The following sermon by David Dykes is from a series entitled "No, that's
NOT in the Bible!" This one reminds me of advice I hear from Christian
financial authority Dave Ramsey who offers sound advice on how to get out
of
debt. David Dykes' sermon presents Biblical advice concerning monetary
matters.
Money Is The Root Of All Evil
by David O. Dykes
1 Tim 6:6-10
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing
into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food
and
clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall
into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that
plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root
of
all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the
faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
We're in the middle of a series entitled, "No, that's NOT in the Bible!"
There are many clever witticisms people quote as coming from the Bible-and
they aren't found in the Bible. Next week we'll be looking at perhaps the
most popular Bible misquote: "God helps those who help themselves." It's
NOT
in the Bible. In two weeks we'll look at another big misquote: "God will
never put more on you than you can bear."
We've probably all played the game, "What would you do if you had a
million
dollars?" Let's play that for a minute, but you know a million bucks isn't
what it used to be, so let's play. "What would you do with ten million
dollars?" Turn to the person next to you and tell them what you would do
if
suddenly you won $10 million-go ahead.
Did I heard someone say, "I'd put it on my Visa bill-as far as it would
go?"
Who said, "I'd pay off all my bills?" Who said, "I'd invest it?" Did
anybody
say, "I'd give a million to God?" Money has a way of changing people.
Does the Bible say, "Money is the root of all evil?" No, that's NOT in the
Bible. Let's see what the Bible does say about that topic. I Timothy
6:6-10,
"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into
the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and
clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall
into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that
plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of
all
kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith
and pierced themselves with many griefs."
As this passage says, we all know people who have wandered from the faith
because of their love for money. They once loved God, but now gold is
their
god and greed is their creed. There are over 500 verses in the Bible that
speak to money, possessions, and greed. In order to make it simple, let's
look at the ABCs of a biblical understanding of money.
1. ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MONEY ISN'T EVIL
Money isn't evil by itself-it's merely a means to exchange value. For
generations the only kind of commerce was bartering. People traded one
valuable possession for another. Later when governments got into the
commerce business, they minted coins to represent value. The most valuable
coins were made of gold and silver which became valuable in themselves.
Originally, banks were places where people could store their valuable
commodities. When they wanted to withdraw something of value they wrote an
order to the bank to release some of their valuables in exchange for goods
or services. These written orders were like "promissory notes" which
became
the forerunner to paper currency and checks today.
Today, the value of paper currency is based upon the ability of a
government's
treasury to guarantee that value. For instance, a dollar bill is just a
piece of paper, but it has the signature of the U.S. Treasurer on it,
which
guarantees the value of that piece of paper-when governments collapse, the
value of their currency declines. Moody Adams, who recently returned from
Baghdad, gave me a 500 dinar bill he obtained in Iraq. It has Saddam
Hussein's
picture on it-but today it is almost worthless. To understand money,
remember two things:
1. Money is simply a tool
It can be used as a tool for good, or a tool for bad. The New Testament
scholar William Barclay wrote about money: Money in itself is neither good
nor bad; it is simply dangerous in that the love of it may become bad.
With
money a person can do much good; and with money he can do much evil. With
money a person can selfishly serve his own desires; and with money he can
generously answer to the cry of his neighbor's need."
Money is like a shovel. A shovel is a useful tool in your garden. You can
use a shovel to dig a hole to plant a tree, or you can use a shovel to hit
somebody over the head. It is how you use a shovel that determines its
goodness. The same is true with money. Try substituting the word "shovel"
for money in some of the statements we use. She married him for his
shovel.
Time is shovels! The love of shovels is the root of all evil. Foolish,
huh?
2. The consuming love for money is a bad root
Before Paul wrote these words, there was already a similar proverb
floating
around the Greek world. The Greek philosopher Bion, who lived circa 100
B.C.
wrote, "The love of money is the center (metropolis) of all evil." Paul
changed it say the love of money is the "root" (Greek: rizon) of all kinds
of evil. The three words "love of money" in English is one word in the
original Greek: "philarguros" which literally means "fondness for silver."
Although the King James Version calls it "the root of all evil" a better
translation is "a root of all kinds of evil." The New King James Version
adopts this better translation. The love of money is bad-but it is not the
only, nor the worst evil in the world. It's not the only root of evil-it's
just one of them.
