Debt, Deliverance and Dignity
1 Timothy 6:5-11; 17-19
An elderly man on a Moped, looking about 100 years old, pulled up next to a doctor at a streetlight.
The old fella looked at the sleek shiny car and asks, "What kind of car ya got there, sonny?"
The doctor replies, "A Ferrari. It cost half a million dollars!"
"That’s a lot of money," says the old man. "Why does it cost so much?"
"Because this car can do up to 220 miles an hour!" states the doctor proudly.
Moped man asked, "Mind if I take a look inside?" The proud doctor said, “Sure,” so the old guy poked his head in the window and looked around.
Finally, sitting on his scooter, the old man says, "That’s a pretty nice car, all right...But I’ll stick with my Moped!"
Just then the light changes, so the doctor decides to show the old man just what his car can do. He floored it, and within seconds the speedometer hit 160 mph.
Then, he saw a dot in his rear view mirror. It’s getting closer! He slowed to see what it could be and suddenly. WHOOOOSSSHHH! Something whips by him going much faster! "What on earth could be going faster than my Ferrari?" the doctor thought. He accelerated up to 190 mph.
Up ahead was the old man on the Moped!
Amazed, he gave the Ferrari more gas. He’s feeling good until he looks in his mirror and sees the old man gaining on him AGAIN!
Astounded by the speed of this old guy, he floored it and took Ferrari all the way up to 220 mph.
Ten seconds later, the Moped is bearing down on him again!
The Ferrari is flat out, and there’s nothing he can do! Suddenly, the Moped plows into the back of his Ferrari, demolishing the rear end.
The doctor stopped, jumped out and, amazingly, the old man was still alive.
He ran up to the banged-up old guy and says, "I’m a doctor.... Is there anything I can do for you?"
The old man whispers,
"Unhook my suspenders from your side mirror."
Financial freedom is impossible when you are hooked on the American dream of owning, owning, owning. Many people don’t even realize that they are on a fast ride to disaster. That’s why the Bible says, "Know the state of your affairs and watch your business interests closely" (Proverbs 27:34.
• Total American household debt exceeds 100% of disposable annual income.
• Total consumer debt in June 2008 - $2.586 trillion dollars - The Federal Reserve.
• The personal credit card debt carried by the average American is $8,562
• The average consumer carries 8 cards and 20% of them are maxed out.
• 1.3 million credit card holders declared bankruptcy in a recent year.
• Bankruptcies exceeded 1 million per year for several years now.
• Bankruptcy has soared among the elderly – 433% among those 75-84 –USA Today (Christine Dugas, “Bankruptcy Rising Among Seniors,” USA Today, posted in 21st Century Retirement, 6/20/08).
Turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 6 and read beginning in verse 5: Men of corrupt mind … think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with 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. But you, man of God, flee from all this (vv. 5-11). Now pick up in verses 17-19: Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
It would be great to just go through this passage verse by verse. We haven’t time this morning to do that, but let’s learn some principles about finances from the Word of God.
I. AN AFFLICTION OF AFFLUENZA
What is affluenza? Affluenza, n. a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more (John de Graaf, David Wann, Thomas H Naylor, Affluenza, The All-Consuming Epidemic, (San Francisco: Barrett-Koehler Publishers, 2001).
Another definition: affluenza, n. 1. The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses. 2. An epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by the pursuit of the American Dream. 3. An unsustainable addiction to [consumption] (DeGraff – based in part on the PBS television programs “Affluenza” and Escape from Affluenza. John de Graff wrote and produced the television special.
Our culture encourages us to measure our worth by financial success and material possessions. Mainstream media — television broadcasts, magazine and newspaper ads — demonstrate how pervasive idea has become as they reinforce these faulty values to the viewers.
The term, “affluenza” uses the whimsical metaphor of a disease to tackle a very serious subject: the damage done -- to our health, families, and our communities -- by an obsessive quest for material gain as we “spend more and enjoy it less.”
Most households spend 10 percent more than their income, no matter what the income level. Bob Russell, recently retired pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, says, “More money never satisfies our desire for more. In fact, the more we have the more the temptation intensifies. The more we have the more we want.”
The Bible says stuff will never ultimately satisfy. Isaiah asks, “Why waste your money on what really isn’t food? Why work hard for something that doesn’t satisfy? (55:2).
The greatest things in life aren’t things. That’s why we’re never satisfied with last year’s fashions; that’s why you must redecorate all the time. Once you buy stuff it doesn’t change and it gets boring. That’s why the car is not cool like it used to be and the computer you bought last week is already out of date. Things don’t change and people do. So you’ll never be satisfied with stuff.
Who would have ever imagined in our parent’s time that new homes would come with two, three, even four car garages? Why? Primarily, we have such huge garages to hold our stuff! 70% of Americans visit malls weekly – more than attend church. Airlines have offered special excursions to major malls across the country as people respond to a little voice saying, “Shopping is therapy!”
