wisdom and righteousness and the way of prosperity are often on the same path. So if you pursue righteousness, you may end up with prosperity as a blessing from God, and if you do, then just manage it biblically. Be aware of the temptations and the pitfalls and avoid them by focusing on how God would have you manage that money. Biblically, our role when it comes to finances is that of a steward or a caretaker—the money belongs to God and we’re just supposed to handle it the way He wants us to. We need to be careful to remember that because its far too easy to think of money as ours, but it is not ours—it belongs to God. In many cases, He simply desires that we would channels through which He can bless other people. I think Pastor John Piper captured this well when he wrote these words: “Why does God bless us with abundance? So we can have enough to live on, and then use the rest for all manner of good works that alleviate spiritual and physical misery. Enough for us; abundance for others. The issue is not how much a person makes. Big industry and big salaries are a fact of our times, and they are not necessarily evil. The evil is in being deceived into thinking a six-digit salary must be accompanied by a six-digit lifestyle. God has made us to be conduits of His grace. The danger is in thinking the conduit should be lined with gold. It shouldn’t. Copper will do.”**
As every child learns when they try to ride a bike, balance is a tricky thing to maintain. So it is with your mindset about money. It is a difficult balance to keep, and we all do better at some times than at others. It is also much easier to judge others when we think they’re out of balance than it is to recognize when we are out of balance. But if we keep God’s truth in hand, it will steady us as we walk across this tightrope.
*Information taken from http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/8lotteryWinnersWhoLostTheirMillions.aspx
** John Piper, Desiring God, (Multnomah Publishers, Inc. 2003) 203.
Many lessons in the Bible are the same—they have to be balanced in order to serve their purpose. For virtually every subject that the Bible addresses, it offers a couple of viewpoints that have to be balanced if you’re going to see things correctly. For example, the Bible tells us that God is just and holy, He has wrath toward sin; yet the Bible also tells us that He is loving, gracious, and merciful. These perspectives have to be balanced if we’re going to have a correct view of God.
This observation holds true when we think about money. During church history, we’ve seen some very different perspectives on money and wealth. In the last few decades, a teaching has arisen called the “prosperity gospel” which basically teaches that God wants to fulfill every materialistic whim that you may have. On the other side of the spectrum, we have also seen Christian groups who felt it was necessary to take a vow of poverty.
I think both of those viewpoints are unbiblical extremes, but if that’s true, then what is a balanced mindset regarding money and wealth? The book of Proverbs helps us keep our balance on this subject, so today we’ll take a look at what it has to say about balancing your money mindset.
What does a balanced money mindset look like?
We might say that Proverbs gives us three supports to help us balance our money mindset.
I. Wealth properly acquired is a blessing from God
We all know that wealth can be improperly acquired at times, and God may allow that for His own reasons, but if we acquire wealth without resorting to sinful means, then we can rest assured that that wealth is a blessing from God. Prov. 10:22 makes an almost startling statement when it says, [READ 10:22]. Do you understand what this verse is saying? God may choose to make someone rich as a blessing to them, and if He does, He doesn’t intend for that person to feel sorrowful about it! God is not in the business of giving us a blessing and then making us feel guilty for possessing the blessing that He gave us!
So riches are a blessing that God may choose to give. We see this lesson elsewhere in Scripture as well. Before the children of Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses told them in Deut. 28 that if they would obey God, “the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow” (Deut. 28:11–12).
We can also think of the story of Solomon from 1 Kings 3. God spoke to Solomon in that chapter and told him that he would give him anything he asked for. Solomon asked for wisdom to govern God’s people in the right way, and God was so pleased that He told Solomon that even though He didn’t ask for riches, He was going to make him a wealthy man!
I think its clear that God doesn’t see wealth as an automatically negative thing. Otherwise, why would He grant it to someone and call it a blessing? Apparently God does not see wealth as an automatic temptation either, because James 1 says that God does not tempt anyone, but we are tempted when we are lead astray by our own desires. That’s the real problem—we take God’s blessings and turn them into idols. We can take any of God’s blessings and turn them into idols—our marriage, our kids, our jobs, our possessions. Our hearts have been described as an idol-making factory—just give us the raw materials and we can make an idol out of it. Money is no different—it’s a blessing that we can turn into a curse.
