Sermon Central
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True Wealth Series
Contributed by Lalachan Abraham on Mar 21, 2020 (message contributor)
Summary: What are the true riches of life? What does it really mean to be a wealthy person?
What are the true riches of life? What does it really mean to be a wealthy person? In 2 Corinthians 6:10, Paul says, “I have nothing yet possess all things.” Clearly, true wealth in life is not financial wealth. In Proverbs, we are told that having a good name is of more value than great riches. (Proverbs 22; 1)
In Proverbs 3:13-14 are told that wisdom and understanding are of more profit than silver and gold and that nothing we desire can compare with it.
However, the apostle Paul says there is one thing that is of greater value than everything else. He says: “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ. “(Philippians 3:8)
A preoccupation with anything that takes precedence over God and spiritual values is wrong for a follower of Christ. Jesus said, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” (Mathew 22:37) If we have any sort of preoccupation or obsession with anything above our love for Christ, we are displeasing God. So, what does it mean to be rich toward God?
Paul tells us that Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God. —Rather, we are to “be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share” (1 Timothy 6:17-18). The foundation of our wealth is walking through life with Jesus, and knowing that we have eternal life.
If our material possessions are in the way of us loving God with all our hearts and reflecting Him to others, then we should put away our possessions or whatever else is causing our idolatry. As a person of faith, our God may bless us with wealth, but all things ultimately belong to Him and thus should be used to glorify Him.
Anything you love more, fear more, serve more, or value more than God is your idol. Find true wealth by putting God first in our life. Give all things to Him. Don’t put our trust in worldly wealth. C. S. Lewis once said, “All that is not of eternal use, is eternally useless.” The driving force for accumulating true wealth is to advance God’s kingdom.