Financial Management

Financial Management

Thesis: Being willing and able to manage our finances honors God and spreads his kingdom.

Texts:

Matthew 6:24-34

24“No one 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.

25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life£?

28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Introduction: I recall from the past and old song that went something like this “What the world needs now is love sweet love.” I hum it every once in a while and think but today I they would say, “What the world needs now is money sweet money.” Scott Titus said, “Its been said that the average American spends half his waking hours thinking about money.”

Finances – money – cash – the green stuff have torn apart many relationships in our culture today. There has been misunderstandings of financial resources and misappropriation of financial resources. This preoccupation with money has created some startling results in our world today listen to just a few that where mentioned by Scott Titus:

Nearly 80 percent of all divorced couples between the ages of 20 and 30 list financial difficulties as the primary cause of their separation.

Consumer debt is at an all time high-currently over 1.4 trillion dollars.

Us Credit card debt is over 500 billion dollars, and according to the Federal Reserve, American consumers add almost $5 Billion dollars a month to their credit card debt.

In the past ten years, credit card balances have increased a staggering 163%.

Even some of the most dedicated Christiana are facing the difficulty of overextended credit and bankruptcy. Last year alone 1.3 million personal bankruptcies were filed. Most people like you and me.

The nation’s debt is climbing. Prices are climbing, and suicide rates are climbing.

T.S.- Our world is being destroyed because finances are not being used according to the plan and purpose of God. God desires us to manage our finances His way not our way. So lets learn financial management God’s way.

I. What is God’s purpose in allowing this world to have money and use money? Dr. John Morgan gives us 6 reasons for God’s purpose for finances:

a. To grow us spiritually.

i. Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

ii. Illustration from Leadership/Melvin Newland;

Leadership Magazine carried a story about 4 young men, Bible College students, who were renting a house together. One Saturday morning someone knocked on their door. And when they opened it, there stood this bedraggled-looking old man. His eyes were kind of marbleized, & he had a silvery stub of whiskers on his face. His clothes were ragged & torn. His shoes didn’t match. In fact, they were both for the same foot. And he carried a wicker basket full of unappealing vegetables that he was trying to sell. The boys felt sorry for him & bought some of his vegetables just to help him out. Then he went on his way. But from that time on, every Saturday he appeared at their door with his basket of vegetables. As the boys got to know him a little bit better, they began inviting him in to visit a while before continuing on his rounds. They soon discovered that his eyes looked marbleized, not because of drugs or alcohol, but because of cataracts. They learned that he lived just down the street in an old shack. They also found out that he could play the harmonica, & that he loved to play Christian hymns, & that he really loved God. So every Saturday they would invite him in, & he would play his harmonica & they would sing Christian hymns together. They became good friends, & the boys began trying to figure out ways to help him. One Saturday morning, the story says, right in the middle of all their singing & praising, he suddenly said to them, "God is so good!" And they all agreed, "Yes, God is so good." He went on, "You know why he is so good?" They said, "Why?" He said, "Because yesterday, when I got up & opened my door, there were boxes full of clothes & shoes & coats & gloves. Yes, God is so good!" And the boys smiled at each other & chimed in, "Yes, God is so good."