The Idol of Spending Money
Title: The Idol of Spending Money
Main Verse: 1 Timothy 6:17-21
Key Thought: Having money is not a sin. But spending money can reveal our true values. If this area is not submitted to God on a regular basis, we can develop an idolatrous heart and not even realize it. We can fall in love with what money can do for us. Jesus warns us about this. And then later, Paul gave young Timothy some important insight about money. Both of these Biblical authors help us tear down the idol of money
“We really must understand that the lust for affluence in contemporary society is psychotic. It is psychotic because it has completely lost touch with reality. We crave things we neither need nor enjoy. ‘We buy things we do not want to impress people we do not like.’ …It is time to awaken to the fact that conformity to a sick society is to be sick.
(Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline)
Supporting Points:
Jesus calls out the true spiritual battle regarding money (Matt 6:24)
- You can only have one master
- Money, more than any other force, will try to seduce you away from God
- This is the truest form of an idol.
Paul offers words of warning and wisdom (1 Tim 6:6-10, 17-19)
- What is better than money
- godliness (I want to be like God)
- contentment (I want to be satisfied with God)
- Here is the warning
- The temporal limits of stuff
- The present dangers of pursuing wealth
- This can lead us from the faith (another wording for idolatry)
So, how do I handle my wealth to keep it from being an idol?
3. Follow these words of wisdom
- Don’t be arrogant
- Don’t put your hope in wealthy
- Put your hope in God
- Be rich in good deeds
- Share
Activate your generosity by spending less on yourself.
WRONG: I would give more if I had more.
CORRECT: I can give more because I spend less
Spending less means I can give more
Giving more means I have more joy
Application:
Imagine that your current generosity will impact your heavenly reality. How does that change how you spend your money?
What can you spend less on this week. How can you turn that into generosity?
