Sunday School Lesson: Wealth, Illusion, and True Treasure in God

Introduction: Words That Were Never Spoken

The desire for fame worship, the desire for camera focus, the legacy factor, the uncontrolled greed, and  the false pretentious of happiness, are leading us all into The gray are leading us into the great Tribulation.

A passage often circulates online claiming to be the last words of Steve Jobs, reflecting on the emptiness of wealth and the importance of love and health. While Jobs did die at 56 from pancreatic cancer, these words were not his own. His legacy, His true last words, reported by his sister, were simply: “Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.”

The viral essay resonates because it speaks to a universal truth: material wealth cannot save us from death, nor can it guarantee joy. Yet, attributing it to someone who lived a life immersed in business and innovation highlights a tension — could such words really have come from him? Whether or not Jobs said them, the message forces us to confront the same question Jesus raised centuries earlier.

Christ’s Vivid Warning

Jesus declared: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24)

This is not a gentle metaphor. It is deliberately extreme, painting a picture of impossibility. Wealth, when clung to, becomes a barrier to salvation. The disciples were shocked, asking, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus answered: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

The vividness of Christ’s words surpasses any philosophical reflection. They are not abstract musings — they demand transformation.

Discarding, Not Just Surrendering

It is tempting to soften Jesus’s teaching by saying we should “surrender” wealth to God. But Christ’s command to the rich young ruler was uncompromising: “Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21)

This is not about managing wealth differently or keeping it under control. It is about  dismantling it, discarding it entirely so that it no longer exerts influence over our lives. To continue living in wealth while claiming to have surrendered it is self-deception. True discipleship requires renunciation.

The Sobering Example of Ananias and Sapphira

Acts 5 gives us a chilling reminder of what happens when people try to appear devoted while secretly clinging to wealth.

• Ananias and Sapphira sold property but kept part of the money while pretending to give all.

• Peter confronted them: “You have not lied to men but to God.”

• Both fell dead, and great fear seized the church.

Their sin was not in keeping some of the money, but in pretending to discard wealth while secretly holding onto it. Have you notice how much Christ focused hypocrisy in the Gospels? How many time he pointed to the pharesses and Saducess as hypocrites? Hypocrisy in matters of devotion is deadly. Their story warns us that God sees beyond appearances — He knows the heart, knows whether wealth still rules our hearts.

The True Treasure

The viral “deathbed words” remind us that expensive watches, cars, houses, and wines all lead to the same outcomes: time passes, destinations are reached, loneliness lingers, hangovers come. Christ’s teaching goes deeper: wealth itself must be discarded, not merely managed.

The early church lived this out radically, selling possessions and sharing everything in common (Acts 2:44–45). Their treasure was not in material goods but in fellowship, generosity, and the presence of God.

Application for Today

• Don’t be deceived by appearances. Not every wise-sounding reflection comes from the lips of the wealthy or powerful. It is fact the wealthy and influential who are leading us into The Gray area which is leading us into the Great tribulation foreseen in our scriptures.

• Take Christ’s words seriously. Extreme wealth is what we are talking about here. Not spiritual wealth which has within it a normal standard of material wealth. Extreme Wealth is not neutral; it is a spiritual cancer, a spiritual obstacle unless discarded.

• Guard against hypocrisy. Ananias and Sapphira remind us that pretending devotion while clinging to wealth loving and wealth is fatal not only for our carnal live but most importanly for our spiritual life which is eternal.

• Seek true treasure. Joy, love, and eternal life are found not in possessions but in Christ.

Closing Thought

Whether falsely attributed words or genuine biblical teaching, the message is clear: wealth cannot save, cannot satisfy, and cannot follow us into eternity. Only by discarding it and following Christ wholeheartedly can we enter the kingdom of God. Entering the Kingdom of God for many takes places after we die but that is also a misconception entering the kingdom of God is done right here and now in our everyday lives. How? By living a life free of love for fame and recognition, legacy concerns and excessive wealth seeking.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” (Matthew 6:19–20)