To Give, or Not to Give - Mar. 7th, 2021

Take your hymn book once again and we'll sing 438. I hope you will enjoy singing songs this month about missions and service and soul winning and anything involved with that. So I hope you enjoy the song all through this month 438. I'll ask you to stand once again as we sing footsteps of Jesus.

Please sing off were versus.

Dwyane Wade

storing Noms on the board

We Will We Will Follow the steps. Thank you. You may be seated pastor.

Hey, man, take your Bible and join me in the Book of Luke tonight. The Gospel, According to Luke Chapter number 16 Luke chapter number 16 thankful for the emphasis. We have this month to get our mind and heart set where it needs to be on the mission field and that begins right here at home. I had a pastor he was up. He was a man that came and taught a seminar for us at College one time. He got us with a trick question. He asked us all in the room. It was a ministerial class and he said how many of you in here are Church Planters and when yeah, there you go past and knows that that trick. Yeah. It's a trick question. Every one of us should have raised their hands. Did you know that each one of us are Church Planters in a sense? You may not be the one that actually is sent out like Paul and Silas. Were you maybe one that tags along on the team with them? But wherever you're at your church is your local church and you ought to be a church planting and helping in that Ministry in whatever capacity you can and so I've been a church planter ever since I understood that is what the Lord wanted me to do that was back in and I think 2003/2004 when he made that that understanding available to me and since then I've not looked back little did I know it would be some years after that that seed that was planted.

That seed that was planted brought forth fruit because in 2010 my family and I would be sent out as a Paul and Barnabas situation to go to Broomfield and plant a church in the sense of what you're thinking of right now to go plan churches. Amen. And so now God's blessed and we're here together and welcome fellow Church planters. Thank you for joining us on this journey and helping us. So the seat of the word of God looking forward to one day when God brings a harvest. You're in Luke chapter 16 want to draw your attention to the beginning of the chapter. Let's read this Parable and then I've got a message that I have preached at our church before so this might be a reminder for some of us here tonight. Some of these things will not be original with me. But I think it's right where we are and where we need to be right now and the Lord can have his way if we'll let him Luke chapter 16 verse number 1 the Bible says and he said it also unto his disciples Apostles right there for just a second. Go back in your mind to that last time. We just son the footsteps of Jesus. Walking by the way with him we saying that song if it leads through this area that leads to this place and I'll be right there following the footsteps of Jesus. So let's do that as we read follow in his footsteps. He said unto his followers on to his disciples. There was a certain rich man, which had a steward note that this is a steward what we know about stewardship managing something that belongs to another. Just a manager. That's how old he is. So in the story Jesus tells you have a certain rich man. He had a steward and the same was accused under him. That he had wasted his Goods. Any cold him and said unto him. How is it that I hear this of Thee? Give an account of that stewardship for thou mayest be no longer Stewart. In the steward said within himself what shall I do for my Lord take it away from me the stewardship. I cannot dig to beg. I'm ashamed. I'm resolved what to do. That when I'm put out of the stewardship. They may receive me into their houses. So we called every one of his Lord's debtors unto him and set it to the first how much I owe us about unto my Lord and he said and hundred measures of oil. He said unto him take dye Bill and sit down quickly and write 50 then said he to another and how much I owe us now and he said and hundred measures of wheat, you send it to him take that bill and right for score. That's sick.

Yep, for score 20 40 60 80. Thank you. I'm terrible at math. And the Lord commanded the unjust Steward. Do you see that inverse number eight? I would he do that for getting less than what are you giving the Lord commended the unjust Steward because he had done wisely. For the children of this world are in their generation. Why is there than the children of light and I say unto you make to yourselves Friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness that when you fail that she made that may receive you into Everlasting habitations. They may receive you verse 10. He that is faithful and that which is least is Faith full sew in March. And he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. verse 11 Is there for you if not been faithful in the unrighteous Mammon who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you've not been faithful in that which is another man's who shall give you that which is your own. First 13 let's read it out loud together. No servant 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 you cannot serve God and Mammon Lord. I ask that you would help us to understand your word clearly tonight. I beg you Lord that you would hide me behind Jesus that was said and done would Magnify Him and his finished work on Calvary that as we consider the things you've blessed us with Lord. Our minds wouldn't just stop at what you've done financially. Although that is a very tangible way that we can see our spiritual condition many times the Lord that we would look beyond the material. We would look beyond the Mamon stir our hearts. To be able to set our affections on things above help us Lord to consider your throne.

