Kingdom Perspectives in Proverbs: Wealth

We continue our summer study of Proverbs today.

Please follow along in your bulletin as we share these verses.

In Proverbs 10.4, we find this.

Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.

In Proverbs 6.9.11,

How long will you lie there, you sluggard?

When will you get up from your sleep?

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,

and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.

And in Proverbs 12.11, it is written,

Those who work their land will have abundant food,

but those who chase fantasies have no sense.

This is the reading of God's Word.

Good morning, Watermark.

You all hear me?

Okay.

As you may have noticed, we have a couple of friends with us this morning.

So if you have not met anyone from the English Language Institute,

then make sure you'll meet someone afterwards for coffee or just hear their stories.

We're hosting this program the second time with Watermark.

And the students will be teaching in local middle schools.

And it's just really exciting to have you guys here and just see the energy of people coming all across the world

and serving here in Hong Kong.

So a big thank you for you guys raising support and following God's calling.

And just hope that you guys will also see what God is doing and the glimpse of Asia.

And hopefully many will return to serve full-time and long-term.

So you can give him a hand and just thank him for coming and serving with us.

Here at Watermark, we just started a new sermon series.

We're on a journey on the book of Proverbs and exploring a little bit more on that book.

And our message last week, I mentioned that most of our teaching,

we want actually to happen in community groups.

So I want to emphasize that again, that don't just come on Sundays,

but really try to get involved in community and join a community group

to really go deeper in what we are doing here.

But I also learned something last week, that most of the community groups are on summer break.

So there are two things that I want to highlight again.

So first of all, even though the community groups are on a summer break,

we still encourage you guys to get plugged in.

So contact us or talk to us afterwards in the foyer if you are not a part of a community group yet.

And then maybe you have a chance to meet a community group leader over dinner

and just get to know someone before the groups kick off again.

The second thing is, there's a study guide outside in the foyer,

a study guide to the sermon series.

So if you want, just pick one up.

And you may be able to just read through it on your own

or just think a little bit about the verses of today on there,

but also some questions to think about.

And so maybe you actually want to sit down with your family

and discuss some things as a family together as well

or just meet a friend over lunch or coffee.

So let me give you a quick recap of last week

because a lot of people haven't been here last week.

So we're talking about Proverbs.

And one of the things we talked about is the wisdom that is found in Proverbs.

Proverbs.

But we did qualify that the wisdom found in Proverbs is not a formula,

not like a one-to-one thing to apply to life,

but we do need to understand the context,

the people that we want to apply these Proverbs to,

the circumstances.

And then also we looked into the danger of applying Proverbs,

that when we take a proverb out of context,

that it may just throw us off.

And instead of actually consulting God through his scripture,

we are starting to just apply human wisdom to life situations however we want.

And so the third thing that we establish is in order to avoid that danger,

we need to have a kingdom perspective.

We need to have a good picture of what the kingdom of God is like

and what Christ is like in order to really interpret the scripture correctly.

Let me look a little bit more into what it means to have a kingdom perspective.

Like what do I mean by that term?

The Christian message is basically the message of God's reign,

of God's story unfolding of God's kingdom.

All of history is that story that unfolds.

In the beginning, God created a complete kingdom.

Everything in that kingdom was good.

The relationships were right.

The relationships among people were right.

The relationships with God were right.

But if you look around what is happening in this world right now,

it's pretty obvious that that's not the case anymore.

A lot of things in this world are broken.

And we see relationships broken.

But we also see that our culture and our societies are dysfunctional.

We see that our physical bodies and our emotions are damaged.

So we see that this complete kingdom that was good,

something has happened that is broken.

But the brokenness that we're experiencing right now

is not the end of the story as well.

As we continue to look at the story of history that God has taken us on,

God didn't leave it there.

But 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ stepped into the world.

God became man, stepped into human history to redeem a broken world.

So as Jesus steps in, he gives us a glimpse, a picture of that kingdom

that one day will be restored, a future perspective that we can hold on to

to actually see where God is guiding us.

So here we see the starting point of interpreting Proverbs

from that kingdom perspective, that kingdom that is restored,

that is not broken anymore.

And the clearest part of that vision is Jesus' death and resurrection.

On the cross, we see the forgiveness and the grace of Christ, of God,

about our shortcomings.

And in his resurrection, we see hope.

We see hope about the kingdom that one day will be restored.

So the story of his kingdom is about that whole journey of the kingdom

that once was and is now broken, and it will be restored and be made whole.

