1. A few years ago Air Force doctors ran some tests.
2. Instead of running tests on people, these doctors tested money.
3. 68 one dollar bills were collected from a grocery store and a high school sporting event.
4. These bills were then examined for bacterial contamination.
5.
59
of the 68 bills were infested with the kind of bacterial that can create
infection in those w/weak immune systems.
6. 5 of the bills had such strong bacteria they could have caused pneumonia in healthy people.
7. The remaining 4 bills were declared “germ free.”
8. It was also found that on coins, nasty problems like E coli can survive for several days.
9. Supposedly the treasury department now uses paper that has bacterial inhibitors.
10. Even these, however, have limitations.
WHEN WE HEAR THE EXPRESSION “FILTHY LUCRE” (LUCRE, OF COURSE IS ANOTHER WORD FOR MONEY), THESE WORDS ARE LITERALLY TRUE.
A. Money is usually very, very dirty.
B. In the spiritual realm we also hear the expression filthy lucre.
2. We have probably read that expression in the Bible and heard Christians use it.
3. It is not often that members of the church talk about filthy lucre.
4. It may be discussed in a few Bible classes, but it is hardly ever discussed from the pulpit.
5. Tonight I want to devote our time to filthy lucre.
A. Introducing this subject at this time in history is appropriate.
B. There are many, many ways to make filthy lucre.
C. We continue to get new and sometimes different reports about the tsunami victims (Jan. 2005).
D. We have seen examples of small children who have lost both their parents.
E. Instead of seeing these children with eyes of compassion, some see them as potential prostitutes.
F. A nation has had to make a public policy decision to prevent child trafficking.
G. Child trafficking is a business (if we may use that word) that involves filthy lucre.
6. Jesus lived in a time when people sought filthy lucre.
7. Towards the beginning of His work (Jn. 2:13), Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover.
A. IN the temple area He saw “moneychangers.”
B. Changing money from one thing into another is not wrong.
C. These money changers happened to be cheating those they claimed to be helping.
D. Cheating with money is a way of making filthy lucre.
E. A fuller demonstration of this point is found in Lk. 19:46.
F. Toward the end of His earthly life Jesus again saw moneychangers cheating people.
G. He said these currency exchangers made the “house of prayer” a “den of robbers.”
H. A robber has money, but it is not honest money. It is dishonest (unethical) gain.
8. From the first century till now, we have examples of filthy lucre.
9. Before these are more fully explored, let’s look at the words that have been introduced.
A. We may be under the impression that filthy lucre is found quite a few times in the New Testament.
B. If this is our thinking, it’s wrong.
C. There are only two (or maybe three) times filthy lucre occurs in the entire New Testament.
D. Some manuscripts have the term in 1 Tim. 3:3; others do not.
E. If you have the KJV filthy lucre is in 1 Tim. 3:3. If you have the ASV, they are not there.
10. Aside from 1 Tim. 3:3, these two words (one word in the Greek text) can be found in 1 Tim. 3:8.
11. There filthy lucre is applied to deacons.
12. Then the term is also found in Tit. 1:7 where it is applied to elders.
A. Filthy lucre is a compound word.
B. The first part of this term (aischro) is usually associated with what is “distasteful” or “ugly.”
C. The second part of the word (kerdos) has the sense of “gain.”
13. When we combine both parts of this term we have something like gain that is unattractive, repulsive, dishonest.
14. Filthy would also be an appropriate description, and this may be why translators used this word.
15. Perhaps little teaching has been done on these words because they are hardly used in the New Testament.
A. We may not find filthy lucre mentioned too many times, but we do find this sin in the Bible.
B. Here are some examples.
16. We will start with the Old Testament, 1 Sam. 8.
A. For several years Samuel had served as a judge over Israel.
B. Time passed and he became “old.”
C. He took two sons and made them judges.
D. It didn’t take long for the people to see that the sons were not like dad; there were complaints.
17. The basis for the complaints is found in verse 3 – READ.
18. Here is a prime example of filthy lucre.
19. Sometimes people think to themselves, “My scheme will not harm me/anyone else.”
20. “I can cheat the government or a big company—they have lots of money.”
21. “It’s no big deal.”