And just like this unjust steward. We're going to give an account one day. And each of us Lord, I know myself. I Feel So Unworthy I don't know how much time I have left Lord. I spent many years away from you. The young man I squandered much of my life and much of my time. But I'm thankful. You didn't let me go Lord. You gave me another chance. You invited me to follow you and put my hand to the plough Not Looking Back Lord. I've endeavored to do that to the best of my ability and you've helped me but Lord, I still feel so inadequate.

You're the one Lord that can bring increase. You're the one that can. Help what's planted be watered? Oh God, I pray that you would stir our hearts tonight to consider our ways to seek your blessing not for ill intent not for the wrong motive the Lord because we love you and I'll thank you for how you helped us. Grow in your word tonight in Jesus name. I pray amen. One person said it this way. He said that as a small thing as a penny. Will shut out from our vision as large a thing as the sun? So can Mammon. block our vision from God that's powerful when you think about it. What might obscure us being able to see God work and moving Our Lives Can I submit to you tonight that I believe how we control our financial matters is a direct indication. Of how we manage our spiritual affairs? I'm not this person. I've never required to serve our church and I'm sure Pastor Ward. I don't know that he would have ever have done this here at First Baptist through the history that he's been here, but I did hear preachers doing this and I was like, wow that's pretty bold. They had, you know folks that were in their meeting get out their checkbooks and started comparing checkbooks. Hey, that's pretty invasive, isn't it? Oh, let's go down line item and his point that he made by doing that was you can learn a lot about how spiritually minded someone is just by looking through their check. What is their focus what what gets the most out of that now, that's a daring exercise isn't it? And we don't want to do that here tonight obviously, but it's a good a good challenge. To keep coming back to and maybe you were doing better at one point. Then you are now maybe you're doing better now than you have been at other times. It's all between us and the Lord but as we've been challenged this morning with faith promise missions and supporting the work of missions. It might be a good time to just step back and take a survey again. Maybe sit down and have some family meetings and just say what are we doing? Why are we doing what we're doing? Where are our resources being channelled whether it's on purpose or just happening, you know week to week because things coming things go and maybe by just doing a little bit of a self audit will learn there may be some things have obscured us from seeing God. It could be. Our control of financial matters is a direct indication of our control in spiritual matters. What's our goal as following Jesus when Jesus called his disciples under them under himself. He said follow me. So what was their goal? To follow him. Hold on a minute Lorde. Hey Pops, can we pack up the fishing boat? I need to put that in my backpack. Come on. Let's go. I don't read about Peter and John doing that. They left that was Zebedee their father and they followed Jesus with his Blessing mind you I believe that was with his Blessing. But we have other accounts in the scriptures where Jesus did invite some to follow him and they said Oh Lord. Hold on. Let me go take care of this or let me take care of that. Let me do this. Jesus said you're not fit. What is our goal as a follower of Jesus is it not to be a free servant of Christ to be free to serve him. I wish some more of our governmental leaders could understand that. We need to be free to serve it to serve Jesus to be able to share the gospel and help others. The way Christ has called us to do. Complete Freedom that speaks to so much more than just Financial pressures. Doesn't it? But its Financial pressures apart of that. Financial pressure sometimes is where we feel the greatest pinch because that's what we have to make day-to-day decisions on. Freedom from Financial pressure. That's a good goal. That's a worthy goal. If you're going to follow Jesus because it will help you provide a testimony of God's power God's love and providing for you in protecting you notice first off with me tonight. There is spiritual power in the scriptural handling of your finances.

Yeah.

Is there spiritual power to be seen when we handle our finances in a scriptural way in the way? God would have us handle our finances Jesus said in Matthew 6:24. We read the equivalent Luke. He said there are no man can serve two masters for either. He will hate the one that is despised the one and love the other else. You will hold to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and Mammon, so put it on the scales which one outweighs. There was a man in the Bible that did the same thing. His name was Esau and he despised his Birthright for a mess of pottage. His life was at stake in his mind. He justified it every way from Sunday. I told Jacob round up with the with the birthright and then later on wind up with the blessing didn't he and the scriptures remind us of this man Esau lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble us. What was it that troubled Esau? Well, he would have a nation come from his lineage. Jacob would have a nation come from his lineage. Where's the nation of Jacob today? Where's the nation that came from Esau? Be careful what you do? It has lasting impact decisions matter. We can potentially miss some blessings that God might want to give us if a person has a closed mind towards seeing the spiritual effects of biblical financial principles than will they receive them the blessings that come to those who otherwise have an open heart towards what the Bible says about how to handle your finances who's going to get the blessings will be those that close it out or those that welcome with the Bible says

We seeing where my favorite hymns is. Jesus Paid It All

1st Corinthians, 6:20 reminds us ye plural. Ye are bought with a price. Who paid it all? He paid the price.

