PAUL’S PREACHING ON THE POWER OF THE PURSE (Part One)
1 Timothy 6:3-10
INTRODUCTION:
1.) Over the past several weeks, we have seen many powerful teachings on many subjects in this letter of 1 Timothy.
2.) Today, and next week I want us to see some more very valuable teachings in regards to the very touchy subject of money and how it affects our relationship with God.
I. GODLESS TEACHING ON THE MATTER OF MONEY.
1.) Paul had to deal with false doctrines that did not agree with the sound teaching of Scripture. (Verse 3)
A.) False teaching is nothing new in this epistle of 1Timothy.
aa.) Paul has already dealt with many topics where false teaching and false teachers had come into the church.
B.) One thing that is perhaps new is that John says such a one is conceited and understands nothing. (verse 4)
ba.) In other words, the doctrinal problem at hand is because a person is too full of himself and his own desires to see what God and God’s Word has to say for his life.
bb.) This in itself, is a clue to us that the issue Paul is about to address is one which comes from man’s pride, and putting himself above God.
C.) He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words.
ca.) One thing we can at times see in a church is that some people will be ready to be involved in what Paul has described as controversies, and quarrels about words.
cb.) Whenever you find that in the church, you almost always will also find that the person or persons responsible for such a state within the church nearly always have a personal agenda they want to advance.
cba.) They are individuals seeking to be glorified themselves, rather than to give glory to God.
cbb.) As Paul was writing to Timothy and the Christians in Ephesus there were some in that church who were looking at self insteadof
Christ.
D.) Apparently, some of these false teachings were in regards to Christians and money.
2.) There was the false teaching that Godliness is a means to financial gain.-- 1Tim. 6:5
A.) We have heard of that teaching today, but have thought it was a new problem that has come into the church in our lifetime.
aa.) We have all heard some of the radio and TV preachers promoting a health, and wealth gospel.
aaa.) This is not to say that all of the preachers on the TV or radio are corrupt. Certainly many of them are very good and Godly men of faith.
ab.) None the less, there are individuals I have heard in media whose motivation and direction of life I have in my mind questioned as to where they are.
ac.) I have heard sermons and individuals proclaim that if you are living for God, that you should be able to expect the blessings of God financially in your life, and that if your faith and life are so anchored in Jesus Christ that you will be in perfect health, etc.
ad.) Some of these same individuals will go on to state that if you do not have wealth, and if you do not have health that there is something wrong in your walk with Jesus Christ.
B.) Yet when we look here at 1 Timothy we find this is not what the Scripture is stating.
ba.) Rather, this health and wealth gospel is a false doctrine.
bb.) The fact that this has been in the church since the early years of the Christian faith in the first century does not make it to be true.
bb.) It is a teaching that sounds wonderful, but it is no less a lie of Satan today, than it was over 2,000 years ago.
bba.) Even though it is, and always has been a lie, it is also a popular teaching that many promote, and many others like to believe.
C.) God’s desire for our lives is not that we seek to serve Him because we think that by doing so He is going to make us rich or healthy.
ca.) God’s desire is that we will come to Him from the love and devotion within our hearts and lives in sincerity regardless if God chooses to bless either our finances or health.
cb.) When we can come to God seeking Him for who he is, and for that alone, we are content.
cba.) Our joy is that the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed us from all sin.
II. GOD’S GOAL FOR US WITH MONEY IS TO HAVE GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT
-- 1 Timothy 6:6
1.) The general principal of God with money is that Godliness with contentment is great gain.
A.) The teaching of Scripture is that regardless of your financial status in life, you are to seek God, and to put your trust completely in Him alone.
aa.) It is not the amount of money we have, but how much we are owned by the money or the lack of it that determines the level of contentment we have in life.
ab.) Our contentment and peace come not from the presence or the absence of money, but through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ in which He is the highest priority and importance in our lives.
B.) During the ministry of Jesus on this earth there was a time when Jesus addressed the matter of people who were continually worrying over food, and their daily needs.
ba.) Jesus told that crowd of people their focus was on the wrong thing.
baa.) They were focussing every part of their lives onto their own physical existence.
bab.) They were living lives with little or no faith in God, or the fact that God loved them and would look out for their needs.
bac.) Even though they were a people who claimed to be Children of God, and worshipping Him, they were in fact demonstrating so little faith that they were the same as the pagans who did not know God.
