NOT A BUSINESS
1. If you use the internet may you heard about or seen some untrue information.
2. Bill Gates (the rich computer guy) is supposedly making plans to buy the Catholic church.
3. He has just finalized all the arrangements with the Pope.
4. Vatican City will be Microsoft’s new headquarters.
5. Gates will make religious software, and have a controlling interest in the affairs of Catholicism.
6. Priests will be hearing “on-line” confessions and Catholics can get communion in their homes.
WHILE THIS INTERNET TALE IS TOTALLY FALSE, IT DOES REMIND US OF SOMETHING THAT WE OFTEN SEE IN THE WORLD:
a) Throughout time there has been a connection between religion and money.
b) When I use the word money, I do not have in mind the kind of giving described by God.
c) I have in mind schemes or some type of business.
d) Even Simon saw some type of connection in Acts 8.
2) What we see in our society is the commercialization of Christianity.
3) One author described it as “The greening of the gospel.”
4) The man who came up with this title related an interesting experience.
a) In 1981 he wrote to 100 of the most popular tv preachers and asked for specific information.
b) He wanted these 100 ministries to send three things:
c) A financial statement, a doctrinal statement, and indicate if donations were tax deductible.
5) He related that only a few financial statements were given and even fewer doctrinal statements came.
6) What he requested didn’t come, and what he didn’t ask for did show up (in abundance).
7) He said he got so much mail from the people he wrote to, it wouldn’t all fit in his mailbox.
8) One of his neighbors finally asked if he was running a business from his house.
9) When t.v. preachers go this man’s name and address, they flooded him with mail.
10) After going
through the various pieces of mail, he reached this conclusion:
“The essential purpose of these ministries was to raise funds, not edify,
educate, or convert to Christ.”
11) It is only the t.v. preachers that make money with religion.
12) There are some interesting credit cards on the market.
13) I recently saw a bank card that reduces will reduce your mortgage payment.
14) 1% of every dollar you spend will be applied to a person’s mortgage principle.
15) A credit card you may not have heard about is the “Jesus Master Card.”
16) On the card I saw described, there is an image of 3 empty crosses.
17) Multiple attempts have been made to join together money and religion.
18) A common approach today is that Christianity is a way to get rich.
19) I want to share with you something I heard just a few days ago.
20) A man was given recently featured on a well known program because he had written a book.
21) This author said, “people are giving and giving to God, but they are not getting much back from Him.”
22) People “are not getting because they are not telling God what they want.”
23) If people would only specify what they would want on their check, God would give it to them.
24) He based his “revelation” upon 2 Kgs. 4:8f.
a) By this time Elijah was out of the picture.
b) Attention is now focused upon Elisha.
c) Elisha sometimes stopped at a certain family’s house and shared a meal with them.
d) The wife in this household had a little talk with her husband – verse 10 – READ.
25) If someone made up a little motel-like room for us for free, we would probably use it.
26) This is exactly what God’s prophet did.
27) We would surely appreciate something like this, and God’s prophet was grateful - verse 13 – READ.
28) Elisha wanted to know how he could repay this woman’s kindness.
29) Could he put in a good word for her with the king or the local military leader?
30) The wife said those things were unnecessary.
31) The author I mentioned said, “Notice how she was living.”
32) “She was giving and giving, but she was not asking for anything.”
33) Because she had not asked, she had not received.
WE HAVE A WORLD FULL OF PEOPLE WHO RUN AROUND THINKING THAT IF THEY ARE RELIGIOUS, GOD IS GOING TO MAKE THE WORLD FALL DOWN AT THEIR FEET AND THEY WILL HAVE AND ALMOST ENDLESS SUPPLY OF RICHES AND FUN. ALL WE NEED TO DO IS GIVE AND THEN ASK.
a) Sometimes God’s people do have wealth, power, and everything else life has to offer.
b) For everyone that has this kind of life, I can show you are hundred who do not have it.
c) Tonight we want to look at some great Bible characters who were poor.
2) We want to consider righteous people who were not among the elite and powerful.
3) Our first two examples are women, and they come from the opening chapter in Ruth.
4) Some background information about this book is useful.
5) There was an area that was facing hard times—a famine had come upon the land.
6) There was a family living in Bethlehem that had to move because food was scarce.
7) A man decided that he would take his family to Moab, a place about 50 miles east of the Dead Sea.
8) This man was married to a woman named “Naomi.”
a) Sometime after the family reached Moab, the husband died.
b) Things were bad at home because of the famine and in the new land, tragedy struck.
c) Though her husband and passed away, the wife had two boys; these two children got married.
d) Some times passed, and guess what? Her two sons also died.