We are not our own we have been redeemed. But why we sing Jesus Paid It All let's remember the next line.

You do know it. All to him I owe.

All to him I owe. Old man's Hammer say it like this. He said certain Divine requirements. Grow out of our being bought with a price such love demands. My soul my life my all we are to glorify God in body and spirit. We are to glorify God ourselves. With self we need to bring glory to God. We are to glorify him not just in our cells were to glorify him in our service. Your bought with a price First Corinthians 7 23 now don't finish that one too quick before you look it up. you know the rest of that verse says 1st Corinthians 7:23 Your bought with a price. Be not ye the Servants of men.

Think that's true. The borrower is servant to the lender BeNaughty Servants of men now, wait a minute. I thought we were supposed to serve Christ and serve each other. That's not the kind of tation of a servant here. Don't get so encumbered with with other things that are worldly that you can't serve Christ first put him first. Be not you the Servants of men wear to glorify him and ourselves were to glorify him in our service were to glorify him. Also, as we sojourned Peter tells us since we been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. We are to pass the time of our sojourning here in fear First Peter chapter 1 verses 17 to 21 with ourselves with our service with our sojourning. Can we glorify God? It will do that will have a greater chance that we'll see the blessings of God rather than miss the blessings of God self-service sojourning all to him I owe because what he paid it all. Jesus Paid It All while we sing about the price that he paid we better check on what God expects for us. Not just to repay him. That's not what it's about. But as the expression of our hearts and love because he redeemed us. Are you Redeemed by the Precious Blood of the Lamb then pass your time of sojourning here with fear? Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We could potentially miss the blessings that God would have for us if we have a closed mind close hard to what the Bible says about handling things biblically concerning our financial matters, but there's a promise of blessing if we abide by those biblical principles we seek the scriptures on how to be wise with what God blesses us with then when we abide by these biblical principles of finance that brings promises blessings. I'm going to go to a path of Passage here that is often quoted in relation to giving but I want you to see it with me. Turn over to Malachi chapter 3 and verse number 10.

I think in your mind remember what was happening in Malachi's day. We had a a message recently on Malachi.

God's people were in a bad way. By the time you come to the close of the Old Testament. They worked their fingers to the Bone and the prophets description is that they work so hard they put their money in what seemed to be backs with holes.

Dave Ramsey says it like this you have too much month at the end of the money.

This is their predicament. They had the Devourer come and and devour everything. They put their hand today. They were not experiencing God's blessings why it's clear amalekites because they had neglected the things of the Lord. They had neglected the house of God had neglected what God had told them to do. Now this is the Old Testament, right? These are covenants are blessings that God had promised to bless Israel with their under the law. We are under grace. We won't understand that everything we do forgot everything we give essentially is a free-will offering now. because in their system How are they going to operate their government paying their tithes would be equivalent to paying a tax in a sense? In fact, I think it's even reference. That's the temple tax. Let's make sure we understand. What a Biblical ties is it supersedes and super it's over the principle of the ties goes all the way back to Abraham before the Mosaic law. He goes back to Jacob. And so we talked about tithing. Let's not put God in a box and say it only applies to the Mosaic law. It's a principle that out of what God gives us. We just desire to give back to who to him. Because he's the one that's worthy. Abraham is a good example of that but here and Malachi they had neglected their Duty.

