Proverbs 13:7
True riches are not measured by material wealth, but by eternal things, such as God's love and glory.
Chuck Smith explores the misconceptions surrounding wealth in his sermon 'The Poor Rich Man,' emphasizing that riches do not guarantee happiness or contentment. He highlights the challenges faced by the wealthy, including the difficulty of entering the Kingdom of Heaven and the temptation to set one's heart on material possessions. True riches, according to Smith, are found in God's mercy, love, grace, and glory, which are eternal and freely given through Jesus Christ. He encourages believers to invest in the eternal kingdom rather than accumulating earthly treasures, reminding them that the most valuable things in life are gifts from God.
Text
"THE POOR RICH MAN"
I. MANY FALLACIES CONCERNING RICHES. "DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES."
A. "Being rich would solve all my problems."
1. Rich people have problems too.
a. Different kind of problems to be sure.
b. Perhaps more difficult.
c. The problem of entering the Kingdom of Heaven.
"How hard it is..." (Mark 10:24.
d. The problem of not setting your heart on them.
"If riches increase..." (Ps. 62: 10.
e. The problem of the diverse temptations, "And
they that will be rich fall into..."
I. Tim. 6:9..
B. "Being rich would make me happy."
1. If riches create happiness, then all rich would be happy.
2. I have met many unhappy rich people.
C. "I would be content if I were rich."
1. How rich?
2. The more you get the more you want.
3. "Godliness with contentment is great riches."
a. Tim. 6:6..
II. WHAT ARE THE TRUE RICHES?
A. God measures by eternal.
1. Not what you have amassed for yourself during your
lifetime.
a. We brought nothing into this world.
I. Tim. 6:7.
b. Naked I came, naked I go.
c. "How much did your old man leave?"
2. How much you have invested in the eternal kingdom.
a. "Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth..."
B. The Bible speaks of the riches of His:
1. Mercy.
2. Love.
3. Grace.
4. Glory.
5. The man who has experienced these is the man who is truly
rich.
III. HOW TO EXPERIENCE THE TRUE RICHES.
A. It is so very simple.
1. The most valuable things in the world are free.
2. God gives them as a gift to us.
3. They are all bound up in His Son.
a. "And this is the record, that God has given us
eternal life..."
b. By receiving the whole inheritance.
c. The riches of God's love, manifest in Jesus
Christ.
d. The riches of God's grace, measured by the gift
of Jesus Christ. You who have Jesus Christ,
how rich you are!
- Wealth that cannot be accounted in man's
reckoning.
- Wealth that can never be lost.
- Wealth that will never diminish.
Sermon Outline
- Many Fallacies Concerning Riches
- What are the true riches?
- How to experience the true riches
- Being rich would solve all my problems
- Being rich would make me happy
- I would be content if I were rich
- God measures by eternal
- The Bible speaks of the riches of His
- It is so very simple
Key Quotes
“The problem of entering the Kingdom of Heaven.” — Chuck Smith
“Godliness with contentment is great riches.” — Chuck Smith
“You who have Jesus Christ, how rich you are!” — Chuck Smith
Application Points
- True happiness and contentment come from Godliness, not material wealth.
- The true riches are measured by eternal things, such as God's love and glory.
- God gives us the true riches as a gift, bound up in His Son, Jesus Christ.