Friction In Our Finances: Week #3

Welcome!

We are so thankful that you have decided to join us for worship today. We are in week 3 of our current sermon series called ‘Fact Or Friction’.

We have been discovering the many ways God gives us the grace to help us navigate stressful and difficult times in our lives.

If we are not careful, we find ourselves having our perspectives clouded by our struggles and believing things that are not true.

Week #1, we talked about how families who experience friction have a tendency to look inward and become selfish rather than follow the lead of Jesus. Jesus calls us to humility, and that is the only way to help families heal.

Week #2, we talked about friction in our marriages. Very often the first place friction shows up in times of trouble is within a couple’s marriage. Rather than being sucked into strained relationships, we can choose to clothe ourselves in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. That is what love really looks like.

Today, we look at how our finances can be a place of friction during hard times.

PRAYER: God, remind us today what is most important in life. When our hearts are tempted to put our trust in material things & resources, remind us that our focus should be on the eternal.

Forgive us for the times we let finances become a place of friction. May we always see our resources as gifts from God that can be a blessing to those around us.

We live in a culture that is obsessed with stuff.

We live in a culture that is driven by money.

You can see it in the things we put our time, attention, and energy toward.

If we are honest, many of us find ourselves in a rat race, trying to keep up with the Joneses.

The problem is, that as life gets out of control, we look for things we can control, and often that thing we believe is our finances.

The question is: where is your treasure?

Two men were marooned on an Island. One man paced back and forth worried and scared while the other man sat back and was sunning himself. The first man said to the second man, “Aren’t you afraid we are about to die.” “

No,” said the second man, “I make $10,000 a week and tithe faithfully to my church every week. It’s the week before giving Tuesday … my pastor will find me”

When we were kids what was the most important thing we learned about being marooned on an island? look for the buried pirate treasure

They buried their treasure … made a map … marked it with an X

And all of those giant sea battles … with swords, canons, and swinging on big heavy ropes from ship to ship … acquiring that treasure in the first place

Now you may not have ever considered this before … but does this seem like the healthiest, wisest or most godly attitude towards treasure?

Of course not … but for many of us … we functionally operate like pirates towards wealth and our finances more than Jesus!

At the heart of our friction over finances is a misunderstanding of what is truly valuable and worth our investment. And for many even the means of acquiring the wealth is less important than having it, and what we are going to do with it.

The world tells us that having the latest gadgets, the newest car, the nicest home, or the biggest bank account is where our meaning and significance come from.

The reason is that we have been convinced that if we have that thing or if we purchase this item, then we feel fulfilled, valued, we’ve arrived, achieved …

This is a source of deep friction within us because it can result in us living a life full of pursuit, discontent, greed, and devoid of gratitude. Many of us end up working our fingers to the bone and neglecting our families in order to meet our financial/reitrement goals.

Jesus actually speaks about finances more than any other topic within the New Testament. I believe it is because he knows he does not truly have someone’s heart until he has their pocketbook. He has a strong warning for his listeners in the book of Luke.

Now I want to pause here for 30 seconds and say this … I am going to give us to some general principles and applications about our finances this morning … most of us need to do some specific work here … we need to process our individual, family choices, decisions, priorities and postures towards our finances and resources

You need to examine this, honestly, biblically … I am willing to sit down with you … offer counsel and advice … that is true for your finances, your marriage, your families …

READ Luke 12:15

Luke 12:15 ESV

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

The struggle with how to handle wealth and possessions is an age-old battle. This is nothing new. This friction has been around for a long time. Jesus is trying to make one thing very clear.

Point #1 – You are not defined by your stuff

Maybe you need to hear this today. You see, in the ancient near east, how wealthy someone was an indication of how blessed they were. They believed that those who had more money were more valuable and they were treated as such. However, what we are taught in the scriptures is that our value comes from God’s love for us. When life gets hard, this is often where we tend to struggle. We forget about how much we are valued by God and we look to prove our value by accumulating stuff.