If you have a thriving weed in your garden or yard, you'd better dig it up
by the root. If you only remove the part above the ground, the weed will
grow back, because the root is still there. In order to get rid of the
weed,
you must dig deep below the surface and remove the root. The consuming
love
of money is the same way. It's like a root below the surface that others
may
not see. But it is a character flaw that will produce a dangerous growth
of
suffering for you and others. If you don't destroy that root, then your
life
will be continually attacked by the regrowth of greed.
So remember, "A" stands for "Acknowledge that money is not evil." Money is
morally neutral, but if you are consumed with the love for money it can
produce some bad fruit in your life.
2. BEWARE OF POSSESSION OBSESSION
Let's face it: It's not money people love-it's the things that money
buys-all the stuff. When your life is driven by a desire to have more and
more stuff, you can suffer from what I'm calling possession obsession.
Americans are notorious for spending money they don't have to buy things
they don't need to impress people they don't even like! This obsession
with
getting more and more is what the Bible warns against. Paul writes in
verse
9 that people who are driven by a desire to get rich fall into a trap.
It's
the money trap. There are many money myths that catch people in the money
trap. I want to explode three of the more popular money myths:
Money Myth #1: More stuff will make me happy!
Some people think if they just had a little more money and few more
possessions it would make them happy. Why is it then that the highest
divorce and suicide rates are among the more affluent in our society? If
money can buy happiness, why are the movie stars and rock stars the people
whose lives are so messed up?
In his book For Better or For Worse, Walter Maier included this story: "A
rich man had committed suicide. In his pockets were found two items:
$30,000
in cash and a letter. The letter read in part: 'I have discovered during
my
life that piles of money do not bring happiness. I am taking my life
because
I can no longer stand the solitude and boredom. When I was an ordinary
workman in New York, I was happy. Now that I possess millions, I am
infinitely sad and prefer death.'"
John Ortburg commented that every parent with small children has probably
gone through the argument "Where do you want to eat?" And most parents
have
had their kids beg them to go the "shrine of the golden arches." It's as
if
children have a McDonald's-shaped vacuum in their souls. And most kids
want
to get the same thing every time-it's a colorful bag with some food in
it-which doesn't matter to the kid-and a cheap little plastic thing they
call a prize. But in a moment of marketing genius, the people at
McDonald's
named it a Happy MealTM. So it's not just food and a prize, it's a "meal
of
great joy." You aren't buying food-you're buying happiness.
If you try to buy them a regular burger and offer them a dollar to buy a
prize somewhere else, that usually starts a riot. They start chanting, "We
want a Happy Meal! We want a Happy Meal!" And bystanders look at the mom
and
dad as some child abuser who refused to buy their child the "meal of great
joy."
So you buy them the meal and they're happy for a minute or two. But the
happiness wears off. I mean, how many young adults have come back to their
parents and said, "Gee, mom and dad, do you remember that Happy Meal you
bought me in 1986? It was a turning point in my life. Since that day, I've
been happy and content." Of course not. Happy Meals don't make you happy.
The only one really happy over those Happy Meals is Ronald McDonald. Have
you ever wondered why he has that silly grin on his face? Because he's
sold
about 20 billion Happy Meals!
You'd think kids would wise up and realize those Happy Meals don't really
give them lasting joy. You'd think they'd learn that contentment and joy
doesn't come from buying something. But, no, they just keep on buying
them-hoping that the next meal will make them happy.
Some adults need to grow up, too. They're still buying Happy Meals-they
just
are more expensive and have different names. But they keep hoping the next
toy or trinket will make them happy.
In Luke 12:15 Jesus said, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds
of
greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
You see your net worth really can't be measured in dollars or cents or
possessions. The best things in life...aren't things at all. The greatest
thing you'll gain in this life is relation****ps-and money can't buy those.
Money Myth #2: I deserve it, so I want it now!
Our parents and grandparents remember the rationing in World War II when
everybody had to do without many of the luxuries of life. It wasn't easy
but
that generation created the concept of "deferred gratification." That's a
lost concept in our modern society. Easy credit has encouraged people to
buy
now and pay later.
Americans are drowning in a sea of debt. Here are some debt statistics:
(1)
The average American has 6.5 credit cards-how many do you have? (2) In
1991,
the average unpaid credit card debt per person was $4,300. In 2001 it had
risen to $9,900 per person-today it is surely over $10,000.
If you only pay the "minimum amount" on your credit card bill, you are
thrilling your credit card company because they're getting rich on the
interest you're paying them. Here's just one example-at the average
interest
rates today, if you owe a balance of $3,900 and only pay the minimum
amount
(3%) of the balance and never charge another thing, it will take you 47
years to pay off that balance and you'll have paid $14,530!
