Anchor Scripture: 1 Timothy 6: 10: For the love of money is the root of all
evil: which while some coveted after; they have erred from the faith, and
pierced themselves with many sorrows.
Introduction
This present evil world is a hunting
ground for the souls of men, both by the Holy Spirit and the “prince of the
power of the air”—Satan. While Satan goes about seeking whom he may devour, the
Holy Spirit provokes repentance, conversion and the new birth. Like cancer, the
love of money (“mammon of unrighteousness”) spreads in the covetous until they
are completely destroyed. All kinds of evil are rooted in the love of money,
which Jesus Christ describes as the “mammon of unrighteousness”—gloss wealth or
material avarice. The root in a Christian believer is faith. But when a
Christian permits the love of money to take root in them, the root of faith
weakens, and gradually, they fall away. Beware of the love of money
TEXT: 1 Timothy 6: 3-12; Colossians
4:14; 2 Timothy 4: 10.
1. What is
the wrong definition of “godliness” by some, according to 1 Timothy 6: 5?
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2. What does
God want us to do to “prosperity gospel” preachers and believers, who think
that material possessions prove that someone is “godly”, and why (1 Timothy 6:
5; 1 Corinthians 15: 33)?
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3. According
to scriptures (1 Timothy 6: 6), what is “great gain”?
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4. According
to Hebrews 13: 5 and 1 Timothy 6: 8, how does God expect Christian believers to
conduct themselves on earth? -----------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Can you
explain the futility of avarice and greed for material wealth on earth (1
Timothy 6: 7; Mathew 16: 26)? ----------------------------------------------
6. Describe
the corrupting influence of the love of this world in the life of brother Demas
(Colossians 4: 14; 2 Timothy 4: 10)
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7. What is
the danger of wanting to be “rich by all means” in this world (1 Timothy 6: 9,
10)?
8. How can
we escape the corrupting influence of this world (1 Timothy 6: 11, 12; Mathew
16: 24, 25)?
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CONCLUSION: No covetous person shall inherit the kingdom
of God. If only we pondered deeply about this world, and the love of money,
which is the stamp of it, we would not forsake God’s word in pursuit of the
material offerings of this world. “What shall it profit you, if you gain the
whole world and after that lose your soul?” You cannot afford to place your
business, work or family before and above God; God’s Word is God. Let your
conduct be free of covetousness and the love of money; you will not carry a
dime with you when you die. Only a tenant are you on earth, and your tenancy
runs out gradually. At the end of your life on earth, you will leave as you
came, taking none of the world’s goods with you.
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