Filthy Lucre

FILTHY LUCRE

TITUS 1:7

PART 1

This morning I have brought in a one my coins from my collection. Describe coin. This was the same type of coin as in the story of Jesus being confronted by the Herodians and asked if it is lawful to pay taxes or not. Jesus asks for a coin. Jesus notes who pictures is on the coin and states render to Caesar what is Caesar what is Caesar and to God what is Gods.

In other words pay your taxes, (as we get close to April 15th those words take on a significant meaning to some), and pay God what is due Him, which would be honor praise, worship, your very being.

Now I use that coin and that story to illustrate to you the fact the our Lord Jesus Christ spoke a lot about material possessions, He spoke a lot about money and giving. In fact he taught more to say about our possessions and how we relate to them than he had to say about heaven, hell, or the second coming. So it is an important topic.

There are very few topics that are more sensitive then money. Most of us do not like to talk about it. We don’t normally discuss how much we make, how much we keep, how must much we give. We are just not comfortable with that kind of talk. Some say that it is a personal matter and should not be discussed openly. Some say that to much emphasis is placed on the subject, and in some cases that is true. I know church that place a lot of emphasis on giving and the church budget, I know of pastors where that is all they talk about.

Now you know that I personally do not talk a whole lot about money, and giving and so forth. Because I like many of you find it uncomfortable. Now I did speak on the subject briefly in our sermon on being good stewards about a month or so ago.

One thing I will say is that whenever I do speak on the subject, I know there will be a visitor. This keeps me thinking, "Boy I hope that person does not think that is all I talk about".

We are going to be talking about money not for just one but for two weeks. These messages are not going to be about giving per say, because I believe that it is the Holy Spirit that leads us to give what we give, not a long winding preacher who harps on how much we give or do not give. But these sermons will deal with our attitudes concerning money.

Please turn with me to this morning passage, that would be Titus chapter 1 verse 7. Page 1032 in your pew Bibles. We are continuing our study on the book of Titus. As I stated before one thing that is nice about preaching through a book of the Bible is that you will hit many different subjects. No one can accuse me of preaching "at them" because what ever I preach on is what is next in the text.

Titus 1:7; "For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,"

To refresh your memories, remember that Paul is giving to Titus the qualification of elders, or leaders in the church. He uses the terms elder and bishop interchangeably. They are the local leaders of the church. In our case, that would be the deacons and pastor of the church. Now we have also seen that these qualities are not traits that the leaders must have, but as we have seen in looking at the Scriptures that we qualities that all Christians are to have.

Today we will be looking at that last phrase, "Not greedy for money", or as the KJV of the Bible puts "filthy Lucre" (luc-re). Now Lucre means "monetary gain" or simply making a profit. These phrases come from one Greek word. Which basically means "greedy for profit" will to get money through dishonest gain.

Not being concerned with how one gets money, as long as a profit is made.

What Paul is basically saying is that an elder, and as we shall see all Christians, is not to be a lover money.

As I read this passage and studied it I was reminded of another passage found in scripture and that is 1 Tim. 6:10 a passage we all know, please turn with to 1 Tim 6:10, just a couple of pages back for Titus. Notice what Paul writes there; "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."