Money

SERMON TOPIC: Money

Speaker: Ken Paynter

Language: ENGLISH

Date: 24 March 2013

Topic Groups: TITHING, FINANCES

Sermon synopsis: When you talk about money in a secular environment i.e.
the outside world, people's eyes light up and you have their attention. When you speak about money in the Church people get uncomfortable and uneasy. I am sure you have heard people say 'The Church is only interested in money'.
Now although I don’t agree with the emphasis and doctrine of some churches or ministers with regards to money and prosperity etc I believe the problem the unbeliever, and sadly many professing Christians have is that they cannot serve two masters (and they love money). So ministry that challenges them to part with their money is not well received.

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Money.

When you talk about money in a secular environment ie: The outside world, people’s eyes light up and you have their attention. When you speak about money in the Church people get uncomfortable and uneasy.

Money.

I am sure you have heard people say “The Church is only interested in money”

Now although I don’t agree with the emphasis and doctrine of some churches or ministers with regards to money and prosperity etc I believe the problem the unbeliever, and sadly many professing Christians have is that they cannot serve two masters (and they love money) So ministry that challenges them to part with their money is not well received.

Money.

Jesus spoke to these people

Matthew 6:19-24.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

God owns everything.

Perhaps right up front it would be good to remind ourselves that we are not owners, we are stewards.

Our bodies belong to God. 1 Corinthians 6:19,20. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.

All the wealth belongs to God.

Haggai 2:8. The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the Lord Almighty.

God owns everything.

1 Chronicles 29:11-16. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendour, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honour come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you.

God owns everything.

God owns everything.

Psalm 50:7-12.

Listen, my people, and I will speak; I will testify against you, Israel: I am God, your God. I bring no charges against you concerning your sacrifices or concerning your burnt offerings, which are ever before me. I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

The danger of loving money.

Judas John 12:3-8. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages. He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. Leave her alone, Jesus replied. It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.

He went on to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

The danger of loving money.

Achan. Joshua 7:20,21: Achan replied, It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.

The danger of loving money.

Balaam’s sin. Numbers 22:26-33. Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?

Balaam answered the donkey, You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now. The donkey said to Balaam, Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you? No, he said. Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.

The angel of the Lord asked him, Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.

The danger of loving money.

Gehazi 2 Kings 5:20-27 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him. So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. Is everything all right? he asked. Everything is all right, Gehazi answered. My master sent me to say, Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing. By all means, take two talents, said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing.

The danger of loving money.

He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi . When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left. When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, Where have you been, Gehazi? Your servant didn’t go anywhere, Gehazi answered. But Elisha said to him, Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves? Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever. Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous it had become as white as snow.

The love of money.

1 Timothy 6:5-19.

people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For 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 grief's.

Gambling.

Does it matter how we get money?

From what we have already looked at the answer to that is quite plain, but let us look at gambling briefly to see whether this is a source of income to be considered for Christians.

Statistics for gambling Atlantic City. (Rev Costa Stikakos)

Atlantic City opened to gambling in 1976, these stats are from 1976 to 2000. (Gambling is still taboo in most US Cities) *100 of 250 Restaurants in Atlantic City closed down. *From 1973 to 1976 5000 major crimes were committed. in 1990 alone there were 15000, two thirds of these in the Casinos. *Thefts of all sorts increased by 300%. *It has 10 times more homeless than any similar sized city in USA *One of the Councillors of Atlantic City made this statement in 2000. Atlantic City is a hell hole with 12 Casinos sucking away it’s money.

Gambling.

Costa Stikakos in his research on the subject was amazed to find out from counsellors at Gamblers Anonymous how many suicides were connected to gambling. He was shocked that some Casinos have their own mortuaries to stop this getting out. He related how a friend of his worked at one of the Casinos in South Africa and that in the first three months after it opened, there were 10 suicides in the parking lot.

Gambling all too often is linked to superstition and faith and luck are diametrically opposed. I have even heard of Christians who ask the Lord to help them win.

Gambling..

Looking at gambling logically.

