Two people were discussing the recent death of a wealthy man. c. Love of Money , 13:5-6 In this section of Hebrews we encounter a series of admonitions about living day to day as a Christian. Build your life on God Himself and your soul will be satisfied. In the context of an appeal for giving, Paul wrote, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every new toy” (2 Cor. What will man do to me?’” The first quote is not found in this exact form in the Old Testament, but there are many similar quotes (Deut. Q. In short, teach your children to respect, honor and follow the example of the leaders You have to start in the right place. Before we go farther, we should address the question that our text raises, “Is it wrong to seek to better our circumstances through hard work and a better income?” The opposite question would be, “Should we be unconcerned about material things and our financial condition?” Should we just drift through life without ambition, living from hand to mouth? Sometimes, I would remember that there were more important things to spend my time and money on. Death isn’t a pretty good chance—it’s a certainty! God has promised to never leave us. He warned, “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” (Luke 12:15). I worked a lot and spent everything I had on clothes, shoes and purses. You have to avoid comparing yourself with others, recognizing that God is sovereign and that He has different purposes for different people. 1:26-27, 29; 1 Cor. The Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs captured this fact by titling his book, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. All Rights Reserved. 1:5; 1 Chron. As a loving Father, He does not deny His children good things. And you leave it all behind. Jesus told the parable about the unrighteous steward (Luke 16:1-8), who knew that he was going to get fired. 10:22). But it is important to note that this passage underscores daily living in the context of participation in a It may be a convenient low amount to start with, but the New Testament standard is, as God has prospered you (1 Cor. 6:6-11; 13:22; 15:6; 21:5, 20; 27:23-27). If you want your heart in the things of God, invest your treasure there. (Hebrews 13:5 Amp). Jesus applied it (16:9), “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.” He did not say, “if it fails,” but, “when it fails.” Money will fail us at death. As with many biblical principles, there is a balance that we must maintain by holding seemingly opposite truths in tension. Jeremy Burroughs defines it as “that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition” (in Swenson, p. 200). Like a beautiful garden, contentment does not grow without deliberate aim and effort. For God has said, “I will never fail you. But what’s the motivation for this? 41:10-13). 6:5-10). Have children find and read Psalm 139:7-10, Hebrews 13:5, Proverbs 15:3 and Joshua 1:9. Does debt affect giving in modern times in light of the Israelite tithe and slaves? Just Us Little Guys Sunday School Center God Loves Me Series – Lesson 6 www.SundaySchoolCenter.com Just Us Little Guys Page 3 ©2010, Sharon Kay Chatwell Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and So the author calls them to contentment and shows them how to cultivate this rare, but essential, Christian jewel. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith." 6:19; 1 Tim. The philosopher, Immanuel Kant, saw this when he observed, “Give a man everything he wants, and at that moment, everything will not be everything” (cited by Richard Swenson, Margin [NavPress], p. 190). I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!”. He said, “for every good deed”! [Assuredly not! The writer of Hebrews gives us the answer in the next verse, “So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. The Bible presents greed as a terrible sin, equal to idolatry (Eph. By way of contrast, in Psalm 73, the psalmist was envious of the prosperity of the wicked until he considered things in light of eternity. And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. So he quickly used what he had to make friends for himself for the future. No, you read that article carefully to learn whether your AT&T stock is going up or down. Download the free lesson – free sample from the Sunday School Store. 17:5-6). 12/06/2020 - Sunday School Lesson: "Called Through Heritage" Matthew 1:1-6, 16-17; Hebrews 1:1-5 Bro. “We can’t stand it,” he told the rabbi. Where is the line between seeking God for something you want Him to give you, and seeking God for Himself. Perhaps the author was lumping them together in summary form. Here are four ways to keep it from taking over: Psalm 24:1 declares, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains.” Paul asks rhetorically (1 Cor. Wealth is not a bad thing as long as we have a healthy godly perspective of it. What can man do to me?” ( Hebrews 13:5-6 ). These verses could easily be expanded into another sermon, but note briefly: If you are “using” God to give you what you want, you will never be content, because things can never satisfy our hearts. While it is not wrong to own nice things, trouble arises when our focus switches from heavenly things to materialism. A week later the man returned looking more distraught than before. Israel in the wilderness craved intensely for meat. These are the promises of the living God, who spoke the universe into existence, who never fails! Please Note: Some churches will only study below. Use your money that undoubtedly will fail to invest in something that certainly will succeed, namely, bringing people to heaven. 5:5; Col. 3:5). Contentment is more a matter of our perspective than of our circumstances, isn’t it! Jesus plainly taught, “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. It ruined Balaam (2 Pet. 4:11), “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” If Paul had to learn contentment, then so do we. Your heart is there because you invested your treasure there. I know that it’s painful to suffer a financial loss or to have property stolen. As I’ve often taught, tithing (giving 10 percent) is not God’s standard for New Testament giving. We hope you found this Come Follow Me lesson plan for “An High Priest of Good Things to Come” over Hebrews 7-13 helpful and that they help you deepen your testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. If you assume that it’s all to spend on yourself, you may be misusing it. He realized that God would judge the wicked, but that he would go to heaven. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation, Related Topics: Spiritual Life, Temptation, Finance, Steve served as the pastor of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship from May, 1992 through his retirement in December, 2018. Giving is God’s way to pull the weeds of greed. Sunday, December 7, 2014 L.G. You pick up the paper and read that some communication giant has just bought out AT&T. John Owen wrote, “… contentment is a gracious frame or disposition of mind, quiet and composed; without, [1.] What can man do to me?” ( Hebrews 13:6 Amp ). So, be careful so that you’re not deceived. Inductive Bible study lesson plan for Hebrews 5:7-14. My passion is to share as the Word of God [ read more ], This is the MOST IMPORTANT link you'll ever click [ read more ], My mission is spreading the gospel of Jesus [ read more ], Subscribe & receive each post in your inbox [ subscribe now ]. As Martin Luther put it (“A Mighty Fortress is Our God”), “The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still. No, he didn’t say that! Perhaps the best English rendering is the hymn, “How Firm a Foundation”: “The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, On the other hand, the Bible warns us about the dangers of wealth (Prov. Sunday School Lesson November 15 Lesson 11 (KJV) Confident Love Devotional Reading: Hebrews 13:1–8 Background Scripture: 1 John 3:11–24; 2 John 4–11; 3 John 5–8 1 … Put a man on his deathbed, and offer him a billion dollars. “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. Greed is always shortsighted, focused on this life only. Hebrews 13:5 - Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Jesus is telling us to use unrighteous money now to make friends for eternity. 2:15), Achan (Josh. God gave her children, but she did die at the birth of the second son. 112:3; Prov. (For a great lesson lead in, follow the object lesson link found on site) Explore – Full Lesson Available on pages 5-13 Verses 1-4 Off to the races, and you are the star! 6:9-10), “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. Desires and designs of those things which a more plentiful condition than what we are in would supply us [with]” (An Exposition of Hebrews [The National Foundation for Christian Education], pp. You can’t take it with you, but you can send it ahead to the Bank of Heaven. 5:10-11; Eph. 19:16-22), Judas Iscariot (John 12:6), Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10), and Felix (Acts 24:26). To want more money so that you can give more is good (2 Cor. More than ever, children need to learn how God can overcome their fears. I don’t know how they came up with that number, but it averages out to 137 per day, if you start at birth! But because he sought God, he wrote, “My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips” (Ps. 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