Sunday, October 13, 2019
The Snare of Riches
CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP: ALL RESOURCES BELONG TO GOD
By Ezekiel Kimosop
Lead Texts: Job 41:11; Psalm 50:10-11; Haggai 2:8
ILLUSTRATION
The story is told of a Kenyan millionaire who was so wealthy that he would use five shilling banknotes in the late 1960s to blow his nose and throw them to the ground. He would then gleefully watch as people scrambled for the money. A five shilling note was a handsome sum in those days. It could purchase a full grown bull or an acre of land in some rural sections of the country.
As you laugh at this episode, please think about how you are using your resources…You may not be doing what this guy did but do you glorify God with your money?
INTRODUCTION/SERMON OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this sermon is to examine the biblical principles that govern our Christian stewardship on the management and application of earthly resources that God has placed at our disposal. In so doing, we shall study some selected Scripture passages that are relevant to this topic. We shall then draw moral lessons for our application of the biblical truths learnt.
It is my hope that these lessons will influence our worldview and inform our conduct as God’s people.
SCRIPTURES
Job 41:11 says “Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.”
Psalm 50:10-11 “For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.”
Haggai 2:8 “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the LORD of hosts.”
The above Scriptures are among some of the most explicit teachings of the Bible that affirm the sovereignty of God over all the resources of this world.
The truth is that all things, under the sun, land, money, and natural resources primarily belong to God. We are merely stewards of God over these resources.
The idea of Christian stewardship takes us back to Genesis 1:27-29 which says, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." 29 And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.
This stewardship was subject to God’s moral law which is taught in Scripture. It does not imply that man could simply apply these resources as he so wished. He was to prudently utilize and preserve these resources for the generations to come and for the glory of God.
ANALYSIS OF THE SCRIPTURE TEXTS
Job 41:11 says “Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.”
When God declares that there is no deity that preceded Him, He speaks of His eternity and sovereignty.
The second statement which says “everything on earth under heaven is mine” implies that God is exclusively possessed of all resources, all peoples, all knowledge, all inventions and technological innovations.
Job’s theology was influenced by these truths. During his darkest moments in Job 1:21-22, Job, who was a billionaire of his day, proclaimed: "…Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD."
This Scripture teaches that God has sovereign discretion to give and to take away; to assign resources, power and authority and to remove from power (Psalm 75:6-7). All the kings of the earth therefore serve at His divine pleasure!
Job acknowledged that he deserved nothing from God and that his large wealth was a gift from God. That is the attitude that informed his reaction to the tragedy that Satan visited upon him under God’s permissive will.
Modern millionaires and billionaires would possibly have committed suicide if they suffered the kind of catastrophic loss that Satan visited on Job.
In insurance terms, we would call this scale of loss a catastrophic and constructive total loss, from which nothing can be salvaged.
How many of us would bear a proportion of this kind of loss if God permitted it upon us?
THE THEOLOGY OF THE PATRIARCHS
Bible scholars identify the writing of the Book of Job as falling into the period of the patriarchs. Job's relationship with God was based on his personal worship of God in the same that Abraham's was. There was no collective or organized worship. Theology was therefore shaped by a personal experience with God.
Job's understanding of God is profound and is consistent with harmony of truths contained in the Bible. He understood about the sovereignty of God over human experience and His moral justification. of the righteous.
This theology did not contemplate the dimensions of truth taught in the New Testament Scripture where man's relationship with God was founded on grace alone and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Job was no doubt a pious religious man who was deeply committed to the worship of the one true God. The fact that he was able to stand out for his faith even after suffering great affliction demonstrates his moral integrity.
Job 1:20 describes Job’s godly reaction, saying, “Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.”
Job expressed his deep humility before God even as he mourned his tragic loss. He acknowledged the sovereignty of God by worshiping Him amidst his pain.
NEW TESTAMENT THEOLOGY
Job’s theology is affirmed by Paul in “1 Timothy 6:6-8 which says “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.”
This is not to suggest that believers should not pursue wealth and riches or that riches are ungodly. The moral here is that we should maintain modesty and godly attitude even in our riches or successes on earth.
LESSONS FROM THE VIENNA MARATHON
We were privileged yesterday to witness Eliud Kipchoge break the 2 hours barrier in the men's marathon in Vienna Austria after he clocked 1:59.40.2 becoming the first man on Earth to achieve this miraculous feat. He is the undisputed world champion and will possibly hold this record for a long time.
