Sermon on 7 August 2022 by Ps Paul
Introduction
Normally we pray and ask for blessings. This is not a bad thing because it means we rely on God. But let us look at what Agur asked for and learn from him. Agur made two requests: (1) not to lie; and (2) neither be poor nor rich.
Message
O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name. – Proverbs 30:7-9
1. Help me never to tell a lie
This is a commandment of God.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. - Exodus 20:16
Jesus is the truth. His words are always true. Whatever He says are always accomplished. His words are unshakeable.
Jesus told him, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through Me. - John 14:6
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. - Matthew 24:35
Because Jesus is the truth, we do not want to tell lies. But we are flesh, and it is so hard to tame the tongue.
People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. - James 3:7-8
Jesus knows we face temptation and we need God’s help and strength to flee from temptation. Let us ask and pray for God’ strength. We are dependent on Him.
Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. - Matthew 26:41
God is in the light. If we want to have fellowship with God, we have to be in the light as well.
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. - 1 John 1:7
2. Give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me enough to satisfy my needs.
This is also a commandment of God.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s. - Exodus 20:17
Care for earthly possessions may cause us to drift away from God. There is nothing wrong with being rich or poor. God loves both. The amount of wealth we have does not determine how much God loves us. However, it does not mean we should laze around, but we should continue to work for our living.
A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber. - Proverbs 6:10-11
The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. It is not money itself, but where your heart is. If you heart is tied to money, if you have greed, it will cause you to stray from the faith. Choose your master – is it God or is it money?
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. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. - 1 Timothy 6:9-10
We should pray and ask God to provide us our daily needs (not wants). We just need our daily bread. The disciples dropped everything to follow Jesus.
Give us this day our daily bread. - Matthew 6:11
Learn to live in contentment. We can do this by not comparing.
Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 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. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. - 1 Timothy 6:6-8
Jesus is all that we need. When we have Jesus, we have all the treasures. When David was a shepherd boy, before he was king, he knew Jesus was all he needed.
The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need. - Psalm 23:1
Refer to Ephesians 1-2. Jesus has given us many promises. In Christ –
1. We have every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3)
2. We are chosen by God (1:4)
3. We are made holy, without blame and filled with love (1:4)
4. We are children of God (1:5)
5. We have received God’s grace freely (1:6)
6. We are redeemed and forgiven (1:7)
7. We know the mystery of God’s will (1:9)
8. We are united as one (1:10)
9. We have obtained an inheritance (1:11)
10. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (1:13)
11. We are given the spirit of wisdom and the revelation in the knowledge of God (1:17)
12. The eyes of our understanding are enlightened to know the hope of God’s calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance, the exceeding greatness of God’s power (1:18-21)
13. We were dead to sins (2:1)
14. We are made alive (2:5)
15. We are raised up together, and sit together in the heavenly places (2:6)
16. We are saved by God’s grace through faith (2:8)
17. We are God’s workmanship created for good works (2:10)
18. We are brought near to God by the blood of Christ (2:13)
Agur’s two requests are according to God’s commandments. They are aligned to the Lord’s prayer and they help us to draw closer to God. They help us to realise all we need is Jesus.
Closing
Jesus is everything we need. Let us give thanks to God our provider. Let us not worry. Jesus will provide everything we need.
In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - 1 Thessalonians 5:18
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:19
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