They were Bound by the law of Moses to do this and they fail. What do you suppose would happen if you neglect your duty to the IRS to Long? Okay. Now you're on the same page with me but notice they were challenged by Malachi bring you some of the tithes into the you're going to read an hour to bring you all of the tides. Don't let the word tide scare you it only means a tent that is literally the Hebrew word for tent. That's what it is bring ye all the tithes into where the storehouse okay, when we go to 2nd or 1st Corinthians 16:2. We see that the New Testament Saints the New Testament Believers. Where was their storehouse? It was the local church. That is the New Testament equivalent of the storehouse of what Israel had. So we begin with the tides, but that not all to be only what we do and where we go. We begin with a tie the end. We we move on from there why that there may be meeting my house so that the operation of the temple could continue and noticed that she says prove me now herewith say who the Lord of hosts Jehovah of armies the Lord of hosts test me prove me. Okay, Israel listen up. I'm going to give you a test you do this and see what happens. What is God saying will happen if they test him? If I will not open using the what?

Windows of you know, there's another time in the Bible when Windows of Heaven is used. It's not such a good context. I don't know about you, but I'd rather be on this side of God saying he's going to open the windows of heaven then on the other side of who's Hank going to open the windows of Heaven because that's when Noah's flood happened. And he open the windows of Heaven and the rains brought judgment the water Rose and covered the Earth and God's going to judge the Earth again, but not with a flood. He's going to judge it with fire. When Jesus comes again. The God tells his real his chosen Nation. He says you do this. You test me you prove me and see if I don't open the windows of heaven and immediately they're thinking floods deluge. You see this is going to be so much God's telling them you just do this. You just do this and it's going to be so much. You're not going to be able to contain it. Can I tell you prophetically a little bit I believe here Malachi is pointing way into Israel's future. Even Beyond where they're at day that this promise still holds true for them that if they will get right with God, by the way, the Bible says they one day will We're going to see blessings. Like we've never seen before on this Earth and instead of opening the windows of Heaven to bring judgment. He's going to open the windows of Heaven to restore this Earth back like the Garden of Eden. We serve a great God and he is able to do that. You believe he is. So we pass our time of sojourning we're just so journey is not my home. I'm just passing through if we're going to see him pour out these blessings, you know, would it be great to have a little taste of Heaven on Earth here now not to have to wait till there and then I know that prophetically, you know, we're looking at the end of all things in the culmination of things and these blessings will be on this real eventually make it right, but can we not have just a little taste here now?

We don't have to live in fear. We don't have to live in a state where the church has to go into hiding if America will just wake up. There are churches can remain free to continue sowing the seed of the word of God spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ in peace because that's why we pay pray for our leaders right for them to have wisdom when God's people are well, then it goes well when God's people are persecuted throughout history, it's not gone. Well, but does not God sometimes use persecution on his church to get them moving. Thank you. Yes, Saturday Pastor Larson for reminding us of that. Absolutely. He does Proverbs 3:9. My life verse is Proverbs 3 5 and 6 and you can even had seven of that but don't stop reading there because you go read verse number 9 and look what it says. If you're going to trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He Shall direct thy path you need to keep reading because Denver's number 9 it reminds us. Honor the Lord with us substance. and with the first fruits of all thine increase hi 10th of everything God's given Lord this all of it belongs to you. I'm going to give it back what I can. First fruits. This was an important aspect of Israel's culture as well wasn't to give their first fruits. Why because it acknowledges that everything belongs to the first fruits of all thine increase Proverbs 11:24 reminds us of another principle there. Is that scattereth and yet increases Proverbs is a book that I love to think through and meditate on how can you scatter something and see it increase usually when you scattered it. I know what happens when you take a bed of coals and scatter them and they sure don't increase unless you scatter in the wrong area. Then you might have a force to hurt on your hands just scatter. We don't usually think of increasing but there is that which scatter is. And what happens if you had it increases? This is how God's economy works. By the way, it works different from what the world might think it would work. pass rewards message this morning about the sewer you scatter and eventually the corn of wheat dies But it doesn't abide alone if it dies because then as the Lord it brings forth fruit.

The first fruits of all done increased areas that scattereth and yet increaseth there is that withhold is more than his meat or more than is suitable. But it tended to Poverty grabbing holding that we ought to be Savers. Okay. I'm I'm from believing a firm believer that you need to save as much as you can but what he's saying here is if you would hold more than his meat Scrooge greedy then you tended to Poverty you might be sitting on all your gold Mountain by yourself, but you're really poor. There's plenty of people that live that way by the way. Proverbs 11:25 the next verse says the liberal Soul shall be made fat and he that water is shall be watered also himself. Are you going to handle your your finances? You can handle the things that God has given you the way that the Bible teaches us to handle them. You have an open mind to that. If you water God says you'll be watered yourself.

