Proverbs 23:1-9
God doesn’t want us working our entire life so that we can gain possessions and riches. According to the world, the most successful men and women are the ones with the most money, power, riches, and possessions.
The measure of success in this world is money and power. That is not God’s measure of success. The world teaches you to work to get rich. Get rich quick. God doesn’t. As normal, the truth in God’s word is opposite to the truth in this world.
Proverbs 23:4-5
Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. 5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
WARNING: Do Not Labor to be Rich
God is telling you right now. Do not labor out there to be rich. Cease from thine own wisdom. You think it’s good to get more and more riches and money so you can buy more things. You think this will make you happy. You work all your life. You get rich. And you’re never happy. God is telling you this today so that doesn’t happen to you.
“Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not?” What does that mean right there in verse 5?
Are you going to set your eyes upon these things to want these things that aren’t even alive? Riches, money, power. They aren’t alive. Money is paper. It burns. It goes away.
“For riches certainly makes themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.” Riches on this earth go away. Why would you labor day in and day out over and over again for them so you can get more and be rich? They fly away as an eagle toward heaven, and you aren’t getting them back.
Is it a sin to labor for riches? Yes, it is a sin. That’s a commandment right there. Labor not to be rich. Don’t work to be rich.
Proverbs 28:20
A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.
Here’s the answer to what you should do. A faithful man shall abound with blessings. But he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. Not innocent. It’s sin.
Many husbands think they have to get their wives whatever they want. Wrong. The TV tells you this trash. I’ve had a woman tell me over 20 years ago that I wasn’t a real man if I didn’t buy my wife, Pam, a new couch because she wanted a new couch.
You Don’t Need New Things All The Time
Did we already have a couch? Yes we did. Did it work. Yes it did. It was a good couch. I don’t have to get my wife a new couch because she wants something new. God doesn’t even say we need a couch. A couch is nice to have, but we don’t need one.
And I’ll tell you if more people didn’t have couches, there would be fewer problems in this world. Get up off the couch and do something.
The Bible tells all of us to be content with food and clothing. It doesn’t say be content when your husband gets you whatever you want. That’s too bad. You don’t get a new couch. I didn’t have the money to buy a new couch. No couch. And my wife is still alive. And she’s happy. She doesn’t even remember that she didn’t get a new couch. The other woman cared. Pam didn’t.
I’m not working my life to get my wife a mansion, an expensive car, a hot tub outside, a heated pool, a yacht, expensive jewelry, expensive clothes, and 12 bathrooms in the house. “Look at us. We have 12 bathrooms.” Who cares? You don’t need 12 bathrooms. I’m happy with one bathroom. Very happy with one bathroom. Many people don’t have one.
Do you know what I’ll do instead? I will be a faithful man that abounds with blessings.
Now that Jesus saved me. He gave his life for me. I didn’t deserve it. He died for me. He paid for all my sins. He gave me everlasting life because I believed in Him. Now, I am going to be faithful to Jesus Christ. I’m going to do what He asked me to do and it has nothing to do with working to gain riches.
Husbands Provide For Your Wife and Children
God commands me to provide for my wife and my children. I will go to work to provide for them. I will go to work to give my tithe, one tenth of everything I make, to God Almighty. I will provide my wife and children with food, water, clothing, and a home to give them shelter. Anything else I am able to provide them with is a great blessing from God.
And He has given us those blessings because we are faithful to him.
John 6:26-27
Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
People sought after Jesus because he gave them food to eat. And they were filled. They were full. It’s great to have a good meal and a full belly.
But, Jesus, watch closely, what he says there: “Labour not for the meat which perisheth.” Don’t labor for things that perish. Instead, Jesus commands us to labour for that meat which endures unto everlasting life. Labor for Jesus Christ. Don’t labor for all those other things.
“Well, I need more and more things.” No you don’t. “I need a bigger house. I need a better house. I need a new car. I need a new kitchen. I need this. I need that. I want this. I want that.”
Jesus says, “NO, YOU DON’T.” Instead of working for those things, Jesus is telling us to work for the things of God. Wanting more and more possessions is not of God.
