First Timothy, Chapter 6, does not say that we’re not to have abundance.  But it says charge those that are rich among you to be ready to distribute.  Now if we’re to charge the rich that are among us, then the teaching of this prosperity, the gospel that says we’re all supposed to be rich, doesn’t make any sense.  How can we all be rich and then charge those that are rich among us?  Jesus’ ministry says, “Don’t invite the rich people to your parties, trying to network.”  It’s amazing to me to watch people give money to rich people.  Have you ever noticed rich people don’t pay for anything?  When you go out to dinner, they don’t pay.  Those dudes should be paying.  “Cough up buddy, you’re the guy with all the money.”  People are like, “Oh, we just want to bless you.”  He doesn’t need to be blessed, he’s already blessed.  Why?  “Well, maybe I’ll get some crumbs from him later on.  I’m just investing.”  Well, who are you looking to as your source?  Jesus said, “Don’t invite these people but invite the poor—They can’t repay you; bless them.”  What did James say?  “Why are you so enthralled with the rich?  They’re the ones that persecute you and hold you under.”

We’ve got some more hard times coming.  There are a handful of people that control the economy of the world.  They love these times.  They create these times, for the different collapses, so they can buy stuff 10 cents on the dollar.  They’re the ones with the money.  We absolutely destroyed this nation during COVID‑19 by printing all that money.  Where did it go?  Well, everybody’s staying home, and at first, they put it in their accounts and thought, “Oh, this is great!”  COVID‑19 still went on.  So, “I could use some remodeling.  I could use a new car.  I could use…” and all of a sudden, you’re watching, and trillions of dollars were printed.  I look around, I’m going, “Okay, where is it?  Where is it?”  Yep, it’s all back with the rich guys.  “But I got blessed and I was able to buy…”  Yeah, where do you think that money went?

Luke 12 admonishes us to be rich toward God.  You built bigger barns?  That’s okay.  But what does your earthly account look like compared to your heavenly account?  It’s kind of like the stock market.  It’s like, “I have all these millions of dollars in the stock market.”  You don’t have anything.  You have paper.  You don’t have anything.  You turn it into something tangible, now you’ve got something, a tangible asset.  Everything that has gone before you into heaven is a tangible asset.  It’s going to be there.  It has an established value on it.  Somewhere stamped on it instead of “China,” is “faithfulness,” “obedience,” “thankfulness.”  What does everything we spent time and energy down here have on it?  It’s all going to burn.  You brought nothing in, you’re taking nothing out.  Are we rich toward God?

Father, we thank You for Your Word.  We ask that You’d stir our hearts, continually.  Prepare us for this hour.  Give us a love for Your glory.  You said in 1 Timothy 6, “Do good.  Be rich in good works.”  That’s prosperity.  That’s godliness with contentment.  We thank You for working that in us.  We’ll give You all the praise and all the honor in Jesus’ name; amen.