Fool Proofing Your Finances

Fool Proofing Your Finances | Proverbs A woman who traveled abroad without her husband got to Paris and found a fabulous bracelet she'd been looking for. So she sent [her husband a text] saying, "I have found this beautiful bracelet, one I've been looking for all my life. It only costs $7,500. Do you think I can buy it?" Her husband [responded] back a short but firm reply, "No, price too high!" ... But in the [message], the comma was left out and the [it] read, "No price too high." Oh, she was thrilled! Omitting that comma almost put that guy in a coma. While a funny story, imagine this happening to you or another couple that may not be financially grounded. This morning, we're going to talk on the topic of finances. Now, just as I did a couple of weeks ago with the sermon on relationships, I'll admit to you right now that I'm not an expert but am leaning on the Word of God for counsel. A couple of weeks ago, when we spoke on the topic of relationships, I opened with the teaching of Jesus to open our time. I'm going to do that again today, as I believe these wise words from Jesus is the primary Biblical principle on the topic of finances. And just like a couple of weeks ago, we're going to be all over the book of Proverbs, so buckle up and keep your eyes on the screen to follow along. Jesus says the following in Matthew, chapter 6: 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. Later in verse 24, He says ... 24 "NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS, FOR EITHER HE WILL HATE THE ONE AND LOVE THE OTHER, OR HE WILL BE DEVOTED TO THE ONE AND DESPISE THE OTHER. YOU CANNOT SERVE GOD AND MONEY. And finally, the familiar message of "do not be anxious" or "do not worry" from verses 25-33. Jesus here, is reminding us that our money and possessions are all of God, and it is He who provides and preserves us and because of this, we must keep our eyes on God. So, this morning, I want to focus on five principles from the Proverbs and the rest of the Scriptures that will help us to "fool proof" our finances. Before we get there, let's identify our main idea: Fool proofing your finances is a spiritual issue. Let's take a quick moment to understand this statement better. One source noted that 11 of 39 of Jesus' parables speaks about money. But this statistic could be a little misleading, as He used the illustration of money to about the Kingdom of God. We talk frequently how we must seek God in all that we do, so this means that our finances are no different. How we see and how we handle our finances is an indicator of our relationship with Jesus. With that, let's jump right into our first principle: * Put God first o Moments ago, I mentioned Matthew 6. Verse 33 particularly stands out to me as we explore this principle. Jesus says this: BUT SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED TO YOU. * Jesus says that when we put other things before the Kingdom and the Father, we will not rid that anxiety or worry, but we also dishonor the Lord. o Proverbs 3:9 says: HONOR THE LORD WITH YOUR WEALTH AND WITH THE FIRSTFRUITS OF ALL YOUR PRODUCE; * This is a principle of priority. The firstfruits in Solomon's days was their produce, today, it would be our paychecks. Are we giving from the "top-line" or are we giving Him our leftovers? * A biblical example of this comes from Genesis 4 where Abel gave of his firstborn flock, but Cain did not. o The reason we give to God first is because He is the rightful Owner. Psalm 24:1 confirms this: THE EARTH IS THE LORD'S AND THE FULLNESS THEREOF, THE WORLD AND THOSE WHO DWELL THEREIN, * The NLT summarizes this as "the earth is the Lord's, and everything in it" * The problem for many of us is that we concern ourselves on many other things before the Lord. o One of the things that is important to understand is that what we do, and how we go about things, is evidence of putting God first. I came across an article this week, and the author states that there are five actions that Christians take that show that we are putting God first: * We tithe * We talked about this moments ago. Where are your firstfruits going? * We provide for specific needs * We'll talk about this in a few moments * We get out of debt and stay out of debt * A common warning against financial troubles is always debt. Once we get in debt, the harder it is to get out of debt. * Dr. Tony Evans says there are three types of people: the haves, the have nots, and the have not paid for what they have * Christian financial expert Dave Ramsey said this about debt: "if you're in debt, you don't have the freedom to use your money the way you want" o Ramsey would tell you that there is no such thing as good debt, others would argue that a mortgage (for example) is considered a good debt. o Bottom line is, limiting and eliminating debt quickly is essential to getting and staying out of debt * Proverbs 22:7 warns: THE RICH RULES OVER THE POOR, THE BORROWER IS THE SLAVE OF THE LENDER * We live contently * Recall Matthew 6. * Are we concerned about having the latest iPhone? The latest model of that car? Are we concerned about our neighbor, who seems to "have it all?" * The Lord provides, we need to be content with that. * We don't fret about finances * This is really a result