And in Christ's death and resurrection, we see that story unfolding.

So in our sermon series, we are on a journey to see,

so what do the Proverbs tell us about that story?

How do the Proverbs point us in a vision of that kingdom

that is to come to interpret the Proverbs correctly?

And today, we are picking a specific topic

that the Proverbs talk a lot about, and that is the topic of wealth.

Now, what does the Proverbs teach us on wealth?

Like, we are in a city that deals with wealth a lot.

So, I am thinking about coming to Hong Kong for the first time

and stepping off the plane.

Many of you have done that about a week and a half ago,

or probably just like Saturday or Sunday when you arrived.

You get off the plane, and especially when it is night,

it is pretty stunning to get off the plane,

and you see the skyline for the first time.

Or you see the energy of the city.

You guys have been out in Lantau, if you are here with the ELIC,

but when you step into the city, there is this energy about Hong Kong

that just really captures you, and you see the diversity of Hong Kong.

Two weeks ago, my wife and I, we came back from a vacation in Germany,

and when we stepped back off the plane,

and we drove down by taxi, we saw the skyline,

that excitement came back.

The excitement that I had seven years ago

when I first stepped off the plane, when I first moved to Hong Kong.

Not that Europe isn't great,

but there is something about Hong Kong that captivates me.

The city is buzzing around the clock.

A few days ago, I actually went down to the waterfront,

and I was just sitting there,

and I was thinking and praying about the sermon,

and just what's happening in life,

and I was seeing the offices lit,

and it was 11 p.m. at night, like all across,

there were offices, and people were working there,

and I was starting to wonder about the lives of the people

that are in these offices at that moment.

A lot of people here are working really long hours,

especially after coming back from Germany.

That really struck me.

I mean, Germans are known for being hard workers,

but to be honest, we like to relax at least as much.

We actually have a term in German, which is called Gemütlichkeit.

You know, like all German words are very, very long.

Gemütlichkeit basically means to do nothing.

It actually, it's kind of like being in a state of relaxation.

We sit in the sun when we have a day of Gemütlichkeit,

and we may be doing a little bit of barbecuing,

and a little bit of cake eating,

and a little bit of talking,

but mostly we do nothing.

We have two friends of ours here from the church

that just moved to Germany two months ago,

Angelo and Phoenix,

and if you have been in Watermark for a while,

you probably have seen him around serving a lot.

So they moved back,

and Phoenix is from Hong Kong,

but Angelo is from Germany.

And we met up with them while we were back in Germany.

It was very interesting,

like when I saw them again,

and I was thinking,

how is Phoenix adjusting to German Gemütlichkeit?

Like tell a Hong Kong person to do nothing for a whole day

and just sit in the sun.

I think the person goes crazy.

So I just wondered how Phoenix was doing with all that.

Germany must be a culture shock for a Hong Kong person

and seeing the pace of life in this city.

The Proverbs that we read,

they praise hard work,

and they criticize laziness.

As a German, I may have to look at that

and then try to justify,

oh, you know, it's just, you know,

we want to rest so that we can work more efficiently afterwards,

but the reality is,

I couldn't say that with clear conscience.

The Proverbs, so as you look at them,

you see that they talk about how hard work leads to wealth,

that wealth is a positive attribute,

wealth is good,

and poverty will strike the lazy.

And that we should not just dream all day,

but actually get things done

and do work.

So just listen to that first proverb in your bulletin,

lazy hands make for poverty,

but diligent hands bring wealth.

With that said,

let me tell you that I'm concerned

when I think about what this proverb does in our context,

when we take it as a formula

and apply it to Hong Kong life.

Looking at the current situation in Europe

and some European countries,

I think maybe we have to quote them

to some of our countries over there,

but we are in Hong Kong

and we want to look at

what the proverb means for us here

in the context that we live in.

When I watch people live their lives,

I can see the extremes unfolding.

I can see that it may not be laziness

that we struggle here with,

but the value we put in work and wealth.

The values that are meant to be good,

but actually they turn somehow

into something negative.

When I see people working long hours

and how it starts to affect their families,

how everything begins to revolve

around gathering material possession.

Over the last six, seven years

that I've been working with college students,

just had a reoccurring conversation.

Many talked about the pressure

and the competition they are facing

and how they deal with that pressure.

