God and Money
1) Giving to gain eternal friends
2) A world in debt
3) The greatest donation of all time
It’s interesting to me to see just how many stories the media can squeeze out of the terrible events that took place a few weeks ago. And I’m sure you’re finding out, as you watch the news, that sometimes, there are no new developments. Last week I think the news media was getting desperate, because they were doing a story on dog depression. I wanted to find out what was going on out east, so I turned on the news, and I get a story about dog depression. Apparently the dogs that search through the rubble in New York often can’t find what they’re looking for, and so the dogs get depressed. I like dogs, but when I turn on the news, I am looking for information that is meaningful.
One story in the news that is meaningful is the economic situation in our country. It is a terrible thing, that so many lives were taken away. That will always be the worst thing about that tragedy. But one of the side effects of the attack, is that economically, our country is struggling. Airlines have cut over 130,000 jobs in the last few weeks. The many businesses connected to traveling are struggling. The market is down. This is a time when many people are thinking about money. Our country is slowing down financially, and so right now, people are reevaluating where they spend their money.
It is good, for us as Christians, to spend a few moments thinking about how we spend our money. This morning, I want you to ask yourself, am I unknowingly, worshiping money? Ask yourself, how am I different in the way I use my money – different from an unbeliever? What is the purpose of money, for a Christian? This morning, we will answer these questions, and many more, as we focus on what Jesus says to us about God and Money.
Jesus was with his disciples, and he tells them a story, a parable. There once was a man who made a living by managing a rich man’s finances. He was the chief financial officer. But he wasn’t doing a good job. And so his boss warned him, “I’m going to fire you.” He basically got his two-week notice.
“What am I going to do?” the manager asked himself. “I’m too weak to dig ditches. I’m ashamed to beg.” But then he comes up with a plan. He’s going to give, to gain some friends. He calls in all the people who owed his master money. “What do you owe?” he asked. “Eight hundred gallons of olive oil.” That’s a lot of money. “Let’s cut it in half - make it 400.” “What do you owe?” he asked, and another one responded by saying, “1000 bushes of wheat.” “Make it 800.” He was chopping down everyone’s bill. Why? Because he wanted to gain some friends. That way, after he’s fired, he wouldn’t be left out on the streets. These people would see that he’s out of a job and welcome him into their homes. Very smart. Not honest, but smart.
What is the main point of this parable? Jesus says, “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” There is a time when God will take all your money away, every last dime. And that’s when you die. As that day approaches, be like that man, Jesus says. He’s not telling us to be dishonest, but to use worldly wealth to gain eternal friends, people who will welcome you into eternal dwellings. Give to gain eternal friends. Use your money, Jesus says, to help an unbeliever find Christ. If you do that, you have made an eternal friend. Use your money to help believers in need – someday they’ll thank you when you enter eternal life. Give to gain eternal friends.
It doesn’t matter how much you have, Jesus says, as long as you use what you have to glorify God. “Whoever can be trusted with very little, can be trusted with much. And whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Be trustworthy, Jesus says, with whatever you have. Use it to gain eternal friends, who will welcome you into heaven after you die.
Why is there a certain part of us that balks at this idea? “Spending my money on other people, to gain eternal friends? I don’t think so.” A certain part of us doesn’t like that, and that part of us in our sinful nature. Our sinful nature loves money, worships money. Jesus knows this, and so at the end of this story, he says, “No servant can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money.”
That’s what we try to do, isn’t it. I love God. But I also love Money. Jesus says, no, that doesn’t work. It’s either or. You can’t serve both. All too often, because of our sinful nature, we love our money, and push God and his Word into the background. After all, you can’t see God. But you can see Money. This morning, Jesus points out our sin – the sin of greed and self-centeredness, the sin of worshiping money instead of glorifying God.
