Introduction: I Timothy 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 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 through with many sorrows.
A person that will be rich:
I. Falls into Temptation– “The act of tempting by the offer of some real or apparent good.” Proverbs 23:4-5 “Labour not to be rich”. The temptation is that the person will become rich one day, and then they won’t have to work a day of their life thereafter. They will be rich and now they can do anything. The problem is that many people pursue this very thing, for a lifetime, and never actually become rich.
- The temptation is never satisfied- always wanting more. We are forever seeking to get more and more money. Buy anything the person wants, going wherever they want, and doing whatever they want. Ecclesiastes 5:10 “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.” Vs 11- spending up to the level of their income is a problem.
- Be tempted to lie, cheat, steal, trample over someone, talk bad about someone, associate with questionable people, tempted to disassociate from Bible Believers, etc., to be rich.
Don’t fall into the temptation of wanting to be rich and have more. You will never be satisfied and you will never have contentment as stated in the previous verses.
II. Falls into a Snare– Luke 21:33-36 “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come..” A snare is- An instrument for catching animals, particularly fowls, by the leg. It consists of a cord or string with slipknots, in which the leg is entangled. Anything by which one is entangled and brought into trouble.
- The snare is: working more to have more. One more shift, one more Over Time Day, one more career advancement, keep buying and buying, keep going and going, keep doing and doing. The temptation is laboring to be rich, for the purpose of buying anything at any time, going wherever whenever, doing anything he/she wants, this is worldly power and will never find contentment. All of these things encompass coveting at its best. Proverbs 22:7 “the rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender”.
- The snare is our coveting of things which is not a good thing because it really affects us eternally. Galatians 5:19-21 “that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God”.
- Ephesians 5:3-5 “nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God”.
III. Falls into many foolish and hurtful lusts-Proverbs 15:27 “He that is greedy of gain troubeleth his own house”.
- What are foolish lusts- closets full of clothing when you can only wear one at a time and we end up wearing the same thing because we have our favorite shirt or pants.
- It’s foolish to wear name brand items when you can get the same clothing at half price without an expensive label.
- It’s foolish to train our bodies to eat the expensive food and end up over eating and damaging the body.
- These lusts include cravings, hoardings, indulging, securing, possessing. Proverbs 21:17 “He that liveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that liveth wine and oil shall not be rich”.
- It’s foolish and hurtful to have so much and want so much more when people are dying and going to hell, our focus is in the wrong things.
IV. Is drowned in Destruction and Perdition– Philippians 3:18-19 To be drowned is to be taken under water. This person will be utterly destroyed and ruined, both in body and in soul.
- Proverbs 28:20-22 A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress. He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.
- Proverbs 22:7 “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender”. They own you, and it will feel like you are drowning in payments. Pay cash if at all possible.
Conclusion: Labor not to be rich, to have more, etc. Ask yourself the question, What am I doing this for? The more we make, the more we buy, the more we have to maintain. All the assets need maintenance and upkeep, (vehicles, tractors, pools, motorcycles, boats, etc. Learn to live in one income, get used to that level. Pay off your debt so you don’t get hurt in an emergency.