Your chances of winning the lottery are 1 in 14 million.

A lottery ticket buyer is

5 times more likely to be eaten by a shark.

7 times more likely to be struck by lightening.

6000 times more likely to be hit by a car.

A pregnant woman is 20 times more likely to have quadruplets.

If however you overcome those odds and win, 95% of lottery winners have nothing left after 5 years.

Gambling.

There are alters to the God’s that people serve and the lottery is an alter to mammon.

You may argue that you only pay a small amount, but if you were in a country like Cambodia where people are hungry yet fruit is put onto an altar to Buddha and left to rot, would you put an apple on the altar. It is not the size of the offering, it is the reasoning behind it, placing your trust anywhere else but in God.

Proverbs 12:11. He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgement.

Gambling.

Isaiah 65:11.

American Standard Version But ye that forsake Jehovah, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for Fortune, and that fill up mingled wine unto Destiny;

Amplified® Bible But you who forsake the Lord, who forget {and} ignore My holy Mount [Zion], who prepare a table for Gad [the Babylonian god of fortune] and who furnish mixed drinks for Meni [the god of destiny]--

Contemporary English Version. What will I, the LORD, do if any of you reject me and my holy mountain? What will happen to you for offering food and wine to the gods you call "Good Luck" and "Fate"?

Good News Bible. "But it will be different for you that forsake me, who ignore Zion, my sacred hill, and worship Gad and Meni, the gods of luck and fate.

Gambling.

New American Standard Bible "But you who forsake the LORD, Who forget My holy mountain, Who set a table for Fortune, And who fill {cups} with mixed wine for Destiny,

New International Version. "But as for you who forsake the LORD and forget my holy mountain, who spread a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny,

New King James Version. “ But you are those who forsake the LORD, Who forget My holy mountain, Who prepare a table for Gad, And who furnish a drink offering for Meni."
Revised Standard Version But you who forsake the LORD, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny;

Gambling.

Proverbs 15:27.

A greedy man brings trouble to his family.

Luke 12:13-15.

Someone in the crowd said to him, Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. Jesus replied, Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you? Then he said to them, Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.

Dr J. Emmett Henderson says that gambling is a desperate vain attempt to survive, but the odds of winning are so cruel that the lottery turns out to be theft by consent.

Why does the Government allow it?

Because it’s a form of taxation eg: in England Government subsidies fell away and the lottery was used to subsidise them.

Luck and laziness are not biblically condoned, man is to earn his living by the sweat of his brow.

2Thessalonians 3:10. If a man will not work, he shall not eat.

Money.

The secrets of Abraham’s prosperity.

Abraham forsook all to obey God. Gen 12:1.

He refused to turn back in the midst of a test.

He did not seek wealth by shrewd dealings. Gen 23:6.

He refused the wealth of Sodom. Gen 14:21-23.

He was generous and honest.

He was willing to obey God even if it cost him everything.

He obeyed the law of tithe. Gen 14:18-20.

Money.

Abraham refused the wealth of Sodom. Gen 14:18-24.

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

The king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself. But Abram said to the king of Sodom, With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, I made Abram rich. I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share.

Tithing.

Tithing.

Malachi 3:7-12.

Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty. But you ask, How are we to return?

Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, How are we robbing you? In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse your whole nation because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe, says the Lord Almighty. Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land, says the Lord Almighty.

Tithing.

Haggai 1:3-11.

Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your panelled houses, while this house remains a ruin? Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it. This is what the Lord Almighty says: Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honoured, says the Lord. You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why? declares the Lord Almighty. Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labour of your hands.

If the world were a village of100 people.

6 own 59%

74 own 39%

20 own 2%

Money.

In the world today, more than 6 billion people live. If this world were shrunk to the size of a village of 100 people, what would it look like? Of the 100 people in this village: 20 are undernourished 1 is dying of starvation, while 15 are overweight. Of the wealth in this village, 6 people own 59%, 74 people own 39%, and 20 people share the remaining 2%. 20 have no clean, safe water to drink. 56 have access to sanitation 15 adults are illiterate. 1 has an university degree. 7 have computers.

