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A MONEY SERMON FOR YOUR SOUL Daniel Patz, Lead Pastor Grace Church, Sunday Worship Various Texts December 6th, 2009
Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. (Philippians 4:17)
Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; (1 Peter 5:2) Who am I addressing? The body of Christ at Grace Church Why am I addressing you? We each have a need... The church (as an institution) has a need for money... (sounds real spiritual doesn't it?) The church (as the people) have a greater need to love, trust and obey God with their money. With what am I am addressing? Consider what God says about money... I am your pastor I am for your soul Your soul's need to know God and love, trust and obey him in all things including with money Regardless of whether we have a great need and regardless of our tremendous visionary and leadership skills. Gist: Consider God...Consider your life in relationship to God...Consider what He says about money...living...how we are to spend and live with our money... Respond obediently to the God that is worth loving trusting and obeying. This is for your good, your joy, your true security and peace and hope and delight. Many are anxious about money. Many are short of money. Many are without great means to earning money. Many are not good with managing money. Many are not loving, trusting and obeying God with money. Many are missing a spectacular abundance of blessings because they are not obeying. All need to listen and not compare - Jesus is our standard. All need to listen and not despair - Jesus is our hope. All need to listen and trust - Jesus is trustworthy. All need to listen and obey - Jesus is our Lord and Master and King. All need to listen and not delay - Jesus will return and judge. 30 Truths Concerning Money from God’s Word With Serious Implications for Our Souls 1. God owns everything. The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, (Psalms 24:1) 2. God doesn’t need our money. For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. "If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine. (Psalms 50:10-12) 3. Christ became poor so that we would be made rich. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9) 4. Everything we have is a gift. For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? (1 Corinthians 4:7) 5. God called his people to give a tithe of all they had received. So you shall also present a contribution to the LORD from all your tithes [means “tenth”], which you receive from the people of Israel. And from it you shall give the LORD's contribution to Aaron the priest. Out of all the gifts to you, you shall present every contribution due to the LORD; from each its best part is to be dedicated.' (Numbers 18:28-29) 6. Not giving of tithes and offerings was considered robbing God. Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. (Malachi 3:8-10) 7. You can’t out-give God. (see above) 8. God told His people to give of their firstfruits [not the leftovers]. Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. (Proverbs 3:9-10) 9. Greed is a form of idolatry (worshiping another god). Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (Colossians 3:5) 10. It is more blessed to give than to receive. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" (Acts 20:35) 11. We are told to help those in need. (also see above) Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. (Ephesians 4:28) 12. Giving has very little to do with your prosperity and very much to do with your joy and gratitude. We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints-- and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. (2 Corinthians 8:1-5) 13. God provides enough for us to do good works through our giving. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, "He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:8-11) 14. It is possible to give out of hypocrisy and pride. "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:2-4) 15. God rewards grateful generosity. (see above) 16. Contentment is more important than riches and is based on God’s faithfulness to His people. Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. (1 Timothy 6:6-8) Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) 17. You can’t take it with you after you die. (see above) 18. God’s Word is more valuable than all the riches of the world. More to be desired are they [God’s word] than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalms 19:10-11) 19. Being poor with the fear of the Lord is better than great riches. Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it. (Proverbs 15:16) 20. Money does not satisfy or bring true security. Again, I saw vanity under the sun: one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, "For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?" This also is vanity and an unhappy business. (Ecclesiastes 4:7-8) 21. Don’t hope in the uncertainty of riches. 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. (1 Timothy 6:17) Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them. (Psalms 62:10) 22. Giving is a way in which we can lay up treasures for eternity. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19-20) They [the rich] are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:18-19) 23. God loves a cheerful giver. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7) 24. Riches are not a true sign of spiritual health. Righteous are you, O LORD, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive? (Jeremiah 12:1) 25. Loving money is a root of all kinds of evil and sin. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (1 Timothy 6:9-10) 26. It is very hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." (Mark 10:23-25) 27. We are told to seek first the kingdom of God. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:33-34) 28. We cannot serve both God and money. "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. (Matthew 6:24) 29. Anxiety doesn’t make sense for children of a good and wise God. "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. (Matthew 6:25-32) 30. God provides for His children – we are to trust Him. (see above) I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. (Psalms 37:25-26) And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) CONCLUSION 2009 Giving and 2010 Budget - God has met the needs of the church ministries (pastors, operating expenses, building) but it has been tight and we have made budget cuts from last year. - The giving is roughly 10k behind budget. - Most importantly, God graciously expanded our ministries in ways that no dollar amount can wrap itself around. More ministry (fruitfully and faithful in many ways) happened in this year... More genuine conversions, saved and changed marriages, new starts, mentoring, etc... - In spite of the financial shortfall in giving (though we are paying our bills), we increased our budget significantly in faith for several reasons (this was the decision of the church) * 10k for missions * Increased salaries * Pay back pastors * Budget a higher cash flow - gracious to the treasurer * Decision to have two pastors full time - step of faith for a smaller church (highly worth it; is paying great dividends) So what are we asking? Before I answer that, let me say that I am thankful for so many who have generously given in sacrificial ways. But here is the reality. Very few are giving. Majority of the giving is by a small minority. If everyone tithed...we would be wondering what to do... 2 Things I ask of you for the glory of God, the joy of your souls (as you obey God and cling to His promises) and the edification of this body: In spite of recession, unemployment high, etc: 1) Give one time over and above gifts to end the year - by making the budget of 2009. 2) Give of your firstfruits, in a tithe-like, grace-saturated, radical, pursue your joy in God through obedience type of way. For some you are at the place God wants you to be. For some this means giving a tithe (or maybe less). For some it may mean going over the tithe. It may mean giving up something you enjoy, but don't need and in reality will free you more ways than you can imagine. Give not because of a need. Give not because you love a particular spirit, attitude, or particular vision. Give not because you like the pastor or feel bad for the pastors or want the pastors to stay on... Give because you love, trust and obey the rich and generous God who love you first, has given you precious promises and who calls you to an obedience that results in true joy.
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