Now we have also seen in a previous sermon that wise living normally results in prosperity. In Prov. 8, the personified Lady Wisdom talks about the benefits of following her way of life [READ 8:18–21]. The way of wisdom and the way of prosperity are often on the same path because they involve the same kinds of behavior—actions like honesty, integrity, hard work, generosity and attitudes like contentment and the fear of the Lord. That makes sense, doesn’t it? If you work hard and you’re honest and generous and content with life so that you’re not driven by greed, then most likely you’re going to prosper. And if you do, just count it as a blessing from God. There’s no reason to feel guilty about it. If you do prosper and you feel guilty about it, then either you’re dealing with unnecessary guilt, or you may be acquiring it in the wrong way or managing it the wrong way. Those are thoughts to consider, but we need not feel guilty if God has blessed us.
The second support for our balanced mindset is this…
II. Wealth can bring trouble and temptations into your life
Many people are tempted to think that wealth would solve any problems that they have, but wealth is kind of like an illegal drug—it may numb the pain of certain problems, but it brings a whole new set of problems with it. Look with me at Prov. 13:8 [READ Prov. 13:8]. Now when does a person have to pay a ransom? When someone is trying to extort them, right? Perhaps when someone has been kidnapped and a payment is demanded for their safe return. So according to this verse, a person’s wealth may become a ransom for his life, but a poor person doesn’t have to deal with threats like that. Generally, people target a wealthy person in a scheme like that. A famous bank robber was once asked why he robbed banks, and he said, “That’s where the money is.” That’s the same reason why wealthy people may be targeted like this—that’s where the money is!
Wealth can make you a target for trouble with other people. Many lottery winners will tell you that this is true. Stories like that of William Post are far too common. Mr. Post won $16.2 million in 1988, but not long after winning the troubles started to come. He was successfully sued by a former girlfriend for part of the winnings, and his brother was arrested for hiring a hit man to kill him because he thought he would inherit a share of the money. His other siblings pressured him into investing in a car dealership and a restaurant, which both went broke. Eventually he had to declare bankruptcy, and now he lives on a $450/month Social Security check.*
So money can bring trouble into your life in the form of attacks from others or even just worry about hanging on to your money. It can also bring temptations with it, particularly the temptation to find security in your money rather than in God. Let’s read Prov. 18:10–11 [READ 18:10–11]. Notice the contrast—the righteous person takes refuge in the Lord, but the rich person imagines that his money can provide the same kind of security. Prov. 11:28 sums up the matter very well when it says, “Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.” That is why Agur made his famous statement in Prov. 30:7–9. Why don’t you turn there with me? [READ 30:7–9] Here he points out that the temptation that comes from wealth is to think that we don’t need God. Here again is that mindset which says, “My money will take care of me if I just get enough of it.” How quickly we forget where our money comes from! Notice that Agur also pointed out a temptation that comes from poverty—the temptation to use sinful means to take care of ourselves. So there’s a note of balance right there!
We have now seen two very different perspectives on money and wealth. One says that wealth is a blessing from the Lord, and the other says that wealth can bring trouble and temptation into your life. So how do we move forward from here? We need our third support to give us some balance! The third support is this:
III. Don’t seek to get wealthy, but manage your wealth biblically if it comes
With all of the potential problems associated with wealth, it is best not to seek to get rich. Look with me at Prov. 23:4–5 [READ 23:4–5]. Not only does wealth bring potential problems, it can also disappear very quickly! It is not the lasting foundation that we’re tempted to think it is, so why should we make acquiring wealth the focus of our efforts?
According to Proverbs, it is better to focus on acquiring a righteous character. Let’s read a few verses [READ 15:16, 16:8, 28:6]. Now let’s make sure that we understand what these verses are saying. They are not saying that money is evil, bad, and terrible; they are simply saying that riches and wealth are not as good as righteousness, integrity, and the fear of the Lord. So if we have to choose between righteousness and riches, the correct choice is a no-brainer—righteousness wins every time! So that’s where our focus should be—on living a righteous life. It would be terribly sad if we left righteousness behind in order to pursue riches.