The Bible says in Proverbs 22:7, "The borrower is servant (slave) of the
lender." You become a slave to that company or person to whom you owe
money.
If you can't pay off your credit card balance, you should follow Larry
Burkette's recipe for credit cards. He advises: "Preheat your oven to 450
degrees and put your credit cards on a medium sized cookie sheet and bake
for 30 minutes or until melted. Remove from the oven and let them cool.
Then
send them back to the credit card company and tell them you do not want
replacements, then pay off your bills.
Now, credit cards aren't evil. In fact, they can be used as a convenient
financial tool. My wife and I put a lot of our purchases on a credit card
that earns airline miles for every dollar, but I can also tell you that in
29 years of marriage I have paid the full balance due every month and have
never paid a penny in finance charges. If you can do that, credit cards
are
okay-otherwise you'll fall into the debt trap.
My wife and I teach and live a financial plan called the 10-10-80 plan.
It's
really simple. Give your first 10% to God-honor Him with the first fruits
of
your income. Pay yourself next-save 10%. Then discipline yourself to live
within 80% of your income. If you aren't currently living within 80% of
your
income, you need to start reducing your expenses. If you have to move to a
smaller home, or buy an older car, or stop eating out so much-do what it
takes to live on 80%. Give God your first 10% and save 10% and you will be
on a road to financial health.
Money Myth #3: More money will end my worries!
Some people think if they just had more money they wouldn't be as
worried-wrong! Money and all that it brings just adds to your worries. The
more debt you have, the more you worry about paying it off. The more
possessions you have, the more you worry that someone will steal them.
That's why Jesus said, "Don't store up for yourselves treasures on earth
where thieves break in and steal." We have so much stuff that we have to
worry about being robbed. I read about a true account from North Virginia.
A
grown son bought a handgun for his 75-year-old mother, because there had
been an increase of robberies in the area. After she got training and a
gun
permit she started carrying the gun, hoping she would never use it.
But a few days later as she was walking in a mall parking lot, she was
shocked to see three strange young men sitting in her car. Remembering her
training, she dropped her packages, pulled her gun from her purse, spread
her feet, and used both hands to aim the gun. Then screaming at the top of
her lungs she told the men that she had a gun and knew how to use it, and
for them to get out of her car. The three men jumped out in a flash and
ran
like crazy.
Feeling shaken but proud, she put her packages in the back seat and after
taking a deep breath got in the driver's seat...only to discover that her
key wouldn't work in the ignition. Upon further inspection she noticed
that
her car, identical to the one she was sitting in, was parked three spaces
down.
She loaded her packages and got in her car and drove to the police station
to re****t her mistake. When she re****ted to the sergeant he started
laughing
and pointed across the room where the three young men were frantically
pointed at her identifying her as their elderly carjacker!
In Luke 12 Jesus told the story of an entrepreneurial farmer who brought
in
bumper crops of harvest. He was so successful he had to build more and
more
barns to store his wealth. Finally he decided to take it easy and retire.
He
said, "I'll take it easy, I'll just eat drink and be merry." (That's where
the expression originated) Eugene Petersen paraphrases the end of the
story
this way: "Just then God showed up and said, 'Fool! Tonight you die. And
your barnful of goods-who gets it?' That's what happens when you fill your
barns with self and not with God." (Luke 12:20-21, The Message)
Then Jesus makes this observation about money and worry: Jesus said, "Do
not
worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you
will
wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes...do not
worry
about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father
knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom and these things will be
given you as well." (Luke 12:22, 30-31)
The people who seek riches and are obsessed with possessions worry about
it-but those who seek God don't have to worry because God has promised to
provide us the necessities of life.
"A" is Acknowledge that money isn't evil-it's neutral, only a tool.
"B"-Beware of the danger of Possession Obsession.
3. CONTENTMENT IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR THE POISON OF FINANCIAL WORRY
In verses 6-8 the Bible gives the antidote to financial greed. "But
godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this
world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and
clothing,
we will be content with that."
