Proverbs: Wealth

Intro:

Good morning. My name is David Jansson, and we're continuing our Summer of Wisdom series on Proverbs. Today, we're tackling the topic of money and wealth. The Bible has over 2,350 verses on this, and God cares how we get money, what we think about it, and what we do with it. This sermon, "10 Lessons on Wealth from Proverbs," will distill God's perspective and challenge us.

Scripture References: Proverbs 10:4, 10:15, 11:4, 11:16, 11:24-26, 13:11, 14:20, 15:16, 15:27, 18:11, 19:17, 21:20, 22:1, 22:7, 22:9, 23:4-5, 28:19, 28:20, 28:22, 30:8-9, Matthew 6:19-21, 19:23-24, 1 Timothy 6:10, Hebrews 13:5, Malachi 3:10, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Acts 4:32-35

Key Points:

• Wealth is Good, But Deceitful: Proverbs affirms wealth is good but emphasizes it's not the most important thing. It's a "high wall in his imagination" (Prov 18:11), providing false security. The love of money blinds us to our need for God.
• How to Build Lasting Wealth God's Way:
  1. Diligence and Hard Work: God provides through our consistent labor (Prov 10:4).
  2. Justice, Not Injustice: Wealth gained by deceit will not last (Prov 13:11).
  3. Seek Wisdom: God's wisdom brings enduring wealth, better than gold (Prov 8:18).
  4. Aim for True Wealth, Not Showy: Don't waste money impressing others; find security in God.
  5. Flee from Debt: Debt makes you a "slave of the lender" (Prov 22:7). Trust God to provide.
  6. Build Wealth Slowly: Getting rich quick often leads to ruin (Prov 13:11).
  7. Give Generously: This is the most important purpose of wealth. Giving generously is an act of faith and the best antidote to the danger of wealth. God promises to bless those who give (Mal 3:10).

Conclusion:

Wealth is good but dangerous. The way to navigate this is to pursue it and use it God's way, through generous giving. This is where true abundance lies. Your security, authority, and God's love for you are not tied to your bank account.

Calls to Action:

• Reflect: Where is your heart's hope? Repent if needed.
• Give Generously: Consider tithing or supporting ministries. Test God in this, as He invites us to.
• Worship: Let's worship and take communion, rejoicing in the security of God's love.

Transcript

Good morning, everyone. 

 (...) 

 My name is David Jansen,(...) and we've been spending this summer moving through the book of Proverbs, looking at different major themes that show up in the book. And today I get a big one.(...) Today we are talking about the topic of money and wealth.(...) Now why I got chosen for this topic, I don't know, but I'm glad to be here. 

 (...) 

 My wife, Carissa, and I, we moved to Visalia back in the summer of 2009.(...) And before we settled here at Radiant, we spent about a year or so visiting different churches in the area, trying to find one that fit. And while we were doing that, one of the churches we checked out was a neighborhood church on the north side of town. And we were there for about four or five weeks, and I remain profoundly grateful to them because while we were there, we happened to enroll in a session of Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University that they were hosting. 

 (...) 

 And that led us to spending nine weeks watching videos, doing work, working together with others to kind of overhaul our personal finances. 

 (...) 

 And it changed our lives. 

 (...) 

 Because Carissa and I, when we got married, we came, we together had $87,000 of student debt, and that just kind of felt like a weight around our neck.(...) And because of putting into practice what we learned, within four years of finishing FPU, we were able to pay off that debt, and we've been debt free ever since. 

 (...) 

 Thank you. Thank you. It's good. The reason I tell that story, though, is because Dave Ramsey's advice and philosophy has had a significant impact on how I view and approach wealth and personal finances, and much of his advice has been shaped by the book of Proverbs, which is what we're in. 

 (...) 

 Believe it or not, the Bible has a lot to say about money.(...) One count says that there are 2,350 verses dealing with money and possessions.(...) The thing is, God cares about your wealth, your money, your possessions.(...) He cares how you got them. He cares how you think about them. 

 (...) 

 And he cares what you do with them. 

 (...) 

