25-0105a Transcript

Preacher: Tom Freed

(1:28) Good Morning. (132) Good to see everybody. My turn in the preacher rotation.

(1:38) My sermon is called Becoming Spiritual Millionaires. So I’m sure everybody sitting here today (1:46) has thought about at least a few times in their life about becoming a millionaire. (1:54) We all fantasize about how great it would be winning the lottery (1:58) and what we would do with all that money.

Yeah, I know all of you have thought about that (2:05) and talked about it with your friends. Man, if I only had millions of dollars, what would I do? (2:11) What kind of cars and houses, boats, toys, everything your heart desires you could buy. (2:20) You know, you could go on vacations, you could quit your job.

(2:24) How great would that feel to go in and tell your boss that you’re leaving. So most of us think (2:32) that if we just had more money that all our problems would be solved and we could finally (2:37) be happy. And more money does help in a worldly sense.

Even the Bible agrees with that. It helps (2:46) a lot of our worldly problems. Ecclesiastes 10 19.

A feast is made for laughter and wine makes (2:54) life merry. But money is the answer for everything. That’s how it is in this world.

(3:02) Money, money is the answer for everything. Pretty much everything. All our problems could go away if (3:08) we had more money.

You know, most of the problems we face in life are money related. (3:18) The problem is that even all the money in the world (3:22) still can’t buy you, buy our way into heaven or another minute on earth. Proverbs 11 4. (3:31) Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

So no matter (3:39) how much money we have, it’s useless to God on the judgment day. God doesn’t care about how much (3:46) money we make, how much money we have. He could care less.

When Jesus came to the earth, (3:52) he had nothing. He was homeless. He had no money.

He could have been rich. He could have been a king, (4:00) but he chose to have nothing. I could care less about money.

It’s not going to help save us. Only (4:07) righteousness will. Money can also be deceptive and even lead us away from God if we’re not (4:16) careful.

Matthew 13 22. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is a man who hears (4:24) the word, but the worries of this life and the deceit deceitfulness of wealth of wealth choke it (4:31) out, making it unfruitful. So even too much money can lead us away from God’s word.

(4:40) If we really prosper, we might forget about God. Deuteronomy 8 13 to 14. And when your herds and (4:48) flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all that you have is multiplied, (4:55) then your heart will become proud and you will forget about the Lord, your God, who brought you (5:00) out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

But maybe that’s what happened in this country. (5:07) We’ve become so rich we’ve turned away from God and now we’re paying the price for it. (5:13) You can see this country is falling because we turned our back on God.

(5:17) That’s why the Bible says, just give me enough to get by. Proverbs 38 through 9. (5:23) Keep falsehood and lies far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my (5:30) daily bread.

Otherwise I might have too much and disown you and say, who is the Lord? Or I may (5:37) become poor and steal and so desire the name of God. So it’s best just to have just enough. (5:46) You know, it’s not always good to be rich.

It’s not good to be poor either. So (5:52) just like Jesus told the prey, give us this day our daily bread. Wealth can be an obstacle (6:00) that gets in the way of following Jesus.

Look at the rich young ruler, Matthew 19 21 through 24. (6:09) Jesus answered, if you want to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give to the poor (6:14) and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me.

When the young man heard this, (6:22) he went away sad because he had great wealth. And Jesus said to his disciples, I tell you the truth. (6:30) It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Again, I tell you, it is easier for a (6:37) camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. If you want (6:43) to be rich, just keep in mind that it’s going to be hard for you to make it into heaven. It doesn’t (6:48) mean you can’t.

There’s a lot of rich people, especially in the Old Testament with Abraham, (6:55) Job, you know, you had Solomon, but it does add a lot of temptation and struggle. (7:04) It is very difficult if you’re rich to make it to heaven. We are warned against greed and (7:10) wanting to become rich.

First Timothy 6 9 to 10. People who want to get rich fall into the (7:17) temptation and the trap and the many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and (7:24) destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.

Some people eager for money (7:31) have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. So you can see it’s hard for the (7:40) rich to make it to heaven. You know, a lot of people do a lot of sinful things and make money (7:46) or they get ahead or when they have money, they have a lot of doors open to commit sin that they (7:52) didn’t before.

You cannot serve God and money. No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate (8:00) the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

(8:05) You cannot serve both God and money. You gotta make a choice what you put first in your life. (8:14) We shouldn’t put our hope in wealth, but in God.

