Life.Church with Craig Groeschel - Chasing Carrots, Part 2: Money and Stuff

Episode Date: May 5, 2019

What really makes for a happy life? A dream job, a bigger house, or a new relationship? If you’re always hungry for the next big thing, but frustrated because it never seems to satisfy, it’s time to hop off the treadmill and chase after something ... Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, thanks again for joining us here at Life Church. You know, if you haven't done so already, we'd love for you to subscribe to our content. That way you can be notified the moment it goes live and a great way to stay connected throughout your week. And everywhere you go is to the Life Church app. It's free and you can download it wherever you download your apps from. But right now, let's go to this week's message with our senior pastor, Craig Rochelle. Find a find up.

Hey, welcome today to all of our life search locations and our open network churches, our families all over the world at church online. We're in a message series called Chasing Carrots, The Endless Pursuit for More. In fact, next week I think is my favorite of all four weeks. We're going to talk about the elusive pursuit of perfection. Today, though, I want to talk about something that I believe probably impacts most of you, I know that it certainly impacts me. We're going to talk about chasing money and things

and material stuff from this world. And so before we dive in today, I just want to get a little bit of help from all of our churches and ask you a few questions. It's no fun without you. All of our churches, how many of you would say, honestly, that you wouldn't mind being rich? Raise your hand. Raise your hand. Raise them up a high all the place. Yep. A lot of hands. Yep. I got some amens going up in some places, I can feel it right now. How many of you would say that you know someone who is rich? Raise your hands. I'm wondering, have you ever looked at someone who's rich and thought to yourself? If I were rich like they were rich, I could be better at being rich than they're being, aren't at being rich? Like, I could do it better. Sometimes they're like stupid rich. If I was

rich, I'd be smart, rich. Now, this is a little more of a difficult question, but how many of you are really, really, really rich. Just raise your hand just a little bit. Really, you are really rich. I don't see hands going up. This is what I know. I know that most of you just said you're not really rich, but you love to be really, really rich. And so like so many people in this world, you continue to pursue long for, even lust after more money and more stuff. If I could just have a little bit more. I did research on this idea to find out what people say they would actually do for more money. And I found an article that talked about what people would do for $5 million. What would you do for $5 million? According to this article, 54% of people would listen to country

music for the rest of their lives. That sounds like a bargain to me. I mean, just honky-talk, as you're driving your nice car or whatever. This one was interesting, though. 42% of people said they would have all of their teeth removed. I'm rich. Maybe they're going to, like, buy fake ones because they're rich. I don't know. This was shocking.

50% said for $5 million, they would allow one random person on earth to die. 50% of people. And this one was even hard for me to get my mind around 24% of people. said they would live in solitude for the next 20 years for $5 million. Gallup did a poll and interviewed a lot of people to find out what is rich? In other words, if you want to be rich, at what point will you know that you're actually rich? When do you have enough money and stuff for you to say, okay, now I finally crossed the line and I am rich? What's interesting is that the response is varied

depending on where someone was. For those who made $30,000 a year, some of you might make a little more or a little less, if you're in that range, the average response of what you would need to make to be rich was $74,000 a year. If you slightly over-doubled your income, you would feel very rich.

There are some of you who makes $74,000 a year and say, I've got news for you, that doesn't feel very rich. For those who made $50,000 a year, U.S., they responded that it would take about $100,000 a year to feel rich. And again, there are many of you who have a couple of kids in private schools and a mortgage and car payments and such and say, $100,000, I don't really feel rich where I live right now. But that's what people say they would need.

What's fascinating to me is they ask the top income earners. So well into six figures, those people, what would it take to be rich? and the average response was $5 million in assets. Then you're rich. So if you're the poor joker that only has $2 million in assets, you don't feel rich because you feel like you need $5 million to be rich. What I know about you is that you don't feel rich, but you want to be rich.

And so what do you do like many of us? We live with a continual pursuit for more. What is rich? Rich is a moving line. I bet that there are many of you that are like me. Earlier on in my life in my 20s, I even said out loud, if one day I only get to this point, make this much a year and have this much,

at that point, I will feel rich, that's enough. And guess what happened? I crossed that line and what do you think happened? The line moved. And I crossed another line and the line moved again. What do you need to be happy? to feel rich, to be satisfied in life. Most people would say, I'm not quite sure, but what I know is, it's always a little bit more.

