hong kong bible conference 2017 · 2018-07-20 · § living a god-centered life 6 session 1:...

Hong Kong Bible Conference 2017

Living a God-Centered LifeTen Expository Messages on Ecclesiastes

Rev. Edmund Chan

Leadership Mentor, Covenant EFC

Founder, Global Alliance of Intentional Disciple Making Churches

© 2018 by Rev. Edmund Chan

Published by Hong Kong Bible Conference Association Ltd.

Room 906, 9/F., Max Trade Center, 23 Luk Hop Street, San Po Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.www.hkbibleconference.org

Cover Design by Simon Li (Open the Close)

ISBN code : PL-571CZ 978-988-77878-6-0

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Edited by the Editorial Team of Hong Kong Bible Conference

Chief Editor: Samuel Ooi (Canada)

Editor: Enoch Ng, Sam Kong (Hong Kong)

Printed in Hong Kong

Living a God-Centered Life

1. Ecclesiastes Overview—Making Sense Out of Life Ecclesiastes 1:1-3

2. The Search for Fulfillment Ecclesiastes 1:3-11

3. The Folly of Human Wisdom Ecclesiastes 1:12-18

4. Redefining Success in Life Ecclesiastes 2:1-26

5. Four Obstacles to a Life Well-Lived Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

6. Driven or Called? Ecclesiastes 4:1-16

7. Money, Money, Money Ecclesiastes 5:1-20

8. Our Preoccupation with the Temporal Ecclesiastes 6:1-12

9. Four Dangers Along the Way Ecclesiastes 7:1-29

10. Ecclesiastes Revisited—Living a God-Centered Life Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:14

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§ Living a God-Centered Life

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Session 1: Ecclesiastes Overview— Making Sense Out of Life Text: Ecclesiastes 1:1-3

A. Introduction: The Strangest Book in the BibleThe Book of Ecclesiastes is full of strange sayings. Yet it is not written by a child or a young person, but a very wise king. It is a very strange Bible book with many shocking statements. For instance, the author says he hates life and loves parties; and then strangely enough, he says he loves money—all these come straight from Ecclesiastes. He writes as a connoisseur of the fine things in life, the luxuries of life. But strangely in chapter 4, he says “I hate life.” He puts it this way, “I congratulated the dead” (v. 2). In life, we like to send congratulatory cards for different occasions. Yet this guy goes to a funeral and congratulates the dead!

Then in chapter 8, the author says, “there is nothing good…… except to eat, to drink, and to be merry” (8:15). In other words, he is saying, “Life is tough, so have a party.” “Life is hard, so go out and have fun.” “Eat, drink, and be merry.” Furthermore, in chapter 10, he says, “Money is the answer to everything” (v .19)—Whatever problem you have, money can solve it. So, this is a strange man who writes a Bible book—he says, “I hate life. I love parties. And I think money is very, very wonderful.”

It is a strange book yet it had raving good reviews. Herman

■ Session 1: Ecclesiastes Overview—Making Sense Out of Life

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Melville, the author of Moby Dick, said it is “the truest of all books.” Thomas Wolfe said it is “the highest flower of poetry, eloquence, and truth…… the greatest single piece of writing I have ever known.” There are two reasons why they are so enthusiastic about the book of Ecclesiastes: The first reason is this book was written in the language of a secularist. But the second reason is they do not really understand the book! That is because you cannot understand the book of Ecclesiastes and yet remain a secularist. You cannot really understand the book and yet remain agnostic.

It is not just the secularists who find the book interesting. The early rabbis found this book very strange as well. They debated whether Ecclesiastes should be one of the books in the Bible. J Stafford Wright calls it the “black sheep of the Bible.” R. B. Y. Scott says it is “the strangest book in the Bible.” Then why is it in the Bible? Because it has a profound message for the people of God. In this booklet, we shall explore this fantastic book.

Ecclesiastes is written by a man with the name Qoheleth, which is not his real name, but his pen name. It is his title. Qoheleth is a very rare word in the Bible, which is found only here in this book, and thus it had been interpreted in various forms. The New American Standard Bible (NASB) translated it as “the Preacher.” The New English Bible (NEB) translated it as “the Speaker.” The New International Version (NIV) calls him “the Teacher.” Today’s English Version (TEV) calls him “the Philosopher.” I call him “the Philosopher-Teacher.” This man writes a very strange and interesting book.

In this session, we will do an over view of the book of


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Ecclesiastes: There are four big questions dealt with in the book. There are three calls in life made in the book. There are two ways of life expressed in the book. There is one important spiritual counsel given in the book. Four big questions. Three callings. Two ways of life. One grand conclusion. Let us explore them one at a time.

