One of problems we have in the money “department” is illustrated in one of my favorite cartoons (below). Don’t you just love this. It appeared a really long time ago in the Farm Journal. I don’t even know if the Farm Journal is published anymore. The cartoon was a regular feature called “Ada the Ayrshire (a breed of dairy cow for you city folks)”. My sister told me recently that our Dad was plagued by this problem with respect to employment. I think I inherited some of that, at least in the early years of my career. I got over it in February of 1974. But this problem doesn’t apply only to employment as you might imagine. It could apply to any aspect of our life. What do you think is the title of this cartoon? Of course, “The grass is always ___________”. Since we are talking about money, we could re-title it “Keeping up with the __________”.
The Revelation 3:15-17 passage gave us a little hint about what the Bible has to say on this issue. Perhaps this is just an obscure passage and after all it was addressed to just one of the Churches and it’s just one person saying it. Just out of curiosity I thought I would see if there were any other passages that addressed it. Aren’t computer Bibles just absolutely wonderful for searching for stuff like this? Please take a look at these and write down what YOU think is being said.
I Tim 6:3-21 _________________________________________________
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Luke 12:13-34 ________________________________________________
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Ecc 5:10-20 __________________________________________________
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Luke 16:13 _________________________________________________
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Luke 16:19-31 _________________________________________________
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Prov 23:4-5 __________________________________________________
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James 1:9-11 _______________________________________________
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Prov 30:8-9 ________________________________________________
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Job 31:24-28 __________________________________________________
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Prov 13:11 __________________________________________________
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Luke 18:18-30 ________________________________________________
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Revelation 3:15-17 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will [a]spit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, NASB
1 Timothy 6:3-21 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not [a]agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he [b]has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that [c]godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. 7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. 8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all [d]sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, [e]perseverance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who [f]gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which He will [g]bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of [h]kings and Lord of [i]lords, 16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good [j]works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— 21 which some have professed and thus gone astray [k]from the faith. NASB
Luke 12:13-34 Someone [a]in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” 16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17 And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night [b]your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ 21 So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”22 And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, [c]do not worry about your [d]life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! 25 And which of you by worrying can add a single [e]hour to his [f]life’s span? 26 If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. 30 For [g]all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32 Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.33 “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. NASB
Ecclesiastes 5:10-20 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is [a]vanity. 11 When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to [b]look on? 12 The sleep of the working man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the [c]full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep. 13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being [d]hoarded by their owner to his hurt. 14 When those riches were lost through [e]a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing [f]to support him. 15 As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil—exactly as a man [g]is born, thus will he [h]die. So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind? 17 Throughout his life he also eats in darkness with great vexation, sickness and anger. 18 Here is what I have seen to be good and [i]fitting: to eat, to drink and [j]enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few [k]years of his life which God has given him; for this is his [l]reward. 19 Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his [m]reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. 20 For he will not often [n]consider the [o]years of his life, because God keeps [p]him occupied with the gladness of his heart. NASB
Luke 16:19-31 “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. 20 And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. 22 Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 And [a]besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham *said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’” NASB
Luke 16:13 No [a]servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and [b]wealth.” NASB
Proverbs 23:4-5 Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your [a]consideration of it.5 [b]When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens. NASB
James 1:9-11 But the [a]brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; 10 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like [b]flowering grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with [c]a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away. NASB
Proverbs 30:8-9 Keep deception and [a]lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, 9 That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God. NASB
Job 31:24-28 “If I have put my confidence in gold, 25 If I have gloated because my wealth was great, And because my hand had secured so much; 26 If I have looked at the [a]sun when it shone Or the moon going in splendor, 27 And my heart became secretly enticed,
And my hand [b]threw a kiss from my mouth, 28 That too would have been an iniquity calling for [c]judgment, For I would have denied God above. NASB
Proverbs 13:11 Wealth obtained by [a]fraud dwindles, But the one who gathers [b]by labor increases it. NASB
Luke 18:18-30 A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” 21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” 22 When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 23 But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24 And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to [a]go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.” 28 Peter said, “Behold, we have left [b]our own homes and followed You.” 29 And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.” NASB