The Good Fight for Purpose

Pastor: Adam Sharkey

Introduction: How Many Pairs of Shoes Do You Own?

How many pairs of shoes does a person really need to get by?

If we’re honest, most of us have far more than we actually use. I recently counted mine — and let’s just say the number surprised me. I began asking myself, “Who told me I needed all these shoes?”

Somewhere along the way, my personal needs got tangled up with cultural standards, advertising, and a desire to fit in. I’m impressionable — if a great athlete wears a certain brand, I want them. I’m aspirational — if someone talks about hiking, I want the boots.

And I’m not alone. The average American owns 19 pairs of shoes—12 for men, 27 for women. We live in a culture that tells us more is normal. But often, what we own is the result of the culture owning us.

The Deceitfulness of Riches

Jesus spoke often about money — in fact, nearly 25% of His teaching touches on wealth. In the parable of the sower (Mark 4), He describes seed sown among thorns:

“The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”— Mark 4:18–19

Riches are not evil — but they are deceitful. Wealth is a liar. It promises what it cannot deliver: peace, security, satisfaction. It hides behind ambition and responsibility. And the hardest part? No one thinks they are greedy.

The City of Ephesus: A Culture of Wealth and Power

Paul wrote to Timothy in the wealthy city of Ephesus — a center of commerce, religion, and prestige. The Temple of Artemis was one of the Seven Wonders of the World and functioned as a bank for Asia Minor.

Status in Ephesus was tied to the temple. Religious leaders gained wealth through offerings and influence. It’s no surprise that false teachers began treating godliness as a path to financial success.

Paul confronts that thinking head-on.

True Wealth: Contentment, Not Accumulation

“Now godliness with contentment is great gain.”— 1 Timothy 6:6

True gain isn’t about accumulation — it’s about contentment.Paul reminds us:

“We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” (v. 7)

Archaeologists in Ephesus have uncovered tombs lined with “storage sheds” for afterlife possessions — a vivid reminder that wealth is temporary. We lose it all when we die, or often, long before that.

Followers of Jesus must see money through the lens of eternity. It is not the goal — it is a tool.

Contentment: A Matter of the Heart

“And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.”— 1 Timothy 6:8

The word shall shows resolve — contentment is a decision.It’s saying, “What I have is enough.”But that’s difficult, because contentment requires us to say no — to comparison, to greed, to our culture’s endless marketing machine.

The Danger of the Desire to Be Rich

“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare…”— 1 Timothy 6:9

There’s nothing wrong with success, but when riches become the goal, our hearts shift. The desire for wealth exposes us to dangerous temptations: pride, lust, selfishness, dishonesty.

Paul says this path leads to “destruction and perdition.”In other words, the love of money doesn’t just ruin lives — it endangers souls.

The Love of Money: A Root of All Kinds of Evil

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil…”— 1 Timothy 6:10

Loving money makes us less like Jesus.Psychologist Paul Piff’s study, “Does Money Make You Mean?”, found that as wealth increases, compassion decreases. Entitlement and self-interest rise.

The natural pull of wealth is toward self-centeredness — not generosity.As Randy Alcorn writes:

“Contentment is being satisfied in whose you are, who you are, and what you have. Those who love and serve Jesus can truly be content; those who love and serve money never can.”

Money promises freedom — but without God, it delivers chains.

A Command to the Rich

“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.”— 1 Timothy 6:17

Compared to history and the rest of the world, most of us are rich.We own more, eat better, and have more comfort than any generation before us.

Paul’s command is not to feel guilty, but to stay humble — to remember that everything we have comes from God. Give Him credit for your financial success.

Repurposing Money for God’s Glory

“Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share.”— 1 Timothy 6:18

Paul doesn’t tell the wealthy to feel bad — he tells them to use their wealth differently.Be heavily invested in doing good. Adopt an active giving posture.

Passive giving feels like someone is taking from you.Active giving feels like you’re doing something meaningful for the Kingdom.

This kind of generosity can only happen when you believe what you have doesn’t belong to you — it belongs to God.

Eternal Return on Investment

“Storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”— 1 Timothy 6:19

True life is not measured by what we keep — it’s measured by what we give away for the Lord.Every act of generosity, every moment of contentment, every “no” to greed builds an eternal foundation.

When we use money for God’s purposes, we aren’t just repurposing our wealth — we’re reorienting our hearts toward eternal treasure.