Biblical Attitudes Toward Money

Biblical Attitudes Toward Money

Sunday School Lesson

Grace International Baptist Church

Intro:

1 Tim 6:3-12 (NIV)

3 If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching,

4 he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions

5 and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.

10 For the LOVE OF MONEY is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

The love of money is a source of grief for many. It is a spiritual fight. Apparently Jesus taught more on this than any other subject. The big reason is as Richard Foster (1985,p.13) noted: “The demon in money is greed. Nothing can destroy human beings like the passion to possess.”

Illustration: The Trouble with Money

Guys, just remember, if you get lucky, if you make a lot of money, if you get out and buy a lot of stuff--it’s gonna break. You got your biggest,fanciest mansion in the world. It has air conditioning. It’s got a pool. Just think of all the pumps that are going to go out. Or go to a yacht basin any place in the world. Nobody is smiling, and I’ll tell you why. Something broke that morning. The generator’s out; the microwave oven doesn’t work. ...Things just don’t mean happiness.

H. Ross Perot (Billionaire and former Presidential candidate) in Fortune magazine.

Foster (1985,p.20-23).discovered there are 2 major streams of teaching in the Bible – “the dark side” (cf. Lk.6:24, 13, 30, 12:23, Matt.19:24; 1 Tim.3:1-5) and the “light side” (Lk.8:2-3, Matt.26:6-12; 27:57-61, Acts 4:36-37; Rom.12:8; Lk.11:37; 14:1; Mal.3:10)

1. God owns it all. Therefore I am only a m__________________ of His assets.

Psalm 24:1 (NLT) “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.”

1 Cor.6:19-20 (NLT) “You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price.”

Randy Alcorn (2001,p.24) “A steward manages assets for the owner’s benefit. The steward carries no entitlement to the assets he manages. It’s his job to find out what the owner wants done with his assets, then carry out his will.”

2. Earth is not my h_______________. My heart always goes where I put God’s money.

Alcorn (p.44) says “… I’m convinced that the greatest deterrent to giving is this: the illusion that earth is our home.” We are but pilgrims passing through, strangers and aliens here on the earth because our citizenship is in heaven (Heb.11:13, Phil.3:20). No one stores their best possessions in a hotel room, they store their prized stuff in their homes.

Matt. 6:19-21 (NLT) “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.

3. Never forget who gave you what you have today. It is not due to my ability. I o___________ it all to God!

Deut. 8:11-18 (NKJV) 11“Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12“lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13“and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14“when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15“who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; 16“who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end— 17“then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ 18“And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.