Money Matters: Jesus' Teaching on Money

Preached by Jaren Singh on 10/9/24

Transcript

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Hello and welcome to the Kalamazoo church of Christ podcast. Thank you so much for listening. We're startup church. We just planted in September, 2020 and at the Kalamazoo church, we believe that Christianity is done best when it is done together. And so if you live in the Kalamazoo area, we would love to connect, be it coming to a Sunday service, one of our small groups, or even just grabbing coffee with a member to learn more. You can visit kalamazoo.church in order to do that. We pray that you are inspired by what you hear today. Amen. Well, well, let's, let's get, let's get started then this, this evening. So the goal of this series that we're looking at is to, to give us the information that information, conviction, whatever, to free, to free us from the burden of money. And so this, we're looking today at what Jesus says about money. This is, this is more complete than probably the old Testament that we looked at. The old Testament was just a few proverbs really. But it's, it's probably not the full extent of even what Jesus teaches on money. There's some parts where maybe you might think, Oh, we're, we're being redundant. Like we talked about it last week and perhaps we have, I think that if I think if Jesus says that I want to pick it out in particular, and so we're going to look at some of that stuff. You know, Jesus, there's a bunch of parables that he uses. He uses money to communicate a lot of other concepts and thoughts and a lot of the, there's whole parables that speak on money that are not really related to, to money though. You know, there's a parable where Jesus, he says like there, there's these people who are working in a vineyard and some come at some point of the day, then a little bit later in the day, he asks somebody else and, and then he asks somebody else and he pays them all the same at the end. And we're like, well, what does that saying about our money? And the answer is, it doesn't say that much. The parable about money, but it's not, it's not directly referring to and talking about money. Maybe it talks about where our eyes are looking, but really what the intention of that, that parable is it was talking about what do you, what are we going to do in that time as Jewish people who have been following now that the Gentiles are being let in and they're doing less to get in? What are we going to do about that? Are we going to be frustrated? And, uh, and you know, we're some of those Gentiles or, or maybe more pertinent is thinking about what are we going to do if you give up your life for Christ when you're 15 years old, do you, do you feel okay about somebody when they're 85 being baptized for the forgiveness of their sins and then coming out of the waters and then, and then living a life of mess for 84 years of it. And then the finally, like, do we still feel okay about that? And that's what that parable is talking about. Uh, you know, it's like Jesus is saying, Hey, I, I, I'm giving you something. You agreed to work for a wage and so work for it. It's not really talking about money, but it mentions money. Um, we're going to look at one parable where, uh, what it seems to be is Jesus is really talking about money and it's, there's probably another one, there's maybe a couple of them, but there's a few that, that, that talk about it that I wanted to look at this evening. Um, the first is in Luke 12. It says, uh, well, Jesus is, is teaching. So you have like the abridged version. I'm going to read the whole, this whole parable here. It's in Luke 12 in verse 13. It says someone in the crowd said to him, teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. Jesus replied, man, who appointed me a judge or arbiter between you? Then he said to them, watch out, be on your guard against all kinds of greed. Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. And he told them this parable, the ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, what shall I do? I have no place to store my crops. Then he said, this is what I'll do. I'll tear down my barns and I'll build bigger ones and there I will store my surplus grain. And I'll say to myself, you have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink, and be married. But God said to him, you fool this very night, your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves, but it's not rich towards God. Um, this interaction occurs and, uh, these guys come up and they're like, we've got the teacher. Let's, let's settle this dispute, uh, with, with, with the guy who knows all of the answers and they call him teacher and they ask him this question and Jesus uses it to bring up something that's, that's even bigger. You think about perhaps Jesus was looking for an opportunity to share this parable. He was looking for a way in and you think this, these, these two brothers led him, uh, right, right into sharing this parable. I think what challenges us