Friday September 6, 2013

Read Ecclesiastes 2:10-11. 1 Kings 11:4-13

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be so fabulously wealthy that you need not deny yourself absolutely anything. If I want a Porsche for today, great! Let’s go buy one. If I want a holiday in Majorca, let’s go and fly there tomorrow on my private jet. If I wanted to ski the slopes of Switzerland, book the plane and let’s go.

 

It all sounds good but there are so many drawbacks. I actually know some very rich people and each one has relayed their concerns and fears. First and foremost, there’s the fear of losing that wealth. That fear often overwhelms and drowns out the pleasure of wealth. More wealth generally creates more fear. Wealth also grips the heart and creates a very powerful addiction to have more. Driving a Porsche will satisfy once or twice but very soon you need something more powerful. Skiing in Switzerland will suffice this year but next year you may need something more. It is no accident that many rich and famous people are being treated for drug and alcohol abuse. Once the thrill wears off, drugs and alcohol dull the pain of reality. There’s also the burden of knowing who your true friends really are. Do these people hang around you for the freebies they might get and for the benefit of the things you might give them? Do they love you because you’re a nice guy/gal or because you’re rich? Would they love you and be so constantly around you if your wealth dried up completely tomorrow?

 

King Solomon, the Teacher of Ecclesiastes, wrote sobering words for us. He said in Ecclesiastes 2:10-11,

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;

I refused my heart no pleasure.

My heart took delight in all my work,

and this was the reward for all my labor.

 

Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done

and what I had toiled to achieve,

everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;

nothing was gained under the sun.

 

Solomon was in the position that most people could only dream and fantasize about. He had it all. He indulged. But he also paid the price. Towards the end of his life Solomon found his heart turning away from the Lord. The wives he had married brought pagan god’s and pagan practices into the kingdom. Even though God had forbidden such marriages, Solomon disobeyed God. The result was that God would be angry with Solomon and the kingdom would be ripped from his hands and given to one of his subordinates. Eventually, because of such indulgence, the Kingdom of Israel would be split in two.

 

God has created each of us with inherent needs. One of those needs is to be in rich fellowship with our Creator. If we seek to fulfil that need in any other way, we will inevitably end up in turmoil. Only God can fill a God-shaped need.

 

Prayer:

Write down at least one prayer point in each category based on the following verse.

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,

and do not lose heart when He rebukes you,

because the Lord disciplines those He loves,

and he punishes everyone He accepts as a son.”

Proverbs 3:11-12

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray for a heart of obedience to be given to you and your fellow Jesus followers in your congregation. Pray that God would weed out any desires you have for particular sins. Mention these by name and ask God to weed them out.

¥ Pray that God would work powerfully in your services this coming Sonday. Pray that He would bring healing, conviction, reconciliation, forgiveness and wholeness as needed. Pray that those who don’t know Christ yet will bend the knee and confess Him as Lord and Saviour.

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

Some of the warring parties at Ducksville PC have threatened to stop their giving until they get their way.

1. What needs to do think the warring parties at Ducksville PC have?

2. How can these threats be dealt with in a loving, Christ centred way that builds everyone up?

3. What role should money play in the life of any congregation?