The LOVE of MONEY

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Andrew Carnegie

Wealthy steel mogul who amasses a fortune of over $300 billion in modern day dollars.
He wrote:
“Man must have and idol—the amassing of wealth is one of the worst species of idolatry. No idol more debasing than the worship of money.”
He was convicted that he must fight against the evils that the love of money would bring. So he declared early on that he would resign young and seek to do good with his wealth.
Although his words were admirable, the lure of greed and the god of money seemed to be too much for Carnegie to fight off.
“Although
One author wrote: “Although Carnegie built 2,059 libraries… a steelworker, speaking for many, told an interviewer, “We didn’t want him to build a library for us, we would rather have had higher wages.” At that time steelworkers worked twelve-hour shifts on floors so hot they had to nail wooden platforms under their shoes. Every two weeks they toiled an inhuman twenty-four-hour shift, and then they got their sole day off. The best housing they could afford was crowded and filthy. Most died in their forties or earlier, from accidents or disease...”
Money is a really bad God that leads us to do some really evil things.
Paul says in
1 Timothy 6:10 ESV
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.
Money is not evil, but the love of money leads us down some evil paths.
Jesus warns us more about money that nearly any other topic in the bible.
Perhaps because the god of money has a way of taking over in our lives without us even knowing.
TRANSITION
The story of the successful farmer in is a great example of this.
Luke 12:13–21 ESV
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12:13-

When MONEY become our god (Vs 19)

1) The source of our SECURITY

For the man in the parable, his security rested in the amount of grain he had stored.
You may be saying “Well that isn’t me, I’m not wealthy.”
Maybe it isn’t you, but Jesus commands us in “do not be anxious about your life...” and that demands the QUESTION- What makes you anxious?
What makes you anxious about your life?
The reason we don’t feel we are greedy is there is always someone who is higher on scale that us.
Your savings account dropping below a certain number?
Not having enough to buy Christmas presents for you kids on Christmas
Not being able to afford a newer car, a nicer toy, or an annual vacation?
Not being able to give your kids the life you think they deserve?
Not being able to buy the things we want to buy.
Not being able to retire when or where your want to?
We have very legitimate worries about money and I am not making light of those.
Not being able to go the places we want to go.
But for many of us in the room today money is a security blanket that:
Not being able to afford the lifestyles we desire to have.
Keeps us from giving because we are concerned we won’t have “enough”
Some indicators of that money is the source of our security:
Keeps us from Godly responsibilities as we feel the pressure to work harder and longer to make sure there is “enough”
1) A lack of generosity-
Ensures we will have what we really want and probably deserve since we are WORKING so hard.

2) The source of our SATISFACTION

The man in the parable feels free to “relax, eat, drink, and be merry.”
Back in the day“MTV Cribs” gave us a glimpse into the world of celebrities, often leading us to dream what it would be like to have their life.
Nowadays with reality TV and social media, we can watch other people’s lives (or at least what they show us) whenever we want.\
As we fix our eyes on the lives of others our hearts begin to long for what they have.
the cars, the houses, the vacations...
Our lives become boring, bland, and deficient.
We long for satisfaction/pleasure/fulfillment which leads to:
accumulating debt, seeking to buy the happiness we long for.
forfeiting our integrity in order to get ahead and make MORE
neglecting our family, faith, or friendships because we just need to “work more”
ds
1 Timothy 6:6–10 ESV
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.
-

3) The source of our SIGNIFICANCE

For the man in the story the number of silos and proof of his success had become his identity.
He was significant, he had value because of what he had accumulated.
Looking as instragram, facebook...
We are inundated with images of people living the “good life” and we slowly begin to believe that we our lives are insignificant in comparison.
Or maybe we are on the other end, and we have convinced others, and ourselves, that we are significant because of all we are able to point to as token’s of our success.
When we find our identity/worth/significance in money:
We sacrifice family and faith to in order to gain financial status.
We become selfish and self-centered as we pursue status.
We embrace the world’s definitions and seek to gain status there more than with Christ.

