[0:00] Take your Bible and turn with me, if you would, to a wonderful psalm, Psalm 49. There are praying psalms that were written by the songwriters that were like prayers to be lifted up to God.
[0:16] There are praise psalms that were written like praise, and this one's a preaching psalm. So when I got in there this time, it was like we fixed a saying, but we're going to sing about something y'all really need to work on.
[0:29] And this is a powerful chapter. Before I read it, I'd like to remind you. I won't read the chapter, but we'll work our way through it. God's a jealous God. Now, you're not supposed to be jealous, I would say, but you probably are a little bit about your wife.
[0:47] I mean, I wouldn't want to catch my wife in the arms of another guy. I'd kill him and her, probably not. I hope I wouldn't. God's a jealous God. He wants to be the only God. The problem is that you and I don't worship idols like little man-made statues.
[1:03] We don't really have much of a problem with that in modern America. But the God of the Bible knew that thousands of years ago. And he knows that what we like to worship is the world, the world system, and wealth, and money.
[1:18] And so the psalmist writes a song that they're going to sing. I want you to imagine them singing. First verse, it says, now y'all all pay attention. Everybody hear and everybody listen.
[1:30] You'll see that in a minute. Before we do, I want to take you over to 1 John 2 and verse 15. That's one of them little books right before the book of Revelation, last book in your Bible. This is a truth that runs all the way through the Bible, from Seek Ye First, the Kingdom of God.
[1:46] It's there, and it's also right here in this psalm, and in 1 John, and in James 4. It's just everywhere. God wants to be your only God.
[1:56] He don't want you trusting your wife, your husband, the bank, your money, your strength. He's just like, just trust me. I'll take care of everything else.
[2:07] And that's his basic thing. 1 John 2, 15, great passage to study and preach. Love not the world. Now, when he says that world there, he's not talking about trees and plants and horses and dogs and cats.
[2:24] He's talking about a system that rises up against him, a system that would suck you in, a system that would have you think, I like this place. I don't need the next place.
[2:35] I trust what this world says. And so, we're not to love the world. Neither the things that are in the world. If any man loved the world, now look at this verse. This is harsh.
[2:47] If you love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. You will choose. You'll either love man's opinion or God's opinion. Man's plan or God's plan.
[2:58] Man's way or God's way. That's what he's saying. Look at verse 16. For all that's in the world, everything around you, what you lust after, what you desire as a human being with a body.
[3:11] And what you desire when you look at it, the lust of the eyes. And with the pride of life that would lift you up. It's not the Father, but it's not of the Father, but this world.
[3:22] So, it says, you know, all these things, they don't belong to Jesus. I mean, he really wants you looking at the other world. He doesn't want you looking at this world. And then he sums it up in verse 17.
[3:34] The world passes away, and the lust thereof. But he that does the will of God abides forever. Now, just catch this with me. If you were alive in Abraham Lincoln's day or George Washington's day, you were alive in these, what I would consider great heroes of the past.
[3:53] They're dead. Their property's gone. And we may have a monument to them, but there were a lot of other little people like me and you, whose names we don't even know, but it's all gone.
[4:04] And what they might have lusted after, a big wig with a lot of white powder on it, you know. We don't even want that stuff anymore, say amen. We were riding to church this morning, and before I tried to kill the preacher that was in front of me, joke for those that weren't here, I was telling Betty, you know, in the old days, this is real old days, when you drove a car, you had to keep moving the steering wheel because they were kind of wobbly.
[4:27] And so you got a lot of exercise back then. Nowadays, you just hold it still, and it does all the work. But I think what I thought about when I was driving, I thought those are the greatest things in the world.
[4:38] I wouldn't want them things. Passed away. Everything you know passes away. Everything you know. The world as you know it will pass away. But there's one thing that lasts forever. He that does the will of God.
[4:50] He that chooses God over this world. Now go back with me, if you would, to Psalm 49. I don't know how to tell you this except to say, this is a fantastically wonderful passage of Scripture.
[5:02] I sometimes almost feel foolish saying that because I say it too much maybe. But it's the truth. And God just wants you to love Him. God just wants you to love Him.
[5:13] And He wants you to trust Him. So Psalm 49.1 says, Hear this, all you people. Give ear, all of you that live in the world. He says, I don't care.