I've seen others that were broken,

students and high school kids

that are broken

in just that feeling of loneliness

and a lack of self-esteem,

thinking that the only value they get

if they perform right

and if they do everything right,

that society and maybe sometimes

even their families expect from them.

So I see that

and that constant fear

of falling short of expectations

and having to perform.

I have had conversations about suicide,

that it's actually even better

to not even be here and be gone

than living up to the expectation

that it's less of a shame

if they be gone

than failing in that.

I mean, this is not just an extreme scenario.

This is a constant conversation

I have on the campus.

So when I read the Proverbs

and I hear about hard work,

I see the positive value in it

and how in the scripture

we see that value praised.

But immediately I see that tension,

the danger that we apply this proverb

as a formula.

Seeing the context in Hong Kong,

I think we could justify anything.

Our society, everyone else works hard.

And even the Bible tells you

that you need to work hard

and gain wealth.

So what is God saying

about how we should apply that proverb?

We want to go on the journey today,

but before we do that,

we just want to be able to rest

and breathe

and gain that kingdom perspective again.

We want to take a few minutes

to just continue worship

and for you to allow

to see where are you with that.

What are the stories in your life?

What are the stories

in the lives of your families?

Do you live a healthy rhythm?

What extreme do you fall on

in that proverb?

In Proverbs 3, 9 to 10,

we find this.

Honour 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 the new wine.

In Proverbs 11, 28,

those who trust in riches will fall,

but the righteous will thrive

like a green leaf.

Proverbs 15, 16,

better a little with the fear of the Lord

than great wealth with turmoil.

Proverbs 15, 17,

better a small serving of vegetables

with love

than a fattened calf with hatred.

In Proverbs 16, 19,

it is written,

better to be lowly in spirit

along with the oppressed

than to share plunder

with the proud.

And in Proverbs 19, 22,

it says,

What a person desires

is unfailing love.

Better to be poor

than a liar.

This is the reading

of God's word.

Last week,

we talked about a metaphor

for the kingdom of God.

It is like a rug

and you see the pictures up here.

It's like a rug.

On one side,

you see the back side

and it's broken

and the colors are not very clear

and you see the knots

and the threads dangling down.

Maybe the rug is not completed

and you don't even know

what the picture will one day be.

And so we look at the world

and from our perspective

and we can't see the kingdom.

And for us,

the suffering around us

doesn't make sense

and different things

that happen around us,

they don't make sense

in light of where we are right now

and what we are able to see

of the kingdom.

But for God,

here's the other perspective.

God sees the beauty

of his redeemed creation.

He sees the beautiful picture

of how he made everything

and how he intended things to be

and what he is moving things towards.

So we need a glimpse

of the kingdom,

of that picture,

of the perspective

that God has

in order to make sense

of this broken world

all around us.

And when it comes to wealth,

this is one of the big topics

in the city.

And we can so easily

lose perspective.

we can so easily

lose God's perspective

on that issue.

And Jesus consistently

talks about material possession

more than pretty much

anything else

because he knows

that it's something

we struggle with.

It so easily

can turn into our idol,

into our God,

and we can so easily

lose that perspective.

The world instills us,

in us,

that value

of how important wealth is

and how it's important

to gather stuff.

Even religion

is so often used

in that same way.

Like in the city

you may have temples

and fortune tellers

and so at the beginning

of the year

people may go there

and make sure that

maybe I'll pay a few dollars

and make sure that

I know what I need to do

so that my business

will be successful,

that I will be prosperous

this year.

But it's even

a danger

to look at the church

in that way.

There's something

we call the prosperity gospel

that the message

is that God

just wants us

to be wealthy

and healthy.

And we see that scripture

in 3, 9 to 10

that so easily

can be looked at that.

Honor the Lord

with your wealth,

with the first fruits

of all your crops

and then we may only focus on

that your barns

will be filled

with overflowing

and your vets

will brim over

with new wine.

It's like this magic formula.

If I'm just,

you know,

honoring with like

a little bit of my money

then I'll be

a millionaire

in a heartbeat.

It's like the slot machine.

I put one coin in

and I just need

to know the formula

and then all the coins

will come down

and we look at a proverb

and we want to interpret

it in that way

because that's kind of

like what the world

tells us

how we should look

at the world.

So we want to go

on that journey

on like looking

at a few proverbs

that give us

a bit more whole,

a more wider perspective

on wealth.

So we have established

wealth is good,

hard work is good,

but there are

certain values,

certain perspectives

of the kingdom

that stand in relationship.

