Pastor’s Table Blog

The F.I.R.E. Movement

In the financial world, there is a growing movement known as F.I.R.E. Have you heard of the FIRE movement? It stands for Financial Independence Retire Early. F.I.R.E is “A movement of people devoted to a program of extreme savings and investment that aims to allow them to retire far earlier than traditional budgets and retirement plans would permit.” IOW, the people in this movement want to have enough money in their investments, that they can live off the growth at an early age.

Some of you are saying—is this even possible? I’m not sure I’m ever going to have enough money to retire. Indeed, some people are able to achieve this goal. However, the sacrifice needed is enormous—most save and invest up to 75% of their annual income! Wow—that is commitment! This movement has gained enough traction there are several variations: (1) First, there is the FAT FIRE. These people are high income earners with 9-5 jobs. They want to save enough to maintain their current standard of living. (2) Second, there is LEAN FIRE. These are people devoted to a minimalist lifestyle who, somehow, live on less that $25k per year. (3) Finally, there is BARISTA FIRE. Maybe this should be known as STARBUCKS Fire. This person wants to quit their 9-5 job and live off a combination of savings and part time jobs … like Starbucks 😊.

Now, maybe you haven’t heard of the FIRE movement before today … but it sounds attractive. How many out there would love to retire early? Quite a few. If that is you, it begs a question: (1) Are you willing to sacrifice to save that much money? (2) What would you do if you don’t work? Some young people have the goal of achieving FIRE in their 30s … with quite a long life ahead of them.

Do you know what I also notice—when it comes to my money, it’s usually later in the process that I ask: What does God want me to do? We will invite Jesus into many areas of our lives—but when it comes to our money … we don’t want to give Jesus that multi-factor authentication.

And yet, ironically, this passage and the F.I.R.E. movement have a principal in common: Sacrifice now … enjoy life later. The only difference is this: the Christian hope points to enjoyment in eternity. Which allows us to sacrifice more now.

How Much is Too Much?

Paul writes this in 1 Timothy 6:10,

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. (1 Timothy 6:10, NLT)

Over the centuries, this verse has been misunderstood and misapplied. Does this verse say that money itself is evil? No—money is a necessary part of the world economy. And, of course, it is not simply about money—rather it is about the “stuff” money can get us … like early retirement 😊.

I hope, however, that reading a verse like 1 Timothy 6:10 causes you to see that our relationship to money is deeply spiritual. After all, what does it mean to “love money … and why is it a root of evil?” That is some pretty harsh language from Paul. Are people in the fire movement … evil? Are you evil because you want to ascend in your career and make a higher income? Am I evil because I like to buy unnecessary coffee at the local coffee shop on a regular basis … purchase a nicer car or a bigger house … take a lavish vacation? Is that evil?

Not necessarily. But the reality is all of us have a certain number of resources to live in this world AND invest in the kingdom of God. If you are a growing Christian, you have likely wrestled with a pointed question: How much is too much? Put another way … how much should I keep … and how much is God calling me to give away? Does money, or the things money affords me, have a controlling position in my heart? Do I trust my money more than Jesus’s provision?

And then, of course, we have passages like this one in Proverbs 30:8-9, where King Solomon writes:

First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name. (Proverbs 30:8-9, NLT)

These two verses capture the tension of money and God’s kingdom beautifully. Give me neither poverty nor riches! Why? If I am too poor to live … I may be tempted to steal for life’s necessities. If I am too rich … I may be tempted to think I don’t need God because I’m good on my own. Lord … help me trust you to meet my needs … help me to be generous … but don’t make me so rich I forgot who blessed me with that wealth.

This concept causes us tension. What does this look like? In 1 Timothy 6:3-10, Paul is going to disciple us towards a proper relationship with money and wealth. While people in the FIRE movement want to sacrifice to retire early, God is looking for a different kind of FIRE in our lives … FIRE for his kingdom. Money is a necessity in life … but … sacrifice now and you will enjoy eternity later.

Obsession with Worldly Cravings

How do we avoid the LOVE of money? Paul outlines the problem … he offers a solution. I’m going to make it simple—we’ve got two main points today! What are they? (1) The Problem: Obsession with Worldly CRAVINGS. (2) The Solution: Focus on Eternal CONTENTMENT. If we follow his teaching, we can avoid the love of money and invest more in God’s kingdom.