[5:25] In verse 2, if you're low or high. Noble birth or poor birth, I don't care. I don't care if you're rich or poor. All of you need to listen.
[5:36] What you're about to sing in this song will give you in verse 3 wisdom. And the meditation of my heart will be understanding. I'm going to try to tell it in a story form.
[5:47] In a parable, he says. In dark sayings on a harp. I'm going to try to sing it to you so you all will pay attention. I am always jealous of musicians. I wish I could write music and sing.
[5:59] Because I can preach and you don't listen to it. You don't remember it until you get to that door out there. And some guy writes a ditty 50 years ago and you're still singing it. And so I'm always like, I think I ought to do that.
[6:12] I think the psalmist might have said, they don't remember my preaching. So I'm putting this one to music. And maybe people went around humming. Everybody listen. Everybody pay attention. I don't know.
[6:25] But it's kind of like that in this psalm. You'll get wisdom and you'll get understanding. Verse 5. Look at it with me. Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil?
[6:36] When the iniquity of my heels shall come past me about. You know, when the whole world is falling apart. He's going to get this across to you. You see, if you trust in this world. Man, when the market falls, you better be scared.
[6:49] And when housing values go down. And when you lose a job. And when a coronavirus attacks. If you're trusting this world. You probably ought to get scared. But the psalmist says, I don't know why I should be afraid.
[7:01] I think you ought to pay attention to that little part. Underline that. He goes, well, why would I be afraid? I don't trust the president. I don't trust the governor. I don't trust the health system.
[7:12] I don't trust my bank. I don't trust anything here. I trust Jesus. And so why should I be afraid? That's a good amen place. Wherefore should I fear in bad times?
[7:23] When trouble is everywhere. When it's biting my heels. And when it's everywhere around me. I don't have to be afraid. Verse 9. Verse 6. They that trust in their wealth.
[7:35] And boast themselves in a multitude of their riches. You see what they're doing is. They get their bank statement. And they're like, okay. I got a lot of money in the bank.
[7:45] My ATM card works. My credit card works. My stock market fund works. I got all this money. I'm okay. I'm okay. And they sit down. In fact, it's quite offensive.
[7:56] Outside the United States. But often an American will say. What he's worth. Warren Buffett's worth this much now. I said that one time. The first time I was trying to translate that in Spanish.
[8:09] And a guy looked at me and said. You think money's what we're worth? I said, well, if he was American, you would be. That's what we're worth. They trust in their wealth. And they boast. I got. In fact, they put out magazines.
[8:21] And try to fight for whose riches. The other day. Musk passed Buffett. And boy. We had to write that one up. You know. Because we boast in money. But we don't. They do.
[8:31] And the psalmist said. There's people out there trusting their money. There's people out there checking their bank account. There's people out there adding up their money. And that's what they're trusting. And verse 6.
[8:42] You need to underline and circle the word trust. Because in no part of the Bible. Is it wrong for you to have money. God can give you money. God may bless you with money.
[8:54] Here's what God doesn't want. Don't trust it. Years ago. John Pearson was doing the offering devotional. And he got up and he held some money out of it.
[9:04] I don't remember it real well. He ought to do it again. But he held a dollar bill out or a 20. I don't remember what it was. And he said. I like my money telling me what to do. I like telling my money what to do.
[9:16] And he said. So I tell it where to go. I tell it's going in an offering. It was a great devotional. It was a great devotional. Because you don't let money. You don't trust money. You don't trust money. I know this in a different world.
[9:27] And I know you can't imagine it happening. But in 1929. People woke up. Losing millions. And I went to Argentina years ago. People had money in the bank.
[9:39] And that morning they woke up. And the president and the congress froze their accounts. And they had nothing. And he never let them have it back. There was a time in Germany.
[9:51] The joke goes. That inflation was so bad. That to go to the grocery store. You needed a wheelbarrow to carry your money. And when you got there. If you took your money out. And left your wheelbarrow. If you left your wheelbarrow.
[10:02] And the money. They dumped the money. And run around with your wheelbarrow. Because it was worth more than your money was. You can't trust money. You can't trust money. In fact it's on our money.
