This represents the first in a 5-part focus on how money affects our interior (heart)life, and is derived from a 3-part series given by Brad Powell of Northridge Church, Plymouth, MI. With Brad Powell’s permission, I adapted his material to its present format.
Message #1: Color-blind, The Color Of Money
April 15, 2007
Kevin McCarthy, Discover Church
I’m going to talk about money –an appropriate topic for Tax Day, April 15th . You know what they say: nothing’s certain except death and taxes! I’m kicking off a 5 message series: The Color of Money with a story Jesus told about a guy who was going to lose his job: The Story of the Shrewd Manager, job loss –now that’s a topic that’s relevant to a lot of us metro-Detroiters; Anyone here worried about your job or your company? Follow along with me: Turn to Luke chapter 16: "There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ’What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ "The manager said to himself, ’What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ "So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ’How much do you owe my master?’ " ’Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. "The manager told him, ’Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.’ "Then he asked the second, ’And how much do you owe?’ " ’A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. "He told him, ’Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
This guy sized up his job situation, planned bold and decisive strategy to would benefit others in the short-run and himself in the long-run, and executed that plan. He made short-term monetary sacrifices (his commission) to invest in relationships that had promising long-term potential –a brighter future for these vendors, and hopefully, for himself.
Jesus’ assessment: "The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
Thesis: Most people are color-blind when it comes to money. We view money as a morally neutral resource, intended for short-term benefits here on earth: to provide for ourselves and our families. But money is far from that. Money is not a neutral, amoral commodity. Money is faith-charged and How you view and use money “colors” or shapes your life, because using money requires faith. Money has no inherent value, only that which we all agree upon –all over this planet. Every time you touch money, you exercise faith –faith in it, faith in our economic system.
Webster’s defines Money as: something generally accepted as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment…” Money is only a symbol or promise of deferred goods and services. To use money, we must trust others, a whole lot of other people.
Economist Frans Doorman writes: “The acceptance of money is based on the faith that others will accept the coins or bills at some point in the future, in exchange for a good or service… Confidence or faith in money is crucial, because by itself, money has no real value… The intrinsic value of paper money (bank notes or bills) is even less than that of coins… Now, the value of currencies depends more than ever on the faith people put in it… today money can be created at will… Today, governments can, and do (produce money out of thin air and have it maintain its value)… Underlying this principle is a deep faith in the infallibility of the market…” Global Development: Problems, Solutions, Strategy,
How you view and use money shapes your faith. That’s why Jesus said a lot about money, roughly 15% of his teachings that were recorded have to do with money –more than he devoted to both heaven and hell combined. Listen to what Jesus says here about money, follow along in your bible, or on the message outline. "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
Jesus states that worldly wealth is a Trust from God, and how you use it:-- a test of your character & faithfulness it’s a tool to win friends forever. That’s why you need to be shrewd, and cannot afford to be color-blind when it comes to money.
How you view and use money “colors” or shapes your life, because using money requires faith. Therefore 1. Money can color your heart the way you view and use money will shape our perspective, attitude, passions, priorities. "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."
Your heart is the arena of faith. Whenever you touch money, money touches you –it either builds your faith & love in God, money & what it can buy, or self, depending on how you value it, view it, use it. Jesus taught that there exists an either-or situation between God and money, that you cannot love both simultaneously. …where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34
What’s your treasure? Here are some questions by A.W. Tozer to help you find the location of your heart:
· What do I value most?
· What would I most hate to lose?
· What do my thoughts turn to most frequently when I am free to think of whatever I want?
· What affords me the greatest pleasure?
(how you see and use) 2. Money can color your faith in God. Using and accumulating money is seductive, it tempts you to trust in yourself, or in it & what it can buy, rather than trust in God. which is why the scripture warns: Be careful! Don’t be led away from God by riches; don’t let much money turn you away. Neither your wealth nor all your great strength will keep you out of trouble. Job 36:18-19 NCV Truth is: money can get you into a lot more moral & spiritual trouble than it can get you out of. Why? Because money empowers you and amplifies who you are, and we humans are sinful, selfish people, aren’t we? Next week we’re going to look at how money can darken your life and how to avoid the dark side of money.
Advertisers condition us daily to be discontent so that we will spend our money on their products. As a result, most of us buy the lie that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. We think “if I just had a little more money I’ll be content.” But the Bible, God’s Word to us, warns us to Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5 In two weeks I’ll point out 4 poisonous perspectives of money, how they drive us into debt, and how you can protect your heart and faith from them.
The way you use money empowers you and amplifies who you are therefore (how you see and use) 3. Money can color your character: Can you think of any persons in the bible who compromised their character for money or treasure? Jacob (inheritance), Joseph’s brothers, Achan (hid idol), Baalam (to curse Israel), Judas (betray Jesus), Ananias/Sapphira (portion of proceeds from sale of property) – money colored all of their characters, blemished their integrity. Riches are often the greatest test of character which life presents. Which is why St. Paul noted that “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.” For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Tim 6:10
(how you see and use) 4. Money can color your destiny. The most important relationship which money colors or shapes, is your relationship with God. It’s so tempting to center our lives around ourselves, our money, or our stuff, or to depend upon our money -and what it can purchase- rather than God and His Word. This tendency to idolize money as our source or provider is what Jesus was referring to when he said that, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Matt19:23-25). The context of this comment was Jesus’ invitation for a rich young ruler to part with his money and pursue Jesus as a formal follower. Needless to say, the rich young ruler turned down Jesus’ invitation. Sadly, money can injure your eternal destiny. The good news is that money can enrich your eternal reward if you’ll invest it the way that Jesus said: use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”
While the way you use money on earth may increase your reward in heaven, all the money in the world cannot get you into heaven –can’t buy you God’s forgiveness. This is what God is saying to us through King David’s complaint about his enemies in Psalm 49:6-9: They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches. Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God. Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough to live forever and never see the grave. “Sin pays off with death,” The bible says (Rom 3:23). We’re all owed it, ‘cause we’ve all earned it. All of Bill Gates and Kirk Kerkorian’s wealth combined is insufficient to pay the spiritual penalty for your faults, flaws, and failures.
King David goes on to state: But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of death. (Psalm 49:15 NLT) That’s why God sent Jesus –to pay the penalty for your and my sins, as the Apostle Peter writes: For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT
The good news is that though you could never buy it, forgiveness & heaven is a free gift, available to you if you place your trust in Jesus, --make Him (and not money) the center of your life, and ask for His forgiveness, and follow His lead. God –through His prophet Isaiah extends this invitation:
"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live (Isa 55:1-3). God paid a ransom to save you from your empty life: the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. His ransom is priceless, yet free of charge –it’s only cost: the rest of your life under Jesus’ leadership, and that includes your money management. I’ll share more about that in the weeks to come, but I want to offer you an opportunity to receive God’s priceless gift of forgiveness. What do you need to do?
1. Admit that you’ve offended God (by living for yourself)
2. Believe that Jesus Christ, His Son, paid the penalty for your sins and ask Him to forgive you for all you’ve done against him.
3. Commit your life to His leadership and invite Jesus to come into your life/fill your heart.
PRAY WITH AUDIENCE TO ACT ON THIS POINT, DIRECT TO MARK CONNECT CARD, NOTIFY OF FOLLOW-UP THIS WEEK.
We’ll look next week at how the way we see and use money can “darken” our hearts and lives, and how to avoid the pitfalls and problems of building your life around a center other than God.
