What’s the Price of Your Soul?
1 Tim 6:3-10, 17-19
A movie several years ago called “Crossroads” had a premise
of a young man who sold his soul to the devil so he could be a great blues
player. He couldn’t look past tomorrow
to eternity. He was like many of us who
only think about getting ahead in this life and don’t really give much thought
to the next life.
Have you ever wondered how much your soul is worth? Think about it, how much money is eternal
condemnation worth? How much fame, how
much prestige, how much power is your soul worth? Most of us would say our soul is worth more than anything. Yet,
every day, Christians sacrifice their faith or one of these areas. How about you?
PRAYER
I. Preaching
for Money
A.
Is it wrong to get paid for preaching?
1.
I have visited with churches that believe it is wrong to have
a full time paid minister. They argue
that every Christian should be able to preach and teach and that the money used
to pay salaries could serve the cause of Christ in better ways.
2.
That sounds good in theory, but it just doesn’t work well in
today’s society.
3.
On top of that, this thinking denies biblical teaching on the
subject.
4.
Looking back at the text of last week 5:17-18 is pretty clear.
5.
1 Cor 9:3-14 is also very clear that the preacher deserves and
should be paid for his ministry.
6.
Some choose to accept pay; others do not for various reasons.
B.
Preaching only for money
1.
What was happening here seemed to be some men were preaching
purely for money.
2.
They even were changing the teachings of scripture to justify
getting rich.
3.
So often our culture equates money with power and those are
the things that matter most. I mean
look at our professional athletes who actually complain because a team is only
paying them 5 million a year for the football season, or baseball season and so
on. They are going to another team
because there they are willing to pay 8 million a year. Most of us won’t make 1 million in our
lifetimes. It’s kind of hard to feel
sorry for these guys. Whatever happened
to “for the love of the game?”
4.
Wednesday evening our small group was talking about ambition
and when ambition becomes wrong. Part
of that discussion centered on preachers and churches. Sadly both preachers and churches can get
caught up in wanting to reach the next level so bad that they sell out what
really matters.
5.
Those were the type of men Paul is speaking about in this
passage.
6.
Whatever happened to “for the love of God?”
II. Money
and Motivation
A.
Godliness with contentment
1.
Paul switches from misuse of “godliness” to what godliness is
all about.
2.
“Godliness with contentment is great gain.”
3.
Here were these guys trying to make godliness into financial
gain, and Paul turns around their desire to spiritual gain.
4.
Contentment is defined as: satisfaction in one’s
circumstance or position in life
5.
If you are godly and content with what God has blessed you
with, you have discovered a wealth than can never be taken away from you.
B.
Is it wrong to be rich?
1.
Some people feel that rich people are all sinners.
2.
Others point to scripture and say the root of all sin is
money.
3.
God never condemns being rich; he just says it will be really
hard to maintain your faith!
4.
God has blessed many people with great wealth because they
used it for the glory of God.
5.
And if you look at the text, it doesn’t say that money is the
root of all evil but the LOVE of money is that root.
6.
Listen to Paul’s words in vs. 17-19 READ
7.
God encouraged the rich to use their riches in a way that will
have eternal implications.
8.
He didn’t even command them to give all their money away, but
to give generously and share God blessings and be rich in good deeds.
C.
I want to be rich
1.
I have had more than one person express a desire to be rich.
a)
If most of us are honest with ourselves, deep down we often
wish we had more.
b)
The problem with letting that desire control us is that there
is never enough!
c)
You’ll find yourself always wanting more.
2.
The desire for more will lead us down a most dangerous path.
a)
Just recently there have been a couple of local news articles
about people who had been caught embezzling from the companies they worked
for. Both were done to cover credit
debt they had put themselves in. They
wanted nicer things, more things or a better lifestyle and when they couldn’t
make the money they wanted, they stole it from their employers.
b)
Other people have given up their children by being terrible
parents in their quest for wealth.
c)
If your main drive in life is to make more money, something
else has to give and usually it will be something than can never be regained
with your wealth.
3.
You may be thinking this doesn’t apply to you because you
aren’t wealthy, you’re wrong.
4.
It’s not the amount of money but the motivation for gaining
that God is dealing with here.
5.
Listen again to vs. 9 and 10 again. “People who WANT to get rich”.
And “For the LOVE of money”
6.
That includes anyone in any level of income. You can be poor and wrong in your use of
money as well as rich and wrong.
D.
Affluence often hurts the cause of Christ
1.
Erwin Lutzer one said “It is almost impossible to develop true
worshippers in affluent surroundings.”
2.
How do you convince people they need God when they have
everything they could wish for?
3.
Sadly, when we have that comfortable lifestyle, we take the
credit for it rather than give God the glory for his blessing our life.
4.
Tonight we’ll study a parable about a man who that this way
and what happened to him.
E.
Conclusion
1.
God has blessed us with more wealth than any other generation
in American history.
2.
Even our poor live quite well by the standards of most of the
world.
3.
What will you do with what God has given you? Will you use it to further his cause or is
it enough to buy your soul?
4.
If it is, you’re selling your soul WAY too cheap.