This is why Jesus talked so much about a right perspective on money and things. In fact, in Luke's gospel, Luke chapter 12, verse 15, this is what Jesus said. He said to a group of people, watch out. And then he states, again, be on your guard. In other words, two different times. You better be aware of this because this is dangerous. Watch out. Be on your guard against all kinds of greed.

And then Jesus says, because life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. Your life, the quality of your life, is not measured by the volume of your stuff. Be on your guard. Be very, very careful. Because everything in culture is shableness. outing at you, you need this, you need more again and again. The dominant message you're going to hear from culture is, what you don't have is what you need to be happy and fulfilled in life.

What you don't have, that's what you need. You need more, you need this, you need that. And if you finally get what you don't have, that's what's missing. And that's why Jesus said, you have to be on your guard. Your life does not consist in the abundance of stuff. In fact, Jesus told a very powerful illustration to a rich guy. He talked about this guy in Luke's 12 gospel in the story, and he said to this guy who was a rich man, who had a great harvest.

The guy had a bumper year of crops. He was evidently a farmer or so, and he had a record year. And the guy said, what am I going to do? Here, I've got all this money coming in, all these crops. And the guys said, I know what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and I'll build bigger barns and then I'll retire early. I'll take life easy and I'll throw a lot of parties. And this is what God said to that rich guy.

God said to him, verse 20, you fool. This very night, your life will be demanded from you. Then who's going to get what you prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for themselves, but is not rich toward God. Here's what's fascinating to me about this story, is that God wasn't mad at this guy for being rich. Think about him. He was a farmer. Who made him rich?

God made the guy rich. God gave the guy a bountiful harvest. God was disappointed in this guy because he was not rich toward God. He was only rich in the things of this world, but he was missing being rich in the things that mattered most. With that in mind, I want to tell you some good news and some bad news.

All of our churches, which one do you want first? Do you want the good news first, the bad news first? We're going with the good news first because that's the way it's written in my notes, so I'm sorry I ask you, but you really had notes. choice. The good news is this. I hope you're going to understand. It's really, really good news. Don't miss it. Pay close attention. The good news is you are rich. You are rich. I ask you if you were rich. You said you weren't rich, but you are rich. And some of you clapped, but you don't really

feel it. You don't really feel rich because you feel like you got more bills than money. You're rich, but you don't feel rich. When we get a little bit of perspective and recognize that probably around three billion or so people in this world today live off $2 or less a day. And some of you spent $5 on coffee on your way to church, it starts to put it in perspective that based on where most people live in the world, we actually are very, very rich. In fact, you can often tell just how rich you are by the things that upset you. You know, like when you get really, really mad because your Yeezys took three days to get there instead of two days and you're really upset about it? Or your fast food order as you drove through the drive-thru didn't give you your dippy sauce for your nuggets that someone else prepared. Or your Netflix wouldn't connect to your Wi-Fi or you forgot your AirPods until you have to manually hold the phone up to your head.

You can hop and tell how rich you are just by what bothers you. I mean, when I try to step back and think about it, that I can play any song in the world on my devices, I can stream any movie, play games. When I get hungry and when you get hungry, if you can drive your car, that puts you in the top 15% of the wealthiest people in the world. If you can drive your car past 14 or 22 other restaurants to go to your preferred, restaurant to have someone else who milks the cow or caught the fish or cut the head off the chicken. Sorry to be so violent, but evidently that's what has to happen before you get your chicken salad. Someone else does all that, cooks your food, cleans everything, prepares your plate,

delivers it to you, puts a little garnish on it, and you complain because it took seven minutes? That's how rich most of us are. The good news. The good news. is you're really rich. Now I know that right now that there are some people that are facing extreme financial situations, medical bills or a divorce or a single parent that's fighting to stay alive. And I don't want to diminish the reality of your world. But overall, the vast majority of people that I'm talking to right now are actually doing okay. We're pretty rich. If we're going to acknowledge before God that he's actually blessed us, that compared to you, that compared to most people in the world that we really are rich,

then what I want to do is I want to be good at being rich. I want to be rich in a way that honors God. So in order to be good at it, first you have to acknowledge it. I'd love for you just to say at all of our churches, if you really believe it. Can you just say, I'm rich? I'm rich. Now I want you to say it with a little bit of gratitude,

like you've really been blessed by God. Say I'm rich with a smile on her face. I'm rich. My God has blessed me. I'm rich. if for a moment, you feel a little bit uncomfortable saying that. Like, I don't want my kids to hear this or I feel a little guilty saying it. If for any reason you feel uncomfortable saying, I'm rich, I want you to ask yourself,

why do you think you feel uncomfortable? Why do you think you might be a little bit embarrassed? Why do you think you might be a little bit apologetic? I love what Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 519. He said this about God. Moreover, it's God. Have I said God? When God gives someone wealth, who gives wealth? Our God gives wealth, but I'm a self-made man.

