Skip to content 13. Simplify Your Possessions Sep 7 · 27 min ...more
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Rev. Paul Jeyachandran leads the Intentional Disciple Making Church (IDMC) Movement, which is all about calling churches back to its disciplemaking roots. Visit us at idmcmovement.com
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The Intoxication and Danger of Wealth 0:09 Shall we give the Lord a clap offering church? Hallelujah. It is always a joy and a privilege to bring God's word into your homes. As we study the word together today, I wanna talk about the0:21 subject of simplifying your possessions from Ecclesiastes chapter 5 verses 8 to verse 20. Now this is part 3 of our study on simplification of life,0:33 simplifying your possessions. Now Jesus spoke about money on various occasions. In fact, he spoke about money more than he did about heaven or hell or prayer0:46 or anything else. The reason is because money competes with your allegiance to God and it corrupts our discipleship. That's why in Matthew chapter 6, Jesus placed0:57 money and God side by side and he said, you have to choose which master you serve. You cannot serve God and money, the bible says.1:10 So money is something that you and I, we need to, we we know that people love money. We know that people want to have more of it. In fact, a son will sue his father for money.1:22 A woman will violate her body for money. You know, a man will be even willing to sell his soul for money, and 1 man would be even willing to kill another man for money. This money1:34 and wealth and possessions is something that is competing for your allegiance. So today, we wanna study about how do we simplify our life and what does that involve when it1:46 comes to simplifying our possessions. Go with me to Ecclesiastes chapter 5 and verse 8 to verse 20, Solomon, the wisest man, the richest man that ever lived,1:57 he addresses the issue of wealth, possessions, and money. In fact, chapter 5, he begins by addressing worship, then he he focuses attention on wealth.2:10 Again, putting side by side worship and wealth. Which master do you follow? Listen carefully. In chapter 5 verse 8 onwards, he speaks about 3 keys2:21 that you and I, we need to understand about wealth. The first 1 is the intoxication of acquiring wealth. Money corrupts the human hearts.2:34 Look at this. In verse 8, if you see in the province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter. He's asking2:46 you, if you visit a town, if you visit a village, and you see the poor are being oppressed. So at the grassroots levels in the government, people are being oppressed. Violence is being done to them.2:57 Injustice is being done to them. He says, don't be amazed at it. Why? Because for the high official is watched by a higher official, and there are yet higher ones over3:09 them. In other words, the corruption at the grass root level is an indication there is corruption all the way to the top. And then he says, but this is gained for a3:21 land in every way a king committed to cultivated fields. A king is committed to providing for his kingdom. Cultivate the fields. Tax the people. But this is for3:32 noble reason. But when it comes to the grass root level, when this is implemented, there is corruption. Corruption of bribery, corruption of oppression. And that is what Solomon says, at3:44 the highest level, people can be corrupted when money is involved. In my life, I've noticed all you have to do is just give people these 2 things, you will3:56 know their true character. What are those 2 things? Give people privilege and give people currency. Give them privilege and give them resources, then you will know their real heart and4:08 their real character. Then he goes on to say in verse 10 and verse 11, money doesn't truly satisfy. Look at this. And he who loves money will not4:20 be satisfied with money. If you love money, you will not be satisfied with no matter how much you have. Whether you have little or more, you would never be satisfied. Then he says, nor he who loves wealth4:32 with his income. If you love wealth and possessions, you will never be satisfied with your money. When goods increase, they increase who eat them and what advantage has4:44 they owner but to see them with his eyes. In other words, whatever whenever you have more, you will have more people gathered around you because they love the things that you can do for them. Not you, the things you can4:55 buy for them or do for them. In other words, this money, even though you have it, it doesn't satisfy. It corrupts your heart and it never truly satisfies. You know, a woman5:07 called the neighborhood churches, and she went through the phone directory calling 1 church at a time, and this is her request. She said, I have a pet dog who just passed away. I want this dog to be5:19 buried in a Christian funeral. Can someone do a funeral for my dog? And every church rejected her request. Finally, she was so exhausted. She called5:31 this Anglican church and she said to the priest, please, I would donate 10000 dollars to the church if you do my the dog's funeral. And the Anglican priest5:43 just paused for a second and said, hey, how come you didn't mention at first that your dog was Anglican? Listen, money corrupts. Now this is the key you and I,5:55 we need to understand. Number 2, the second key is the danger of holding wealth. You know, whenever we try to hold wealth, Jesus said this in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 19, that6:07 moth and rust will destroy, thieves will break in and steal. In other words, whenever you try to hold it, it is not only precarious, it's also perishable. It's perishable and precarious.6:19 That's what Jesus said. Here, Solomon writes the same thing. He says, you not only lose your money once, but you lose it twice. Look at this. Money holdeth to one's6:31 own hurt. This is what he's saying in verse 12. Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep. See, the6:43 rich will struggle to sleep. Why? Because they have so much hidden in secret places. They are worried about losing them. Look at this. There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the6:55 sun. Riches were kept by their owner to his herd. In those days, the rich people, they didn't have banks to store their wealth. So all their jewelry and all their precious7:07 things, they store it in the house in secret places. In other words, they create false walls. You know, they they would they would create hollow walls. And behind the wall,7:19 all their jewelry and all the precious things are stored. But at night, this rich man is always wondering. He's wondering, is there really my wealth? Is my wealth still there behind those walls?7:32 Because he knows the guy who put it there and the guy who helped him cement this whole wall would know that there there is wealth inside there. So what if they have stolen it and then they have made it look like7:43 everything is okay? So he's always gripped with this. What if I lose everything I have? That's why he can't sleep. So the bible says, money hold it to one's hurt. Not only that, money7:55 doesn't guarantee security. Look at this in verse 14. And those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is a father of a son and he has nothing in his hand. The8:07 riches were lost in a bad venture. See, sometimes you think that you you have enough, you made money, but then you put it all into a bad investment and everything goes bust.8:19 See, I have met in my travels people who were bankrupt, who were people who were millionaires and became became bankrupt in a single day because of a single turn of event.8:31 I want you to listen to me carefully. Bad ventures can ruin people's lives. Evander Holyfield, a man who is celebrated for his ability to fight in the boxing8:43 ring, He earned nearly 250000000 US through championships and endorsements in his career. And he used to live in a hundred and 9 bedroom8:54 mansion in Atlanta. But today, he writes, he lives in a 2 bedroom apartment, and there is not even a million to his name. What happened? How would9:06 you lose 200 over million? He writes, it was all wasted on bad investments that produced no return. That's why you and I, we need to understand money is a currency.9:19 You know, it's a current. It flows in, it flows out. In other words, you and I, we need to understand that the more we try to hold it, it is holding to our own danger. There is no security nor there is a satisfaction9:32 in money. Thirdly, money can't be taken into eternity. Verse 15, Solomon writes, as he came from his mother's womb, he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take9:44 nothing from his toil that he may carry away in his hand. This also is a grievous evil. Just as he came, so shall he go. And what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? In other9:55 words, you came naked. You go into eternity naked. In other words, you can't bring anything with you. You know, there was a wise man whoThe Grace of Enjoying Wealth 10:07 lived in a village, in this Jewish village. His name is Jacob the Baker. And he was so wise, people gather around him and they will always ask for wisdom, and he usually point them10:19 to a spiritual nugget or a principle or a paradigm. A very old, covetous lady, she's stingy, she's covetous, and a very greedy lady 1 day came to him and10:31 said, I it's that season of my life when I'm gonna pass away, and I wanna bring all my wealth with me to the next life. How would I do that? So the whole village gathered to hear the10:42 wisdom that Jacob the baker would give. And this is what Jacob the baker said, anything that is valuable you'll be able to bring with you to the next life. She says, yes yes yes. I wanna know10:54 everything that in my life is valuable. How do I bring it to the next life? He said, through your memories. For that she was really puzzled and she said, what memories? All how can I11:06 bring all my wealth as a memory? He said, this is where you have the wrong definition of what is valuable. Listen to me carefully. You are not gonna bring anything11:18 with you when you go. You're gonna leave everything behind here. You know, a story was told of a man who was dying. He called his, 3 friends, his doctor, his lawyer, his pastor.11:30 He gave each of them a hundred thousand dollars in a in a green in a in a white envelope and gave it to them and said, when my coffin is being lowered, I want you guys to throw this envelope11:43 into the coffin so that I would take this 300000 with me when I go to the next life. Now this is what happened. After the funeral was over, the 3 friends gathered together, and they were having,11:55 they were reminiscing about the friend. And then suddenly, the pastor is the first 1 to start. He confessed. He said, I have a confession. I actually opened the packet to see the cash of12:07 hundred thousand, and I took about 50000 out and I gave it to our missions fund to fund orphanages in Africa because he's not gonna miss it12:19 anyway. So instead I put white paper in it and I threw it in. The doctor said, I have a confession too. At least you took 50000. I took all the hundred thousand12:31 and I put white paper instead and I threw it in. Instead, I'm gonna use this hundred thousand to buy medical equipments for my hospital to serve the poor. The past the the lawyer heard all this and he says, how could12:43 you do this to a dying man? His wish was that we give him the hundred thousand. So I gave him. I gave him the entire amount. It's just that I wrote him a check instead.12:55 I want you to listen to me carefully. You're not gonna bring anything with you. You're gonna leave everything behind here. That's why Solomon says there's an intoxication of acquiring wealth. There's a13:06 danger of holding wealth. Thirdly, he says there's a grace for enjoying wealth. Look at this in verse 17. In verse 