Thus, wealth should not be our focus in life. This observation has some important lessons for us in all of the various ways that we interact with money. This means that even when we think about saving and investing, our goal in that process should not simply be to get wealthy. Our goal instead should be to aim for righteousness as we save and invest—we should see to it that we have righteous motivations and righteous intentions for that money.
And when we think about earning our money, we shouldn’t work simply with the goal of getting rich. Money should not be the driving force behind our labor. Teenagers, this means that when you’re thinking about a career to pursue, don’t simply get a list of the “Top Ten Highest Paying Jobs” and then pick whatever is #1 on the list! You need to have righteous motivations for your work and righteous intentions for your labor. Don’t just look at money—think of your job as a ministry, and consider how you are best equipped to serve other people.
So let’s not seek to get wealthy, but as I said earlier, the way of wisdom and righteousness and the way of prosperity are often on the same path. So if you pursue righteousness, you may end up with prosperity as a blessing from God, and if you do, then just manage it biblically. Be aware of the temptations and the pitfalls and avoid them by focusing on how God would have you manage that money. Biblically, our role when it comes to finances is that of a steward or a caretaker—the money belongs to God and we’re just supposed to handle it the way He wants us to. We need to be careful to remember that because its far too easy to think of money as ours, but it is not ours—it belongs to God. In many cases, He simply desires that we would channels through which He can bless other people. I think Pastor John Piper captured this well when he wrote these words: “Why does God bless us with abundance? So we can have enough to live on, and then use the rest for all manner of good works that alleviate spiritual and physical misery. Enough for us; abundance for others. The issue is not how much a person makes. Big industry and big salaries are a fact of our times, and they are not necessarily evil. The evil is in being deceived into thinking a six-digit salary must be accompanied by a six-digit lifestyle. God has made us to be conduits of His grace. The danger is in thinking the conduit should be lined with gold. It shouldn’t. Copper will do.”**
As every child learns when they try to ride a bike, balance is a tricky thing to maintain. So it is with your mindset about money. It is a difficult balance to keep, and we all do better at some times than at others. It is also much easier to judge others when we think they’re out of balance than it is to recognize when we are out of balance. But if we keep God’s truth in hand, it will steady us as we walk across this tightrope.
*Information taken from http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/8lotteryWinnersWhoLostTheirMillions.aspx
** John Piper, Desiring God, (Multnomah Publishers, Inc. 2003) 203.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Passion Vs. Poison--Proverbs series
Pastor Tommy Nelson has often told a story that I would like to share with you today. There was once a man who visited an African tribe who lived by a beautiful river. As this man started to meet the people in the tribe, he began to notice that many of them were missing limbs—some were missing hands, some were missing feet, and some were missing entire arms or legs. Not wanting to be offensive, the visitor waited to ask anyone about this until he was alone with the tribe’s leader. “Sir, why are so many of the people in your tribe missing limbs?” The leader responded, “We live beside this beautiful river, but it is filled with crocodiles. Many of our people have been attacked while bathing.” The visitor asked, “What has been done to warn people about this? Have you talked about a plan to protect yourselves?” But the leader responded, “In our tribe it is very awkward to talk about crocodiles. It is considered impolite and embarrassing, so we just don’t talk about it.”
Pastor Nelson tells that story to highlight the way that he believes the subject of sex is often handled in churches. Many people in our pews have been hurt by sexual sins, yet we consider it embarrassing to talk about sex, so we just avoid the subject.
But when we read the Bible, we discover that God is not embarrassed to talk about sex. An entire book of Scripture—the Song of Solomon—is dedicated to the romantic relationship between man and woman—including the sexual relationship. The book of Proverbs doesn’t allow us to avoid this subject either. Nearly three full chapters of Proverbs are devoted to this subject—particularly to the subject of overcoming sexual temptation. Talking about sexual temptation has never been more appropriate for the church, especially now that almost all of us have the world’s largest adult bookstore pumped into our homes over an internet connection. More than ever, we can use some sound advice on dealing with sexual temptation.