B. Four Big Questions of EcclesiastesFirst of all, the book of Ecclesiastes has twelve chapters answering four questions. The first question it deals with is, “Why is life so frustrating?” This deals with the struggle of life (ch. 1-3). The second question is, “Where does life come from?” This deals with the source of life (ch. 4-6). The third question is, “How should life be lived?” This deals with the stewardship of life (ch. 7-11). Finally, it talks about the question, “What is life all about?” In other words, “What is the key to life?” This deals with the significance of life, or the secret for life (ch. 12).

So, this book really deals with life’s confounding questions. It is not a book for one who wants simple answers to life, because life is complex and sometimes confusing. The book deals with the dilemma of man and then the enigma of life.

C. Three Calls in LifeAs the book wrestle with the dilemma of man in the enigma of life, we find there are three calls in life within the book of Ecclesiastes. They are important calls, not just for the Jewish people in the Jewish Bible, but they are also calls of God for us Christians in the New Testament Church. The first is the call


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to reality. The second is the call to wisdom. The third is the call to a God-centered life.

1. The Call to Reality (1:2)

This is a wake-up call telling us what reality is. It addresses the pragmatists in us. In Ecclesiastes 1:2, it begins with a refrain that is echoed throughout the book. “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” The word “vanity” comes from the Hebrew word hebel, it means breath or vapor. This idea of vapor was used metaphorically. To the Jewish mind, you must complete the meaning of the noun—the idea of vapor is a picture that expresses the idea of emptiness. It is not something substantial, and not something solid. It is something empty, like a vapor—but we must complete the thought: Empty of what?

If the thought is empty of worth, then it means worthlessness. If the thought is empty of purpose then it is purposelessness. If the thought is empty of sustainability or substance, then it is temporalness. But I believe in the immediate context of the book of Ecclesiastes, the thought should mean being empty of meaning. Since hebel means being empty of meaning, it is therefore futile and useless.

Here is the difference between the Western thought form and the Hebraic thought form: In our Western thought form, a noun expresses only one idea. But in the Hebraic thought form, it describes a picture, and in a picture, there is multiplicity of ideas. That is why this word hebel is so hard to translate. We translate in the English as “vanity” or “emptiness”. But when we capture the idea of vapor in the Hebraic mind, it is “empty of meaning, and therefore useless or futile.”


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Now we must understand that the structure of the thought is expressed in a Hebraic superlative. This is the Hebrew way of expressing emphases. They give emphasis to a word by repeating the word itself. For example, the “holy of holies” means “the holiest of all.” “Truly, truly I say to you” means what I say is very true. Then, what does “vanity of vanities” mean? It means totally meaningless, empty of meaning. Thus, a better English translation is, “O the utter meaninglessness of it all!”

Why did the author of Ecclesiastes introduce the book in such a negative way? It sounds so pessimistic— “O the emptiness of everything. Everything is useless and futile!” We have to understand that in order to communicate to hardened hearts truth that has gone astray in this deceitful world, we must give the bad news before we give the good news.

In the book Death in the City, Francis Schaeffer said something very profound to this effect. People often asked him, “Sir, if you had just one hour to speak to an intellectual about the good news of the gospel, what would you tell him?” In answer, he said he would spend forty-five to fifty minutes giving him the bad news, because if he does not understand the bad news, he would not appreciate the good news. Therefore, there is a purpose to giving the negative message. There comes a time—and ours is such a time—when a negative message is needed because we need to jar man out of their senses of reality—or pseudo-reality. We must bring them the bad news in order to bring them out of their false sense of reality or security. Only in the remaining fifteen minutes or so, would Schaeffer share the good news.


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Jesus did the same thing when he spoke to Nicodemus (cf. John 3). Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and said, “I know you’re a teacher of the law.” In other words, “you have spiritual truth that you can impart to me, and I know you come from God, so your truth is of God.” But Jesus said, “I’ve got bad news for you—you must be born again.” “How can I be born again? I cannot go to my mother’s womb and be reborn.” “That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. You must be born again.” In other words, Nicodemus heard the bad news: “You cannot enter heaven by your own efforts, by just religious habits and practices—that is of the flesh. You must be born again.”

Then comes the good news in John 3:16. It is the most famous verse in the Bible. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” You must be born again. God has made it possible in Jesus Christ. Believe in Jesus, and you are born again.

Therefore, the bad news helps him understand the good news. That is the call to reality.

2. The Call to Wisdom (1:3)

The call to wisdom addresses the philosopher in us. In Ecclesiastes 1:3, “What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?” (ESV) The word “advantage” (NASB) can be translated “profit” or “gain.” The Hebrew word is yitron, which means that which is “left over.” When a business has leftovers, it has a “surplus.” With surplus, there are “profits.” So, what advantage, or profit, or gain, does man gain by all


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his work? That is the frustration of life. Why do you work so hard? What benefit do you have ultimately?

