As a congregation we’ve been
praying that God would provide financiallyfor
His ministry here at Creekside.We’ve
shared that every Sunday we fall about $800 to $1,000 behind budget.In real dollars we’re about $20,000 in the
hole.So we’ve been praying.
Part of that prayer is a
recognition that God is opening up opportunities for us as a
congregation - opportunities of ministry and reaching the greater
Merced metroplex with the gospel.And that
looking around the congregation - at us - the reality is that unless
God does something miraculous - the financial support of those
opportunities isn’t going to happen.
Most of us are not loaded
financially.Probably the just the
opposite.No amount of cleverness on our
part is going to come up with what’s needed to support what God is
doing.
God tells us, “You don’t
have it because you haven’t asked for it.”So,
we’ve asked and we’re trusting God to provide.
The second part of our prayer -
part one being:“God please
provide for your ministry” - part two is for our own openness before God - being
open to allow God to teach us and to use us as people that God may
choose to use to meet the financial needs of His ministry - stewardship.
Which is the focus of where we’d
like to go this morning.Thinking about
our finances and about our hearts - what goes on deep inside us -
thinking about all that in a way that I hope will be helpful to all of
us as we’re praying and thinking through what God may want to teach us
about how we’re handling the resources God blesses us with.
There are message notes in your
bulletin that you might want to look at.And
also - please turn with me to Luke 12:33,34.
In Luke 12 Jesus is teaching
about making wise choices about what we value in life and what we
invest in.Verses 33 and 34 are a key
point in that teaching.
Luke 12:33,34 - let’s read these
out loud together:“Sell your
possessions and give to the needy.Provide
yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the
heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth
destroys.For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also.” (ESV)
Walk with me through what Jesus
says here.What’s the first thing Jesus
tells us to do?“Sell.”Get rid of your possessions.Stop
hanging on to a bunch of worthless stuff.
I used to visit an elderly lady
that lived in one of those San Francisco houses that has the garage
down below and the house above.Have you
seen those?
When I went in the front door
there was a main trail that ran through the house towards the kitchen
with a couple of branch trails going to the bedroom and a place in the
front room where she would sit.Trails -
like little canyons - with stuff piled up on each side - about 2 to 3
feet of stuff.Junk.Newspapers
- cups from McDonalds - neatly stacked in about 20 or so in a stack -
magazines - papers.Her cupboards were
filled with - plates - dishes - knick knacks - broken - working - it
didn’t matter.The garage had a car in it
that was wedged in between garden tools and garden stuff and things
left over from house repair projects - pipes - fixtures - old camping
stuff.Can you picture this?A lifetime of stuff - decades of stuff.Nothing every got thrown out.
Her kids were trying to get her
to downsize.So they’d gotten one of those
portable storage units to help her move out some of her stuff.They’d parked it in the driveway.She’d filled it without making a dent in what was inside
the house.Her insurance company had
dropped her because the house was a fire hazard - it was.It actually did catch on fire.
Do you know people like this?
Jesus says, “Sell it.Empty out that auxiliary storage unit commonly
known as a garage.Get rid of what you’re
hanging on to.”
What’s the second thing Jesus
tells us to do? “Give to the
needy.”Give to the poor - have
compassion for others - mercy - pity.What
Jesus is talking about here is Almsgiving - which was a requirement
tied in to the whole religious welfare system of the Old Covenant.Something like our Benevolence Ministry but on
steroids.Point being - that we need to
move from being self-focused with what we’re accumulating
for ourselves to being other focused with what we’re giving.Getting off of our purposes and onto God’s
purposes for having wealth.
The third thing Jesus tells us
to do here in verse 33 is to what?“Provide
yourselves with moneybags - or purses - or wallets - that do not
grow old.”That moths - literally the
little moth larvae that eat away at cloth - where moths aren’t going to
eat holes in your sacks of money and all your money is going to fall
out and get lost.
The word “treasure” - has the
idea of where we put our treasure - where we store what we value - a
treasury.In other words - put your
treasure in a treasury - that’s safe - put what you value in a place
that no thief is going to be able to break into and steal your treasure
from.
The treasuries of earth - our
portfolios - our houses - whatever we’re hanging on to or investing in
- all that may seem secure.But stuff gets
consumed by insects and stolen by thieves.Point
being - all that is an investment in what’s ultimately going to be lost.Pretty worthless.We’re
together?
Look at verse 34.Where’s our heart?Where our
treasure is.
Treasure could be any number
things or attitudes - pride - ego - anger - whatever is of value to us
- what we invest our lives in.A lot of
people are investing their lives in anger.Which
is something different.Here in Luke 12
Jesus is teaching specifically about our attitude towards treasure -
wealth - what we possess.
