(outline for Wednesday January 7)
Central idea: Money, Sex, and Power are sacred gifts from God.
Introduction:
1. Money, Sex, and Power represent 3 areas of moral dilemma.
2. The historic vows of the monastics relate to these three.
· Vow of poverty
· Vow of chastity
· Vow of obedience
3. The great movements of revival and spiritual renewal were stirred by a re-commitment to the disciplined practice of these three.
4. The inversion of these three represent what the Bible calls evil:
- The demon of money is greed.
- The demon of sex is lust.
- The demon of power is pride.
5. The sacredness of these three represent God’s best gifts:
- The gift of wealth.
- The gift of intimacy.
- The gift of influence.
Session One: Challenged by Money
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
I Timothy
Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after.
I Timothy
1. Growth requires obedience.
Martin Luther wrote: “Three conversions are necessary: The conversion of heart, mind, and purse.”
2. Pre-dominant distortions.
- “prosperity gospel”
- secularization of money
- limited stewardship concept
- myth of personal ownership
- illusion of net worth
3. Adopt disciplined practices
- Develop self-esteem based on your identity as a child of God.
- Maintain a healthy attitude about work and vocation as an expression of your giftedness and a field of ministry.
- Commit to faithfully honor the Lord with your tithes and offerings.
- Create your personal or family budget as a ministry budget.
The temptation to misappropriate money, sex, and power will challenge you at every stage of your life. The presence of the Spirit of God and the practice of the spiritual disciplines will help guide you in honoring God with these sacred gifts.