22. Notice what filthy lucre caused in 1 Sam. 8 – verses 5 and 7 – READ.
23. At least in this example, filthy lucre is linked with events that are described as rejecting God.
24. As time passed, the filthy lucre from two Jewish boys had serious national consequences.
25. If we look in the Old Testament, we can find about 50 passages that relate to bribery.
26. Taking a bribe is filthy lucre; offering a bribe also involves a person in and with filthy lucre.
A. Maybe you read the “click and clack” column in the Sunday paper.
B. Last week I happened to glance at this column and a writer said something like this.
C. A car in a certain state had to be inspected, and the car’s owner knew it wouldn’t pass.
D. Instead of getting it fixed, he took it to the inspection shop and left a nice bottle of booze on the seat.
E. When he came back, the car had a “pass” sticker on the windshield and the liquor was gone.
F. We may associate filthy lucre with cash; it can and does come in other forms.
G. filthy lucre has consequences, and these consequences are often dire.
27. A well known figure in the Old Testament is Samson.
28. He was a strong man who was a threat to the Philistines.
29. The Philistines (Judg. 16:5) promised Delilah a lot of money if she could get some information from Samson.
30. This woman was offered several thousand dollars if she could divulge the source of Samson’s strength.
31. In this example we find a thoughtful point.
A. Sometimes people look at filthy lucre and say, “It’s just going to be this once.”
B. Is this not what we see in Judg. 16?
C. Was not helping the Philistines just a one time act? It was.
D. Though only one act was required, it was still filthy lucre and the end result was death for many.
32. When we turn to the New Testament we continue to see examples of filthy lucre.
33. Jesus gave an interpreted the parable of the sower in Mt. 13.
34. He described four soils, but I only want to focus on the third type.
A. There is a type of person who hears and accepts the gospel.
B. For a time these people will stay faithful to God.
C. Eventually a desire for money chokes out the Word of God.
D. Maybe the money Jesus had in mind when giving this parable was legitimate money.
E. That is, it came from an honest job and the person did nothing wrong.
35. I would argue that there is another side to filthy lucre.
36. We can regard money in the Mt. 13 as filthy lucre because of what it did.
37. If money in any form separates us from God, it is a curse.
38. Think back to the word translated filthy lucre.
39. It is a compound word, and the first word in this compound means “ugly, distasteful.”
40. The second part of this word means “gain.”
41. If monetary gain separates us from God, it is ugly.
42. We would undoubtedly offend some Christians if we suggested they were involved with filthy lucre.
A. If money is separating a person from God, filthy lucre can be applied to their income.
B. Jesus once asked what a person gains if he has the world but loses his soul.
43. Another way to become involved with filthy lucre is theft.
44. God was so concerned about this problem He made it one of the Ten Commandments.
45. Stealing from people is ugly. It is disgraceful.
A. Beth is attending a Christian school, but she has had problems with theft.
B. Maybe non-Christians stole some of her stuff, whoever it was, some things are gone.
C. In Rom. 2:21 Paul charged the Jews with stealing.
D. Jews said, “stealing is wrong.” Then they turned around and did that very thing.
46. Filthy lucre is a problem for mankind, both in the past and in the present.
47. This was part of the reason Ananias and Sapphira died in Acts 5.
48. Two Christians lied about money.
49. What if this couple’s lie had gone undetected?
A. What if they had been secretly able to hide say $5,000?
B. Given what we have learned tonight, that hidden amount would have been filthy lucre.
C. The money was gained in an honest way, but it was handled dishonestly.
50. Perhaps too many people including Christians only see filthy lucre as money from criminal acts.
51. It is much broader than that, and it has application to each one of us.
52. Perhaps in your household you have started to receive some special mail.
53. It is once again tax time.
A. The IRS wants more of our money or maybe wants to refund some of what we paid.
B. Filthy lucre goes to the IRS each year.
C. People pay less than they know they should.
D. False dedications are used to less a person’s tax burden.
54. This past week lawmakers in Indiana made known a proposal.
55. People with back taxes can pay without penalty.
56. If this is done, the state could gain 20-269 million dollars.
57. People have kept what they are not entitled to, and this is filthy lucre.
58. Elders and deacons are visible in a local congregation.
59. It is therefore no wonder that God said they cannot be party of filthy lucre.
60. Preachers have that same responsibility as do all other Christians.
61. Unjust gain should be repugnant to us.
62. For that to occur, we need to be a Christian, and a Christian who has some maturity.
63. Tonight we hope both these things are true for you.
64. First, you have become a Christian as the Bible describes—faith, repentance, confession, and baptism.
65. Then as a Christian you have striven to learn, grow, and be more like Christ.
66. Christian living is really the best kind of life.
67. If you are living in this manner, you can change.