How can we overcome sexual temptation?
We’re going to look primarily at Proverbs 5 today, so why don’t you turn there with me. As we look at this chapter, remember that this part of the book was written by a father teaching his son, so his warnings are directed against a seductive woman. But these verses can just as easily apply as warnings to a woman, so ladies, you can read them in that light.
This chapter gives us four insights that will allow us to overcome sexual temptation.
I. Recognize its deceptive nature (5:1–6)
Sexual temptation talks a big talk, but ultimately it cannot deliver the ecstasy that it promises. This is described beginning in v. 3 [READ v. 3]. That’s a very picturesque description of this woman’s seduction. The “forbidden” woman is literally translated “the strange woman” and the idea is that she is a stranger to the morals of God’s people. She does not follow the ethical standards of God’s community, and thus she represents a forbidden temptation.
But she knows how to bait her trap! She makes her seductions sound very desirable, and that’s the nature of sexual temptation—it seems so appealing up front. After all, it wouldn’t be very tempting if it didn’t appear pleasant. And so magazines and websites promise beauty like you’ve never seen, or an affair promises excitement, or a boyfriend promises undying love and affection.
But the substance of sexual sin is nothing like the appearance. It’s like opening a box of chocolates to find dog food inside! The aftermath of sexual sin is bitter, painful, and depressing. Verse 4 says [READ v. 4]. Wormwood is an herb that (obviously) has a very bitter taste, and certain parts of the plant are actually poisonous. So with sexual temptation, you’re promised passion, but you get poison!
We have to remember this when we are confronted by sexual temptation. We must keep a long-term, “big picture” perspective on life. Sexual sin looks so good at the moment, so if we only think about the moment it will be far too easy to give in.
Verse 5 says [READ v. 5]. Under Old Testament law, the penalty for adultery was death. We may not face the same legal penalty for sexual sins today, but we are still risking our lives! We may become the target of someone’s revenge, or we may contract a disease that could be deadly—if not deadly for ourselves, then potentially deadly for future children that we might have! That’s a terrible price to pay for something that isn’t even as good as advertised!
II. Keep yourself out of tempting situations (5:7–14)
Look at vv. 7–8 [READ vv. 7–8]. Verses like this may have been in the Apostle Paul’s mind when he told the Corinthians to flee from sexual immorality (1 Cor. 6:18). The best way to deal with sexual temptation is to stay away from it—to get away from it when it comes up and to keep ourselves out of situations that we know could be potentially tempting. You do not want to stand toe-to-toe with sexual temptation and try to beat it!
The reason for this is because sexual sin is so dangerous. It can ruin you like nothing else. According to vv. 9–14, it can steal your honor, your money, your health, and your position in the community. Follow this with me [READ vv. 9–14].
We cannot afford to mess around with something that is so dangerous. In practical terms, the wise thing to do then is to set boundaries in our lives that will help us avoid sexual temptation as much as we can. This calls for boundaries in the way that we deal with the opposite sex. We need to be careful about what we discuss with each other and how we joke with each other. I once heard about a man and a woman in a church who were both married, but they often joked about running away together. The man would say things to the woman like, “When are you going to dump that bum and run away with me?” Everyone around them got a good laugh because they were just jokes, but one day the woman and her husband started to have some tough times in their marriage, and the woman called this man and said, “When you’ve told those jokes, have you ever been serious?” And the man said, “Maybe,” and they started an affair that destroyed both of those marriages. Those jokes planted a seed in the mind, and when that seed was watered by some marital troubles, it became a weed that destroyed two marriages.
We should also structure our lives so we’re not alone with members of the opposite sex. Teenagers, remember this whenever you get romantically involved with someone. Stay in public places; spend time with groups; communicate with your parents if you’re going to be driving alone together.
We also need to be very careful about what we allow into our minds. We have resources today that can keep us very safe from stumbling across sexual content in movies or online. You can go online today and find out about sexual content in a movie before you watch it, which means that you can make a well-informed choice NOT to watch a movie with nudity or sexual content. You can get very effective filters for your internet service that will block most pages with sexual content from coming up. Ultimately of course, sexual sin is a matter of the heart, but these practical boundaries can keep us out of tempting situations.