There was even a board game, loved especially by little girls called, “Mall Madness.” The winner was the one who spent the most and got back to the car first. That’s a bit different from Monopoly that I grew up with. It was also a game of greed, but at least it taught you to invest in value even if it was imaginary. John Ortberg’s new book, entitled, When the Game is Over It All Goes Back in the Box. He tells about playing Monopoly with his grandmother, whom he could never beat as a child. One day he finally won over his grandmother and he calls that win, “My moment of great glory — until the final lesson came: When the game is over it all goes back in the box. All the houses, all the hotels, all that money — everything is going back in the box”(“Preaching Through Their Defenses: An Interview with John Ortberg,” Preaching, Sept/Oct, 2008, 9).
Affluenza leads us to have nearly 800 million credit cards. We throw away more than eleven million automobiles annually. Can you imagine if China with its booming economy were to have two cars per family? The Olympics showed that the Chinese are now afflicted by affluenza also.
The truth is if we put our trust in things, if our happiness depends on money and what it can buy, we deny the God of heaven. Whatever we trust for our happiness becomes our God. That is why Jesus said, “…where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt. 6:21). And one day each of us is going back in the box or the urn! And we can take none of that stuff with us.
II. A FEVER OF DEBT
The primary symptom of the affluenza epidemic is the burden of debt. The excessive use of credit has brought on this fever of debt. Credit cards enable impulse buying and that hinders the ability to repay the debt. The average credit card company will allow you to borrow 250% more than you can conceivably repay. They perpetuate the myth that debt is a tool that helps create prosperity.
Ellen was 30 years old with a $3,500 balance on her Citibank credit card at 18% interest. If she makes the minimum payment each month, do you know how old she’ll be when it is paid off? [70 years old]
Tom and Susan needed a new washing machine, so they went to Sears and bought a cheap one for $299. They got a Sears charge card and made the minimum payment each month. By the time it was paid off, Tom and Susan had actually paid $1,199 for that washing machine! The use of credit cost them $900.
The Bible makes it plain that debt is dumb. Most normal people are just plain broke because they are in debt up to their eyeballs with no hope of help. The Bible says if you’re in debt, you’re a slave – Pr. 22:7 – “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave of the lender” (NRSV).
In April 2008, the Federal Reserve reported that total federal debt was right at $9.5 trillion — $31,600 for every man, woman and child living in the USA. (I understand that a trillion dollars if stacked in $1000 bills, one on top of the other, flat side on top of flat side, would be 67 miles high.) In interest of full disclosure I have not conducted that experiment!
One of the greatest threats to successful Christian living is debt. Young couples today often overload themselves on debt and are indebted for thousands of dollars within the first few years of marriage. Part of the problem seems to be that we want what our parents have and we want it now.
Proverbs 21:20 NLT – “The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get.” Paul says, “Let no debt remain outstanding” (Ro. 13:8). Debt puts us into bondage to the world. It has not always been that way, but we’ve become a society that demands instant gratification and is unwilling to wait to get what we want.
People who hated debt founded three firms that offer much credit today. Sears makes more money now on credit than on the sale of merchandise. They are not a store; they are a lender with some stuff out front. In 1910 the Sears catalog stated, "Buying on Credit is Folly." J. C. Penney department stores make millions annually on their plastic, but their founder was nicknamed "Cash" Penney because he detested the use of debt. Henry Ford thought debt was a lazy man’s method to purchase items, and his philosophy was so ingrained in Ford Motor Company that Ford didn’t offer financing until 10 years after General Motors. Now Ford Motor credit is the one profitable operation of the corporation. The old view was that debt is folly; the new view sees the opportunity to take advantage of the consumer with debt. I’m sure you’ve heard the old story of the man whose wife’s credit cards were stolen. He never called to cancel them, because, he said, "the thieves are spending less than she did." Debt has become a huge problem for so many.
To get out of the prison of debt you have to figure out how you got there to begin with. Otherwise, we treat the symptom instead of the real cause. You don’t go into debt because of a lack of funds. The two reasons we go there are: 1- the failure to recognize the difference between needs and wants, and 2- the failure to put aside resources for emergencies. Unless you learn to do those two things, you’re always in danger of going back into debt regardless of how much income you have coming in. You must learn the difference between needs and wants. And you must learn to set aside a portion of your income in preparation for the needs that you will encounter in the future.
Some people don’t get concerned about their indebtedness. “Everybody’s in debt”, they say. “What’s the big deal? I’m doing better than my neighbor!” Others react with paralyzing fear. You get into debt a little at a time. You get out of debt the same way.
