THE FUTILITY OF WORLDLINESS

WALNUT CREEK CHURCHFEBRUARY 4, 2018

Psalm 491 Hear this, all peoples;Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,2 Both low and high,Rich and poor together.3 My mouth will speak wisdom,And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;I will express my riddle on the harp.

Psalm 495 Why should I fear in days of adversity,When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me,6 Even those who trust in their wealthAnd boast in the abundance of their riches?

Psalm 497 No man can by any means redeem his brotherOr give to God a ransom for him—8 For the redemption of his soul is costly,And he should cease trying forever—9 That he should live on eternally,That he should not undergo decay.

Psalm 4910 For he sees that even wise men die;The stupid and the senseless alike perishAnd leave their wealth to others.11 Their inner thought is that their houses are foreverAnd their dwelling places to all generations;They have called their lands after their own names.12 But man in his pomp will not endure;He is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 4913 This is the way of those who are foolish,And of those after them who approve their words.14 As sheep they are appointed for Sheol;Death shall be their shepherd;And the upright shall rule over them in the morning,And their form shall be for Sheol to consumeSo that they have no habitation.

Psalm 4915 But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol,For He will receive me.16 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich,When the glory of his house is increased;17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away;His glory will not descend after him.

Psalm 4918 Though while he lives he congratulates himself—And though men praise you when you do well for yourself—19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers;They will never see the light.20 Man in his pomp, yet without understanding,Is like the beasts that perish.

Call To Understanding1 Hear this, all peoples;Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,2 Both low and high,Rich and poor together.3 My mouth will speak wisdom,And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;I will express my riddle on the harp.

Futility of Wealth5 Why should I fear in days of adversity,When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me,6 Even those who trust in their wealthAnd boast in the abundance of their riches?

Futility of Wealth7 No man can by any means redeem his brotherOr give to God a ransom for him—8 For the redemption of his soul is costly,And he should cease trying forever—9 That he should live on eternally,That he should not undergo decay.

The Ransom Paid“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:45 NASB

You Have Been Bought With A Price19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT

Futility of Wealth10 For he sees that even wise men die;The stupid and the senseless alike perishAnd leave their wealth to others.11 Their inner thought is that their houses are foreverAnd their dwelling places to all generations;They have called their lands after their own names.12 But man in his pomp will not endure;He is like the beasts that perish.

Fate of Those Who Trust Themselves13 This is the way of those who are foolish,And of those after them who approve their words.14 As sheep they are appointed for Sheol;Death shall be their shepherd;And the upright shall rule over them in the morning,And their form shall be for Sheol to consumeSo that they have no habitation.

Dust To Dust“By the sweat of your faceYou will eat bread,Till you return to the ground,Because from it you were taken;For you are dust,And to dust you shall return.”

Genesis 3:19 NASB

Fate of Those Who Trust Themselves15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol,For He will receive me.16 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich,When the glory of his house is increased;17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away;His glory will not descend after him.

Fate of Those Who Trust Themselves18 Though while he lives he congratulates himself—And though men praise you when you do well for yourself—19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers;They will never see the light.20 Man in his pomp, yet without understanding,Is like the beasts that perish.

Why Is It Futile To Trust In What This World Offers?

Why Is It Futile To Trust In What This World Offers?

1. It doesn’t last

Why Is It Futile To Trust In What This World Offers?

1. It doesn’t last2. It can’t save you

Trusting In RichesHe who trusts in his riches will fall,But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.

Proverbs 11:28 NASB

The Rich Man and Jesus17 As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

The Rich Man and Jesus18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. 19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’”

The Rich Man and Jesus20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

The Rich Man and Jesus22 At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

The Rich Man and Jesus23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” 24 This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. 25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

The Rich Man and Jesus26 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”

Mark 10:17-27 NLT

Treasures In Heaven19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

Godliness and Riches6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

Godliness and Riches9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 NLT

The Value of a Soul24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 16:24-26 NASB

Measuring The Value Of A Life1. Wealth amassed, pleasure explored, and power

wielded

Measuring The Value Of A Life1. Wealth amassed, pleasure explored, and power

wielded2. Faithfulness

THE FUTILITY OF WORLDLINESS

WALNUT CREEK CHURCHFEBRUARY 4, 2018