All this stuff we’re
accumulating and hanging on to - as it rots and rust - its going to
testify against us - its going to speak volumes about our attitudes -
our greed - our selfishness - our foolishness - in what we thought was
important in life.It speaks volumes about
where our heart - the core of who we are - where our heart is focused.
Years ago I bought stock in this
company.Anyone remember Webvan?Great idea.Order
groceries online and in 30 minutes a truck comes to your door with
whatever you ordered.
Every day - after I bought that
stock - everyday I’d check to see how my Webvan stock was doing.If it dropped I got nervous.If it went up I’d tell myself what a financial genius I
was.Every day checking the stock.Sometimes more than once a day.I became obsessed.My
thoughts were there.My time was invested
there.Because that’s where my treasure
was.
Webvan went bankrupt in 2001.In June 2008 CNET called Webvan one of the
greatest dotcom disasters in history.What
I’d invested myself in - time - thoughts - money - lost - worthless.
Treasure is more than just money.It represents effort - thought - work - time
and tears.It represents a chunk of who we
are.It really doesn’t matter how much or
how little of it we have.If its treasure
to us then that’s where our heart is going to be.That’s
where our lives are going to be focused.
Jesus gives us a choice.Sell what’s worthless and invest in what’s
really valuable.When we do that we begin
to invest our lives in what has true value.
Isn’t that what we want?To invest our lives in what’s really worth
investing our lives in?
That’s what this acronym on your
message notes is all about - helping us to explore this choice that
Jesus gives us - rather than buying into what’s worthless - instead to
focus our hearts - to invest our lives in what really does have value.
The first letter - “H” - stands
for Honesty.Let’s say that together, “Honesty.”We
need to come clean with God.
Its been said that if you look
at someone’s credit card statements you can tell what’s important in
their lives.Those purchases are the
things that someone is willing to risk their future to possess.They’re willing to mortgage any future freedom
in order to own that thing right now.It
has that kind of value to them.
Remember the Capital One
commercials?“What’s in
your wallet?”We need to take an honest
assessment of what we value - what we’re investing our life in - what
we can’t life without.What’s in our
garage?What’s on our credit card bill?What are we writing checks for?
On a scale of one to ten - ten
being my life and everything in it is focused on heaven - God and His
purposes.One being my life and everything
in it is focused on earth - the unholy trinity of me, myself, and I.Where are you?Be
honest.Most of us are probably someplace
in the middle.
If you’re a five - what would
you need to “sell” - or to stop investing in -to
move up to a six?What do you need to let
go of and get out of your life.If
you don’t know - come clean with God.
You might say something to Him
like, “God, I don’t know.Please
show me what I’m hanging on to that’s keeping me focused on what’s
worthless.Help me to let go of it”
Or maybe God’s been speaking to
you for a while about something.Maybe you
need to say something to God like, “God I’ve
been hanging on to this.I’m giving it to
you.”
Second letter is E - meaning Eternity.Let’s say that together, “Eternity.”We
need to see God at work.
From Genesis 1:1
to Revelation 22:21 - the Bible is a description of how God is working
His plan - His purpose - His will.The
theme is very simple - what God is doing in history:God’s redemption of mankind.God
saving mankind.History is “His Story.”Right?Jesus
going to the cross - dying for us - in our place for our sins - His
resurrection - our hope.Our coming to a
point of decision to trust Jesus as our Savior.
John 3:16 - say it
with me:“For
God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”That’s what God is
doing in history.
Its what’s behind
the Great Commandment:“Go
and make disciples of all the nations…” (Matthew
28:19 NLT).
Jesus telling His
disciples - as He’s heading up to heaven:“You
will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere…” (Acts 1:8 NLT)
That purpose -
that great work of God - God’s redemption of mankind - and our part in
God’s work in history - all that should rearrange our use of treasure -
reorganize our investments - our priorities.
We need to lay
aside our arrogance - lay aside our knowledge and cleverness - our own
priorities and planning - our own vision of what we want to accomplish
with what God has blessed us with - and acknowledge that God is
sovereign.That He is the eternal God Who
is working all of creation according to eternal purposes.
Do you ever ask
yourself, “How
does my use of wealth - the things that God has given me - how does my
use of all that fit within God’s plan for the redemption of mankind?”
Answering that
question is a daily - minute by minute - if not second by second -
process of discovery, submission, and faithful dependence on God.A life in which everything we do - all of our
financial decisions and priorities are first taken before God in prayer.Where all that we do is evaluated by His word.In which, from the core of our being, our
passionate desire is to seek the accomplishment of His will in us and
through us - so that if there is any purpose or priority or direction
given to our lives - to our use of treasure - it must be coming from
Him.
If you’ve never
done this - today would be a good time to start.Ask
God, “God
what is your purpose for blessing me with wealth - with what you’ve
given me.What would you like me to do
with what you’ve blessed me with?”