It's never happened as long as I've followed the Lord that I've given something and not received. Holds back. I don't know how I don't even want to try to count. You heard the story of the caterpillar in vinegar and he made all this money in his net profit was increasing every year and he gave more money away to Charities. Nobody could figure out how he kept increasing his net worth when he gave so much away. It just didn't make business sense and he answered it real simple. You've heard him you've heard this before he's he was asked and he said well, it's really easy got shovels it out. And you know, I shovel it out and got shovels it back and he shovels bigger.

You water you'll be water. And if we give it will be given to us but not just given to us. Luke tells us it's pressed down shaken together running over. That's how God gives back. I don't know about you, but I think I get the better end of that deal. Cuz I'm limited. He's unlimited. I'm finite he's infinite.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God. And his righteousness and all these things what things will in the context it was food and raiment. The things that the disciples were concerned about remember, they left everything to follow Jesus and he assures them. It's going to be okay. You let God take care of the things that you're concerned about. Don't worry about tomorrow you plan for tomorrow, but don't worry about tomorrow. You let God handle that you just be faithful of what he's blessed you with be a good Steward Channel those blessings and decide where God is going to have you put that on purpose purpose in your heart and then get Where it's it's not mean to do that. It'll tend to Poverty. So there is great spiritual power and having our finances where they ought to be according to the Bible. But notice secondly there serious problems of unscriptural management. We can have serious problems when we control our own finances. Hold on. Hold on now think this through but wait a minute shouldn't I should not have a control on on my finances? Well, that depends. When we control our finances listen now instead of making God the one who controls our finances now you see where we're going. Then we can make some big mistakes. If it's if it's us controlling our own finances. Now, you need to be a good Steward. You need to put thought and prayer and planning into what you're going to do with what God has blessed you with. Yes, but when you are the controller, then you take the position of owner which belongs to him you with me. There's some rock results when we try to follow the world's way. I'll give you two areas here. Well this another there's three that I've got listed the first would be the problem of death. How many people are wracked with this? I wonder will destroy your testimony. It'll destroy your testimony. It'll destroy God's testimony. Why do I say that 2nd Kings chapter 4 verses 1 through 7 tell us about a sad situation where God intervened and God showed up and it was powerful but it was a sad situation because you have this lady that her husband love the Lord serve the Lord but got himself in over his head in debt and then he passed away. He died and left her holding the debt with her sons. And she didn't know what to do. She's beside herself. She didn't know where to go. Didn't she she went to the man of God she saw him for help. What a testimony. That's a terrible testimony. What what man in his right mind would want to do this to his family? I don't know that he didn't mean to mind you. But his sons are about to pay the price because they're going to get sold into slavery. That brings bondage. And it has impact. Elijah had to help this poor woman, so that God's name wasn't run through the mud by his own profit. Is you know God's people can mess up sometimes too. We need to be careful pretty sad. It destroys testimonies, it destroys yours and gods it also brings bondage bondage. Now two men instead of bondage to God because bondage to God is a good thing. We need to be Bond servants to the Lord. We need a big band slaves that a strong terminology when pool uses that but when we shackle ourselves to men instead of to God, we have problems Proverbs 22:7 reminds us the rich ruler over the poor and the borrower is servant to the lender. 2nd Timothy 2:4 Paul reminded Timothy Hay if you're going to be in the ministry, if you're going to give your life to serve the Lord and do what he's told you to do. No, man, that war is entangled himself with the Affairs of this life that he may please him who has chosen him to be a soldier. Don't get entangled in the Affairs of this life. Why because that will destroy your testimony. It will bring bondage. It will limit your ability to respond to when God leads you when God starts revealing his will to you if you are Shackled with that you will be limited in what you can do for God. I'm just being straightforward with you.

No, man can serve two masters.

when our pastor approached us about the prospects of planting a church. Back in 2009. He asked us to pray about it. We did The Next Step was to sit down and talk through some things. You know, one of the first questions he asked me. And quite smiling because she was there too. Damn. Do you have any debts?