17, I want you to point this 1. Just circle this 1 because13:18 verse 17, Solomon actually highlights the end result of a life under the sun. See, the book of Ecclesiastes, this perspective about 2 perspectives of life. Isn't it? Life13:30 under the sun and life under the hand of God. Here, life under the sun, Solomon says here, all his days he eats in darkness, in much vexation and sickness13:42 and anger. Listen carefully. He says, he eats in darkness. Not only that, in vexation and much anger and sickness. In other words, he13:53 has all the money in the world, but he has no grace to enjoy it. That's life under the sun. You know, years ago, I was reading the newspaper in Sydney and,14:06 there was an article about this wealthy man. He inherited his father's wealth, and the media empire, and then he was building a very lavish 40000000 dollar home for14:18 his young family. It took 3 years for them to build that building. Before the building was even completed, their family home to be completed, his wife divorced him, took the 2 kids, and moved to14:29 America. How sad is this? In other words, it's it's 1 thing to have a home, but you can't have the grace to enjoy it. Andrew Carnegie was a wealthy millionaire during14:41 his time, but he was a very sick man. Do 1 1 time he was, he he just checked into a hotel in in Europe and he heard the noise of construction next door. He opened the windows, he14:53 looked down, he saw 1 of the construction worker just enjoying his meal, enjoying his lunch, a burger. And Andrew Carnegie turned around and said, how I wish15:05 I can give my entire wealth away to get an appetite like that. I want you to listen to me. Just because you have money and much possessions doesn't necessarily mean you have the grace to enjoy it. This is15:17 why someone wise said this, money can buy medicine but not health. Money can buy you a house but not a home. Money can buy you companions but not friends. Money can buy you entertainment but not happiness.15:29 Money can buy you food but not appetite. Money can buy you a bed but not sleep. Money can buy you a crucifix, but not a savior. Money can buy you a good life, but not eternal15:41 life. Listen to me carefully. Life under the sun is a mundane, routine, mediocre kind of life where there is no enjoyment, no true15:53 enjoyment or not true satisfaction. But what about the life under the hand of God? Life under the hand of God from verse 18 to verse 20, this is what Solomon says. Behold, what I have seen to be good16:05 and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which 1 toils under the sun, the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot.16:17 Everyone to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil, this is the gift of God. Thirdly, in verse16:29 20, for he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart. How many times in these 3 verses the word joy,16:41 enjoy, rejoice comes again and again? Life under the hand of God is a life filled with enjoyment, rejoicing, and16:53 joy. Look at how it ends in verse 20. God keeps him How many of you would say this17:04 boldly tonight? I wanna be purposed in my life. I wanna be purposed for that I'm enjoying life to the fullest. That God will give me grace to have joy in my heart all the days of17:16 my life. Here in verse 18, he says, to find enjoyment in your toil, to be able to eat, to drink, and to find enjoyment in your toil is actually a grace. Look at this17:28 in verse 19. God has given them wealth, possessions, power to enjoy them. This is the gift of God. Can I humbly say this? Solomon takes a different17:40 approach to looking at wealth. He says, if God has given you the grace and the ability to to have possessions, wealth, and money, He17:52 gives you the grace to enjoy it, then enjoy life. But know this, it is God who has given it to you. It is the gift of God. Hallelujah.18:03 This is where you and I, we need to understand theology. How to truly enjoy life. How to truly enjoy life. You know, there are 2 orders of life. You and I, we need to understand. There's a creative18:15 order. There is a redemptive order. What is the creative order? Order? The creative order is God created everything, and he says it is all good. And he created it for you and me to enjoy.18:27 God created marriage. God created sex. God created everything that is that you and I see. So when you walk into the near the beach, when you take a walk in the bush and you see all the beautiful creation of God,18:39 you go to the mountain top and see the valley and you see the beautiful creation of God. It is for you to have pleasure. God created it all as a as a creative order for us to18:51 enjoy life. Hallelujah. And to know that he is the 1 who has done all this. What is the redemptive order? The redemptive order is that you not only just waste your time just enjoying life,19:04 but you invest your time. You invest your time and you invest your resources wisely in the in the redemptive order. What is the redemptive order? That God wants to redeem mankind. God has19:15 given his people resources so that they can invest the resources wisely into things that matter, things that outlast them, things that matter in eternity. Hallelujah. You and19:27 I know what matters in eternity. What matters in eternity is the souls of men. Hallelujah. That is why you and I, we need to recognize what are we using this wealth for? What are we using the19:39 possessions for? What are we using this money for? Is it for buying things that don't last? Or it is to invest in relationships that are gonna outlast us and is gonna last19:50 in eternity. Hallelujah. When you understand this, you will know how to live with contentment. We and you and I, we need to cultivate20:02 contentment because it is God who gives you to enjoy. Whether he has given you 2000000 or 20000000 or 200000000, it is God who has given you wealth to enjoy and to20:14 invest for his glory. This is what the New Testament