This is a call for us to radically redefine success. It deals with the workaholic in us, because many people today are trying to find meaning in life by working and working and working. It is not work that they are excited about. It is working so we might be promoted. Promoted, so their net worth might increase. And when our net worth increases, we will have the power to buy a lot of things. And hopefully in the things we possess, we might find meaning in life. So, we work and work and work until we are tired, and until life is sucked out of us. Ironically, we are doing so trying to find meaning in life.

As we continue to explore this book, you will find work is not the answer to life. We are called to be wise in our living. It is not only a matter of just being busy in life. We have to ask, “What are we busy for? What gives true meaning and purpose in life?” The book of Ecclesiastes calls us to wisdom. For the Hebraic mind, wisdom is a core virtue. To the Hebrew philosopher, the pursuit of wisdom is the highest pursuit in life. This book calls us to examine wisdom carefully. In the next session, we will explore this call to have wisdom in life—what life really is.

3. The Call to a God-Centered Life

The third call is the call to a God-centered life. Not only does Ecclesiastes address the pragmatist or the philosopher in us, but it also addresses the spiritual being in us. The call of the book is to put God in the equation of our lives. You cannot live without God.


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Pursuing the good life in God is special and beautiful. Pursuing a good life without God is a terrible thing. You see, the problem is not the good life. The problem is the pursuit of the better life. God wants us to have a good life. God wants us to find satisfaction and fulfillment in him. God wants us to have purpose and meaning in life so we could have joy. But while God wants us to have a good life, we want the better life. The better life has no limits. When you become a millionaire, the next thing you want is two million in wealth. Having two million is not enough, because now I want five million. With five million, I want twenty-five million. Man is never satisfied!

The question before us is: What is most important in life? It depends on what we love. “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15-16). Do not love the world, because “the world is passing away” (v. 17). Do not love that which is temporal, love that which is eternal. It is foolish to love the temporal; it is wise to love things that are eternal. In order to pursue things that are eternal, we must put God at the center of our lives.

“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2). Where is your heart now? Is it on things that are temporal or things that are eternal? The things of this world or the things of God? The things of this world that keeps us busy and tired? Or the things of God that deeply satisfy?


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D. Two Ways of Life1. Life Under the Sun: A Materialistic Orientation to Life

There are two ways of life: there is the materialistic way of life, and a spiritual way of life. Ecclesiastes depicts the materialistic orientation to life as life “under the sun.” This phrase “under the sun” is repeated over and over again. If you ask, “Why does this writer have such a pessimistic view of life?” It is because he is describing life under the sun.

Look at the verses that describe life under the sun. “What advantage does man have in all his work/Which he does under the sun?” (1:3) “There is nothing new under the sun” (1:9). Ecclesiastes 1:14 talks about vanity under the sun. “[A]ll the fruit of my labor” is meaningless “under the sun” (1:18). Man is mortal under the sun (cf. 6:12). Pleasure is temporary under the sun (cf. 8:15). “Man cannot discover the work which has been done under the sun.” (cf. 8:17). All men die under the sun (cf. 9:3). Life under the sun will cease (cf. 12:2).

2. Life Under the Hand of God: A Spiritual Orientation to Life

There are two ways of life. We can live life under the sun or under the hand of God (cf. 2:24). If we live life under the sun, we have earthly, worldly values, because it is materialistic in its orientation to life. But if we live life under the hand of God—there is a spiritual orientation to life. I have learned that life without God is a grand contradiction in terms. When I studied the book of Ecclesiastes, I came to this conclusion:


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Living life under the sun without God, life is spiritually barren, philosophically sterile, existentially meaningless, and therefore ultimately futile.

Generations ago when the early Reformers wanted to describe how life ought to be lived, they came up with two Latin words. The two words they used to describe how life should be lived are the words coram Deo, which literally means “before the face of God.” In other words, we learn to live life in the presence of God. We learn to live life with a holy fear of God, because in the presence of God we learn to live life with a sense of accountability before God.

There are two ways of life. Which way are you living?

E. One Divine CounselFinally, the book of Ecclesiastes comes to one counsel. It is one grand conclusion, an advice that concludes it all: “Fear God and keep His commandments” (12:13). This is one key or secret to life. It is the secret to true success and true significance.

There are two parts to this key. First is to fear God, and second is to keep his commandments. One can keep his commandments without fearing him. In other words, we only go through the external religious rituals but we have lost the awe and the sense of the fear of God. But in reality, you cannot keep his commandments without really fearing him. If you truly fear God, you will truly keep his commandments. If you truly keep his commandments, you would truly fear him.

A key theme of wisdom literature is the fear of the Lord.


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We will explore this when we come to the final session that concludes this whole series.

F. ConclusionI want to conclude by saying that many are searching for meaning. The search for meaning is spiritually and philosophically the search for ultimate reality. You cannot understand the ultimate meaning of life if you do not understand the ultimate reality of life.