First Timothy 6 through 7. Command those who are (8:20) rich in this present world not to be arrogant, not to put their hope in their wealth, which is (8:27) so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our (8:34) enjoyment. God commands us to be rich in good deeds and lay for ourselves up treasures in the (8:43) afterlife, not in this world. First Timothy 18 through 19.

Command them to do good, to be rich (8:52) in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up treasures for (9:00) themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that (9:07) is truly life. How many of us Christians are more worried about building our wealth on earth rather (9:14) than in heaven? Even as Christians, we worry about money.

You know, some people in this world, (9:21) all they care about is money. You know, that’s all they think about. I had a boss at one time, (9:28) he’s, you know, probably a millionaire.

He was a business owner, and all he worked for, and I saw him (9:34) years later, he had cancer. It was probably close to death, and all he still cared about was money. (9:42) You know, worried about the economy and the president.

I thought, (9:46) you know, what a miserable life. Even when you’re about to die, you still can’t enjoy it. (9:50) You’ve got to worry about the money you have.

You don’t have to work. (10:02) How many of us as Christians, you know, like I said, we’re more worried about this wealth on earth. (10:09) Most of us probably would do anything for a million dollars, (10:13) but what would you be willing to do to become spiritually rich? (10:18) You know, how many people sell their soul for money, for fame? Look at Hollywood.

Look at (10:24) the music industry. Look at the politicians. They sell out for money.

You know, they’re corrupted. (10:34) What would a normal person do for a million dollars? I bet you’d be willing to do almost (10:37) anything, but what about to become spiritually wealthy? You don’t have to worry about money (10:45) more in the long run. God tells us not to build up our earthly treasures, but heavenly ones.

(10:53) Matthew 16, 19 through 21. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, (11:00) where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves (11:05) treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and (11:11) steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

So forget about investing (11:18) in stocks and 401k. Nothing pays better dividends than God. God’s going to multiply the spiritual (11:25) blessings for us in heaven.

If we work to become spiritually rich for the afterlife, God will (11:33) reward us beyond what we can imagine. However, as it is written, no eye has seen nor ear has heard. (11:41) No mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.

(11:46) Do not kill yourself to become rich, because it won’t last. Do not wear yourself out to get rich. (11:55) Have the wisdom to show restraint.

Cast foot a glance at riches and they are gone, (12:01) for they surely will sprout wings and fly up to the sky like an eagle. Proverbs 23, 4 through 5. (12:10) You know how fast an eagle can fly. That’s how fast your money leaves when you get it.

(12:16) All of us have experienced this. You get your paycheck and you turn around and pay your (12:23) mortgage, your car note, your bills, your phone, your insurance, and before you know it your whole (12:30) paycheck is gone. All we do is work to pay bills.

So the money flies away, even if you’re rich. (12:39) Look at all these rich people, these rich athletes, other rich people that lose all their money. (12:46) Once they retire from sports or certain jobs, they have nothing left.

(12:53) Even millions, hundreds of millions, it flies away. The great thing about spiritual wealth (13:01) is that it’s going to be building interest in heaven and nothing can touch it. We don’t need (13:09) to have a big investment or start our own company to gain wealth in heaven.

Let’s look at some ways (13:16) we can start to become a spiritual millionaire. It doesn’t take a huge commitment to start building (13:24) spiritual wealth. Sometimes it’s the little things that God takes the light in.

(13:30) Right when you get out of bed in the morning, you can hit your knees (13:34) and start praying, start building that heavenly bank account. (13:41) Prayer is not the least thing we could do, it’s the most we can do. (13:47) We need to be prayer warriors.

Look at the sick we have on the bulletin. (13:53) We just spend hours every day praying for everybody on there. (13:58) The effect of fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much, James 5.16. We can see that in the (14:06) Bible.

After falling ill and being told by the prophet Isaiah he would die soon, King Hezekiah (14:13) was able to add 15 years to his life and deliver his city from the hand of Assyria through (14:19) fervent prayer. On top of that, God even turned back time as a sign to show him that he was going (14:25) to do these things. Look, from the prayer of one man, all that he accomplished, he (14:32) gained 15 years on his life.

God even showed him by turning back the clock. (14:39) Another great way to build spiritual wealth is to have a solid foundation by obeying God’s (14:45) commandments. Obeying God’s commandments is an essential part of storing up treasure in heaven.

