Money

Bible Passage: 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19

If being a disciple is something that impacts the whole of life, then one of the primary challenges is how we think about money. Jesus names money as a direct rival to God for our hearts (Matthew 6:24) and speaks of how some people’s faith can be choked by ‘the deceitfulness of wealth’ (Matthew 13:22). In other words, our approach to money is not merely an issue of stewardship but an issue of worship. In this sermon we explore a passage from 1 Timothy, where Paul gives instructions to people who were wealthy about how they can set their hearts on this issue in a way that is fitting for disciples of Jesus.

A Settled Heart (6-10): The focus of these verses is on the power of contentment as opposed to striving for more. The possessions that we acquire in this life are not eternal, and so as long as we have our basic needs met then we can be at peace with what we have. If our lives are about trying to get rich and constantly wanting more, this can be destructive to our discipleship journey for a couple of reasons. Firstly it puts money in the place that Jesus belongs, and we begin to see it as our treasure and our source of joy and satisfaction, and the pursuit of it becomes the guiding force behind our life choices. Secondly, the desire to get rich leads to other ungodly decisions. Paul famously explains that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. As we make choices that do harm to others or perpetuate falsehoods for the sake of getting rich then money has proven to be a snare for us. The cure for this is looking to Jesus, and finding the contentment in him that is ‘great gain’.

A Secure Hope (17): The previous verses focussed on our attitudes to money in the present, and now Paul turns his attention to how money can shape our attitude to the future. In particular he highlights the danger of arrogance or of putting our trust in wealth. This is the attitude that makes us think that the future will be okay as long as we have money in the bank. Such a hope is inevitably uncertain, partly because it gives us nothing to rely on if we encounter financial challenges, but also because there are many circumstances that money cannot help with. Instead, Paul says that we are to put our hope in God. God is way more reliable than money, because he will be there no matter what, and there is nothing beyond the scope of his love and power. Since not even death can separate us from his love (see Romans 8:38), the hope we have in him is eternally secure.

A Sharing Hand (18-19): Because we do not need to rely on money to give us satisfaction in the present or security for the future, this can free us up to be generous with the resources we have. Paul tells Timothy to command the rich to be generous and willing to share what they have with others. The idea of ‘rich’ is relative, but the principle applies to anyone who is in a position to give to other people. As we see our money as a means to be a blessing to other people rather than a stockpile for ourselves, we not only see good things happen in the present for those we are giving to, but we also store up heavenly treasures for ourselves for the age to come.

Potential Applications:

• Use the moment to encourage people to give with generosity. If you have a current special offering or other opportunity to give to a particular cause then you may wish to highlight this, or otherwise you can point people to their regular giving.
• These verses challenge our hearts, and some may recognise they have trusted money over God. You could create space for people to recognise this and make a choice to put their trust once more in Jesus.