These boundaries can also help us protect the relationship that really CAN deliver on its promises.
III. Cultivate a passionate love life with your spouse (5:15–19)
As much as God says “no” to sexual sin, His answer to your love life at home is an even louder “yes!” Look at vv. 16–17 [READ vv. 16–17]. Here the father uses the metaphor of water to talk about the sexual relationship because water is refreshing and satisfying. It meets a strong desire, just as the sexual relationship does. Then he continues in vv. 18–19 [READ vv. 18–19]. Wow! Yes, I’m still reading from the Bible up here! I didn’t switch out some other book on you! That sounds better than walking the path to death, doesn’t it?
Supposedly, in Victorian England, couples were told that the sexual relationship was simply their duty to provide soldiers for the empire. I don’t know how true that is, but I certainly don’t think that’s God’s perspective! God created sex, and He made it not to be a duty but a delight. His desire for you and your spouse is that you would thoroughly enjoy this gift that He has given you. He encourages this for your joy and for your safety, so that you will have a strong defense against sexual sin.
Sex is just like fire—when fire gets out of its proper place, its destructive and deadly, but when its in its proper place, its wonderful. It provides heat, and light, and comfort. Sex is the same way—outside of marriage, it destroys, but within marriage it is pleasant and satisfying.
Friends, this is the message that we need to pass along to our children as well. Don’t just say no, but say no because something so much better is on the way! Saving yourself for marriage is like saying no to a candy bar while you’re on your way to Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma’s! Something better is on the way—just wait for it! Then when you arrive, go back for seconds!
IV. Remember that God sees your actions (5:20–23)
If you’re married and you engage in sexual sin, remember that you’ve violated two relationships—your relationship with your spouse, and your relationship with God. Let’s read vv. 20–23 [READ vv. 20–23]. One of the dangers and one of the appeals of sexual sin is that is feels so secretive. You have something going on that no one else knows about—but remember, God always knows. As David wrote in Psalm 139, “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” We cannot keep God from knowing about our actions. There is no door that can keep Him out, no delete button that can keep Him from knowing, no cologne that can hide a strange perfume.
I think this insight is particularly important when we consider the temptations of pornography. People are tempted to think that viewing pornography is a rather innocent sin since it doesn’t involve an actual relationship with another human being. But indulging lust like that is still a violation of God’s Word, and thus it strains our relationship with Him. And honestly, it cannot help but strain our relationship with our spouse as well, even if he or she doesn’t know about it. How can you have a free and unhindered relationship with your spouse when you’re hiding something like that? Even if your spouse never knows, God does, and our relationship with Him will be hurt because of it.
Also, notice the contrast in the imagery from nature in vv. 18-23. The woman is compared to a lovely, graceful doe—in other words, she is like the beauty in nature. On the other hand, sexual sin is compared to a hunter’s snare—in other words, it is the danger that has been introduced into nature by man. Thus, when you’re faced with sexual temptation, the choice is between beauty and a trap—an enjoyment of the good of what God has created, or an indulgence in the evil that has perverted God’s creation.
When we consider the dangers of sexual temptation, the stakes are so very high. How great is it that we have a book like the Bible that gets down into the nitty-gritty of our lives. This book addresses the real-life issues that confront us every day, and it shows us the way of wisdom, the way of righteousness and godliness, that will help us overcome temptation and draw closer to God.
Sexual temptation is very strong in our world, but it has been strong in our world ever since the Fall. We are not unique in our battles against this sin; in fact, the Captain of our faith, Jesus Christ, has faced such temptations and has overcome. Now He stands ready to help us do the same. The words of Hebrews 4:15–16 ring true: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Pastor Nelson tells that story to highlight the way that he believes the subject of sex is often handled in churches. Many people in our pews have been hurt by sexual sins, yet we consider it embarrassing to talk about sex, so we just avoid the subject.
