Rev. David Holwick V Proverbs series
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
July 23, 2006
Proverbs 30:8-9
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I. Money problems.
A. The root of all evil.
A well-known verse in the Bible says, "The love of money is
the root of all evil."
Whether you love it or not, money can cause all sorts of
problems.
John Jacob Astor, one of America's first millionaires, said,
"I am the most miserable man on earth."
John D. Rockefeller, the world's first billionaire and a
Baptist, said:
"I have made many millions, but they have brought me no
happiness.
I would trade them all for the days I sat on an office
stool in Cleveland and made $3 a week."
Henry Ford said,
"I was happier when I was doing a mechanic's job."
And Andrew Carnegie, the US Steel magnate who built thousands
of public libraries and Carnegie Hall, said this:
"Millionaires seldom smile."
From my perspective, millionaires always say they were happier
when broke but you never see them walk away from their money.
True, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have given away billions,
but they are still worth billions.
Who would blame them?
The great vaudeville actress Sophie Tucker once said,
"Listen, I've been rich, and I've been poor.
And believe me, honey, rich is better!"
#2477
B. Can you have it all?
1) Conflicting images for Christians....
a) Should we be poor like John the Baptist and Jesus?
b) Should we aspire to be rich like Solomon?
2) The message of Jesus also cuts both ways.
a) Jesus told us to give away our wealth.
b) At the same time, he teaches that private property
is under our control,
1> Workers deserve their wages.
2> We are rich - the whole universe belongs to us.
C. A wise middle-road from Proverbs 30:8-9
1) Not too much (you might forget God), and
2) Not too little (you might steal out of desperation).
II. Prosperity doesn't drop from the sky.
A. Dreams of instant wealth.
1) Fantasies of lottery Powerball or stock market bonanzas.
2) Consider the Horatio Alger stories.
These dime novels epitomize the American Dream.
In the general plot, a down-and-out boy gets wealth and
success through hard work, courage, and determination.
However, hard work is usually not the key to his success,
The kid gets rich when a wealthy person befriends him,
or an uncle with mega-bucks dies.
Luck was just as important as pluck.
Similar to John D. Rockefeller's three simple rules for
anyone who wants to become rich:
1. Go to work early.
2. Stay at work late.
3. Find oil.
#19617
B. Prosperity will not fall into your lap. 28:19
28:19 He who works his land will have abundant food, but the
one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.
1) Having dreams is entertaining, maybe motivating.
2) But dreams must be joined with action.
III. God's work ethic.
A. Work hard. 10:4; 14:23
10:4 Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring
wealth.
14:23 All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads
only to poverty.
1) Don't expect someone else to make you rich.
a) (Though Prov 19:14 says that houses and wealth are
inherited from parents...)
b) Your efforts make a difference.
2) Hard work over many years will bear fruit.
Example of Sam Mino (Ledgewood Baptist member)
Years ago, he built a gas station on Route 10, a
no-where highway at the time.
He trucked hundreds of loads of soil to where the Hess
station is today.
When it was finished, he would go to his station and
hope he would see a car.
If there was one, he would hope they needed gas!
(Route 10 is a bumper-to-bumper road today)
At night, he and his sons drove their wrecker to
broken down cars all over the area.
It wasn't much money, but he never turned a job down.
Every dime added up.
This week, I saw him laboring in his yard, shoveling
dirt by himself though he is in his seventies.
Look at his life - did all that hard work accomplish
anything?
You bet! And all his kids are successful too.
3) Faith and work go together.
In 2004 a professor at Harvard University examined the
connections between faith and work ethic.
He was interested in explaining opposing trends he found
between the United States and Europe.
It had long been thought that wealthier nations would
become less religious.
But religious faith in North America has "been amazingly
resilient" amid big economic gains.
But overseas, the professor noted that a decline in
European working hours coincided with a decline in faith.
"Americans don't in fact do better work than Frenchmen,"
he wrote.
Americans "just do more work. A lot more."
Between 1979 and 1999, the average hours worked in a year
in the United States lengthened by nearly 4 percent.