My father was a good manager. But he never taught me. My model was my mother who loved the phenomena of credit and cards. Nelda grew up in a home where they paid cash. When we married I got one of the first BankAmerica cards. They eventually became Visa. Then I got an American Express card and it was very easy for me to use those cards. You can imagine that when we argued it was usually about money. I’d blame Nelda for what she spent when I was the real culprit.
Years after I learned my lesson and our finances were straightened out, I was preaching on finances in my mother-in-law’s church in Watauga, TX. Partly out of a mischievous streak, I announced that my wife had had figure-enhancing surgery. My dear mom-in-law’s jaw dropped. Then I told how we were overwhelmed with debt when one night Nelda took all her credit cards and cut them up. I said, “And our figures have been better ever since.” Now we have some credit cards, but we pay them off each month and never pay interest. The fact is that it’s easier to spend more when you use a card than when you peel off the bills in cash. Then you want to cry, “Good-bye, George; good-bye, Abe; good-bye, Thomas! Good-bye Mr. President!”
One of my great errors in those days was succumbing to my love for a nice new automobile. I not only got one every two years, but I compounded the error by leasing it. As dumb as buying a new car is, leasing is way more stupid.
I wish I had learned early on what this video will show you about buying cars. (A video from promotional materials for Financial Peace University showing how own cars for the rest of your life without going into debt).
III. A DESIGN FOR DELIVERANCE
Steps that will get you out of debt:
1. Make a written plan. We want to offer help that’s why we’re offering Financial Peace University. For those who don’t need that there will be an excellent Bible Study class.
2. Stop spending money that is not absolutely essential for living. Begin to assess what you can do for yourself or seek the help of other Christians.
3. Think before buying. A Christian who is in debt (and even those who are not) should think before every purchase. You should ask yourself questions like, “Is this a necessity? or, “Is this the very best buy I can get?”
4. Discontinue Credit Buying! A Christian in debt should also begin buying only on a cash basis. Often the person in debt doesn’t realize how much money is lost each year in interest. If you are in debt from the misuse of credit, stop – totally stop – using it! Cut those cards up and write the companies to tell them that you will not be using their card and how you intend to pay them back. Then start buying solely on a cash basis.
5. Don’t borrow money to invest! It’s not scriptural, so don’t so it.
6. Start saving: Christians should practice saving money on a regular basis. Even if it is only a small amount, develop a discipline of saving.
Realize that money or things will never make you happy. Some who are rich are not as happy as you are! In fact, they just have more expensive bills than you do and a lot more stuff to worry about.
Listen to what some of the world’s wealthiest people had to say about money:
W.H. Vanderbilt: The care of $200 million dollars is enough to kill anyone. There is no pleasure in it.
John Jacob Astor: I am the most miserable man on earth.
Henry Ford: I was happier when doing a mechanic’s job.
Andrew Carnegie: Millionaires seldom smile.
IV. ACHIEVING DIGNITY IN YOUR FINANCES
In my mind’s eye, I can still see an old couple that attended my church when I was a teenager. I could not imagine ever being that old! They might have been a tiny bit older than I am now. They were so dignified and in thinking about them now I believe the source of their dignity was their contentment.
Remember Paul’s word in 1 Ti. 6:6 - But godliness with contentment is great gain. Again he says in Phil. 4:11-13 - I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Paul transferred all he possessed to God, knowing that God would keep his promise to meet all needs. What a great relief it is to turn our affairs over to Him. Do that and when something happens to the car, you can say, “Father, this is your car; I’ve maintained it to the best of my ability, but I don’t own it. It belongs to you, so do with it whatever you would like.” Then look for the blessing God has in store as a result of this attitude.
I close with these comments. Spiritually, we all debtors — sinners. Some try to pay that debt through hard work. This is one debt that we can never pay off on our own. It’s like trying to pay off a credit card that you keep using. Remember the example that it would take 40 years to pay off a relatively small debt if all that is paid is the minimum. But that’s if the credit card is never used again. Most of us will probably sin some time this week. How long would it take to pay off a debt you keep adding on to?
We have to admit that we cannot pay and throw ourselves on the mercy of the court. But the debt must not go unpaid. The debt of our sin has been paid by Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God. When he shed His blood on the cross, he paid our sin debt. You may not have your debt paid yet. Maybe you’ve been trying to pay it yourself. Come to Jesus this morning, and let Him pay the debt for you.
Some are here that have had that debt paid, but God wants far more than to just pay your way out of hell and into heaven. He wants to give you full and abundant life right now! You’ve never accepted that offer. You’ve not walked in full obedience to him and that is evidenced by your refusal to turn your finances over to him. Live in the fullness of the abundant life God has planned for you.
(Some quotes used in this message come from a variety of sermons on SermonCentral.com).
Debt, Deliverance and Dignity
A Message on Financial Freedom
August 31, 2008
Copyright © 2008 by Dan E. Jackson
