Mark 10:21-22 (NKJV) Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
People get excited when they hear the word “wealth”, except for the church where money remains a taboo subject. Confusion has arisen in the church’s teachings about money because we have mixed up what men say and what the Word of God says. As a result, the devil has succeeded in keeping the church ineffective in mission, evangelism, and good works by advocating that poverty equates to godliness. He has also hindered the church from sending those who want to become missionaries or attend seminary, all due to the fear of not having enough for themselves and their families. Some people have even been misled to believe that being spiritual means being poor, having barely enough, and not being seen enjoying the pleasure of life.
So, what does the Bible say about money? We need to seriously examine it so we can be liberated from the devil’s lies and start believing what the Bible teaches.
There are typically two extreme ditches we want to avoid regarding this passage. One extreme involves selling everything, separating from worldly possessions, and following Jesus. If we think this way, we ought to live as hermits or monks in the mountains to separate ourselves from the world, but that’s not what God called us to do because we can be in the world but not of the world. The other extreme is seeking the hand of God to enjoy financial prosperity. Therefore, it is essential to maintain balance and rightly divide the Word. One should view oneself as a child of God, a steward of His money, and lead a life that glorifies His name through our success.
There is nothing sadder than seeing people leave their faith because they have sought the hand of God more than the face of God. This indicates that they followed God during good times when they were blessed with good jobs and thriving businesses and when God helped them through financial crises. However, they departed from the Lord when they experienced economic downturns, joblessness or business failures. If anyone were to abandon God for these reasons, it shows how shallow their faith in God and understanding of salvation are! Others have left the Lord after experiencing His blessings of business success and good jobs, and they often don’t return to the Lord until their next crisis in life. These individuals follow God solely for prosperity. Money is temporal, whereas salvation means we get to spend eternal life with Jesus, and enjoy the abundant life and all that He has blessed us with in our lives on earth.
Sermon Series: Money – The truth shall set you free!
关于金钱的真理将使你自由
马可福音10:21-22 耶稣看着他，就爱他，对他说，你还缺少一件。去变卖你所有的，分给穷人，就必有财宝在天上。你还要来跟从我。他听见这话，脸上就变了色，忧忧愁愁地走了。因为他的产业很多。
人们一听到“财富”这个词就兴奋不已，唯独在教会，金钱依旧是一个禁忌话题。由于我们混淆了人所说的与圣经所说的，教会关于金钱的教导出现了混乱。结果，魔鬼鼓吹贫穷等同于敬虔，成功地使教会在宣教、传福音和行善方面无能为力。魔鬼还阻碍教会差派那些想成为传教士或参加研习的人，而这一切都源于他们害怕这会使自己和家人生活拮据。有些人一直被误导，认为属灵就意味着贫穷、勉强糊口、人们无从看见他们享受生活的美好。
那么，关于金钱，圣经是怎么说的呢？我们需要认真查考，才能摆脱魔鬼的谎言，开始相信圣经的教导。
关于这段经文，我们通常要避免两个极端。一个极端是变卖一切，舍弃世俗的财物，跟随耶稣。如果我们这样想，就应该像隐士或僧侣一样在山中生活，与世隔绝，但这并非上帝呼召我们做的，因为我们可以置身世间而不属这世界。另一个极端是寻求上帝的帮助以享受财务上的富足。因此，保持平衡并正确地辨明神的话语至关重要。人应该视自己为上帝的儿女，祂金钱的管家，并活出一个以自己的成功来荣耀祂名的生命。
再也没有比看到人们因为寻求神的手而不是神的面而放弃信仰更令人难过的了。这表明，当得赐好工作、生意兴隆，以及当神帮助他们度过经济危机时，他们在这顺境中跟随神。然而，当他们经历经济衰退、失业或生意失败时，他们就离开了主。如果有人因为这些原因而离弃神，那就表明他们对神的信心和对救恩的理解是多么肤浅！还有一些人在经历主赐予的事业成功和好工作之后离开了主，他们往往直到人生的下一个危机才回到主身边。这些人追随上帝只是为了富足。金钱是过眼云烟，而救恩意味着我们可以与耶稣共度永生，享受丰盛的生命以及祂在世上赐予我们的一切。
讲章系列：金钱—真理必叫你得自由！
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