Jump Start # 2973

1 Timothy 6:9 “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.”

Have you noticed a subtle vice that has been repackaged, glamorized and brought into our homes? It’s gambling. Sports betting is a common commercial on TV. It lures the innocent into thinking you can make some easy and quick money. There was a time, long ago, when gambling was only associated with Vegas. Then our communities got river boat gambling. But now, one can’t watch a sports game on TV without former superstars pitching the fun of betting on a game.

In my area, gambling and horse racing go hand-in-hand. I went to my first horse races this summer. The place was packed and money was flying at the gambling booths. I decided I was going to try some imaginary picking of a horse for each race. We had racing forms which were so complicated that one needs an engineering degree to figure them out. But I went with the sure winners. They didn’t win. I started picking horses that “looked” like winners. Nope. Then I looked at their past races. Went with the best. Everyone one I picked lost. Finally, I went with the names of the horses. I picked cool names. Lost. I never won a single race. And, had I been putting money on the table, I’d gone home losing a ton of money. Gambling makes the gambling houses rich.

I don’t know if Paul had gambling in mind with our passage, but it is driven at the spirit of “those who want to get rich.” It is hard to find any verse in the Bible that is packed with more negatives than this single sentence. Just look at the words:

• Fall
• Snare
• Foolish
• Harmful
• Plunge
• Ruin
• Destruction

Seven powerful warnings about the heart that wants to get rich. This verse naturally flows into the next passage where Paul adds, “The love of money is a root of all sorts of evil.” Wanting to get rich and love of money seem to mirror each other. We want the value of our homes to increase. We put money into our 401s with the hopes that they grow and someday we can retire. There is no virtue in being broke. There is no life in living paycheck to paycheck. That is just one emergency away from a major disaster.

Throughout Scriptures we read of the wealthy Job, the rich Abraham and Joseph of Arimathea, who was wealthy. Yet with these names we do not read our seven words from our verse today. Ruin is not associated with Abraham. Foolish and snare are not the words we’d use to describe blameless Job. Joseph didn’t plunge into dangerous waters because of his wealth.

Our passage today is looking at an attitude. Some who want to get rich, never do. Many chase all kinds of fads, schemes and rabbits to find quick success, but it generally fails. Gambling, especially the lottery, is nothing more than a carrot that dangles in front of those who want to get rich. You won’t read any financial planning book that advocates gambling or the lottery as a tool to reach your goals. You won’t hear Dave Ramsey pushing gambling on his radio broadcast.

The context our passage is found in ends with specific instructions towards the rich. They are to be rich in good works, generous and ready to share.

Now, here are some thoughts:

First, study finance. It’s not that hard. Too many do not understand some simple principles as budgeting, compounding, and investing. I see what many do as if they are wearing a blind fold and trying to throw darts at a target. Most likely, they’ll miss by a mile. My fellow preachers and shepherds need to have this discussion. Far, far too many preachers are a mess financially. They know Greek, history, and the Bible, but they are clueless when it comes to money. And, as happens much too often, they in late life become a burden to the church or worse, they leave their family in a financial mess because they have not planned and taken care of basics such as insurance.

Second, have a goal. We do that with education. A college student doesn’t flip through the college catalog and just pick out classes he likes. If they do, after four years, they still won’t have a degree. There is a path, a plan, a goal. Stick with it and good things happen. Don’t get caught up with what others have and what others are doing. Don’t become jealous. This is a good lesson for us preachers. There will always be brethren who make a lot more than we do. Don’t let that bother you. There will be some who have weeks and weeks off at the end of the year. The preacher takes a day and then must get busy because Sunday always comes. Have a goal and then work to reach that goal.

Third, be generous. Be generous in your giving. Be generous in helping others. Use your money to help others. God has been generous to us and we ought to be to others. Keep your eyes open and find ways to help others.

It is interesting that Jesus spoke more about money and riches than He did Heaven. Money is part of our lives. Money can color our vision and change our attitudes. Work on honoring God through your blessings. I heard the story of a man preparing to be baptized. He put on the garments and just as he was stepping into the water, he put his wallet in his pocket. The preacher told him, your wallet will get all wet. The man said, “I  know. I need it to get baptized as well.” Sure is something to think about.