[10:13] I think it says something like. In God we trust. That's where you better trust. Look at Psalm 48. 49 7. None of them can by any means redeem his brother.
[10:25] Nor give to God a ransom for him. Truth of the matter is. I very much love my brother John. I love my sister Vicki. I love them very much. I would do just about anything I could do to help them.
[10:38] But you know. No amount of money can save them. No amount of money can save them. By the way. When you're on life support. You got a tube running down your throat.
[10:48] And you're in a hospital. Even doctors can't save you. Only one that can save you. Only one can save you. And it's not money. You can't pay God off.
[11:01] You can't call God up and say. Hey I'll give you a million dollars. Don't let my brother go to hell. Can't do it. Only Jesus can. Look at 49 8. The redemption of their soul is precious.
[11:14] It's extremely valuable. You know what the cost of your soul was? The death of Jesus Christ on the cross. The shed blood of Jesus. Is the only way you could be saved.
[11:24] Now. Verse 9. 49 9. He said. That guy wants to pay for his soul. He wants to live forever. He doesn't want to rot. Not see corruption.
[11:35] That's rotting. You know what it's like. You've been to the funeral home. I imagine my own funeral. When I was laying in the hospital. And. You know you lay in there in the casket.
[11:49] You're a shell of what you were. Your color's gone. Your life's gone. And you're stiff. And they even blow you up with stuff and say. He'll look that same way in 50 years.
[11:59] Who would want to? Amen. I have never understood that. You look pathetic. And you're going to look that way for 50 more years. Just let the worms have their day. He said that you don't want to see that.
[12:10] Look at 10. When you're wise. You see that wise men die. And fools. And prudish people die.
[12:22] Nobody escapes. You know the richest people. Supreme Court justices die. Presidents die. Business captains. Titans of business die. And poor people die.
[12:33] Old people die. And young people die. Everybody dies. And that money. You so ferociously clung to. Gets left to somebody else.
[12:44] One part of the Bible says. You don't even know who's going to get it. You save all that money. And you die. Now your kids are fighting over it. What the bank don't get or whoever else.
[12:55] Verse 10. They leave their wealth to others. Here's what men want. They want to build a. They're singing this by the way. They're singing this. Men want to build a lasting legacy.
[13:05] They want a name for themselves. They want a monument raised up. It's not a very good idea. Somebody will pull it down. But they want a monument built. They want their name put on their land. Look at verse 11.
[13:17] Their inward thought is. See on the inside they're like. Now I may be going to die. But I want everybody to remember me a thousand years from now. I was standing in Peru. And this kid was going to be an architect.
[13:28] And he said. God's dealing with me about preaching. But I can make more money being an architect. And I said. Well who owns that house? He said. I don't know. I said. Who owned it for him? He said. I don't know. I said. Who owned it a thousand years ago?
[13:40] He said. I have no idea. I said. Me either. I said. That's the whole deal. You get your name on a building. They'll burn it down in no time. They'll tear it down. But eternity is changed.
[13:50] By serving God. Look at verse 11. The inward thought. Is that their houses. Shall continue forever. And their dwelling places. To all generations. They call their lands.
[14:01] After their own names. They call their lands. After their own names. This is gardeners groves. Here. Come on over. Here's the Pearson plantation. Here's the Cornwell.
[14:13] Cornfield. Amen. And we're just all naming our spot. And we'll be dead. And the next guy will say. Tear that sign down. We'll put up another one. Amen.
[14:24] Verse 12. Nevertheless man being an honor. Still doesn't get to keep living. Man being an honor. Doesn't get to abide.
[14:37] It doesn't matter who you are. Doesn't matter how good you are. You know how animals die? You're going to die too. Now we don't die like an animal. In the sense that. There's no eternity. But you can deal with the fact that.
[14:49] Dogs die. Cats die. Cows die. You can deal with that. Just know this. You're going to die too. You're going to die too. Verse 13.
[15:00] This is their way. This is their way. This is their folly. Their foolishness. Yet their posterity. Their children. They like the saying. This is the gardener grove.
[15:12] It will always be gardener grove. It's going to say right up there. This is the gardener stuff. And the kids are like. Yeah dad. That's good. Yeah dad. That's good. But the truth of the matter is. We already found out something.
