Welcome. Today we’re going to be talking a little bit about money. More specifically we’re going to be talking about the things that money cannot buy you. Today we’re faced with overwhelming greed, and we as Christians are not naturally immune to such desires. This is why we must do all we can to safeguard against the sin of greed and materialism.

(Eph 5:5) For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. I want us to note the ‘covetous’ part of this verse, because it is telling us that if we get caught up in materialism and greed, we will actually come to idolatry, taking the dollar and putting it before God. Idolatry is highly condemned and rightly so throughout the Bible.

(1Ti 6:10) For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Of course this is a very famous verse, but few take the time to really think on it seriously. It tells us that if we follow the almighty dollar, we will fall away from the faith, and when we do that, we will pierce ourselves with sorrow.

This is true because of the plain and obvious fact that once you lust after money, and begin chasing it in your life, you will never have enough. There is no end, there is always bigger and better things to buy, and higher and higher amounts of wealth to amass. It simply becomes an endless cycle of buying and hording, of which has never, and will never save a man’s soul, or even bring it a moment’s peace.

When you put materialistic things before spiritual things, you are making a grave error, for God is to be foremost in our thoughts and we should be seeking Him first and always. Material wealth is inherently unstable. (1Ti 6:17) Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded; nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. (Pro 23:4) Labor not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. (Pro 23:5) Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. Money and wealth is fleet of foot and takes to the air and is gone in a flash, and then you are left with nothing. This isn’t a problem for those that put God first in their lives, since they have their eyes and hearts in the proper place. But if you worship money and the money disappears, then you’re going to be lost. That in which you trusted will have let you down, something that God never does.

Let’s talk a bit about things that money cannot buy you. We’re going to take the time to illustrate those things that are of great value but are not available for a monetary price. Truly the best things in life are beyond physical wealth, and the sooner we realize that, the sooner we can move on to that which truly matters: serving the Lord and His will.

The first thing money cannot buy you is good character and reputation. Your reputation is how people think of you, and your character is what you are at heart. Character is the real person within, who God sees when He looks at you. Reputation is what others see when they look at you. Good character follows a person wherever they go, and usually leads to a very positive reputation.

Building character is a long and sometimes difficult task, one that parents are tasked with when they have children. We need to teach good character to our children, so that they are good people. This, along with proper religious training, will serve them well the rest of their lives.

When you live a godly life, you are going to usually have good character by default, for a bad tree cannot yield good fruits. If you truly develop good character and live as godly as possible, you are going to be a good example to those around you and who come in contact with you. This in turn should magnify God, and you will be a very effective witness for Him.

(Pro 22:1) A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold. This isn’t something you can buy, clearly. All the money in the world cannot change who you really are inside, and it cannot even mask a bad reputation. If you have a bad reputation, and your name is worthless then even giving away money won’t help you. You’ll just become the untrustworthy person that is foolish with their money. People might flock to you and pay you lip service, but your reputation will not be saved by money. (Ecc 7:1) A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

Another thing that money cannot buy is true friends. Money can buy you a lot of good timin’ buddies, but not true, deep, real friends. Fair-weather friends may follow your money, but when the money flies away, they will fly away as well. Notice this in the story of Job and the story of the prodigal son as seen in Luke 15.

(Pro 17:17) A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Your ‘crew’ that appeared when you landed in the money will split the instant they no longer stand to benefit from you. These are not true friends as a true friend will stand with you through all the things in your life, both the happy times and the hard ones. They are friends with you to be your friend, not because of what they can gain from you.

Friends are made, they are not bought. (Pro 18:24) A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Once you make a friend, and truly do so, then you will find friends that are with you through thick and thin, as you will surely be for them too.

(Php 2:3) Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. (Php 2:4) Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. This is telling us how to be a good friend to each other. If we do things for our own glory we’re not going to find friends. If we do things to ‘esteem’ or take care of each other, we’re going to find that we make friends easily. Consideration and caring goes a long way to getting friends, something money cannot ever do.

Money cannot buy you happiness either. Not true happiness. It can put you in a manic-like mental state, and it can make you self-centered, but it will never really make you happy. Note that there is a difference between pleasure and happiness. Living high off the hog and partying it up is pleasure, and that comes to an end. It is the feeling you’re left with afterwards that is important. You need to find happiness, and not just plain pleasure. Happiness is not fleet, once you properly have it, it does not fade off as pleasure does.

Pleasure only lasts for a season of time and then you end up like the prodigal son, broke and miserable. Having all kinds of pleasures didn’t help make him happy one bit. True happiness is beyond the lusts of the flesh.

(Psa 144:15b) yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD. That is where happiness is truly from.

Money also cannot buy you entrance into the Kingdom of God. It isn’t Disneyland where you can buy a day pass or something. You can buy your way into a great deal of earthly organizations, clubs, and groups, but you cannot buy your way into Heaven.