It's not a separate

attribute that we can

take wealth

and separate

from everything else.

So we will be going

through five proverbs

that will show us

about that a little bit.

I want to give you

one example

that grows out

of our team experience

here with our

Watermax staff.

There's a good friend

of ours,

Lincoln Liu,

that does personality

assessment exams

with us.

And so he did that

with the whole staff

and one thing we found

out of like 20 people,

there are like 16,

70 people that are blue.

Now what does blue mean?

So what it means

to be blue

is that we are

visionaries

and dreamers

and future oriented people.

Now that in itself

is not surprising.

We are a church plant.

So a new church

that only has been here

for a year and a half.

So we've attracted people

that didn't just want

to keep the status quo

but we wanted to venture out

and do something new

and change the community

around us.

And so a lot of visionaries

got together and said,

yeah, we want to dream

something new.

Now the value

of dreaming something new

and being future oriented,

I think it's a great value.

But what if we would not have

Millen and Sylvie?

They are not like

so highly blue.

They are more the doers.

They are the ones

that will say,

hey, you know,

it's great that you're dreaming

but we need to get

something done.

We can talk about

planting a church for years

but we need to figure out

how to do tech

and how to set it up

and how to invite people

and what we do

once they get there

and what discipleship

program do we do

and all these questions

that the dreamers

never get to.

So what you see,

the value of dreaming

is good

but if it doesn't allow

for anything else,

suddenly you take away

from the richness

of the value.

So here we see that

wealth in itself

is described as something good

but what can happen

for wealth

to be taken out

of perspective

and losing

what it was meant

to be,

a blessing.

So the first proverb

that I want to go into

from the bulletin

is Proverbs 1517.

Better a small serving

of vegetables

with love

than a fattened calf

with hatred.

A few weeks ago

I met for a discipleship meeting

with one of the mainland students

that I met

about three years ago.

He became a Christian here

while studying in Hong Kong

and after his graduation

his dad helped him

to get a job

in the finance sector.

Now that he has been

in that sector

working for a while

he starts to realize

I am not really

the kind of person

that should necessarily

do this kind of job

and it's not really

what I expected to do

and so he shared that

with his father

and his father

got furious.

He basically threatened him

if you quit this job

you never call me again

you don't even my son anymore.

Now to see the dimensions

of what was happening there

the father used his relationships

to get him into that job

but he also made very clear

that I'm investing in you

I've invested in your education

I'm investing into you

having this job

and I'm expecting a return

of my investment

and if you're trying

to step out of this

then I don't want to talk

to you anymore

you're losing your value to me.

What I see there is

that the proverb highlights

that we have been reading

that in kingdom

in the God's kingdom

the value of relationship

matters a lot

and it is valued more

than just having wealth.

Rather live a little

but in loving relationships

that's pretty much

what the proverb says.

I've seen that many times

in how relationships

are endangered

and break apart

because of money issues.

Just think about inheritance.

How many people here today

have either in their own family

or in the friendship circle

seen relationships

being challenged

or breaking apart

people never talking to you

because of an inheritance.

It's money people

didn't even work for

but the jealousy creeps in

that you want to have that

and the money

will destroy relationships.

So are relationships

in our lives

in danger because of money issues?

has there ever been

a relationship

that has fallen

out of your life

because of money involved

and wealth?

So we see the value

of relationships

standing in that tension

with the value of wealth.

Now let's look at

the second proverb

that challenges

that absolute value of wealth.

It's 1619.

There it says,

better to be lowly

and spared

along with the oppressed

than to share plunder

with the proud.

It's not a secret

that money

is a huge status symbol

in the city.

Author Henry Nouwen

writes that

the world tells us

that our identity

is found in

what we do

and what we have

and what people

think about us.

So your identity

is found in

the things you do

the things you have

and what people

say about you.

Now,

we can transfer that

to Hong Kong

and it's pretty obvious

that we find value

in where we live

and which part of town

we live in

what kind of flat

we have.

The titles on our name card

and the clothes we're wearing

or the club we go to.

And we may say

it doesn't really matter to me.

Like it doesn't really

add so much value

but I think we are walking

sometimes on a very fine line

that pride,

the idol of pride

can creep in

and take over our lives

and we don't even notice it.

As a church,

we are located

next to the Bel Airs.

It's a place of prestige.

Just the setup

of our congregation.