 Proverbs is a major source of that focus, and today's sermon is called "10 Lessons on Wealth from Proverbs," and it's my best effort to distill that for you. 

 (...) 

 A couple of notes before we dive in, though. First of all, I am well aware of the church's complicated relationship with money. So I don't know where you're coming from, whether you're backing out of the room right now, as you heard the topic.(...) I know there are some churches that rail against money and possessions. I know there are other churches that teach that it is God's plan for your life to have a mansion and five cars. And you're at the church if the pastors have two mansions and seven cars. 

 (...) 

 You may have come from a church that never talked about money, except if they were kicking off a giving campaign. 

 (...) 

 I just want to let you know we are not launching any new campaigns today. I am not on staff, so I have no financial interest in your actions from today's sermon. So we are not passing a basket afterwards, so you can relax. All I care about is what does the Bible teach about money and wealth, and what is God's view? And so to that end, the second note is you should have received a handout as you came in. 

 (...) 

 That is a summary of my main points for today's sermon with, more importantly, all the verses and proverbs that I drew those out of. And I would highly encourage you to take some time this week, look them up for yourself, 

 (...) 

 read them, reflect on them, okay? Because there's a lot of nuance that I won't have time to go into today. 

 (...) 

 Sound good? 

 (...) 

 All right, let's dive in. 

 (...) 

 The first lesson about wealth in Proverbs is that wealth is a good thing. 

 (...) 

 Now, this may seem obvious to you. I mean, of course it's better to be rich than poor, but based on some of the more famous passages in the Bible about money, it may be a surprise how highly the Bible and Proverbs speak of wealth. 

 (...) 

 A rich man's wealth is his strong city. The poverty of the poor is their ruin. 

 (...) 

 A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before the great. 

 (...) 

 The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends. 

 (...) 

 Wealth opens doors with powerful people. 

 (...) 

 Wealth builds a hedge around misfortune. If you're poor and your tire blows, it's devastating and it could trigger a crisis. 

 (...) 

 If you've got money though, it's a minor inconvenience. 

 (...) 

 Wealth makes life move more smoothly. 

 (...) 

 Life is more pleasurable when you're wealthy, and that's not a bad thing. It's good. 

 (...) 

 Our God is a God of abundant provision, and wealth and abundance is part of his design.(...) Wealth is a good thing. 

 (...) 

 With that said, the second lesson of Proverbs is that there are also much more important things than wealth. 

 (...) 

 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways. 

 (...) 

 Integrity is better than wealth. 

 (...) 

 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.(...) Your reputation and your honor are better than wealth. The way others look at you matters far more. 

 (...) 

 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it. 

 (...) 

 Love and peace are better than wealth. 

 (...) 

 Don't believe me? Have you ever been on your way for a nice date and then you had an argument in the car? 

 (...) 

 Did you enjoy that expensive steak? 

 (...) 

 Nothing takes the flavor out of a ribeye than conflict and anger. 

 (...) 

 Now compare that to another night. The food is completely ordinary. Maybe it's spaghetti night at home and you just cracked open the jar of prego. 

 (...) 

 But you're sitting with your family or your friends laughing, enjoying each other. 

 (...) 

 Love can make that prego sing. 

 (...) 

 Where would you rather be? 

 (...) 

 Money is not everything. 

 (...) 

 And not only is money not everything, but if you put your hope in your wealth, it will fail you. 

 (...) 

 The third lesson of Proverbs is this. Wealth is deceitful. 

 (...) 

 Look at this first. A rich man's wealth is his strong city and like a high wall in his imagination. 

 (...) 

 Now that one's a lot like the one we read earlier, but the second line is different. I think it provides a winking hint to the truth.(...) The security of his wealth is in his imagination.(...) It's more in his mind than in reality. 

 (...) 

 Wealth makes us feel untouchable, but we're not. 

 (...) 

 Not only are our possessions more vulnerable than we like to admit, I mean just look how much the wealthy have to spend on alarms and surveillance and insurance just to try to protect themselves and what they have.(...) But Proverbs says that it doesn't even work. 

 (...) 

 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. 

 (...) 

 Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. 