This whole world is an illusion. I am not suggesting that the world is not real—it is real. But everything is under deception, such that we cannot see clearly. The things we think are important in this life are not really important in eternity. In contrast, the spiritual things we neglect in this life are really very important. We live in a world of illusion. Trying to find meaning in a world of illusion is impossible! The only way to live and find meaning is to find ultimate reality.

The ultimate reality in this world is the kingdom of God. The ultimate reality of the kingdom of God is the king—if there is no king, there is no kingdom. When we find this reality of the kingdom of God, it is like finding the pearl of great price. With that understanding of ultimate reality, you find ultimate purpose. When you find ultimate purpose, you will find ultimate meaning.

G. Testimony and PrayerThe book of Ecclesiastes is a profound book. In this session, my aim is simply to give you an introductory overview. It answers four questions, gives three calls, presents two ways


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of life, and offers one fantastic conclusion. But the sum of Ecclesiastes points to the reality that God exists. Therefore, fear God.

I missed that in my early life. I am a third generation Christian. My grandparents are Christian. My parents are Christian. By the time it comes to me, Christianity means very little to me. I backslid from the age of twelve years old to sixteen years old., and I was most rebellious at fourteen years old of age. When I was in primary school, I was not just the top boy in my class—I was top boy in my entire school. I did not have to study yet I score distinctions. But when I was fourteen years old, I failed my exams.

The only reason for failing the exams was that I was rebellious. I decided that getting fifty out of a hundred is the best. So, I answered my exams quickly, and then I revised my answers. I purposely got some of them wrong to get as close to fifty marks as possible. As a result, I failed the exams. My mother cried. My father called me a gangster. According to him, I was not just running around with the kids; I was leading the neighborhood boys to be mischievous. That is because I had no meaning in life. I was sick of my studies, not because I cannot study, but because I was tired of scoring A’s. I am tired of life. I cannot find its meaning. I am tired of Christianity. So, I backslid.

Yet by God’s grace when I was sixteen years old, Jesus met me again. He showed me only one truth that changed my life. He showed me he is the true King, the true Lord of his kingdom. My heart was on fire. Finally, there is someone to


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follow, someone real, true, and eternal, and more importantly, someone who died on the cross for me! I was moved in my heart that my Savior died for me. What a great love! What a great sacrifice! My heart was open to God. I found meaning in life in Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. I found Jesus is the answer to life.

When I was backsliding, I asked a very naughty question. I asked my friends who shared the gospel with me, “Why is Jesus the answer? If he’s the answer, then what’s the question?” Then I realized Jesus is not the answer to a question. He is the answer to a problem. That is, the problem of unbelief and sin and rebellion. In the darkness of my heart, I had lost the true meaning of life. But thanks be to God, he changed me. My life was lost until I found Jesus. Jesus is the true meaning of life, because when you understand he is King, you will understand ultimate reality. Now, I have an ultimate purpose in life. With purpose in life, I found true meaning in life.

Vanity of vanities! —Life under the sun. But life under the hand of God—What a beauty! What a grace! Jesus is the answer to the search for meaning in life. Jesus is King. Jesus is Lord and Savior. May our hearts be drawn to him. Because all of the Old Testament points to Jesus. Let us pray together:

Heavenly Father, point us to Jesus, that we might put Jesus as center of our lives. Lord, we do not want to be separated from you in our illusions. We do not want to be spiritually dry because of a lack of purpose and meaning in life. Revive our hearts, Lord. Bring us back to the word of God, and through the word of God bring us back to Jesus. Amen.


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A. Introduction1. Money and Worship

In this session, I want to talk to you about money for one reason: It is the most important spiritual topic in the whole Bible. There are more teachings in the Bible about money, wealth, and possessions than all the other passages about prayer and witnessing all combined. Why? Because money will determine whether we have idolatry in our life or not. That is why what I want to share with you tonight is one of the most important subjects for discipleship today. Because Jesus himself says, “No man can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). You have to choose. Therefore, we come before God to ask for wisdom on how we can look at money from God’s point of view.

The first seven verses of Ecclesiastes 5 talk about worship. It covers three aspects of worship. First, our approach to worship matters to God. Look at verse 1, it says, “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God” (ESV). Second, our attitude in worship matters to God. Verse 2 says, “Do not be hasty in word.” Third, not only does our approach or attitude in worship matters, but our action from worship also matters to God. Verse 4 says, “When you make a vow to God…… Pay what you vow!” In other words, the discussion of money is in the context of the discussion of worship.

Session 7: Money, Money, Money

Text: Ecclesiastes 5:1-20

■ Session 7: Money, Money, Money

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I think this is a very important connection. Because money can easily be idolatry, and really man cannot serve two masters.

2. Black Death and Wealth

In 1347, there was the Black Plague that spread across Europe. This Black Plague was killing about 30% to 60% of the population of Europe. It was fast approaching Germany to a town. The wealthy citizens were terrified. They knew their money could not save them. They needed a safe place to run to, and they decided to run to the monastery. They got their servants and all their wealth, ran to the monastery, and banged on their door, saying, “Please let us in. Please let us in.” Because the monastery was distant from the rest as they closed their door to civilization, the Black Plague would not come in. They were looking for a place of refuge.

