Prioritizing Christ Over Wealth in Christian Living
Devotional
Day 1: Wealth as a Spiritual Distraction
Wealth is not inherently condemned in the New Testament, but it is accompanied by warnings about its potential to distract from spiritual priorities. The focus should be on setting our hope on God and being rich in good works, rather than accumulating wealth for its own sake. The New Testament encourages believers to be mindful of how wealth can subtly shift their focus away from God and towards material possessions. This shift can lead to a misplaced sense of security and identity, which should instead be rooted in Christ. By prioritizing spiritual growth and good works, Christians can ensure that their wealth serves God's purposes rather than becoming a stumbling block. [05:04]
"As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share." (1 Timothy 6:17-18, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways have you allowed wealth or the pursuit of it to distract you from your spiritual priorities? How can you refocus your hope on God today?
Day 2: The Spiritual Dangers of Wealth
Jesus' teachings emphasize the spiritual dangers of wealth, such as the parable of the soils, which warns that riches can choke the vitality of radical Christian living. This calls for a heart that is free from the control of possessions. Wealth can create a false sense of security and self-sufficiency, leading individuals to rely less on God and more on their own resources. The parable of the soils illustrates how the cares of this world, including the deceitfulness of riches, can choke the word of God, making it unfruitful. Christians are encouraged to cultivate a heart that is open and receptive to God's word, free from the entanglements of materialism. [08:25]
"And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful." (Mark 4:18-19, ESV)
Reflection: What specific possessions or desires are currently choking your spiritual growth? How can you begin to release their hold on you today?
Day 3: Demonstrating Christ's Value Through Lifestyle
Living a life that magnifies Christ involves more than honest business dealings; it requires a lifestyle that visibly demonstrates that Christ is more valuable than material possessions. This is a powerful witness to the world. Christians are called to live in a way that reflects the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. This means making lifestyle choices that prioritize spiritual values over material gain. By doing so, believers can offer a compelling testimony to the world about the true source of their joy and fulfillment. This lifestyle of radical devotion to Christ can inspire others to seek the same treasure. [10:17]
"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." (Philippians 3:7-8, ESV)
Reflection: How does your current lifestyle reflect the value you place on Christ? What changes can you make to better demonstrate His worth to those around you?
Day 4: Examining Motives for Wealth
The motives for pursuing wealth are complex and often impure. Christians are encouraged to examine their reasons for acquiring wealth and to consider how their lifestyle choices reflect their spiritual priorities. It is important to discern whether the pursuit of wealth is driven by a desire for security, status, or self-indulgence, rather than a genuine desire to serve God and others. By aligning their motives with God's purposes, believers can ensure that their wealth is used to advance the kingdom and bless others. This introspection can lead to a more intentional and meaningful approach to wealth. [11:12]
"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" (Hebrews 13:5, ESV)
Reflection: What are your true motives for acquiring wealth? How can you align them more closely with God's purposes today?
Day 5: Simplicity for the Gospel
The New Testament encourages simplicity and economy for the sake of the gospel. This is not about specifying a level of wealth that is acceptable but about fostering a heart posture that prioritizes the gospel and the well-being of others over personal luxury. Simplicity allows believers to focus on what truly matters and to be more available for God's work. By living simply, Christians can free themselves from the burdens of excess and be more generous with their time, resources, and love. This lifestyle of simplicity can be a powerful testimony to the sufficiency of Christ. [13:01]
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19-20, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways can you simplify your life to better serve the gospel and others? What steps can you take today to begin this journey towards simplicity?
Sermon Summary
In today's reflection, we delve into the complex relationship between wealth and Christian living, particularly through the lens of 1 Timothy 6:17-19. The question posed is whether wealthy Christians are called to intentionally downgrade their lifestyles. While Paul does not explicitly command the wealthy to live more modestly, he does caution against the dangers of wealth, urging believers to place their hope in God rather than riches. This passage challenges us to consider how we can live in a way that magnifies Christ, not just through honest business dealings but by demonstrating that Christ is more valuable than material possessions.
The New Testament consistently pushes us toward simplicity and economy for the sake of gospel advancement. This is not about condemning wealth but about recognizing its potential to distract us from our spiritual goals. Jesus' teachings, such as the parable of the soils and His warning about the difficulty for the rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, highlight the spiritual dangers of wealth. These teachings urge us to examine our motives and the impact of our lifestyle choices on our spiritual health and witness.
The challenge is to live in a way that communicates to the world that Christ is our greatest treasure. This involves being radically free from the control of possessions and ready to engage in acts of obedience that may seem life-threatening or counter-cultural. The goal is not to specify a particular level of wealth that is acceptable but to encourage a heart posture that prioritizes the gospel and the well-being of others over personal luxury.