This situation appears in the Bible. (Act 8:18) And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, (Act 8:19) Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. (Act 8:20) But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. God does not care about money, He’s kind of above that kind of thing. So this fellow that offered money showed just how wrong his heart really was, and how far off from the truth he stood. This tells us that the wealth of the world is nothing more but nothingness to God.

The entrance to Heaven is the same for all: salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s that simple, and it’s that free. No money needs to be involved. Once you come to Christ, you become a child of God as said in (Gal 3:26) For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

(Joh 3:3) Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Again we’re not told an entrance fee that has to do with currency. It’s all about things much deeper than just cash. Notice that Nicodemus is kind of bragging on Jesus in the first two verses of this chapter, and Jesus may well be telling him that flattery doesn’t get you in either.

(Mar 10:23) And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! With this in mind, I don’t want a lot of money! I would rather (continue to) be dirt poor than to have riches and have a hard time entering the kingdom of God! By having riches you bring your focus on money and away from God. Few in this world are rich and don’t care about it. Nearly all people who are wealthy, whether it be self-made or by being born into it, are concerned primarily with wealth, in accruing it and keeping it. This is why those with money are usually so very lacking in spiritual health.

There are many out there in this world that believe they can go to Heaven in spite of these verses. These people truly think to see God proven wrong since God is clearly telling us in the Bible that we can’t buy our way into Heaven. I guess they think God won’t pay attention to the books, or won’t take notice of their net worth or something.

I can assure you that God does know, and cannot be deceived. There are those that have tried, there can be no doubt. There is one example even found in the Scriptures themselves. In Acts 5 we see the story of a man and woman that sold a certain possession, a piece of land, and decided that they were going to donate the money to God. But they decided to also keep a part of the money back for themselves, but claim that they had given every last dime. So they go and do so, and the man takes the money and gives it to the apostles. Peter calls the man on the issue, and points out to the man that he has not robbed the apostles or the Church, but instead has robbed God, and the man immediately falls dead on the spot. The man is carried out, and later the woman comes. She also sticks to the lie and fails to admit that they kept some of the money, and just as those that buried her husband return, she is struck dead on the spot as well. This is telling us that God knows all and that you’re not going to pull a fast one on Him.

Don’t bet on catching a very small camel and a very large needle. Not likely to happen.

Finally we cannot buy a single day of life. (Ecc 8:8) There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. No matter how you try to wrangle it, you cannot extend your life through money alone. Now there are those that might say that modern medicine has extended life, and it surely has, but God is still in control. If God says it is your time to come to the hereafter, then nothing in this world will save you. You will die, as simple as that.

Many people would be willing to give up all their possessions just to have another day of life. The righteous, however, are an exception. We know that we go to our reward. (2Co 5:8) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. We would rather be with the Lord than in this place of darkness and grief. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t think we should throw our lives away with no regard since our lives are a gift to us of the Lord, but we also should be willing to depart this world as well.

Those that live without Jesus in their hearts seem to sense that this is the best they’re going to be getting, and if they die in their sinful state without Jesus as their Lord and Savior, then yeah, this is the best they can expect. But instead of looking to their spiritual condition, they tend to turn even more to their material possessions, and of course there is no answer to be had there. This is when they discover that they cannot truly buy another day of life.

And since they give their time over to seeking the world of the physical, they are obviously not giving time to God. So why should God continue to allot them time? If you spend your life ignoring God and the things that are spiritual in favor of materialistic pursuits, why would God continue to chase after you? (2Co 6:1) We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (2Co 6:2) (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) The point for consumption here is that now is the time! Today is the day! Don’t wait a single minute longer!

We need to ask ourselves if we are chasing material possessions or if we are seeking the spiritual. We need to understand that seeking after God is the true path we should be taking. Material goods cannot save us, only Jesus can.

(Mat 6:19) Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (Mat 6:20) But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: not only does Heaven have the benefit of having a completely unbreakable security system, but also we benefit spiritually: (Mat 6:21) For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

We need to be wise enough to realize that materialism is nothing more than another highway to Hell. Possessions will not save you, and God cannot be bribed. (Mat 16:26) For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? The truth of the matter is that we should seek God first and foremost in our lives, and give no thoughts to worldly possessions for they can seduce us into falling in love with the things of the world, something which we are told not to do. (1Jn 2:15) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

As that old song goes, money can’t buy you love. Money can’t buy most of the really important things in this life, and nothing in the next. How much will you leave when you die? All of it, you’ll leave all your possessions and money behind. None of it comes with you into the afterlife. Take the time to make sure that God is first and foremost in your life, and that all things come thereafter. Retain God in all your thoughts and lay your treasures in Heaven with Him so that your heart will be there as well. Until next time, God bless.

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