[15:24] I'm going to die. And you're going to die. And they're going to tear it down. They're going to tear it down. And now we're to the first break. I don't know how these songs worked.
[15:35] I wish I did. I'd love to hear them sung. Can you imagine. Maybe the first hymn. The first line of this hymn. It's really long. But what he came down to saying was.
[15:46] Money's pretty worthless. You're going to die. You're going to leave it to somebody else. You couldn't save anybody with your money. Even if you wanted to. And trusting in your money is kind of a foolish saying. You're going to die like a dog anyway.
[16:00] And then he says. Selah. And he moves on to say. If you want victory. You'll only find it in God. So. The first song. Verse. The verse of the song. It's kind of dark.
[16:11] It's like. Ain't much going. In your way baby. If you like money. It don't work. Second one says. No one can escape. Look at it. Like sheep.
[16:22] They're laid in the grave. Boy don't read this part. Death. Shall. Feed. On. Them. Lord.
[16:33] Help me. That's about as. Coarse of language. As you can read. Your loved ones. Death. Feeds. On. Them. They're all going to die.
[16:45] Go dig up George Washington. You reckon you'd find anything but. Dust. Huh. You're not going to find him. Abraham. Buried Sarah. In a special place.
[16:56] You think she's still there. Her body's gone. Death. Feeds. And the upright. Shall have dominion over them in the morning. Those are still walking. They're the ones that are being.
[17:07] Call a charge. And their beauty. Shall consume. In the grave. From their dwelling. Man they may lay down pretty. They might have been pretty. Until the day they died.
[17:18] But it all gets eaten up. We're still kind of negative. But he's heading towards a crescendo here. You know. A crescendo is where the music starts building. And the emotion starts getting high.
[17:30] And he's like saying. Just to be honest with you. We're all going to die. It's a morbid message. I mean when he's preaching this message. I can only imagine. I'm like good night. What's got into him today?
[17:42] Where did he come up with this? Why do you want to tell us this? I mean I just checked my bank account. Market was up. I'm doing good. He said that's worthless. And then he said don't worry. Everybody's going to die.
[17:53] And then he hit verse 15. And buddy. The music just got loud. The cymbals are going off. The drums are beating a beat that says. You better pay attention.
[18:04] He said. I know everybody dies. They lay down like dead sheep in a grave. I know that death feeds on them. I know that beauty is consumed in the grave. But let me tell you something.
[18:15] I know God. And God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave. For he shall receive me. What a verse.
[18:26] What a verse. Do you hear that? I mean he has spent all these verses. We're like 15 verses in. And he has been saying. You're dead. Dead. Dead.
[18:37] Mark it on your calendar. Your beauty is going to get consumed. Your body is going to get eaten. Your money is going to be given to somebody else. We're going to rename your plantation. Huh? It's over for you buddy.
[18:49] And then he goes. But if you know Jesus. You've got to like that. I mean you've got to like that. You've got to like that. But God will redeem my soul.
[18:59] A believer has victory. When they took my dad's body. And stuck it in that casket. And got ready to put it in the ground.
[19:11] It wasn't my dad. He left. Buddy when he died to be absent from the body. His spirit departed. And went to be with Jesus.
[19:21] And we were just buried where he used to live. Y'all probably never seen this. But on the farm when the locusts would come out. They'd leave their hall. When they came out of it. We'd find them all over the place.
[19:33] Or snake skins. I'd run into the house and say. Daddy here's a snake. He'd say that's where a snake's been little boy. And that's what daddy. My daddy went to heaven. And he says let's stop and think about that.
[19:45] Just a minute. Let's stop Selah. Let's stop and think about that. I don't know what they did. I don't know if the ladies on the piano just played a verse with no talking.
[19:57] I don't know. But it was like. You're all going to die. But if you know Jesus. You don't have to go to the grave. And you know. He's going to conquer death.
[20:08] First Corinthians chapter 15. He gives mercy. Wealth does not make a man wicked. Nor does poverty make a man good.
[20:18] Trusting in wealth. Condemns the soul. Trusting in Christ. Saves the soul. I didn't make that up. Read it. Here's what's going on.