 (...) 

 The rich are susceptible to heartbreak, grief, loss, and tragedy just like each one of us.(...) Wealth cannot protect you from those. 

 (...) 

 But there's a more serious and a more deadly deception than simply being blindsided by tragedy. As I mentioned in my second point, there are more important things than wealth. There are far more important things, and the pleasures and comforts and power and control that wealth provides, they capture our wayward heart so easily, and money becomes like a warm fuzzy blanket that lulls you into sleep, gradually turning you inward and away from God and others and toward yourself. 

 (...) 

 This is what Jesus warned about when he said, "What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" When he said that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 

 (...) 

 Jesus' point is that having money shifts your perspective. When you're poor,(...) the brokenness of the world,(...) the brokenness of your own life, that our need for a savior is not hidden from you. You see it all around you, it's daily life, and it's so easy to cry out for mercy, to look to God for provision,(...) but if you've got money,(...) you're insulated from that.(...) And it's very easy to think of yourself as self-sufficient, free of the need for anyone else. 

 (...) 

 Now, I would bet that most of us here probably don't consider ourselves wealthy, but that's the deceptiveness of wealth. 

 (...) 

 Did you get to eat pretty much exactly what you wanted to this week? 

 (...) 

 Do you live in a home where you regularly switch out the decor or the furniture based on your tastes and preferences? 

 (...) 

 Did you buy the clothes you're wearing today just because you liked them? 

 (...) 

 Most of us are far, far closer to feeling like gods than we're aware. 

 (...) 

 The Bible warned us about money, not because wealth in itself is bad, but because the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, and money is so, so easy to love. 

 (...) 

 I've heard it taught before that money is just a neutral thing, that money is like a brick. You can use it to build a house, or you could use it to throw through a window. And I think I agree with that, sort of. I don't think it's an entirely accurate picture, because when I hear that, I'm like, "Well, I know not to throw a brick through a window. I'd love to build a house. God please give me a big old pile of bricks so I can build the most beautiful house." 

 (...) 

 But I think a more accurate picture would probably be like that money is like a brick. You can use it to build a house, or you could use it to throw through a window. Oh, but you should know that the entire neighborhood is filled with big, beautiful windows just aching to be smashed.(...) And every time you turn on the TV or look at your phone, all you see is people smashing windows and having the greatest time doing it. And at work, all anybody's been talking about lately is how many windows they smashed over the summer. Oh, and you spent 12 years learning proper brick throwing form, and you come from a family of proud brick throwers who are kind of like wondering why you haven't cracked a good window yet.(...) And when you look at the brick, it's whispering, "Come on, throw me." And inside, you want to throw that brick. 

 (...) 

 I think that is a better picture of the temptation of money.(...) Be on your guard. 

 (...) 

 Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." 

 (...) 

 No one can serve two masters for either you will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 

 (...) 

 Money can be a gift from God, but where your heart is, where your hope and where your worship lie, those are by far the most important thing. Be careful. 

 (...) 

 Be very careful because wealth is unbelievably deceptive, and it probably already has you. 

 (...) 

 All right. 

 (...) 

 So I'm going to call that section the Bible's philosophy on money, and it's super important to get that straight before we get into practical matters, because our hearts, they direct our actions. 

 (...) 

 But if what I said is true, that wealth is a good thing, but that it's dangerous and must be used carefully and gained wisely,(...) how do we do that? 

 (...) 

 And that's where Proverbs comes in.(...) We'll call this second section, how to build lasting wealth God's way, and there are seven more lessons that I've drawn out, some of which are familiar, some of which might not be. 

 (...) 

 So the fourth wealth lesson of Proverbs, in the first one of this section, is not surprising, and I'm sure you expected it. It's that wealth comes from diligence and hard work. 

 (...) 

 God designed us to provide for ourselves and others by our labor. 

 (...) 

 A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.(...) The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. 

 (...) 

 Abundant provision is a gift from God, but God very, very rarely does things out of the blue.(...) His goal in creation and redemption, you see this all throughout the Bible, his goal is to work alongside humanity. 

 (...) 