Key Takeaways
1. Wealth is not inherently condemned in the New Testament, but it is accompanied by warnings about its potential to distract from spiritual priorities. The focus should be on setting our hope on God and being rich in good works, rather than accumulating wealth for its own sake. [05:04]
2. Jesus' teachings emphasize the spiritual dangers of wealth, such as the parable of the soils, which warns that riches can choke the vitality of radical Christian living. This calls for a heart that is free from the control of possessions. [08:25]
3. Living a life that magnifies Christ involves more than honest business dealings; it requires a lifestyle that visibly demonstrates that Christ is more valuable than material possessions. This is a powerful witness to the world. [10:17]
4. The motives for pursuing wealth are complex and often impure. Christians are encouraged to examine their reasons for acquiring wealth and to consider how their lifestyle choices reflect their spiritual priorities. [11:12]
5. The New Testament encourages simplicity and economy for the sake of the gospel. This is not about specifying a level of wealth that is acceptable but about fostering a heart posture that prioritizes the gospel and the well-being of others over personal luxury. [13:01]
Bible Reading: - 1 Timothy 6:17-19 - Luke 18:24 - Luke 8:14
---
Observation Questions:
According to 1 Timothy 6:17-19, what specific instructions does Paul give to the wealthy? How does this relate to the sermon’s discussion on wealth and Christian living? [05:04]
In the sermon, what does Pastor John suggest is the New Testament's general stance on wealth and luxury? [06:35]
How does the parable of the soils in Luke 8:14 illustrate the potential dangers of wealth according to the sermon? [08:25]
What does Jesus say in Luke 18:24 about the difficulty for the rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and how is this explained in the sermon? [07:54]
---
Interpretation Questions:
How does the sermon interpret Paul's lack of explicit command for the wealthy to downgrade their lifestyles? What might this imply about the heart posture Paul is advocating for? [01:48]
The sermon mentions that wealth can distract from spiritual priorities. How does this align with Jesus' teachings in the parable of the soils? [08:25]
Pastor John discusses the idea of being "radically free from the control of possessions." What does this mean in practical terms, and how might it affect a Christian's lifestyle choices? [09:04]
How does the sermon suggest that living a life that magnifies Christ goes beyond honest business dealings? What are some ways this can be demonstrated? [10:17]
---
Application Questions:
Reflect on your own lifestyle. Are there areas where wealth or possessions might be distracting you from your spiritual priorities? How can you address this distraction? [08:25]
Consider the concept of being "rich in good works" as mentioned in 1 Timothy 6:18. What specific actions can you take this week to embody this principle in your community? [05:04]
The sermon challenges us to live in a way that shows Christ is our greatest treasure. What is one tangible change you can make in your daily life to reflect this value? [10:36]
Pastor John talks about the importance of simplicity for the sake of the gospel. How can you simplify your life to better focus on spiritual growth and gospel advancement? [13:01]
Think about the motives behind your pursuit of wealth or material possessions. Are they aligned with your spiritual goals? What steps can you take to ensure they are? [11:12]
How can you cultivate a heart posture that prioritizes the gospel and the well-being of others over personal luxury? Identify one area in your life where you can start making this shift. [13:01]
Reflect on the idea of leaving a legacy. How can you ensure that the wealth or resources you leave behind will benefit others spiritually rather than becoming a burden? [12:07]
Sermon Clips
"Whenever I hear you teach on Paul's text I hear you imply that the Christian wealthy are called to intentionally downgrade their Lifestyles, uh they should live in smaller homes than they could manageably afford and enjoy the simpler pleasures of life. There's a wonderful warning here about trusting in wealth that we should all be aware of." [00:41:32]
"Paul would tell them don't be proud die to self-sufficiency enjoy it all as a gift and never set your Hope on riches instead be rich in good works and be generous and ready to share Verse 18. I can see him discouraging the rich from seeking greater wealth accumulation or Barn Building as Jesus called it." [00:84:52]
"Kevin of course is right that Paul does not speak to the wealthy in his churches with condemnation or to the slaveholder either by the way with condemnation the text Kevin refers to is this as for the rich in this present age charge them not to be haughty nor to set their hopes on uncertainty of riches but on God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy." [00:279:52]
"Jesus said in Luke 18:24 how hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the Kingdom of Heaven he did not say how hard it will be for those who love riches to get into the Kingdom of Heaven in other words it's a warning about the danger of being rich not just wanting to be rich." [00:472:479]
"The parable of the soils said or Jesus warns in Luke 8:14 in the parable people are choked by the cares and riches and Pleasures are not neutral they have a tendency to choke the Vitality of radical Christian Living so the the word to to the rich like me should never be merely oh you're okay if you're honest actually you're not necessarily okay you're in danger." [00:505:44]
"Whoever does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple now of course from all the other texts we know this doesn't mean that Christians don't own anything it means they are radically free from the control of possessions and always ready to do the most life-threatening acts of obedience." [00:544:92]
"Paul said that his goal in life was that Christ would be magnified in his body whether by life or by death in other words he wanted to live and die in a way that would appeared to the world that Christ was magnificent to him more satisfying than possessions or life." [00:594:76]
"We don't just magnify Christ by being honest in our business dealings we magnify Christ by living in such a way that communicates to the world that Christ is more valuable to us than houses and cars and lands and life itself which brings us finally to the fourth pointer to why it's hard for the rich to enter Heaven." [00:630:88]
"The motives for pursuing symbols of wealth whether we think of them that way or not they are whether those motives are pure it is difficult to keep them pure very difficult so back to the $2 million mansion or a house here in in Lake minona that yesterday went on sale in my area for $115 million." [00:662:00]
"Why would a Christian whose treasure is in heaven and whose life is devoted to doing as much good as he can and Whose desire is to show the world that Christ is more precious than things why would a Christian want to look like riches are his treasure what would be the motive for buying such a mansion and surrounding yourself with more and more and more than you need." [00:696:60]
"My position is this without specifying what measure of wealth is destructive to the soul or to our witness the New Testament relentlessly pushes us toward Simplicity and economy for the sake of the gospel and away from luxury and influence." [00:765:44]
"Thanks professor John I appreciate it and Kevin thank you for the honest question those are really helpful to us in the podcast that they make it possible right and thank you all for joining us today you can ask a question of your own you can search our growing archive or subscribe to the podcast all that at desire god.org." [00:789:36]