[20:31] In Psalm 49. Look at Luke 16. 15 with me if you would. You see. God doesn't esteem. Or like. What man likes. Man likes certain things.
[20:45] And God likes certain things. And they don't agree. On what they like. Ever been around one of them people. That like liver and onions. Does anybody in this room like liver and onions.
[20:56] Hold your hand up. So I know never to shake it. When we give it. You know. Liver and onions. Oh. Who you point at. Somebody does. You know. Somebody always likes liver and onions. And my daddy used to love that stuff.
[21:07] And mama fixed what daddy liked. None of the rest of us liked it. And mama's rule was. If daddy eats it. We all eat it. I used to. Man. I used to. It was like God. I'll put her down if you'll keep her.
[21:19] It's worse than anything I did on the mission field. But here's what God says. Luke 16. 15. So I want you to read that last part. From the colon forward. For that which is highly esteemed among men.
[21:31] Is abomination. Is hated. In the sight of God. Look at that. God says what you guys like. I don't like. You might like liver. But God hates it.
[21:42] I mean. Not really. That's me. That's me. But. But. He's saying. He's saying very clearly. That somehow. You and I have got on the wrong track. You know what makes men happy?
[21:54] Money. Somebody said. Well money can't. Buy happiness. They said. Well give me enough. Let me try for a while. But money's not the answer. Money's not the answer. That's what God's saying.
[22:05] You think having a nice house. And we got nice houses. But you think having a nice house. And driving a nice vehicle. And having a great bank account. And God looks at him and says. That's not impressive to me.
[22:17] That's not impressive. I know you know the story. Of the guy who died. And before he went to heaven. The angel. Death angel came to get him. And he had all his gold bars stacked up. And he said. Do you mind if I carry some of this?
[22:29] Angel said. Well you're kind of foolish. But if you want to. They packed it up. This is a joke by the way. They got to heaven. And the customs people said. Open that bag. And they opened it up.
[22:40] It was full of gold. They said. Why would you bring asphalt? That's just make streets around here. You know the whole point. Is what we value. He walks on. What he wants you to value.
[22:52] Is Jesus. What he wants you to value. Is Jesus. What's highly esteemed. Among men. Let me just throw this at you. One of the truths. Of the rich man and Lazarus.
[23:04] Is not only the story. Of suffering and hell. But it was the shock factor. That every Jew would get. You see for a Jew. If you had money. You obviously. Were blessed by God.
[23:15] And if you didn't have money. You were cursed by God. And Jesus tells a story. And he says. There's a rich man. And he lives like a king. And he throws crumbs. To the beggar. At his door.
[23:25] And so every Jew. Would have been like. Yeah that's the man. That's the guy God likes. He said. Well he died. And in hell. He looked up his eyes. Do what? And the beggar. Was carried.
[23:36] To Abraham's bosom. He was trying to let him know. What you guys like. Doesn't impress me. Money doesn't impress me. Poverty doesn't impress him. Trusting him. Impresses him. Seek first the kingdom.
[23:48] And let God add. All these things. To you. Go back if you would. To Psalm 49 16. We're past the next break. We've had our first break. No we've had a second break.
[24:00] And he says in Psalm 49 16. Be not thou afraid. When one is made rich. When the glory of his house. Is increased. See we're all impressed. We're so impressed with money.
[24:11] When a guy makes it. When a guy starts a business. In his garage. And becomes one of the richest men. In the world. We're like. He must be somebody. And the song said. Don't let that impress you.
[24:23] Don't get blessed by that. Money's not what I like. Because verse 17 says. Because he's going to die. And when he dies. He's not carrying anything with him. And his glory.
[24:35] Will go to the grave. Just like him. And you can be so in awe. Of politicians. And rich and powerful. People. And you're like.
[24:46] Those guys. They are the stuff. And God's in heaven going. No they're not. I'll choose a little widow. On the back side of nowhere. That loves me. And trusts me. Over anybody with. Money doesn't impress our God.
[24:58] Verse 18. And though while he lived. He blessed his soul. And everybody thought that was great. You know. He had all that money. And he lived to the hilt. I mean. Everybody else lives this way. He lives this way.
[25:09] Everybody else eats this. He eats food. We can't even talk about. I mean. You know. He eats. He eats caviar. And he eats escargot. I was in South America. We had a.