Being an international church,

it's already obvious

that we are

a part of the

higher classes

of society

and many of us

have a pretty impressive

name card probably.

so we look at that

and we see

we are challenged

with that wealth

that we may have.

Does it challenge us

in our kingdom attitude?

And I think that

it's such a danger

to just become prideful

in that.

I have a couple of questions

that we could ask

ourselves

and see like

does it apply to me?

And one would be

think of the story

of the rich young ruler.

And he is asked

to leave everything behind

so if someone would come to you

and get rid of all your wealth

tomorrow,

do you feel that

your identity

would get lost in that?

Or have you had nothing

on your name card

and every time you would

pass your name card

you would just have your name

and like a nun

like in title

or something like that?

Would you be embarrassed?

How would you feel

about passing

that name card around

in your job situation?

Like would you struggle

with kind of like

feeling worthless

and having nothing to offer?

Or just think about

who are the people

that you spent time with

last week

and last month?

Was there anyone

that you spent time with

really getting to know

a person

that had nothing

to offer

to you?

Humility grows out

of that awareness

that everything

comes from God.

If we admit

all the things we have

we are the stewards.

We are not the owners.

We realize

it is God

who is the maker

of everything.

And I think this

puts back into perspective

the wealth

and

may

challenge us

in our pride.

The third proverb

in the list

contrasts

an honest character

with wealth.

On a wider scope

our character

in general

that for the kingdom

character matters

more

than the wealth

we accumulate.

The proverbs reads

in 1922

what a person desires

is unfailing love

better to be poor

than to be a liar.

After working

in a German private bank

I entered

an elite business school

in Germany.

I had just become

a Christian

and so I entered

that school

and there were

about 300 students.

the reputation

of that school

was to kind of

be the outstanding

school

to shape

the future

business leaders

of Germany.

Almost every one

of my classmates

came from a high class

either

business or

company owners

high politicians

and

thinking back

at the time

I have to say

it was probably

one of the worst

environments

for my character

formation

that I've ever

been in my life.

I could tell you

a lot of stories

about why

that's true

but there's one

story that

kind of struck me

and stuck with me

over the years.

One of the students

was the son

of one of the

European national

coaches for football.

He spoke barely

any English

or German.

It was pretty obvious

that he would

probably not pass

any exams

and that he was

accepted to the school

was kind of strange

but when exams

periods come

his dad would

come flying in

he would meet

with the dean

of the school

and his son

would pass

another semester.

I guess I

shouldn't be surprised

that's what

wealth can do

but when I

thought about

that and

I was in that

school and I

saw these things

happening around me

I asked myself

just having become

a Christian

what does it do

to my character?

I just couldn't

stay.

