(Prov. 22:7) "The borrower is servant to the lender..."
Series: How To Escape Financial Bondage
Preached two Wednesdays ago: "The love of money is the root of all evil".
Last Wednesday on:
How to tell if you are in financial bondage?
Indebtedness.
Pressure of bills.
Your life revolves around making money.
Entanglement in business.
You try every get rich quick scheme.
You feel guilty about the way you use money.
What is the purpose of money?
To supply basic needs in your life (food, shelter, clothing).
To supply the needs of others.
To show God’s Power in your life.
To unite Christians.
To confirm direction.
Factors That Determine Financial Freedom
I. Giving is a direct factor in financial freedom.
A. Tithes & offerings (Mal. 3:8-11).
1. Your tithe goes to your local church. ("You pay the restaurant you eat at, don’t you?")
2. The preacher is commanded to receive the tithe (Heb. 7:1-7; v. 5).
3. If this is where God has put you to be fed, then here is where you give your tithe.
4. You have not been faithful abroad, until you have first been faithful at home. (You are not a missions giver, if you do not give to the home mission.)
5. God calls it robbery, when you fail to tithe.
6. Debt is no excuse for not tithing, in fact it is your best reason to tithe. God will not only not bless your finances, but He has promised to curse your income, if you rob the tithe.
B. Christian ministries.
1. Paul commended the church for its giving (Phil. 4:14-19).
2. Your giving to God’s work puts fruit on your account (Phil. 4:17).
3. Your giving to God’s work is a sweet smelling odor (Phil. 4:18).
4. It is the ordained plan of God that those that minister the gospel should live of it.
C. The poor.
1. It’s sin & wicked not to be concerned about the poor (Prov. 14:21; 21:13; 29:7).
2. It honors God, when we are concerned with the poor (Prov. 14:31).
3. God remembers those that remember the poor (Prov. 19:17; 22:9).
4. God remembers those who do not remember the poor (Prov. 28:27).
5. The early church remembered the poor (Gal. 2:9-10).
6. Our obligation to the poor starts with our brethren (Deut. 15:7-11; 1 Jn. 3:17).
7. Don’t compare yourself with those who have more than you, but those who have less. The poor are those who have less than you.
How you give will be a great determining factor in your financial freedom. Your getting will be greatly affected by your giving. "Give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down shall men give unto your bosom."
II. Your income is a direct factor in your financial freedom.
A. God uses work to give you income.
1. God says, "In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread..."
2. The O.T. commands a 6 day work week, and a 12 hour day. We are so conditioned to the 40 hour week, that we have no stamina to do any more. We have become a nation of weeklings.
3. God uses work to give you income. The more you work, the more income you get, the better you can plan for financial freedom. Providing you do not spend more than you make.
B. Creative resourcefulness.
1. Marketing crafts. Home projects that bring in extra income. I am trying to do some side jobs fixing computers.
2. Providing a service in your home (Ironing, sewing, etc.)
3. Think!! There are resourceful ways of bringing in extra income.
4. Remember, however, the goal is to be financially free, not to have extra spending money. You will only get yourself in more trouble if you use you extra income to get more in debt.
C. Ask God for it.
1. It is the easiest, and the most blessed way to receive extra income.
2. God will honor your desire to be financially free. God cannot honor prayer for extra income, that is used for frivolous things, but He will honor your desire to be financially free.
3. I have many personal testimonies of God answering prayer for monetary needs. Probably everyone of us could give testimony.
4. God says, "Ask and ye shall recieve..."
II. Your spending is a direct factor in your financial freedom.
A. Learn to say "NO!"
1. To the salesman!
2. To yourself!
B. Don’t make impulsive purchases.
1. Always wait 24 hours before major purchases.
2. If you can’t wait to get it, you probably better do it.
C. Don’t make provision for a carnal nature.
1. If you can’t control your impulsiveness, don’t go shopping every day.
III. Put things in priority.
A. Some purchases are frivolous.
B. Some things are necessary.