[25:19] Got a little money with us. And they had escargot on the menu. And he said. Let's try some escargot. I had one bite. And said. Glad I'm poor. No desire for another snail. Amen.
[25:30] And he said. They treat themselves well. But you know what? He's still going to die. Verse 19. He shall go to the generation of his fathers.
[25:41] His daddy. And his granddaddy. And his great granddaddy. All died. They all died. Verse 20. Man. That is an hunter. And understands not.
[25:52] Is like a beast. That perishes. You know. He may be a big shot. But if he doesn't understand. That what makes you really rich. And what makes you blessed.
[26:03] Is not money. But God. Now. Let me say this. I want to show you this before we finish. Lord willing. God is not against you having money. God's against you trusting money. God's against you seeking after money.
[26:15] If God wants to give you money. That's up to him. It says. Man. That is an honor. Boy. This guy. Doctor. Bottle stopper. This guy. Mighty almighty reverend guy.
[26:25] This guy. Mr. President. Or whoever. If he doesn't know Jesus. He's going to die like a dog. And go to hell. That's what it says. I recently saw this quote on the wall.
[26:37] In an office. That asked this guy. Who had an extremely successful business. Why he didn't take his business public. And make more money. And he wrote this.
[26:49] And has become quite famous among those people. He said. I am the richest man in America. I have a wife who loves me. In spite of all my thoughts. I have four dogs.
[27:00] Two love only me. One loves everybody. One loves no one. But is still very loyal. I have a horse. I love to ride around the farm. And best of all. When she comes to me.
[27:10] When I call her. I have too much to eat. I have a dry place to sleep. I enjoy my business. I love my farm. And my home. I have a few close friends. And money has never been my God.
[27:22] I'm the richest man. In America. Trusting money. Gets you nowhere. That's a Bible truth. And you might say. Man what is going on?
[27:32] Why so much about money? We just happen to be in Psalm 49. So let me give you some New Testament verses. Go with me to James chapter 5. And verse 1. James is writing a very harsh letter.
[27:46] And he says. Go to now you rich men. Weep and howl for your miseries shall come upon you. You're mighty. You're going to lose it. Your riches are corrupted.
[27:57] Your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered. And the rest of them shall be a witness against you. And shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Fire. You have heaped treasure together for the last days.
[28:10] Well you thought that money was something. But it's all polluting and falling apart. They say that the big drug man in South America. Out of Michigan, Columbia.
[28:21] Had so much money he would just bury it. And when he wanted to get it back. It had rotted on him. He couldn't even use millions of dollars. He buried. That's what that verse says. Verse 4.
[28:32] Behold the hire of the labors. The people that worked for you that reaped your fields. You kept their money by fraud. And they cried. Verse 5. You lived in pleasure on the earth.
[28:43] You've lived a wild wanton lifestyle. You have nourished your heart as in a day of slaughter. As a day you kill the animals to eat. And you're eating big time. You have condemned and killed the just.
[28:55] And he doth not resist you. And it starts off real clear. Howl and weep. God is not impressed with your money. Now what's the New Testament have to say?
[29:07] I want you to imagine them singing in their church. In their congregation. As they got together. Imagine them singing Psalm 49. I wouldn't doubt that a deacon or a pastor.
[29:19] Or a Sunday school teacher might have said. Stephen could you choose a more pleasant psalm? I like Psalm 23. I'm all for Psalm 48. Could we just kind of leave Psalm 49 out of the psalm book?
[29:31] But God put it in. Here's what the Bible teaches about money in the New Testament. Number one. First Timothy. Six to six. I hope you'll really take this home. I think it is like some of the most important things we could ever learn.
[29:46] Godliness with contentment is great gain. You know what God wants? He wants you to please Him. Being godly means you're godlike. And He wants you to be satisfied.
[29:59] Content. Underline that. Contentment. You see, lustful men that need porn aren't content with their wife. And men that hunger after money aren't content with what God has given them.
[30:12] And He said, if you want the truth, love me and just learn to enjoy what I give you. It's amazing. It's amazing. A kid 50 years ago would have been excited about things kids today would throw away.