 Our participation matters, and the primary way he brings about his gift of abundance is through consistent, diligent labor. 

 (...) 

 So when it's time to work, work hard and work well. 

 (...) 

 Working well is walking with God. It is life. It's good for you. It's good for your body. It's good for your finances. It's good for your soul. 

 (...) 

 And then when it's the proper time to rest,(...) rest. The sleep of a laborer is sweet. 

 (...) 

 Now hard work and diligence are good, and they'll pay off more often than not, but God also cares what you're working at. So the fifth wealth lesson of Proverbs is that the wealth of the righteous will last, but any wealth gained by injustice will perish. 

 (...) 

 In the house of the righteous, there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. 

 (...) 

 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous. 

 (...) 

 Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel. 

 (...) 

 Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth or gives to the rich will only come to poverty. 

 (...) 

 In God's economy, the ends never justify the means. 

 (...) 

 We see that all throughout the Bible. This summer we've already heard from Glenn about God's overriding heart for the poor, and we've heard from Matt on God's commitment to justice, and those two topics intersect with the topic of wealth constantly. How you make your money matters. 

 (...) 

 Proverbs says that if you build your wealth through injustice or deceit or robbery or praying on the poor, it will not last.(...) God is not mocked. 

 (...) 

 Now for those of us here in the room, I'm not too worried that you're making your money through robbery or extortion or obvious wickedness. If you are, stop it. 

 (...) 

 But I think what we can take today is take a chance to examine the daily choices we're making on our job or in your business. 

 (...) 

 Are you exaggerating in your marketing or adding things that don't really benefit your customer but let you increase the price? 

 (...) 

 Are you tempted to tell half-truths in order to make a sale? 

 (...) 

 Are you viewing people and relationships as instruments for increasing your own lifestyle than as bearers of the image of God? I want to say it may work. You'll probably get the money, but it will turn to gravel in your mouth. 

 (...) 

 A better measure for our business is are other people truly better off after a transaction with you than they were before? 

 (...) 

 That is how to honor God with your work. 

 (...) 

 Six lesson of Proverbs on wealth is simple. 

 (...) 

 Seek wisdom. 

 (...) 

 This one shouldn't be surprising since wisdom has been the focus of the summer, so I'll just let wisdom speak for herself. 

 (...) 

 "I love those who love me and those who seek me diligently find me. Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness. 

 (...) 

 My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold. My yield than choice silver. 

 (...) 

 I walk in the ways of righteousness in the paths of justice, granting an inheritance to those who love me and filling their treasuries." 

 (...) 

 God unequivocally says that true wisdom brings wealth because it's wrapped up in the righteousness and the justice of his kingdom. 

 (...) 

 This wisdom is God's wisdom, and walking in this way is walking with him, so seek wisdom. 

 (...) 

 The seventh wealth lesson of Proverbs is this. 

 (...) 

 Aim for true wealth, not showy wealth. 

 (...) 

 Better to be lowly and have a servant than to play the great man and lack bread. 

 (...) 

 One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing. 

 (...) 

 Another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. 

 (...) 

 Now, sometimes you're working on a sermon and an illustration just plops itself into your lap. I was at work last week and I overheard a coworker talking about a trip that she and her husband took to Canada over the summer. And I guess while they were there, they went to a small town, took a tour of a small town that is known for being very wealthy. And they were going by a country club and a golf course, and the tour guide said that I guess just to be a member of the country club, you have to have a net worth of multiple millions of dollars. And so as they were passing by, she said that they all were looking to see who's on the golf course, what do they look like?(...) And what she said is that I was surprised because they were all dressed kind of frumpy. 

 (...) 

 They looked just like they weren't flashy or anything. And she said, actually, the tourists were all dressed nicer than the townspeople. 

 (...) 

 I thought that was interesting. Just because it glitters doesn't mean it's gold and vice versa. 

 (...) 

 And I think this is common advice actually from financial gurus. There's even a book called The Millionaire Next Door, which digs into the lifestyle habits of people with high net worths. And they're often pretty ordinary. 

 (...) 

