Faith Works...With Your Finances
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 1 viewNotes
Transcript
God desires our hearts to be generous with the money He gives us!
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.
During the Civil War our country was being divided and torn apart. At the same time as all this destruction there was new religious zeal stirring.
Nov. 13, 1861 Rev. MR Watkinson wrote a letter to the Government requesting that we put God on our currency. He knew that God is the only one that can restore and hold America together.
1861 Sec. Chase responds “Dear Sir: No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins”.
1861 Sec. Chase directed James Pollock, Director of Mint @ Philadelphia to choose a motto.
1864 “In God We Trust” appeared on our coins.
1951 “In God We Trust” appeared on our bills.
No matter our opinion about money or wealth your finances are connected to your faith. What we do with this knowledge is what matters. God give us wisdom with our finances!
We either worship money as our God, or we worship God with our money.
“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
Selfishness...Whats Mine Is Mine
Selfishness...Whats Mine Is Mine
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.
Nothing that we have or posses is going to last. Everything, your clothes rot, your silver and gold will corrode. In fact in the day of judgement it will all be destroyed by fire.
Unfortunately, there’s an invisible connection between your heart and your wallet.
“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.
It’s because of this ling that we must be careful with our finances. We may posses money, but it should never posses us.
If we’re not careful money can change us...
8 Money Personalities
The Hoarder – money gives me security.
The Spender – money gives me rewards.
The Avoider – money, and bills stress me out.
The Hater – money is evil and dangerous.
The Manipulator – money buys me influence/control.
The Flaunter- money gives me status through possessions.
The Scorekeeper – money is how we compete – like a sport or video game.
The Giver – money is how I show God and people love.
= Money Personalities set a family culture, & can cause strain in a marriage!
Stealing...Whats Yours Is Mine
Stealing...Whats Yours Is Mine
Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.
James is rebuking the landowners for defrauding those laborers out of their hard work. They would not pay them their wages. Instead they chose to steal the wages the laborers had earned. Stealing is never going to be Gods will.
You either love money and use people, or you use the money to love people. The choice is yours.
Stewardship…Whats Mine Is His
Stewardship…Whats Mine Is His
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
God is the owner of everything and we are His stewards. We should acknowledge that everything we have comes from God and belongs to Him. We should use our money and resources to honor Him and advance His kingdom.
You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
God is the giver and owner of everything. If anything at all we are managers of all that He gives us. As managers of what God has given us we have 2 primary responsibilities...
We Steward Wisely…Be faithful to tithe, it’s 10% of whatever you receive. Pay your taxes. We don’t pay taxes for the people in charge of our country, we pay taxes in hopes that it will better our country and our neighbors. We spend less than we make. We save, and we invest.
Give Generously…Just like the love of money changes people, so does giving! Giving will change the way that you spend your time. Giving will stir compassion in your heart. Generosity will live through your words and deeds! Remember that giving giving generously is an act of worship. Nobody comes to worship empty handed, we come to sacrifice.
I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
God is our rewarder and we should give generously to Him and others. We should not be stingy or selfish with our money, but be cheerful and willing givers. We should not give to get something back or to impress others, but give out of gratitude and love for God and His people. We should not expect earthly rewards, but heavenly rewards.
God is our provider and we should trust Him to meet our needs. We should not worry about money or be anxious about the future, but seek first His kingdom and righteousness. He knows what we need and He will supply it according to His riches in glory.