Dethroning the god of Money

for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Luke 12:15 ESV
And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

1) REST in Christ as SAVIOR (

1) REST in Christ as SAVIOR

Money cannot and will not save you.
We often think “if I just had more then I would be happier, more fulfilled…” but the reality is your desire for more will always lead to emptiness.
You can’t buy happiness, you can’t buy health, you can’t buy love, you can’t buy a secure future.
You know the story of Zaccheus, one of the wealthiest men in his city.
Salvation is found in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are reminded in “Do not be anxious about your life...”
Matthew 4:4 ESV
4 But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
Jesus points to the birds, how God provides all they need. “Are you more valuable than they?”
He points to the “lilies of the field”, how God clothes them. “will He not much more clothe you?
Our anxiousness points to where we find our security, where we find our salvation.
John 8:36 ESV
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:34–36 ESV
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Be free. Stop worshipping at the throne of money which enslaves us as we seek to live the life we think will make us happy and SECURE.
REST IN JESUS

2) ACCEPT that Christ is ENOUGH

Christ is sufficient. Nothing money can buy us or provide for us is better than Jesus.
Jn
john 6
John 6:35 ESV
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
John 6:35 ESV
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
Everything in this would will pass, but Christ will remain.
Let us pray our declaration would be the same as Paul
John 6:35 ESV
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
phi 3 7-8
Philippians 3:7–8 ESV
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
We work so hard to get things we think are going to fulfill us or complete us.
But our desires change as quick as the newest smart phones.
I watch a couple of youtube tech channels and they talk about phones a lot.
The funny thing is that as new phones come out the innovation rarely is all that profound, and yet many people shell out 1000’s of dollars on new phones because we must have the newest and the best.
Retailers have tapped into the never-satisfied well of consumerism.
If we just had more then we would be happy.
The reality is what Paul declares “JESUS is worth more than anything I have ever earned or received.”
Money cannot and will not fulfill us as Christ can fulfill us.

3) HOPE in Christ as LORD

Mark 10:21 ESV
21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
Mark 10:21
Luke 12:
Luke 12:15 ESV
And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
This is Jesus’s response to what Mark describes as a “rich young ruler” who is asking how he can enter the kingdom of God.
He has done all the right things, crossed all the T’s and dotted the i’s.
It is easy to see Jesus’s response as harsh and demanding, but don’t miss the carefully chosen words.
“And Jesus, looking at him, loved him...” The words Jesus says to the man are loving words, meant to help him not hurt him.
“you will have treasure in heaven” Jesus is asking him, imploring him, to give up the thing he has placed his hope in and to embrace the eternal hope of heaven instead.
The young man found his identity and worth in what he has accumulated, much like the man in the parable.
Matthew 6:20–21 ESV
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Christ is our greatest treasure, worth of give our selves to completely.
He is worth giving up everything we own.

Belief in Action

1) Give Generously

Jesus tells the rich young ruler to “sell all he has and give it to the pour so that you may have riches in heaven.
Consistent, sacrificial, and joyful generosity will break the bonds of idolatry in our hearts.
The more we hold on to it or spend it on ourselves the more our hearts will be given to it.
SO GIVE!!

2) Live Simply

We become accustomed to luxuries to the point that we do not know if we can live without them.
cable TV, summer vacations, newer cars, toys, mani/pedi’s, going out to eat...
We don’t think twice about greed or selfishness because everyone around us is doing the exact same thing.
I’m not as bad as them...
Do you realize we are the wealthiest nation the world has EVER known?
The majority of the world lives on less than we spend on a sweet tea from McDonald’s
What if we simplified our lives, lived on less, and sought to be givers rather than receivers.

3) Serve Frequently

So much of our time is spend trying to make more money or spend the money we have made.
We become self-centered, focused mostly on how the things we are doing benefit us.
Serving others take the focus off ourselves and our wants and desires, and focuses us on the needs of others.
If we are to break the idolatry of money that rules our hearts, we need to serve.

4) Cultivate Faith

Jesus says in
Matthew 4:4 ESV
4 But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
He is responding to Satan tempting Him with food in the desert.
Jesus speaks the Word of God as a response.
If we are to battle against the idol of money we must cultivate a deep and abiding faith in Christ
Learning to LOVE HIS WORDs
Leaning on Him is prayer
Following Him as He leads us
Fight diligently against the temptation to covet
1 tim 6
1 Timothy 6:10 ESV
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.
Money is not evil, but when money becomes god it leads us into all kinds of evil.
Don’t love money, Love Christ!!
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