(14:53) Jesus said, if you love me, you’ll keep my commandments, John 14.15. When you live in (14:59) obedience to God’s word, you demonstrate your love for him and store up eternal rewards. (15:06) Also, you can’t be rich spiritually without the Holy Spirit which you receive at baptism (15:13) when you follow God’s commandments. Acts 2.38, Peter replied, repent and be baptized, (15:20) every one of you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins.

(15:26) And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (15:31) Well, I’ve heard people in groups like AA who say, (15:35) this is only a spiritual group, we don’t want religion involved. (15:39) How can you possibly be spiritual without the Holy Spirit? (15:45) Nothing in this life is more spiritual than being a Christian.

(15:50) Being a Christian is the most spiritual thing you can be. You have the Holy Spirit, you have God, (15:55) his word, Jesus. If you want to be a spiritual millionaire, you’ll need the Holy Spirit’s help.

(16:04) He’ll bless you beyond what you can imagine. One of the most powerful ways to store up (16:11) treasures in heaven is by giving to the poor. Proverbs 19.17, (16:17) he who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord and he will reward him for what he has done.

(16:22) How much of us enjoy giving to the poor? A lot of people see a homeless man begging and they (16:28) are disgusted. You know, they yell at him, get a job or throw change at him. But God says to help (16:35) the poor, to give to him.

When you give to the poor, you’re showing compassion and love. (16:43) And God promises to reward you abundantly in this life and the next. (16:48) God repays us when we give to the poor.

Jesus taught us that true greatness comes from serving (16:56) others. When you serve others with a humble heart, you store up treasures in heaven. (17:03) Matthew 23, 11 and 12.

But he who is the greatest among you will be your servant (17:09) and whoever exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (17:16) Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for (17:23) many. Matthew 20, 28.

The rich want people to serve them. But if you want to become spiritually (17:31) rich, you have to serve others. Jesus, the king of the universe, came down to earth and he didn’t (17:37) expect people to help him and serve him.

He served others. He walked the apostles' feet. (17:45) You know, that’s as humble as you can get.

Those who humble themselves like a child will be the (17:51) greatest in heaven. Matthew 18, 1 through 4. At that time, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, (17:59) who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? He called a little child to stand among them. (18:06) And he said, I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like the little children, (18:10) you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this (18:16) child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. If you want to be great, you have to serve others. (18:24) You have to humble yourself.

You can’t be lifted up. Jesus came to serve others and so should you. (18:33) That’s one way you can definitely grow your spiritual bank account.

(18:37) Another way is by helping the most vulnerable people in life. James 1, 27. (18:45) Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in (18:52) their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Well, that’s pure and undefiled religion (19:00) doing these things. Helping those in need, helping those who can’t help themselves, (19:06) being unspotted and clean from the world. You know, that’ll go, you know, that’ll help in a big way (19:15) if you want to become a spiritual millionaire in the afterlife.

Also, forgiveness is crucial (19:22) if you want to become a Christian and live the Christian life. When you forgive others, (19:28) you reflect the forgiveness that God has shown you. Matthew 6, 14 and 15.

For if you forgive (19:35) others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. If you do not forgive (19:41) others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Think about how many times (19:48) we’ve sinned and God forgives us.

You know, Jesus said don’t forget seven times, but 70 times seven. (19:58) He forgives us unlimited. Every day we sin multiple times and we’re forgiven.

(20:06) So we need to forgive others. Another way is using your talents for God’s glory. (20:14) When you hide your talents, they’re taken away, but when you use them, you receive more.

(20:20) Matthew 25, 28 through 30. Therefore, take the talent from him and give it to him who has 10 (20:27) talents. For to everyone who has more will be given and he will have abundance.

But from him (20:34) who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the (20:41) outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

(20:46) And not only if you hide your talent will be taken away, you’ll also be cast into hell. (20:52) So it’s a good idea to use your talents for God. We can see this firsthand in this congregation.

(21:02) Men using their talents and women and becoming more blessed and gaining more talent. Jim, (21:12) Scott, Mike and others, we can see have grown enormously. You know, they’ve built great (21:19) spiritual walls by using what God gave them.

You know, guys like that can do everything. They can (21:26) teach, preach, sing, lead the Lord’s Supper, every single spiritual thing. And they didn’t start like (21:33) that.

You know, everybody starts small. And if you work hard at it, God’s going to add more talent (21:40) to you. I’m sure sometimes they would like to receive earthly wealth from teaching and preaching.

