Introduction to Money, Sex and Power

The Challenge of the Disciplined Life
Christian Reflections on
Money, Sex & Power (MSP)

By Nai Kyn
(Based on the book by Richard Foster)



Why Money, Sex & Power (MSP)

• Inseparably intertwined – interlacing connections


• Need is great – fresh articulation of what it means to live faithfully with regard to MSP


• Historically, spiritual revivals have been accompanied by a clear, bold response to the issues of MSP – ethically potent spiritual experience

Social Implications

• MONEY


• Social Dimension - Business


• Negative Implications - Oppression


• Positive Implications - Blessing


• SEX


• Social Dimension - Marriage


• Negative Implications - Alienation


• Positive Implications - Intimacy


• POWER


• Social Dimension - Government


• Negative Implications - Tyranny


• Positive Implications - Liberty

Transformed by God’s Power

• Inherently within the institutional structures themselves are destructive forces that need to be transformed by the power of God if they are to benefit human society
  (Ephesians 6: 12)



Historic Vows



• Monastic Movement (Renouncement)


• MONEY


• Poverty - Detachment


• SEX


• Chastity - Vacancy


• POWER


• Obedience - Service


• Puritan Movement


• MONEY


• Industry - Sanctity of work/Vocation is a calling; Moderation in work/Anti-workaholic


• SEX


• Faithfulness - Companionship


• POWER


• Order - Mutual commitment of support & accountability


• Our Time?


• MONEY


• Reject the modern mania for wealth without a morbid asceticism


• SEX


• Affirming sexuality without encouraging promiscuity


• POWER


• Bringing authority and submission into proper balance




An Unholy Trinity
1 John 2: 15 – 17



• “the craving of the sinful man”


• Greed


• “the lust of his eyes”


• Lust


• “the boasting of what he has and does”


• Pride




‘Road-blocks’ Ahead?



• Double-mindedness (Matthew 19: 16 – 22)


• Confusion due to immaturity (Ephesians 4: 14)


• Blinded spiritually (2 Corinthians 4: 4)




Questions for Discussion



• Has the Church given adequate, or inadequate, instruction on the issues of MSP?


• What can we learn from both the Monastic Vows and Puritan Vows on the issues of MSP?


• Of the three ‘road-blocks’ mentioned, which ones are you struggling with w.r.t the issues of MSP?

First Combined Meeting

Dolly's and Seng Chor's Growth Group (GG) Meeting had the first combined meeting on Sunday, 26 August 2007 at the home of Roy and Selvi. We are now officially one GG.

Dolly baked bread pudding and cinnamon roll for breakfast. It was superbly delicious!





Aaron led the ice breaker. Each one had to choose a person from the previous GG and share what we like most about our previous GG. Then, one person from each pair shared to the whole group. Interesting.

Next, Selvi led the worship with the theme - My King. The Lord's Name was glorified and we were blessed.

Our first mini-sermon on Money, Sex and Power was conducted by Nai Kyn. It was a good introduction - simple and concise. We ended with a time of discussion and prayer.


Check out the cool PowerPoint slides!



Praise the Lord!

DSC Growth Group

"We combine to give birth..."

Nai Kyn

(On the merging of Dolly's and Seng Chor's Growth Group)

Sexuality and Spirituality

By Lai Nai Kyn
Bandar Utama Chapel
15 July 2007


The Reality of Our Sexuality
• Our Sexuality is a Vital Part of God’s Creation Plan
• Our Sexuality reflects the Image of God

The Celebration of Our Sexuality
• LOVE’S INTENSITY & RESTRAINT
• LOVE’S MUTUALITY & PERMANENCE

The Distortions of Our Sexuality
• Pornography
• Sadism and Masochism
• Sexism
• Homosexuality

Our Response
• Truth
• Grace (Genesis 3: 21)
• God’s Power (P.H.D.)

Wealth Creation and the Christian

A series on Money, Sex and Power

AARON YONG
Bandar Utama Chapel
19 August 2007

Sermon Outline
 What is Wealth Creation?
 What does the bible has to say about wealth creation?
 How should a Christian respond and approach wealth.
 Living the 5 Principles.
 Some practical ideas for BUC

What is Wealth Creation?
Creating wealth from nothing?
Start with what you already have and make more from it?
Return on investments or increasing your passive income?
Multiple sources of income?

If Wealth Creation is your focus,
If wealth is the centre of your life,
you choose friends because of their economic status or influence.
If wealth is the centre of your life,
your self worth is determined by your net financial worth.
If wealth is the centre of your life,
your family becomes a liability and an economic drain to you.

Quotes on Wealth
"Money has not made a man happy yet, nor will it.
The more a man has, the more he wants.”
- Benjamin Franklin

3 School of Thoughts about Wealth
 Wealth as an Offence to Faith
 Wealth as an Obstacle to Faith
 Wealth as an Outcome of Faith

A Relevant and Integrated Approach to Wealth Creation
 Taking Responsibility
 God is still the source of our wealth
 Show accountability
 Magnify God’s glory through all your wealth creation activities.
 But Godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.

Principle # 1:
We were created in His image to be the care taker of the earth and that includes “wealth”.
Know your responsibility.

Principle # 2:
“Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these shall be given unto you as well.”
Matthew 6:33
Know God’s Will in your life.

Principle # 3:
Be a Cheerful Giver.
“Each man should give what he has decided in His heart to give, not reluctantly nor under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
2 Corinthians 9:7

Principle # 4:
Be Accountable.
The hardest thing to do is to be in charge of wealth. We are accountable for the wealth that God has entrusted to us.

Principle # 5:
Be a Wealth Creator for Kingdom Business.
Create wealth to sustain those in ministry and use this as a platform for Kingdom business.

CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO MONEY, SEX & POWER

By Elder Wong Wing Cheong
5 August 2007
Antioch Centre

Problem / need / question:
 We want to love God
 Struggling with loving God and loving this world
 Are we trapped? How can we cope?
 You can be free


PURPOSE:
 Encouragement
 to diligently explore, consider and take action
 on what God is saying
 on the issues of Money, Sex and Power;
 rejecting the destructive influences and
 faithfully take on the challenge to embrace and multiply their creative attributes
 as intended by our Creator God.


Why Money, Sex & Power?
 Inseparable in every day life – It’s real
 Issues inseparably inter-twined
 Upheaval in our culture
 Our bold responses  Spiritual Revival
 It’s related to Radical Discipleship


The Destructive Potential of Money – 1 Timothy 6:6-10
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 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 grieves.


The Destructive Potential of Sex – Galatians 5:19-21
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.


The Destructive Potential of Power – Acts 8:18-24
 18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money 19 and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."
 20 Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin."
 24 Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me."


An Unholy Trinity – 1 John 2:15-17
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.


Do not love the world or anything in the world
 It’s a Command
 "Do not love the world or the things in the world."
 First argument: Love for the World Pushes Out Love for the Father
 Second argument: The World Is Passing Away with Its Lusts
 Third argument: The man who does the will of God lives forever



Applications
 Vows of simplicity, fidelity & service
 God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving.
 Resurrected power of Jesus to free those under the destructive powers of Money, Sex & Power


Isaiah 61

The Year of the LORD's Favor
 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,

 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
......


A person who is attached to riches, who lives with the worry of, is actually very poor. If this person put his money at the service of others, then he is rich, very rich. He is rich owes nothing.


God is rich emptied himself. Nowadays people want to live with the poor but they want to be free to dispose things as they wish. To have this freedom is to be rich.