Let us develop a thirst for righteousness and the Lord and not money.

Roger

Jump Start # 1516

1 Timothy 6:9 “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.”

  It was announced today that there were three Powerball winners who will split the record 1.5 billion dollar prize. We talked about all of this in our class last evening. It was a healthy discussion. Many have never really given much thought to the Biblical side of things such as gambling. On the way home, I was listening to a national talk show and the host was talking about what he would do if he won the Powerball. First on his list was to buy every model of Corvette ever made. His co-host replied, “So you would have a shed with all of these old cars just to look at. That doesn’t sound very exciting.” She explained her desire to travel in style—first class all the way. The audience was being encouraged to call in with their number one thing they would buy if the won the Powerball. I turned the radio off.

Many have heard of the “love of money” verse. It follows our passage today. Our verse, reminds me of the flashing lights at a railroad crossing. The lights are flashing, the safety arms are lowered, the train’s whistle is blowing, and still, there are those who want to drive around all those things and go on their journey. Our verse is full of warnings. Stopping, listening and paying attention will keep us alive, especially spiritually. Ignoring them will probably lead to an ugly crash.

Let’s walk through some of these words and expressions:

Those who want to get rich: they are not rich. They may never be rich. They just have the “want to’s.” They want to get rich. They dream of all the things money will do for them. They see luxury, fun, buying and power. There is no question that those who have money can do things that those who don’t can’t. Good seats at ballgames and concerts are expensive. Once in a while, usually through a friend, I’ve sat in good seats. Most times, I’ve been in the cheap seats. Money moves you up. Luxury cars have a lot more buttons and gadgets than cheaper cars. Money buys a larger house. Money buys finer food. There is a desire for those things and they can only be had if one has money. The desire to get rich is fueled by selfish greed. It can make one feel as if they are better than others.

Fall into temptation and a snare: For the child of God, we are trying to flee temptation, not invite more into our lives. We have enough temptation without asking for more. This statement alone, answers the question about gambling. A snare is a trap. It’s a word used by hunters to bait things and then catch an animal. Here, it is us who are being caught. We are being caught by Satan. The bait he used was the desire to get rich. The snared or caught Christian is not pleasing the Lord. He’s slipped up. He’s messed up. His thinking has been affected and now his choices are not right. This all started with the desire to get rich.

Many foolish and harmful desires: If it wasn’t enough just to say that one falls into temptation and is snared, now there is more. There is more trouble than just that. Now, his desire to get rich has led him into foolish and harmful desires. These may be things that he could never get into before because the doors were closed. But now, with money, he could do anything. The book of Proverbs has much to say about the fool. It is not good. The fool doesn’t listen. The fool thinks he knows. The fool rejects warnings. The fool gets into trouble. Harmful comes with many colors. It may include things that are harmful to one’s health. It may involve things harmful for the family. The greatest would be those things which are harmful to the soul. There are choices that can ruin our soul. Again, all of this started from “those who want to get rich.”

Which plunge men into ruin and destruction. The declining picture here continues to grow worse. Temptation has been surpassed by harmful desires. That has now been passed up by ruin and destruction. So the man gets what he wanted, wealth. He is rich. The cost he had to pay has now ruined him and destroyed him internally. Money may well have become his god. His soul is lost. He is ruined.

Now, are we saying that all rich people are ruined? No. We know that’s not true Biblically. Abraham was wealthy and was considered God’s friend. Job sat high in God’s trophy case. Job had a lot. Even today, there are many brethren who have done well financially and their wealth has not changed them nor ruined them.

Remember, we are not necessarily talking about a wealthy person here. The discussion flows around “one who wants to be rich.” He may be sleeping in a tent on the street. He may live in an apartment. He may be me or you. It’s his dream to be rich. It’s what he wants. These warnings are fitting to a person whose mind is filled with riches and not God. He sees riches as his ticket to happiness, peace and security. He is wrong about all three. It is this thirst to “get rich” that drives the Powerball. Dreams of unlimited buying dances through the heads of those who bought Powerball tickets this week.