Obsession with worldly cravings, however, can very much take our eyes off Jesus. This is what Paul starts to communicate in 1 Timothy 6:3-5. He returns to the topic of false teachers at Ephesus and applies this principal to them.

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. (1 Timothy 6:3-4, ESV)

Notice, vv. 3-5 are a call back to the opening of the letter. In chapter 1:3-4 Paul charges to Timothy to guard against people who teach a “different doctrine.” When say says, “If anyone teaches,” he clearly has the false teachers at Ephesus in mind since he has been referencing them throughout the letter. After he addressed the teachers, he defines the false doctrine itself—anything that goes against the teaching of Jesus himself and the truth of his Gospel … that is not sound teaching. That word, “Sound,” was a medical term. It refers both to the type of instruction, as well as the effect it has on the lives of the listeners. And, you can see, when people ingest “unsound teaching” they become conceited … and understanding nothing. In other words, their spiritual lives are unhealthy.

This is why, at MBC, we take very seriously the sound teaching of the word of God. In the age of the internet, social media and YouTube, there are plenty of dietary options out there. If you want to hear Bible teaching, you can listen to Pastor Dave and myself on a Sunday morning … and then ingest a popular YouTuber in the evening for dinner. But if that YouTube teacher is not feeding you a wholesome meal … you should get indigestion!

Beware! Bad teaching can make you conceited and seriously impact your relationships. Good teaching challenges our worldly cravings. That is what Paul addresses next:

He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. (1 Timothy 6:4-5, ESV)

What is the first fruit of “unsound teaching?” It is an “unhealthy craving for controversy.” It can also be translated, “An unhealthy interest in disputes.” Do you know anyone like this? Now, I want to pause and ask why that is? Why does bad teaching produce unhealthy controversy? Because the person is sick … they are ill.

Have you met any “sick” people in your church life? Perhaps you’ve been wounded by “Christians craving unhealthy controversy.” I’m sorry if you have. Maybe you’ve attended a public church meeting where members of a church said nasty words to each other and quarreled. Maybe you’ve raised legitimate concerns to someone and they minimized you for their own gain. In our modern world, these unhealthy controversies play out on social media sites—have you seen some of the arguments? It’s amazing what people will say when they are not face to face with someone. Do you have an unhealthy craving for controversy? It can destroy a church.

Now, that does not mean there are not legitimate concerns and questions to raise. But they should be done in a respectful way with a desire to build up the body of Christ. If you’ll remember, back in 1:5 Paul outlines the aim of the Gospel …

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (1 Timothy 1:5, ESV)

Money has a way of getting to our hearts. All of us, especially right now, are acutely aware of money. We’ve felt inflation’s sting. Do you remember the $10 eggs? Can’t afford a home … or car? All of us wish, at some level, as Rockefeller once said, we had just “a little bit more.”

Paul closes with a warning about the desire for wealth …

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. (1 Timothy 6:9, ESV)

Do you notice anything about this verse? It is tempting to read a verse like this and think—“oh yeah, Paul is coming after those millionaires and billionaires—a pretty soon those trillionaires! He’s giving those 1 percenters the business!” But is that who he is talking to here? Perhaps it applies to people in those categories … but does Paul say, “the rich fall into temptation?” No. He says, “those who desire to be rich” fall into temptation. And, my friend, that could be anyone. You could have a negative net worth and simultaneously desire to be rich. John Stott argues that these verses are directly at the “covetous poor.”

Focus on Eternal Contentment

Helpfully, Paul does not leave us hanging with all our problems. In v. 6, he offers a solution. Now, before I read this verse, I want to say I believe this is an extremely important verse for all of life. In fact, the topic raised in v. 6 is one my wife and I speak about regularly. Whenever I get an idea for a new project or endeavor … she will challenge me with this topic. Are there any achievers out there today? You never feel like you have enough money? You always feel like you have the next mountain to climb, problem to solve or challenge to conquer? 1 Timothy 6:6 is for us. Paul in grand fashion, gives us the solution to many of our problems. What is it?

But godliness with contentment is great gain, (1 Timothy 6:6, ESV)

Godliness with contentment is great gain. What did Paul just say? I want you all to sit with this verse for just a moment. It is not just godliness that is great gain … Paul pairs it with contentment. So let’s talk about contentment. How many of you sitting here today, or listening at home … how many of you are content with your life? How many of you are discontented with you life? Why? Why are you content or discontent?