of everything we just spoke about. I don't know about you, but I would rather be concerned about my relationship with God and my neighbor, than with my money. o Now, let's discuss the next action: * Be generous o We learned moments ago that it is the Lord who provides, and as such, we are to be generous, not only with Him, but also to the poor (or those who are in need). o There is no shortage of examples of this in the Proverbs: o Proverbs 11:24-25 states: 24 ONE GIVES FREELY, YET GROWS ALL THE RICHER; ANOTHER WITHHOLDS WHAT HE SHOULD GIVE, AND ONLY SUFFERS WANT 25 WHOEVER BRINGS BLESSING WILL BE ENRICHED, AND ONE WHO WATERS WILL HIMSELF BE WATERED. o Proverbs 14:21 states: WHOEVER DESPISES HIS NEIGHBOR IS A SINNER, BUT BLESSED IS HE WHO IS GENEROUS TO THE POOR. o One of the most striking verses in the Proverbs that I found was 14:31, which states: WHOEVER OPPRESSES A POOR MAN INSULTS HIS MAKER, BUT HE WHO IS GENEROUS TO THE NEEDY HONORS HIM. o Paul confirms this and gives instruction to Timothy to push for action in 1 Timothy 6:17-18: 17 AS FOR THE RICH IN THIS PRESENT AGE, CHARGE THEM NOT TO BE HAUGHTY, NOR TO SET THEIR HOPES ON THE UNCERTAINTY OF RICHES, BUT ON GOD, WHO RICHLY PROVIDES US WITH EVERYTHING TO ENJOY. 18 THEY ARE TO DO GOOD, TO BE RICH IN GOOD WORKS, TO BE GENEROUS AND READY TO SHARE o Proverbs 21:13 gives a warning to those who hold back from giving to those in need: WHOEVER CLOSES HIS EAR TO THE CRY OF THE POOR WILL HIMSELF CALL OUT AND NOT BE ANSWERED. o We can go on and on, pulling various scripture references, like 2 Corinthians 8-9 about being generous, but I think you get the message here. o Not only is it honoring to God to care for those in need, but it is also a blessing to them. A couple of weeks ago, we spoke about loving our neighbor. This is loving your neighbor principle. o Do you hold back when there is a neighbor in need? * If there was any positive thing that came out of the pandemic and the lock downs, it was the generosity of people who took extra toilet paper to their neighbors in need, or other things they may have needed. * When able, we should give to others. That was Paul's frustration with the Corinthian church. o Next, and very much an essential aspect to Biblical financial success is that we must ... * Work hard o Proverbs 6:10-11 states: 10 A LITTLE SLEEP, A LITTLE SLUMBER, A LITTLE FOLDING OF THE HANDS TO REST, 11 AND POVERTY WILL COME UPON YOU LIKE A ROBBER, AND WANT LIKE AN ARMED MAN. * This principle is important to Solomon, so much in fact that he repeats it in 24:33-34 o To say it another way, 28:19 states: WHOEVER WORKS HIS LAND WILL HAVE PLENTY OF BREAD, BUT HE WHO FOLLOWS WORTHLESS PURSUITS WILL HAVE PLENTY OF POVERTY o Paul warned the Thessalonians of this very issue. We read in 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12: 10 FOR EVEN WHEN WE WERE WITH YOU, WE WOULD GIVE YOU THIS COMMAND: IF ANYONE IS NOT WILLING TO WORK, LET HIM NOT EAT. 11 FOR WE HEAR THAT SOME AMONG YOU WALK IN IDLENESS, NOT BUSY AT WORK, BUT BUSYBODIES. 12 NOW SUCH PERSONS WE COMMAND AND ENCOURAGE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST TO DO THEIR WORK QUIETLY AND TO EARN THEIR OWN LIVING. o This concept of hard work is not new. Recall Genesis chapter 2. After creation, and before the fall, God appointed Adam a job to do - work and take care of the garden. o This may surprise you, but I'm not a farmer. But here is what I do know. The farmer starts his or her day early, and often ends their day late. Most of the work is labor intensive and physical. But the work is necessary. Why? Because if they work hard, they will see the rewards in the upcoming harvest. o Our next principle reminds us to ... * Be smart o In Proverbs 27, Solomon speaks to having a firm understanding of our financials and how to properly plan. That second part we'll touch on shortly. o Verse 23 says to: KNOW WELL THE CONDITION OF YOUR FLOCKS, AND GIVE ATTENTION TO YOUR HERDS, o It's noteworthy to mention that this flock that is being referenced here was a common form of currency in those days. It was more than managing your possessions, this is a warning against losing control of what you had. o Dave Ramsey said it this way: "Know the condition of your flocks and pay attention to your herds. If you don't manage your money, the lack of money will always manage you!" o Another warning in the proverbs is regarding how you make your money. First, we ought to be honest in how we earn our money. * Proverbs 13:11 states: WEALTH GAINED HASTILY WILL DWINDLE, BUT WHOEVER GATHERS LITTLE BY LITTLE WILL INCREASE IT. * That term "hastily" in the ESV can be translated "by fraud," so the literal translation would read, "wealth gained by fraud will dwindle ..." * Proverbs 1:19 warns against this too: SUCH ARE THE WAYS OF EVERYONE WHO IS GREEDY FOR UNJUST GAIN; IT TAKES AWAY THE LIFE OF ITS POSSESSORS. * In context, Solomon just finished speaking about the characteristics of the foolish, and if you remember, the foolish person is generally categorized as wicked in the proverbs o This principle really comes down to personal responsibility, and integrity. o When we take shortcuts or are dishonest, it is simply unwise, and could also be dishonoring to the Lord. * Recall the account