"The Divine Aristocracy"
An examination of Ecclesiastes 9 & 10 and how it applies to the contemporary church..
Download or email this sermon We Will See Who Is Rich and Who Is Poor
God calls it an evil that princes walk while slaves ride in BMWs. Wisdom is better than material wealth; and “the words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.” You are always better off in a small church that teaches the truth than in a large one that feeds on hype. The serpent will bite these peasant rulers; their structure will spiritually cave in. Yet God has a nobility: He does not call His people to be peasants; He has an aristocracy. As in the story of The Prince and the Pauper, we may not be in practical possession of the treasures yet, but they belong ultimately to the faithful: the meek shall inherit the earth. The way it is now is an evil; but it is an evil that will be corrected by God.
Those who are in control for now are peasants, without wisdom, understanding, or knowledge; but God does have a nobility. Sometimes for now the princes walk instead of ride; sometimes the nobility is in the small church rather than the big one. You are more likely to find the rich man sitting in a humble place, while the peasant sits in the exalted place. You are more likely to find the rich man walking while the peasant rides in a limo; but the noble is still a noble and the peasant is still a peasant. The peasant knows he is a peasant, though he may successfully delude himself with his false riches for a time. A peasant can be nothing other than a peasant, and a noble can be nothing other than a noble. When the city is under siege, then we will discover who is rich and who is poor. When persecution and opposition come, the nobility and peasantry are revealed for whom they really are. When the serpent bites, it is clear who's who.
“Woe to you, O land, whose king is a lad and whose princes feast in the morning; but blessed are you, O land, whose king is of the nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time, for strength and not for drunkenness.”
The Lord does not call you to be a peasant. Our Ruler is a noble King and He has given you blue blood. He has called you to be in His aristocracy. He wants you to claim your treasure. It is waiting for you – you are entitled to it because He has bequeathed it. He has told us what to do: go after the wealth – don't be a peasant. Gain control of the wealth that is yours, and let the peasants have what perishes. To you the Lord would say, “Take My instruction, and not silver. Take knowledge of Me and of My Word rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than jewels, and all desirable things cannot compare with her.”
You are of the nobility. You are of the aristocracy, though it may not be evident yet. The time is coming, however, when all will see who is rich and who is poor.This is Page 18 of 18
Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.