Christians’ Dollars And Sense

Introduction

Questions we need to address:

How should we get (more) money?

What should we do with our money? It concerns our saving, spending, giving?

 

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Mt 6:21)”

 

Sin penetrates

(1) Worldview:

Security, Respect, and Power Money

 

Lk 12:16-19

And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’

 

– Security

 

Lk 19: 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

 

–   Respect – the desire to be respected, feel esteemed

–   Power – wealth is power

–   Our temporal lives are utmost important

• YOLO
• Lure of materialism

 

Fallen worldview: Gold first, live for here & now!

Biblical worldview: God first, live for eternity!

 

Lk 12:23, 30-31, 33 “life is more than food, and the body more than clothing… For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.

 

(2) Heart

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick

• Desires, adores, and idolizes money
• Rationalize our decisions

=>  “you cannot serve both God and money” (Mt 6:24)

 

 

 What does the Scripture say about money?

 

1. Whose money is it?

• All riches come from God – “the silver is Mine and the gold is Mine” – Hag 2:8
• God owns, controls, and provides everything – 1 Chronicles 29:12

Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all.

In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.

 

2. We are steward of God’s money

• We manage God’s wealth, we do not own them
• Deu 8:17-18 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may confirm His covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

 

3. The use of money reveals the heart

• The use of money – indicator of the real problem: the sinful heart
• 1 Ti 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.

 

4. True riches is spiritual

 

Honoring God through our stewardship of money

 

• Getting money
• Keeping money
• Spending money
• Giving money

 

1. Getting money

• God’s ordained way: working
• Ep 4:28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need

 

Pr 28:19-20

• Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,

but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.

A faithful man will abound with blessings 

but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished

 

Pr 21:25-26

The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labour.

All day long, he craves and craves..”

 

• Work faithfully  enough and even plenty to provide
• Laziness, worthless pursuits  greed, poverty

           

1 Ti 6:9

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. Keeping money

• We can save and prepare for our future needs, eg Joseph
• Beware of obsession with saving money  hoarding money (false sense of security)
• The more wealth, the harder it is to follow God

 

Mt 19:16-22

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”  20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven…

 

• Danger of riches – take you captive
• We cannot follow both wealth and God
• Constantly test our hearts if our confidence is in wealth or God

 

1 Timothy 6:17 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. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 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.

 

• What if we do not have a lot of money to save?

 

Examine:

1. Our attitude towards the money we are keeping
2. Our love for God, and His Word

 

1. Spending money

• Threat of consumerism –spend money quickly, spend up to, and beyond our earning
  • Temptations: Advertisements, impulse buying, credit cards, easy loans etc
  • Buy what we want instead of what we need
• Danger of coveting – contentment in unending earthly pursuits
• Debts?

 

• What drives our spending?

 

• Consider
  • Plan spending with biblical motives – outline spending priorities
  • Spend within the income/ability

Php 4: 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

 

<Fighting covetousness with the treasure of contentment>

 

• Spending on wants vs needs; temporal vs eternal enjoyment?

 

 

1. Giving money

• 1 Chronicles 29: 14 “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.
• Acts 20:35 Remember the word of Lord Jesus – it is more blessed to give than to receive
• Mt 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

• Why give?
  • Honoring God with our money – we acknowledge it’s God
  • Invest in the kingdom of God
  • Helps to fight our temptations to idolize and covet $
  • Heart of thanksgiving

 

1. What if we do not have enough after giving?

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever Amen.” [Php 4:19-20]

 

1. How much should we give?

• Old Testament: Jews gave tithes (1/10^th of income) – a form of worship, and trust God who provides
• New Testament: Not under law, but grace
  • For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. (2 Co 8:9)

 

• Giving from a heart that is stimulated by God’s grace will achieve the goodness and righteousness as intended by God

 

<alone slide>

2 Co 8:1-5

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—  and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.  

 

• Proportionately or sacrificially?
  • Never out of what you don’t have, but it may cost you something

 

<standalone>

• Mark 12:41-44

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.[f] 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

 

<Not the size of the offering but its sacrifice>

 

• God is not concerned with the sum but our hearts
  • How you view God – Taker or Giver?
  • Do you trust God, or gold?

 

III. How should we give?

• 2 Co 9:6-7 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
• Sow sparingly vs sow bountifully -> give with holding back vs give generously
• Voluntary, cheerfully, as what we have decided in our hearts
• Cherish each giving opportunity

 

Pr 30:8 Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.