Fresh Start With Money Series

Fresh Start with Money

Malachi 3:7-12 “Since the days of your fathers, you have turned from My statutes; you have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Hosts. But you ask: “How can we return?” 8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me!” You ask: “How do we rob You?” “By not making the payments of the tenth and the contributions. 9 You are suffering under a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing Me. 10 Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this way,” says the Lord of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not ruin the produce of your land and your vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit,” says the Lord of Hosts. 12 “Then all the nations will consider you fortunate, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of Hosts.

Today’s view of Money - Get all you CAN, CAN all you get, then sit on your CAN.

I. Many of us have a wrong view of money

A. We lack proper perspective when it comes to money

1. 80% of the world lives on less then $10 a day

2. A little less then 50% lives on $2.50 a day

3. ¼ of all people live on less then $1.25 a day

B. We depend on money

1. Money will always let you down.

Proverbs 11:28 Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.

2. Our dependence should be in Christ

I Timothy 6:17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.

C. We must choose between God and Money

Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

II. God’s view of money

A. Everything is His

1. Everything you have is His.

Psalms 24:1 — "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it."

2. God has placed you as a manager over what He has given you

1 Corinthians 4:2 In this regard, it is expected of managers that each one of them be found faithful.

B. Love of Money is THE problem

1 Timothy 6:9-10 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith …

- Money is not evil. Loving it leads to all kinds of evil.

C. Is the concept of the tithe 10% only taught in the Old Testament

Luke 16:11-12 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?

1 Corinthians 16:1-2: "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 let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper…

2 Corinthians 9:7: "Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver."

Acts 2:44-45 "And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need." Also see Luke 18:10; Matthew 23:23; Hebrews 7:1-10

III. Are you robbing God? Malachi 3:7-12

A. Is stealing ok in the New Testament? 3:7-8

1. We are to give a portion of what God has given you.

2. God says, ““By not making the payments of the tenth and the contributions. You are suffering under a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing Me.” 3:8-9

B. We are under “a curse” because we are not giving 3:9

- God will not bless faithless stewards

C. We are missing out on blessings by not giving. 3:10

- Tithing/Giving is the ONLY place where God challenges us to TEST Him

- God will “open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out a blessing for you