The monks were terrified. They dared not open the door. They were afraid if they opened the door, they would be opening the door to contamination of the world, and the Black Plague would come in. They kept the door shut. The wealthy decided to throw their wealth—their gold, jewelry, and cash in bags—threw over the monastery wall and said, “Please let us in.” What did the monks do? The terrified monks took the wealth and threw it back over the wall. The rich men got their servants to throw back the wealth into the monastery. But it was thrown back out. History tells us this throwing back and forth lasted about three or four hours, until the monks were too tired to throw it back. They let them sit in the monastery, and it piled up into about three feet high of wealth.

Now, why did they throw the wealth to and fro? For the wealthy,


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they were hoping their wealth would save them. For the terrified monks, they were afraid in accepting the wealth, it would kill them. The wealthy were hoping their wealth would be their salvation, and the monks were afraid that receiving their wealth would be their damnation. The same amount of money thrown back and forth revealed two different views of money.

B. Three Views on MoneyToday, there are three views on money—poverty theology, prosperity theology, and provision theology.

1. Poverty Theology

I call the first view the poverty theology. This is the monks’ mentality. To be holy, you must be poor. Unfortunately, this thinking is in the minds of the church as well. There are church board or church members who say, “Lord, please keep our pastor humble while we keep him poor.” Because they think poverty means humility and godliness. Please understand there is no crime in being rich. In the Bible, Abraham was amazingly rich. Job was one of the richest men in the ancient world. Job was like the Bill Gates in the ancient world. There is no crime in being rich.

2. Prosperity Theology

Then we swing to the opposite extreme with the prosperity theology. God wants you to be rich. If you are rich, you are blessed by God. It is not necessarily true. Jesus once told a story of Lazarus and a rich man. Lazarus was a beggar with sores and leprosy. If you passed by Lazarus, you would feel, “Oh this poor man! He is judged by God.” Until Jesus said, “Lazarus is in Abraham’s


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bosom when he died.” In other words, he was in the presence of God. Then in this town, there was a very rich man. Everyone who passed by him would say, “Wow, he is blessed of God!” Jesus said, “When he died, he went to hell.” This idea that the rich is blessed and the poor is judged is not necessarily true.

3. The Provision Theology

I think a better perspective of wealth is the provision theology. It is not poverty theology (“God wants you poor”), nor prosperity theology (“God wants you rich”), but provision theology—God wants you to steward the money you have. The response to money is not to splurge money, or to shun money, but to steward money. Here is a true-or-false question: God wants you to steward all that you own. True or false? Some would say it is true. God wants us to steward all that we own. But it is a trick question. It is false. God does not want you to steward all that you own, because if you own it, you are the owner, then you are not a steward. God is the owner, and we are the stewards. We should not say, “God wants us to steward all that we own.” Rather, God wants us to steward all that he owns and has entrusted to us as stewards. The secret to stewardship is to realize we do not own it. We are not the owners.

I was asked by some friends and pastors, “How does your church raise so much money for your church building funds?” The Lord led us to three building projects, a total of sixty-million dollars (SGD), without getting a bank loan and entering it completely debt free. “How did you raise so much funds? Your church must have very rich people.”


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I said, “No. Our church has formerly rich people. But now they are richer in God.” I jokingly told them, “This is what you should do as pastor of your congregation.”

I said, “On a Sunday, ask everybody to stand up, then go to the person next to you, and take his wallet or his purse. Offer it as a wave offering to the Lord.” Now, if you have your neighbor’s wallet in your hand, how much would you give as an offering? You would give everything! Why? Because if you did not do so, your neighbor would give away everything of yours anyways. But more importantly, it is because the money is not yours. If it is not yours, it is easier to give—that is exactly my point. The money is not ours. This world is not our home. We are only passing through. You have to realize this about money. Do not make this world your home. What we have, we do not own. It is temporarily for our use.

In some parts of the world, I would rent a car when I got there. Last week when I was in New York teaching at a school, the school got me a rental car. When I returned the car, I would not polish, vacuum, or repaint it, because it is not my car. It is a rental car. In many places I go to, I would check in at a hotel. I do not put my family photos on the wall or change the curtains. Why? It is a hotel room. It is not my home! This world is not our home.

There was an old missionary who retired, and he was coming home on a steam ship. He had served in India for a long time. He was now coming home. In the same boat, there was an official who was coming back from hunting. When he arrived, a band was playing for the official, and there were many people welcoming


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him. This missionary saw so many receiving the official, but no one received him. The old missionary was a bit sad. He said to God, “This official just went hunting. He came back, and so many people welcomed him home. I served you so many years in a foreign field. I come home and nobody welcomed me.” Then God spoke to him, “Son, you are not home yet. When you come home, there will be a grand reception for you in heaven.” This world is not your home.

