You And Your Money
YOU AND YOUR MONEY
James 5:1-5
Almost everyone is interested in money. You can tell a lot about someone's character by their reaction to money. I heard about a man who inherited several thousand dollars and it was such a great amount of money and he had a weak heart, so they thought they had better not tell him because they thought it might cause him to have a heart attack. They thought for a moment and said, "The preacher is good with words, let's ask the preacher to tell him." So the minister went over to tell him. The minister thought rather then just telling him straight out he would ease into it. So he asked the man, "What would you do if you had $1,000,000?" He said, "Pastor, I would give it all to the building fund." So the pastor was so excited, he had a heart attack."
There are a lot of wrong ideas about money. Some people think that money brings happiness. It doesn't. As a matter of fact I was watching 20/20 and Barbara Walters was interviewing a man who had made millions by being a manager of rock stars. He said, "Money doesn't bring happiness. The only people who think that money brings happiness is people who don't have money." Money can buy almost anything but happiness. It can take you almost anywhere, but not to heaven.
Some people think that money brings security. It doesn't. Other people think that money is sinful. It isn't. The Bible doesn't say that money is the root of all evil. The Bible says, "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil."
There is a lot of disagreements about money. You can get criticized about money matters more than anything else. If a man runs after money he is
1called mad after money. If he keeps it he is called a miser. If he spends it he is called a spend thrift. If he doesn't get any money he is slothful. If he gets money without working for it, he is a parasite. If he doesn't try to get money he has no ambition.
There are also a lot of disasters concerning money. Right here in Spokane there are some real financial disasters. Marriage counselors will say that money is the cause for 89% of all marital problems.
What does the Bible have to say about money?
FIRST -- THE BIBLE SAYS THERE IS A RIGHT WAY TO SAVE your money.
James 5:1-5
1 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. (NIV)
Here James is talking about how someone saves their money. He says, some people just store up money. Do you see the word "HOARDED UP" in verse 3? The Greek word is thesaurizo. It is the Greek word from which we get our word thesaurus. It actually means a collection. Some people collect money like some people collect stamps. They collect money not for retirement or to buy a particular item, but they have collected money for moneys sake. Does God want us to save money? Sure He does.
Proverbs 6:6
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! (NIV)
The Bible also talks about leaving an inheritance. The saving of money is not wrong, but wise. But the Bible warns about hoarding money. The Bible does not condemn wealth. As a matter of fact the Bible says,
Deuteronomy 8:18
18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth. (NIV)
You can study the Bible and you will find out that many of God's servants have been wealthy. For example, the Bible says of Abraham
Genesis 13:2
2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. (NIV)
When King David died here is the way the Bible described him.
1 Chronicles 29:28
28 He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor. (NIV)
The Bible did not condemn David for having wealth, it commends him. There was another wealthy man who loaned Jesus his burial place. He was Joseph of Arimathea. The Bible says in Matthew 27:57 that Joseph of Arimathea was a "RICH MAN."
The Bible does not condemn wealth, but the Bible does condemn the hoarding of wealth, the love of money. The Bible calls it covetousness. Today, we call it greed.
Luke 12:15
15 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (NIV)
I have been in the ministry for 12 years. I have had people confess all kinds of sins to me. But I have never had anyone confess covetousness. It is a deceptive sin. That is why Jesus said, "Be on your guard against all kinds of greed." The Bible calls covetousness idolatry in Colossians 3:5.
It is one thing to possess money, but it is another thing to have money possess you. I heard about a lady named Heidi Green. She was the richest woman in America. When she died, she had over 100 million dollars. Listen to her life style. Rather than buying clothes for the winter, she would stick news- paper into her clothes. After she had read her morning paper, she would then sell it. When she was dying, she would not allow a registered nurse to take care of her. She thought it would be a waste of money. So the nurses could not enter her room wearing their uniform. She could not die in peace if she thought they were wasting money on her. What was her problem? She loved money. Do you know why some people will not tithe? They just hate to let go of their money.
Everything that God made, He made it with the ability to give. The sun gives, se we have light. Trees give, because the trees give we have oxygen. God has put into His creation a reciprocal service. And that is the way God intends for us to live.
Somebody has said, that a bell is not really a bell until you ring it. A song is not really a song until you sing it. Love is not really love until you give it. Joy is not joy until you share it. And wealth is not really wealth until you spend it. What good is paper just sitting around.
Ecclesiastes 5:13
13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, (NIV)
Rusty riches will testy against you. That's what James is saying. Here was money that could have been used to win souls. Here was money that could have been used to build a church. Here was money that could have been used for the glory of God. But it wasn't. It was kept just for the sure love of money. God is interested in how you save your money.
