Money and the Church
Deuteronomy 8, Matthew 6:19-24
Money is always a very touchy subject in any church and it is the number one topic that most pastors will stay away from preaching about but since I am young in my ministry and do not know any better today we are going to search what the scriptures say about MONEY AND THE CHURCH.
Three Pastors were discussing how they decide to give part of their income to the church. The first pastor said, "When God tells me so, I just empty my wallet in the collection plate." The 2nd pastor was quite impressed and almost ashamed to tell of his approach. He says: "I draw a 3 foot circle around me, I throw the money in the air and everything that land within the circle, I put in the collection plate." The 3rd pastor, greedy and a penny pincher said, "I throw all of my money in the air and everything that falls to the ground I keep, because if God wanted it he would take it while it was up in there.
Out of the 38 parables that Jesus gave during his time on earth, 16 of those were about money. There are over 2000 scriptures references throughout the bible regarding money and earthly possessions.
For a few moments I would like to examine the history of money and its transformation over the centuries.
The first glimpse of the value of money is found in Genesis 13:2 where Abraham came back from a visit in Egypt, “rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold”. As soon as ancient people stopped living the lives of wandering hunters and began an agricultural system, a medium of exchange became necessary. A system of barter, or trading of property, preceded the creation of any formal currency that can be called money. In Old Testament times, land itself became an immediate asset. It was a possession that could be traded. But produce, and especially livestock, was more convenient, because it was so moveable. Gradually, as communities became more organized, tradesmen traveled between these settlements. Products circulated from one region to another. Soon metals began to replace goods and services as items of exchange. Copper or bronze was in demand for weapons (2 Sam 21:16), for farming tools, and for offerings (Ex 35:5). The early Egyptians, Semites, and Hittites shaped gold and silver into rings, bars, or rounded nodules for easier trading. The children of Jacob used "bundles of money" (Gen 42:35), which may have been metal rings tied together with strings. Silver was so commonly used as money that the Hebrew word for "silver" came to mean "money" (Gen 17:13).
In their early use as money, metals were probably in their raw form or in varying stages of refinement. However, in that form it was difficult to transport them and to determine their true value. Thus the metals were soon refined into the form of a wedge or a bar (Josh 7:21) or various forms of jewelry. Gold and silver were also kept as ingots, vessels, dust, or small fragments that could be melted and used immediately. These small pieces of metal were often carried in leather pouches that could be easily hidden.
Before coins with stamped values were introduced, the pieces of precious metal for transactions had to be weighed on a scale. Eventually pieces of metal were standardized, then stamped to designate their weight and value. Coins still had to be weighed, however, since their edges might have been trimmed or filed. Ancient coins often show other marks, indicating they may have been probed to assure their silver content.
The Greeks soon adapted the Persian and Babylonian coinage, portraying animals, natural objects and Greek gods on the coins-which were called drachmas (Greek for "handful"). Greek coins generally bore religious symbols. They may have been minted at pagan temples, which served as business centers for granting loans and receiving estates.
The only Jewish coin mentioned in the New Testament is the "widow’s mite" or lepton. These were very small copper coins worth only a fraction of a penny by today’s standards. Yet, Jesus commended the poor widow who gave two mites to the Temple treasury, because "she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood" (Mark 12:44).
Seeing the transformation of how money could become a problem over the history of time. God forewarned his people the dangers of money and the control it could have over the individual and how easily it is to replace the love of God for the love of money or the possessions that it buys.
Money is the top three reasons for divorce, suicide or murder and for divisions in the church.
We will be looking at the instructions handed down by God through Moses to the Israelites then in Matthew we will see Jesus also instructing the people regarding money and the church
READ Deut 8
As I researched this sermon I had found the value in preaching messages regarding money and so in the near future I am preparing a sermon series on this topic. But today we will stay in these two books as we hear from God important truths regarding money.
In Deut. 8 God through Moses is saying, “Remember the Lord”’’
What are they to remember…
It was HE that led them through the desert and cared for them, verse 4 says their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.
