Harvest Pointe Christian Church, Milford Ohio is a non-denominational Christian Church (Church of Christ) on the Eastside of Cincinnati OH

About Money | Series: Have you ever wondered? | 07-19-09

About Money
Series: Have you ever wondered?
Matthew 6:19-21

IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES

The principle of Stewardship. Possessions are God's, not ours.

The principle of Sacrifice. Give sacrificially, not conveniently.

The principle of Self-Evaluation. Judge yourself, not others.

The principle of Simplicity.  Live simply not extravagantly.


OFTEN ASKED QUESTIONS

Question #1:  How much is too much?
Question #2:  Do I tithe on my income before or after taxes?
Question #3:  How do I choose who to give my money to?
Question: #4: Is debt wrong?

Full Text 

I was visiting a newly widowed woman.

She was telling me how her son had just left and
he had spent some time
teaching her how to pay her bills and
balance her checkbook.

She sheepishly grinned as she told of how
soon after she was married,
her husband got a call that
they were overdrawn on their checking account and
he needed to transfer some money
from his savings to his checking.

You see, she was very young and thought that
as long as there were blank checks left in the checkbook
there was still money in the bank.
So she had been out writing checks and
not recording them in the register!

So he took the check book away from her and
she never wrote another check
until she was in her 70's!!

We laughed about it, but
I do think her husband over-reacted.
She was intelligent.
He could have explained it to her.

But money is at the root of
a high percentage of divorces.

Sometimes it is not enough money.
The stress affects the relationship.

Sometimes it is too much money.
Sometimes the better job
forces people to associate with different people,
people they are not comfortable with.

Today, let's begin by looking at some principles
that will guide our responses to
some often asked questions.

1st there's
The principle of Stewardship.
Possessions are God's, not ours.

Psalm 24:1 declares, "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it."

We are merely managers of what
God entrusts to us
while we are on this earth.

We are just given things for a little while and then
we die and then
someone else gets to use it for awhile.

Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 2:18-19, "18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless."

God is just letting us use the things He gives us
for a little while.
He really owns it all.

This principle is the foundation for all else.

Next, there's
The principle of Sacrifice.
Give sacrificially, not conveniently.

The apostle Paul held up the Macedonian church
as an example for all of us.
They plead for the opportunity to give.
They gave out of their poverty.
They gave as much as they could and
even beyond their ability.

They put into practice Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6:19-21, "19Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

This principle forces people to decide
what is most important.
It causes us to decide where our heart is. 

Someone said, "Sacrifice is giving up something that you love for something that you love more."

A third principle is
The principle of Self-Evaluation.
Judge yourself, not others

We all have a tendency to look around at other people
and say, "I'm not as bad as that person!"

And since everyone has a weakness,
we can tell ourselves we are pretty good.
But when we do that, we judge other people.

The problem is, we don't know all the facts.
Often, if we knew all the facts,
we would find we would do the same thing.

Sometimes we just have to trust that
the other person has positive intentions.
Give people the benefit of the doubt.

Know that you don't know everything about their situation. You don't know what they make.
You don't know what they give.
You don't know how they
use their possessions for others.
You don't know if they have received an inheritance.

In other words, you just worry about yourself and
make certain that you are being a good steward
of what God has entrusted to you.

Charles Spurgeon was
a well-known preacher in the 1800's.
It is said he and his wife would sell
the eggs their chickens laid.
But they refused to give away any eggs.

Even close relatives were told,
"You may have them if you pay for them."

As a result some people labeled the Spurgeons
as greedy and tight-fisted.

They accepted all the criticisms
without defending themselves.

It was only after Mr. and Mrs. Spurgeon died
that the full story was revealed.
All the profits from the sale of eggs
went to support elderly widows.

The principle is that we refuse to judge others, but
we willingly choose to evaluate ourselves.
We trust positive, good intentions and
 keep our nose in our own business.

There's one more principle that can help us
respond to tough questions and that is
The principle of Simplicity.
Live simply not extravagantly.

Buy things for usefulness not for status.
Refuse to be caught up in a commercial culture.

Advertisers are trained to create unrest and desire
in the hearts of potential buyers.
They are always using phrases like
"new and improved",
"gotta have it", and
"you deserve it!"

Learn the real difference between "Need" and "Want".

And if you have too much,
generously share with others.

If you have too many clothes,
give some away.
If you redecorate,
share the old things with others.

When you simplify your life
you begin to take control of it and
your stress goes down.

As you simplify your life,
you can say with the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:12,
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

Hopefully, these principles will help us
answers some hard questions.

But before we go on
we need to point out that
these questions deal with attitudes.