[30:26] He says in verse 7, you brought nothing into this world and you're carrying nothing out. If you have food and clothes, let's be content. Go down to verse 9 if you would.
[30:38] They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. Now you need to get your Bible out, your paper Bible, and you underline this.
[30:53] Will be. I had plenty of Peruvians come to me and say, see there God says rich people fall into all that. I said, that's not what it says. Read what it says.
[31:04] They that will be rich. You know, poor people will be. Thieves will be. Sinners will be. And some rich people, a lot of rich people will be.
[31:15] But you shouldn't will be rich. See, you want to serve Jesus. If He wants to give you money, that's fine. But if you have a hunger and you're chasing money, you're going to get tempted.
[31:25] You're going to fall in a trap. You're going to be hurt by many foolish and hurtful desires you shouldn't have. And they destroy men in destruction and being lost.
[31:36] Look down to verse 10. I just believe it exactly like it reads right here in the Bible I have in front of me. The love of money is the root of all evil.
[31:47] You are not to love money. And if you believe you are, read Psalm 49. You are not to love money. It's the root of all evil.
[32:00] And when some men coveted it or desired after it, they erred from the faith. How many people walk away from God for a dollar bill or a thousand dollars?
[32:10] How many people err from the faith? And they get pierced through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, if you love God, run. You are not for sale.
[32:23] You don't ever let somebody put money in the place of Jesus. You follow after righteousness and godliness and faith and love and patience and meekness.
[32:34] You can't go to church now because you've got to make money. You can't read your Bible now because you've got to make money. You can't take care of your family now because you've got to make money. You're chasing the wrong thing.
[32:45] Run from that money stuff and follow after what's in that list. And fight the good fight. And hold on. Skip down to verse 17. Verse 56, 17.
[32:57] We're never to trust in riches. Now, Paul writes to them, and I want you to notice what he says. He says, charge them that are rich in this world. They've got a good bank account.
[33:08] They've got money in the bank. That they be not high-minded. Don't get proud and haughty acting. I've known some people that had money, and you couldn't tell it. I've known some people that didn't have money, and you thought they did.
[33:21] He said, don't be high-minded. But then he says the key. Here's the main thing. Nor trust in uncertain riches. Look at that. Don't trust money.
[33:32] And the key word you might all underline there, uncertain riches. You can't trust money. You can't trust money. I bought gas, and I went to college for $28.9 a gallon.
[33:47] That's what I paid for it. I used to buy a 10-ounce Coke for 10 cents and a 6-ounce Coke for 6 cents. For 15 cents, I could give me a RC Cola and a moon pie.
[33:57] Nowadays, you just about got to break the bank to do it. You can't trust money. My daddy lived a whole year and made only $300 right when I was first home with him.
[34:13] Uncertain riches. But trust the living God. Trust not money, but trust the living God. And then he says something so beautiful who gives you things that he wants you to enjoy them.
[34:27] God's not against you enjoying life and having some things. When you sit down in a nice chair in your home and you've bought a nice chair, God doesn't look down and frown. He looks down and says, check that out.
[34:38] Got my boy something he can enjoy. It's the way our daddy feels. The way our mama feels when they give their kids something. Who gives us richly all things to enjoy. But he says, now, you got money, so I'd like to talk to you real quickly about how you use money.
[34:53] Verse 18. Use that money to underline it. Do good. Do good. I didn't give you that money for you to have it for you. I gave that money for you to do good.
[35:06] And I want you to be, look at it, rich in good works. I want you to be rich in good works. Not rich in money, but rich in good works. I want you to be ready to distribute.
[35:19] I want you to spread out what you got. I want you to become a distribution center for my gifts to you. Give away. Give away. Give away. I want you to be willing to communicate.
[35:31] That's another way of saying the same thing. Be a giver. Every one of us ought to be generous givers. When we give to missions here at Vision Baptist Church, we are giving to something that cannot give back to us.
[35:42] We give and it's gone. We send it to China and it gets used on them. We send it to Peru and it gets used on them. But we're willing to communicate. We are ready to distribute.
[35:55] He said, when y'all do that, verse 19, you will lay up in store for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come. Put your money in heaven where thieves and mauls do not corrupt and rust doesn't enter in.
