Fearless Finances: The Foundation of Trust

“Fearless Trust”

Opening:

Today, we begin our series entitled: “Fearless Finances”

There are 2 reasons why I chose to speak on finances for this month:

2 reasons to speak on finances:

Post Christmas bills: Our purchases that were placed on credit now start coming due. As a result, we may feel the “pinch” of extra payments in the midst of an already strained budget. This can and does often result in fear and anxiety as well as family tension.

Church finances are not a problem. Thankfully, I can report that our church finances are in good order. This is the ideal time to preach on finances because our finances are not an issue. To speak on finances when they are an issue turns more into a reactionary approach rather than a proaction one.

Personal finance: For our series, we will be focusing specifically on personal finances. The Bible has much to say about how we are to handle personal finances in a way which is both pleasing to God and beneficial for His Kingdom.

Stewardship- Scripture depicts us as “stewards.” This is to say that we are not the owners, but rather, we are the managers of God’s finances. God assigns to us the responsibility of oversight and management on His behalf. In order to do so, we must first acknowledge that He is the true owner and we are simply the one’s He looks to for the sake of using His resources according to His will.

Obedience- Every principle God gives us is based on a response of obedience. Our obedience must not be based on a sense of obligation, but rather, as an expression of our love. To respond strictly out of a sense of obligation will result in marking off a “checklist” of do’s and don’ts. This can quickly turn into a legalistic approach rather than a heart approach based firmly in love for Jesus and others.

Trust- When we talk about finances, we ultimately have to get down to the issue of trust. Do I trust God to meet my needs? Is He true to His Word? When our answer to these questions is “no” we will default to a sense of ownership rather than stewardship. We become focused on what we can or cannot do rather than on what God has promised He will do.

Three key principles of achieving fearless finances therefore hinge on:

Stewardship

Obedience

Trust

Textual introduction:

Our text today is found in the gospel of Matthew chapter 6 verses 19-34.

Sermon on the Mount- This teaching of Christ’s is within the context of what has become know as His “Sermon on the Mount.” It is in this particular sermon that Jesus proceeds to provide us with a variety of topics for practical living, and instructs us on how to live in right relationship with God and others.

“You have heard it said, but I say unto you”- It is in this sermon that Jesus often uses the phrase: “you have heard it said.” This is a clear indication that Christ’s listeners would know that He was referring to the commandments given to Moses. Jesus goes on to expand the teaching of Law to include a greater embrace of the Father’s heart. Jesus brings a “fullness” to their previous understanding which not only reinforces the Law, but brings a greater requirement of faith and living.

The New Testament “10 Commandments”- some scholars consider this sermon to be equivalent to a New Testament version of commandments. As just mentioned, the crown seated at the feet of Jesus made the connection to the Law, but as Jesus goes on to further explain, they begin to understand the fulness to which Jesus is leading them.

Motives of the heart- All the teaching of Jesus ultimately centered on heart issues. Without addressing the heart motivation underneath the actions, we can simply resort to a faith out of obligation and not sincerity. Jesus makes evident that to obey with a proper heart motivation has more to do with our love for the Father than a love for keeping rules and regulations.

The “Lord’s Prayer”- This sermon also provides what we refer to as “The Lord’s Prayer.” Key principles to notice would include:

“Our Father”- God is our heavenly Father who desires to live in ongoing relationship with us. He has made us in His image for the purpose of worship and fellowship.

“Your Kingdom/Your will”- The prayer emphasizes God’s Kingdom and His will. We must place equal emphasis on these items as well in our individual lives. It is not about my will or preferences, but God’s. It is not based on my will, but on God’s will being accomplished. Coming back to the area of finance, God’s Kingdom and His will must take precedence. We pray and give according to His will for the sake of His Kingdom.

“Our daily bread”- Finally, in the prayer, Jesus states clearly that God will supply “our daily bread.” Once again, the listeners would have associated this with God’s daily provision in the wilderness for their forefathers. For 40 years, God sustained His people with their daily provisions. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and He will still meet our daily needs today.

Matthew 6:19–34 (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.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

“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.

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.

Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

And why are you anxious about clothing?

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

“Store up” . . .

Jesus didn’t say to stop storing.

He did say where we should store. “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”

The key issue in determining whether we store up on earth or in heaven has to do with our heart.

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

In other words, our heart follows the placement of our treasure.

If we want to quickly assess where our hearts are oriented, then we can look at our finances.

My Dad taught me when I was young: “God doesn’t care what you have as long as what you have doesn’t have you.”

The issue isn’t possessions, the issue is always heart.

“If your eye is healthy” . . .