The lead singer of the Irish Rock Band U2 is Paul David Hewson, but he's
known by his nickname, Bono. In one of his songs he wrote, "I have climbed
the highest mountain, I have run through the fields, only to be with you;
I
have run, I have crawled, I have scaled these city walls, only to be with
you; But I still haven't found what I'm lookin' for." That last line is an
apt observation of our 21st century culture: People are looking,
searching,
running and they aren't satisfied. One reason is because many of them are
looking for happiness in possessions. Solomon, who was one of the
wealthiest
and most miserable men in history observed in Ecclesiastes 4:6, "Better is
one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after
the wind." For many, the American dream to make more so you can buy more
is
like chasing after wind-you never catch it. When you get to a certain
place,
you aren't satisfied, so you want more. Learn two im****tant things that
the
Bible says about contentment:
1. Contentment is an attitude of trust in God's provision
Contentment means you are resting in an attitude that God is going to meet
your needs-needs not wants. Someone once said: Contentment is when your
earning power matches your yearning power. Contentment is believing God
will
make sure you don't starve to death and that you have clothes to wear to
keep you warm. People who are greedy are never satisfied with the simple
pleasures of life. They are always looking for what they don't have rather
than appreciating what they do have.
Most of us have heard the promise where God says He will never leave us
nor
forsake us-did you know that promise is within the context of being
content?
We read in Hebrews 13:5-6, "Keep your lives free from the love of money
and
be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave
you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my
helper; I will not be afraid.'"
I read about a Harvard MBA graduate who went on a weekend vacation to one
of
the expensive Mexican resorts on the Baja peninsula. At the dock he saw a
Mexican fisherman selling Yellowfin Tuna. He asked the fisherman how long
it
took him to catch those fish. "Only a couple of hours." The fisherman
said.
"Why don't you fish longer to catch more fish?"
"This is all the fish I need to sell to sup****t my family."
"What do you do with the rest of your time?" The man asked.
"Oh, I'm a busy man, senior. I sleep late, fish awhile, and then I go home
and have lunch with my wife, Maria. I take a siesta. Then I play with my
children. After dinner I play my guitar with my amigos."
"I could tell you how to make more money. Tuna is a hot commodity now.
Just
fish longer and you could make enough profit to buy a new, bigger boat.
Then
you could buy a fleet of boats. Then with your profits you could open your
own fi****ng processing plant to supply LA."
"How long will this take, senior?"
"Oh, probably, 20-30 years" replied the expert.
"Then what?" The fisherman asked.
"Then you could open your own office in LA and supply other cities.
Eventually, you could open other offices. And when you're going strong,
then
you announce an IPO and take your company public. You would make
millions."
"Then what would I do?" The fisherman asked.
"Then, my friend, you'd be set for life. You could retire to a coastal
village sleep late, fish a little, have lunch with your wife, take a
siesta,
and play your guitar with your amigos."
So why do people really make themselves sick working so hard to get ahead
when the Bible says it's like chasing the wind? It's because they have a
chronic love for money and the things money can buy. Learning to be
content
is the antidote to this poisonous sickness.
Now the Bible says we should always be growing to become more like Jesus,
so
we should never be content in who we are-God started a good work in us and
He'll keep on working on us until the Day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians
1:6)
This passage is talking about being content with what we have. The main
question I put before you today is: Are you content with what you have? If
you are, you are a rich person, indeed.
2. Only a relation****p with Jesus will fully satisfy you
Are you content? Are you satisfied? Years ago I read the autobiography of
Eddie Rickenbacker, the World War I flying ace. In 1942 he was on a plane
that ditched in the South Pacific. He and six other men floated on a raft
three weeks before rescuers found them. After the emergency water was
gone,
they were consumed with thirst. They were surrounded by millions of
gallons
of water-but unable to drink. On the 13th day, one of the men named Alex
couldn't stand it any longer and began to drink the salt water-they tried
to
stop him, but he forced the water into his parched mouth. His thirst was
quenched momentarily, but then his thirst returned worst than before-Alex
soon died. Drinking saltwater doesn't quench your thirst, it intensifies
it.
A lust for money and possession obsession is like drinking seawater.
You're
never satisfied. You'll only want more, and it will soon destroy your life
in one way or another.
CONCLUSION
Get it straight. Is money the root of all evil? Of course not. Is the love
of money, the root of all evil? Not really, The Bible says, "The love of
money is a root of all kinds of evil." Because if you love money, you
can't
love God. Jesus said, "No man can serve two masters. He will love one and
hate the other. You can't love God and money."
Money and the toys it can buy will only satisfy you tem****arily. But there
is only one thing that will satisfy you forever, and that's a relation****p
with Jesus. Only Jesus can satisfy your soul.
Are you tired? Are you weary? Are you miserable? Listen to the invitation
Jesus extends to you today: "Are you tired? Worn out? Come to me. Get away
with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real
rest.
Walk with me and work with me-learn the unforced rhythms of grace. Keep
company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matthew
11:28-30 The Message)
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