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.