or what should challenge you in this parable is we, we can read it and I know when I read it and when I think about my idol, um, or what, what is my idol? You know, in the first class we said like money will communicate what you value and that's what Ingrid was sharing. Um, my challenge is I read it and the stuff that I value is like, I, I'd love to, you know, I want to put as much away for retirement and that's a noble cause I think. And you know, the world that we, that, wow, that's something that's so valuable or I want to invest in my kids' education. That's something that's so valuable and it's a noble cause and it's very, uh, I'm putting in a quotation selfless of us to sacrifice again in quotations so that our children can have more than us. And this, these are things that, uh, that we put on such high like regard and, uh, and, and yet what he's saying is you're preparing for what's going to happen. You're making great plans, but if you're not rich towards God, uh, you're a fool. And for, uh, for us, as you think about your dreams and your life, I don't know where you are in, um, you know, in this parable, perhaps, perhaps you're not even in this parable and that's great. But if you are, if you can see yourself in any way, shape or form, I think our question then is, are we rich towards God and the, how do we be rich towards God? What can we do to be rich towards God? There's a lot of ways and there's a hundred, you know, we said it's not just the financial component of it. That's, that's, it's not just that, but it is that to some extent, like it is that, and it's also much more. And we're actually, we're going to get to a spot where if you can follow me for the next about 10 or 12 or 15 minutes, by the end of this, I think you're going to make a connection with money that I bet you've never made before. Okay. So this is a, that's a high claim and a high calling, but I really believe it. There's a connection in here that the Bible speaks about that. Um, I glossed over for years until I actually sat with a scripture and read some commentary on it. Um, but the first thing, what are we going to pull? Uh, well, storing up for yourself without giving to God, that's foolish. And um, and then, and then he goes on, he gives a little bit more teaching at the, uh, a little bit later. He says, do not be afraid little flock for your father has been pleased to give you the kingdom, sell your possessions and give to the poor, provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out a treasure in heaven that will not fail where no thief comes near and no moth destroys for where your treasure is there. Your heart will be also when you, uh, when you talk to somebody and it's, you would, you know, you guys know this probably, but whenever, you know, if you're interacting with somebody and they have children and you ask them about their children, um, that's probably the easiest way to get somebody talking about something. You know, how's your child? What are they, what's the new thing they're learning? What are they doing? Uh, because they really treasure and value their children. It's easy to talk about. It's like from the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks and their hearts are, are not centered on their children, but that their, their children occupy a big part of their hearts. The same thing with me. Same thing with any of us. Um, or many of us, I should say. Maybe it's, uh, there's another one of my friends where you get him talking about this certain sports team. He can go on and on and on and on. And I'm like, man, it's, that's great. Uh, but you know, there's more, there's more to life. Like life does not consist in a, in a love of basketball. You know what I'm saying? Like that's sports teams. That's pretty clear that that's where your heart is at. Um, you know, this, this, this scripture says, uh, where your treasure is there, your heart will be also. And he's saying, Hey, there's, there's later on at the end in Matthew and Matthew six at the end of our little lesson, Matthew six, just, it says you can't serve two gods. But, but this is saying that our, our view and our perspective ought to be one that, that puts our treasure in heaven and on heavenly things and on things that are going to last as opposed to everything else. And again, I, I share this and I feel, um, I feel challenged because this is very different than, um, than any society that, that we are going to, that we'd learn about, you know, the Bible talks about wealth creation and accumulation in a way that, uh, that it speaks about it positively if you're using it for the right thing, like being, being wise with your money is very positive. And in that way it would not fit a so, uh, like, uh, you know, like this, this, any kind of society that's like a socialist type of society because wealth creation is valued very highly. And at the same time, the, the downfalls of wealth are spoken about, like these, these things are not little, they're massive things. And in that way, it, uh, it, it