No, actually God made you first. You have gifts, you have talent, you have opportunities, you are born in a place where we have more opportunities. God is the one behind it. When God gives someone wealth in possessions and the ability to enjoy them to accept their lot and be happy in their children, What is this? This is a gift from God. If for a moment you feel embarrassed or apologetic or ashamed,

ask yourself, in what other area of life are you blessed and embarrassed by the blessing? Think about it. I've got a great marriage to Amy. If you said, oh, you guys got a great marriage. Like, oh, no, I'm so sorry, we really don't. I'd just say thank you. If you say, hey, you know, you guys are, you guys are, you have got, you. you've been blessed with good health. I'd be like, thank you. Not like I'm a couch. Oh, you got a full head of hair. Well, I didn't do anything.

Thank you. Oh, I feel so bad about it. I feel so guilty that I have hair. No, you don't apologize for any other area of blessing, but in this one area for some reason, sometimes people feel so insecure. Say it like you mean it, like it came from God, and it is a blessing.

I'm rich, my God, has blessed me. It's the good news. The good news is you're rich. There's bad news, though. The bad news is you're rich. Bad news. It really is, and can be bad news. Being rich actually puts us at a tremendous spiritual disadvantage.

In fact, Jesus had a very meaningful conversation with a rich and powerful young guy. And his stuff and his stuff and his, money was so important to him that it hindered him, it kept him from becoming a disciple of Jesus. And this is what Jesus said to this rich, powerful guy. Jesus looked at him and said, how hard is it for the rich to enter the kingdom of God? Indeed, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. The good news is, you're rich, you're blessed. The bad news is you're rich.

It's a tremendous spiritual disadvantage. Why? Because you already have a roof over your head. You got food in the pantry. You can buy whatever you want. You've never probably, in maybe recent years, had the privilege or the blessing of praying, God, give me today my daily bread.

Because you've already got a closet full of food. And you missed out on seeing God provide for you. It's also a disadvantage because we're so distracted. We have rich people options. We have rich people opportunities. We're so rich and blessed with opportunities. We're overwhelmed, exhausted, tired, and often missing out of what matters most. If you don't believe me, just go to some developing nation.

On day number one, you'll be shocked. Your stomach will be turned at the extreme poverty. You won't believe what you see and you'll feel so much sorrow and compassion for these people. On day three or four, what you're going to find is suddenly you realize they have something you don't have. They've got time with people and they've got relationships and they often have intimacy with God and what they don't have that you have is stress and anxiety and the burden of managing stuff. And on day five or so, you might find a small part of the problem. And on day five or so, you might find a small part of yourself jealous of their simplicity, of their intimacy, of their love for one another,

their appreciation for community, and their adoration for God. It's a disadvantage sometimes to have so much. Another reason that is a disadvantage is this, because to whom much is given, much is required. In other words, it's great you're rich, because you truly can enjoy what God has given you, and that honors God. But God also expects more, and because we're rich,

we truly have a greater responsibility. And all the time, we're rich. Every moment of every day, culture shouts at us. What you don't have is what you need. What you don't have, is what you need. The newer phone, the better TV, the brand new purse, the shoes, the watch, the sunglasses, the wallet, the jacket, the backpack, the speakers, the car, the flooring, the furniture, the countertops, the accessories, the artwork, and don't get me started on vacations.

Because what you don't have is what you need. And that's why Jesus said, be on your guard. Why? Because a person's life What really matters doesn't consist in the abundance of money and stuff. And here's what I know about you because this is true about me. We know that in our heads. The problem is our lifestyles often do not reflect that truth. And if you're really, really honest, you might say, yeah, I am spending more. more than I make. Why? Because I bought into the lie that more stuff out there really matters.

