Sunday message · Vanity: Ecclesiastes series
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Message Summary
In the second message of the Vanity: Ecclesiastes series, Pastor Phillip Santillan turns to Ecclesiastes 5:13–17 and the subject of money. He asks who has ever worried about savings, retirement, budgets, giving or the economy, and nearly every hand goes up. Money affects everyone under the sun, so he asks for honesty and hopes to lower the shame around finances.
Ecclesiastes has to be read as a whole, Phil says, because it pictures life under the sun without God at the center. Here Solomon names the problems money brings to such a life. First, we adopt a poverty or hoarding mentality, and hoarding riches harms the saver (verse 13). Clinging to what we have amounts to believing God cannot be trusted to provide. In Matthew’s gospel Jesus asks what parent would give a child a stone instead of bread; if sinful people know how to give good gifts, how much more will our heavenly Father?
Second, we invest our lives in things that are ultimately meaningless. Investments turn sour and everything is lost (verse 14). Phil is not against investing, but when Jesus was asked to settle a family dispute over an inheritance, he said a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God (Luke 12:21). Third, we pursue financial prosperity over spiritual maturity, which only leads to emotional infirmity: people leave this world no better off than they came, frustrated, discouraged and angry (verses 16–17). Jesus said those who hang on to their lives will lose them (Mark 8:35), and Paul told Timothy that true godliness with contentment is great wealth. Phil urges believers to be content with what they have but not with their spiritual maturity.
A gospel-centered view of possessions rests on three truths. Everything I have is entrusted by God: the earth is the Lord’s (Psalm 24), and we give him only what he first gave us (1 Chronicles 29:12–14). My resources are a tool; money is meant to be used, not loved, and Paul told Timothy to teach the rich to do good and be generous. And one day I will give God an account for all of it. Where our treasure is, Jesus said, our heart will be, and those who are untrustworthy with worldly wealth will not be trusted with the true riches of heaven (Luke 16:11).
Practically, some simply need to trust God and submit their finances to him in prayer. Others need a realistic budget, which Phil calls pre-deciding how to honor God with money; it brings freedom from debt and makes us more generous. Early in their marriage, he and his wife decided to handle God’s finances God’s way, and they have everything they need. We give generously because God gave generously, sending Jesus to die, rise again and invite us into his family. Some will lose investments, jobs or promotions, and Phil asks, “Is God greater still?” He closes by urging trust in God’s goodness, like Job, who blessed the name of the Lord even in loss.
