Last Sunday, Len Finn spoke about the Purpose of Wealth in our ‘Radically Generous’ sermon series. Here are 10 things that he talked about that you’ll want to remember.
1. In our final moments, it’s not our memories of wealth, but our memories of love that are most important to us.
2. Wealth is temporary, so logically this means that it’s not really yours; it’s only given to you for a time by the One who made it and everything else in the world. He owns your stuff. We are only His stewards.
3. From the creation of the world to the renewal of all things, God has one abiding purpose – to share Himself; to create a community that shares in His being; to create a community that rests in Him, that radiates and glorifies in who He is – Love personified.
4. God purposed wealth and all of His gifts, to be shared in a way that lets a little bit of His God-centred community of love enter into this fallen world now.
5. “The ultimate purpose of wealth in our lifetime is to teach us how to love.”
6. Wealth has a very real danger – you can create a happy, safe, content little world where you can foster the illusion that you simply don’t need God.
7. Until you realize that you have been loved even though you were inherently unlovable, you will not be able to love the unlovable in your life.
8. The truly rich man, Jesus Christ, who alone deserves to be clothed in the purple of kingship, crosses the truly unimaginable chasm between Him and us, and He doesn’t just give us a helping hand; He washes us clean with His own shed blood; He takes our filthy rags and gives us His royal clothes.
9. Jesus surrendered all of His wealth, suffered hell itself so that we wouldn’t have to, because he loved you too much to not have you be a part of his community of love His father is building for eternity.
10. When you don’t know how to get through, over, around that stony wall you have around your heart – stop trusting in yourself, and let Christ’s loving heart for you break yours, and give you a new heart in its place.