Story: Social media has really caused this challenge to become even more prevalent. We often sit on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms and we see everyone else enjoying an expensive trip to the tropics, wearing new designer clothes, remodeling their kitchen, or taking a joy ride in their new convertible.

We end up comparing other people’s highlights to our day-to-day life, and it can be very discouraging.

This can cause friction between us and those around us. This friction may result in feelings of jealousy or inadequacy.

Jesus offers us clear instructions for handling the friction that can come about because of wealth. Following his instruction can help free us from the comparison and competition trap.

READ Matthew 6:19-21

Matthew 6:19–21 ESV

“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.

A pastor explained to his congregation that the church was in need of some extra money, so he asked them to consider being more than generous, offering whoever gave the most money the chance to pick three hymns. After the offering plates were passed about the church, the pastor glanced down and noticed that someone had graciously offered up a total of $1,000. He was so excited that he immediately shared his joy with his congregation and said he’d like to personally thank the person who placed the money on the plate. A very quiet, elderly, saintly lady in the back of the church shyly raised her hand. The pastor asked her to come to the front, so she slowly made her way toward him. The pastor told her how wonderful it was that she gave so much, and in thanks, he asked her to pick out three hymns.

Her eyes brightened as she looked over the congregation. She pointed to the three most handsome men in the church and said: “I’ll take him and him and him.”

Jesus tells us that we have a choice where we will place our focus and efforts within our lives. We can be intentional with earthly things that are temporal and have expiration dates, or we can be intentional with things that are heavenly things, which are eternal and will last forever.

Point #2 – Invest in the eternal

We all make choices as to how we spend our money. One way to fight the friction of finances is to make the decision to use our resources to make a difference in the lives of people. The souls of people last forever.

In the end, the only thing that matters is someone’s relationship with God. So, tithing to a local church is a way to give to make an eternal difference. The sacrifice of a % of our income is a reminder that all that we have comes from God. When we are willing to let go of our stuff, then we are not owned by our stuff.

Some people use their money to support children through organizations like Compassion International or to help fight human trafficking.

What are eternal investments that you can make?

If you were to look back at your last month of spending, would the trend be money being spent on things that do not last?

A lot of Taco Bell, Starbucks, or iTunes?

Story:

A man died and went to heaven. He is at the Pearly Gates by St.Peter, who led him down the golden streets. They walk by mansions after beautiful estates until they came to the end of the road where they stopped in front of a little shack. The man asked St. Peter why he got a simple hut when there were so many mansions where he would be more comfortable. St. Peter replied, “I did the best with the money you sent us.”

The reason Jesus speaks about this so often is shown in what he says in verse 21.

Where our treasure is, there our heart is.

For the Jewish people, the heart was not an organ pumping blood throughout your body to carry oxygenated blood … it was the center of each person’s thoughts, actions, affection, and will.

It was the place where all of life flowed from.

Jesus is saying - If you want to know what your life is all about, if you want to know what you love the most, look at where you spend your money.

Jesus continues with this discussion…

READ Matthew 6:24

Matthew 6:24 ESV

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Jesus warns his listeners that money has a way of becoming a master in our lives. A master is someone who controls what you do and tells you how to live.

If we are not careful, we will experience friction over deciding to serve God with our resources or serve wealth with our resources. Jesus says that you cannot serve both.

Point #3 – Choose Wisely

Both God and money cannot receive the bulk of your attention. The reason you cannot serve both is that they do not strive toward the same ultimate goal.

The goal of serving money is for serving self, and the goal of serving God is to serve others.

The goal of serving money is to keep power, and the goal of serving God is to give away power.

The goal of serving money is to accumulate more, and the goal of serving God is to be content with enough.

There are a few practical ways to choose God over money as our master:

a) Decide to be generous with your money.

