The Purpose of Wealth

1. ThePurpose of Wealth Luke 12:13-34,

2. Money can buy you big mansions with all the creaturely comfort and electronic toys.

7. Money can buy you the best seat in the ballparks, top of the line luxury cars and airplanes.

11. Money can buy you the designer clothing, Italian shoes and handbags.

13. Money can buy you servants, cooks, chauffeurs, landscapers and nannies so you never have to change a single diaper.

15. Money can buy you the best health care and personal attending physicians.

17. But money has it limits. • Money can buy a big house but money can’t buy you a home. • Money can buy drugs but money can’t buy you health. • Money can attract parasites but money can’t buy friendship. • Money can buy you sex but money can’t buy you love.

18. V13-15, Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." 14 Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" 15 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

19. Ecc 5:10, whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. • The problem with greed is we are never content with what God has entrusted to us.

20. God is not at all impressed with how much money you have. • God however is interested in what you do with your money.

21. V16, And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. • The crop is the wealth entrusted by God to him.

22. V17, He thought to himself, `What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'

23. If the world has 100 people, 53 of them live on less than $2a day. • If you make 6,000 a month that’s 200 a day, you are 100 times richer than 50% of the people in the world. • If you make 4000 a month that’s 133 a day, you are 66 times richer than those in Mumbai’s slum and in rural China,

24. V18-19, "Then he said, `This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '

25. William Wilberforce once said, “Prosperity hardens the heart.”

26. He thought to himself, `What shall Ido? Ihave no place to store my crops.' 18 "Then he said, `This is what I'll do. Iwill tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there Iwill store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I'llsay to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' • 6 “I’s,” 4 “my’s,” and 2 “himself’s.”

27. Don’t forget the Lord gives and the Lord can take it all away (Job 1:21).

28. V20-21, "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?' 21 "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." • A fool is someone who tries to keep what he can’t.

29. There are two kingdoms or two worlds. • There are two days “today” and “that day.” • What you do with your money today will decide what you will receive on that day.

30. Pr 19:17, He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. • Pr 22:9, A generous man will himself be blessed for he shares his food with the poor.

31. Mt 25:34-35, Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat…

32. He is no fool who gives what he can’t keep to gain what he can’t lose (Jim Elliot).

33. When you give to the poor, you will be rewarded with the kingdom. • Jesus, James and John talk often about money and giving to the poor (Mt 25:31-46; James 2:14-26; 1John 3:16-17).

34. V22, 27, Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry… about your body, what you will wear… 27 "Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these…

35. V29-30, And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. • God will move his people to meet your need.

36. 2 Cor 8:13-14, Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plentywill supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality,

37. Gal 6:10, Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

38. V31-34, But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

39. The subject is “you,” the verb is “give,” and the object is “poor.” • This command - Give to the poor - applies to all of us.

40. Lk 12:48b, 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.