And we were able to sit down with him and say well we're not, you know rolling in dough or anyting but we've tried to be as wise as we can with things and no we don't have any debts apart for my mortgage and I think with a car payment make the time very little credit card debt. Nothing that we couldn't just take care of if we had to it's hard living that way. It's really hard living that way sometimes. And I won't go into it here, but we can share with you. If you ever asked I can my wife will be glad to let you know all the times she was stuck at home without a vehicle pulling her out with a little ones running around with all of this God provided for us, but had I told my pastor I've got this and we got this and we got this and and He would have had to say I know he would have he would have had to say to me, you know, maybe you just need to hold off awhile come back when you have that cleared up because the financial pressure that it takes in church planting if we wouldn't have come into it with what we were doing at the time. I don't know how we had it would have ever made it now. I'm not saying God can't provide and situations he can but you see how it can limit it can really limit what you want to do for God. If you live Shackled In that way. So do everything you can if you do have these kind of debts that a revolving things and things that you can you don't get rid of set of plan now to work out of that so that you can position yourself to say when God, you know shows up and says, this is where I'm leaving than you can say. Yes, Lord. No Holds Barred how liberating would it be to be able to come and do a service during a mission services in your local church and hear a missionary get up and present a need and say, you know, we're really struggling because we need this. X whatever it is and to be able to just without letting the right hand know what the left hand does maybe consult briefly with one another if you're married, or if you're the Lord's free person serving him. You just kind of look at things and go, you know. I can take care of that. And you just drop something in the offering and then the pastor calls with the missionary and says hey, you know that thing you mentioned you needed. It's waiting for you right over here. What? How liberating would it be to be able to do something like that? Because the Lord LED, you know, keep in mind the Lord needs to lead in those things. That's freedom to be able to serve God and to be able to begin Channel those blessings. He's giving you to where he leads you to put them and I'm a firm believer in the local church. It needs to be channeled through your local church. I am a firm believer in that. It produces bondage it limits our response to what God might want to do and we can stand the danger of getting presumptuous on the future. Don't forget what James 5 warm stuff with the pastor's heart. He writes to these Believers that have a lot of carnality a lot of fighting a lot of problems going on. They wonder why their prayers can't get answered and he reminds him draw nigh to God. He'll draw one. Are you in the very next chapter after that James tells them in James chapter 4 later on down in verses 13 and 15 go to now ye that say today or tomorrow. We will go into such and such City continue their year buy and sell and get game where as you know, not what shall be on tomorrow for. What is your life? It is even A vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away for what for that you ought to say if the Lord will we shall live and do this or that?

That's good advice. Take no thought for the morrow for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Another problem we can have him set it if we don't honor biblical principles, we could wind up in a place in our lives. We have doors open to us that really should have never even been available think that through you could be presented with temptations that you would never face. Had you just done what God prescribes in his word. It leaves doors open to be unethical. To maybe do things in a shady way that God's people have no business doing. Proverbs 28:22 tells us he that hasteth to be rich. half an evil eye you don't know anybody like that. Do you? There's nobody like that in America for sure. Consider is not that poverty shall come upon him. There's tremendous blessing. In having our financial house in order where the Bible says it should be and it keeps us from some of the serious problems that can come when we try to manage our finances in our own way on our own time controlling them instead of of letting God do that because we're leaving God out. Let me give you thirdly. They sure plan.

for financial failure Spiritually in other words, how can you fail in Business Without Really Trying or if you want to get poor quick, here you go. Number one. You need to follow the debt strategy. What I mean by that just go wild with credit card Mania. Don't worry about plastic to me. Don't cut any of them up. Just go crazy with him. Borrow heavily if you're going to fail if you're going to be miserably ratchet and pouring you want to get pork quick. This is way to do it borrowed heavily from depreciating items.

So that you can commit God's money to pay interest on things that are already worn out. And then if you're going to follow the debt strategy, you need to abandon any spiritual discernment just go spend carelessly on frivolous things so that when you really need to have something you got to go borrow to get it that is the first step.

To assure plan for failure now. Let me give you what I've found to be Solomon's slippery six slippery steps to the slums. Now a preacher definitely wrote that one Solomon six slippery steps to the slums. You ready for them be stingy. Number one there is at scattereth and yet increases there is that withhold it more than his meat, but tended to Poverty the illustration of last year of the monkey with his hand in the cookie jar just be stingy. That's the first step to the slums and then the second step would be go ahead get rich quick.