Be Godly and Be Content
1 Timothy 6:6
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
Godliness with contentment is great gain. The world says more money is great gain. God says that godliness with contentment is great gain. Believe in God. Believe in Jesus Christ. Follow the commandments of God. Follow Jesus Christ. And be content or satisfied with what you have. That is great gain. Next verse.
1 Timothy 6:7
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
The new car you want so bad will be in a junk yard one day doing nothing for you. It’s a big chunk of metal, electronics, and plastic. The newness wears off. The car gives you trouble. The car gets junked. You aren’t taking it with you.
1 Timothy 6:8
And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
Be satisfied with food and clothing. Not TV’s. Not video game consoles. “Well, I’m not happy unless I have the newest video games.” Then you’re sinning. That’s a commandment from God. Do you have food? Do you have clothing? Be satisfied. Be content. Be happy.
If you can’t be happy with that, watch what God says next.
1 Timothy 6:9
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.
If you won’t go after godliness with contentment and ignore God’s counsel in your life, you will go down the wrong path. They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare. It’s a trap. You won’t find happiness. You will instead find many foolish and hurtful lusts. These lusts will drown you in destruction and perdition. This means COMPLETE LOSS, ruin, destruction.
If you learn this now, you’ll avoid all of that in the future.
If you lust after things, and this could be food, you will fall into temptation and a snare. Foolish and hurtful lusts. Some people love expensive food. They love money so they can buy expensive food. This will hurt you.
1 Timothy 6:10
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.
When you go after money and riches, you work hard for them. But this doesn’t mean that hard work is good work. If you’re working hard for riches, you’re sinning. The love of money is the root of all evil.
Do Most People Go After Money and Riches?
So, will most people go after money? Yes. It is the root of all evil, and we all do evil. Where does it begin? The love of money. Money isn’t evil. The love of money is the root of all evil. Covet after money. You err from the faith. You’re making a big mistake.
You pierce yourself through with many sorrows. You will be sorry. You will lose everything.
What should you do instead? The Bible tells you directly and specifically what to do instead.
1 Timothy 6:11-12
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
Flee the love of money. Don’t get anywhere near that in your life. If you ever find yourself working towards that, stop immediately. It’s a good thing to work hard to support your family, but don’t work to be rich.
Instead, put God first in your life. Even on work days, put God first that day. Get up. Pray. Read your Bible. As you drive to work or ride to work, listen to the Bible. Witness to people whenever and wherever you can during your work day. At lunch, read your Bible. On the way home, listen to the Bible. Pray all day. Sing spiritual songs.
Follow after righteousness. Follow God’s commandments. Have faith in God. When you have trouble, know that God will bring you through. Have love by following God’s commandments. Do good to God, to others, and to yourself. Be patient with people.
You didn’t always have everything right. Give people time to get things right. Have patience. Have mercy. Be meek. This means to be humble. Be submissive to God’s will. Be opposed to pride and arrogance. Don’t think you’re something special. You aren’t God’s gift to humanity. Jesus Christ is God’s gift to the world.
Instead of working hard for money, God says to fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life. How do you do that?
Get Out There On The Front Lines of the Fight
To fight the good fight of faith, you want to be on the front lines of the spiritual battles. You want to fight for eternal life for others. You already have it. This church is where that fight of good faith begins in your life. Get here. We train you up to be a soldier of Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 2:1-4
Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
If you’re hearing this today, God has chosen you to be a soldier for Jesus Christ. He has called you the Bible says.
Fight the good fight of faith. Get to church. Go out preaching the Gospel with us. That is the fight God wants you to fight. Preach the Gospel. You can do this. It might seem like some very difficult task at first. It’s not. You can do this. We need you.
Instead of fighting for money, fight the fight for the eternal souls of the people out there. They need you. You don’t need more things to take care of like a bigger house with a perfect yard full of grass. You don’t need a huge deck on the back of your home. It’s just more to care for and it’s all dead. It’s just wood.
There are people that need to be saved from death and hell. Wake up. Hear what I’m saying. There’s a man down the road headed for hell. Go get him saved forever.
There’s a woman down the road headed for hell. Go to her. Tell her how to be saved. Persuade her to listen. Use the Scriptures. Know the Scriptures. Study the Scriptures. Work for God. Fight for the people. Change this world through the word of God. Fight as a soldier of Jesus Christ. Endure hardness. Things will get hard. Go right through them. Endure those things.
