Bible Study B Sunday School

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Bible Study B Sunday School

Postby Dea » Tue May 27, 2014 3:59 pm

THE CHRISTIAN VIEW OF WEALTH
Dr. Robert S. Hallett, TLC Ministries

Scripture Focus: I Timothy 6:6-12, 17-19
Matthew 6:19-24

Key Verse: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33, KJV)

Lesson Aim: To discover the place and purpose of material possessions in the Christian’s sense of priorities.

Related Scriptures: I Timothy 6:3-19
Matthew 6:19-34


SESSION OVERVIEW

In explaining the parable of the sower, Jesus talks about the “deceitfulness of riches” choking the spiritual life out of believers (Matt. 13:22). Why would Jesus say that?

Jesus also talked about it being very hard for a rich man to enter heaven, even harder than a camel trying to go through the eye of a needle (Matt. 19:23, 24). And Paul says: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (I Tim. 6:10). Why? What is there about wealth and riches that would interfere with our living for the Lord?

Is wealth the problem, or is it our attitude towards wealth? Can poor people still have a problem with the “love of money,” or are the wealthy the only ones who need to be concerned about it?

Here in I Timothy 6, Paul helps us to understand that money itself is not the problem, but rather our attitude towards it. He instructs us in our use and priorities concerning it.


CONCEPT ONE: THE CONTRAST OF FINANCIAL
PRIORITIES (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.”


The spirit of contentment will make godly people rich, regardless of their financial standing.

Corrie ten Boom talked about how the harder we grasp something, the more the hurt when God must pry our hearts away from it.

“It requires but little of this world’s goods to satisfy a man who feels himself to be a citizen of another country, and knows that this is not his rest.”

Those who “want to get rich” are deceived as to what establishes worth and value in life.

The accumulation of any amount of money cannot replace the integrity and the character qualities we had to sacrifice to acquire it.

If riches on this earth will not last in significance for a lifetime here, let alone eternity, then it is a great waste of energy and emotion to give their accumulation too much priority. We must learn the lessons of the junkyard!

How can we tell our financial priorities? We need look only as far as how we spend it, and what it takes for us to turn loose of it.



CONCEPT TWO: THE PERILS AND POSSIBILITIES OF
THE RICH (I Timothy 6:11, 12a, 17, 18)

11-12a – “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith.”

17-18 – “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.”


The people of God must have a higher set of priorities than the “love of money.” To accomplish this takes both a negative and positive action – to flee evil and to pursue good.

Too often the reason the temptations with the “love of money” keep hanging around is that we never close the door on them, we never really settle the money issue with God.

We know we have accepted the principles of stewardship when it doesn’t make any difference with us how we use the money, as long as we know it is how God wants us to use it.

Contrary to popular opinion, God does intend for us to enjoy whatever measure of material possessions He allows us to have.

The question God asks at death is – “Fool! Tonight you die. Then who will get it all?” (Luke 12:20 TLB)

There is a happiness that comes from obedience that cannot be attained any other way.

Quite often, God places some opportunities to do good right at our fingertips. How we allow ourselves to see and respond to those needs will reveal the real priorities of our hearts.


CONCEPT THREE: MAKING YOUR RICHES LAST
(I Timothy 6:19 and Matthew 6:19-24)

I Tim. 6:19 – “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.”

Matt. 6:19-24 – “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. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then that light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 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.”


God has found a way for us to send our riches ahead of us into eternity. We must give them to be used for His purposes while they are still in our hands.

Deposits into our heavenly account will be comprised of those things we do for God with a pure heart.

God allows us, even encourages us, to transfer credit to our heavenly account by the good we do here with what He has entrusted into our hands, whether it be little or much.

Everyone wants treasures in heaven, but the only way we get them there is to open a personal account with our Lord first, and then to send the treasures of our hearts on ahead, for God to keep in store for us.

The very nature of this study calls for a decision – a decision on our stewardship and our priorities. This study also calls for action.
Dea
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