FINANCES-Week 2

An Example of Spiritual Finances

Mark 12:41–44 NIV

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

This woman demonstrated two big principles - dependence and generosity

She showed dependence - because she gave EVERYTHING SHE HAD.

She showed generosity - because she GAVE everything she had!

The Foundation of Dependence

Philippians 4:12–13 NIV

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. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Our Strength comes from the Lord

Dependence is about saying, ‘when I FEEL need - i’m not missing what I need’.

Being in need and depending on the Lord is the ability to say, ‘I feel like i’m going without HERE and NOW - But I KNOW I have everything I need, because I have the Lord.’

Now, there’s a big principal that we can’t miss:

We’re frequently wrong about ‘what we need’

I’m going to be talking about generosity now, and next week, how God will provide for us.

But we default to thinking this answer means ‘God will enlarge my bank account’ or ‘God will give me lots of material things’.

Paul doesn’t say, when I started feeling a little hungry, God showered me with steaks. He says, i’ve learned what it means to have strength and joy and peace and contentment - when I don’t have food.

I always want to caveat this - God WILL provide for us. But In every circumstance - when we don’t have money, we can’t say, ‘Don’t worry, God will send me money, because he knows that i NEEEED money’. We say - I don’t have money, but I have God - so I already have absolutely everyhting I need.

STORY - My kids going through their coins. ‘Am I rich?’ ‘You have food, a house, you have your parents - you’re definitely rich’. ‘I’M RICH YAAY’

They have like, 15 bucks. But they need to know that they’re rich.

Dependence is being able to say, when i’m in need - i have what I need already. But dependence is ALSO about saying - When i have ‘plenty’ , i haven’t gained any more of what I need.

It’s easy to say, depend on God - when you have nothing else to depend on.

But God isn’t saying, depend on me when you don’t have money. He’s saying - STILL depend on me, even when you do. Don’t worry about that stuff.

Having money is oftentimes like an addiction. If you’re a person tempted with addiction, refusing to become an addict involves never getting involved in that world.

When you’re an addict, refusing to stay an addict means throwing that world out. It’s not about, oh, i just need to pile up the other things I need as well. It’s a strong, ‘I don’t need this!’

We need to train ourselves to be able to say, I need God - and I don’t need money.

And this is where Generosity comes in.

The Fuel of Generosity

If dependence is the vehicle in which you navigate spiritual finances - generosity is the fuel. You wont go an inch without it.

STORY - I Ran out of fuel once turning into a gas station, on my way to an important event. ‘I have this nice car that works well! i should be able to just go, right?’. No fuel, no progress.

2 Corinthians 9:6–7 NIV

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.

Paul says, ‘whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly - and whoever sows generously will reap generously’.

There’s another verse that says, ‘Don’t be deceived - God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows’.

It’s mocking God to suggest that we can sow sparingly and reap generously.

There’s a principle here, and i’ve said it before:

You reap HOW you sow

Often times in generosity, and in giving towards the church and towards God, we sow like this:

Tuck in this one nice little seed, dig a little hole, plunk it in nice and firmly, watch it, grab our fork and knife, and wait for the bountiful harvest to erupt from that one spot.

But the principal is - if you’re generous, bountiful in what you sow OUT, you’ll see bounty and generosity when it comes time to reap.

We should be throwing seeds at everything.

We should be tithing. Giving to our local church to see it not just survive, but thrive. But then we should be looking for other opportunities to give. Support missions and missionaries. Local foodbanks. Give to friends and families in need.

But God is clear - we receive back at the level we’re willing to output. So what kind of feedback do you want to see from God? Do you want to see single seed generosity, or do you want to see fields and fields from the Lord?

Now, this phrase, ‘God loves a cheerful giver’. I’ve heard this verse used to teach how we SHOULDN’T tithe, or give, if we don’t feel like it. I can’t wrap my head around that logic.

Paul says - God LOVES people giving cheerfully. And we say amen! So make sure you don’t give unless you really feel like it.

If someome told me, your wife LOVES spending time with you when you’re excited about her interests. Imagine if i responded with, OK, so I have to make sure i’m only spending time with her when I actually feel naturally excited about her interests.

No! I love my wife. I want her to benefit more. I want to bless her more. This tells me - here’s what I can do to make my wife even happier.

Paul is saying

God loves a cheerful giver, SO MAKE SURE TO BE ONE!

STORY - People are big into exercise are a whole other breed. But I haven’t met many people who are like, man, i’m a HUGE fan of running so far and so long that I feel like i’m literally going to implode’. Sometimes, people like the process - but everybody’s in it for the product. They may or may not like the jog - but they love the health that comes from it.

Being super generous, giving at as many occasions as you can - it may be right up your alley, and it may feel like pulling teeth. But I promise you - you will love the product. When you see God do HIS thing because you honored HIS things, you won’t be able to get enough of it.

And Paul spells it out clear - God loves on people who do stuff like this. So - we should want to make sure we’re the kind of person that the bible says ‘God loves these kinds of people’.

There’s a great proverb about this:

Proverbs 11:24–25 NIV

One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

I’ve never met a Godly generous person (and real generosity - that sacrificial, dependent kind of generosity) who hated every minute of it. But I’ve met plenty of materially rich people who were just…miserable.

Through dependence and generosity, we will understand real prosperity

STORY - They did a survey once to figure out what level of income people thought they needed. And they found a number - 115%. The average person, no matter their income level, though, ‘I just need about 15% more’.

Through dependence and generosity, we will understand REAL prosperity. That kind that says, I have absolutely everything I need. Even when my bank account is low - or high. Because I know that the Lord will take care of me. and I know that i’ll never run out of chances to be generous, even if all I have is two little copper coins.

Let’s pray.