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Jesus Never Said that Ep5 of 10: Money Isn't the Root of All Evil · HAVE FAITH LET IT BEGIN®

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  You may have heard this in church, you've probably seen it online,
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  and maybe you've even said it yourself. It sounds biblical, but is it?
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  Welcome to Jesus Never Said That, a special series from Half-Faith Let It Begin.
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  I'm Angel Santana, and together, we're going to go beyond the quotes,
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  the cliches, and assumptions to discover what God's Word actually says.
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  So, let's grab your butt and bring your questions, because Half-Faith Let It
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  Begin starts right now. Welcome back, everyone.
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  Today, we're talking about one of the most famous Bible verses.
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  And it's funny because that isn't, this verse isn't actually a Bible verse,
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  but it is a most famous Bible verse, if that makes any sense how I just said it.
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  So you've probably heard it before and we're going to quote it.
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  Money is the root of all evil.
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  And this is one. And this is going to be interesting because people aren't completely making it up.
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  There really is a verse in the Bible that sounds very similar.
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  But somewhere along the way, we dropped a few important words.
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  And those missing words, well, they change everything.
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  Because if money itself is the root of all evil, we've got some questions.
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  Is earning money wrong? Is saving money wrong?
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  Is owning a business wrong? Is wanting to provide a comfortable life for your family wrong?
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  Is having more money than somebody, somebody else, automatically sinful? No.
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  The Bible doesn't teach that money itself is evil.
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  The warning goes much deeper because the problem isn't what's sitting in your wallet.
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  The problem can be what's sitting in your heart. Right into the heart check we go.
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  Let's start there. Imagine God suddenly gave you more money than you ever expected.
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  What would change? What would you
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  become more like? Would you become more generous? Would you help people?
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  Would you give more? Would you finally feel secure?
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  Or would you immediately start wanting even more? Here's today's heart check.
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  Do I control my money or does my money control me? Because you don't have to
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  be wealthy to love money.
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  Let me say that again. You don't have to have a lot of money to be controlled by it.
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  A person with $10 can obsess over money. A person with $10 million can be incredibly generous.
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  The amount isn't necessarily the issue.
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  It's the heart because the heart is. What does the Bible actually say?
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  Let's go directly into 1 Timothy 6, verse 10.
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  Paul writes, For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.
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  Did you catch the difference? The Bible doesn't say money is the root of all evil.
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  It says the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Those missing words matter.
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  The love of money, money is a tool. It can buy groceries.
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  It can pay rent. It can educate a child. It could support ministry.
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  It can help somebody who's struggling. It could also be used selfishly.
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  It could become an obsession. It could become an idol.
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  Money itself does not make those decisions. We do. So let's read the rest of this verse.
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  And this is exactly why context matters. Because 1 Timothy 6.10 doesn't stop
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  with that famous phrase.
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  Paul continues, Some people eager for money have wandered from the faith and
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  pierced themselves with many griefs.
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  There's the warning. Not some people had money, but some people eager for money.
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  Their desire became so powerful that it started pulling them away from God.
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  And that's dangerous. That's the danger. Money starts as something we possess.
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  But if we are not careful, eventually it starts possessing us.
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  Jesus talked about money a lot. Jesus actually spoke about money,
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  possessions, generosity, and wealth quite often.
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  One of his clearest statements comes from Matthew 6, verse 24.
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  You cannot serve both God and money. Notice what Jesus says.
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  He doesn't say you cannot have money.
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  He says you cannot serve money. That's completely different.
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  The question isn't simple. How much How much money do I have?
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  It's not simply put that way. It's the question is, who is my master?
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  Because money makes a terrible God.
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  It promises security, but markets change and jobs disappear. Expenses happen.
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  It promises happiness, but there's always something else to buy.
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  It promises status, but there's always somebody with more.
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  And if your identity depends on what you have, you'll spend your entire life
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  terrified of losing it. The rich, young ruler.
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  That's the next part of this whole segment. There's a powerful example in Mark chapter 10.
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  Mark 10. A wealthy man comes to Jesus and asks what he must do to inherit internal life.
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  Jesus eventually tells him to sell what he has, give to the poor and follow
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  him. And the man walks away sad.
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  Why? Because scripture tells us because he had great wealth.
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  Now, I don't think the point is simply having possessions is bad.
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  The encounter reveals something deeper. See, Jesus touched the one thing this
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  man could not surrender, his wealth.
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  His wealth wasn't merely something he owned.
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  He had become something that owned him. And that's where this episode gets personal.
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  Because all of us have, I'm sure have asked or have to ask, is there anything
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  I would choose over following Jesus?
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  For this man, the answer was money. Money can do good. And we need balance here.
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  See, scripture also contains examples of people using resources faithfully.