There is no quick easy fix.
There is no do this and then do that.

Which means that each of us has to
apply the principles to ourselves.

And when we do that,
we typically err on the side of
rationalizing our spending or
explaining why we give God less.
So, be careful you don't do that.

Question #1:  How much is too much?

People ask, "Is it wrong to have nice things?"

If we are not careful
we can get in an acquisition mode and
get in a non-stop spending habit.
We can also become status conscious.

In Luke 12:15, Jesus said, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

The term for greed literally means
an insatiable desire for more.

There was a rich young ruler that came to Jesus and
asked what he should do to inherit eternal life.
He had followed the law.
He was a good person.

But Jesus tried to point out how much was too much.
Evidently he found his own self worth in possessions.

We read in Mark 10:21, "Jesus looked at him and loved him. 'One thing you lack,' he said. 'Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'"

This is the only time in the entire Bible
where an individual is asked to
sell everything they have to prove their commitment.

Do you know why?

Jesus always identified the biggest obstacle that
stood in the way of following him.

He asked him to choose between the 2 so
he could see where his real allegiance was.
Jesus knew the intent of his heart was bent on money
so He says to
sell everything and give it to the poor, then follow me."

Mark's terminology is so vivid here.
Verse 22.  "22At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, 'How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!'"

You might be thinking, "I'm not rich! 
You ought to see the houses down the street!"
But if you are on welfare in the United States,
you are wealthier than 95% of the people
in any third world country.

Centuries ago, the theologian, Zwingli,
asked a piercing question,
"Do I possess things, or do things possess me?"

If God has blessed you with a nice car or house,
that's wonderful.
Just make certain you keep it all in perspective.

Ecclesiastes 5:12 says, "The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep."

You see, the more you have,
the more you have to do the up-keep on and
the more you have to protect from others.

"How much is too much?"
can only be answered by determining
what is the priority of your life.
Are you content with what you have?
Are you buying things just to impress others?
Do you share your possessions or
do they control you? 

Remember that the principle of simplicity
is not poverty and it's not luxury.
It's a contentment with what we have and
an acknowledgement of where it came from.

Deuteronomy 8:18 says, 
""But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…"

Remember the Lord.
He is the one who has provided for you.
Thank Him for his rich generosity and
if you don't have much then
thank Him that you have less to worry about and
learn to live within your means.

Another oft asked question is
Question #2: 
Do I tithe on my income before or after taxes?

Tithing is simply giving 1/10.

Before there was a Jewish nation and
an Old Testament Law,
in Genesis 14 we find Abraham
giving a tenth to the priest of God.

Then, when God gave the Law to Moses
for the Jewish people to follow,
they were required to give a tithe, or a 1/10.

Leviticus 27:30 "A tithe of everything … belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD."

When we come to the New Testament and
the Church Age,
the key word is, "generosity."

Paul describes the good example of
some Greek Christians when he writes in
II Corinthians 8:1-3
"1And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability…"

Later in II Corinthians 9:6, 7, Paul writes, "6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
These people gave more than a 1/10.

You see, a Christian who is growing and
falling more deeply in love with Christ
won't stop at the tithe.

They begin with the tithe, and then progress to
Sacrificial Giving, and occasionally
some Extravagant Giving.

But I would also like to add that
the more wealth God blesses you with,
the higher the percentage you can give.

I had the privilege of leading 2 brothers to Christ.
Both had good jobs.
But it bothered the one that
he couldn't give as much as his brother.

And it was hard to figure out
why the brother with only one child
could give more than the one with 5 children!!

Give as God has prospered you.

Mike Breaux said that
he preached a sermon on giving one time and
a new Christian came up to him and said,
"I was doing some figuring while you spoke and
if I gave 10% that would be like another car payment.
Is that right?"
Mike said, "Well, yeah."
The guy said, "Wow, I don't think I can give that much."

Mike just nonchalantly said, "That's okay,
I'll just start praying that you make less money,
so you won't have to give as much!"

How much would it take for you to be content? 
If you make $20,000 a year
the answer is probably $30,000.
If you make $50,000
its probably $70,000 and so on. 

But what if you were to increase
your percentage of giving
the more your financial situation improved?

I Timothy 6:9-10 says, "9People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

By the way, all those deductions are still money you earned
Tithe the gross!

Another oft asked question is: 
Question #3: 
How do I choose who to give my money to? 

People wonder if they should
give all of their charitable giving to the church.

A good rule of thumb is to give at least 10% to the church,
and then other giving on top of that.

That beyond 10% money is what you use
to help someone in need or
sponsor a needy child, or whatever.

