Abiding in Biblical Prosperity Series | Discovering all I have is God’s and How to Steward it for His Glory Session 1 | Introduction to Series | Some Biblical Warnings about the Love of Money Big Ideas: • Why this series? • Some Biblical Warnings about the Love of Money How I Arrived Here John 2:13-17 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” 17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.” Matthew 21:12-13 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves. Martin Luther and the Reformation When most Christians today think of the Reformation and Martin Luther, I am not sure what all comes to mind, but one of the main points is often missed by many. Martin Luther, professor of moral theology at the University of Wittenberg, Germany wrote his Ninety-five Theses, the Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences. This document was a list of propositions for academic disputation as a call to cleanse the priesthood from financial indulgence. Basically, Luther was sickened by the way the Catholic church was abusing their power in financial affairs. Money had become an idol to many in the church and much like Jesus, Luther had a righteous indignation that moved him to action. It took a strong moral voice to stand up and remind people of the pure gospel truth. Martin Luther, and many others, suffered greatly because of their stand for biblical truth. However, this radical act produced one of the greatest moves of God in the church since the first century. One of the terms I have heard used to describe some of the errors that are being taught on this topic is the hyper-prosperity gospel. Some characteristics of how I define the hyper-prosperity gospel are: • Teaching that claims that Christ’s atonement secured earthly wealth and money for us. • Teaching that says you can claim in faith financial prosperity based on what Christ secured for us in His atoning work. This becomes a works-based system and transactional relationship with God. • Teaching that makes the gospel about me and how much stuff I can get from God versus salvation from sin, eternal life in Christ, and surrendering my life to God in obedience to His will. • Teaching that equates your spiritual maturity with how much money and stuff you have. • Teaching that says living extravagantly rich is the blessing of God on your life and yet neglects biblical stewardship and accountability. • Teaching that has an Americanized Western spin instead of a holistic biblical interpretation. This assumes the prosperity we experience in America is the lens by which we interpret scripture instead of letting the text be interpreted in the context of the original audience and time in history. • Teaching that views any suffering (which is clearly promised to us in scripture) is not God’s best for you and exposes a lack of faith or sin. • People seem to have more of a love of money than God and His eternal purposes. I believe God wants His children to live in prosperity. However, prosperity has become a subjective term in the American evangelical church instead of rightly dividing what the bible teaches us on this topic. Some Biblical Warnings about the Love of Money “It would have been well for the Church of Christ, if the warnings of the Gospel had been studied as much as its promises.” -J.C.Ryle 1 Timothy 6:3-12 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wrangling’s of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. Idolatry Colossians 3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Ephesians 5:3-5 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 1 John 5:21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols—false teachings, moral compromises, and anything that would take the place in your heart that is due to God. Luke 12:15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Ecclesiastes 2:1–11 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore, enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity. I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds. So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also, my wisdom remained with me. Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed, all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun. Ecclesiastes 5:10 He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. Matthew 19:23-24. (add context for clarity) Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 1 Timothy 6:17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Mark 8:36-37 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 6:19-20 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 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. Psalm 119:36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness. Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 2 Peter 2:1-3 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. Take Away: 1. Have you ever taken the time to process the righteous indignation that Jesus expressed in the temple towards the religious leaders? After reading about this, what messages stand out most to you that you can pray through and study further? 2. Do you have personal experience with church leaders misleading people for financial gain? Take some time to process through those experiences, give them to God, and pray for those people now. Ask God to open your eyes to the truth and expose any false teaching in you. 3. Begin to examine your own life in light of scripture. • What is my relationship with money/stuff like? • Do I have a love of money, stuff, and status? • How much stuff is enough? • What do you think it means to be content? • Do I steward well what God has entrusted to me? • Am I generous with what God has given me or do I merely consume to feed my own desires?