I actually

left the school

and transferred

to a school

in the UK

because I was

concerned about

my character

transformation

formation

and

so I'm

looking at

the story

and I'm asking

myself

what is the

kind of DNA

that the people

around me

rub on me

the environments

that I step

into

when I look

at the people

that surround

myself

the mentors

that I allow

to speak

into my

lives

the job

environments

the family

environment

what is the

kind of DNA

that all

this rubs

on you

so how

in all that

can we

make sure

that somehow

the kingdom

DNA

is rubbed

on us

more than

anything else

how is

the kingdom

rubbing

its DNA

how is

Christ

rubbing

his DNA

more on

us

than the

world

I'm not

saying

that you

should do

what the

disciples did

2000 years

ago

basically

what they

did

in order

to secure

that

is

they

left

their

lives

they

left

their

families

they

joined

Jesus

and

for 24-7

for the next

three years

they would

live and breathe

and eat

and learn

everything

he had

to say

now

some of us

may have to

do something

like that

but in general

that's I

don't think

the point

the point

is to evaluate

our lives

like one of

the values

that we have

emphasized

over and over

again in our

churches

to be a part

of a community

group

and why

is that

the case

because we

feel that

two hours

on Sunday

morning

competing

with 50

hours of

family lives

100 hours

of work

and the

values

that we

hear there

will it

really be

the right

DNA

so how

can we

ensure

that we

have

that DNA

of Christ

alive in

us most

of our

week

hopefully

in our

community

groups

the conversation

will be

there

that encourage

ourselves

to question

how do we

live out

the life

of Christ

hopefully

these

conversations

will happen

in our

family

in the

table

around

with our

kids

that we

see the

DNA

being alive

in our

families

but also

that we

need to

be ready

to go

into our

jobs

and live

out

the kingdom

values

in our

jobs

when I

think back

at the

time

in the

business

school

I wonder

whether

today

I would

make a

different

choice

almost

11 years

ago

when I

left

I don't

think I

was ready

to have

my

DNA

rub

on

that

school

but maybe

that's the

choice

that I

would make

today

seeing

that we

are called

to step

into the

dark places

of this

world

and allowing

to Christ

be rubbed

on to

the world

but we

need to be

ready for

this so

maybe some

questions

that we

need to

ask

ourselves

is

what are

the parts

in your

life

that rub

the kingdom

DNA

on you

where Christ

grows in

you

where you

decrease

but Christ

increases

what are

the aspects

of your

life

that draw

you away

from the

kingdom

DNA

how does

the pursuit

of wealth

impact your

character

and the

DNA that

you breathe

and live

by

the next

proverb

confronts the

value of

wealth on

an even

deeper level

again let me

say wealth

itself is not

the problem

it's a positive

attribute

but the

proverbs show

us the

danger if

wealth becomes

more important

than other

values or they

are taken out

of that

relationship

with other

values so

here the

fourth proverb

1128 says

those who trust

in their riches

will fall but

the righteous

will thrive

like a green

leaf

so here

righteousness

makes us

blossom and

bloom but

putting our

trust in

wealth makes

us fall

so what's

righteousness

righteousness

is an

attribute that

implies that

a person

is living a

life that's

pleasing to

God

so do I

live a life

pleasing to

God

I grew up

in a pretty

secular society

so when I

think about the

question did I

live a life

pleasing to

God I would

say oh we

are pretty good

people like I

don't hurt

anyone I do

my job I pay

my tax I don't

break the law

I even give to

some charities I

help some

neighbors must be

a life that's

pretty pleasing to

God but I

think what we

need to look

at again is

a kingdom

perspective so

what does the

scripture say

when we look

at what the

term righteousness

really means

so in Romans

4 4 to 5

this is not a

new bulletin but

you can just

listen I'm using

this one from the

message paraphrase

and it's really

interesting so here

righteousness

described as the

following if you

are a hard

worker and you

do a good job

then you deserve

your pay we

don't you call

your wages a

gift but if you

see that the

job is too

big for you

that it's

something only

God can do

and you trust

him to do it

you could never

do it for

yourself no

matter how

hard and how

long you

worked well

that trusting

in him to do

it is what

gets you set

right with

God by God

sheer gift

let me read

that again so

if you are a

hard worker and

you do a good

job and you

deserve your pay

and that's not

a gift but if

you see that this

job that you're

doing is too

big for you to

do that it's

only something

that God can

do and you

you have to

trust him to

do it you

could never do

it yourself no

matter how hard

or long you

worked well that

trusting in him

to do it is

what gets you

set right with

God by God

sheer gift so

the job for us

to become

righteous is too

big for us to

do like no

matter how hard

we work no

matter what

whatever we do

we cannot get

by our strengths

right with God

God is perfect

and holy who

could ever say

that I have

lived my day

holy and

perfect so we

fall short of

what God created

us to be so

this job of

leading a God

honoring life is

too big for us

we wrestle with

pride we wrestle

with arrogance we

wrestle with our

self-centeredness but

God's grace has

made a way for us

for our lives to

be counted

righteous by

faith by faith

in the work of

the cross and

what Christ has

done in him

coming to save

us from a

broken world

from our own

brokenness he

sets us right in

Jesus Christ not

by our works but

as a gift now we

look at that and

we realize wealth

loses this positive

attribute when it

