Earn Me

Today we are starting a new series called “Money Talks”. When you think of that phrase, “Money Talks,” you think about people that have lots of money can use money to get what they want. We live in a world where they tell you that those you have money can do what they want. If you want something you go make money so you can buy it. If you want fame, you make money. If you want nice things, you make money. We spend most of our life chasing after the things that we think will make us happy. But the question that I want to answer over the next few weeks is what does God say about money.

Did you know that Jesus talks about money in the Gospels more than any other topic? So, how do we apply what the scripture says to our everyday life? This series we are going to look at what the Bible says about earning, spending, saving and giving. Today we begin this series my talking about earning.

How many of you can remember the times that your small child came up to you can uttered the words, “chase me daddy” or “chase me mommy.” And you proceed to run after your child as they try to get away from you. They take off giggling. Or how many of you remember watching your children play with their friends and they play the game chase. The object was to keep pursuing the other person until you caught them. The children would play until they wore themselves out.

The worlds view of money offers the same invitation. Money says to you, “chase me! Chase me!”, but when we think we’re about to catch it, so close to a win, money changes direction and we’re forced to start again, chasing and chasing, continually in pursuit. Even when we think we are about to catch it, there’s always more to chase when it comes to money. All too soon we get winded and start experiencing “the rat race of life.”

That game is never fun. It’s like a rat race always spinning in circles. Sure it’s possibly fun at first, but that fun soon fades.

God invites you to a better way of working. A way where you earn money through purposeful work, through serving God, rather than chasing money. Both ways, the relentless chase and the purposeful service, involve work; but the pace is different, the pursuit is different, and ultimately the posture of the heart is different. Both ways result in income, but God’s way doesn’t come at the expense of all of the people and things most important in your life.

So, the question I want to ask you today is...

Do you want your money to say, “chase me!”? Or do you want to teach it to recite a different script?

If you have your bibles with you this morning, go with me to the book of 1 Timothy, chapter 6. This is the first of two letters that Paul would write to his young protege. Timothy was pastoring the church at Ephesus and Paul gives Timothy instructions on what the people of Ephesus should be aware of. Go to verse 3.

1 Timothy 6:3–10 NIV

3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 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. 10 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 griefs.

When we think of money, we must understand that it is neutral and when we do work it is a good thing. However, today’s consumer culture wants you to always chase money so you can spend, spend, spend. If we allow this culture to rule our life, then money can become an idol, something that we chase and devote all our time and energy to winning. This kind of idolatry leads people to becoming workaholics. It can result in gambling addictions for those who want to get rich quickly. And it can lead to us putting our value and worth in how much money we have rather than in God. That is why Paul issues the warning here in our text.

If we had time today to look throughout all of the scriptures that the bible speaks about money and wealth and earning and saving and giving, we would get an honest look at stewardship and how God wants us to handle money. But we don’t have time to cover all of it in one sermon. We won’t even be able to cover it in the four sermons of this series. But we can start somewhere and today we are starting with earning.

To begin, look at what Paul writes to Thessalonica about earning money.

2 Thessalonians 3:12 NIV

12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat.

Scripture tells us that we should earn a living. We should work for the food that we eat.

The financial motto of John Wesley, the found of Methodism, was “earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.”

That is some pretty good advice. We should all put that to use. My question to you is “What is God calling you to do?” With the thought of earning all we can and with what scripture tells us, I want to give you 4 thoughts when it comes to earning money.

Thought #1 - Earn All You Can, But Don’t Forsake Your Calling

What is God calling you to day?

What exactly does it mean to work for the Lord? Some people think that it means you have to go into full time ministry or part time ministry or have a leadership position in the church.

God does call some people to be career ministers, but not all of us. Some people are called to the job that God has planted them in. Right where you are is your calling. And where you are may be your calling for a season. And just because God has placed you there now, doesn’t mean that is where He is going to keep you.

When I stepped out of full time ministry for seven years, God was able to use me to help different churches in areas that those churches were not able to hire someone full time. He used me during that season in my life.

British author C.S. Lewis, famous for his incredible children’s fiction series The Chronicles of Narnia, was given a platform with Christians and non-Christians alike when he wrote about a certain lion, witch, and wardrobe. Originally published from 1950 to 1956 in London, the collection is now considered a children’s literature classic with over 100 million copies sold in 47 languages. by far Lewis’s best-selling work, it has provided a platform for his Christian apologetics books such as Mere Christianity. His excellence in the literary craft then gave him more credibility when he shared the Gospel.

You may not always understand why God has placed you in the place you are, but while you are there do it with all you have unto the Lord

Colossians 3:23 NIV

23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,

God has you there in that place to earn money as well. Don’t let it take away your calling.

Thought #2 - Earn All You Can, But Don’t Pay More Than It’s Worth.

As you are earning all the money you can, you need to remember that as you are earning money, don’t let it be at the expence of your life or health.