If I just get that, then I will finally be happy. The very way that most of us live in this culture today says what we really believe is that more will make us happy. Here's what we have to understand. Whenever we believe that lie, and it comes at us all the time, every day in every way. Whenever we believe the lie that more money, more things, more stuff, that's truly what we need to be blessed and happy, we have to recognize that we are under the curse of money. Whenever we believe that our problems can be solved by more stuff and more money, we are under the curse of money. What I hope you'll understand is this. More money isn't going to help your kids stay off drugs. In fact, more money may put them in a place where they're more susceptible

to drugs. More money is not going to heal someone who is sick of cancer. More money will not make your depression go away. More money will not save your marriage. What we don't need is more of what's temporary. What we do need is more of what is eternal. What we don't need is more money. What we do need is more Jesus, more Jesus, more Jesus. I don't want to be under the power of something of this world. I want to be under the power living in the blessings of the eternal world, living a life that truly honors God. And that's why I love what Paul told Timothy. He's mentoring this young guy, trying to lead him along into something that's better, and Paul's telling him to talk to the rich people. And when he's talking to the rich people, he's talking to you.

And he's talking to me. Don't hear this as someone else rich. Hear this as God's word to you. Paul tells Timothy this. He says, command those who are rich. Who's that? Say it's me. If I says me.

Command those who are rich in this present world, not to be arrogant. In other words, don't think that you're all that just because you have it, nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but instead to put their hope in God. who does what? Our God richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

In other words, don't feel guilty when you're rich. God gives it to you. God blesses. He's a good God. He loves to bless his children. He freely blesses his children when you are faithful with a little. God blesses you with more. Some of you, you've just been faithful. You've taken what God gave you and you stewarded it. and you maximize it and you multiplied it. It's a blessing. It's from God. Don't feel guilty, but do feel responsible.

God has blessed you and is not all for you. You have every right to enjoy it. You have every right to spend on your family, to have a nice place, to drive a nice car, to live a great life because God has blessed you with it. But it's not all for you. to whom much is given, and that's most all of us. Much is actually expected.

And that's why God's word to us rich people is this. Command them to do good. To be rich in what? To be rich in good deeds. And rich people, we better be generous and willing to share. I love this with all of my heart. In this way, they will lay up treasures for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age. Why?

So that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. So that they may enjoy the depth of the blessings and the goodness, the character, and the nature of our. Good, God. Be generous. Be willing to share. Be rich in good deeds. So you can take hold of the life that is truly life. One of my pastor friends, his name is Andy Stanley. And he taught on this theme. Years and years and years ago, it impacted me in such a powerful way. And many of the ideas are born from what he taught, probably over a day. decade ago. And he had a statement in his message that I wrote down and I've tried to internalize in my heart. I want you at all of our churches just to say this phrase aloud. I'll walk you through it little by little. It goes like this. God has blessed me. Everybody say God is blessed me.

With more than I need, I'm rich. Let's say it again. I want you to feel it. God has blessed me. With more than I need, I'm rich. But I will not trust in my riches, but in him who richly provides. Now watch this. Say it aloud, because I have more, I will give more and do more. It's good news. It's really good news. But it's actually bad news because it can be distracting.

It can be a spiritual disadvantage. More is expected of us. So I don't know about you, but with everything in me, I want to live this. My God has blessed me with more than I need. But I will not trust in the stuff, but in the one who richly provides. And because he has given me more with everything in me,

I am called, equipped, empowered, and honored to give more and to do more. The temporary things of this world promise, but do not deliver. You know it. When you get it, there's a buzz, and then the buzz diminishes, and then it goes in the closet, and two years later, you Marie Condole it. Church, let's do something that matters. Let's do something that lasts.

Let's make a difference like only rich people can make a difference. Let's take what's been given to us. Let's use it to be a blessing to others. Maybe you'll help pay your friends rent anonymously to be a blessing. Maybe you'll grab some boxes and give a whole day helping someone move. Maybe you'll serve at one of our local mission partners and give your time to help children or to help someone who doesn't have what you have. maybe you'll give your time to serve in life kids maybe you'll save up your money your money and take a week of vacation

and spend your money to go to another part of the world and spend a whole week of your vacation serving people and come back and say that was one of the greatest weeks of my life because when we lose our life that's when we really find it. Again, command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous, and to be willing to share. They will lay up treasures for themselves

so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. One of the most shaping moments that I've ever had was on a trip to another part of the world. If you've never been to a place that has, no electricity, no running water, barely even shacks to protect themselves from the elements of this world. It is jarring and it helps you to see just how rich you are. During this time, Amy was on a kick that we were not going to eat meat.