Yet in Germany, France, and Spain, that figure dropped by
at least 10 percent.
"Europeans now seem to believe in holidays, not in holy
days," he concluded.
#30066
B. Save regularly. 13:11
13:11 Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money
little by little makes it grow.
1) Do you have a savings plan?
2) Automatic deductions, week by week or month by month,
work best.
3) Compounded interest makes a huge difference.
If an 18-year-old saves $100 per month and earns 6% until
the age of 65, he or she will have accumulated $313,187,
while only investing $56,400.
However, if they delay the decision until age twenty-five,
they accumulate $114,000 less.
Kick it up a notch -- 6% is pretty measly.
9% interest requires more risk but is do-able.
The 18-year-old invests the same amount but now has earned
$889,000.
Waiting seven years to start cuts it by $420,000.
Little by little can grow a great deal!
#32962
C. Avoid debt. 22:7
22:7 The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is
servant to the lender.
1) Debt means someone owns part of you.
a) Banks may own most of your house, car.
b) Many Christians try to live debt free and only buy
what they have money for right now.
c) An alternate approach avoids debt for things that
don't appreciate in value.
1> It would be tough to buy a house in New Jersey
without a loan!
2) What about making loans or backing them up? 11:15
a) Proverbs has many warnings about pledging security.
b) They are likely to welch on it, and you will be left
holding the empty bag.
1> Don't loan money for college tuition?
2> Rebecca starting a new business - needs $250,000.
c) Jesus is much more open-handed.
1> Give, and don't expect back. Luke 6:34
2> Generous, but is it realistic?
3> Giving is better than loaning. (article)
D. Plan for the future. 21:5
21:5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as
haste leads to poverty.
1) Sound finances don't just happen - you must think ahead.
2) College, weddings, retirement are just around the corner.
IV. God brings prosperity.
A. Distortions of "Health & Wealth" preachers.
1) Rev. Ike in New York is a notorious example.
2) There is no religious magic spell for wealth.
B. Old Testament promises about God prospering the righteous.
1) Prosperity is a gift from God.
a) It is partly by his grace, partly by your efforts.
2) Your personal morality has a financial impact.
a) Short-term, the wicked can be rich for a while.
b) In the long haul it works out better for the righteous.
3) Moral attributes that will help your success:
a) Be teachable. 13:18
Listen to advice and correction.
13:18 He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and
shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.
b) Be honest. 21:6
21:6 A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting
vapor and a deadly snare.
c) Be humble. 22:4
22:4 Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth
and honor and life.
d) Be sober. 21:17
21:17 He who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever
loves wine and oil will never be rich.
C. God's kind of prosperity has special benefits.
1) God's wealth has no trouble on the side. 10:22
10:22 The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and
he adds no trouble to it.
V. Spending isn't limited to yourself.
A. Concern for the poor is the greatest focus in Proverbs.
1) God gives to those who give to others.
2) A generosity of spirit bears rich dividends. 11:25
11:25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes
others will himself be refreshed.
B. Give to God first. 3:9-10
3:9-10 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits
of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to
overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
1) Support for God's work should be a regular part of your
finances.
2) It is a first thought, not an afterthought.
VI. Money has its limits.
A. Money can't get you out of hell or into heaven. 11:4
11:4 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but
righteousness delivers from death.
1) Genuine wealth cannot be measured by your bank account.
2) As Jesus asks, what is the profit if you gain the whole
world but lose your soul?
B. Only the gift of salvation through Jesus can do that.
1) Have you experienced the richness of knowing him?
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
# 2477 "Rich Is Better," by James Boice, "The Sermon On The Mount," 1972,
page 21.
#19617 "Rockefeller's Rules For Wealth," Rev. Brett Blair's Illustrations
by Email, www.sermonillustrations.com, August 5, 2001.
#30066 "Do Europeans Work Less Because They Believe Less In God?" by
Joshua S. Burek, Christian Science Monitor, February 22, 2005.
#32962 "Compounding Interest," author unknown;
http://www.prwebdirect.com/releases/2004/10/prweb173467.php.
These and 30,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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