This achievement was definitely a gift from God. It took God's hand ✋ coupled with discipline and hard work to achieve it!
This does not however make him a superman of sorts. Eliud perfected his skills with utmost discipline. However, and contrary to his slogan, humans do have limits... God alone is omnipotent.
Eliud, like us, therefore owes it to God to handle his success and riches with godliness.
Sadly many successful Kenyan athletes have in the past been destroyed by the riches that come with their fame! They lacked godly moderation.
THE LOVE OF MONEY
Back to our passage...
The next Scripture of 1 Timothy 6:9-10 says “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
The Greek word “pluteo” for “rich” is here metaphorically used to refer to excess or abundance; resources of avarice that are beyond the needs of the greedy person.
Hurtful lusts are desires that drive one to what is forbidden while "perdition" means utter ruin or destruction from which one will not recover.
Again this does not suggest that riches are in themselves evil. The ungodly love of money here is at the centre of focus here.
There's nothing wrong with making billions as a Christian so long as we apply these resources in a manner that glories God.
ASAPH THE PSALMIST
Psalm 50:10-11 says “For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.”
This Psalm was written by a great worshipper called Asaph who was responsible for writing several Psalms in the Bible.
Psalm 50:10-11 is similar to Job 41:11 with the only difference being that it draws a distinction between domestic and natural resources being collectively and primarily God’s endowment.
Cattle was a prime livestock resource in ancient Middle Eastern cultures. The beasts of the forest and the birds of the mountains is a collective description of wildlife.
These resources are at the disposal of man yet God declares them as His. We are therefore accountable to God for the application of these resources. We are God’s stewards.
THE POST EXILIC VIEW
This is equally true of Haggai 2:8 which says “Haggai 2:8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts” (KJV).
Haggai speaks to a nation that was rebellious and had forsaken the work of the Lord.
God reminded the people that all the Earth's resources were primarily His and it was required of them to commit them to the reconstruction of the temple.
Thankfully, the people headed God and they received a pledge of God's blessings.
Again money is the most powerful tool at the disposal of man. It is used for good and evil today, yet God declares that financial resources are His.
Yes, money belongs to God and we should use our resources in a manner that brings glory to Him.
We should begin by recognizing His sovereignty and giving to Him in worship. We are to use these resources with prudence.
MORAL LESSONS FROM THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES
Since all resources primarily belong to God, how should we handle the blessings?
1) We should be grateful to God for what He has given to us and handle them with wisdom and godly fear. Never compare yourself with other people in envy.
2) We should trust God to supply our needs. The Bible reveals that God is loving will not overlook the needs of His children. Matthew 6:33 says "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
3) We should give to God through our support for church Ministry. When we give in church, we are primarily giving to God, not to the leadership.
4) We should apply our earthly resources in utmost moderation. The rich fool in Luke 12:13-21 was selfish, proud and self centered.
5) We should never love or worship money. Jesus warns us in Matthew 6:24 saying "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Mammon is the spirit behind the ungodly love of money. It seeks to be worshiped in the place of God.
6) God will hold us to account for the use or abuse of the resources He has given us. We should not destroy the natural resources, forests, etc. We should be faithful custodians of these resources in our generation.
7) Any scientific or technological inventions that are intended for the destruction of human life are evil and amount to abuse of God’s resources. These include nuclear bombs, reproduction techniques that are harmful, abortions, same sex marriages or relationships,
Many people complain to God that we do not have enough resources yet we abuse the little we have and withhold from God what is due from us.
When we neglect our obligations for ministry and expect God to bless us, we are deceiving ourselves. That won’t happen!
How many of us regularly and faithfully tithe to the church and support God's work?
The solution to touching the heart of God is to be faithful to Him with the little we have and He will give us increase.
Matthew 25:20-21 says “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' 21 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
Think about our indiscretions; our unfaithfulness, nay rebellion against God; not discerning Him in handling our resources…
BENEDICTION
Forgive us oh Lord for our disobedience, our pride; our greed and lack of concern; for our failing to heed your word where you have plainly spoken to us.
Help us to now obey you and to try you with our resources as you have challenged us in Malachi 3:8-12.
Help us to be discerning in all that we do so that you may be glorified in our lives.
Hymn...
O LORD MY GOD WHEN I IN AWESOME WONDER..
