This week we’re trying to see the difference between a follower of Jesus, and someone else, in terms of how we see and use money.

Maybe you’ve seen a video going around the Internet with Kevin O’Leary, of Dragon’s Den, saying it’s just fantastic that the richest 85 people in the world have as much wealth as the 3.5 billion poorest.  He says it’s fantastic because it will inspire the poor to get rich themselves.

We’ve attached it if you’d like to watch.

The Bible thinks quite differently about the relationship between rich and poor, in the passage that immediately follows what we read yesterday:

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19 ESV)

Paul uses the same language Jesus is known for using – he refers to storing up treasure in heaven.

When we are generous, sharing with those in need, we are actually doing something of real value and eternal value that Paul calls a good foundation for the future.  That is truly life.  When others hoard, they are missing the point.  They are living a false life with limited value and longevity.

Finding that balance is of course always hard.  How much is enough to gain, save, and give? Yesterday’s reading set a low bar: But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

I have always liked a sermon preached by John Wesley centuries ago on the topic of money, that could be summed up as: Gain all you can, save all you can, give all you can.  In isolation, each part would bring destruction, but together they make sense.  You have to make money to be generous, but if you pursue making too much, you will crash or lose faith.  You also have to save money to give money – wisely spending to have some left over, and by having stability in order to help others.

Question: How else do you think a follower of Jesus looks at money differently from someone else?  How does gaining/saving/giving all you can impact retirement, debt, etc.  Why?

Read the Bible in Sync Today

Ryan Sim - May 14, 2014

Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer Spirit

What was the meaning of all this about Jesus’ followers speaking different languages or “tongues”? It was a sign that the impossible mission they’d been sent to accomplish was actually possible. I love to rock climb, and I used to pride myself on never needing chalk. I considered myself a good climber with just my hands, and sweat never seemed to make me slip off holds. One day, as I struggled on what felt like an impossible climb, a friend insisted I put some chalk on my fingers. I immediately realize what I’d been missing – I could actually do what seemed impossible if I put down my pride and got a little extra help from some chalk. If Jesus’ followers try to spread the good news on their own, they will flail about like me on a difficult climb. They simply don’t have the skills, the numbers, the power to reach the entire world with this message. Think of the number of languages spoken, the various cultural norms to learn, the geography to consider. But with the Spirit of Jesus living in them, speaking through them, acting through them, they could and they did. There are 2 billion people in the world now claiming to be Christians. One web site offers a film about Jesus in 1200 languages. This was all evident in how the disciples began to speak in other languages, they never even knew. People remarked that this was unlikely, since they were Galileans – not considered refined and educated people - with an accent that made it difficult to speak other languages. One of those big barriers, language, was already being dismantled by the Spirit of God speaking through them. In a world with lots of barriers, how refreshing is it to see the Spirit of God taking some down? His good news about Jesus is for everyone, who speaks every language, from every nation. Christianity is not meant to divide people, but rather it’s good news God uses to transform each and every culture, each and every nation, each and every individual. Question: Luke never says what the people were saying as they spoke these other languages – what do you think the Holy Spirit would have said through them?

From Series: Pioneer Story | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio

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