Do not love money - recipe for joy and success of the Minister

Intro

Good afternoon, my name is Timotheos and by a certain almost miraculous means I came to you from a time not long after our Teacher’s and Savior’s death and resurrection. Don’t pose any questions concerning this, I beg you, for I am myself quite confused when more thoughts are given to that matter.

I was invited first to preach at the congregation “The Song of the Hill”, emm… Hillsong, you call it.

Many young devoted followers of the Messiah were gathered there. You are so blessed, let me tell you. I have seen the move of the Spirit like that before as well, in the day that I was laboring for the kingdom of God.

Anyway... I got ready as I usually would. I put on my favorite clothes and the sandals that served me so well . And you’d be surprised but the most strange occurrence happened.

They wanted to get me… different shoes! Big massive shoes, white or red, sparkly. I looked around the room and a lot of people were wearing something super fancy and something truly extravagant and expansive. What a rich team of leadership it was!!!

It reminded me about my own temptations back in the day - desire to make my ministry lucrative. When you are young, it seems so appealing!!! My mentor and spiritual father, Shaul, known in the Greek world as Paul, wrote me concerning this: that there are those, who are

When you are young, it seems so appealing!!! My mentor and spiritual father, Shaul, known in the Greek world as Paul, wrote me concerning this:

Main Passage: 1 Tim 6:5-11

English Standard Version Chapter 6

depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, aimagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But bgodliness cwith contentment is great gain, 7 for dwe brought nothing into the world, and3 we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But eif we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But fthose who desire to be rich fall into temptation, ginto a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that hplunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of iall kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Fight the Good Fight of Faith

11 But as for you, jO man of God, kflee these things.

...depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things.

...we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world...

...those who desire to be rich fall into temptation...

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

…flee these things...

Body

Those things I learnt first of all by example of teacher Shaul and experiences I made with him. Let me tell you about him and our journey.

1. Story from Paul’s life

Meeting Paul. Paul rejects the worship from the people of Lystra.

I met teacher Shaul when he was preaching in Lystra. My mother and grandmother taught me the scriptures and when I heard Barnabas reason, I believed that Yeshua was and is the Messiah. In my town there was also a man who couldn’t use his feet, crippled. Shaul healed him and many people rushed to worship him and Barnabas as gods. The crowd was ecstatic. They were ready to bring sacrifices, money, anything that the two would want. “But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed into the crowd, crying out, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news that you should turn from these vain things” (acts 14:14-15) to one God who made the heaven and the earth and worship him alone!

The situation changed very fast. I saw the group of religious Jews come from Antioch and Iconium and they persuaded the crowd to stone the teacher. The number of disciples there was too small. The crowd dragged him out of the city thinking that he was dead. The disciples from my town found him and took care of him. God was truly with the teacher because the next day he was raised and went to Derbe to make disciples of Yeshua, and then he returned to Lystra, Iconium and headed out towards Antioch, from where he began his journey.

For some time I haven’t heard about him anymore. I couldn’t stop thinking about those great apostles though. What priests were there who would reject status, money, worship and much rather endure hardships preaching to the people all around?

Ministry of Paul required abandoning what he had, forfeiting the aim of financial gain and entrusting himself into God’s hand completely.

But the apostleship of Yeshua was pricy. People left everything behind and entrusted themselves in the hand of God. Sometimes it meant not knowing what lies ahead or where the provision would come from.

Many new disciples dedicated everything they had to the work of the Lord. Some, however, were double minded and could not say ‘no’ to their possessions but wanted to fool the Spirit. Lukas wrote about them in his account, Ananias and Sapphires, so that many disciples understood that one cannot love God and money, or serve both of them. Self-deception is possible up until the time but sooner or later, the true treasure will come to the light. “The love of money is the root of all evil but the man of God should flee those things”.

I saw it in action once I joined Shaul in his work. We went through many cities and regions, faced blessings and hardships, all the while trying to listen to the Spirit as to where he would move us.

The teacher often lived of his support donated by the congregations that we preached the word at. However, he was never attached to financial gain. Even though he taught that the minister deserves his wages, “do not muzzle the ox”, he oftentimes worked to support himself, like he did in Corinth, where he made tents for over a year! He did not want to be reproached by anybody in terms of money.

So we came to Philippi, the leading city of Macedonian district.

The teacher had a wonderful attitude: having entrusted himself into God’s hand, he learnt to be first of all content in everything.

And when I say in everything, I mean literally - everything. Even in the lowest points of his life, he wouldn’t ask for money “from being in need, for he learned in whatever situation he is to be content. He knew how to be brought low and how to abound. In any and every circumstance, he has learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. He could do all things through him who strengthens us.” I could do all things through him who strengthens me. You can do all things in him who strengthens me.

The teacher was never attached to financial gain. Even though he taught that the minister deserves his wages, “do not muzzle the ox”, he oftentimes worked to support himself, like he did in Corinth, where he made tents. He did not want to be reproached by anybody in terms of money

Shaul never let himself be focused on the financial gain. He had a wonderful attitude that produced pure motives. It multiplied peace and joy. He knew the provision would come from the Lord at the right time. First and foremost, he worked for the benefit of the disciples and their growth in faith and love.

2. Story from arranging the church at Ephesus.

Story from arranging the church at Ephesus

Not all the ministers did. There were other kinds of folks, false teachers, those who sneaked in to divide the congregation for the sake of their own gain. It was because of them that I was left in Ephesus to keep the teaching pure, and to appoint the pastors and deacons.

I was still very young when Shaul asked me to remain in Ephesus. People wouldn’t be appointed to leadership positions at that age and I could face some authority issues so Shaul send me the letter that I could present to the congregation as well as for my own instruction.

Like many of you here, I was just at the beginning of the journey on my own and a lot of things needed to be clarified. Shaul instructed me to be slow in appointing leaders, pastors and deacons, and never to lay hands on somebody in a rush. I had to check them and see how they live their life, manage households. Numerous people desired to become leaders. Some were leading righteous lifestyles but the spirit and the teacher revealed to me that even that sometimes the motive isn’t pure and good. Among everything that I needed to check the pastors-to-be based of, was love for money. Over and over again, Shaul told me to beware of those who love money and not appoint them. Deacons also had to not be greedy for dishonest gain. We didn’t want the leadership to turn the hole work of God into a filthy business.

Praise be to God who had the people duly prepared for the work. They learned to be content. And godliness with contentment is a great gain, for we brought nothing into the world and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

3. What influence it had on Timothy’s life.

Seeing my teacher and spiritual father live out these principles made me willing to do just the same. Seeing those who fell away made me cautious of the traps of the enemy. Truly God says through my teacher Shaul, the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Application

I urge all of you, who are at the same stage in life that I’ve been. Flee those things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life. Every day train your mind towards this.

Remember our God and Savior Yeshua who did not seek to save his soul nor be served by became a servant and gave up everything, - the heavenly riches - to become one of us and to die on the cross. Remember my teacher and spiritual father Shaul who was never in need for by the power of the one who strengthens him, he learned to be satisfied in low moments and in abundance, in prison and in the palace. Remember us and our faith and let it be an encouragement for you.

Conclusion

...Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity… Entrust yourself into God’s hand, and learn to be content in everything.