The third letter is A - meaning Attitude.Let’s say that together, “Attitude.”We
need realize that its all God’s.
King David - towards the end of
his life - gathered together all the political, military, and religious
leaders of Israel - the most wealthy and influential people in the
Kingdom.Before the gathered assembly,
David donates his personal fortune for the purpose of building the
Temple.All his life, David has been
faithfully managing material things to be used for God’s spiritual
purposes.Now in one last act of
stewardship - he donates a vast fortune for God’s glory.Solomon may have built the Temple.But,
it was David who financed it.
As David gives - the entire
assembly is motivated to give - gold, silver, brass, iron, coins,
precious stones - an incredible fortune is given.1
Chronicles 29:9 says that the people rejoiced because they had offered
so willingly - they made their offering to the Lord with a whole heart.And David rejoiced - seeing the people freely
giving - faithfully using material wealth for God’s spiritual purposes.
Then David says this, “But who am
I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously
as this?For all things come from You, and
from Your hand we have given You.” (1 Chronicles 29:14)
I heard about a proposed 1040
short form from the IRS.Line one says, “List all
the money you made.”Line two says, “Send it all
in.”Its all ours anyway.Just
send it.
In a spiritual sense that’s true
of God.He does own all the wealth.Its His.Everything
we have - our bodies - even our very souls - belong to God.Ability comes from God.Intelligence
comes from God.Our start in life comes
from God.Nothing we have comes to us
apart from God.Apart from God we’re dust.And even the dust was created by God.
When our attitude towards wealth
is that its my wealth - my house - my car - my portfolio - we have an
expectation of attaining - preserving - a certain standard of living -
an entitlement to luxury.We get caught up
in spending our time - our thoughts - our efforts to pursue that
standard.We get bent out of shape when
our comfort zone is impinged upon.We get
anxious thinking that someone or something - a disaster or a downturn
in the market - could take some of our stuff away.
When our attitude towards wealth
is that its my wealth we get resistant to God when He prompts us to
give - especially if that might mean sacrificing some of that wealth -
taking a lower standard of living - giving up some of our comfort -
changing our lifestyle.We spend so much
money on ourselves - and yet church budgets go unmet.Missions go unsupported.Ministries
which could expand and grow - which could reach so many with the Gospel
- are hindered because we cling to our wealth.
When our attitude towards wealth
is that its my wealth our attitude towards other people changes.We find it easier to cut corners - to treat
people unfairly - to deal with others in ways that benefit us.We begin to think that “less fortunate” people
somehow deserve their lives - that those of us with more have no or
little responsibility towards them.People
may be dying because of our attitude.That’s
hard to hear - isn’t it?
Having wealth isn’t the problem.A person can be wealthy and still be Godly.A little tougher maybe.But
still possible.We get in serious trouble
when we loose sight of where all this comes from.Life
is about God not us.Treasure is about God
not us.
The fourth letter is a “R”
meaning Regular.Let’s say that together, “Regular.”We
need to get out of the driver’s seat..
Look with me at 1 Corinthians
16:1-3.
At the
time that Paul is writing to the Corinthian Church he had also been
instructing the churches in Galatia, Macedonia, Asia, and now Corinth -
instructing the churches there to take up a collection for the church
in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem at the time was a
fairly poor city.There’d been a famine
that had decimated the economy.The
church in Jerusalem - whether because of the economy or persecution -
the church was very poverty stricken.Paul
is instructing the churches to take up a collection to help the
Jerusalem Church take care of the needy there.
1
Corinthians 16:1:“Now
concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of
Galatia, so do you also.On the first day
of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may
prosper, so that no collections be made when I come.When I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them
with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem”
There are two principles of
regular giving here in what Paul writes that we need to grab on to.First:When are
the Corinthians to put aside and save?“On the
first day of every week.”
The Jewish day of worship began
when? on Friday evening and went until Saturday evening - the seventh
day.What Paul writes here is one of the
first indications we have that the early Christians had begun to
regularly come together on Sunday - the first day of the week - for
worship and prayer.
The first day is the day Jesus
rose from death.Its the beginning of life
on a totally different level.Every Sunday
we celebrate that resurrection and that life.Paul
writes, with that reality in mind - that life in Jesus - give.Every first day of every week - week in and
week out - bring what you’ve been saving and storing up - and give that
to the church.
“On the
first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save” - so that when I come what
you’ve already prepared to give will be taken to Jerusalem.
That means that God’s part is
set aside first - God’s part gets the priority - gets set aside before
the rest of it gets spent.Because its
amazing - isn’t it?How many things can
chew up our finances and we have very little left over for God - to
bring with us on Sunday.
God’s part gets set aside first
for the collection coming on Sunday.That’s
regular.
Second:Where
does this money come from?Paul writes, “as he may
prosper.”
Who prospers us?God.
