God, Wealth, and Possessions

Beware of the Silent Spiritual Killer - Part 1
February 5, 2023

Where we’re headed over the next two weeks:

1. The nature and purpose of money.

2. The danger and deceitfulness of wealth and numerous possessions.

3. Worshiping God through our stewardship in view of eternity.

4. Essential biblical principles regarding money and possessions.

Issue #1: The nature and purpose of money.

Takeaway: Money is neither good nor bad. Money is merely a

. God supplies us with money for four main reasons: (1) to provide for our necessities of living, (2) to

Reveal Answer

us so that we might prove our reliability and trustworthiness, (3) to

Reveal Answer

others, and (4) to worship Him.

“So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” (Luke 16:11–12).

Issue #2: Wealth and numerous possessions.

Takeaway: Wealth and numerous possessions have the power to slowly

the human heart, causing spiritual forgetfulness that results in greed. When this happens,

Reveal Answer

, spiritual unfruitfulness, and a shipwrecked relationship with God can easily result.

“Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15).

“[E]ach person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:14–15).

Wealth > Greed (overdesire) > Idolatry > Spiritual forgetfulness > Spiritual unfruitfulness and ruin

“The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature” (Luke 8:14).

• Step #1: Cultivating

Reveal Answer

.

“Two things I ask of you, LORD… . Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God” (Prov. 30:7–9).

• Step #2: Treasure Jesus’

.

“Jesus gave up all his treasure in heaven, in order to make you his treasure… . When you see him dying to make you his treasure, that will make him yours… . Jesus’ love and salvation confers on you a remarkable status—one that money cannot give you… . What breaks the power of money over us is not just redoubled effort to follow the example of Christ. Rather, it is deepening your understanding of the salvation of Christ, what you have in him, and then living out the changes that that understanding makes in your heart” [Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods, 67–68].