 And it makes sense that if the standard wisdom on how to build wealth is to spend less than you make and invest the rest, well, then it makes sense that spending your money on flashy things is not a good use. It's not the way to accomplish that.(...) So much money is wasted on trying to impress other people. 

 (...) 

 But for us, I want to focus instead on the kingdom significance here. 

 (...) 

 In our culture, not just our culture, every culture in the history of the world, wealth is a proxy for status.(...) We want new brand name, expensive looking, trendy things because we want others to think well of us. 

 (...) 

 We want to appear great in their eyes. 

 (...) 

 But not only is that a carefully constructed facade in most cases, but even where it does accompany real wealth, that status, that's the very thing keeping us from the kingdom of God. 

 (...) 

 The rich young ruler in the gospels, he wasn't turned away because of his net worth, but because of his blindness to his need for mercy. He thought he had it all together. 

 (...) 

 He had it all. 

 (...) 

 The poor are closer to the kingdom of God, not because they're small bank accounts, but because high status isn't available to them and they're aware of their lack. 

 (...) 

 But if we're walking with Jesus in his ways and we're aware of our need for his mercy every day, every moment, then not only are we not inclined to elevate ourselves by projecting status symbols, but we're also secure in our status as forgiven, accepted, beloved sons and daughters.(...) We don't need the world's approval. We have our lords. 

 (...) 

 Don't worry about what others think. 

 (...) 

 Build wealth for God's glory, not your own. 

 (...) 

 Now one way to practically help with that is the next lesson of Proverbs. 

 (...) 

 They're dead. 

 (...) 

 The rich rules over the poor and the borrower is the slave of the lender. 

 (...) 

 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger, then do this, my son, and save yourself. If you have come into the hand of your neighbor, go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor. Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber. 

 (...) 

 Save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler. 

 (...) 

 That last verse is the impetus for Dave Ramsey's phrase that if you're in debt, you should focus on paying it off with a gazelle-like intensity. Run away from debt. Don't get into debt. Don't use credit cards, things like that.(...) The Bible has a lot to say about debt, about how it binds us, limits us, gives us another master. I don't have time to go deeper into that. In fact, I don't have time to go deeper into a lot of what the Bible has to say about my money. Actually, I highly recommend Randy Alcorn's book called Money, Possessions, and Eternity. It's a fantastic book. Money, Possessions, and Eternity. 

 (...) 

 It's very comprehensive. It's a bit of a beast of a book, so if you're not a big reader, I also recommend his book The Treasure Principle. It's very small, very easy to read. It's also fantastic about a biblical perspective on money. 

 (...) 

 For now, I'll just say that most of the time, for most of us, choosing to go into debt is often a question of contentment and a question of whether or not we believe that God actually provides what we need. 

 (...) 

 Randy Alcorn says that a debt mentality, the mindset behind going into debt, it involves these key assumptions.(...) We assume that we need more than God has given us. 

 (...) 

 We assume that God doesn't know best what our needs are, that God has failed to provide, forcing us to take matters into our own hands. And we assume that if God doesn't come through the way we think we should, we can find another way. 

 (...) 

 But followers of Jesus can trust that he knows us, that he loves us, and he knows what we need, and that he cares. 

 (...) 

 If you don't have something, and you don't have the money to wisely buy it, feel free to ask him for it.(...) He loves you, he wants to give you good things, but then trust him that he knows better than you do what you need or not. 

 (...) 

 If you look at the Bible,(...) prayer and patience and waiting are a far better picture of biblical faith than getting into debt is. 

 (...) 

 Prayer and patience and waiting are what faith looks like in the Bible. 

 (...) 

 Our next wealth lesson from Proverbs is this. 

 (...) 

 Wealth built slowly will last. 

 (...) 

 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty. 

 (...) 

 Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. 

 (...) 

 This one's hard. 

 (...) 

 Because is there anything more common to the human experience than the desire to get rich quick?(...) We dream about a surprise inheritance from a long lost great aunt. We tell stories about finding buried treasure. We buy lottery tickets, we buy scratchers, we gamble, we ask each other, "What would you do if someone gave you a million dollars?" 

