Pastor Ben shared about the parable of the rich man in Matthew 19:16 -28. Why did Jesus tell the rich man to sell all he has to give to the poor? While selling all he had was not the prerequisite for eternal life, it was a challenge for the rich man to consider if he was willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of Christ. Are we willing to sacrifice everything for Christ? In Luke 12:21, the fool is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.
He shared from 1 Timothy 6:17-19: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
1. Guard against the dangers of wealth (vs 17) – In Matthew 19, Jesus was trying to cure the rich man of his affection for earthly things.
- We often associate wealth with worth - “not to be arrogant”
It is an issue of pride when we have an inflated feeling of superiority or inflated sense of our own hard work. Pastor Ben exhorted the congregation to humbly consider that the material wealth we have are blessings from God.
- We often depend on our bank accounts – “not put their hope in wealth”
“Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.” (Proverbs 23:5) – It is hard not to love money and it is hard to love God. We are encouraged to trust God and not His gifts.
- We can only be confident in God – God is the supplier of our needs, He is unchanging in His generosity and kindness as well as His love toward us.
2. Be Rich in Good Deeds and Generosity (vs 18)
- Mirror God’s care for us (2 Corinthians 9:8-11) - “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”
- Mirror God’s generosity to us.
We are encouraged to do good and be rich in good deeds. We are encouraged to do good and to do good works richly. We are encouraged to be generous and willing to share our gifts, talents and time. Pastor Ben shared that misers are miserable, and generous givers are happy. Hoarding is about a lack of trust in God. Excessive wealth is not good for anybody unless it is used for everybody.
3. Make Long-Term investments (vs 19)
- Store up treasure somewhere. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” – Matthew 6:19-20
- Pastor Ben shared the example of Nicholas Winton rescuing 669 Czechoslovakia Jewish children from the Nazi death camps in WWII in 1931 and he was reunited with them 50 years later with the help of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) after his wife found out about these children and how he had even further help them found adoption after their escape. Your Return on Investment (ROI) will be unbelievable – “life that is truly life”
Pastor Ben ended with 2 Corinthians 8:9 “ 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 through his poverty might become rich.” He shared that God is not calling us to give because the poor will suffer if we do not give. Rather, we ought to give because God wants to cure us of our affections and give us a heart of charity.
Discussion Questions
1. What do you often associate wealth with? How does exceptional wealth entrap? [10 min]
Leader’s Notes: This is a recap question on the sermon. Ask members what they think wealth is. What might be the root cause when one becomes ensnared by desiring wealth above other things? How do such influence our affection for God or cause us to be confident in earthly things?
2. Share about a time when you were blessed by someone’s generosity or you were generous to someone. How was that experience like for you? [10 min]
Leader’s Notes: This is a relate question. Members can share about how they were blessed and were inspired to give. They can also share about their struggles, breakthroughs and joys about being generous outside of their comfort zones if any. Where was God in their experience?
3. Read Luke 12: 22 - 34. What did you learn from reading this passage? How does knowing that He will supply all our needs enable us to mirror His generosity? [15 min]
Leader’s Notes: This is a reflect question for members on learning to lean on God’s sufficiency for all our needs. Ponder over God’s generous care towards us. How can we mirror His care towards others? How can we “put our hope in God” – to trust Him and bless others, without seeking Him to go after His provision/gifts?
4. What is one life application you would like to start or continue to be rich towards God? What is one practical way to know that you are doing this? [10 min]
Leader’s Notes: A response question for members to share on how they want to be rich towards God. Members can take this time to keep each other in prayer and check accountability with one another.