But when we read the Bible, we discover that God is not embarrassed to talk about sex. An entire book of Scripture—the Song of Solomon—is dedicated to the romantic relationship between man and woman—including the sexual relationship. The book of Proverbs doesn’t allow us to avoid this subject either. Nearly three full chapters of Proverbs are devoted to this subject—particularly to the subject of overcoming sexual temptation. Talking about sexual temptation has never been more appropriate for the church, especially now that almost all of us have the world’s largest adult bookstore pumped into our homes over an internet connection. More than ever, we can use some sound advice on dealing with sexual temptation.
How can we overcome sexual temptation?
We’re going to look primarily at Proverbs 5 today, so why don’t you turn there with me. As we look at this chapter, remember that this part of the book was written by a father teaching his son, so his warnings are directed against a seductive woman. But these verses can just as easily apply as warnings to a woman, so ladies, you can read them in that light.
This chapter gives us four insights that will allow us to overcome sexual temptation.
I. Recognize its deceptive nature (5:1–6)
Sexual temptation talks a big talk, but ultimately it cannot deliver the ecstasy that it promises. This is described beginning in v. 3 [READ v. 3]. That’s a very picturesque description of this woman’s seduction. The “forbidden” woman is literally translated “the strange woman” and the idea is that she is a stranger to the morals of God’s people. She does not follow the ethical standards of God’s community, and thus she represents a forbidden temptation.
But she knows how to bait her trap! She makes her seductions sound very desirable, and that’s the nature of sexual temptation—it seems so appealing up front. After all, it wouldn’t be very tempting if it didn’t appear pleasant. And so magazines and websites promise beauty like you’ve never seen, or an affair promises excitement, or a boyfriend promises undying love and affection.
But the substance of sexual sin is nothing like the appearance. It’s like opening a box of chocolates to find dog food inside! The aftermath of sexual sin is bitter, painful, and depressing. Verse 4 says [READ v. 4]. Wormwood is an herb that (obviously) has a very bitter taste, and certain parts of the plant are actually poisonous. So with sexual temptation, you’re promised passion, but you get poison!
We have to remember this when we are confronted by sexual temptation. We must keep a long-term, “big picture” perspective on life. Sexual sin looks so good at the moment, so if we only think about the moment it will be far too easy to give in.
Verse 5 says [READ v. 5]. Under Old Testament law, the penalty for adultery was death. We may not face the same legal penalty for sexual sins today, but we are still risking our lives! We may become the target of someone’s revenge, or we may contract a disease that could be deadly—if not deadly for ourselves, then potentially deadly for future children that we might have! That’s a terrible price to pay for something that isn’t even as good as advertised!
II. Keep yourself out of tempting situations (5:7–14)
Look at vv. 7–8 [READ vv. 7–8]. Verses like this may have been in the Apostle Paul’s mind when he told the Corinthians to flee from sexual immorality (1 Cor. 6:18). The best way to deal with sexual temptation is to stay away from it—to get away from it when it comes up and to keep ourselves out of situations that we know could be potentially tempting. You do not want to stand toe-to-toe with sexual temptation and try to beat it!
The reason for this is because sexual sin is so dangerous. It can ruin you like nothing else. According to vv. 9–14, it can steal your honor, your money, your health, and your position in the community. Follow this with me [READ vv. 9–14].
We cannot afford to mess around with something that is so dangerous. In practical terms, the wise thing to do then is to set boundaries in our lives that will help us avoid sexual temptation as much as we can. This calls for boundaries in the way that we deal with the opposite sex. We need to be careful about what we discuss with each other and how we joke with each other. I once heard about a man and a woman in a church who were both married, but they often joked about running away together. The man would say things to the woman like, “When are you going to dump that bum and run away with me?” Everyone around them got a good laugh because they were just jokes, but one day the woman and her husband started to have some tough times in their marriage, and the woman called this man and said, “When you’ve told those jokes, have you ever been serious?” And the man said, “Maybe,” and they started an affair that destroyed both of those marriages. Those jokes planted a seed in the mind, and when that seed was watered by some marital troubles, it became a weed that destroyed two marriages.
We should also structure our lives so we’re not alone with members of the opposite sex. Teenagers, remember this whenever you get romantically involved with someone. Stay in public places; spend time with groups; communicate with your parents if you’re going to be driving alone together.