Hard work, savvy investing, keeping the right perspective in mind and soul, remaining generous will build wealth. The principles have been true. Many wealthy people that I know did not start out “to get rich.” They fell in love with what they were doing. They were smart. They learned and developed themselves. Their hard work led to the benefits of wealth. Now, many of these people that I know, are using their wealth to be the financial backbones of congregations. They are helping the kingdom grow. They are generous, sharing and open with their wealth.

Money isn’t the answer to what plagues us. Jesus is. There is a old saying that remains true: Money will buy a house, but not a home. Money will buy food, but not an appetite. Money will buy medicine, but not health. Money will buy entertainment, but not happiness. Money does not buy eternal life.

I like the saying, “Money will buy a fine dog, but only love will make him wag his tail.”

Those who want to get rich—that’s the problem. That’s where all of this started. That “want to” colors their choices. It fills their mind. It’s what they think about. It’s what they talk about. It becomes them. I was in a store a while back looking at watches. The salesman was dropping Italian and German names faster than I could understand them. I never heard of any of them. He thought I ought be impressed. I wasn’t. In fact, I was done. I couldn’t get the guy to hush up enough so I could politely leave. Another name. Then another name. My head was spinning with all those foreign names of watch makers. I finally said, “Do you have a “Ro-jay?” I was putting a little French into my name, Roger. It stunned him. He had never heard of that watch maker. That was my ticket out and I took it.

The problem is greater than “those who want to get rich.” What’s missing is any spiritual life. They are dead spiritually. They forget the soul. They have fed their carnal and secular passions but they have allowed their soul to die. Rather, it ought to be, “Those who want to go to Heaven…” Now that says something. Those who want to go to Heaven, that thought fills their mind. It colors their choices. It’s what they talk about. It shapes them and defines them. That’s what we need to be interested in. That’s what we ought to really want. That’s what catches the attention of God.

I think we are wired to want something. It’s a matter of wanting the right thing.

I hope those who won the Powerball do not let it destroy them. I’m glad the hype is over. People will settle down. Back to work. Back to paying bills. Maybe a lesson learned, but I doubt it.

What do you want?  The answer to that question reveals your character and your choices.

Roger

Jump Start # 1159

1 Timothy 6:9 “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.”

Those who want to get rich—there is a problem and Paul opens the door to help us see what it is. Our verse is tucked in between two important principles.

The first principles is contentment (v. 6, 8). Paul reminds us that we brought nothing into the world and we take nothing out. We are having grandbabies around us. Love it, love it, love it. We have three. It’s been a while since I have been around babies this much. They need. It takes several to take care of them. They do not come with diapers, bottles or even a name. Every thing is provided for them. It is true that we bring nothing into this world. Paul seems to borrow a thought from the sermon on the mount when he says, “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.” Be content. That kills the thirst for wanting to be rich. The desire to get rich is quelled by contentment.

The second principle follows. The love of money is a root of all sorts of evil. Many Paul reminds us have walked away from God and been ruined by it. Love money. Love what money does. Those attitudes fuel greed and materialism. We remember the wealthy young man who wanted to follow Jesus. He was told to sell his possessions and follow. He left. He couldn’t do it. He loved money more than he loved Jesus.

This passage is not about bank accounts or the square footage of your house, but your heart. It is the “wanting” to get rich and the “love” of money that is the problem. Can a person be wealthy and please God? Abraham did. Job did. I expect the eunuch in Acts was wealthy. He was the treasurer for the queen and he happened to have his own copy of Isaiah. I doubt that Philip the preacher even had a copy of it. Yes, a person can please God and be wealthy. But money can do things to us. It can change our thinking and it can change relationships.

Our passage is not about wealthy people. It is about the person who wants to be rich. He’s not there, but his heart is. This is a tough one to understand in our times. Money moves the needle. It is the drive for many people. The outrageous incomes of Hollywood stars and professional athletes helps feed this “I wanna be rich.”