We have to understand this when we deal with the discipleship of money: We are stewards; we are not owners. This world is not our home.

C. Five Reasons Why Money is not the AnswerIn Ecclesiastes 5, there are five reasons why money is not the answer to life.

1. Money Corrupts (5:8-9)

The first reason is money corrupts. We find that in verses 8-9, “If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields” (ESV). To find a king committed to cultivated fields for the land is very rare. Most of the times, the officials in ancient times were corrupted. You see, money is power, and power corrupts. You do not really know a person’s character until they have some power in their hands. In the same way, you do not really know a person’s character until they have some money in


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their hands. We have to choose between the idolatry of money and faithfulness to God.

A business leader met me for lunch and we were talking. He shared his testimony of how in a foreign land in Asia, he was invited to develop a huge piece of land. The government had one requirement—partner with Sands, the largest casino operator in the world, and build a casino there. By building the casino and all the other developments, he could make lots of money. This business leader is a Christian. His father called him up and said, “Don’t do it, son.” He himself in his own conviction decided he would not do it. He stood his ground and did not commit to the project. He felt he needed to be true to the leading of the Lord. For that faithfulness, he stood to lose a potential earning of one billion dollars (US). I have met many Christian businessmen who stand to lose millions of dollars. But they are faithful to God. They say, “My Jesus is worth much more than the money.” Their hearts are not distracted nor deceived nor corrupted by money.

2. Money Cannot Satisfy (5:10-11)

The second reason why money is not the answer is that money cannot satisfy. Verse 10 says, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money” (ESV). In Philippians 4:11-12, Paul says, “I know how to be brought low. I know how to abound. I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (cf. ESV). In my life, I know how to abound. I have been to Michelin Star restaurants and have been hosted there. But I have also been to the jungles of Borneo and I was also hosted there in the jungles. I went to the jungles where very few people have gone. I went to a place called Tenom, a place where people do go, then I was asked


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to go to a place where very few people would go, and I agreed. There, right in the jungles, living with the tribal people, they honored me with their VIP dish—it is wild boar with maggots. I know how to live with the super-rich, and I know how to live with the very, very poor. I remember being in the jungles, and I said, “Lord, if I spend the rest of my life in the jungle, I am happy. I am satisfied.” Because in the jungles I see the presence of God.

I have been hosted in huge mansions. I have been hosted in small huts in the jungle. In America, there is this large mansion with a big gate, and then the car drives three to five minutes past the horses, past the sixteen-car garage to a huge mansion with four bungalows. They do not host people by rooms, but by bungalows. The swimming pool is right by the four bungalows. But I also lived in the jungles of Borneo. I remember reading the Bible one night with a small light—a wick lamp, an oil lamp—and as I read the Bible, a bird suddenly landed on my shoulder. When I turned, it was not a bird. Nothing was there. Then, I turned the other way and it was the largest jungle cockroach I had seen in my life. I tried to flick it away but was unsuccessful. I literally had to pull it away and throw it back into the jungle.

I have lived in the jungles. I have lived in mansions. But whatever state I am in, I am content. The richest people on this planet are content people. The poorest people on this planet are discontent people, even though they are very rich. My wife leads Bible studies with different groups of ladies. One of the ladies’ groups she had is for the rich ladies. One of them said, “With the economic crisis and downturn, she became very poor.” She was very sad. She said, “Now I only have five million dollars left. I can only give one million to each of my children.” Three million for her three


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children and two million for her—and she thinks she is very “poor”. That is a strange view of money. We are not content. No matter how rich we are, we are poor! Yet I went into the jungles with people who have nothing, but they are rich! Money cannot satisfy.

3. Money is Hoarded to One's Own Hurt (5:12-13)

The third reason money is not the answer is because the Bible tells us money is hoarded to one’s own hurt. In verses 12 and 13, “Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep. There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt” (ESV). The rich have good food and full stomach, but they are stressed and worried, and they cannot sleep. They are hoarding, keeping, and holding fast to their security but it was hoarded to their own hurt—“Riches were kept by their owner to his hurt.”

Why do we hoard so many things? They really do not satisfy at the end of the day. Look at Mrs. Marcos in the Philippines. She was the president’s wife. She was keeping hundreds and thousands of shoes. Why? You only have two feet. You cannot wear a shoe as a hat or as an earring. Why so many shoes? Wealth is hoarded to our own hurt. Therefore, we need to learn to simplify our lives.

When I mentor the well-to-do, I teach them to “shop” at home. Especially for those people who bought so many things they do not use. Then, shop at home—use what you have. I do not have many possessions, but my most prized possessions are my books. I love books. I have seven rooms of books. I have books in my house, in my office, and in the church. One day, the Lord told


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me, “Give a third of your library away.” I had a headache. Which books should I give away? All the books are my friends. Then I realized why the Lord asked me to give my books away. Because giving money away is easy for me. Giving books is hard. Do not hoard these things to our own hurt. Nowadays, my wife tells me, “For every book you buy, give two books away.”

