Rich in the World, Poor in God – The Temptation of Material Wealth
VBC Albuquerque · Oct 5, 2025
This sermon examines biblical teaching on the wealthy and the temptations of material wealth. All riches and possessions come from God's hand, yet the love of money is the root of all evil. Believers must place their hope in God rather than in uncertain wealth.
The sermon opens by presenting its main theme: material wealth is a dangerous temptation that believers must guard against. Using passages from James 1:9–11, 2 Corinthians 4:18, and Matthew 7:13–14 as its framework, the sermon emphasizes that temporal things fade away, while eternal things remain forever. The narrow path leads to life, but few find it.
The second section develops four foundational theological points about the rich according to Scripture. First, all possessions and wealth come from God, not from human effort or ability (Deuteronomy 8:17–18; 1 Chronicles 29:12). Second, the wealthy must guard against the temptation of arrogance, as boasting about wealth violates God's command (Jeremiah 9:23; 1 Timothy 6:17). The sermon illustrates this with the parable of the rich farmer in Luke 12:16–19, who thinks only of storing wealth for himself, forgetting that life can end at any moment.
The third section continues developing two additional dangers. Third, greed can become blinding and lead to destruction (1 Timothy 6:9–10). The love of money is the root of all evil, causing many to fall into temptation and lose their faith. Scripture warns that a person's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15; Ecclesiastes 5:10–11). Fourth, the wealthy may exploit and oppress the poor to gain more riches, which dishonors the Creator (Proverbs 22:16; James 2:6–7).
The fourth section applies these warnings to real-life situations. The sermon quotes James 5:1–6 to describe serious consequences: wealth will decay, the cries of the exploited will reach God's ears, and those who store riches but live luxuriously will face judgment. The sermon also emphasizes that it is extremely difficult for a rich person to enter heaven (Matthew 19:23–24), because no one can serve two masters: God and money (Matthew 6:24).
The conclusion returns to James 1:9–11, reminding wealthy believers that they will fade like grass, while the humble will be exalted. The sermon calls believers to place their hope in God, who supplies all things generously (1 Timothy 6:17), and to avoid the love of money, being content with what they have (Hebrews 13:5).