teaches. Go with me to first Timothy chapter 6 and verse 6 to 11. But God leaders with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the20:26 world. We cannot take anything out of this world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation,20:38 into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Listen to me carefully.20:51 Love of money. You can be poor and still have love of money. You can be rich and still not have love of money because love of money is a condition of heart. He says the love of money is a root of all kinds of21:03 evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. Go with me to verse 17 onwards.21:15 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, not to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God who richly provides us with21:27 everything to enjoy. Circle, underline. God gives you everything for you to enjoy. They are to do good, but not just enjoy for yourself, but they are to do good, to be rich21:39 in good works, to be generous and ready to share. Thus, storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of that21:51 which is truly life. Where where do you find true life? True life is found in God. When you enter into eternity, I pray that you will be rich in22:02 eternity. Not just rich in this world, but rich in eternity. How? By investing in the things that God asks you to invest in the lives of people, souls of men, in eternal22:14 things. That's why you and I, we need to understand what we have is not actually ours. The theology is he owns everything. I'm the steward of everything. And because he has given it to me, he has given it to me for me to22:26 enjoy at the same time to invest in things that matter. And the moment you learn this, you will be set free. Because the spirit of this world is all about22:37 grabbing, accumulating, holding. And the Bible says, the kingdom life is about giving, sowing, and and and blessing. You and I, we need22:49 to realize that you and I are conduits of blessing. We are here to give to the kingdom work. Praise God. And you can only do this if you understand simplification23:02 of life. In Matthew chapter 6, that's what Jesus addresses. The allegiance of your heart to your master. And then the application of that is seen23:14 in how you live your life with singleness of heart heart and simplification of life. You and I, we know that in this house, we don't teach poverty theology, neither do we teach23:25 prosperity theology, but we certainly teach providential theology. In other words, God who provides. It is God who has provided me this, and that means God has a23:37 purpose why he did this. Therefore, I need to live in light of that. Ron Sider, in his book, Christians, Rich Christians in the Age of Hunger, he wrote23:49 this, we madly multiply more sophisticated gadgets, larger and taller buildings, and faster means of transportation, not because they enrich our lives, but because we are driven by an24:01 obsession for more. And this is the cardinal sin of Western civilization. Listen to me. When mammon rules, things increase. When things increase,24:12 life becomes complicated. The answer to that is not just embracing poverty, but embracing stewardship theology. Hallelujah. You and I, we need to24:24 develop a lifestyle of simplicity and stewardship. Praise God. GK Chesterton said this, there are 2 ways to get enough. 1 is to accumulate more and more.24:36 The other is to do less and less, to desire less and less. Rather than accumulating more and more is to desire less and less. To have what we want is riches,24:48 but to do without is power, judge McDonald said this. That's why in this house we teach you practical ways in which how you can simplify your life. You know, when I'm taking somebody on25:00 a mentoring journey, we usually focus on 3 things, their domestic life, their devotional life, and their developmental life. And part of that journey includes how they handle25:13 resources, how they steward what God has given them. There are usually 4 levels in which people live life. They can live above their means, They can live with25:24 their means. They can live within their means, and they can live below their means. In other words, people sometimes can live above their means. They earn hundred, but they spend hundred and 20.25:37 They can that means they will get into debt more and more. And there are people who are living from credit card to credit card, interest rate to interest rate, paying interest all the time. But then there are people who25:47 are living with their means. In other words, they they are earning hundred. They are spending hundred. They have no generosity. There's no room for in their life for emergency, for generosity and all that. They are25:59 always living in that tension. Then there are people who can live within their means. Within their means means that they earn hundred, but they spend about 80. There's a room for them. There's a buffer for them. That26:10 means they have saved up for rainy day. They got stuff place. They can be generous. They can be doing all those things. But what we teach in this house is live within or way live way below your26:22 means. Live way below your means. In other words, if you earn a hundred, spend like 60 or 70. That's why you would have heard me said this before, 70, 10, 10,26:34 10. In other words, try to curb all your spendings to about 70 percent. Live your life on 70 percent of what you earn as a household. First 10 percent26:46 of your income goes to the Lord, to the local church where you're being fed. As a tithe, you bring this tithe to the store storehouse because we acknowledge Christ is our provider, that the Lord has provided us. He has26:57 enabled us to earn this money. So we bring our tithes into the storehouse that there may be food.In this video 0:00 The Intoxication and Danger of Wealth9:59 The Grace of Enjoying Wealth
Paul Jeyachandran
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