OPEN: In 1347, the Black Plague was raging through Europe and thousands of people died. Many people saw it as judgment of God.
And so, hoping to appease God’s wrath, the citizens of Lubeck, Germany surrounded the churches and monasteries of their city and offered them enormous amounts of money and riches.
The monks and priests inside one of these monasteries fearful of contamination, barred their gates and would not allow the citizens to enter. The persistent crowds threw valuables, coins, gold, and jewels over the walls… and the frightened monks threw all of it back.
Money and valuables were thrown back and forth over the walls for hours until the monks finally gave up and allowed the riches to remain.
Within hours piles 3 and 4 feet high arose, and for months following the incident some say for years - the money remained untouched.
APPLY:
Why did the people of Lubeck want to give the money?
They thought it would bring them life.
Why didn’t the monks want the money?
They thought the money would bring them death.
The tragic situation in 14th century Germany illuminates two basic views of money.
1st There are those who believe money can buy them life.
o They believe wealth can buy security
o Enjoyment of life
o Health… and ultimately an avoidance of death (for the healthier you are, the less likely you are to die).
But is that true?
No.
Money can’t buy you SECURITY
Jesus said: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
Money can’t protect you from decay and theft and loss. Nothing you own is safe in this world.
And money can’t help you ENJOYMENT of life.
ILLUS: Ray Stedman spoke often to wealthy people in Florida. Stedman says “I found that most of these, by their own testimony, though they had all the money to buy anything they wanted, had arrived at the place where they were suffering from what someone has so aptly called "destination sickness" -- the malady of having everything that you want, but not wanting anything you have, and being sick and empty and lonely and miserable because you can do anything you want to do.”
And money can’t help you conquer death.
Jesus told this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.
He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ "Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."’
"But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." Luke 12:16b-21
So, money can’t buy security.
It can’t buy contentment.
And it can’t buy protection from death.
In short - money cannot buy life.
Well, if money can’t buy life… does money bring death?
I mean - isn’t that what Paul says here in I Timothy 6?
”For money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, because of money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10
Isn’t that what it says? (wait for response)
Well… no. That’s not what it says.
I pulled a fast one on you there.
That’s NOT what I Timothy 6:10 says (LOOK AT IT)
It doesn’t say money is the root of all evil.
It says “the LOVE of money” does that.
It doesn’t say that “some people, because of money have wandered from the faith.
It says “some people, EAGER for money, have wandered from the faith.”
You see, money is not an evil thing.
Ecclesiastes 5:19 says: “… when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work— this is a gift of God.”
Or Deuteronomy 8:18 which tells us: “But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.”
Money is NOT necessarily a bad thing
We need money.
We use money all the time to pay bills & taxes.
To buy gasoline for our cars.
To heat and supply electricity for our homes.
And groceries for our tables
And to give God His tithe.
God never condemned money.
Nor did He condemn wealthy people per se.
· Abraham was a wealthy man
· As was Isaac and Jacob
· And David, Solomon, and Esther.
There were a number of great men and women in Scripture who were well off financially. So, money isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
It’s when money becomes our god.
It’s when we end up worshipping it – that’s it’s a bad thing.
Money is either our god in our minds or it is God’s tool in our hands.
(Let me repeat that)
It all depends on WHOSE money we think it is.
That’s the importance of verses like Deuteronomy 8:18 which tells us:
“… remember the LORD your God, for IT IS HE who gives you the ability to produce wealth…”
One man once said “All money is tainted. It taint yours and it taint mine.”
Well, if it taint yours and it taint mine… who does it belong to?
The Bible says – it belongs to God.
And this is particularly true for those of us who are Christians.
Romans tells us that WHEN we became Christians part of what we did was “confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord". Romans 10:9
What does it mean to call Jesus our lord?
It means we give Him authority over everything we possess.
ILLUS: (Pull out wallet)
As a Christian - everything I have in this wallet should belong to Jesus.
I give a certain portion to God as an offering each Sunday… but it’s all His.
I use HIS money to pay my bills, to pay for my home, vehicle, and other items.
He owns everything I possess.
Now, that’s the THEOLOGY of money.
But how do I know if my theology is my reality?
In other words:
How do I know if MY money has me… or if MY God has my money?
Well, it’s a matter of how I VIEW my money.
ILLUS: For example, look at this verse from Ephesians 4:28. Talking to new Christians, Paul writes:
“He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.”
Now, notice, what’s the first thing a converted thief must do?
(Steal no longer)
But if that was all a thief did (not steal) then he’d not be changed.
If a thief isn’t stealing… he’s just an out-of-work thief.
God expects the thief to CHANGE how he lives.
So… what must the thief do in place of stealing?
(Work/ doing something useful)
BUT why must this converted thief work?
(To share with those in need)
In other words: It’s not enough for a thief to stop stealing.
And it’s NOT enough for a thief to get a regular job.
The only way a thief stops being a thief is when he begins to use the money HE’S earned to help others less fortunate than himself. Up until that point in his life – money possessed him… not the other way around.
Until he learned the habit of giving money away, it owned him.
And we start out as children thinking that way.