Don’t be greedy. Don’t get caught up in the affairs of this life. Get caught up in the work of Jesus.
1 Timothy 6:17-19
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Do Not Trust in Riches as They Aren’t Alive
Don’t be high minded. Do not trust in riches or possessions or money. Instead, put your trust in the living God. He’s alive. All those other things are not alive. God gives us RICHLY all things to enjoy. Enjoy what God gives you.
But instead of looking for riches, do good. Be rich in good works. That’s why we’re here. We’re here to help you to do those good works. Be ready to distribute. That’s why we’re here. We distribute things to people. We give the Gospel. We give the word of God. We give prayer. We give worship and praise. We give food. We give clothing. Work with us. We’re doing God’s work.
We are willing to communicate. We go out on the streets and we communicate with people. We take the word of God to them. And God will do great things in the lives of those people. I am 100% certain that will happen. I’ve already been seeing it happen.
And because we’re doing God’s work, God is pleased with us. He works all things together for good for us. You want to be a part of this church. God will be pleased with you.
I want to show you some more Scriptures that teach us even more about not working to get rich. These are all warnings from God in many different ways.
Deuteronomy 17:16-17
But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. 17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
Hey, you’re being raised in a good church teaching you the right things. Don’t ignore the Bible. Don’t return to Egypt. Don’t go after riches. Don’t multiply wives, silver, gold, and possessions to yourself. This was all the way back in Deuteronomy.
Do The Work of God Versus Working for Riches of This World
When you do the work of God instead of working for riches, you are earning way more with God. You have eternal life. You will live forever. Don’t try to waste your time earning the riches of this world. Focus on the treasures above. Focus on getting others everlasting life. Focus on teaching others these things.
Matthew 6:19-21
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
If you don’t have the desire to go out and win souls to Jesus Christ, you need to get your heart right. If you want treasure on this earth, you aren’t yet understanding. That’s why I’m here. I am here to get you to understand.
Riches on this earth don’t last. They can rust, break down, get destroyed, and be stolen. Thieves are everywhere on this earth. There are no thieves stealing in heaven. So, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. God pays you for the work you do for him. He’s the best at paying you.
Store Up Treasures in Heaven
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Is your heart for the things of heaven? For everlasting life for others? Or for yourself? If it’s for riches in this life, it’s for yourself. You need to get that fixed right now.
If you haven’t been out preaching the Gospel, let’s get that fixed. Let’s get you ready to go.
Luke 12:21
So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
God has been very rich towards you. He’s given you everything. I don’t even know how I got here. I know God did it all. I don’t deserve to be here. I deserve to be in hell. God did everything for me. He’s done so much for me.
He gave me this life I’m living, an amazing Savior, an amazing God, an amazing wife, amazing children, amazing family, amazing friends, an amazing church, an amazing sending church, an amazing sending Pastor, amazing families here serving with me, an amazing Savior, everlasting life, an amazing job, and plenty of money to pay for what we need.
Why would I not do what He’s asked me to do? He’s so good to me. He first loved me. And now I am going to love Him with everything I’ve got.
Lord, what do you need me to do?
He told me to go out there and preach the Gospel. That I will do. He told me to lead this church. That I will do. He told me to lead my family. That I will do. He told me love all of you. That I will do. He told me to do good to all of you. That I will do.
I will not go after riches. I will not go after possessions. I will not go after the things of this world.
I will go after the kingdom of God. I will go after eternal life. I will take hold on eternal life. I will realize what’s important. I will not lay up treasure for myself. I will lay up treasure in heaven.
Be Rich Toward God Because He Has Been Rich Unto You
I will be rich toward God because He has absolutely been rich unto me. I love Him.
And I highly recommend you follow me in this. Let’s get this done for God who has been absolutely rich in absolutely everything to us. Let’s do this together. We are one here at this church with Jesus Christ the head of this church. I’m going to follow Jesus. Please join me.
Put away the lusts. Put away the riches. Don’t work to be rich. Work for God. It’s the best work. It’s the best job in existence.
Let’s pray.
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