Always remember that there are more important things in this life than money. One of those things is your physical and mental health. There are jobs out there that will take a toll on your health, including ministry jobs. Some people can handle certain jobs and some people can’t. There may be times when you need to make a career change.

There is a growing pandemic in American called workaholism. If you allow it to your job can take your health away. The thrill of making money, the excitement of closing a deal, the feeling of being needed; each of these factors can fill a need for worth that is unhealthy emotionally, spiritually, physically and relationally. And it is simply not worth it.

Earning more at the expense of our life, family, health, Sabbath, and relationship with God is all in vain. Even God rested.

Genesis 2:2 NIV

2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.

We need to be at a point in our life where we can say, “God, I trust you with all that I have and all that I am, and I know you will take care of everything else.”

Thought #3 - Earn All You Can, But Not At the Expense of Your Neighbor.

When was confronted by a lawyer about what was the greatest commandment. He knew there were over 600 laws and he was trying to trick Jesus. Look at what Jesus told him in Matthew 22.

Matthew 22:37–39 NIV

37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Jesus told us that loving our neighbor was right there with loving God. That also extends to how you treat your neighbor through your work. There is no way that we can experience the fullness of God through rugged individualism and selfishness. Money can all too quickly become a point of tension and impede our relationships with others.

Look at what God tells Israel in dealing with their eastern neighbors.

Deuteronomy 25:13–16 NIV

13 Do not have two differing weights in your bag—one heavy, one light. 14 Do not have two differing measures in your house—one large, one small. 15 You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. 16 For the Lord your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly.

Your neighbor is not just the person who lives next door. This term applies to anyone you encounter. That means in every situation we are not to cheat and never take advantage of or rip someone off for personal gain.

When I worked in sales there were guys that would do some questionable things in order to get the sale, but there was no way that I was going to do that. It would affect my witness and when dealing with customers at some point or another the fact would come up that I was a Christian.

When We Honor God by Honoring Others, It is Amazing How God’s Blessings Flow.

When the world speaks through money it says, “You need more, you need success, you need wealth and fame. Go and make a name for yourself.”

But God tells us to live for an audience of one.

God’s plan won’t give you more likes on Facebook or let you get more clicks on Youtube, but those things won’t fulfill you either. Those things will only bring you temporary happiness. When you’ve lost it all, those fans won’t still be there.

In 1988, a French newspaper mistakenly ran an obituary for Alfred Nobel, the wealthy inventor of dynamite. His brother was the one who had actually died, but seeing the words printed under the title “The Merchant of Death is Dead,” caused Alfred to completely rethink his life. Eight years later when he did die, Nobel left $9 million to fund awards recognizing those who help humanity, called the Nobel Peace Prize.

Start with the end in mind. What do you want your own obituary to say about you? What will people at your funeral remember? Did you point anyone toward Jesus Christ? Did you make a name for yourself, or did you lift up God’s holy name, the only One who can save?

the last thought I want to give you this morning is...

Thought #4 - Earn All You Can, But Don’t Lose Your Mind.

As you go through life, the Holy Spirit desires to be your guide, even in money matters. And when we ask God for wisdom, God will not hold back. However, when we go against God’s Word and act on our own accord to earn more, it’s hard to find peace.

When we act in our own accord to earn more, making more money actually weighs us down and becomes a burden because our tactics are impure. Little white lies have the potential to snowball and become a big deal. This happens if we’re dishonest when filing taxes, fudge our hours at work, or sell our old vehicle without fully disclosing things that we know are wrong with it.

Hear me clearly when I say this...

There’s NO Amount of Money Worth Your Integrity, or Your Peace of Mind.

So, how do we work for God and not human masters. How do we earn money without chasing it? Here is the secret. It’s the posture of Your heart.

What matters most to you? If you bank account was empty and you had no money set aside for retirement, would you be content with God alone? Contentment is a learned skill. The apostle Paul tells the church in Philippi this...

Philippians 4:11–13 NIV

11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Are You Depending on God or Money?

What is the source of your worth, security, and contentment? It all comes down to a complete dependence on God. Money cannot buy you happiness. It cannot buy you love. It cannot buy you peace.

When it comes to earning money God’s way, it is all about surrendering control. When we surrender all that we are and all that we have to God, money loses its hold on us. We can then work for God with all our heart, earning money without chasing it. That’s when God can use your job as ministry, whether you work for a Christian or secular organization.

If God is First, God Gets the Glory.

Think about that statement for a moment. If God is first, God gets the glory. What does that look like?

What would it look like to let God’s love shape your purpose where you’re at right now? How could His love shape the way you work, how you raise kids or grandkids, how you interact with friends, how you act while you run errands, go to the gym, or spend time with friends? What does God’s love flowing through you look like in your day-to-day life? Do you stop to listen? Are you more patient? Do you pray for the people you see as you go about your day, whether you tell them you did or not? Do you let someone merge into traffic ahead of you, or let someone go before you in the grocery line? What could that love look like?

What does a life that exudes generosity look like for you?

Let’s Pray!