That through this time in the desert HE searched their heart, HE humbled them, and tested them. Why? because he enjoyed it, NO because he wanted to make them stronger.
They are also to remember that when they were hungry it was HE that fed them. Verse 15 said it was a thirsty and waterless land, but he fed them water from a rock, and manna from the sky, something no one else had ever heard of before. He wanted them to know that it is not the physical food that they ate that are important but the Spiritual Food that comes from His mouth that brings life.
God gives them 3 promises in this scripture reference if they remember HIM.
1. They will live
2. They will increase in numbers
3. They will enter and possess land designated by God.
Recap verse 6-9 and what the land offered.
You may be thinking to yourself…Pastor then why are we looking at this scripture text when money has not been mentioned.
Well it is like this…
An old time evangelist passed the hat for an offering, and when it came back it was empty. He shook the hat to make clear it was empty, and then lifted his eyes to heaven and said, "I thank thee Lord that at least I got my hat back from this congregation."
OR
Billy who was given 2 quarters by his grandma on Sunday. One was for the Sunday school offering and the other for an ice cream cone on the way home from church. Billy was flipping both quarters in the air on his way to church when one of them slipped from his hand and fell into the storm drain. Billy immediately bowed his head and said, SORRY GOD your quarter is gone.
OR
A wealthy man had this great big house when a homeless man knocked on his door and asked if he could have something to eat?
The wealthy man said that he had not gained his fortune by giving away anything free, but if the man would like to paint the porch he would gladly serve him a hot meal. The homeless man agreed and the homeowner said the paint is in the back where the porch was.
The man went around to the back and within the hour returned for his hot meal. The wealthy man was surprised as he entered the kitchen to find his servants serving the man his meal and asked if he had completed his task.
The homeless man responded that it wouldn’t have taken him quite as long to complete as it did, but he realized that the wealthy man had made a mistake by telling him it was a porche instead of a BMW.
God told His people to remember the Lord because of what verse 12-14, 17 say, Remember that it is God who provides all things…because when you are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, when herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God. You will want to say, MY Power and the strength of MY hands have produced this wealth with me. When it is the LORD THAT GAVE THEM THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE WEALTH.
There are two reasons I wanted to give this sermon
• One because I wanted to teach the importance of Christian giving through tithe and offering. I didn’t need to because of everyone giving.
• And two because we are wealthy here in our church, we are in the land that God described to the Israelites a land fertile and rich. The land, building and a parsonage is paid for, a church van that is like brand new and so much more. Our giving pays for the general upkeep but a majority goes right back into ministry. HALLALUJAH.
But if we are not careful we too can easily forget the Lord by thinking that everything here is has come because we are so good in giving and we are so prosperous in ministry. But let us all remember that everything that is has the name of the church on it is God’s and HE IS THE one who provides for it and HE is the one who will care for it.
Now let’s turn to Matthew 6:19-24
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…meaning money, possessions, or even valuing things of this earth, because when we do these things, we are forgetting that it is the LORD who GIVES US THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE WEALTH of any kind. Money or anything else that we value is not ours, it is God’s and he gives it to us to use only for His glory and for His purpose alone. When we are greedy with what God gives to us and do not honor God with it, then we are as the last verse says devoted to worldly wealth and we despise God.
Instead lets all be like Sister Mary, who fainted one Sunday morning during my preaching and as the paramedics where wheeling her out, she came too and called for her daughter to grab her purse, most everyone thought she was afraid someone may take her possessions, but instead she wanted to make sure she got her offering in the collection plate.
When we let go of money, we are letting go a part of ourselves and part of our security. But this is precisely why it is important to do it. It is one way to obey Jesus’ command to deny ourselves.… When we give money, we are releasing a little more of our self-centeredness and our false security.… Giving frees us to care. It produces an air of expectancy as we anticipate what God will lead us to give. It makes life with God an adventure in the world, and that is worth living and giving for.
Call up the ushers…