 (...) 

 But if you've ever looked at the statistics about lottery winners or heard their stories, 

 (...) 

 it's really sad.(...) Did you know that lottery winners are more likely to declare bankruptcy within five years than the average American? 

 (...) 

 That a full one-third of lottery winners end up declaring bankruptcy at some point.(...) For many others that don't, there are tragic stories of blackmail, murder, divorce,(...) suicide. 

 (...) 

 I'll just ask you, last time you won on a scratcher, how long did that money last? 

 (...) 

 The proverbs are true. 

 (...) 

 We think that a windfall of money will solve all our problems.(...) I imagine that a windfall of money will solve most of my problems, but it's the opposite. 

 (...) 

 Wealth is deceitful. It needs to be handled carefully to use it well, and that's what God is saying. 

 (...) 

 Like we talked about earlier, he made us to do good work, and he intends our fruitfulness to come from our labor, not from a paper ticket. 

 (...) 

 We see in things like the parables of Jesus that when we demonstrate faithfulness with a little, he gives us more. 

 (...) 

 That slow growth, that's because he's shaping us and he's discipling us in all manners of ways, and handling wealth well is one of those things. 

 (...) 

 God is the storehouse of true wealth and true abundance, and he's looking to and fro for those he can entrust it to.(...) The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. 

 (...) 

 That's the blessing I want. 

 (...) 

 But what is he looking for? 

 (...) 

 How do we demonstrate faithfulness with a little? What do we do with wealth? 

 (...) 

 That's the last lesson for. 

 (...) 

 Listen up, guys. This last lesson is the one that ties everything together. 

 (...) 

 It is God's wisdom on how to build wealth. It is God's instruction on what wealth is for. It is the best antidote for the poisonous danger of wealth, and it is the main tool in our toolkit for how to walk with God and be like him. I am not exaggerating by saying that this is the main lesson about wealth found in the Proverbs, in the Psalms, in the law, in the prophets, in Jesus' teachings, in Paul's writings, in Acts, in the whole rest of the New Testament. Here it is. Here is the most important purpose and use and function of wealth. 

 (...) 

 Give. 

 (...) 

 Give generously. 

 (...) 

 Give generously and delight in the abundance of God together. 

 (...) 

 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of your produce. Then your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will be bursting with wine. 

 (...) 

 One gives freely and yet grows all the richer.(...) Another withholds what it should give and suffers want. 

 (...) 

 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord and he will repay him for his deed. 

 (...) 

 The list goes on. 

 (...) 

 Generous giving, specifically giving to the poor, is the heartbeat of those who live in God's kingdom. It is the heartbeat of building true wealth. Wealth that will last not just through retirement, not just to leave your kids an inheritance, but wealth that will last through eternity. 

 (...) 

 You see when Jesus told us, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and ruffs destroy and thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and ruffs do not destroy and thieves cannot break and steal." He's giving investment advice. He's being an investment advisor. Jesus is not against storing up treasures. He tells us to do that. What he doesn't want us to do is store our treasures here and now, not because it's just magically evil or something, but because it's dumb. 

 (...) 

 This life, no matter how comfortable and pleasurable you make it, it's just a brief dot in the face of eternity. 

 (...) 

 Those who belong to Jesus will live forever in the new heavens and the new earth with him and Jesus wants you to invest in that future. 

 (...) 

 As Randy Alcorn puts it, "You can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead." 

 (...) 

 We do that through generosity. 

 (...) 

 Not only does giving store up treasure in heaven, but Proverbs is telling us that keeping an open hand is also somehow the best way to build wealth now. 

 (...) 

 How does that work? 

 (...) 

 I don't know. 

 (...) 

 But God, the math doesn't work. It's not about just looking at your bank account, looking at costs. God has all things. He's in control of all things. With God, somehow giving it away brings more joy, more contentment, more resources than keeping it ever can.(...) I think that the way that happens and the reason is because giving is at the very root of divine love. Abundant, generous, overflowing love is what led to the creation of the world. Abundant, generous, merciful love is what brought salvation for us. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor so that you, by his poverty, might become rich. 