can't really fit into a capitalistic society either. And so all the societies that we understand and we know in the forms of like the Bible, uh, God's view of it is like, it can't fit into any construct that we have in place right now, outside of just saying, this is what Jesus teaches about it. And I have to get my brain to view money the way God views money and, um, way more than it is. I have to do this and do this. I want to get my brain to the spot of viewing money, how God views money. Um, we're not going to read this, uh, this interaction that Jesus has with the rich young ruler, but, uh, but Jesus, if we're pulling, what are we going to learn about money? The rich young ruler comes and he says, I've done a lot of these Christian, these Jewish things, these spiritual things, I'm, I'm walking close. What do I got to do? And, and it seems like he's trying to be justified by, uh, by his actions. And Jesus identifies like one thing you lack, you know, you've got to sell your possessions and give to the poor. What we should pull from that is not that we should, everyone needs to sell our possession and give to the poor. Uh, that's what he had to do. And how do we know that? Am I just making it up? Well, no, because you can read in the Bible. There are, uh, you know, I think Joseph of Arimathea was said he, he had some, he's a wealthy guy, Nicodemus, same thing. Like there, there were people that became followers of Jesus who had had wealth. It speaks about it all over Acts. And so it's not a blanket, you have to do this. But what he is saying is he's identifying, this is what you're lacking. And in order to get to heaven, you've got to give this up. And perhaps, uh, perhaps that is true for some of us as well. I'm not saying that it is, but perhaps, uh, there's a, uh, I was listening to this lesson and he gave, uh, he said, there's some little tests to do. Um, and so he said, there's an envy resentment test. Uh, you know, when you see someone in a better place than you financially, do you envy them? Are you resentful towards them? There's an anxiety test. Are you constantly thinking about money? Does it occupy your thoughts when you go to bed, when you wake up, what is on your mind? If it's, if it's money, then perhaps Jesus would, would be saying one thing you lack. There's a spender test. Do you feel, do you feel better when you buy things? Like, is there a little, a little bit of joy that you get that that's a disproportionate amount of joy from me, from purchasing things. Or there's a, um, you know, a, a, uh, spending or there's a say, I guess saving test might be the other one. Do you, do you feel best when you don't buy anything, like when you can just save just that little bit of money, does it do something to you, uh, to a disproportionate degree? And if you're, if you'd answer a yes to any of these things, then, then perhaps, uh, perhaps you would say, Hey, your, your focus is too much on money and not enough on me. The, uh, it says it's, it's hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. And I, I listened to a lesson in person and I, it just has stuck with me. It was in Milwaukee and the guy was sharing and he said, uh, if this scripture is true, um, and how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God, why am I, why is my focus, uh, occupied with giving my kids, uh, the silver spoon, basically like, why is that my whole focus, uh, is to give, give my children everything, every opportunity, every, um, you know, afford them all these different things. If that, if it really is difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God, so difficult that only Jesus, I mean, only Jesus can help any of us get to heaven, which is the cool part of that passage. But if that's the focus, uh, then, then why is that, why, why is that occupying so many of my thoughts? And, um, and I think about that, you know, at the time I was a college student and it wasn't relevant. And now it's quite relevant to me. Um, there's another, there's another, uh, thing that we could, we could gloss over or miss if we're, if we're not, uh, if we just read the Bible pretty, pretty quickly, like a quick overview, but in the parable of the sower, Jesus describes some of, uh, some of the pitfalls of wealth, um, in Luke. So Luke eight, Mark four, Matthew 13 and Mark four, like they're pretty, they're really, really close, but the Luke eight's a bit different. It just says, uh, I'll, I'll read all three of them and then we'll make sense of it. Uh, how Jesus views money. It says Luke eight 14, the seed that fell among the thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by life's worries, riches, and pleasures, and they do not mature. Still others like seeds sown among thorns, hear the word, but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. What is it saying? You know what Jesus is saying that there, that wealth, the desire for other things, it's going to stop us from, from having a spiritual harvest in our lives. It's going to stop us from, from the spiritual