of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 o I couldn't tell you how many times I had to put out fires with payroll overpayments ... one of the most frustrating things I had to do. * Reason being, most of the time, by the time the error was brought to our attention, the money is already gone. The employee had autopayments, garnishments, or other deductions that were immediately taken because of a lack of funds. The result was weeks or months of collecting that money back from the employee. o This leads us to the next point: * Be prepared o Preparation allows us to worry less about our finances. It takes us right back to what we saw during our opening, when Jesus says not to worry about these things. o Chapter 27 of Proverbs continues the thought from the prior point, so you see that there is a connection. o Let's read verse 23 and take this through verse 27: 23 KNOW WELL THE CONDITION OF YOUR FLOCKS, AND GIVE ATTENTION TO YOUR HERDS, 24 FOR RICHES DO NOT LAST FOREVER; AND DOES A CROWN ENDURE TO ALL GENERATIONS? 25 WHEN THE GRASS IS GONE AND THE NEW GROWTH APPEARS AND THE VEGETATION OF THE MOUNTAINS IS GATHERED, 26 THE LAMBS WILL PROVIDE YOUR CLOTHING, AND THE GOATS THE PRICE OF A FIELD. 27 THERE WILL BE ENOUGH GOATS' MILK FOR YOUR FOOD, FOR THE FOOD OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD AND MAINTENANCE FOR YOUR GIRLS. o I know of a couple of families that are dealing with poor financial decisions that their relatives have made, leaving them in difficult situations now. o Retirement is possible for many, but for others it seems out of reach because they have not been saving for the future or have too much debt. o Leaving something for your children is possible for many, but for others it seems out of reach because they have not saved for the future or have too much debt. o Here is another Biblical example. In Genesis chapters 41-47 we read of the story of Joseph and his response to the famine that was revealed in the interpreted dream of Pharoah. In chapter 41, we see this plan from Joseph: 34 LET PHARAOH PROCEED TO APPOINT OVERSEERS OVER THE LAND AND TAKE ONE-FIFTH OF THE PRODUCE OF THE LAND OF EGYPT DURING THE SEVEN PLENTIFUL YEARS. 35 AND LET THEM GATHER ALL THE FOOD OF THESE GOOD YEARS THAT ARE COMING AND STORE UP GRAIN UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF PHARAOH FOR FOOD IN THE CITIES, AND LET THEM KEEP IT. 36 THAT FOOD SHALL BE A RESERVE FOR THE LAND AGAINST THE SEVEN YEARS OF FAMINE THAT ARE TO OCCUR IN THE LAND OF EGYPT, SO THAT THE LAND MAY NOT PERISH THROUGH THE FAMINE." * Later in chapter 47, we see how this plan not only saved the nation of Egypt, but also his own family. * It was through the wisdom and revelation of God, and through proper and appropriate planning. * Many people don't plan for a rainy day, and they suffer when those times come. Pastor and teacher Kevin DeYoung stated the following in respects to the relationship of God and money: You can't understand the biblical view of money unless you are prepared to accept a number of truths held in tension. * You'll probably acquire more money if you work hard and are full of wisdom. But if all you care about is getting more money, you are the biggest fool. * Money is a blessing from God, but you'll be more blessed if you give it away. * God gives you money because he is generous, but he is generous with you so that you can be generous with others. And if you are generous with your money, God will likely be more generous with you. * It is wise to save money, but don't ever think money gives you real security. * Wealth is more desirable than poverty, but wealth is not as good as righteousness, humility, wisdom, good relationships, and the fear of the Lord. We've seen clearly throughout the Scriptures that: Fool proofing your finances is a spiritual issue. As we mentioned earlier, every area of our lives, even our finances, is a spiritual issue. Maybe you're currently sitting on a lot of debt. Maybe you have made some poor financial decisions in your life. If this describes you, then maybe the Lord is telling you to make some changes in your life. Here are a few things you likely do immediately: 1. Create (or review) your budget. a. Where can you make changes? b. Are you focused on things that you need or things that you want? 2. Pay off your unnecessary debt. a. Your debt limits you, as discussed earlier 3. Track your spending a. Many times, we think a coffee from Dutch Bros or Dunkin every morning isn't that bad, but it does add up over time b. Or what about those delivery fees and gratuities from Door Dash? c. Are there things that we can cut that will "give us money back?" 4. Save a. Even a little at a time is helpful and useful. b. You have to start somewhere. Again, I'm no expert. But, we do have several people here that would be more than happy to help you. We have bankers, bookkeepers, business owners and former business leaders, and former CPA's right here in our body. I know that some here have counseled others on their finances, and I'm sure they'd be happy to help you as well. You'd need to be open about your spending habits. You'd need to be willing to make sacrifices. You'd need to put some work in. But it would be well worth it. Are you ready to honor God with your finances? Let's pray. 2