We also need to be very careful about what we allow into our minds. We have resources today that can keep us very safe from stumbling across sexual content in movies or online. You can go online today and find out about sexual content in a movie before you watch it, which means that you can make a well-informed choice NOT to watch a movie with nudity or sexual content. You can get very effective filters for your internet service that will block most pages with sexual content from coming up. Ultimately of course, sexual sin is a matter of the heart, but these practical boundaries can keep us out of tempting situations.
These boundaries can also help us protect the relationship that really CAN deliver on its promises.
III. Cultivate a passionate love life with your spouse (5:15–19)
As much as God says “no” to sexual sin, His answer to your love life at home is an even louder “yes!” Look at vv. 16–17 [READ vv. 16–17]. Here the father uses the metaphor of water to talk about the sexual relationship because water is refreshing and satisfying. It meets a strong desire, just as the sexual relationship does. Then he continues in vv. 18–19 [READ vv. 18–19]. Wow! Yes, I’m still reading from the Bible up here! I didn’t switch out some other book on you! That sounds better than walking the path to death, doesn’t it?
Supposedly, in Victorian England, couples were told that the sexual relationship was simply their duty to provide soldiers for the empire. I don’t know how true that is, but I certainly don’t think that’s God’s perspective! God created sex, and He made it not to be a duty but a delight. His desire for you and your spouse is that you would thoroughly enjoy this gift that He has given you. He encourages this for your joy and for your safety, so that you will have a strong defense against sexual sin.
Sex is just like fire—when fire gets out of its proper place, its destructive and deadly, but when its in its proper place, its wonderful. It provides heat, and light, and comfort. Sex is the same way—outside of marriage, it destroys, but within marriage it is pleasant and satisfying.
Friends, this is the message that we need to pass along to our children as well. Don’t just say no, but say no because something so much better is on the way! Saving yourself for marriage is like saying no to a candy bar while you’re on your way to Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma’s! Something better is on the way—just wait for it! Then when you arrive, go back for seconds!
IV. Remember that God sees your actions (5:20–23)
If you’re married and you engage in sexual sin, remember that you’ve violated two relationships—your relationship with your spouse, and your relationship with God. Let’s read vv. 20–23 [READ vv. 20–23]. One of the dangers and one of the appeals of sexual sin is that is feels so secretive. You have something going on that no one else knows about—but remember, God always knows. As David wrote in Psalm 139, “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” We cannot keep God from knowing about our actions. There is no door that can keep Him out, no delete button that can keep Him from knowing, no cologne that can hide a strange perfume.
I think this insight is particularly important when we consider the temptations of pornography. People are tempted to think that viewing pornography is a rather innocent sin since it doesn’t involve an actual relationship with another human being. But indulging lust like that is still a violation of God’s Word, and thus it strains our relationship with Him. And honestly, it cannot help but strain our relationship with our spouse as well, even if he or she doesn’t know about it. How can you have a free and unhindered relationship with your spouse when you’re hiding something like that? Even if your spouse never knows, God does, and our relationship with Him will be hurt because of it.
Also, notice the contrast in the imagery from nature in vv. 18-23. The woman is compared to a lovely, graceful doe—in other words, she is like the beauty in nature. On the other hand, sexual sin is compared to a hunter’s snare—in other words, it is the danger that has been introduced into nature by man. Thus, when you’re faced with sexual temptation, the choice is between beauty and a trap—an enjoyment of the good of what God has created, or an indulgence in the evil that has perverted God’s creation.
When we consider the dangers of sexual temptation, the stakes are so very high. How great is it that we have a book like the Bible that gets down into the nitty-gritty of our lives. This book addresses the real-life issues that confront us every day, and it shows us the way of wisdom, the way of righteousness and godliness, that will help us overcome temptation and draw closer to God.
Sexual temptation is very strong in our world, but it has been strong in our world ever since the Fall. We are not unique in our battles against this sin; in fact, the Captain of our faith, Jesus Christ, has faced such temptations and has overcome. Now He stands ready to help us do the same. The words of Hebrews 4:15–16 ring true: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
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