The Timothy Conference

T H E T I M O T H Y C O N F E R E N C E S E S S I O N T H R E E

Theology of the Poor for Team Leaders Rev. Terry Cornett

St. Lawrence the Deacon (d. 258 A.D.) is one of the great leaders and martyrs in the first 300 years of the Church.

I. Does Our Team Think of Our Mission Field as Hard or Easy?

A. The affluent are difficult to evangelize and disciple.

(Deuteronomy 8.12-14) Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, [13] and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, [14] then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery (cf. Psalms 73.3-6, Proverbs 30.8-9, Ezekiel 16.49 Hosea 13.4-6).

The New Testament teaching is far more explicit. Jesus surprises his disciples with the teaching that wealth has an inherent tendency to dull the spiritual senses and lead one to abandon God.

“In the teaching of Jesus material possessions are not regarded as evil, but as dangerous.”

R. E. Nixon, New Bible Dictionary

(Matthew 6.19-21) “ Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth , where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. [21] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also .

Jesus warns us that accumulation has an inevitable effect on our heart. There are things that we can do about it (reckless giving; associating with people of low status and poor reputation) but we cannot change the reality that wealth exerts a constant pull away from spirituality.

(Matthew 13.22) The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.

Page 25