 (...) 

 When we give, we do what God meant us to do with our wealth. And so God wants us to be wealthy so that we can be like him.(...) And that's why you don't need to wait until you're rich to start giving. Giving is the way to build wealth. 

 (...) 

 If you think right now you don't have enough to be generous.(...) Like, "Ah, I need another raise," or when this bill is paid off. 

 (...) 

 Test him on it. Test him on it. I know we're not supposed to test God, okay? But actually finances and giving is the one area in the Bible where God invites us to do just that.(...) In the book of Malachi,(...) it has God challenging his people to give.(...) He charges them, they've been robbing him by not tithing. And he says, "You are under a curse. Your whole nation, because you are robbing me,(...) bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. There may be food in my house.(...) Trust me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it."(...) The poor widow in the gospels did it. And you saw Jesus' response.(...) I guarantee you she didn't go home and starve. 

 (...) 

 Paul encourages the Corinthian church to give by saying, "He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God." 

 (...) 

 God enriches, he gives us money so we can give it away. And then he gives us more so we can give it away. And we get, like, it's a verse, it's not like, "Give it so that way, cool, then he'll give me money and I can keep it." No, he's giving you resources to give.(...) Us giving is his way of providing for the world. 

 (...) 

 But giving what, I know that giving what you have, it takes faith.(...) It takes faith because we live in a world clouded by scarcity. 

 (...) 

 This broken world says, "Take what you can get in any way you can." And it's very counter-cultural to stand and say, "I trust God to provide from all my needs. Therefore I can give to others who have need." 

 (...) 

 But if you've been sitting there saying, "Yeah, I have faith." But what does that look like? If you're looking for a tangible, hands-on way to put your faith in God,(...) this is it. 

 (...) 

 You can say you have faith in God, but does your bank account say that you do?(...) It's risky to give. It's actively trusting God to come through. 

 (...) 

 And this is hard to do. Because my heart is naturally so stingy. I am constantly grasping what I have. I'm wishing I was more naturally generous than I am. I'm often overwhelmed by the generosity of others. It's amazing, but what I can tell you is that the times in my life when I have given in a way that it's actually cost me something, I've truly given, I have never regretted it.(...) And when I look back, I've never missed the money. I don't know how, but I've never found myself missing it. And God has continued to provide for our family in amazing ways. Let me tell you, it is far more thrilling and satisfying and fun to depend on God and see in what incredible ways he provides. Believe me,(...) when I talk about giving, I am not talking about gritting your teeth and saying, "Man, it sure would be nice to be rich, but I guess I have to just keep on giving."(...) No, God wants us to enjoy the pleasure and the abundance of his provision. But the very best way to enjoy something is to share it. 

 (...) 

 Pleasures shared are pleasures multiplied. A good, a delicious meal with friends is far better than a delicious dinner alone. 

 (...) 

 And God is inviting you to seek out new friends who would never have had access to that meal and bring them in. 

 (...) 

 Not only is giving fun,(...) but it's also, it's the best antidote to the poisonous danger of wealth.(...) So because giving things away is a surefire way to demonstrate that they don't have a hold on your heart.(...) Giving what you have now is an act of faith. It's trusting God. It's choosing his ways over your own. It's looking to him for providence. That's what God's hope is for your life. 

 (...) 

 Through giving, we align our hearts with God and he becomes our true treasure. Church, let's make God our hope and our treasure. 

 (...) 

 Now, I don't know what that looks like for you personally. I don't know how the Holy Spirit is asking you to participate in God's economy. 

 (...) 

 The Bible doesn't give us many rules for that if you're looking for rules. I mean, tithing, giving a tenth of your income to the church, that's an Old Testament practice that has continued on through New Testament history and I recommend that as a starting point.(...) We see an act that many in the early church sold their property so they could share their wealth with others. And they did it and it says that there was no need among them. There were no longer any poor among them because they shared. 

 (...) 

 So for you,(...) it could mean taking the risk and starting to tie the full 10% for the first time. I know that's scary, but I encourage you to do it and see if God provides.(...) Challenge him on him. It could mean searching out some missionaries or local nonprofits doing kingdom work, building a relationship with them and committing to supporting them regularly. 