[These sermon notes were drawn from a sermon that the writer delivered at AIC Wilson Airport Nairobi on 13th October 2019]
By Ezekiel Kimosop
Lead Texts: Job 41:11; Psalm 50:10-11; Haggai 2:8
ILLUSTRATION
The story is told of a Kenyan millionaire who was so wealthy that he would use five shilling banknotes in the late 1960s to blow his nose and throw them to the ground. He would then gleefully watch as people scrambled for the money. A five shilling note was a handsome sum in those days. It could purchase a full grown bull or an acre of land in some rural sections of the country.
As you laugh at this episode, please think about how you are using your resources…You may not be doing what this guy did but do you glorify God with your money?
INTRODUCTION/SERMON OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this sermon is to examine the biblical principles that govern our Christian stewardship on the management and application of earthly resources that God has placed at our disposal. In so doing, we shall study some selected Scripture passages that are relevant to this topic. We shall then draw moral lessons for our application of the biblical truths learnt.
It is my hope that these lessons will influence our worldview and inform our conduct as God’s people.
SCRIPTURES
Job 41:11 says “Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.”
Psalm 50:10-11 “For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.”
Haggai 2:8 “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the LORD of hosts.”
The above Scriptures are among some of the most explicit teachings of the Bible that affirm the sovereignty of God over all the resources of this world.
The truth is that all things, under the sun, land, money, and natural resources primarily belong to God. We are merely stewards of God over these resources.
The idea of Christian stewardship takes us back to Genesis 1:27-29 which says, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." 29 And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.
This stewardship was subject to God’s moral law which is taught in Scripture. It does not imply that man could simply apply these resources as he so wished. He was to prudently utilize and preserve these resources for the generations to come and for the glory of God.
ANALYSIS OF THE SCRIPTURE TEXTS
Job 41:11 says “Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.”
When God declares that there is no deity that preceded Him, He speaks of His eternity and sovereignty.
The second statement which says “everything on earth under heaven is mine” implies that God is exclusively possessed of all resources, all peoples, all knowledge, all inventions and technological innovations.
Job’s theology was influenced by these truths. During his darkest moments in Job 1:21-22, Job, who was a billionaire of his day, proclaimed: "…Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD."
This Scripture teaches that God has sovereign discretion to give and to take away; to assign resources, power and authority and to remove from power (Psalm 75:6-7). All the kings of the earth therefore serve at His divine pleasure!
Job acknowledged that he deserved nothing from God and that his large wealth was a gift from God. That is the attitude that informed his reaction to the tragedy that Satan visited upon him under God’s permissive will.
Modern millionaires and billionaires would possibly have committed suicide if they suffered the kind of catastrophic loss that Satan visited on Job.
In insurance terms, we would call this scale of loss a catastrophic and constructive total loss, from which nothing can be salvaged.
How many of us would bear a proportion of this kind of loss if God permitted it upon us?
THE THEOLOGY OF THE PATRIARCHS
Bible scholars identify the writing of the Book of Job as falling into the period of the patriarchs. Job's relationship with God was based on his personal worship of God in the same that Abraham's was. There was no collective or organized worship. Theology was therefore shaped by a personal experience with God.
Job's understanding of God is profound and is consistent with harmony of truths contained in the Bible. He understood about the sovereignty of God over human experience and His moral justification. of the righteous.
This theology did not contemplate the dimensions of truth taught in the New Testament Scripture where man's relationship with God was founded on grace alone and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Job was no doubt a pious religious man who was deeply committed to the worship of the one true God. The fact that he was able to stand out for his faith even after suffering great affliction demonstrates his moral integrity.
Job 1:20 describes Job’s godly reaction, saying, “Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.”
Job expressed his deep humility before God even as he mourned his tragic loss. He acknowledged the sovereignty of God by worshiping Him amidst his pain.
NEW TESTAMENT THEOLOGY
Job’s theology is affirmed by Paul in “1 Timothy 6:6-8 which says “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.”
This is not to suggest that believers should not pursue wealth and riches or that riches are ungodly. The moral here is that we should maintain modesty and godly attitude even in our riches or successes on earth.
LESSONS FROM THE VIENNA MARATHON
We were privileged yesterday to witness Eliud Kipchoge break the 2 hours barrier in the men's marathon in Vienna Austria after he clocked 1:59.40.2 becoming the first man on Earth to achieve this miraculous feat. He is the undisputed world champion and will possibly hold this record for a long time.
