NJ - Money Matters - Issues of the Heart
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· 15 viewsA sermon that talks about the right attitudes towards material possessions
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Money Matters - Issues of the Heart
Money Matters - Issues of the Heart
Contributed by Stephen E. Trail on Feb 10, 2014
Contributed by Stephen E. Trail on Feb 10, 2014
Good morning and Welcome on behalf of Ps John and Ps Anita
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Scripture:
Summary: A sermon that talks about the right attitudes towards material possessions.
Summary: A sermon that talks about the right attitudes towards material possessions.
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one 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.
"Money Matters"
When we start a discussion about money we can sometimes open a Pandora's box of issues especially where Christians are concerned. Two issues must be resolved if we are to handle money right.
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
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When we start a discussion about money we can sometimes open a Pandora's box of issues especially where Christians are concerned. Two issues must be resolved if we are to handle money rightly.
We cannot serve God and Mammon - No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other
24 “No one 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.
The love of money is a root of all evil
The love of money is a root of all evil
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
7) For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8) And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
The Rich Young Ruler - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YehxfK8oXx0
9) But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
18 He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’
19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”
26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
10) For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Once we understand the importance of these two issues we are ready to consider the following points.
We cannot serve God and Mammon
The love of money is a root of all evil
Dealing with the issues of the Heart
Dealing with the issues of the Heart
Boundaries are not restricking they are empowering
Boundaries are not restricking they are empowering
Point 1
God is interested in how we secure money
In this day and age when people seem able to compartmentalize their lives to a great degree there is the tendency to separate the secular from the spiritual. People who do this are under the false impression that somehow God does not care about what they do. But, the mistake they make is that we belong to God. God is just as interested in what you do at work as He is in what you do at worship! How then can we secure our money and do it in a way that is pleaseing God?
a. Work honourably
13 ‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning.
Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.
6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified.
Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
A just weight and balance are the LORD'S: all the weights of the bag are his work.
A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.
b. Work hard
9 He who is slothful in his work Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.
11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
4 The lazy man will not plow because of winter; He will beg during harvest and have nothing.
c. No work, No food
10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.
Unless a man works he should not eat
Point 2
God is interested in how we spend money
Not only does it matter to God how we earn our money but He is concerned about how we spend it too.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not..."
This verse asks the question, "Why do you spend your money on things that do not satisfy?" Just look at the average home and you will know the answer to this question.
Our homes are filled with things, with "stuff" and we just keep on spending and spending and acquiring and acquiring.
(Trying to fill a void, trying to be happy)
We are like the rich farmer who had a great harvest and tore down his barns so he could build bigger barns. We fill up our homes and garages, all our closets, and when those are all full we build storage buildings.
What are we spending our money on?
a. All that we are given is a trust from God
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.
) A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
b. Man is given authority over his possessions
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?
4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?
But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
c. Excessive debt is a trap Christians should avoid
26 Do not be one of those who shakes hands in a pledge, One of those who is surety for debts;
) Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.
The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
7 The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.
The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
d. Christians must honour their financial commitments
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’
) Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
e. Christians must not presume what we cannot know
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”;
14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
14) Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15) For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
Point 3
God is interested in how we save money
First, let me say that the Scriptures do not condemn saving money for a "rainy day" or for retirement or for a new car. There is a savings principle found in the following passage in :
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise,
7 Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler,
8 Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep—
11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.
- Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
Creating oportunities
We can and should save money but friend we should not hoard money! I have learnt to never be a hoarder of money. I am a saver of money but I have a different reason for saving. I want to be able to do something special from time to time in the Lord's work and saving allows me to do this.
Point 4
God is interested in how we share money
a. We are given skill to work so we have something to give to others
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
b. God does not want people in the church to give grudgingly - purpose in your heart
7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
) Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
8) And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
c. The size of the gift is not what makes it acceptable to the Lord
41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much.
42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.
43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury;
44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”
) And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
42) And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
43) And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
44) For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.
d. We are to do good to all, as we have opportunity
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
) As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
e. We will reap as we have sown
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
) But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
I COULD HAVE DONE MORE
The film Schindler's List chronicled the heroic efforts of a German industrialist named Oskar Schindler. Through his unselfish activities, over a thousand Jews on the trains to Auschwitz were saved. After Schindler found out what was happening at Auschwitz, he began a systematic effort to save as many Jews as he could. For money, he could buy Jews to work in his factory which was supposed to be a part of the military machine of Germany. On one hand he was buying as many Jews as he could, and on the other hand he was deliberately sabotaging the ammunition produced in his factory. He entered the war as a financially wealthy industrialist; by the end of the war, he was basically financially bankrupt.
When the Germans surrendered, Schindler met with his workers and declared that at midnight they were all free to go. The most emotional scene of the film was when Schindler said good-bye to the financial manager of the plant, a Jew and his good and trusted friend. As he embraced his friend, Schindler sobbed and said, "I could have done more." He looked at his automobile and asked, "Why did I save this? I could have bought 10 Jews with this." Taking another small possession he cried, "This would have saved another one. Why didn't I do more?"
Conclusion
One day Jesus is going to split the eastern sky and come for His own. It will not matter then how much money we have in a mutual fund or how many bedrooms we have in our homes. The temporary satisfaction we have in vacations and nice cars will be gone. Only what we have done for the cause of Christ will matter. The Privilege we have only now, is to use God's resources for things that eternally matter.