Just make certain the person or organization
you are helping is worthy.

Did you hear about the man named Stan
who had a with a weak heart?
He unexpectedly inherited 2 million dollars!

Stan's wife, got the news first, but
was afraid to tell him.
She was afraid he'd have a heart attack.

So she called the preacher and
asked him to come over and
break the good news as gently as possible.

The preacher came over and
pulled up a chair next to Stan.

He said, "Stan, let me ask you a hypothetical question.
Let's suppose you inherited 2 million dollars.
What would you do with it?"

Stan was getting up in years and
he thought for a minute.
Then he said, "The first thing I'd do is
give one million dollars to the church."
The Preacher died of a heart attack!

But, if you do give to an individual,
make certain they aren't a mooch or a con-artist.

If it is an organization, check them out.
See how much of your gift will actually go to the cause.
Do their principles match with your Christian values?
Are their finances independently audited each year?

Last question we'll tackle is…
Question: #4:  Is debt wrong?

The Bible never says debt is wrong or that it is sin.

In fact Romans 13:8 says, "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law."

So Paul was saying IF you have any debts
make certain that you keep up with them and
pay them in a timely fashion.

Any debt should be manageable and
it should be wise debt or
an investment debt.

He didn't want the Christians to
hurt Christ's reputation by not paying what they owe.

But there are dangers to debt,
especially credit cards.

Remember the woman who thought that
as long as there are blank checks in the check book
there was money in the bank?

You may think she was silly when she was young, but
that is no different than people who think that
they can just keep swiping the card
without there coming a day of reckoning!

Credit cards are fine if you pay them off each month.

If you don't, it can become a suffocating cycle
where you can go deeper and deeper in debt.

According to the July 20, 2008 New York Times,
the average family owes over $8,500
in credit card debt.

It takes more than half of the population
8 months to pay off Christmas shopping
that was charged to credit cards.

So, is Credit card debt wrong?
There is no verse in the Bible that would say so.

But from a practical standpoint,
it can be risky.

Proverbs 22:7 warns, "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."

Remember when you were a little kid and
you put too much food on your plate and
you couldn't eat it all?

Your parents would say
your eyes were bigger than your stomach?

Sometimes in adulthood,
our eyes are bigger than our savings accounts.

There are times when the debt is an investment.
Will it bring in more money than
is going out in payments?

Maybe you have to ask,
if this college education will allow me to
get a job so I can pay this off.

Don't stretch yourself beyond your comfort level.
Leave extra for the emergencies that come up.

If you don't you'll be losing sleep over it some day.

Practice delayed gratification.
Live within your means and be content.

Sometimes people find themselves in a situation where
it is impossible to
feed the kids without incurring some debt.
Maybe they lost their job or
whatever.

Eliminate the soft drinks and make some ice tea.
Used clothes last as long as new ones
on growing kids.
Going to a state park is cheaper than
going to an amusement park.

Keep the debt to a minimum so
you can get back on your feet a lot quicker.

The last time our nation was economically hurting,
it seemed the media and the government
just couldn't use the word depression.
We kept hearing about the recession.

I don't know if there is a technical difference
between recession and depression,
but the joke on the street was:

It's a recession when someone else is out of a job.
It's a depression you are out of a job!

Either way, it can be depressing.

That's why my investment plan is found in
Matthew 6:19-21.  Jesus said,
"19Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Jesus was invited to eat at
the house of a Pharisee named Simon.

A sinful woman heard that He was there so
she went in and stood behind Jesus crying.
She washed His feet with her tears and
poured expensive perfume on them.

The Pharisee, who was self-righteous, thought,
"If Jesus is really a prophet of God,
He would know what kind of a woman this was."

But Jesus knew what was in his heart so in
Luke 7 beginning with Verse 40 we read,
40Jesus answered him,
'Simon, I have something to tell you.'
'Tell me, teacher,' he said.
41'Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  [That was roughly 2 years wages and 2 months wages, respectively]  42Neither of them had the money to pay

him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?'
43Simon replied, 'I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.'
'You have judged correctly,' Jesus said.
44Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.'
48Then Jesus said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.'"

All of us have a sin-debt to God.

We couldn't pay the debt we owed.
So Jesus died on the cross and
paid the debt for us.
As the old hymn says,
"Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe,
sin had left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow." 

Maybe you would like know your sins are forgiven.
Then come forward in faith when we sing and
be buried with Christ in baptism.

Or maybe you've done that and
need to place your membership with us.
Come forward as we stand and sing.

Based on a 7/17/2005 Dave Stone sermon at Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Ky .