This achievement was definitely a gift from God. It took God's hand ✋ coupled with discipline and hard work to achieve it!
This does not however make him a superman of sorts. Eliud perfected his skills with utmost discipline. However, and contrary to his slogan, humans do have limits... God alone is omnipotent.
Eliud, like us, therefore owes it to God to handle his success and riches with godliness.
Sadly many successful Kenyan athletes have in the past been destroyed by the riches that come with their fame! They lacked godly moderation.
THE LOVE OF MONEY
Back to our passage...
The next Scripture of 1 Timothy 6:9-10 says “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
The Greek word “pluteo” for “rich” is here metaphorically used to refer to excess or abundance; resources of avarice that are beyond the needs of the greedy person.
Hurtful lusts are desires that drive one to what is forbidden while "perdition" means utter ruin or destruction from which one will not recover.
Again this does not suggest that riches are in themselves evil. The ungodly love of money here is at the centre of focus here.
There's nothing wrong with making billions as a Christian so long as we apply these resources in a manner that glories God.
ASAPH THE PSALMIST
Psalm 50:10-11 says “For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.”
This Psalm was written by a great worshipper called Asaph who was responsible for writing several Psalms in the Bible.
Psalm 50:10-11 is similar to Job 41:11 with the only difference being that it draws a distinction between domestic and natural resources being collectively and primarily God’s endowment.
Cattle was a prime livestock resource in ancient Middle Eastern cultures. The beasts of the forest and the birds of the mountains is a collective description of wildlife.
These resources are at the disposal of man yet God declares them as His. We are therefore accountable to God for the application of these resources. We are God’s stewards.
THE POST EXILIC VIEW
This is equally true of Haggai 2:8 which says “Haggai 2:8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts” (KJV).
Haggai speaks to a nation that was rebellious and had forsaken the work of the Lord.
God reminded the people that all the Earth's resources were primarily His and it was required of them to commit them to the reconstruction of the temple.
Thankfully, the people headed God and they received a pledge of God's blessings.
Again money is the most powerful tool at the disposal of man. It is used for good and evil today, yet God declares that financial resources are His.
Yes, money belongs to God and we should use our resources in a manner that brings glory to Him.
We should begin by recognizing His sovereignty and giving to Him in worship. We are to use these resources with prudence.
MORAL LESSONS FROM THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES
Since all resources primarily belong to God, how should we handle the blessings?
1) We should be grateful to God for what He has given to us and handle them with wisdom and godly fear. Never compare yourself with other people in envy.
2) We should trust God to supply our needs. The Bible reveals that God is loving will not overlook the needs of His children. Matthew 6:33 says "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
3) We should give to God through our support for church Ministry. When we give in church, we are primarily giving to God, not to the leadership.
4) We should apply our earthly resources in utmost moderation. The rich fool in Luke 12:13-21 was selfish, proud and self centered.
5) We should never love or worship money. Jesus warns us in Matthew 6:24 saying "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Mammon is the spirit behind the ungodly love of money. It seeks to be worshiped in the place of God.
6) God will hold us to account for the use or abuse of the resources He has given us. We should not destroy the natural resources, forests, etc. We should be faithful custodians of these resources in our generation.
7) Any scientific or technological inventions that are intended for the destruction of human life are evil and amount to abuse of God’s resources. These include nuclear bombs, reproduction techniques that are harmful, abortions, same sex marriages or relationships,
Many people complain to God that we do not have enough resources yet we abuse the little we have and withhold from God what is due from us.
When we neglect our obligations for ministry and expect God to bless us, we are deceiving ourselves. That won’t happen!
How many of us regularly and faithfully tithe to the church and support God's work?
The solution to touching the heart of God is to be faithful to Him with the little we have and He will give us increase.
Matthew 25:20-21 says “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' 21 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
Think about our indiscretions; our unfaithfulness, nay rebellion against God; not discerning Him in handling our resources…
BENEDICTION
Forgive us oh Lord for our disobedience, our pride; our greed and lack of concern; for our failing to heed your word where you have plainly spoken to us.
Help us to now obey you and to try you with our resources as you have challenged us in Malachi 3:8-12.
Help us to be discerning in all that we do so that you may be glorified in our lives.
Hymn...
O LORD MY GOD WHEN I IN AWESOME WONDER..
[These sermon notes were drawn from a sermon that the writer delivered at AIC Wilson Airport Nairobi on 13th October 2019]
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