How to Be a Spiritual Millionaire

There is a large gold mine over in Queensland, Australia known as the Mount Morgan gold mine. Mount Morgan was a copper, gold and silver mine in Australia and it was the largest gold mine in the entire world at one time. To give you some perspective, they mined for copper, gold, and silver from 1882 until 1981—and during that time the mine yielded about 262 tons of gold, 37 tons of silver, and 387,000 tons of copper.

Before discovery of the gold mine, there were people who lived on the mountain’s barren surface. They were the original landowners, and they lived very poor lives. If you look at pictures of Mount Morgan you can clearly observe that and see that whoever lived there obviously had a hard life of poverty—there isn’t a lot of good farmland, vegetation, or trees. And so for many years, the original landowners lived in deep poverty there. Even though the vast wealth of the gold mine was completely out of sight to them, it was beneath their feet the whole time.

If they had only discovered the wealth they already owned, they wouldn’t have lived impoverished and poor lives—instead they would have been wealthy, enriched, and supplied throughout the rest of their lives and the generations which would follow them. The only thing that separated them from living a rich life was their failure to discover the riches they already had in their possession.

And you know, I find that many of us as believers are in a similar situation. We are not living spiritually wealthy lives because we have failed to understand that God has made us spiritually rich in Christ. He who has ears to hear, let him hear that it is a serious mistake when we as believers fail to understand that we have been made spiritually rich.

Scripture teaches that God has given us a wealth and abundance of spiritual riches and resources to enable us to live the Christian life—to live lives which are spiritually wealthy to His glory. But often times, we are either completely unaware that God has done this for us, or we don’t believe it because it is so unheard of. When was the last time you heard a sermon on this? When was the last time you heard someone preach on how we have been given great spiritual riches to live a spiritually rich life?

Most of the time, we are struggling along in our Christian lives. Our devotional life, evangelism, discipleship, and church involvement would be more appropriately called poor than rich. But the truth is, God has made believers spiritually rich at conversion. He has given us everything we need to live a spiritually wealthy life. He has given us everything we need to be rich in pleasing Him, rich in glorifying Him, wealthy in magnifying His name. Christ did say, “How hard it is for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God” (Matt. 19:23), but it is just as true that those who are in the kingdom of God are very wealthy spiritually. The only problem is, we often fail to discover the spiritual riches which are beneath our feet, spiritual riches which God has given to us that we therefore have in our possession.

Spiritual riches, if you don’t know, are good things which God has given to us through Christ which either affect who we are or how we live. There are spiritual riches pertaining to who we are—our identity; and there our spiritual riches pertaining to how we live—things which God gives us to obey Him in this life.  I want you to discover the spiritual riches or blessings you have in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-13).

Unlike material wealth, which is transient and earthly, spiritual wealth is eternal and rooted in the divine nature and promises of God. It encompasses the fruits of the Spirit, the knowledge of God, and the inheritance of eternal life.

In Ephesians 1:3, Paul writes, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms." This verse highlights that spiritual wealth is a blessing from God for those who have an come into a deep and abiding relationship with Christ by faith.

The Bible gives us at least aspects of Spiritual Wealth:

1. First, we have the Wealth of ourInheritance in Christ:

Spiritual wealth is often described as an inheritance that believers receive through their faith in Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 1:18, Paul prays that the eyes of believers' hearts may be enlightened to know "the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints." This inheritance includes eternal life, a relationship with God, and the promise of future glory.

2. The second aspect of our Wealth is the Fruit of the Spirit:

The fruit of the Spirit, as outlined in Galatians 5:22-23, is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These virtues are evidence of the Holy Spirit's work in a believer's life and contribute to their spiritual richness.

3. The third aspect of Spiritual Riches is Wisdom and Knowledge:

Colossians 2:2-3 tells us that we have "the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." This knowledge is not merely intellectual but transformative, leading to a deeper relationship with God.

In Colossians 3:16, the apostle Paul wrote, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” The word “richly” comes from the Greek word plousios, a Greek word that describes incredible abundance, extreme wealth, enormous affluence, great prosperity, magnificent opulence and extravagant lavishness. So, the more you study God’s Word the richer you become spiritually.

4. The fourth part of our wealth is Contentment and Godliness:

In 1 Timothy 6:6, Paul states, "But godliness with contentment is great gain." This perspective shifts the focus from material possessions to spiritual virtues, emphasizing that a life centered on God and His righteousness is truly rich.

True Wealth compared to Material Wealth:

The Bible often contrasts spiritual wealth with material wealth, warning against the dangers of prioritizing earthly riches over spiritual riches. In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus instructs, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." This teaching underscores the transient nature of material wealth and the enduring value of spiritual wealth.

How to dig for spiritual treasure:

Believers are encouraged to seek spiritual wealth by pursuing a deeper relationship with God, cultivating the fruits of the Spirit, and prioritizing eternal values over temporal ones. This pursuit involves regular prayer, study of the Scriptures, and active participation in the life of the church. By doing so, believers can experience the fullness of spiritual wealth and live lives that reflect the glory and grace of God.

Prayer: Father in Heaven, all the wealth in the universe is yours. All we ask of you is that we would know you as our Father so that we can discover true riches such as are found in Christ. Give us the wealth of wisdom, of worship and of wonder!  May we know the value of your gifts of love and laughter and lifelong learning.  May we experience the the rich joy of faith, fun and fellowship. Then may we give you the praise for all your matchless gifts and be able to say with Paul, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift."

We give you all our praise and all of our love! Amen!

Your servant for Christ's sake,

Pastor Ken

Weekly Schedule @ Faith Fellowship:

Wed. @ 7 PM Prayer Meeting

Fri. @ 7 PM Prayer for our Nation as we enter our 250th year!

Sat. @ 7 AM Men’s Bible & Breakfast

Sun. 9 AM: Sunday School / 10 AM Worship (Message: God's Call To A Collapsing Country  (Let your heart be broken) Jer 8-9

Faith Fellowship -Our Forever Family, 2597 State Hwy 35, Luck, WI

Ken Mettler, Pastor (715) 475-7666

It is hard to cary a full cup of love or joy without spilling some on others around us!