The treatment of the poor in the Old Testament.

Deuteronomy 6:12. (Tithe)

When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. Then say to the Lord your God: I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them.

The tithe.

The sacred portion.

Remember what happened to Achan when he took that which was consecrated to the Lord from the spoils of Jericho.

Remember what happened to Adam and Eve when they took from that which the Lord had said they must not touch when they had the rest of the garden to eat from.

The treatment of the poor in the Old Testament.

The corners of the field not to be harvested and any of the crop that fell was to be left for the poor.

Leviticus 19:9-10.

When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.

The treatment of the poor in the Old Testament.

The Year for Cancelling Debts

Deuteronomy 15:1-11.

At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for cancelling debts has been proclaimed. You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you. However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today.

The treatment of the poor in the Old Testament.

The Year for Cancelling Debts

For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you. If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tight-fisted toward them. Rather, be open-handed and freely lend them whatever they need. Be careful not to harbour this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for cancelling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing.

The treatment of the poor in the Old Testament.

The Year for Cancelling Debts

They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open-handed toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.

The treatment of the poor in the Old Testament.

Leviticus 25:23-28. (Year of Jubilee)

The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers. Throughout the land that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land.

If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative is to come and redeem what they have sold.

If, however, there is no one to redeem it for them but later on they prosper and acquire sufficient means to redeem it themselves, they are to determine the value for the years since they sold it and refund the balance to the one to whom they sold it; they can then go back to their own property. But if they do not acquire the means to repay, what was sold will remain in the possession of the buyer until the Year of Jubilee. It will be returned in the Jubilee, and they can then go back to their property.

The treatment of the poor in the Old Testament.

Freeing Slaves. Deuteronomy 15:12-18.

If any of your people, Hebrew men or women sell themselves to you and serve you six years, in the seventh year you must let them go free. And when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed. Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your winepress. Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today. But if your servant says to you, I do not want to leave you, because he loves you and your family and is well off with you, then take an awl and push it through his earlobe into the door, and he will become your servant for life. Do the same for your female servant. Do not consider it a hardship to set your servant free, because their service to you these six years has been worth twice as much as that of a hired hand. And the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.

Money.

The danger of the prosperity message that swept the Church in the 1980’s was that Godliness was seen by some as a means to financial gain in spite of the clear warning in Scripture in 1 Timothy 6:5-19.

The poor were despised and looked down on, viewed as been out of God’s will, once again not in line with what we see in James 2:5-7.

Money.

1 Timothy 6:5-19.

people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

For 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 grief's.

Money.

The Early Church.

Acts 2:42-47.

They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Money.

Priorities.

We need to seek first the Kingdom of God and not our daily needs.

Matthew 6:31-33. So do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Money.

From a short biography on C.T. Studd. As someone said of Studd - "His life will be an eternal rebuke to easy-going Christianity."

Studd said:'If Jesus Christ be God, and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him'. It was while he was in China at the age of 25 that Charlie's full future financial inheritance came to him. He decided, after prayer and searching the Scriptures, that he was to give it all away. On January 13, 1887, he gave 5000 pounds each to the ministries of D. L. Moody and George Muller, then 5000 to be used for the poor of London, another 5000 to Booth Tucker, for the work of the Salvation Army in India, and several 1000 pound gifts to various Christian workers in Ireland and England.

Money.

He thought he had given it all away, but later found out he had more inheritance coming, so he then sent several thousand pounds to the China Inland Mission, leaving him with 3400 pounds. It was like giving away millions by today's standard. Three years after arriving in China, C. T. married a young Irish missionary from Ulster, Priscilla Livingston Stewart. Just before the wedding, Charlie presented the remaining 3400 pounds to Priscilla as a wedding gift. She wouldn't have it. Together they gave the rest of it away for the Lord's work. The theme of their wedding day was, 'United to fight for Jesus'.

2 Corinthians 9:7.

Our Church deficit special offering.

2 Corinthians 9:5-11.

So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given. Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. *Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever. Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

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