God prospers us not so we can spend more on
ourselves - better
cars - bigger houses - more toys - retire - buy a Winnebago - drive
around the country eating - playing golf - and buying a lot of cheap
souvenirs.God prospers us with purpose.
John Wesley said, “When the
possessor of heaven and earth brought you into being and placed you in
this world, He placed you here not as owner but as steward.”
Where did all this wealth come
from?God.Why?For God’s purposes.His
plan.His work in history.We’re back to that nagging question:“Does my
spending bring people to God?To salvation
in Jesus?”
If we were selling tickets -
like a theater - it costs an average of about $40 per Sunday - per
person sitting in one these cushy teal colored chairs - to keep the
doors open. So, if you’re an attender here, your obligation per week
- bottom line - is $40.That’s all that’s
required.There are churches that look at
ministry that way.God doesn’t.
When we start totaling up a church budget and
dividing it by the number of giving units to determine “what’s my share” or what’s expected of every member - it puts us in the driver’s seat.
When we look at the church’s
income - or lack of it - or what’s in the bank - or think about what
parts of the church’s ministry interest us - and base our giving on
that rather than simple obedience to God - it puts us in the driver’s
seat.
When we divide up our giving
between missions organizations or parachurch ministries - or to wait
for some special appeal - thinking about all the things we’re able to
do with our money - and the church - which should have the priority -
the church is shoved down the list someplace - we put ourselves in the
driver’s seat.
Regular giving takes us out of
the driver’s seat.The bottom line of
regular giving as God prosper us means examining of our real needs - to consider our income - our resources - our blessings -
in order to determine - in obedience - what
share God would have us give.The bottom line question is not,
“How much do I have to give?” but, “How much can I give for God’s work?”
When we come to the altar to
make the commitment of marriage - when we say, “I do” it means we now have a permanent
date.Come Saturday night, we don’t have
to think real hard - get all stressed out - about who we’re going to
take out.We’re just following through on
the decision that’s already been made.
Regularity is following through
on the commitment we made to follow Jesus.Make
the decision to follow Jesus and when the time comes to give the
question of, “To give or not to give” - its already settled.Its what followers in Jesus
Christ do.There’s no reason to debate or
question whether we should or shouldn’t give.Prayerfully - before God - we make one basic decision.Then it’s simply a matter of carrying out that
decision regularly and systematically.On
this day we give to God.
The last letter is “T” meaning Trust.Let’s say that together, “Trust.”We
need to hang on to God.
Last week the Associated Press
released a study that showed Merced County as the second most
economically stressed county in the nation.Any
guesses who was number one?Imperial.But not by much.If
we try hard we might be able to catch them.Nine
out of the top 20 most economically stressed counties in the country
were in the Central Valley.
Giving is a very difficult issue to talk
about.Especially in these days with all the
demands on our finances.There are some very hard choices that we need
to make.Providing for our families -
planning for retirement - living - even in the central valley - isn’t cheap.Gas
is going up yet again.Our dollars get stretched.
In the Old Testament God’s
people were instructed to give the first tenth of the produce - crops -
lambs - goats - whatever.Bring the first
10% - it was actually much more than 10% - bring the first fruits to
the Temple - New Testament equivalent - the church.
People argue back and forth
about whether the tithe - 10% - is binding on the church in the New
Testament.But they're missing the point.The bottom line of tithing is that God is
after our hearts.
What’s God after?Our hearts.
Who’s in control of our lives?Who sets the priorities?Who
do we trust to take care of us?
Remember the manna - the bread
like stuff that God provided for His people?Five
mornings of the week - how much manna did God tell the people to
collect?Just enough for that day.What happened if they tried to save some for
the next day?Worms - maggots - stench.On the sixth day how much were the people
suppose to collect?Enough for that day
and the next day - the Sabbath.What
happened when they obeyed God?No worms -
no maggots - no stench. (Exodus 16)
Why did God set it up that way?What’s God trying to get His people to
understand?Trust Me.
Most of us can’t see how we’re going to live
off 100% of our income.If we give 5%
away, can we really make it on 95%?If we
give 15% away can we really make it on 85%?In
that sense - for some people to give 5% would be a huge test of faith -
a huge commitment of the heart to God.For
others they could give 50% of their income and still not be tithing.
Financial stewardship is
trusting God - surrendering control of our hearts - surrendering to
God’s sovereignty over our lives - giving up the junk we’re hanging on
to - so that the priorities of our lives actually get rearranged -
returning us to God - moving us into a process of a deepening -
dependent - relationship with God.So that
our hearts get reorientated away from focusing on ourselves and the
stuff of this earth that’s worthless - reorientates our hearts - our
lives - towards God and heaven and what has real lasting value.
Which puts a question in front
of every one of us this morning.Here it
is…Where are you investing your heart?