[36:09] Put your money into things of God. Last story. Three minutes. There's a great story given in the Bible. And you all know the story. I'm almost sometimes, because you're such Bible scholars, embarrassed to tell you some of the things.
[36:25] Because you'll say, I already knew all that. But in Luke chapter 12, verse 15, he said, take heed. Beware of covetousness. Don't be wanting stuff.
[36:37] Don't be wanting stuff. A man's life consists not in the abundance of the things he possesses. You know, life isn't about how much money you got. Life's not about how big a property you have.
[36:52] That's not life. Beware of covetousness. Then he gives the story to illustrate it. And I'm just going to real quickly give it to you. Verse 16. A certain man had some ground.
[37:03] And he had a great big harvest. He had more harvest than he'd ever had. And in verse 17, you should underline this. He thought within himself.
[37:16] That's dangerous. You need to think in this. He got to thinking. Stank. I got a lot of money. Check this out. And then he said, this is, you need to underline this in 18.
[37:29] In verse 18, he said, this will I do. I will pull down my barns and build greater. I will bestow all my fruits and my goods.
[37:39] And I will say to my soul, man, you got it made. But God had other plans. When that guy was going to tear down the barns, he had his life made.
[37:50] God said to him, you fool. God, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. Then who do you think will own all that stuff you got? Look at it.
[38:01] Verse 20. You see, God wants your attention. He wants you to know that he does the work, even in you. In verse 21, God said this. He that lays up treasure for himself.
[38:12] That's how I do with people that lay up treasure for themselves. And they're not rich toward God. You ever thought that the reason God gave you money wasn't for you to trust it, but for you to use it for him?
[38:24] Did it ever cross your mind that we're rich? We are rich. Most people in the world have no concept of the kind of money we have. We don't go to bed hungry unless we're trying to.
[38:36] We don't get up and miss breakfast unless you're intermittent fasting. We just don't do it. We got it. We got gym club memberships we don't even use. We have cars.
[38:47] We have so many cars we can just get another one. It's just an unreal lifestyle. It's about us. Jesus said in Luke 12, 22. Take no thought for your life.
[39:01] Verse 23, he said, your life is more than meat, more than food, and the body is more than clothes. So Psalm 49 says this. You can't trust money.
[39:12] And I know this won't be my most popular message, but I'll tell you this. God wanted it clear. I want you to know there would have been times that the song leader came out and said, stand and sing with me Psalm 49.
[39:28] And he would have said, everybody listen. Everybody pay attention. Everybody understand something. We're all going to die. We're all going to die. And no matter how much money you have, it's not yours.
[39:42] No matter how big of properties you have and what plantations you own, you're going to lose them. And there's only one way out, and that's trusting God. And when you die, if you don't know him, you're gone.
[39:53] But if you do know him, he'll rescue you. He'll rescue you from the grave, and he will receive you. And if you don't know Jesus, that's not true for you. But if you know Jesus, you have salvation.
[40:06] You need to know him. You need to understand that you don't just say, I know him. There's time in your life when you say, I've sinned against the holy God. I deserve to go to hell.
[40:17] And it's not just a mental assent. It's not just saying, I agree. It is a heartfelt knowing that you need God and what Jesus did on the cross. It's hard because it means we admit that we are failures.
[40:32] And we admit that we have sinned. And we admit we don't deserve God's goodness. And we admit that if we got what we deserved, we'd go to hell. And then we say, but I trust you that Jesus died for me.
[40:44] And when we do that, he saves us. If you're listening by internet, he'll save you if you'll just trust him. He died for you to be saved. If you're here, you can be saved.
[40:55] But every Christian in this room, can I ask you to go home, look at your bank account, and say to it, like John said in that devotional, you don't tell me what to do.
[41:06] I tell you what to do. Would you look at it and say, boy, God gave me money. And it's for me to use for his honor and glory. God blesses you.
[41:17] He didn't bless you for you to get fat and sassy. He blessed you to be a giver, to be generous. I mean, you ought to be tithing and faith promising. But even above that, use the money God gives you for his honor and his glory.
[41:33] Father in heaven, I love you. I thank you for saving us. I thank you for this passage of scripture. And I pray you'd wake your people up to believe it. And I'll give you praise for it all. In Jesus' name, amen.