Some of you, I respect and honor your choices, dietary expressions. That was one of the worst seasons of my life. I can only speak for myself. I respect what you all do, but some pastors would go out of town and do wild things. I'd go out of town and eat dead cow. And so we were on this trip in this very, very, very, you can't even call it house. It was cardboard and metal pieces. And there was this lady there that was smiling from ear to ear.

and she fed everybody in our team something different than she fed me. She put in front of me meat. And I asked my translator to find out why they didn't have meat, and I did. And my translator said, oh, she heard that you love meat, but you don't have access to meat. And so he said, she saved her money for months and months in preparation for you coming. And then he explained to me that she had to be. and eaten meat in over a year in her own life. She put meat in front of me. And I said, I can't eat it. And he said, you must eat it. Do not dishonor and steal from her the joy of her generosity.

And so I did the best I could through tears to express my gratitude to her. And she said something back to the translator along the lines of, I am the richest lady in my community because I have the honor of blessing a man of God with meat. Culture's never going to stop. What you don't have is what you need to truly be happy in life. And Jesus says, watch out. Your life does not consist

in the abundance of stuff. I don't know about you, but I'm blessed, rich. My God has blessed. has blessed me with more than I need I'm rich but I will not trust

in my riches but in him who richly provides and because I have more church because we have more we will do more

and we will give more and in that we will the life that is truly life. And that is how to be rich in a way that honors God. So Father, today we ask that you would help us feel the honor of your blessings, the joy of enjoying what you've given to us. It comes from you.

And at the same time, God help us feel the responsibility to use it to make a difference in the lives of people in this world. And all of our churches, as you reflect in prayer, those of you who say, I didn't feel rich a little bit ago, but I actually recognize that I am, and I want to be rich in a way that honors God. Would you lift your hands right now? Just all over the place. All our churches today, God, thank you for so many people who are recognizing your goodness, your blessings.

We don't deserve them, God. We didn't earn them. We recognize you are the source, and we recognize God we're called to steward them. I pray, God, for anyone that feels guilty of the blessings that they would step over that guilt and recognize it comes from you because you give good gifts to your children. Give them the freedom, God, to enjoy all of the blessings, every type of blessing that you give. But at the same time, God, give us a sense of divine responsibility that what we have isn't just for us, but you've blessed us to make a difference in the lives of others.

God, for those who may give for the very first time to you, through the church, bless their gift today. God, for those who may use their time to serve as only rich people can serve, may they find joy in pouring out their lives for others. God, I pray you'd give us eyes to see opportunities this week to do good, to be generous, and to truly find the life that is spiritual life. As you keep praying today at all of our churches, this should be easy for some of you,

because some of you, you have been on the elusive pursuit of more. Once I get that, I'll be happy. Once I get that, I'll be happy. Once I go there, I'll be happy. Once I do that, once I have this relationship, once I hit that level, once I have this much in the bank. And guess what?

The line always moves. Why? Because there is a void in your soul that no thing on this earth can fill. You are created by God for God. What's our problem? By nature, we've sinned against God.

The trajectory of our life is now away from heaven and toward the things of this world. But the things of this world were not created to satisfy us. We were created to know God, to reflect His goodness. He is the one that brings life that is truly life. What did God do for us? in our sinfulness while we were still sinning.

God loved us so much that he sent his son Jesus, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, perfect in every way who never sinned. Jesus died on a cross, in our place for the forgiveness of our sins. He did not stay dead, though. On the third day, our God raised him from the dead, so that anyone, and this includes you,

who calls out on Jesus, the name that is above every name, God hears your prayer, he forgives your sin. He will meet that need. He will fill that void. He is what you've been looking for. Not a thing, but the Son of God.

All of our churches, those who recognize, I need Jesus. I need His grace. I want his joy. I want his forgiveness. I'm tired of settling for the lower things of this world. I want the higher things of my God. Jesus be first in my life. I give my life to you.

That's your prayer. Lift your hands high right now all over the place and say yes. As we have hands going up, all of our different churches, call on his name. Church online, you click right below me. We're celebrating with people today at every single church. Would you just stand to your feet? All of our churches, stand to your feet, and we're going to pray together today. Join your faith with those around you and pray aloud. Pray Heavenly Father, I give you my life. Jesus saved me. Forgive all my sins. Make me brand new. You're what I'm looking for.

You're what I need. Fill me with your spirit so I can live for you. My life is not my own. Lead me to do good, to live generously, and to show your love as you've given it to me. In Jesus' name, I pray. Could you worship big church? Welcome to Lord and to God's family. You know, as a church, it's always.

our heart and our hope to see you continue to grow in your relationship with Christ. And we have a great resource to help you do that. It's called life.com church slash next. There you can find all kinds of resources to help you take your next steps in your relationship with Christ. Again, thanks for joining us here at Life Church. We'll see you next time.