fruit. You know, it uses the word, this deceitfulness of wealth and wealth promises. We said that this is that what makes it so tough is it promises so much and it delivers on some of it. It promises full security and it delivers on some of it and it promises status and delivers on some of it and it promises joy and it delivers on some of it. And that's what makes it deceitful because that, that space in between it fully getting there and just achieving some of it, that, that space is the one that only Jesus can fill, but that space is if we're paying it too much mind, giving it too much authority over our lives, it's going to be deceitful and we just get to the next spot and get to the next spot and get to the next spot. Jesus, Jesus says that, that we do, we can do these things that the worries of this world come in and they choke us. It doesn't say that we don't grow. It says that we don't produce fruit. It doesn't say that we don't do things. It says that we don't produce fruit. And so if you're looking at your life and you say, I go to church and I read the Bible and I do spiritual things and I avoid things that are not spiritual. Uh, if, if there's a worry of this world that's in our lives, perhaps, perhaps you're just being choked so you can't reap the fruits that God wants in your life. We say fruit. I want to be, I want to be clear. I, we can, we, it's not just this, but it does say in Galatians 5 22, it says the fruits of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It says against such things, there's no law. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the spirit, let us keep in step with the spirit and if you're searching and you're fighting and you're going after, you're doing spiritual things, but there's, there's just this click that's just not there and it seems so easy for other people, but for you, you just can't get there. Perhaps you're being choked by the deceitfulness of wealth. The uh, the, the amazing thing, again, Jesus, uh, Jesus speaks in, uh, in this other parable and it's in Luke 16, it'd be worth it if you, it'd be worth it for you to read the entire parable. We're not going to read it right now. Um, but in Luke 16, it's the parable of the shrewd manager and it's super difficult I think because, uh, Jesus lifts up this guy who is really, um, comes off unspiritual. It says, use your worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves is what is, and we're like, well, doesn't that seem, doesn't that seem unspiritual, but no, it's, it's talked about in the Bible. He says, use your worldly wealth to make friends. Uh, that should be a little bit of, you know, as we're thinking about like, how are we going to, uh, use, use it for God's purposes? What are God's purposes? How do we use it for God's purposes outside of just giving, uh, giving money for contribution? Well, it's to make friends is what the Bible is teaching. That's a way. How do we make friends? Do we just hand them money? No, I don't think we just hand them money. It's, but it might be an easy way to make some friends. Um, maybe that is what you got to do. I don't know. Yeah. Bring. Yeah, exactly. Like I, I, yeah. Read it. Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. That's right. That's right. Yeah, absolutely. And, and this is, uh, yeah, there, there's an ability not only to have people in your home, but then spending money on them and, and all of that stuff, it says, use your worldly wealth to make friends. But something else that says, uh, this is what makes it so tough. Again, we were saying, use your worldly wealth to make friends. That's a tough scripture to preach on a Wednesday. It's probably more difficult to preach on a Sunday because it seems superficial and fake unless we're viewing money the way God views money. Like it is, it's a tool and we're stewards of it and it's a tool and we're stewards of it and the world views it, uh, it's a tool, but it's a tool for only my pleasure. Uh, God is saying it's a tool that's used to show your faith and your trust in me. It says in Luke 16, whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? I have a question and I actually want you guys to answer it. What, what are true riches? Like it says, if you, you gotta be trustworthy with worldly wealth and if you're trustworthy with worldly wealth, you'll get true riches. Like you'll be, you'll be entrusted with true riches. But if you are not trustworthy with worldly wealth, why would I give you real riches? And so it begs the question, then what are real riches and what, what do you guys think? Yeah, the first stuff, yeah. The fruit. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. I, I'm on, I agree with you. What else? Sure. Yeah. And when you say heavenly things, you're right. You guys are both right. I mean, heavenly things, like you think about what is so valuable, uh, it's things that are going to last forever, right? Like that's the, the things that are most valuable in this world is anything that's last, gonna last forever. Like love, uh, lasts forever. Relationship with God that lasts forever, uh, or has the opportunity to last forever. Something else. I think if you were to ask Jesus and you said, Jesus, what is valuable to you? I think he'd look you in the eye and I think he would say, you're, you're most valuable to me. Um, absolutely. And so what are you saying? This is, this is Jesus talking and he's bringing this massive, uh, this massive thing, the shrewd manager. And I think he intends it to be something I have to believe when he was preaching it, he knew that we were, people are going to dissect it and try to figure out what is he talking about? It's so different than so many of his other parables. What could he possibly mean? And then he makes, uh, some of it clear though, he's, you know, we are, we are these true riches. I really believe that like our relationship with God is what is most important. Well, it's important enough for Jesus to die on a cross for us to have a relationship with the father. And so the true riches then are people and people's relationship with God. And that is, that is the fruit of the spirit. Like this, this depth of relationship that, that's, that is what it is. But it's not just that it's even more and it is heavenly things, uh, but it's heavenly things on earth though, if you, if you'll work with me. And so what's this, what's this click or what's this connection is that if we are, if we are great stewards with the money that God has given to us, like, like Paul was sharing, we're great stewards of it. God is going to give us spiritual influence over, over people and over, over their lives. Um, I'm not talking about your, Oh, you're going to get the title of being a leader. That's not what I'm saying. Um, I'm not saying, Oh, you're going to know, but I mean in your families, like you think about your families and you think about, uh, perhaps they're spiritual, but if you think of like on a big level, I bet you there's a lot of our family members that are just not very spiritual and that were like, man, I want an influence over them. I believe the Bible is communicating. If you're really, if you're really wise in the way that you're handling worldly wealth, of course I want to give you spiritual influence over these people. Of course. And how does he going to, how is he going to do that? I think some of it's inexplicable. Like I do believe that is some of the mystery of Christ. Like how does, in what way and how is it going to happen or are they going to call me or do I, I don't know. But what I, what I see communicated is if we are trustworthy and handling worldly wealth, like the steward, we're great stewards with what God has given us, he is going to give us true riches. And I have to believe that that is what all of us want. I have to believe that's a massive reason why we're here right now and not doing something else is that we want spiritual influence over the lives of the people closest to us. Um, those who are saved, we want great spiritual influence to help keep them safe and help help them grow. Those who are not yet, uh, Christians, I think that's a math that's, that's, that, that tugs on us. Like we want that to happen. That's why we're here. And so the Bible is communicating, like it's, it's this big that if we're handling our money well, God's going to give us spiritual influence over in the, in the lives of people and how he's going to do it. I don't know, but I do believe he will do it as we, um, that that's your nugget. Maybe you knew that, uh, if you knew that, then you're better than I was for years and years. But, but I, I think when I made that connection, it was, um, I just, it's started to be fun. Like, okay, I want to spend well because I want to influence people. Like I want, I really want to, and I want to view money how God does. And I'm just not there yet. Like I want to get there. I've re ultimately like more than spending well, I want to view money how Jesus does. Like if I want to view wealth creation, how Jesus does, and I want to view, uh, you know, how to give freely, like, I want to do it how Jesus does because I want to have influence over people and not, I want to, I want to help them to know God. I want God to entrust some of his true riches in, in the people. I want him to be able to say, Jaron, you're able to help these people like you, you're able to, your character is such that you can help them or your, your desire. You're just, you're a good steward with the little I've given you. So of course I'll give you more. Um, I really want to do that. And so that's been, uh, that probably overall the things of motivation wise, like that is, that's my motivation for money stuff. I just, I, the other stuff is great, but I don't know if I have the character for it, for just to do it because, um, but, but this and understanding that it has massive impact, like forever has been a great motivator for me. Um, and then, uh, you know, Matthew six, we, again, we know this scripture as well. Um, it says, how can, uh, it says no