(21:49) We can’t have everything. You have to settle on spiritual wealth, you know, for now at least. (21:56) You could also grow rich in heaven by putting God’s kingdom first.

When you put God’s kingdom (22:02) first, you align yourself with his purpose. His purpose is the experience and experience (22:09) of blessings that come from living in obedience to him. Matthew 6, 33.

But seek first the kingdom (22:17) of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. But one last way to build (22:24) spiritual wealth is to share the gospel with others. Sharing the gospel is a powerful way to (22:31) store up treasures in heaven.

When you share the good news of Jesus Christ with others, you are (22:36) participating in God’s redemptive work and bringing people into his kingdom. Matthew 8, 28, 19 through 20. (22:45) Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, (22:50) Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

(22:56) And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age. (23:01) That is what being a Christian is all about. We have been saved so we can help save others.

(23:08) You know, don’t let the blood of others be on your hands. We need to tell others and warn them (23:14) about how, you know, it’s our job to spread the gospel. (23:22) These are just some of the ways to gain spiritual wealth.

(23:26) I’m sure that all of you can think of even more. (23:31) Why work so hard to gain wealth that you can’t bring with you? (23:35) You’re going to spend eternity in heaven. Why not build your wealth there? (23:40) If you’re a Christian, we have mansions awaiting us in heaven.

John 14, 1 through 3. (23:47) Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me.

In my Father’s house, there (23:53) are many mansions. If it were not so, I would not have told you. For I go to prepare a place for you.

(24:01) If I go to prepare a place for you, I come again and will receive you under myself. (24:08) That where I am, there you may be also. He has mansions.

He has things greater than we can (24:16) imagine. Why not make sure your mansions fill with tons of money when you get there? (24:22) Maybe there’ll be a Lamborghini, you know, in the driveway or whatever you can imagine. (24:28) But it’s fun to think about all this, imagine all this, what heaven will be like, all these (24:35) spiritual blessings.

But I’m sure when we make it to heaven, we will care less about money. (24:43) It’ll be the last thing on our mind. Heaven is completely spiritual and not physical.

(24:49) Everything will be different. And when God comes back, we’ll be changed in the twinkling of an eye. (24:57) 1 Corinthians 15, 50 through 58.

I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit (25:05) the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a (25:12) mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, (25:20) at the last trumpet.

For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable, (25:26) and we will be changed. For the imperishable must close itself with the imperishable, (25:33) and the mortal with immortality. And the perishable has been closed with the imperishable, (25:40) and the mortal with immortality.

Then the thing that is written will come true. Death has been (25:48) swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? (25:57) The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, (26:02) He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. (26:09) Let nothing move you.

Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that (26:15) your labor in the Lord is not in vain. That is true. Our labor is not in vain.

Labor hard for (26:23) the next life, not this one, because your reward will be so much greater. Rejoice and be glad, (26:32) because great is your reward in heaven. Matthew 5, 12.

God will give you the ultimate reward (26:42) when you have done what you’re supposed to on earth. (26:46) Revelation 22, 12. Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to render each man (26:54) according to his word.

So no matter what we’ve done on this earth, we’re going to be rewarded. (27:00) That that have done good under the resurrection of life, and that that have done evil under the (27:06) resurrection of the judgment. John 5, 29.

We need to be careful what we do on this earth. We’re (27:14) going to be judged. Every word even spoken.

When you’re a faithful Christian and love God, (27:21) you will be rewarded with a crown of life. James 1, 12. James 1, yeah, James 1, 12.

(27:29) Blessed is a man who preserves, perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, (27:36) he will receive a crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (27:44) Finally, there is laid out for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous (27:49) judge, will give to me on that day. And not only me, but also to all those who love his appearing.

(27:57) 2 Timothy 4, 8. So if we do what’s right, if we build a spiritual wealth, (28:05) we’ll have the ultimate reward, the crown of life. You know, that’s going to be given to (28:12) those who love his appearing. And we need to be ready for him to come back.

You know, many people (28:19) think these are the last days, that Jesus is coming back soon, and it is possible. Only God (28:26) knows when, but it could be today, could be tomorrow. We need to be prepared.

If you’re (28:35) not ready for Judgment Day, and want to become a Christian, or if you need to repent of a sin (28:41) you’re struggling with, or any other reason, now’s the time to come forward.