We start out believing that what we have as being OURS.
The following is called the “Toddler’s Creed”
If I want it, it’s mine.
If I gave it to you and change my mind later, it’s mine.
If I can take it away from you, it’s mine.
If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.
If it’s mine, it will never belong to you or anyone else, no matter what.
If we are building something together, all the pieces are mine.
If it looks just like mine, it is mine.
(Elisa Morgan, president of MOPS - International “Mothers Of pre-Schoolers”)
Have you noticed that this is how children behave?
Of course they do.
And if they’re not careful, those children grow up to be adults who think that way.
This “Toddler’s Creed’ is the creed of many people when it comes to money. And in order for God to heal us of this CREED… we need to change how we handle money.
That’s why Paul tells the Timothy to teach the rich to give their money away.
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” I Timothy 6:17-19
Notice what Paul is saying. He’s saying to the rich.
He’s saying: IF you want avoid getting trapped by your money... IF you want to start trusting in God and taking hold of the life that is truly life…THEN – you need to be rich in good deeds and be generous and willing to share.
You see, this is the cure of having a love for money.
To give it away.
Notice, God isn’t telling the rich to give away ALL their money.
But He is telling them to get used to the idea of giving away some on a regular basis.
How much should a rich man give to the poor?
Well, God puts ALL of us through a training program as believers.
HE talks about bringing the 10th into His storehouse.
I try to give God a 10th of everything I make.
But now, if I’m a rich man, God expects me to give God a 10th for His Church, but then He wants the rich to think beyond that and begin giving a larger portion of their riches away to the poor.
Give some thought to this man’s story:
ILLUS: Have you ever eaten at KFC?
Who’s picture will you most often see there? (Colonel Sanders)
Begun by Colonel Sanders’ KFC’s success is attributed to the Colonel’s tenacity and perseverance when presenting the right product at the right time.
But there is a side of the colonel’s success that very few people realize.
When he started out trying to sell his “recipe” for Kentucky Fried Chicken” he had no money. He was literally bankrupt and slept in his car as he tried to sell individual restaurants his “famous recipe”.
But before he began to sell, he made a vow to God that he would give 50% of his income to the work of the church. So the Non-Instrumental church of Christ he belonged to benefited greatly. As did the Bible Colleges he gave gifts and endowments to as well as the tuition and books he paid for, so young men could be ministers.
Sanders didn’t just give a 10th or a 20th of his income… He gave God ½.
God owned his money… his money DID NOT own him.
Well, is it only the rich that are controlled by their money?
No.
All you have to do is make your way down to the nearest convenience store and watch people stand in line to buy a little piece of paper for $5, or $10 or $20. What are they buying? Lottery tickets.
Now, just an aside here – even for gamblers, lottery tickets are a poor gamble. The rate of return for the purchase of these tickets is well below the percentage any other form of gambling gives.
But people will buy these tickets by the droves.
Why?
Because poor people are as driven to trust in riches as the wealthy are?
Money can control anyone in any walk of life.
So, if giving money away works for the wealthy – to cure them of this disease – how can the poor give money away?
Well, fasting is a great idea for those of us without a lot of money.
Isaiah 58:6-9 talks about fasting:
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I…”
You see, you don’t have to be rich to USE your money for God.
You don’t have to be rich to free up resources to help the poor.
Fasting for one day, or one week, or longer frees up money that you’d have spent money on food anyway!!! So, if you don’t eat, you now have money to share with the poor and hungry.
Now, the Bible NEVER commands to fast.
This is entirely a voluntary decision on our part.
But God says – if you use this tool (fasting) to give money away - I’ll be so grateful, your light will breath forth like the dawn. You’ll experience healing. And your righteousness will shine before His throne. I’ll have your back and I’ll listen attentively to your prayers.
But what if you can’t fast. What if you have Diabetes, or some other condition that requires that you eat regular meals? Well, you can fast things that you indulge in every day. Things like buying a newspaper, or buying a meal at a restaurant. If you want to please God and honor His wish to help the poor, then these forms of fasting will work as well.
Now - the point is this: money is either a tool for God, or an idol for us.
If I don’t find a way to use MY money for God… I’ll end up letting it be my god.
But if I find a way to use money for God, then I ensure that it will always be God’s not mine.
ILLUS: Howard Hendricks told of the time he and his wife dined with a rich man from a blueblood Boston family. The man’s home was not extravagant, and the meal wasn’t served with fine china and silverware. This wealthy man lived in modest ways.
Noticing this, Hendricks asked him, "How in the world did you grow up in the midst of such wealth and not be consumed by materialism?"
His answer: "My parents taught us that everything in our home was either an idol or a tool."
The question then becomes: what are you looking for?
Are you looking for your chance at wealth?
Are you seeking that winning lottery ticket?
Are you intent on finding your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?
Or are you looking for the kind of God Jesus described:
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:24-31
Dale Evans, wife of cowboy star Roy Rogers, said one time, "All my life I searched for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but I found what I really needed at the foot of the cross."
Here’s your choice:
The pot at the end of the rainbow…
Or God’s love at the foot of the cross.
Which do you choose?
INVITATION
