Sermon by Brian Giles-Brown
29 September 2019
Money Money Money (Abba)
If I were a rich man (Fiddler on the Roof)
Two songs that sum up our feelings about money – We want more, we need more, we crave more, we never have enough, we live our life seeking money.
Todays readings (1 Tim 6:6-19 Lk 16:19-31) demonstrate the word of the lord in regard to our fascination with the “Love of Money” Both Luke and Paul in his letter to Timothy strongly show the expected behavior of Christians in the area of money at the time and of Christ right through to our current relationship with money today.
Through many verses in the bible we are reminded about the dangers of a “love of money” and the evils this can lead to. There is much confusion about this whole area of bible study.
Being wealthy is not a sin, having money is not a sin, wanting to achieve wealth is not a sin, wanting to provide for family is not a sin, gaining promotion and increased salary is not a sin, being financially smart is not a sin. It is Ok to have a few dollars in your purse or wallet, it is OK to have a few dollars under your pillow, it is OK to have a bank account and even to have a share portfolio. You know it is even OK to have a flutter on the
What I hope to share with you today is the risks we take when these OK actions and situations with money become sinful.
We are very fortunate that we live in a very wealthy country. We by the grace of God have been born into a life that is far more comfortable then most of out brothers and sisters across the globe. The average income in Australia is over $80,000 and if you earn that you are in the top 1% of income earners across the world. Indeed if you earn the basic wage in Australia you are in the top 8% of income earners across the world and if you are on a couples pension in Australia you are in the top 9% of income earners across our world. To clarify this even further when we look at disposable income, after rent/mortgage, power, water, gas is taken into account Australians sit in the top 2% of the world. We are rich in these terms but on the down side of these statistics our debt level is also in the top 2% of the world. The more we earn the more we spend, the more we want. Each and every Australian citizen regardless of age have an average debt of $164000. The country in 2017 had a debt of 551,000,000,000.
We are a very wealthy country, top 10 in income, disposable income and expenditure - And debt.
It often surprises Christians when they discover just how much the Bible talks about money. In fact there are more than 2300 verses on money, wealth and possessions. Jesus spoke about money in roughly 15% of his preaching and in 11 out of the 39 parables. It was his most talked about topic.
But why is this so?
This passage from Matthew gives us a clue:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Jesus spoke about money, not because he was obsessed with money, or that he wanted us to have lots of it, but because he knew that money was an issue of the heart and that it is one of the most likely reasons for someone to not follow him or to give up on him.
Money is important, there is no doubt it has a strong role to play in the life of every Christian and their church.
The money you have in your wallet has no intrinsic value, it is worth what the Reserve Bank says its worth. It is essentially morally neutral and powerless. Evil uses money to seduce us and that is when it can become powerful in a negative direction. He wants you to fall in love with it, so you will become a slave to money rather than its master. The flip slide is when we use money as a tool to invest in God’s kingdom; money becomes a powerful instrument of good and we become the master of money so it can be used to the glory of God.
Think for a moment about today’s society. How many people’s lives have been ruined because they have been seduced by money? They choose a job because of what it pays not because of the fulfilment it provides. In Australia one survey said that nearly 60% of people would quit their job tomorrow if they could earn more money regardless of job satisfaction. Their job choice and decision to remain is heavily influenced by money.
Money is important to the extent that how we think about it will impact how we behave with it.
Taking this one step further, how we think and behave with money reflects our spiritual condition. When we hoard money; or are envious of other’s money; or spend money we don’t have (debt) then there is a good chance we have been seduced!
In Matthew 6:24 Jesus presents us with a clear choice:
“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.
The issue is simple – whom will we serve? Will we serve God or will we serve money. Notice Jesus said you ‘cannot’ serve both. It is impossible, it is one or the other and all of us must choose.
Why did Jesus make such a strong statement? Because he knew that our relationship with God would be deeply impacted by our relationship with money. If we worry about money then we won’t be trusting God. If we are chasing after money then it’s doubtful that we’re chasing after God and trying to advance his kingdom.
As with the above verse from Matthew, much of what God’s word says about money are warning messages. God wants nothing to come between him and us. Sometimes God prevents people from gaining wealth because he knows that it will harm them. He is not trying to deny them; he is trying to protect them.
Lastly, we have a culture drowning in debt. It is so widespread and so ingrained that very few people, believers and unbelievers alike stop to consider the ramifications. The verses on debt in the bible are all warning messages. The Bible warns us that debt can lead to disaster! How true that is today.
The Bible talks about money because God loves you and he doesn’t want it to harm you, rather he wants you to use it as a tool to bless your family, others and to fund the advance of his kingdom.
1 Timothy 6:7-9, "For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction."
Ecclesiastes 5:10, "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity."
Trusting in money as our refuge and being strong in desires, these are marks of the love of money. They are also the opposite of trusting in the loving kindness of God. Faith in God and love of money are in direct conflict with one another, which is what makes this sin so serious. As Jesus says:
Timothy 6:10 ‘…it is the love of money that is the obstacle to faith, not money itself…’
Our attitude toward money is the problem, not the money itself.
Money is not the root of all evil. The Bible says, "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" (I Timothy 6:10).
The use of money can be very worthwhile. It can be used to build orphanages and hospitals, to feed the poor, to preach the gospel, to build universities, to educate people in God’s word, to establish churches, and to broadcast the gospel.
