Summer Quest has arrived! Adelle began our summer series on “Disputable Matters” based up Romans 14. Paul explains that there are salvation issues in our faith that are definable as having one true answer. In other words, there are some basic foundational matters which Christian should not allow differing opionions. One Truth sort of thing.
But then there are all these “disputable matters” that we can agree to disagree with as Christians, and that’s okay. You can make two or more arguments using the Bible meaning there is perhaps more than one “right way.” Unfortunately, most of us don’t understand that these “disputable matters” are permitted. It’s okay to walk away from a discussion believing two different things, as long as they are based on Scripture. The disagreements that often divide Christians, create bitterness, and discourage discussion can be transformed into intellectually stimulating conversations that strengthen our beliefs when done in love.
This past Wednesday, I spoke on the two Christian views of wealth. As in, “It’s good to be poor” and “It’s good to be rich.” After presenting both sides equally based on Scripture, I can see that there are in fact, disputable matters. It is a personal calling from God whether or not you have or do not have money. As long as you love the Lord more than your money and you would willingly give it up, I cannot say that being rich is wrong. If you feel more free to give away love when you have nothing else to give, then go be poor. The Lord has gently turned me away from judgement and taught me how to disagree and agree based in love. My talk went a little like this…
Hot Topic: Wealth
How should a Christian view wealth? Is God for rich or for poor?
At first glance, the Bible seems to teach that wealth is wrong for Christians and in fact, even seems to condemn the wealthy. After all, both Jesus and the Old Testament prophets preached against materialism and seemed to say at times that true believers cannot possess wealth. But if that’s ture, all of us sitting at our computers are in the wrong because we are all wealthy by New Testament standards.
But no, the Bible is much more complex than that. Daniel served as a legal secretary in a pagan administration and no doubt lived an upper-middle class lifestyle. Ezekiel lived outside the city in what might have been considered a middle-class lifestyle. Jeremiah certainly lived a lower-class lifestyle.
So which prophet best honored God with his lifestyle? The question seems ridiculous. Each man honored God and followed God’s leading in his life. So what is our own view on the true Christian lifestyle?
CAMP A: SELL EVERYTHING…AND FOLLOW ME “Being Poor is good”
Claiborne argues that it’s easy to see these notions of selling everything and living among the poor as spectacular because the world we live in has lost its imagination. This was normal in the early church.
Wealth → Sin
1. Wealth has negative effects, which can cause us to sin. Proverbs 28:11 and Jeremiah 9:23 warn us that wealth often leads to pride and arrogance. Wealth also tempts us to forget about God because we no longer have to look to God for our basic provisions.
2. Having things is dangerous because having a preoccupation, obsession or fascination with anything other than God is sinful and is displeasing to God. We are to “love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deut. 6:5). Therefore, God is the only thing that we can and should occupy ourselves with habitually. He alone is worthy of our complete attention, love and service.
3. The early Christians said that if a child starves while a Christian has extra food, then the Christian is guilty of murder.
Wealth → Discontentment
1. Luke 16:13 – “we cannot serve both God and money.” We must seek to be content with what we have and wealth and materialism are the exact opposite of that contentment.
a. If you’ve ever been to a 3rd world country, you’d know that the kids there are beyond happy.
2. When we concern ourselves with the material world, we are easily drawn in by the “deceit of riches” (Mark 4:19), thinking that we will be happy or fulfilled or content if only we had more of whatever it is we are chasing.
3. Ecc 5:10 – “He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver.” Solomon – was the riches king the world has ever known. He had absolutely everything and had more of it than anyone. Yet he found it all was worthless and meaningless.
4. Luke 12:15 – “life is not in the abundance of things which he possess.”
Poor → Genuine Relationships
1. Claiborne: “servant hood is a fine place to begin. But gradually we move toward mutual love, genuine relationships. Someday, we can perhaps even say those words that Ruth said to Naomi after years of partnership: “Where you go I go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.” Ruth 1:16-17
Poor → True Peace and Love
2. Claiborne also said that it wasn’t until he was leaving India and had given away everything, even his secret stash of Gatorade and emergency cash, did he feel completely at peace. Now all he had left to give was pure love.
3. Mark 10:21 – Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
CAMP B: COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS BUT YOU CAN KEEP THEM “Being Rich is good.”
Poor → More Poor
1. Some argue that the cause of poor people is poor people. Meaning one who grows up poor will have a hard time not being poor also. Because of this, wealthy Christians are to use their gifts and abilities to help those caught in the cycle of poverty. A combo of money and time spent with the poor can also provide opportunities for evangelism.
Poor → Detached from Wealthy
1. Poor people cannot easily evangelize to the wealthy. Culture does not allow it. If all Christians were poor, it would alienate all wealthy people.
Wealth → Blessing from God
1. Wealth itself is never condemned. Gen 13:2 – Abraham had great wealth.
2. When wealthy people were condemned, they were condemned for the means by which their riches were obtained, NOT the riches themselves. OT prophet Amos spoke against the injustice of obtaining wealth through oppression or fraud (Amos 4:11, 5:11). Amos is not condemning wealth per se, only the unjust means by which it is sometimes achieved.
3. Wealth is seen as evidence of God’s blessing. (Deut 8:28, Prov 22:2, Ecc. 5:19) There are many times in the Old Testament that God gave riches to his people. Jacob (Genesis 31:16), the tribe of Manasseh (Joshua 22:8), Solomon was promised riches and became the wealthiest of all the kings on the earth (1 King 3:11-13, 2 Chron 9:22).
a. God does not condemn anyone for having riches but he gives warnings to those that seek after them more than God and trust in them more than in God.
b. David in 1 Chronicles 29:12 – “Both riches and honor come from You and you will reign over all.”
Wealth → To be Enjoyed
1. 1 Tim 6:17 gives us a warning to the rich: “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, WHO GIVES US RICHLY ALL THINGS TO ENJOY.”
2. In Job, all his material possessions are taken away and then given back to him to be enjoyed.
Wealthy → Can Give to the Poor
1. Giving to the Poor: in Leviticus 19:9-10, the gleaning laws were made to help the poor. Farmers reaped their crops but left the corners of their fields unharvested and anything that fell to the ground was left for the poor.
a. If you take this as an example of our responsibility to give to the poor, you take what is yours and what you have worked for and give the leftovers and a little extra to those less fortunate.
Wealthy → Can Indeed Enter into the Kingdom
1. Jesus looked around and said to His disciples ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom!’ (Mark 10:23) Hard, yes but not impossible. Paul wrote, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13) Being rich is fine, as long as you trust and know Christ as Savior.
2. Materialism is wrong. Yes. Mark 10:21. Not actually saying that you have to sell everything. It’s saying that you cannot hold anything above God. This could easily apply to obsessions other than money. It is simply instructing those who have a love for money to proceed with real caution – do not hold money above God.
Questions for Discussion:
1. What were your views on wealth before ? What are they now?
a. Did they change or were they strengthened? In what ways?
2. Are you more afraid of being poor or being rich? Why?
3. Do you have any other verses that support your argument you’d like to share?