Consider tithing regularly for many the best place to start is at a percentage … start at 1% or 3% or 10% … the importance isn’t some legalistic presription to a fixed percentage … it is does giving this reflect my actual priorities

Create an account that you can put money in that can be used to bless people…make up generosity bags of basic supplies to give when you find someone in need

b) Take you day off … actually rest … Sabbath is God’s idea

Make sure you have dedicated time off during the week.

Carve out an intentional Sabbath rest. This is a time when you step away from work in order to be refreshed and connected to God.

c) Create a gratitude habit

Make a list of all the things you are thankful for to keep yourself from obsessing over the things you do not have but do want.

Gratitude to God helps crush greed for more.

A father and small son are traveling on a freeway. The boy says he’s hungry and would love to stop for a snack. They see the Golden Arches ahead and pull off the road. The boy sits at one of the tables in the restaurant and the father returns with a bag full of steamy, fresh French Fries.

The boy’s face brightens with delight! He is hungry. The father sets the fries before the boy and takes his seat opposite him. He loves his son and loves to watch him eat so heartily.

The two sit at the table together while the boy munches away at the snack. Then the dad does what all dads would do. He reaches over and takes one french fry for himself. The little boy snaps at his father, ”Dad! These are mine. Why don’t you get your own?”

The dad thinks about this incident on the long, silent drive home: I gave my son every fry he had….and all I wanted was one. My son doesn’t understand something. He doesn’t know that I could take all those fries away in an instant. Or, if I felt it best for him, I could add to that bag of fries so abundantly that he’d be overwhelmed by them. He thinks that they are his.

How did he forget who bought them and brought them to him?

d) Live with a budget

below your means, free up resources for generosity … when we see ourselves as stewards of God’s resources … we can learn to spend, save, invest, and give away with intention …

e) Keep your debt low

plan how to pay it off, and don’t let it become something you have to serve.

We don’t have to experience friction in our finances. We can have freedom from stuff when we put God first and order our lives around Him. Take time today to be grateful and invite God to help you experience freedom.

Point #4 - Jesus Demonstrates God’s Generosity

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

2 Corinthians 9:10–15 ESV

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

Thanks for Sending a Professional—Most unlikely person

A story of a little girl who was home alone and ill. 

She called her mother at work and told her, “Momma, I need you and I need you really bad.”  This mother asked to get off work and frantically rushed down to the corner drug store to bring home some medicine.  She notices it was beginning to rain, but she thought she would just “run in and out” to get the medicine for her sick little girl.  When she came back to her car, she noticed something quite different.  You guessed it…she had locked her keys in the car.  She ran inside to get help from the employees but none of them seemed to know what to do and finally gave her a clothes hanger and said, “good luck!”

She ran back to her can, frantically trying to get the door open.  The more she tried, the harder it rained and suddenly, it came down what we call, “an old fashion gully-washer”.  Out of desperation, she cried out “Lord, I need your help and I need you right now!” Suddenly, an old pickup pulled right next to her.  She looked up and saw this man approaching her.  He was dirty, had a dew rag on top of his head with scars and tattoos all over his body, one in which you wouldn’t want to come across, especially alone.  Without thinking she embraced this man and said, “Sir, could you possibly help me.  My daughter is sick at home, and I have to get this medicine to her as soon as possible and I have locked my keys in the car.”

Within a minute or two, this man successfully unlocked her car. Out of joy, she grabbed this man, giving him a huge hug, and said, “you’re such a nice man.”  The man pushed her away and said, “no, ma’am, I am not!  You see, I have just escaped from prison, and I steal cars for a living!”  Without any hesitation, this woman looked up toward heaven and said, “Thanks, God, for sending a professional!!!”

Jesus came … He was God’s gift … He was the only one who could accomplish the job … God sent us His professional redeemer …

our attitude and actions with our finances reflect every moment of every day if we see Him as a good giver or if we believe that we are the only ones looking out for #1

May the gift of Jesus turn out hearts towards Him …

Pray