REVELATION
CHAPTER 18
LESSON 6A
TRUE WEALTH IS ONLY IN JESUS CULTIVATING BIBLICAL CONTENTMENT
MATTHEW 22:12-14
12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is
lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he
stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him,
how they might destroy him.
We conclude with our fourth and final lesson in a four-lessons.
We will be hiking the great passages describing MONEY, POSSESSIONS AND ETERNITY.
Our four messages have covered:
1. OWNERSHIP: Giving to God All in this Life
2. STEWARDSHIP: Giving to God His in this Life
3. MATERIALISM: Giving to God First in this Life
4. CONTENTMENT: GIVING TO GOD PLACE IN THIS LIFE
WHAT ARE YOU TAKING WITH YOU TO HEAVEN?
For a moment,picture with me the 230+ people of TWA Flight 800, on July 17th, 1996.
As the plane was exploding and they were entering eternity as their plane crashed
into the Long Island Sound.
Before the crash there is a group of French Club students and their teachers,
a noted politician, a millionaire corporate executive, a playboy and his playmate,
a missionary kid on the way back from visiting grandparents.
After the crash they stand before God utterly stripped of their travel plans,
Master Cards, checkbooks, credit lines, image clothes, how-to-succeed books,
and Hilton reservations. Here are the politician, the executive, the playboy,
and the missionary kid, all on level ground with nothing, absolutely nothing in
their hands, possessing only what they brought in their hearts.
How absurd and tragic the lover of money will seem on that day-like a man who
spends his whole life collecting train tickets and in the end is so weighed
down by the collection he misses the last train. And hears the solemn words
of Christ.
Matthew 22:12-14
And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in
hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him
into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
ELEMENT # 4 OF A BELIEVER AND POSSESSIONS
We are examining the last of four elements that mark a true believer’s life as it pertains to possessions. We have seen:
1. Ownership: Giving to God All in this Life
2. Stewardship: Giving to God His in this Life
3. Materialism: Giving to God First in this Life
4. Contentment: Giving to God A Place in this Life
CORRECTING OUR VIEW: A CONTENTED CHRISTIAN HAS
A CORRECT VIEW OF ETERNITY
A contented Christian has a Correct View of ETERNITY. Rewards make an eternal difference.
* Daniel 12:3
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament;
and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.
* Proverbs 24:11-12
Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those
stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not
He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it?
And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?
* Matthew 19:27-30
28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have
followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the
throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging
the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters,
or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake,
shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
* Luke 14:13
But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
A CONTENTED CHRISTIAN HAS A CORRECT VIEW OF HEAVEN
Secondly, A contented Christian has a Correct View of HEAVEN. Life on Earth
is for sending building materials to Heaven.
* Those we invest in here will welcome us there!
* Heaven is a literal city with individual dwelling places.
* Revelation 21:16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide.
He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length,
and as wide and high as it is long.
* John 14:2-3
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and
receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
The Carpenter from Galilee is constructing us individual dwelling places
with the materials we send Him.
* 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise
masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon.
But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it,
because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s
work of what sort it is.
14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall
be saved; yet so as by fire.
For by the grace God has given me, I laid a
foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it.
But each one should be careful how he builds.
All this should give us cause for reflection. What kind of building
materials are we sending ahead to Heaven for our own dwelling place?
Who have we influenced spiritually to the point that they would welcome
us into their eternal dwelling places? To what needy people have we
sacrificially given our resources? Apparently those, whom we have
influenced for Christ, directly or indirectly, will know and appreciate
us and desire our fellowship in Heaven. What a thought! This is
encouraging both in light of saved family members, friends, and
others we have impacted, and for many we do not even know whom our
prayers, service, and financial giving have touched. Jesus gives us
a tremendous incentive to invest our lives and our assets in His
Kingdom while on Earth. The greater our service and sacrifice for
Him and for others, the larger and more enthusiastic our welcoming
committee in Heaven, the more eternal residences we will have opportunity
to visit, and the more substantial our own place in Heaven. One day money
will be useless. While it is still useful, the believer with foresight
will use it for eternal good.
LIFE IN HEAVEN WILL BE EXCITING.
We have an address where we live in Heaven. We will invite folks there
in our new bodies
* Luke 24:39
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see;
for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
* John 20:27
Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands;
and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless,
but believing.
We will recognize one another
* Mark 9:4
And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.
We will sit at meals with other saints
* Matthew 8:11
And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west,
and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
* Revelation 19:9
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage
supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”
We will experience pleasure as much as the damned in Hell experience pain
* Luke 16:22-31
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into
Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off,
and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that
he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented
in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good
things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art
tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that
they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us,
that would come from thence.
27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to
my father’s house:
28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come
into this place of torment.
29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead,
they will repent.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will
they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
“Only one life to live and soon is past
Only what’s done for Christ will last!”
Hoping to make the time I have left count for the glory of God.
REVELATION CHAPTER 18 LESSON 6A