SECOND -- THE BIBLE SAYS THERE IS A RIGHT WAY TO EARN YOUR MONEY.
James 5:4
4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. (NIV)
God is against gain that is wrongly obtained. And God is against those who oppress the poor. Did you know that God is always on the side of the poor. You better have a heart of love and compassion that wants to share with those who are in need.
The curse of God is upon ill gotten gain. Those who make money by the liquor industry and the gambling industry, those who make money by oppressing the poor, have the curse of God on them. If you're in a business that collects money the wrong way, you need to get out of that business.
THIRD -- THE BIBLE SAYS THERE IS A RIGHT WAY TO SPEND YOUR MONEY.
James 5:5
5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. (NIV)
Now God speaks to those who live for pleasure and pleasure alone. He speaks to those who take money and they just spend it on themselves. God is not against having pleasure. But God is against selfishness, and wastefulness. A miserly man is a miserable man.
John D. Rockefeller was dying at the age of 55. He had a bleeding ulcer. He could only eat crackers and milk. He could not sleep because of the sharp pains. And he was the richest man upon earth. His doctor told him, "Mr. Rockefeller, you are dying and you will be dead in a short time." Mr. Rockefeller thought, "If I'm going to die, then I'm going start giving away my money." So he started giving away millions of dollars. And the more he gave, the more God gave to him. And the more he gave, the happier he got. Later he testified, "When I learned to give, it changed my life, my ulcer healed up, and I could begin to sleep." He lived for 30 more years. A dying man who learned a secret, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
I wonder if we really believe that? The Bible says
Acts 20:35
35 the words the Lord Jesus himself said: `It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" (NIV)
FOUR -- THE BIBLE SAYS THERE IS A CERTAIN JUDGMENT FOR THE IMPROPER USE OF MONEY.
James 5:7-10
7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.
9 Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! 10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. (NIV)
What is James saying? He is saying that one of these days we will see the Lord and we will give an account of our stewardship. One of these days, Velva and I will have to give an account of how we used our money. How we saved it, how we obtained it, how we spent it and how we used it.
James says, "That's when you give, it is like planting a seed. The crop is going to come. If we have sown deeds of kindness, and seeds of sacrifice, and seeds of faith, and seeds of obedience, those seeds are going to produce precious fruit. That means that one day our Lord's going to come and He is going to reward His saints.
What you give is never lost. You have heard people say, "You can't take it with you." I heard of a man that was dying. He told his wife to take all his money and put it into a big jar. Then put the jar up in the attic. When I die, on my way up I'm going to take it up with me." So she did just as he said. And sure enough, he died. She went up into the attic and there sat the jar of money. She thought, "Maybe I should have put it into the basement." You can't take your money with you. But, I'll tell you what you can do. You can send it ahead. Jesus gave a parable saying that you can send your money ahead waiting for you in heaven. The only way to send your money to heaven is to invest it in something that is going to heaven. The only thing that I know that is going to heaven is the souls of those who trust in Jesus Christ.
God is interested in how you save your money, how you earn it, how you spend it, and how you use it. I am not ashamed to ask you at the end of this month to make an investment for the future. God has blessed us with a wonderful church. There are many wonderful causes. There are lots of ministries that are asking for your money. Billy Graham, Campus Crusade, mission causes around the world. But I'm going to tell you something, the most needful giving is for a Christian to support their local church. That's God's plan. This church is not some get rich quick scheme. Your gift will be a wise investment that will count for all eternity.
I'm going to ask you to see what you can give Sunday, January 29th. I wouldn't dare tell you what to give. But I will ask you to get alone with God and to pray, and to be aware of rusting riches. There comes a place where you have to trust God, and to do what God tells us to do. Get on your knees before God, and not to say, "What part do you want me to give, but to say, "I give it all to you Lord, now what part do you want me to keep." You decide what God would have you do. Whether it be little or it be big, let it be God's will and you will be blessed.
President Woodrow Wilson, was on a train in Billings, Montana. He was making a campaign speech and trying to raise funds for his election. His wife was with him. Two little boys had made their way to the very front of the crowd. One of the little boys reached down into his pocket, trying to find something to give to the president. The little boy found a dime, he took it out of his pocket. He handed it to President Wilson. And the president thanked the little boy. Woodrow Wilson lived for 5 years after that and then he died. His wife was going through his pockets and she found that dime. It was wrapped in a piece of paper in the presidents wallet. I thought about that. God knows the act of love that will be displayed by you. And God will keep record of that because He will know why you gave it.
You and I need to pray, "Lord, speak to our hearts what we should be giving to you. Use what we decide in our hearts to give. I pray Lord, that the amount that we tithe will be one that will glorify you. Lord, we will be satisfied with it, if it glorifies you. In Jesus name, Amen."
Tom Myers