Spiritually, we are in debt. The Bible describes everyone, no matter how rich they are here on this earth – the Bible describes everyone as people in debt spiritually, locked up in debtors’ prison. That’s something we don’t have to worry about in our country today. But there was a time, in England for example, when, if you couldn’t pay your bills, you would be sent to debtors’ prison. You and your family would be taken away, and placed into a run-down bungalow, with all kinds of prisoners, and there you would work to pay off your debt, all day, every day.
The Bible describes every human being as someone who is locked up in a debtor’s prison. Imagine the poorest country in the world. What country is that? Afghanistan? Everyone is dirt poor. No one has anything. That’s how God’s Word describes our entire world, spiritually. We’re all, so far in debt, that we’ll never be able to work our way out. Eternally poor.
But that’s when Jesus enters the picture, isn’t it. He’s like the manager in our story, only better. He doesn’t just cancel half our debt. He does something bigger.
One big story in the news is how generously the American people are donating to help those who are in need, as a result of all the destruction out east. Movie stars, athletes, and most importantly, regular people, are making donations. At last count, Americans have donated over a half billion dollars to help those in need. And that’s great – it’s wonderful that so many people in our country are so generous.
But before you stand in awe, think for a moment of the biggest donation ever given in the history of our world –a donation that was given directly to you. Jesus Christ - what was his donation? He gives away his position on the throne of God. He comes down to this earth, and gives away all his good works, all his righteousness. He gives away everything in his spiritual bank account – and he gives it all to you. And then, in addition to that, h takes our debt, and puts that into his account. Just imagine, if the richest man in the world were to say to you, here take all of my money – every last penny. And I’ll take on all your debt. Every bill you have – your mortgage, your car payment, your credit card bills – all your debt, I’ll take it on. And you can have all that I own. Imagine that! What a donation!
That is exactly what Jesus has done for you. He takes your debt of sin. And he gives you all his righteousness, worth more than all the money in the world. This transaction took place on the cross. And God the Father accepted this transaction – that why Jesus rose from the dead – to prove to you that this has really happened – the greatest donation ever.
This changes the way we look at money. It’s no longer something we want to worship. Instead, we see it differently, as a gift God gives us, to use to glorify Christ. And today, Jesus gives us a specific example of how we can use our money to glorify him. Verse 9 – to use our money to gain eternal friends. It is good to give to causes. To give to help the poor, to help those who need it. It’s good to give to an earthly cause. But of all the causes in the world, there is no greater cause than getting someone into heaven. That’s why you’re here.
There was a Wisconsin Synod Lutheran man who owned a car dealership in Illinois. He saw all the things God had given to him as tools to further God’s kingdom. Evangelism was a big focus for him, and he used much of his wealth to fund evangelism efforts. He just recently died this past summer, and one of the things he said before he died was this – “You know what you’re here for. Now go out, and do what needs to be done.” That’s how he approached his wealth – he did what needed to be done to gain eternal friends. And I’m sure a number of them welcomed him into heaven when he arrived.
Marvin Schwan is a name you might recognize – owner of Schwan’s ice cream, Schwan’s fine foods. Those yellow armored trucks with food in the back. Marvin Schwan has since passed away. He was a Lutheran, and he gave literally millions of dollars to our church body. Why? Not because he was pressured. And not because he was trying to earn his way to heaven. He wanted to worship Christ, show his love for Jesus, and so he used his worldly wealth to gain eternal friends.
Jesus encourages us to do the same. It doesn’t matter how much you have. What matters is how you use it. What can I do with my money, during this short time I am on this earth, to gain eternal friends? Why can I do, to help someone else find out about the greatest donation ever made?
Many years ago a certain woman was preparing a box to be sent to some missionaries in India. A child gave her a penny, which she used to purchase a tract for the box. Eventually, this tract reached a Burmese chief and was used to lead him to saving faith in Christ. That chief told the story of his conversion to his friends, many of whom believed. Eventually, a church was established there, and over 1500 natives were converted to Christianity. No gift is too small for God to use. And someday, that little child will be welcomed into eternal life by over 1500 people from India.
May God bless you, as you look for ways to use your worldly wealth to gain eternal friends. Amen.
