Biblical Spending Series

Chico Alliance Church

Pastor David Welch

“Biblical Spending”

I. Benefits of Faithful giving (see previous notes)

II. General Financial Principles

A. Proper approach to Wealth

B. Poisonous approach to wealth

III. Principles of Gaining Resources

A. Sources of supply

1. Work

2. Gifts and Inheritance

3. Investment Returns

B. Sources of suspension

1. Discipline

2. Direction

3. Deeper Devotion and faith

IV. Principles of Giving resources

A. Motivation for giving (Why should we give?)

B. Ministers of giving (Who should give?)

C. Material (What are we to give?)

1. Give the best of ourselves

2. Give the best of our resources

D. Measure (How much should I give?)

1. Pre-Law Pattern = required / freewill

2. OT Law Pattern = required / freewill

Required consisted of Tithe-Regular, Festival, Poor; gleaning laws, Temple tax, Sabbath=23%)

Freewill giving consisted of:

• Firstfruits Pr 3:9

• Liberally and generously Prov 11:25

• Willingly Ex 25:2; 35:29; 36:7

• Proportionally Deut 16:16-17

3. NT Grace Pattern = required / freewill

Required giving (Taxes Rom 13:6)

Freewill offerings

a) Give purposefully as determined in one’s heart

b) Give sacrificially

c) Give proportionally

d) Give generously

e) Give consistently

E. Manner (How should we give?)

1. Cheerfully

2. Willingly

3. Secretly

4. Faithfully

5. Consistently

F. Mission (To whom do we give?)

1. Parents

2. Primary ministers of spiritual nourishment

3. Other ministries

4. Individual needy believers

5. The needy of the world

Note: More complete notes on above points available in previous sermon notes.

V. Principles of Spending

A. Problems in spending

1. Impulse buying

Spending to fill a void or medicate a hurt always leads to trouble.

2. Indulgence Pro 21:16-17; 23:21; Col 3:5-6

A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead. He who loves pleasure will become a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not become rich. Proverbs 21:16-17

For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe one with rags. Proverbs 23:21

Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. Colossians 3:5

3. Insubordination Jer 2:11-13

4. Borrowing

• Borrowing is discouraged by Scripture Rom 13:8

• Borrowing puts one in bondage to the lender Pro 22:7; 2 Ti 2:4

Part of the judgment of Israel for forsaking the fountain of living water would be that they would be forced to borrow. Deut 28:15, 44

• Borrowing presumes upon the future Jam 4:14 Pro 27:1

• Borrowing can interfere with God's supernatural provision 2 Ch 16:9

• Borrowing defuses protection from harmful items

• Borrowing can discourage "body life"

• Borrowing hinders service

• Borrowing facilitates impulse buying

• Borrowing facilitates indulgence

B. Principles of Spending

1. Focus on firstfruits to God FIRST.

2. Focus on basic needs (food, clothes, shelter)

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without.”

3. Focus on saving and investment both eternal and temporal

4. Focus on giving to others

5. Develop a spending strategy

Suggested questions regarding spending

1. Why do I want this?

2. Is this to fill a legitimate need or fill a spiritual void?

3. Do I have the resources?

4. Has the Lord provided money for this item?

5. If not, am I willing to wait?

6. How will this bring growth to the family or the kingdom?

CONCLUSION

What is God asking you to do?

How can I free up more resources for eternal purposes?

We need to develop the habit of regular giving to keep our heart focused.

We also need to engage in extravagant giving to express the depth of our devotion to God.

Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, "Why this waste? "For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor." But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. "For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. "For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. "Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her." Matthew 26:6-13