MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!
Workers earn it, spendthrifts burn it, bankers lend it,
women spend it, forgers fake it, taxes take it, dying leaves it, heirs receive it, thrifty save it, misers crave it, robbers seize it, rich increase it, gamblers lose it ... I could use it.
Richard Armour
Two Irishmen who were traveling in the Holy Land came to the Sea of Galilee. They discovered that it would cost them fifty dollars each to cross the lake by boat. They cried out in protest. "The Lakes of Killarney are the most beautiful lakes in the world and one can cross them for a few shillings."
The guide explained: "Oh, but this is the lake Jesus walked on!"
The Irishman quickly retorted: "Small wonder, at the prices you charge for taking a boat."
After looking at the bill for my operation, I understand why doctors wear masks in the operating room.
Happiness is getting a bill you’ve already paid, so you can sit down and write a nasty letter.
Billy Graham was speaking in the San Jose area, and on the closing day told this story. It seems there was a strong man who traveled with a circus. One of his most impressive stunts was to take an orange and squeeze every last drop of juice out of it. Then he would offer one thousand dollars to anyone who could manage to squeeze as much as one additional drop from it. He went from town to town making his offer, but no one was able to win the one thousand dollars from him. Then one day he came to a small town in California and made his demonstration of juice-squeezing prowess and his challenge. A small, wizened, ninety-eight pound weakling type man came forward and said he’d like to take a try at the challenge. He took the crushed orange and proceeded to squeeze six more drops of juice from it. The strong man was amazed. He could hardly believe his eyes. He asked how he was possibly able to do this. The man shrugged and said, "Oh, I’m the treasurer down at the Baptist church and we do this all the time."
Alexander Hamilton originated the put and take system in our national treasury: the taxpayers put it in, and the politicians take it out.
-- Will Rogers
Jesus talked a great deal about money and the problems it causes man-in fact, one-fifth of all Jesus had to say was about money.
Billy Graham
Jesus talked a great deal about money. Sixteen of the thirty-eight parables were concerned with how to handle money and possessions. In the Gospels, an amazing one out of 10 verses (288 in all) deal directly with the subject of money. The Bible offers 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but more than 2,000 verses on money and possessions.
Howard Dayton, Jr.
Matthew 19:17-31
21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” 22But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 24And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?” 27But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” 28Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.” 29So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 30“who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. 31“But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Money Matters! It does matter!
Here God makes it a requirement for salvation! Because He worshiped his money! Do you worship things too?
A. People hate sermons on money.
Money is like manure: If you spread it around, it does a world of good; but if you pile it up, it stinks to high heaven.
B. Money is an important Biblical topic.
Money is one of the acid tests of character and a surprising amount of space is given to it in Scripture. Whether a man is rich or poor, observe his reaction to his possessions and you have a revealing index to his character.
Oswald Sanders, A Spiritual Clinic
C. If we are to be blessed by God, we must obey his instructions on money.
Materialism minimizes
I. Materialism minimizes our maturity!
Beginning w/ Salvation v20 all these I have kept .. I am not a sinner -- One thing you lack!!!
A. Many people find their value in their material possessions.
1) They measure themselves by how much their job pays in a year.
2) How much their house is worth.
3) How much they have in stocks.
>>>>>>> A budget is a theological document. It indicates who or what we worship.
B. But earthly wealth can corrode and be taken away. Matt 6:19
1) Possessions get eaten up. (Literal meaning of "rust.")
Vic and Lillian Cooper of Maltby, England, lived on welfare
all their married life.
Then they won $77,481 in a bingo jackpot.
They spent $6,300 on a car, $7,200 on a vacation trailer,
$7,200 on furniture, and $56,781 on miscellaneous.
Most of this was gifts for relatives and toys for their
son Darren, 4.
Four months later it was all gone and they applied for
welfare again.
Vic and Lillian are now $144 behind in rent and living on $49 a week, including a $13 government allowance and a loan.
"It’s very difficult when you get money for the first time in
your life not to go out and spend it," said Vic.
"We used to look in the shop windows and never be able to
afford anything."
Welfare authorities said it would be a cold day in Gehenna
before they get any more help.
Most of the stuff we buy does not have much value or
does not last.