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  People supported ministry. People gave to those in need. People practiced hospitality.
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  People cared for widows. and the vault. Money can accomplish tremendous good
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  when it's placed in surrendered hands.
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  Think about this. Money can feed somebody.
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  Money can support a ministry, a missionary.
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  Money can help a family whose electricity is about to shut off.
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  Money can provide medicine. Money can support your local congregation.
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  Money can help somebody rebuild after a disaster. Money can create opportunities.
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  So no, money isn't evil, but anything powerful enough to accomplish great good
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  can become dangerous when it takes God's place.
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  So here's my personal reflection. I think money is one of those subjects that
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  can make Christians uncomfortable.
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  Sometimes we act like we're not supposed to talk about it, but we deal with
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  money every single day. Bills, groceries, gas, mortgages, rent,
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  school, retirement, unexpected expenses.
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  And there's nothing unspiritual about being responsible with those things.
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  But I've learned there's a difference between being responsible with money and
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  allowing money to determine whether I have peace.
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  Because sometimes we think, if I just had a little more, then I'd stop worrying.
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  Then we get a little more and somehow we discover another reason to worry.
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  So maybe peace was never hiding inside a dollar amount.
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  Maybe peace comes from knowing my provider is bigger than my provision.
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  So how do we live this out?
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  So how do we keep money in its proper place? Well, first, practice gratitude.
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  Instead of consistently focus on what you don't have, thank God for what you do have.
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  Practice generosity. Generosity loosens money's grip on your hearts.
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  Every time we give, we're reminded of ourselves. Money is a tool and it's not my God.
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  Practice stewardship, budget, plan, save when you can, pay what you owe, use wisdom.
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  Being spiritual doesn't mean being irresponsible. And finally,
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  check your heart and ask yourself, if God asked me to use some of what I have
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  to bless somebody else, would I be willing?
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  That question can review a lot. So here is your faith challenge this week.
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  Do one intentional act of generosity. It doesn't have to be huge.
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  Buy somebody some coffee.
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  Buy someone some coffee. Help somebody with groceries. Support a ministry.
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  Leave an encouraged tip.
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  Give something away. Help someone without expecting anything back.
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  And while you're doing it, quietly remind yourself, God is my provider and money is a tool.
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  Then pay attention to what happens in your heart because generosity isn't only
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  about changing somebody.
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  Generosity is only about changing somebody else's situation.
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  Sometimes generation or generosity changes us by generation. Let's pray.
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  Heavenly Father, thank you for every provision you have placed in our lives.
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  Forgive us for the times we've allowed money, possessions, and financial security
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  to become more important than you.
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  So teach us to be wise. Wise with what you've entrusted to us.
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  Help us provide our responsibilities.
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  Help us plan wisely. Help us save wisely. And Lord, help us give generously.
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  Protect our hearts from greed. Protect us from comparison. Protect us from believing
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  that having more will finally make us whole.
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  And remind us that our worth isn't determined by what we earn,
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  what we own, what we drive, or what is sitting around in our bank account.
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  Our identity is found in you. So make us stewards.
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  Make us generous people. And whether we have a lot or a little,
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  teach us to trust you as a provider, our provider. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
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  Oh, here's today's takeaway. Is money the root of all evil? No,
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  that's not what scripture says. 1 Timothy 6.10.
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  The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Money isn't automatically the problem.
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  Our relationship with it can be. You can have money without worshiping it.
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  You can build, you can save, you can provide, you can definitely succeed, and you can give.
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  But never allow something God gave you to become more important than God who
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  gave it. So here's the final takeaway.
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  Don't ask only, how much money do I have?
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  Ask, how much of my heart does money have? This has been an episode of Jesus
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  Never Said That, number five, series from Have Faith, Let It Begin. Remember.
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  If it sounds good, it might even sound Christian, but is it actually biblical?
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  Sometimes one missing word can completely change a Bible verse.
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  And that's why we don't just repeat scripture.
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  We read it. We study it. We look around and we look at the context and we allow
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  God's word, not Christians, not cliches, not Christian cliches,
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  I should say, to shape what we believe.
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  On the next episode of Have Faith, Let It Begin, we're tackling a phrase that
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  might surprise you. Hate the sin, love the sinner.
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  You've probably heard Christians say it for years. But here's the question.
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  Where exactly is that verse in the Bible? Spoiler alert, it isn't.
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  So, what does Jesus actually tell us about sin? Truth and grace and loving people?
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  It could, and of course,
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  it could, it could do a way we've been using this phrase, sometimes be doing more harm than good.
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  That would be episode six of Jesus Never Said That. Sounds good, right?
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  It might even sound Christian. But is it? actually in the Bible?
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  Is it actually biblical?
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  Have faith, let it begin.