draws us away from

the saving love of

God when wealth

gives us the

feeling of I can

save myself I

can use I can

give so much to

charity that I

can be counted

good

if by our wealth

we get that

feeling that we

can achieve

righteousness we

lose sight of his

truth

so the question

would be have you

acknowledged that

need that Christ

and his work on the

cross will set you

right and you

can't do it by your

wealth

in our final

proverb we see

one more element of

how a positive

attribute the

positive attribute of

wealth can quickly

fade in proverbs 15

16 it says better

a little with the

fear of the Lord

than great wealth

with turmoil

sometimes when I

ask or when people

ask me about faith

and about becoming

Christians they say

you know Christianity

is something for

pretty weak people

like they go to

like struggles and

problems and maybe

they get ill or

relationships fall

apart they lose

their jobs and

then they need

something to hold

on to so then

they hold on to

God

now when you

are if you are

here today and

you think that

you think holding

on to God often

happens when when

people in their

lives are out of

control then I

would say you're

right it's the

point when we

realize that we

are actually not

in control of our

lives that we

sometimes only then

get the realization

that we are in

need of God

wealth can give

you the illusion

that you can

control your life

if you are

wealthy and you

can you don't

have to worry

about paying your

bills next week

and where to

live in Hong Kong

rent is so

ridiculous but if

you don't have to

worry about that

so much you say

okay you know

even if I you

know lose my

home like I'll

rent something else

because I have

enough money I

can buy myself a

sense of security

I can eat whatever

I want can go

out I don't need

worry about that

wealth allows me

to travel wherever

I want I feel

like even I'm

in control of you

in all this world

and I can go

wherever I want

and if I get

sick I can pay

for the best

medical treatment

and suddenly we

realize that all

this wealth can

give us the

illusion that we

are in control

of life

but what if

all that falls

apart

what if

suddenly a

cancer diagnosis

comes and it

says there's no

cure

what if

in all your

wealth and

in your hard

work you

see that there

are no friends

left or your

marriage falls

apart and by

your strength and

by your money you

can save it

what if the world

economy falls

apart and it's

out of your

control like Katie

and I have this

funny conversation

about the piece

of land that my

family owns back in

Germany after the

second world war

there they had

to move and

flee from where

they lived and

they settled in

central Germany

and they started

a farm up there

and rebuilt their

lives so now that

the European Union

is falling apart

I joke with her

like what if the

whole world economy

like just crashes

and then I tell her

we'll just move to

Germany and we

will be potato

farmers and we

will live there

happily on our

little farm and

we will tell all

our neighbors about

how great Jesus

is and that one

day there's this

world coming that

everything will be

made new the

conversation is 99%

joke but I think

there's a little bit

of a reality check

in it the reality

check of saying

that we don't want

to take everything

for granted just

because we may be

in a place right

now where you can

do what you want

and you may have

wealth and you have

a sense of security

that we don't take

for granted that

sense of security

security it

turning into a

feeling that I

am in control of

my life

ultimately what

helps us is to

have that perspective

of that kingdom

that this world is

broken and will be

broken but it's

being restored and

one day when Christ

comes back we will

see it in its full

glory it's that

fear of the Lord

that this proverb

talks about that I

think gives us a

healthy attitude

towards our wealth

it gives us the

healthy attitude

toward being in

control or not

so our wealth

can give us

that illusion

that we have

nothing to fear

but if we lose

the fear of the

Lord and his

kingdom to come

and his holiness

then we lose

everything

maybe tonight

on your own

in your family

think about it

think about what

would happen if

the holy world

economy falls apart

what would you do

what are the fears

that grow in you

how would you

respond to these

fears as an

individual as a

family how would we

respond as a

community to be a

light of the world

to the people around

us how would you

point in the turmoil

of your life how

would you point

people to the

kingdom and have

peace about it

before we go into

the final part of the

message and just in

the conclusion we

want to take a few

moments just to

really have some

people pray over

these values that we

can really see and

reflect like what

God says and puts

on our heart about

this

let us pray

father we just

lift you our

relationships Lord

we know you put

so much value in our

relationships and

they're just so

important to us and

to you and I pray

that we will just

live with others in

ways that honor you

father and pray that

our relationships will

not be destroyed by

money and that you

will help us to keep

our priorities right

Lord

father I pray that you

will keep us humble

help us not to find

our identity in the

things that that we

build for ourself on

this earth that we

wouldn't find our

pride in our possessions

blessings or the

kingdom on earth that

we've built for

ourselves but that we

will keep your kingdom

in mind for us and

that we will live our

lives with an eternal

mindset Lord that this

life is not all that

there is and pray that

we would find our worth

in you Lord and in the

ways that you view us

Lord and how you love

us and and take care of

us and that that would

that would keep us

obedient to you Lord

Abba father when your

beloved son came down

and dwelt in our midst