Because he that haste is to be rich Proverbs. 28:22 has an evil eye and consider is not that poverty shall come upon Him. Certainly the third step you need to take to the slums is be stubborn just be obstinate Proverbs 13:18 poverty and shame shall be to him that refuses instruction you go ahead and Harden your neck go ahead and stiffen it up. Get ready heat it regardless reproof shall be honored. If you're on your way to the slums. You don't want that. So just go ahead and Harden your neck. Number for cultivate laziness. Alright, this is the only way to make it you're going to have to be as lazy as you can be and be as creative about being lazy as you can be some people are Masters at this. Proverbs 20 verse 13 says love not sleep less the outcome to open thine eyes and thou shalt be satisfied with bread number 5 if you're going to follow these six steps to the slums. You need to kick keep feeding your flesh. Just feed your flash. Whatever. You want go get it. Just feed your flash feed your flesh. That'll put you there real quick Proverbs. 23:20 one says the drunker than the Glutton shall come to poverty and drowsiness shall close the man with rags and then the next step here is if you're going to make it all the way to the slums you going to need to be crappy. shrewd sometimes unethical you're going to have to cut Corners. You're going to have to figure out the shortcuts everywhere you go be crafty Proverbs 28:19 reminds us he that Tillis his land shall have plenty of bread. But if you're going to crap that you're going to find ways around not tilling.

He that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough. Go ahead cut those corners. That is Solomon six steps to the slums. Lot of people find themselves there and they never intended to go but they didn't honor scriptural principles in their life and they look back and they wonder how did we get here do it God's way we'll have already missed that boat. I can't do God's what? Yes, you can if you're still breathing God still bless you with something. He gives each one of us time. How are you managing your time every day just start there. Surely there's something you can do with what God has given you so that you don't want it up in Solomon's slums the fourth and final thing. I'll share with you here tonight is some scriptural proof why God desires control of your finances. Give that to him just say yes, Lord, you take control of my finances. I want you to call the shots. You just tell me where to put it. That's all I want to be is a channel Lord. Let me give you some scriptural proof why God desires that Proverbs 23 verse number four would be a good reference here because it reminds us that everything everything everything belongs to who God Acts 14 15 we read this and saying service. Why do you these things we also are men of like passions with you and preached unto you that you should turn from these vanities onto the Living God which made Heaven and Earth and the sea in all things that are there in it's all his acts 17:24 Paul preaching on Mars Hill. He reminded us that God made the world and all things therein sing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth. Well, it's not in temples made with hands. We can never be blessed until we learn that we can bring nothing to Christ but our need. Thank you. Hope Vance havner. the second thing that proves why God desires control her finances is not only does everything belong to him, but He's the best at managing it all.

You won't do better than him. I promise you. He is best at.

