Let me tell you something about my riches. I own a house that, where there’s a button, you can push it, and turn on all the lights in the building. I have a house, live in a house, that has a thing on the wall where you just set it, and if it is in the wintertime, it’ll heat the whole house. In the summertime you set it and that keeps the house cool. I live in a house that has a machine that, where you can put your clothes, and it will actually wash them for you. I live in a house that has a machine where you can take those clothes, put ‘um in another thing and it’ll dry them for you. (Some lady heard me talking about this once and said, “It’ll do everything except iron ‘um for you.”) I live in a house that has a refrigerator in it where you put food and keep it for several days. I live in a house that has a two-car garage, and I actually own two automobiles—one of them is an old one, but I own two cars. And you tell me I’m not rich?! I’m a rich man.

And I can tell you somebody else the Lord’s talking about. He’s talking about members of the Strickland church of Christ. You are a rich congregation. You ought to be ashamed to say you’re not rich. Did you know that since I started speaking tonight that over a hundred little babies throughout this world have already died of starvation?...Just since I started speaking. Their spindle legs; their swollen stomachs—their mother sat there and cried her heart out—watched that child die when she didn’t have milk in her breast to give that child. And then we say we’re not rich.

What has money done to you?!? How do you think? Are you thankful to God that you’re rich? And Christ said [that] it’s going to be HARD for you rich people to get to heaven, and I have an idea that in this affluent society in which we live [that] the thing that’s going to keep more people out of heaven is their attitude toward material things.

So, the disciples heard this [what Jesus said], and they were amazed—they were astonished to see this man walk away and to hear Christ say, “It’s going to be hard for rich people to get to heaven.” And then Christ said—to emphasize His point, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven [of God].” And then, they were greatly amazed; they were ASTONISHED at this point! A camel going through the eye of a needle?!? Easier for that to happen than for a rich man to go to heaven?!? And then He said, “With men, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” [“With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”] Well, what is [or, why is it] impossible? It’d be impossible for man to put the camel through the eye of a needle. GOD could do it—I think it would still be rough on the camel—but God could do it if He wanted to!

But, somebody might ask, “Why would God use such an illustration?! Why would God Almighty say that it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle that for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven?!” He’s trying to impress upon the minds of His disciples what a terrible DEATH HOLD that MONEY can get on an individual, and only the power of GOD can break man loose from it!! That’s a powerful lesson, and Jesus Christ is the One Who taught it. So, if that will not make us think about our riches—material things—and then our giving of our means, I don’t know if what Christ, the illustration that He used here—the camel going through the eye of a needle…. [The thought is not complete. Perhaps the thought would end, “…well, I don’t know what will make us think about these things.”]

Well, the disciples heard it all. Peter heard it and he said, “Lord we’ve forsaken everything and followed Thee. What are WE going to receive?” Well, somebody might say, “I don’t think Peter ought to have been concerned about what he was going to get back.” Well, that’s just the difference between you and Peter, that’s all that would prove. Peter wanted to know what he was going to get back, and I think every intelligent person wonders what he’s going to get back. “We’ve forsaken everything, Lord. I give of my means as God has prospered me. What am I going to receive for it, Lord?” That’s what Peter asked. Jesus Christ said, “Everyone who has forsaken houses or lands, fathers or mothers, brothers or sisters, for My sake shall receive a hundredfold in THIS time and in the world to come, eternal life.”

And now, in the closing part of this lesson, I want to read to you the strongest…lesson…I ever heard on stewardship—on our relationship to the material things of this world. And it was spoken by Jesus Christ. And I want you to listen carefully as I read it to you:

“He who is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: he who is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

11 If therefore one has not been faithful with unrighteous money, who will commit to his trust the true riches?

12 If one has not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give him that which is his own?

13 For no man can serve two masters: either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will cleave to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

14 And the Pharisees, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided Him.

15 And He said unto them, You are they that justify yourselves before men; but God knows your hearts: that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”

Now, that’s the strongest lesson I ever read [on stewardship—on our relationship to the material things of this world.]