Now, for a moment, let’s chase that idea. Why would a person want to be rich? You might be thinking, “come on, Roger, do you really need to explain this? Everyone knows why.” It makes me think of the song from Fiddler on the Roof, “If I was a rich man…”

So what would I do if I were rich? Newer cars, bigger house, work less, more vacations, help some others. Those are the general answers. Nice and safe answers. For me, more ties, more cuff links, more books, more golfing…and a picture is developing. Do you see it? More, more, more. This thirst, is like candy to a kid, you can’t stop. This thirst makes us more selfish and with more stuff, comes more worry. We will worry about someone stealing our stuff. We worry about our stuff losing value. We worry about where to store our stuff. The more we have, the more worries that seem to come with it.

Paul adds in our verse, “those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires…” What is he talking about? Temptations and foolish desires? Harmful desires? From wanting to get rich? Absolutely. We tend to do what we want. If our desire is to be rich, then we will pursue that to the end. The temptation to do things dishonest, under the table, break the rules, even illegal things, if it brings riches, is considered. Chasing the “get-rich” schemes, becoming stingy toward others, learning inside tricks from unsavory people who have the same desire and thirst only takes us deeper into trouble and farther away from our Lord. We may wake up one day sitting on a nice boat, but find our hearts are no longer spiritual. We have lost an interest in godly things. We are no longer impressed with God’s people. Sure, we’ve gotten rich, but for some, for many, that journey in getting there, was expensive spiritually. Some have lost their souls.

Before we leave these thoughts, there are two observations.

First, we are rich. We are already there. Look where we are compared to our families just a couple of generations ago. With a flip of a few switches and a turn of a few dials, our dishes are washed, are clothes are cleaned, our food is cooked, our lights come on, our homes are cooled and heated. We can purchase things without leaving our house via the internet. We can send pictures worldwide in seconds. It took our grandparents and great grandparents all day to do the laundry. With some back then, as soon as breakfast was over and cleaned up, it was time to start lunch. Chores were truly chores. My we have it nice today. Our church buildings are cooled, we use the latest technology to send lessons throughout the land. We print, cut and do things fast and beautifully today. I can print a copy of our Jump Start books in seconds, mail them to a reader and they have it in their hand within the same week. Amazing. We are rich.

A trip overseas reminds us how rich we are. The rich man in Luke 16 could not do what we do. If he was considered rich, what are we? Let’s be honest, we are rich. No, we are not Bill Gates level, but we beat the majority of this world. We beat the majority of all people who have ever lived. We live better than every person we read about in the Bible. We can do things that even rich Solomon, with all this servants, could not do. We are rich. It’s a fact. Now, what are we going to do with it? That’s the key. Let it spoil us, ruin us and take us from God or use it for the growth of the kingdom? Use it to spread the word. Use it to share. Use it to make a difference.

Secondly, our passage was based upon “those who want to get rich.” How would this be different if it read, “Those who want to go to Heaven”? What if we had that desire? Our thinking would be saturated with Heaven. We would talk about it. We would surround ourselves with those who thought that way. We would find ways to study up on that. We would put that before all things. Getting to Heaven would be at our core. What a difference it is between wanting to be rich and wanting to go to Heaven.

Parents, when your children are young, be careful what you present before them. Pushing them into sports or careers simply because you make a lot of money, isn’t the best. What are we telling them? We want you to be rich? It is better to find a field that they have a passion for and that they can find a way to help others.

Get rich or get Heaven. Again, these thoughts are not about wealth, it is about the gettin’ part. That inner drive. That which makes us happy or keeps us up at night. What are we after? That’s what this passage is about. Riches, aren’t everything. This is illustrated in the pitiful examples of Hollywood stars and athletes who can’t stay committed in marriage, who ruin themselves with drugs and alcohol and live like idiots. Something is missing. Money isn’t doing it. They are ruining their lives.

The rich Solomon found that the whole of man is to fear God and keep His commandments. Solomon knew. It would do well for us if we could know this as well.

Roger