He is a better Financial manager and he knows our needs far better than sometimes we even do you don't believe me? What about the feeding of the 5000? Or the 4000 what about that time? We read about the miracle of Elijah in the unfailing oil. Or the An Empty Barrel just keep going back and there's more there's more. I don't know where this is coming from God's a better manager. What about when Jesus turned water into wine? That's the case in point. Is he not a better manager of it? He has control where we don't even sometimes he's best at it. Certainly he wants to use things like this to demonstrate his power to us to reveal himself in our lives and Powerful ways. He wants to demonstrate how much he loves you we run into this question all the time. Maybe it's never verbalized but it's on people's minds. You can see it if God's you know in control of everything then why are we going through things like we're going through with covid comes back. I get it. I'm not downplaying it. It's terrible. I don't wish that on anybody. It's horrible what you have to go through when you get the bad symptoms. God forbid. We have to live with things like that. But is it God's fault? You see when you live with a genie type God that you rub the lamp and ask for three wishes kind of thing. Then when your God fails you your left at the creep, how are you going to rationalize that I understand where they're coming from, but that's not my God. I don't serve a genie God. He's the most high God it and even in circumstances like covid he shows himself powerful and he shows himself real and he he intervenes in our lives and he never leaves us to ourselves unless we choose to go away from him. But he's always cared for me. He's always taken care of his own. It may not always be in the way. I think it should be but God's been so good. I can say God's been nothing but good to us through covid nothing but good in every way and if we look close enough, we'll see how much he loves us. We'll see how much power he has to help and do things that we could never even dreamed or imagined. Jesus reminded behold the fowls of the air just look at the birds. Are they so not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet? Your heavenly father feeds them in his question to his disciples. Are you not much better than they course you are. That's a rhetorical question. You're so much better. I just got in trouble with all the equality people didn't I say we're better than Birds. Well, I didn't say it. Jesus said it Matthew 6:30. He reminded us where for if God so clothe the grass of the field which today is and tomorrow is cast into the oven shall he not much more clothe you oh ye of little faith seek, first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you the fusions 320 reminds us now unto him under who unto the one who owns that all the one who's the better manager than I saw the one who wants to demonstrate his power and love to us in our lives under him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that. We ask or think according to the power. That work is in US Elijah was a man who had to trust God to bring him his food every day. But then also he got that food from the fouls. But this was the same man who's able to call fire down from heaven. He had to trust God. Where's my daily food? Where's my daily bread here comes from the Raven. How do you like that for dinner? That's pretty terrible imagery to my mind right now birds feeding Elijah, but this is the same man mind you that called fire down from heaven and called Israel to make a decision to no longer halt between two opinions. If God is God then serve him if the gods of this world her. Then serve them to choose who you're going to serve. The lesson that we learn at Carmel about God's power he wants to demonstrate his power the god that answers by fire Elijah said let him be gone 1st Kings 18 20 for that great day on caramel had all the elements of the mighty movie moving of God. It had the promise of the showers of blessing verse one human efforts of a a have an open fire to meet the need of the hour in verses 12 to 26 verse 22 16 scuse me God's man who was in a sense the trouble of Israel. Remember they have blamed God's man on all the problems that it was really a ABS fault to begin with God's man who was innocent the trouble of Israel? He was seen as the disturber of some kind of false peace that they had was holding two and then you have the call for them to take a stand for God or for bail and verse 21 and then came the test of time. Not the god that answers by finances. or the god Answers by Fame or the guy that answer is my feelings. but the guy that answer is by Fire let him be God verse 24. They repaired the broken Alters verse 30, then the fire of the Lord fell in verse 38. Look at verse 41 in 1st Kings 18. And after the fire fell we read these words in verse 41. There is a sound of abundance of rain put that together in your mind the fire fell why because Elijah did what God had told him to do exactly the way God told him to do it the fire fell he prayed it down from heaven. And then why did the rain come? Fire and Water he prayed both of them down. both of them the same man who serve. Elijah prayed down both fire and water and do we not need both today? We need fire from the Lord and you'll see that fire show up. Like those that were at Pentecost. When God's people get full of the Holy Spirit, and I'm not talking about getting Pentecostal will stay bapticostal Pastor War. Don't worry about it, but When God's people get full of the spirit of God, it's described like cloven tongues of fire. We need the fire of God today more than we've ever needed it. But we need the water of God too. And we need God to rain down the water of his word on a parts dry and thirsty land. We are suffering from a dearth of Famine of the word of God just like they did in the days of Amos. God give us fire from heaven to give us water from Heaven as well. when the fire of his Spirit Falls from above the floods of His blessings are sure to follow sure to follow God wants a bold Witness He wants you to witness for him. He wants to protect our testimony and his testimony don't be like that profit that we read about that left his family holding the bag because he got himself wrapped with debt and couldn't handle it. Don't be that person protect your testimony protect God's testimony be like Abraham when he was presented with the The Riches of the world the king of Sodom came and laid everything down the speed and you can have all this if you'll just give me credit for something Abraham said not on your life. Abraham made a choice between the world and God and what do we find Abraham doing giving a ties? And having fellowship with no kids attack and Genesis 14 because he chose God and he said I don't want the king of Sodom even saying he gave me a shoelace paraphrasing. Only want a shoelace from the world. I'm going to spend time with God and everything that Abraham recovered he gave the Lord that tied he had fellowship with him. He broke bread with him. See there's some things that that we just need to be on the right page with God. Leave those things in the world of themselves Abraham the king of Sodom. Is he going to serve the kingdom Sodom and become in bondage to him or is he going to serve the king of Salem? Who did he pick the king of Salem milk is a deck. Godly giving does something else. When we give God's way it brings his people together. Think about how that works. God wants to unite his people around a common cause he's giving us the Great Commission to do that. I want to have you turn over. I am aware of the time. We'll be done here momentarily 2nd Corinthians chapter 8. I just want you to read it with this thought in mind of how how God brings his people together when we get on the same page and get focused on talking about intense focused on getting the gospel out both here and abroad let's read it 2nd Corinthians 8 beginning of verse number 1 Brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia how that in a great trial of Affliction a great trial of covid-19 skidding the abundance of their Joy. and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality doesn't even make sense.