 (...) 

 It could mean designating a portion of your budget for generosity and having fun as a family, looking for ways to spend that. 

 (...) 

 If you've got a lot of career ahead of you, it could mean planning ahead to do something like a graduated tithe, which means where as your income increase, your giving percentage increases too and you set a cap for yourself where you say, "Okay, at this point, that's enough. I'm content. Anything I make beyond that is to be given away." 

 (...) 

 Try that, commit to that and challenge God to give you more. 

 (...) 

 Those are just suggestions. 

 (...) 

 The best guidance I have is what C.S. Lewis wrote in his book, "Mirah Christianity." 

 (...) 

 He said, "Charity,(...) giving to the poor, is an essential part of Christian morality. 

 (...) 

 I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give.(...) I'm afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.(...) In other words, if our expenditures on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc. is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we're probably giving away too little. 

 (...) 

 If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say that they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditures exclude them." 

 (...) 

 Guys, just imagine what a powerful wave we could unleash if we followed after our king in generosity. 

 (...) 

 What would happen if we gave of our own wealth and resources the way we could? I did the calculations based on census data, and if every person in the United States that claimed to be a Christian gave simply a tenth of what they had, just did the tithe, then not only would that generously fund every church's budget, but it would provide an extra $450 billion every year that could be used to help meet needs and lift people out of poverty.(...) What diseases could be eradicated? What captives to debt and despair could be set free? What evils that prey on the poor could be pushed back? 

 (...) 

 Imagine what God would do if his people proved themselves faithful with the little they have.(...) Remember the parable of the Talons. God is looking for those who use his resources wisely and in his ways so that he can trust them with much more. 

 (...) 

 Let's catch this vision together. 

 (...) 

 Worship team, would you come on up? 

 (...) 

 As we close,(...) I just want to recap where we've been before offering some final thoughts. 

 (...) 

 Proverbs tells us that wealth is a good thing and it's not to be scorned, but that it's not the most important thing and that it's very slippery and very dangerous. The danger is that money becomes our security, our glory, our hope, and our God. 

 (...) 

 Do not take this danger lightly. 

 (...) 

 The way to navigate the deceit of wealth is to pursue it in God's way and to use it in God's way, namely, generous giving. 

 (...) 

 This is where true abundance lies. 

 (...) 

 Some of you may be leading here today with questions.(...) I'd love to hear them and have a conversation. 

 (...) 

 Some of you may be feeling convicted of where your heart and your hope have been.(...) There's going to be people up front to pray with you. 

 (...) 

 Remember, we have a merciful God who loves nothing more than true repentance. 

 (...) 

 Zacchaeus the tax collector, he felt convicted about his greed and his love of money. He responded to Jesus by giving half his money to the poor and restoring anything he had gained by fraud. Jesus said to him, "Today, salvation has come to this house." 

 (...) 

 Jesus is eager to speak salvation over you too. 

 (...) 

 I hope, though, that all of you are leaving with hope,(...) with vision, with eyes full of faith for what God can do with you and with your worldly goods. 

 (...) 

 He wants to meet with each one of you and to work alongside you, whether you have much or little. 

 (...) 

 The rich and the poor meet together. The Lord is the maker of them all. 

 (...) 

 That's us. 

 (...) 

 That's the church. We're here rich and poor because we are united. We declare together that we need mercy, that we don't have it all together, that any status we have in the world is nothing compared to the status we have in him.(...) I want to be very clear that the size of your bank account has nothing,(...) absolutely nothing to do with your ultimate security, your authority in his kingdom, or his love for you. If you are a follower of Jesus, then you are a son or a daughter of the almighty God, and your inheritance is enormous. 

 (...) 

 That gives us tremendous freedom to breathe and live in this exhortation from Hebrews. Keep your life free from love of money and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." 

 (...) 

 I will never leave you nor forsake you. Radian Church, soak that in.(...) Rejoice in it. Let's worship and break bread together at the Lord's table.(...) Amen.