Jesus isn’t talking about healthy vision. He is talking about our attitudes and perceptions of money.

If we have a heart toward hoarding or disobeying God’s commands regarding our finances, we will have a “bad eye” which is a reflection of a heart that is out of alignment.

God freely gives to us and asks us to “generous givers” in return. He provides the greatest example of giving when He gave us Jesus. Now, He asks us to give not only our money, but our very lives back to Him so that He can use according to His plans and purposes.

The word “if” shows contingency. God doesn’t force or make us follow His commands; instead, He grants us a free will to choose His commands out of a response of love and honor to bring glory to His name.

“No one can serve two masters” . . .

This is an absolute statement. Jesus is clearly saying that it is impossible to serve both God and money.

How do we know when we are serving our money?

When we are more concerned about our bank account than God’s will being accomplished, we are serving our money.

When we become enslaved to fear and worry about our finances, we are serving our money.

When we choose to trust our own wisdom and strategies a part from seeking God’s wisdom and direction, and then responding in obedience to His commands, we are serving our money.

It is a love or hate relationship. To love Jesus will by default place money in submission to His Lordship over our lives. There cannot be two Lords. There is only one person or thing that can take the high seat in our hearts and minds. This is what Jesus is saying to us. We must choose who will sit on the throne of our hearts; either Jesus will or money.

“Therefore, I tell you” . . .

Do not be anxious about your life. Anxiety is the evidence of misplaced trust. To live in a state of anxiety reveals that I have not settled the issue of trust in God’s provision.

“Is not life more?” Jesus asks a potent question. It is a question that requires us to stop and reflect. What is our life really about? What adds value to my life? What are my top priorities? When money is the answer to these questions, then I am positioned to lessen the meaning of life to only what I can see and control.

Jesus uses analogies to make his point. We can look at how God provides for the birds and the lilies of the field. Jesus is teaching us that if God cares this much about His creation, then how much more will He care for our needs? You’ve heard the statement: “easier said than done.” Jesus didn’t say it was easy; He just said that God will take care of us and we can’t change anything for the good by being bound in worry and anxiety.

Jesus says that when we are caught in worry and anxiety, it is a sign of having little faith. There is always a direct link with faith and trust. If God is truly trustworthy, then our faith will be founded in His character of faithfulness. To live in continual worry is to doubt God’s character and promise.

“Your heavenly Father knows.” If God knows all that we need, and if He were to turn away, He would be an unjust god. The point Jesus is making here is simply that because God sees our every need, He is always faithful to meet the need as we continue to serve and trust Him.

It’s in the delay of His provision that we often waiver. At times, it’s not that I disbelieve God’s promise, but when it doesn’t show up in the timeframe that I expect, I can start to doubt and worry. I can only conclude that what at times seems as a “delay” in provision is for my benefit. Not only does God want to meet my need, but He also wants to change me in the process.

“Seek first” . . .

This is a statement of priority. God tells us specifically what we are to seek: His Kingdom and His righteousness.

What is “God’s Kingdom”? A kingdom is the king’s domain. In other words, God is the King of His domain, and He wants His rule and reign to embrace our finances.

What is “God’s righteousness”? It is God’s “rightness.” God is just in all His ways. He desires for us to care for those who are experiencing injustice in life. It is one thing to give in an offering, it is quite another to give our lives on behalf of others.

It’s not as if we set out to get our priorities off base. It seems to happen subtly and progressively over time. As life’s demands press in, we start to live in a responsive way in order to survive. The next we know is that God’s Kingdom priorities have become lost in the midst of everything and everyone screaming for our attention.

The first of the year is a great time to assess where our priorities lie. It will take a process to get priorities back in line, but we can start today. We start by taking an honest look at our bank statements and asking ourselves: “am I seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness first in my finances?”

“Therefore, do not be anxious” . . .

Jesus reiterates for the sake of emphasis. He circles back around to the issue of trust and anxiety.

When Jesus says something more than once, we need to take notice. Worry and anxiety over our finances will kill our relationship with God.

The proof is always more in what I do rather than what I say. I can say all day long that I trust God with my money, but until I take steps of faith, trust, and obedience, my words fall short.

Fearless Finance principles:

Stewardship: do I see myself as owner or manager of finance?

Obedience: am I obeying God in the management of His resources?

Trust: do I truly trust God with finance, or am I living in a state of worry and anxiety?

What is Jesus saying to you?

Become a first-time giver.

Become a regular-giver.

Become a tither.

Start with 1% faithfully and grow in grace up to 10%.

Become a generous giver. (Tithes and offerings)