4. Money Does Not Guarantee Security (5:14)

The fourth truth is money does not guarantee security. We find this in verse 14, “And those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand” (ESV). More than once, I have rich people come to me and ask, “Where do I park my money?” Because the world is so insecure. Lehman Brothers can collapse. The established Barings Bank can collapse. There is no security anywhere in the world. Terrorism can come and destroy our financial centers. “Where do I park my money?” I said, “I’m a pastor. You ask me where to park your money? Park the money in the kingdom of God. Because when you put it in the kingdom of God, you will never lose it.”

I say this not theoretically, but as one who has practiced it. The Lord had called me to empty my bank account and give every penny for missions. In our married life, we gave away all the money that we had, not once, not twice, but three times. The first time was when we entered Bible college more than thirty years ago. We took all our money, gave them away for missions. We went in without a single cent, and we lived by faith. God honors such faith. You cannot out-give God. God is no man’s debtor. He is the one who blesses us, his children. Because we had given away everything in terms of money, we had no money for food. From


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Monday to Friday, we ate at the Bible college. On Friday nights, we went to cell group for dinner. After cell group, we packed food for Saturday lunch and dinner. On Sunday, we went to church and our church had Sunday lunch. Then we packed some of the lunch as Sunday dinner. When I went to churches to speak, and I was given honorarium, my wife and I would take the money, pray over it, put them into small envelopes, and bless other students at the Bible college by putting them into their letter box. We were poor but we felt very rich, because we had money to give.

One day, my wife Ann came back and said, “I had to get off the bus half way and walk home. I only had few coins left, not enough for bus fare.”

So, I asked, “What is it like to walk home?” I asked because Singapore is very hot. She said, “I’m very happy. I worship God. I sing. I praise God as I walk home.” I was so thankful to God I married a happy wife, who has learned to worship God. Can you imagine if I had a complaining wife? “You told me to walk by faith. Now, I really had to walk.” But there is a joy of the Lord. There is a deep security in him.

When my church had a building project, the Lord led me a second time to give every cent I had back to the church. We took all our savings and we gave them back for the church building. No more money. Everything we had between the two of us, we had given away. Then I remembered my children had a bank account, and my children were richer than us. We worked hard as adults. We only had less than one thousand dollars (SGD) between us, whereas my children had two thousand dollars each in their bank


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accounts. The money was not from us. Some aunty had given them the money for their education. But the Lord said, “Give everything.” So, I said, “We’re giving this away too.” I called up this aunty and said, “You have given my children this money but the Lord has led us to give all money for the building project. May we give this money away?” She said, “I know you cannot keep money. That’s why I said it’s for your children. Now you’re also giving away your children’s money?” My children were very young and I showed them their bank book. I said, “This is your money. We all give to Jesus.” They said, “Yeah, we all give to Jesus.” Then, I remembered. They had a piggy bank. It dawned upon me, when they looked at the bank book, they did not understand what two thousand dollars mean. But they understand piggy bank. So, I asked my two young daughters, “The money you have in your piggy bank, shall we give to Jesus?” The younger sister looked at her older sister. The older sister looked at her younger sister. They nodded. “Yeah, we’ll give to Jesus.” I turned the piggy bank over to take the stopper off to pour out the money, but this piggy bank has no stopper. You have to break the piggy bank to take out the money. So, I got a towel to wrap it and a hammer to break it. But my daughter said, “Wait, wait, wait! Must piggy die?” It gave me the perfect opportunity to tell them the story of Abraham on Mount Moriah—the sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22).


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God provided the ram for the sacrifice. I told the young girls, “Now, God has given us a better sacrifice. He sent his son to die for us.” God does not hold anything back from us. He gives heaven’s best for earth’s worst. That night, piggy died. But they had learned the joy of giving. You cannot out-give God.

5. Money Cannot be Taken to Eternity (5:15-17)

The fifth truth why money is not the answer is that money cannot be taken to eternity. I find that in verses 15-17, “As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand.” (ESV). You cannot bring money to heaven when you die. You might as well use your money wisely and steward it for the kingdom of God.

A businessman gave a million dollars (US) for missions. Then, because of the economical downturn, he lost a few million dollars.

He said to me, “Pastor, my best investment of my money is the one million given for missions. It has the best ROI (return on investment).” I said, “No. It’s ROM, not ROI. Return on missions.” When you invest in the kingdom of God, you are investing into eternity. Because you have to realize, money cannot be taken into eternity. Money does not guarantee security. Money is hoarded to your own hurt and it does not satisfy. And money corrupts man and corrupts your heart.


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D. Five Practical ImplicationsI wish to close with five practical applications and implications.