9) Naomi finally headed back to her former place of abode, and one of the daughter-in-laws is with her.
10) As she returns, people think they recognize her – Ruth 1:19 – READ.
11) Here is Naomi’s response – verses 20-21 – READ.
12) Here were two righteous women—people who had God’s approval, but they didn’t do very well.
13) Money grabbing preachers say “put in your check, name your desire, and claim it.”
14) Here were two righteous women who lived righteously before God but they suffered terribly.
15) Things did improve at least for Ruth, but that is not what is stressed in this book.
16) A second instance of what is being described is found in the life of David.
a) When we think of David we initially think his life was wonderful.
b) He had power, money, authority, and all kinds of people under him.
c) Let’s take a look at the early years.
d) David was a young man who pleased God. He was a man after God’s own heart.
e) During this time did God heap all the pleasures of the world upon him?
17) 1 Sam. 18:23 has David saying he was “poor” and “lightly esteemed.”
18) What if a Christian today said those words?
19) What if someone said, “I am poor and people don’t think very much of me”?
20) Many would look at such a person and say, “If you really loved and served God things would be different.”
21) “God would bless you in the ways of the world.”
22) That was not the case for a man who was a man after God’s own heart, 1 Sam. 13:14.
23) If these Old Testament stories are not enough, we can turn back to 2 Kgs. 4.
a) There were other prophets in Israel besides Elisha.
b) One of these prophets was married.
c) From 2 Kgs. 4:1 we learn that one of the ancient prophet was in debt. He owed people some money.
d) We are not told how much he owed, but it must have been more than a little.
e) Here is what the first verse says – READ.
24) Enough debt existed that the widow’s two sons were going to be taken for payment.
25) The deceased had been a righteous man, but his family was very poor.
26) These three examples show the fallacy of a “health and wealth” kind of faith.
27) One more example of this is worthy of consideration.
28) In the previous book (First Kings 18), we read about Elijah.
29) This prophet also interacted with rightoeus people who were poor.
30) 1 Kgs. 17:9 says God informed Elijah to go and stay with a widow.
a) The prophet arrived at the house and asked for some water.
b) Then he asked for some food – verses 10-11.
c) We may not have a lot of food in our house, but we probably have at least something.
d) I think everyone here has at least one or two cans of soup.
31) What about this woman? She was righteous and good. What were her circumstances?
32)
Verse 12 – READ.
33) Health and wealth preachers and those who follow them insult these righteous people from the Old Testament.
TO THESE EXAMPLES SOMEONE MIGHT SAY, “LOOK AT WHERE THEY WERE IN THE BIBLICAL TIMELINE. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT NEW TESTAMENT TIMES.”
a) Okay, let’s see if the health and wealth theory holds up in our New Testament books.
b) Jesus described two men in Lk. 16.
c) Both of these men died, but they went to two separate places.
d) The one fellow went to a place of punishment, and the other was blessed.
e) According to the Lord, one of these men was very rich and the other was a beggar.
2) In today’s religious world, the thinking is this:
3) Righteous people are blessed in every way, especially with wealth and secular goods.
4) What do we find in Luke 16?
5) The righteous man was poor. He was so poor he had to beg for crumbs.
6) The unsaved man was the one who had the wealth.
7) What Jesus said is in complete contrast to what many are now preaching.
a) Consider too the lady who made a contribution to the temple treasury, Mk. 12:41-44.
b) This woman didn’t give much when compared to the contributions made by others.
c) She gave a couple of cents; she was a righteous woman who had God’s approval.
d) Yet, how much of a portfolio did she have?
e) Jesus said her few cents was all her wealth.
f) Here is a New Testament example of a righteous person who was extremely poor.
8) In a desperate attempt to preserve a false doctrine, some might say, “go beyond the cross.”
9) “It was after the resurrection that Christians started getting blessed.”
10) Oh really? Listen to Rom. 15:25-26.
11) A collection was being taken for Christians in Jerusalem.
12) Why was a collection being taken? There were Christians who were poor.
13) We need to stand up and tell people that being a Christian does not mean God will make us rich.
14) There have been lots of righteous people who were very, very poor.
15) People were poor before the cross, during Jesus’ life, and after the resurrection.
16) Health and wealth teaching puts all the emphasis on this life.
17) Anyone who knows anything about Christianity knows the stress is not in the here and now.
18) God’s word stresses eternity, and our being ready for an everlasting home.
19) Tonight we hope that home is of interest to you.