Rev. Don Holesapple, a Baptist preacher, tells the story on himself about the time he received a call from a woman who was quite upset over the death of her pet cat, Homer. She wanted the preacher to conduct the funeral service for Homer! Holesapple explained that this was a little out of his line and referred her to a friend, a Presbyterian pastor at a church down the street.
Later, Holesapple learned that the Presbyterian preacher had referred her to a Methodist minister, who had referred her to someone else. About an hour later, she called Holesapple back, still upset. The woman said she was at her wit’s end, couldn’t find a preacher to conduct Homer’s services, and didn’t know what to do. She said she planned to give one thousand dollars to the church of the minister who performed this service for Homer. Holesapple said it took him only a moment to mull this over, and then he said to her, "Well, why didn’t you tell me Homer was a Baptist cat in the first place?!"
2) Possessions eat us up.
a) Wealth can be a replacement for God.
1> Most charitable giving is done by middle class,
and lower.
b) Possessions can control our lives.
1> Debt.
A> Christian family budgeted by credit agency.
2> Credit cards.
A> Only on lasting possessions.
B> Not food, perishables.
Average amount of credit card debt per cardholder: $3,900
IF WE HAVE 100 PEOPLE HERE TODAY WITH CREDIT CARD IT MIGHT REPRESENT $390,000.
3> Bible principle: no debt, except love. Rom 13:8
A> Freedom from debt a sign of God’s blessing. Dt 15:6
He who borrows sells his freedom.
German Proverb
C. You can’t take it with you.
1 Tim 6:7 (-10)
6Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
2) You can’t take it with you, but you can send it on ahead.
Giving is a thermometer of our love.
I. Materialism minimizes our maturity
II. Materialism minimizes our Ministry
sell & give !!! v21
and you will have treasure in heaven
A. Spiritual wealth lasts forever, doesn’t depreciate.
1) Spiritual wealth cannot be bought.
2) However, earthly wealth can be used for God’s glory and work.
Matt 6:1919“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.
B. Principle of tithing.
1) All our wealth comes from God.
2) He expects 10% back.
a) OT and Jesus.
1> Tithe is foundation, 100% is ultimate.
2> Cheerful, generous attitude is important.
b) Not tithing is stealing from God.
Mal 3:8-10
8 “Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’
In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the LORD of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
C. Compassionate help for the poor. Luke 16:9
1) Those who are blessed should help the less fortunate.
2) OT: partly from tithe, but also beyond.
I. Materialism minimizes our maturity
II. Materialism minimizes our Ministry
III. Materialism minimizes our Might!
and come, take up the cross -- we hold $ or cross
A. Nicols Fox, writing in Newsweek editorial:
What we spend our money on shows our values.
Our values are expressed by what we really do,
not by what we wish for.
Churches have failed to mold our values because they have
capitulated to the relativism of the world.
B. What do your possessions show about you?
1) Men, how many guns are in your closet?
a) How many use?
2) What does God see in your checkbook?
God entrusts us with money as a test; for like a toy to the child, it is training for handling things of more value.
I. Materialism minimizes our maturity
II. Materialism minimizes our Ministry
III. Materialism minimizes our Might!
IV. Materialism minimizes our Master! and follow Me
Matt 6:2424“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
A. Will serve one.
1) Cannot serve both.
Some years ago a wealthy automobile dealer in Tampa, Florida, was shot to death by his wife during a domestic argument. When they arrested her, she said, "It’s all because of money. I wish there had never been any money at all."
FIGHTS IN THE CHURCH??
B. Money has a sinister nature.
1) It demands our loyalty.
a) Rich young ruler put it ahead of salvation.
1> He was a good person in every other area.
2) Wealth has a seductive quality. (Most people give in.)
Wealth or love of wealth?
A. Possessions themselves are not evil.
1) All good things are from God.
2) Rich people occur throughout the Bible.
a) Joseph, Solomon, Daniel, Nicodemus.
B. But wealth tempts us to be obsessed. 1 Tim 6:7-10
1) Which do we really love more?
a) God or money?
The proper place of money in our lives.
As I have been re-reading the record of the Rich Young Ruler and his obviously wrong choice. But it has set me thinking. No matter how much wealth he had, he could not ride in a car, have any surgery, turn on a light, buy penicillin, hear a pipe organ, watch TV, wash dishes in running water, type a letter, mow a lawn, fly in an airplane, sleep on an innerspring mattress, or talk on the phone. If he was rich, then what am I? ---source unknown