Friends, my prayer for you today is that you would find contentment in Christ. What we need in the church is more Christ Sufficient Contentment! How do we get that? You must tap into the BLESSINGS you have in Christ. Christian, do you realize that you have been UNITED to Jesus Christ? All of his riches are yours. He opened you access to heaven. And he left a deposit in your heart—the blessed Holy Spirit—until the day he returns to this earth. You ARE rich in Christ! Paul continues this challenge in vv. 7-8:

for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. (1 Timothy 6:7-8, ESV)

Is this verse as mind-blowing for you as it is for me? Think about your life for just a moment. Do you realize that many of us—especially in central New Jersey—spend our whole lives acquiring stuff? Over the course of our lives we acquire grades in school, we acquire degrees, professional accolades, we acquire cars and homes and clothes and books and toys. We will sacrifice time and money and effort to acquire the resources to get these things … because at some level they are important to us. By the way—none of these things are necessarily bad.

But here’s the crazy part … one day we will all die. We will die one day … and all those things we acquired … you can’t take it with you. It’s gone. “You can’t take it with you!”

And what Paul is saying in this verse is that—the eternal reality of our lives should reshape our view of contentment and satisfaction.

Avoiding Money Love

So ... how do we avoid money love? Let me leave you with four diagnostic actions for this week rooted in our three points for this morning. I encourage you to find a space in your journal, take some time to pray, and listen for the voice of the Spirit.

First, get out your JOURNAL. List your CRAVINGS. Let’s just be honest—we all have them. It doesn’t need to be In N Out Burger. There are things of this world that we are drawn to which become pre-eminent in our lives. They take the place of Jesus. Those cravings are enflamed by the false narratives of the world. Just like certain foods are addictive—so are the worlds stories. Many of today’s narratives are focused on our individual desires where we become the center of the universe. What are your cravings—list them and recognize where you are tempted.

Second, PRAY. Ask Jesus for CONTENTMENT. I am giving that action because I assume ALL of us wrestle with this point. As I mentioned, many of us live discontented lives. But if you are a follower of Christ, there is a better way. Take the road to Jesus. Phil Ryken writes, “Discontent is life’s burglar.” Don’t let comparison with others and obsession with your wants rob you of joy. Ask Jesus for a content heart.

Third, ACT. Remove the TRAPS from your life. Beware the Snare friends! Some of us know the snares, the traps, the places where are desires are tempted. Maybe it is the circle of friends you run with. It could be the investment or gambling websites you visit. Where do you feel tempted to get rich at the expense of following and trusting in Jesus? Remove those traps and place your eyes back on Jesus, the one who is sufficient to bring your contentment and provision this week and always.

Finally, ASPIRE. Orient your life towards SIMPLICITY. Have you noticed that the reason we often need more money is because our lives become more complex? When I was in college ... I was happy with water and ramen noodles. Now ... I have 100 things I need to pay for every month. I make more money than I ever have in my life ... and I’m always finding more things to use it for—anyone else? What if we simplified our lives? Perhaps money would have less chances to grab a hold of our hearts. Seek simplicity this week.

Sacrifice Now, Enjoy Life Later

We began with the F.I.R.E. movement—financial independence retire early. That movement has a key principal that we can learn from: Sacrifice Now, Enjoy Life Later.

That’s actually a Biblical principal—but we a vastly different motivation. Jesus wants us to have FIRE in our lives … but a very different kind of FIRE. He wants to set our hearts on FIRE so that we will sacrifice now for the sake of the kingdom. Then, we will enjoy an eternal retirement with Christ. Give … generously. Then, later, more people will enjoy the benefits of eternal life with Jesus. This life is not the end … one day we will be with him. Paul comes back to this theme later in chapter 6, and further develops this theme …

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19, ESV)

 Did you read that? Sacrifice now … don’t focus on riches now … focus on God—the one who provides for us. Instead … do good. Be rich … in good works. Be generous … share your blessings. And as you do this you are laying a foundation for … when? The future. The future. The future.

The future … when we will take hold of eternal life. When you get that truth down in your heart … you can avoid money love now as you focus on the forever love of Jesus Christ. And that will bring the greatest satisfaction … ever.