God's Economy

Economic realities

Investment:

10 30 10 $9,802

10 30 20 $19,547

10 30 50 $48,783

Credit card:

$5000 balance Minimum payment: $75.00 per month.

18% interest: 25 years to pay your debt.

$17,107 in interest alone.

That $5000 will cost you a total of $22,107.

Do you every put gifts on a credit card? I don’t mean that your one of those weird people that used a credit card for the whole month and then pay off the balance in full each month. I’m talking about not having the money to buy a gift or gifts, so you put in on a card, figuring you would get it paid off at some point.

Would you put a tithe or offering on a credit card?

NO

You give back to God. You give from your increase.

God’s economic plan:

Not just talking about money...

Have you experienced this? Have you every had your heart broken? I mean you give your time, money, love. You give sacrificially to someone, and then they just dump you. And you are crushed. Listen to sad songs, and mope around. If you believe what you see on tv, the guys get drunk with their buddies and do something dangerous, and the girls cry and eat ice cream.

You are devastated, because you entered a relationship the other person didn’t hold up their end of the bargain.

It was a contractual relationship, and the other person broke the terms of the agreement.

Here is what happened, you went in debt, emotionally. You gave of yourself, and you needed them to give back to you and they didn’t and it left you broke.

That is not how we are supposed to give!!!! We don’t put tithes on a credit card, so why would you give to any one else that way?

God’s Economy.

In 2nd Corinthians 9 Paul is boasting on the Corinthians. They had promised to help the churches of Judea and Paul was both praising them for it and making sure they were ready to fulfil their promise. So he sent some brothers in the faith to make sure.

I’m not good at remembering birthdays. Martye is good to remind me. Doesn’t mean I don’t love you....

2 Corinthians 9:5 NASB95

5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness.

Gods economy.

2 Corinthians 9:6 NASB95

6 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Look at what Christ said

Luke 6:35–38 NASB95

35 “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36 “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. 38 “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

Back to the corinthians.

2 Corinthians 9:7 NASB95

7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Isaiah 53:10 NASB95

10 But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.

OBLIGATION. = Not giving because you want to, but because you feel like you owe it to someone.

MANIPULATION. = Someone trying to make you feel obligated.

GREED = Give to get. Money, fame, etc.

All these will leave you empty.

Luke 6:35: “Lend expecting nothing in return.”

Why didn’t Jesus say give instead of lend?

I think it is because if you give, you have no legal right to repayment. If you lend you have a legal right to repayment and you choose to forgo it.

The secret

2 Corinthians 9:8 NASB95

8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

Abundance for every good deed.

You only give from what God has already given you.

You don’t put tithes on a credit card.

Tithes use to be the “first fruits”

God gives you love and the love that you gives others is the overflow.

God gives you money, and what you give others is the abundance of that.

But you have to be tapped into the source.

Ask me how I know.

I want to tell you about the Macedonians.

2 Corinthians 8:1–5 NASB95

1 Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, 2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. 3 For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, 4 begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, 5 and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

You have to give yourself to God, and let Him give you you first!.