C.) In essence Jesus told them they had allowed their lack of money to become a god they devoted their time and the minds to instead of the true Living God who loved them and was looking out for each of them.
ca.) Jesus told them they needed to again give God the priority of first place in their lives.
cb.) Matt. 6:33
2.) We are reminded to be contented because we came into this world with nothing, and we will also leave this world with nothing.
A.) It does not matter what your status in life is because every one of us have come into the world without one thing, and will leave this world the same way.
aa.) When we made our appearance into this world there was not one thing we could call our own.
ab.) Even a baby born into a family of wealth enters with absolutely nothing as a possession.
ac.) For the first few years of life, the only things we have is what someone else has given to us.
B.) While we are on this earth we accumulate a few things, but that which we accumulate is only temporary.
C.) One day, unless Christ returns first every one of us will breathe that final breath in this life and on this earth.
ca.) When that final breath has been taken we leave here just as we came into this world with absolutely nothing.
cb.) Even the physical bodies which we claim as our own we have to surrender when our days on this earth are done.
D.) Around twenty years ago there was a funeral of a lady from this province that would have been very elaborate and expensive.
da.) At that time I believe the average price for a funeral would have been between $3,000-$4,000.00
db.) This particular lady was given an expensive funeral in a specially ordered Permithian Bronze casket with the bill for the entire funeral costing $37,000.00.
dc.) But you know something!
dca.) That woman never enjoyed that casket.
dcb.) In fact that woman had to leave not only the casket behind, but also her very body that was laid to rest in that casket.
E.) You see when we get to that point it matters little if we are rich or poor in this life, because the money and the wealth are left behind when we are gone.
ea.) Paul’s point is that we need to be contented in this life with our relationship with Christ, because when all else is done, that is the only thing that will matter.
eb.) Our relationship with Christ is the only thing that will give comfort and peace in this life, and in the life to come as well.
III. GOD’S WARNING -- GREED CAN BECOME GOD!
1.) People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap.
-- 1 Timothy 6:9
A.) Picture in your mind of a trap set for an animal.
aa.) One of the common things in many traps that will be set for a bird or animal is some kind of food to tempt that creature.
ab.) It matters not if it is a mouse going for that piece of cheese, a partridge going for some berries, or a lobster going for some old fish.
ac.) The whole point of that bait is to entice the victim into becoming so enthralled with the reward that they lose sight of the danger which lies before them.
ad.) Paul is warning us that the pursuit of money can become that piece of cheese that catches it’s victim totally unaware.
ae.) It becomes so large in our lives that we lose sight of everything else.
aea.) John D. Rockefeller died in 1937.
aeb.) Through his company Standard Oil he became the world’s Richest man, and the first American to ever become a Billionaire.
aec.) Mr. Rockefeller was a Christian, and worshipped with the Northern Baptists; He was also a very generous man and was noted for his Philanthropy.
aed.) It is not for me to judge this man on Godliness -- it is God alone who knows the heart and soul of this or any man.
aee.) I do want to share though a quote that Mr. Rockefeller had once made. (Wikipedia).
aee-1.) In an interview he was asked how much money it would take to satisfy him.
aee-2.) The answer he gave was: “Just a little bit more.”
af.) God’s warning is that money can be the bait to a trap that can deceive, trap, and destroy us.
B.) Those to whom greed becomes god will have many foolish and harmful desires.
ba.) There are a great number of people who have made the presence or the lack of money that which consumes them with greed to the point of becoming their god.
C.) These desires will plunge them into ruin and destruction.
2.) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
A.) 1 Timothy 6:10a.
B.) It is not money, but the love of money that will cause people to become so blinded to God that they will do whatever it takes to gain it.
C.) There is something that is very sad about that:
3.) When money becomes god, people will wander from the faith.
A.) If we were to look at these individuals we would see that they have pierced themselves with many griefs.
B.) It is not by accident that Jesus warned "it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:24
C.) It is not by accident that Jesus warned “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. – Matt. 6:24
D.) It is also no accident that Jesus said: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” --Luke 12:34
CONCLUSION:
1.) As I bring this message to a close, I just want to reiterate these three points that Paul has given to us about money in this letter to Timothy:
A.) It is a false view to feel that Godliness will necessarily equate in financial blessings.
B.) What is the most important is not how rich or poor we are, but that our lives are given to God, and from that, and that alone we find contentment for life.
C.) Money needs to be looked at with great caution as it can easily trap us and become our god, causing us to wander from the faith.
D.) May we leave here today determined to seek first the kingdom of God, and to trust him for all else in life.
