INTRODUCTION
• MOVIE CLIP
• SLIDE #1
• Today as we continue with our Letters to Leaders series, we will delve into a subject that is important for all of us to consider.
• When we dig into our text today, it will appear that we are talking about one thing, when we are actually talking about another.
• Our text will deal with the issue of money and what can happen when we have an unhealthy obsession with it.
• For context, Paul is talking to the young Evangelist Timothy about dealing with false doctrine, qualifications for Elders and Deacons, and then he moves to the subject of greed in 1 Timothy 6:7-10.
• Before this text, he speaks of Elders who are worthy of double honor, speaking of those who, along with their other duties, spend a great deal of time preaching and teaching.
• Look at 1 Timothy 6:9 with me, this gives us some depth and context for what we will unravel today.
• SLIDE #2
• 1 Timothy 6:9 (CSB) — 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction.
• When you first look at this, it appears we are going to talk about money, which we are, in the context of wanting to get rich.
• Even though the direct application of the passage, though dealing with money, the deeper issues is the issue of character.
• Leaders, as well as all Christians, must be aware of how they live life. Conduct, ethics, habits, actions all reflect the inner life we have with God.
• Our ethics reflect our true theology.
• Passages like 2 Timothy discuses training in righteousness. 1 Timothy 4:7 tells us we need to train ourselves in Godliness.
• God's Word not only gives us a correct belief but also directs our habits and actions.
• Our character will be what determines what we do with no one is looking, it will determine what we think when no one can read our mind.
• I remember taking business trips where folks were not with their spouses, and they made it clear to the group that they were going to do what they wanted to since no one was around to see.
• We have all seen and heard of folks who were taken in by the subject the text covers today. We have seen lives, families and even churches ruined because of it.
• The Bible speaks a great deal on the subject of character, ethics.
• The subject we will deal with today will not be a problem for us if we all our faith to shape our character.
• I shared this before, but when I was in one of my counseling classes, we had to write a paper and mine was on the subject of why marriages end.
• My premise I constructed my paper on was the thought that money issues that plagued many couples was the reason for so many divorces.
• I read many papers on the subject, I looked at some of the statistical models, and I wrote an exceptional essay.
• When the paper was graded, I probably received a good grade, but my profession pulled me aside and told me I missed something important.
• All my research was solid, but what the articles and statistical models did not show was the ROOT cause of the marital breakups.
• The couples already had issues, and the money problems are where the proverbial dam broke.
• In other words, many of the troubled couples may have survived the financial struggles if they had a stable marriage that could withstand the problem.
• What we need to know is this, our actions should be motivated by a character shaped by God’s Word.
• Let’s turn to our passage this morning, 1 Timothy 6:10
• SLIDE #3
• 1 Timothy 6:10 (CSB) — 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
• SLIDE #4
SERMON
I. The danger of the pursuit of money.
• The first observation we make from the passage is this, For the love of money, is a root of all kinds of evil,
• The word FOR ties back to verse 9, this tells us what happens to the person who wants to be rich.
• Back in verse nine, the word WANT means to DESIRE something which one has in mind to acquire.
• Wanting to be wealthy is not the problem, doing well is not the problem, and money itself is not the problem.
• The problem comes when our want is so unhealthy, we will be tempted to do things that we should not do to gain what we think we want. We can easily be snared into doing things we usually would not do.
• The young preacher in the clip was willing to deny his faith for the sum of $105,000, which would have been a ton of money for the time.
• Riches can be a source for good, it does take money to do things, but the unhealthy desire for riches is what Paul is referring to in this context.
• It is the LOVE of money, not the possession of it, but the LOVE of money that leads to other evils and lead one down the path to temptation.
• Money is not, nor is it the root of ALL evil.
• Money is simply a medium of exchange and is very necessary.
• The unrestrained desire form money is the root of all KINDS of evil.
• Much of the evil we deal with ties into an unhealthy desire to possess more and more.
• History is filled with examples of this principle.
• The danger of LOVING money is that we are playing with fire.
• Our verse tells us that money a root for all sorts of evil.
• The Greek Philosopher Diogenes (412-323 BC) said this, The Love of Money is the home for all evil things. (Gareth Reese 1 timothy Commentary p.280)
• Let’s look back to our passage again.
• SLIDE #5
• 1 Timothy 6:10 (CSB) — 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
• SLIDE #6
II. The dilemma of the pursuit of money.
• There is a consequence for loving money.
• and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith
• Jesus talked about this issue in Matthew 6:24
• SLIDE #7
• Matthew 6:24 (CSB) — 24 “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
• The young man in our clip loved money more than he loved Jesus.
• The word “craving” translates a participle from the verb that pertains to eagerly desiring to achieve some goal or purpose; hence “to strive to attain,” “to aspire,” “to eagerly long for.”
• When we crave something, we will do what we need to do, sacrifice what we need to sacrifice in order to get we want.
• Wandered away translates an aorist passive of a verb that means to stop believing in something true and start believing in something false, hence "to go astray from the truth."
• The word wander denotes someone who was led away. It is a passive verb that was used to describe the movement of the planets.
• To many of the ancients who saw most of the stars as in a fixed position, thought the planets wandered around the heavens.
• A person who is obsessed with riches has lost their bearings, and they wander around from scheme to scheme hoping to get their beloved riches.
• They become helpless victims in the grip of a merciless deception.
• When one gets obsessed, they set aside all things for what they want.
• Jesus is not against money, He is not against working hard to better your station in life, the problem is when we crave it so bad that we forsake even our faith in the pursuit of wealth.
• To wander away from the faith is to cease to be a Christian, to stop believing and trusting in Christ.
• A Christian with character will put God first, work hard, and trust God for their provision.
• SLIDE #8
• 1 Timothy 6:10 (CSB) — 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
• SLIDE #9
III. The consequence of the pursuit of money.
• Sometimes you do not get what you think you were getting.
• Instead of the joy, one thought they would receive, instead, and pierced themselves with many griefs.
• The of verse ten paints a vivid picture of someone who had, for the sake of a little silver or gold, gave up on their first love, their faith.
• The word pierced is only used in this verse in the New Testament.
• The word was used of meat that was pierced through end to end by the spit when it was to be roasted.
• The context of this word gives the idea of being pierced everywhere, much more than one time.
• What are we pierced through with?
• Many griefs.
• They have pierced themselves with many pangs. This can be understood as a result not only of their craving for money but also of their wandering away from the faith.
• They are pierced through with the pangs of grief, sorrow, and painful hurts.
• Seeking wealth, they have forfeited peace of mind, lost friends, alienated family members, destroyed their own character, and wandered away from their faith.
• Imagine living life, getting to the end and then realizing that what you sold yourself out for was not worth it.
• What price are we willing to pay to pursue riches?
• SLIDE #10
• Mark 8:36–37 (ESV) — 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 8
CONCLUSION
• Wealth and money are issues, the issue is putting the pursuit of such above your pursuit of God.
• If wealth were the problem, then He would not bless people materially.
• If God blesses us materially, we have an obligation to a good manager of what God has blessed us with.
• We need to realize where our blessings come from!
• SLIDE #11
• Proverbs 3:9–10 (ESV) — 9 Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
• As Christians, and particularly for leaders, we need to be driven by our desire to serve the Lord. We need to trust God for our provision.
• We cannot allow ourselves to forsake our love for Jesus for the pursuit of riches.
