Sermon Central
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A New You-What Debts Do I Have
Contributed by Rick Gillespie- Mobley on Nov 30, 2015 (message contributor)
Summary: When God gives us new life, we often resist allowing God to change our attitudes towards our possessions.
A New You-- What Debts Do I Have by Rick Gillespie- Mobley
A New You--What I Owe Me
11/20/2015 Ecclesiastes 5:10-20 and 1 Timothy 6:3-10 Luke 12
In our series “A New You.” God wants to give us a heads up in life so that when we finish writing the legacy Keon spoke of last week, we come out ahead. One of the key factors in determining how we finish our lives is going to revolve around how our money or desires for money gains control over us.
10 Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.
11 As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners
except to feast their eyes on them?
12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep.
13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
14 or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children
there is nothing left for them to inherit.15 Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb,
and as everyone comes, so they depart.They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.
16 This too is a grievous evil:As everyone comes, so they depart,
and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind?17 All their days they eat in darkness,
with great frustration, affliction and anger.
18 This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. 20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.
Slide 1: A New You-What Debts Do I Have.
Before we plan to spend we need to also recognize three debts that we have that need to pay. The first is “what I owe me”, the second is “what I owe you,” and the third is “what I owe God.” If we’re going to be balanced and blessed in our spiritual and financial lives, we have to settle how we’re going to pay these three debts.
Slide 2: What I Owe Me What I Owe You What I Owe God
Today we are going to look at what might be the toughest of the New You to deal with, and that is the battle that it is going to take place between you, your money and God. It begins with you deciding. “ “What I owe me.” Say that with me, “What I owe me.” Not knowing the answer to this single question, can ruin your credit, destroy your marriage, and send you to the end of the poverty line, and prevent you from growing in God..
Pastor Toby and I have had the privilege of going all over this country speaking on giving. It has been our privilege at times to meet and speak to some of the world’s 15% richest people. God has blessed them with more stuff and money than he has 85% of the world’s population, and one of their biggest problem is that they figure they need more money. Even with all their wealth, they say, they would like to tithe but they cannot afford it. They have not been able to settle the issue of “what I owe me.” Can you imagine having that much and still wanting more?
Where Do You Think You Are In
If God were to move you were into the top 15% of the richest people in the world today, how many of you believe you would be willing to tithe and maybe even give a little extra above tithing. What if God moved you into the top 5% of the richest people in the world then could you do it? Let me tell you how much you need in order to be in the top 20% of the world’s richest people.
You need a yearly salary of $1500.00.
Slide 3: Top 15% Food, Shelter in House or Apt., Car or Reliable Transportation
To be in the top 15% of the world’s richest people, you need enough food to eat, live in a house or an apartment, and have a reliable means of transportation. To be in the top 5% you need to have some money in the bank, own a house, have a wardrobe of clothes and two cars of any kind that run.