one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You can not serve both God and money. Jesus, uh, Jesus makes it, makes it clear that our, the way that we, you know, we can't serve God and money. And I believe in all of our hearts, we would say, of course we serve God over money. The question is, would somebody else say that if they had to, if you gave him the snapshot of your life, uh, and you said, okay, you can just impress them. You could like, you could put a little flash drive or what do you know? And they could just see, okay, this is what's going on in Sharon's life. This is what's going on in his mind. You know, as when he said, oh, he serves God. And we say, you know, he's like, he serves God over money for sure. Um, and I, I, I think that has to be a question that we ask ourselves. Like if you, if you, you know, we're, we're biased because we love ourselves. Um, if somebody could see your life, would they say that you serve God over money or money over God? The, um, the joy of all of this is, uh, is that there's, this is, uh, we're just, we're just, we're talking in circles of Jesus didn't die on the cross. Like that's, that's really the, the joy of all of this. And I said it last time, but I'll say it again, that Jesus, Jesus has done all this on the highest level. You know, even as he's talking to the rich young ruler, um, Jesus was the richest, like he, he gave up his, his riches, right. Uh, he was 31 years old and that's, that's old to some of us, but, um, but it's not old to me anymore. Um, you know, I'm, I'm 30, I'm 32. So, uh, you know, um, and he was a ruler and he gave up all of that, uh, in an effort to give us the opportunity to know Jesus, to know his father, um, and to have this perfect relationship that he and his father have, um, he decided to give up his, uh, gave up his wealth to give the status. Um, he, he gave up his ability even to connect with his father on the cross. Like, why have you forsaken me? Like he even gave that up. Uh, he gave freely and he did it so that you and I could, uh, could have the opportunity to know him and love him. And if that's our motivation and if our motivation is on, um, to be great stewards, uh, I just, I know God's going to bless it. I know he's going to continue to bless this, this church and give, let there be more people who want to learn and want to know, and there's so many people in Kalamazoo who want to learn and who want to know, and I think God's like, Hey, where am I going to put them? And he's like, I got a few here and I'm going to send a few over there and I'm going to, and I don't know how the allotment works, but I just want more allotment, you know, like I, I don't know. Again, I, whatever this means, again, we're, we're speaking in human terms, but I'm like, God, give us more allotment. Like we're going to, we'll figure it out. Wherever you're going to send people, like let us get some people, uh, in, in order to, to, to grow this family. Um, I believe money plays a massive role in, in that though. Amen. Awesome. Let's pray and then we'll be dismissed. Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Amen. Yes. Pray. Dear God, Lord, um, God, we don't know why you do. Uh, we don't know why you do the things you do. We don't know. Um, we, we don't know all of, uh, all, all of the plans you have. We don't know the intricacies of your plan. We see just a faint little bit of it through a pinhole Lord. And, um, the, the part that we're seeing in Florida, Lord, it's just, it's terrifying and it's scary and it's like, it's, uh, it's sad and it's, you know, there's, there's just so much, God, I want to pray for your hands to be on all of the people, Lord, I pray that this will be, um, this will lead more people to you, father, I pray that more people will, uh, will, will be prompted to love how you love Lord. More people will be drawn to you through, um, through this massive storm. God, I want to pray that, um, you know, it feels, uh, foolish to pray for no casualties, Lord, I pray that you'll minimize the casual casualties, Lord. I pray that, um, Lord, I just want to pray for people, uh, God, that they'll even get right if they're on their way. Uh, you know, if you're going to call their name tonight, I pray they get right before that father. Uh, Lord, we, we are so grateful for your plan. We're so grateful for your love. We're so grateful that you consider us worthy to, uh, to entrust us with all that you've entrusted to us. God, I pray that we'll be great stewards of it. I pray that our reliance and faith on you will only grow father. We love you so much. Jesus is in your name that we pray. Amen. Awesome. Uh, you guys are dismissed. I think by tonight this will be uploaded on, um, on Spotify. Thank you so much for listening to the Kalamazoo church of Christ podcast. If you're in the Kalamazoo area, we'd love to get connected. Please go to kalamazoo.church and fill in your information to come to a Sunday service or any other event that we have going on in any case, you'll be hearing from us next week.