God who make us rich (2 Corinthians 8: 9)

God who make us rich (2 Corinthians 8: 9)

 

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

Intro) 1. There is a story of ‘ant and grasshopper’ we hear when we are little that gives lesson about Diligence and frugality.    Hot summer ant worked hard to prepare for cold winter, but grasshopper just have fun outside no work at all. Winter comes and grasshopper has nothing to eat and died in cold.    But, today’s story has changed. Ant in this story still works hard for future, but ant gets sick and loses all his assets he saved and ended up living on the street. Grasshopper sing and dance got noticed and became famous so he got rich and lived a happy life.   Of course, things can go many different ways, but this tells us working hard and saving is not all about our life lesson. Living and working hard isn’t everything.    2. To have rich life we need blessing from God. Environment has to follow. So in Chinese letter bless福 has word God comes with it. If you take a look at Exodus God could have made Israel people to walk about 10 days, but made them live in wilderness for 40 years. Why did he make them go through harshness? It is because God wanted them to train them. God does not want us to be poor and fail. He wants to give us great blessing. Hardships and poor we go through is to make us stronger and allowing us to live spiritually. So we can go back to the place where God pleases. .

3. in today’s verse it says ,’ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich’      This does not mean we will be rich materially. Rich here means value in existence and happiness. Who has less, but think it’s enough and finds happiness is richer than who has a lot but thinks needs more. So we need to believe in Jesus and be rich in Jesus in God’s grace. Jesus came to earth poor to build relationship with us. Living in faith and become rich is faith of Christianity. Listening to God’s word and being obedient to God’s way daily can make new history.

4. People in nowadays know so much and don’t see the big picture. God calls and shows us is the way for us to be rich. New way we did not know before and when it does not come to the calculation and thoughts of own but be obedience in God’s word and following means you are ready to become rich. (Then, what are the ways that make us rich in Jesus? Let’s see it in 3 ways)   (Body) A) receive training with joy 1. before God gives us blessing he educates and trains us, because if we don’t get trained for it the blessing can turn into something else.

There is a case that we see potential in someone, but when you give him a position and ruins everything like King Saul, and Haman people who has a lot can do things wrong and that is why we need training. So, blessing to untrained personnel can be a curse.     2. So God made exodus people to face red sea, Mara’s bitter water, hardship in wilderness, Jericho, and Jordan river. These are all about for them to train them for blessing that they will get in the future.

3 In book of Job 23:10 Job knew for sure about what God had in his mind so he said “10 But he knows the way that I take;     when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”   B) Lose your greed. 1. once there was a servant in rich household and he was crying, so master asked him ‘why are you crying?’ so servant replied if I had 10 thousand pound I will be able to get out of hardships, but I don’t so I’m in this position. So, rich man told him ‘if that can make you happy I will grant your wish.’ So, servant thought to himself “I should have said I need 100 thousand pound now I’m only get to get 10 thousand pound…” Yes, human’s greed has no end. More we get more emptiness we will get.   2. in the bible there is a story about a servant named ‘Gehazi’. He was servant of Elijah. When Elijah cured general Naaman’s Leprosy Naaman wanted to give Elijah a gift, but Elijah didn’t want to receive any, but his servant Gehazi took some of them without notifying Elijah he received curse and got Leprosy.   3. There is story about ‘Achan’. When Joshua was taking down castle Jericho none got hurt and Joshua could have conquered the castle, but good 36 soldiers died on mission to take over the small castle. Found the reason later and it was about loot that they needed to give it to God, but person named Achan took some of it. God showed him the way to find who did this and they draw the name and found who stole the loot from God. Joshua killed him and his family and burnt all their belongings and tossed them into valley. Achan didn’t even get to spend any of things he stole and lost everything else he had. We need to lose greediness. C) be obedience

1      Deuteronomy 8:1-3 says,’ Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.’

We need to let the God do the work we need to listen to him and don’t think so hard.   2 so, in Deuteronomy 8: 17-18 says, 17 You may17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.   God told us he will give us ability to obtain wealth. God promised Abraham, Jacob and Isaac that their future generation will be blessed and now Jewish have so much impact in this world. What is Developed country? Its country that believe in Jesus. Hardship has meaning not itself no, but something afterwards.   In 2 Corinthians 2:9 says, ‘9 Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.’   God sees ahead of nothing that we can think of or calculate it and he prepares things for us.

4.  If you live in faith you will be able to see further things. William H. Seward, 1801~1872 who were believer of God argued to buy Alaska from Russia and later on they found out they could find gold and oils in it.   Con) To people only see material and reality has no tomorrow. Their life may look good, but emptiness will soon fill it up. God’s word is not like that he asks us to do something. But this way is the way that has no regret to it and it will guide us to happiness and be blessed by God.    Today if there is something that is on the way for us to receive blessing from God we need to get rid of it. We need to cleanse our mind and life. God wants us to become rich, so let’s stand up and hold onto God’s word.       091717 By Ik Sun Ahn