1. Don't Be Calculative with God

Whatever God calls you to tithe, tithe to him faithfully. I know some Christians ask, “Do we tithe gross or net?” I would look at them and said, “Do you want God to bless you gross or net?” Why are we so calculative with God? I have a staff, Barney Lau, who was the managing director of Microsoft Singapore. Today, he is one of the pastors at our church. When I hired him as staff, we have not talked about money. Why? Because the church cannot give him what is comparable to Microsoft. When he left Microsoft, his resignation was announced in national newspapers. Immediately, a large company went to him and said, “We want to hire you.”

He said, “I already have a job.” “Which company snatched you so fast?” “Oh, I’m working at a church.”

But the church had no money. That means whatever we give him as annual salary is one month of his gross salary at Microsoft minus stock options. In other words, here is a man who is willing to serve God, not by giving God his 10%. He is giving God every month his 90%. Every pastor who comes to work with me at Covenant Evangelical Free Church has given sacrificially. I told the pastors, “I don’t expect you to do what I’m doing—everything in my bank account—I just expect you to follow Jesus and do what he tells you to do.”


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2. Don't Overextend Yourself

The second implication is, don’t overextend yourself. Because very often it is greed and insecurity. We buy this and we buy that, and we get very stressed inside. Once I went to a house-warming. In every housewarming, the couple would say the same thing, “O the Lord has blessed us with this house.” Because I am their pastor and mentor, I asked very lovingly, “Did God provide? Or did you grab?” I will give you an example of what I meant by “I grab”—it means “I can’t afford it, but I take out a huge loan just to buy this apartment. Then I work overtime very hard, and I’m worried all the time about making the payments. I get very tired, worried, and stressed. Then, at the housewarming, I’m panting. But when the people come, I take a deep breath. I say, ‘The Lord provides.’” No, the Lord did not provide. You grabbed!

On the other hand, when Ann and I went to buy a house. I went to the seller and said, “I’m sorry, this is the best we can offer you. If you don’t sell me the house, I’m very sorry for you and very sorry for myself—I’m very sorry to waste your time and insult you with my offer, and I’m very sorry I can’t have your beautiful house. But it’s really the best I can offer to you.” The seller did not know what to do. Nobody ever came to the seller like that. We were supposed to negotiate. But they said yes. The offer was almost 100,000 dollars (SGD) less than market price.

When I moved to the house, my neighbor asked me, “So, what is it like living in the house?” “Very good.” “Oh, it’s a haunted house. There’s a suicide in the house.” I said, “Very good. It’s very suitable for pastors. Price is low.


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The demons all flee. We have a fantastic place!” We did not grab. The Lord gave!

3. Live Within Your Means

So, don’t be calculative with God. Don’t overextend yourself. And third, live within your means. Some people live above their means—they spend more than they earn. Some people live at their means—the money comes in; the money goes out. But you learn to live below your means so that you can give. Simplify your life.

4. Simplify our life

Simplify your life is the fourth implication. A few years ago in Korea, there was a megachurch that dedicated a beautiful new church building. I was invited to speak at the church, cut ribbon, and dedicate the building. They wanted to send business class tickets, “for your wife and you to come.” I said, “No need for that. Give me economy class ticket.” When I arrived there, the missions pastor told me, “You are the first and only international speaker who asked for economy class ticket.” I said, “Singapore to Korea is a short distance, and I’m young. When I’m older and you give me business class, I’d say ‘Thank you, Lord.’” Simplify your life.

5. Love People, Use Things

The fifth is love people, use things. Don’t love things and use


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people. Jesus said these sobering words, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” (cf. Matthew 6:26) There is a need for us to come and lay hold of the words of Jesus. A man’s life consists of more than just his possessions. You cannot serve two masters. So what if you gain the whole world and become rich beyond measure but lose your soul? The modern church must be weaned from the idolatry of wealth and money, not so that we can be poor, but so that we can steward the resources God has given to us. Let us pray.

E. PrayerHeavenly Father, we recognize how money is a big issue in discipleship today. Because money can so easily become our idol. Through your word may you teach us that this world is not our home. Help us to realize that we are stewards and not owners. In the Lord there is this joy of stewarding the resources you give, so that we are not in bondage to the idolatry of money, so that we have the joy of living life, whatever amount you give to us. All to Jesus we surrender. All to him we freely give.

Lord, this world is not my home. I am only passing through. I cannot take money with me when I die. I must use it in this life wisely. I cannot serve two masters. I want to steward my resources for the kingdom and glory of God. Thus, I say to you, all to Jesus I surrender; all to you I freely give.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Postscript: This sermon collection was transcribed and edited by Hong Kong Bible Conference for purposes of review. This material has not been reviewed by any of the three speakers.

Hong Kong Bible Conference 2017

hong kong bible conference 2017 · 2018-07-20 · § living a god-centered life 6 session 1:...

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