he chose a life of

humility his wealth was

not in material possessions

but rather in his

complete obedience to you

and his love and

compassion for people

help us to emulate

Christ and develop a

character like his in a

place like Hong Kong free

us from the desire for

wealth fame and power

especially when it's

derived from greed

deception or taking

advantage of others

let not the pursuit of

wealth damage our

character nor take us

away from our focus on

you and your saving

grace

father we we left our

desire to be righteous

to you Lord we know

that we can do nothing

with our own two hands

to achieve our salvation

so we just rely on our

faith in you and pray

that you will increase

that faith daily just

draw us close to you

and let our joy be in

you and you alone and

not in what we do with

our own hands Lord

father I pray you would

help us to continue to

see just how holy you are

Lord and and in light of

your holiness that we

could see ourselves and

just our sinful nature

Lord and I pray that

that would lead us to be

to live lives of

thankfulness for your

grace that we don't

deserve a relationship

with you Lord but that

you seek us out and you

desire that relationship

with us and I pray that

we would just be mindful

of everything that we

have and everything that

you've given to us that

it that it is all from you

Lord and that we would

just we would know in our

hearts that we can't

out give you just help

us to live lives of

compassion for others

and just knowing that

that no matter what we

go through whether we

are given things or

things are taken away

from us Lord that that's

what's most important is

you and living for your

glory and just living

out the will that you

have for us in this

life

pray all these things in

Jesus name amen

and now we will have a

scripture reading from

Proverbs 23 4 through 5

do not wear yourself out

to get rich do not trust

your own cleverness cast but

a glance at riches and

they are gone for they

will surely sprout wings and

fly off into the sky like an

eagle

Proverbs 11 4 wealth is

worthless in the day of

wrath but righteousness

delivers from death

Proverbs 22 2 rich and

poor have this in common

the Lord is the maker of

them all

Proverbs 8 18 through 19

with me are riches and

honor enduring wealth and

prosperity my fruit is

better than fine gold what

I yield surpasses choice

silver

Proverbs 30 7 through 9

two things I ask of you

Lord do not refuse me before

I die keep falsehood and

lies far from me give me

neither poverty nor riches

but give me only my daily

bread otherwise I may have

too much and disown you and

say who is this Lord or I may

become poor and steal and so

dishonor the name of my God

this is the reading of God's

word

so as we conclude our our

teaching on wealth in the

Proverbs let's just take a just

a few minutes to to paint that

picture of that kingdom that is

to come to know that if we need

the right perspective we need to

have that that glimpse of the

kingdom in Matthew 6 Jesus calls

us to seek first his kingdom in

Acts 1 after the resurrection

Jesus appears to his disciples

and he spends 40 days with

them and it says that he took

the 40 days to instruct them

about the kingdom of God and

then he leaves his Holy Spirit to

guide us to ultimately see what

the kingdom of God is like and

to see him drawing us towards

that kingdom a vision for the

kingdom is like that compass that

it can draw us away from just

relying on human wisdom and it

actually gives us a glimpse a part

of the revelation of of Christ

it's like that image of the rug

that that we looked at God sees

the the beautiful side of that

kingdom he sees what what the

vision is like for where our

lives are is already moving but we

are stuck in the other side and

it's kind of like he's like shaking

us and trying to wake us up from a

life that can't see the beauty

that's still to come

when I think about like what what

God's thoughts are as he shakes us

out of our lives it's like how can

you let money destroy a

relationship how can you compromise

your integrity just to accumulate

more stuff how can you let your

character be destroyed how can you

be caught up in in that lie that

your wealth can give you control of

anything that matters in my kingdom

Proverbs 23 45 says do not weigh

yourself out to get rich do not

trust your own cleverness cast but a

glance at riches and they are gone

but for there was surely sprout wings

and fly off to the sky like an eagle

so we establish that wealth is good

hard work is good but in light of

God's eternal kingdom it loses its

value we may live for 80 or maybe if

you're lucky or unlucky 100 years

in light of eternity it's like

glancing on it and it's gone God's

kingdom will last for eternity and if

you truly understood that I think it

would change our outlook on life it

would change what we do will we wear

ourselves out to gain riches or are we

even considering what it means to gain

the riches that last for eternity when

my dad died two years before his

retirement I was 18 I worked through a

lot of emotions about anger just

missing out I regretted that he spent

countless hours building houses I know

that he wanted to provide for us but I

felt that stuff is worthless to me now

so ask yourself when you look back at

your life the time that you spend the

stuff you accumulate how foolish will

you think your life looks what do all

the things matter for eternity that you

accumulate Proverbs 11 4 says wealth is

worthless in the day of wrath but

righteousness delivers from death all

our wealth will not save us when this

world comes to an end in my business

studies I learned that scarcity is the

fundamental economic problem the

problem of having humans with unlimited

wants but a world with limited resources

but consider that vision of that kingdom

of God where the creator of everything

rules in the gospel of John it says that

there was a not that there's nothing