Are We Lovers of Money?

As we continue in our journey through 1 Timothy 3, we come to the statement that an elder must not be a lover of money.

What is meant by a lover of money?

Is it wrong to have wealth?

Are we using our money properly?

Are we greedy, or are we giving?

Belief about money

Since the Great Depression this idea has surfaced where the idea of capital investment, and especially profit, was opposed to the Christian gospel.

We look at passages like:

Matthew 19:20-24

1 Timothy 6:10 (ESV)

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils....

We say see, wealth is evil.

Then when we come to 1 Timothy 3:3, we enter into isegesis where we read into the text and say AHA! The elder cannot have wealth or possessions.

I’ve even heard people speak of pastors as “keep them poor, keep them humble.”

It’s this wrong ascetic tradition, that teaches material things are bad.

BTW, this is a replay of the first century gnostic heresy that the apostles were fighting against. The belief that the material is bad.

Is money inherently bad?

This is the question that we must answer, what is God’s view of wealth.

If money is bad, then to have possessions is a sin and we should all be giving it all away.

For we will find that money is just like any other idol, when it is put in the place of god, the end result is destructive tenancies and ruined lives.

When money is a god, we aren’t giving. We hold onto it, not wanting to give to charity, not even wanting to give to help your own kids.

When money is a god, our life becomes consumed with getting more, or holding onto what we have.

Workaholics are those who struggle with the love of money. (sometimes it is the need to have success.

When money is a god, we dehumanize people. They are a means to an end. We either see them as someone we can get something from, or someone who is going to ask us for something.

But having wealth isn’t the issue. It’s loving money, worshipping money that’s the issue.

I know people who are poor, and money is their god, they steal/or work to acquire their god. Their mind is consumed with it.

I also know people who are worth well over a million. But they serve God almighty. Money just happens to be a tool that God has blessed them with.

And they use that tool to glorify God.

What we must stay away from is exalting possessions to the ultimate meaning of life.

Money as a gift

Deuteronomy 8:17-19

This is a call to remember who God is, and that He is the one who had given them power and wealth.

Take note of that, God gave them wealth. If money was inherently evil, if God didn’t want you to have it…why would He give it as a blessing?

Any blessing can be a curse if it is miss ordered.

1 Samuel 2:7

1 Samuel 2:7 ESV

The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.

Once again, the Lord makes rich, and makes poor.

God states that the wise are the one’s who save.

Proverbs 13:22

Proverbs 13:22 ESV

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.

Wealth is a gift of God, that is to be used to bless our children.

A good inheritance is more than money. It is also a Christian heritage.

A family that knows God, and will teach their kids, pass on knowledge. This is the primary inheritance that we should be laying up.

If you leave your kids a full band account, and a Theology that is bringing them to hell. That account won’t help them in the end.

But it does mention wealth, therefore a good person is also one who can look beyond today.

When the bible says a good man, good is a moral sense.

A man who is morally good, desires to see his kids succeed.

A good person says “how can I teach my kids a trade that they can continue to grow.”

A good person tries to pay off their property to leave as an inheritance for their children’s children.

I’ve heard some say “I never had any help.”

That’s a foolish statement.

Our goal shouldn’t be to let our kids flounder as we did…but to give them a boost.

We stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us.

We want to boost our kids, so they can go even higher, do even greater things than we have done.

Sometimes you see bumper stickers, or hear people say “we’re spending our kids inheritance.”

That is foolish

When I say foolish, I once again mean a moral condition. Not just, “that persons dumb, which they are.

But that is selfish and evil

Selfish becasue you have no consideration for your kids.

Evil because there isn’t a care for if your kids fail or succeed.

1 Timothy 6:17-19

Obviously I’ll be preaching on this topic again.

The rich in this present age..

He does’t tell them to rid themselves of all riches.

Their hope is not to be in riches.

Hope for what? Eternity

He states that it is “God who richly provides.” God is the one who has provided for them, and the reason that they have money.

This verse also speaks of the purpose of money.

Purpose of Money

Generous and ready to share.

God blesses, so that we may be a blessing.

Understand, this isn’t advocating for socialism where we take from the rich and give to the poor, that isn’t it at all.

But, those who are believers, who know God. Know that we serve a God who is generous, who blesses us with heavenly treasures, and blesses individuals with wealth.

Therefore, those who are believers, and who have wealth, are generous.

For they understand that they have been blessed, and therefore they are a blessing to others.

Shunammite woman

2 Kings 4:8-10

The Shunammite woman see’s Elisha always going that direction, what does she do? Makes a room for him.

Understand, this would be a great expense in those days.

She saw that she was blessed, so used it to be a blessing.

Martha & Mary

Luke 10:38-42

Jesus comes to the home of Mary and Martha more than once.

They are able to feed and entertain Jesus…but it wasn’t just Jesus. There were the disciples which would have numbered at least 12; and just prior to this Jesus sends out 72 disciples. So it’s hard to say how many people Martha was feeding whenever Jesus came through Bethany.

They had to have money in order to feed, in order to serve.

Mary even took a pound of ointment that would probably have been valued at 80k by today’s standards.

They had money, but they used it to serve.

They glorified God with their money.

Dangers of money

To easily the gift can become the master.

Matthew 6:24

You can’t serve to masters.

If you love money, if it is your master, then you will have a cordial relationship with God.

You go to church on Sunday, you sing the words. But he will not be the Lord of your life.

This is why Jesus told the rich young ruler, “go sell it all, then come and follow me.”

It isn’t that money is evil. But money was his God.

The cost of discipleship is that you will serve God alone.

Then, you see money as a blessing God has given you.

And it is a blessing with which you can bless others.

Luke 8:14

Luke 8:14 ESV

And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.

To those who place their trust in money, who serve money.

They are those who are like the seed that gets choked out.

For their cares are not on the king who they are called to serve, but on the riches and the pleasures of this life.

If your greatest concern is pleasure in this life, is for this life to be easy. Then you will find your enthusiasm for Christ fade, as you realize that it is difficult to stand against a culture who hates the God you serve.

Maybe some of you are already there.

Do you find yourself

What is Paul talking about?

Paul is not saying that it is wrong to have money.

He isn’t saying it’s wrong to store up wealth for you kids and prepare a future.

Paul is saying that an elder must not have a love for money.

His security, must not be in money, but in God.

A love for money will make you pilfer the coffers. Stealing money from the church for unjust gain.

A love for money will make it so you don’t want to do any renovations on the church, no upkeep.

A love for money will allow you to show partiality to one over another as you desire to appeal to the people that will bring more revenue rather than appealing to God almighty.

A love for money will cut off a church’s desire for benevolence, to help those who are in need.

A love of money will cause an elder to neglect the work that needs to be done for the church, because many times it is volunteer. If you are driven by the almighty dollar, this doesn’t make a profit.

A love of money will develop a church into a seeker sensitive atmosphere, believing that we need to make the gospel more appealing to the world. So that we can draw in more people, and with them, more revenue. Forgetting that seeker sensitive doesn’t work, becasue none seeks after God, no not one!

Someone who loves money, fails to love the church.

Paul is saying we need elders who love the people, and see money as a tool to help the people, serve the Lord, and grow the kingdom.

In idols for destruction, Herbert Schlossberg states “The Christian position from the beginning has been that people are satisfied by becoming reconciled with God, not by acquiring wealth.” He also says; “If we continue to worship the false idols, the unrest and discontent that mark our society now are only a sample of the destruction that is yet to come.”

We as Christians must be different from the world, we must find purpose, and fulfillment in the only one who can fulfill. Jesus Christ.