The question is - what is money being used for? Is it being used for God's glory, or is it being used only for pleasure? Is it being used for pride, to purchase obscene luxury, as a status symbol, to support wars, and for the purchase drugs or weapons with which to kill people, or is it being used for a higher purpose?
The wage earner must earn money to stay alive. "Earning a living is a vital part of life, a vital part of our existence and the only way we can support our families, community and church. In earlier societies, if a man had no wages he faced literal starvation and death. A supply of food insulated him from the fear of death by starvation. Later, money became the substitute for supplies of food and clothing.
Soon, those who had more forgot the reason they had accumulated so much wealth. The pursuit of money became an end in itself -- a status symbol -- a measure of achievement. The question, "How much is he worth?" almost always refers to money status -- not musical ability, athletic ability, career success, spirituality.
The rich man begins to feel superior to those who have to earn a living. He can enjoy a life of luxury that is not available to the average person. He is also given tremendous power and can use his money to control and dominate other people. Money has become so important that men will lie, cheat, bribe, defame, and kill to get it. The love of money becomes the ultimate idolatry.
This is why Paul in his letter to Timothy said, "The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil."
Likewise, being poor does not mean you do not love money. Many poor people are chasing riches and are given over to bitterness and jealousy against those who have money. They love money and want it for themselves. Many poor people are trusting in scatchies and lotto tickets or get rich quick schemes because their hope is in wealth and not God.
Many people bury themselves in debt, not to meet their basic needs, but rather to live a material lifestyle they cannot afford because they love material wealth. All of this comes from the same source. This, too, is the love of money. We all, whatever our current circumstances, must be diligently on guard against the love of money. We must strive for faith and contentment.
Just what does it mean to love money? It's easy to tell ourselves that we don't love money, but how do we evaluate this biblically? The Book of Hebrews gives us an important warning that helps us understand what this sin is.
Hebrews 13:5a, "Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; ……
The opposite of loving money is being contented with what you have and trusting in God. Are you satisfied with your possessions? Or are you always telling yourself that you would be content if you had just that one other thing? Do you rest assured in the promises of God to be with you and to take care of you, or does your security lie in how much you have in the bank? How do you spend your time and energy? Are you contentedly working for your wages to feed your family and give what you can to others, or are you always trying to attain a higher or more comfortable economic status without a thought for the use of your extra income in the work of the Lord.?
We must remember that our ability to earn these dollars come from the skills and experiences given to us through the grace of God.
euteronomy 8 – 18
But remember the Lord your god, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.
I want to make sure that we understand that the scriptures do not inherently express that being rich is evil.
Some people work hard at their job simply out of integrity and receive promotions and raises that elevate them to a position of riches. They didn't chase riches, but God saw fit to give them riches.
Other people own a business, run it well, and it becomes so successful that they become very wealthy. They weren't working for riches, they were just responsible, and God blessed it.
Other people might inherit wealth or come to Christ already possessing great wealth. There are numerous ways a faithful, humble Christian whose heart is for the Lord and not for riches may still end up being rich. This is not a sin. But they do have to be careful not to be enticed by their riches into the love of money.
The bible uses the term Stewardship in regard to the way we spend our money – utilizing and managing all resources god provides for the glory of god and the betterment of his creation.
“It is a biblical truth beyond all dispute: that all your money is God’s and has been loaned to you as a steward to use in ways that maximize the glorification of God’s mercy in the world.
And it is irrational to think that giving ten percent of that money to the church settles the issue of good stewardship.
In a world of such immense need, and in a country of such immense luxury, and under the commission of such a powerful Lord, the issue of stewardship is not: Shall I tithe? But rather, ‘How much of God’s trust fund dare I use to surround myself with comforts?’”
The best way that I know how to capture the spirit of the New Testament’s generosity is simply to say: the issue is not, “How much must I give” but “How much of the money that I hold in trust for Christ can I take for my private use?”
1 Timothy 6:17-19, "Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed."
Our generosity to the church and our fellow man is not restricted to money but our wealth of character, skills and abilities, career strengths, hobbies and interests, spirituality, worldly experiences, family connections, love, sporting prowess, coaching skills , leadership, abilities, fundraising skills etc.
Using these god given strengths to further the mission and discipleship of the church is a very desirable and needed part of our tithing. We need as a church community to explore this concept in more depth, as an aging church population what can we give of our abilities to help the work of the church.
An example of this could be the work our churches do in schools, our early childhood program, our work in retirement villages and for Domestic Violence agencies.
In summary
You can be rich and not love money, but it is difficult. You must be on guard. You must humble yourself before God. You must trust in God so fully that you are always willing to give up your riches for the sake of others. You must be generous and use the abundance God has given you to help the poor and advance the kingdom.
In the words of John Wesley, in 1790
“Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can.”
Let us pray
Heavenly Father we acknowledge our human frailty and poor judgment when it comes to the wonderful gifts you have given us. You shower us with goodness, skills and experiences and we struggle to use them effectively in your name to complete the work that needs to be undertaken to ensure the strength of your teachings here on earth. We pray that we hear your word and are alert to the dangers of the “love of money” and make decisions to bring us closer to your kingdom and its glory.
We pray father for your blessing of this church and its leaders as they work to use their gifts and talents to build pathways to ensure a strong future of faith and mission in this place.
We pray this in your name
Amen