Title: Your Money or Your Life
Text: Proverbs 3:9-10
“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled with overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”
Theme: Money
Topic: How to handle money properly
Thesis: Since the only way to handle money properly is by having a God-centered perspective, we must honor God with our money as well as trust Him for our prosperity.
o Truth: The only way to handle money properly is by having a God-centered perspective.
o Thrust: We must honor God with our money as well as trust Him for our prosperity.
Tagline: Make God, not money, the priority in your life.
Teaching:
Introduction
1. Interesting beginning: Holdupper says, “Your money or your life?” Takes time to answer. Finally the man says, “I’m thinking. I’m thinking. Don’t pressure me!”
2. Need: When you think about money, what’s the first question that comes to your mind? (Find a partner and share your answer)
3. Text: Our text talks about the fourth priority that we should have in our lives in order to experience a blessed life. And it’s all about handling money. (Background is agricultural economy)
4. Relevance: How we handle money really reveals our hearts more than anything else in our lives. It really shows where our priorities are. And the questions we ask about money really show our true perspective about money.
5. Overview: But what would God ask us about money? We believe God would ask us two important questions about money: a) Who really owns our money, and b) Where do we really get the money we need? Our answer to these two important questions will determine how we will handle money. You see, the only way to handle money properly is by having a God-centered perspective. Since this is true, we must honor God with our money as well as trust Him for our prosperity. So the next time someone would pressure you and ask you, “Your money or your life?” Just answer, “I will make God, not money, the priority of my life.”
Two Questions:
1. Who really owns your money? Answer: The Lord
a. The Bible reveals that God owns everything. Exo 19:5-6
b. But it also reveals that He has entrusted you this money and you are free to choose how you want to use it. Acts 5:3-4
c. This is the reason why God commands us in Proverbs to honor Him. Proverbs 3:9
d. Not to do so is to rob Him. Malachi 3:6-12
e. Now to honor Him is not just to give tithes but to really honor Him totally in how we use the money that He has entrusted to us. Applications
f. Say this, “I will make God, not money, the priority of my life.”
2. Where do you really get the money you need? Answer: From the Lord
a. People are worried about the economy these days.
b. People are also so concerned about their future prosperity. Illus. Chinese Zodiac at SM
c. How we answer this question will determine how we will live our lives – whether in anxiety or in peace. Illus. Parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21
d. The Lord is not condemning riches per se, or hard work, or the desire to move ahead in life. But he wants us to have the right focus and perspective. Luke 12:22-34
e. It’s foolish for us to strive after wealth and prosperity when we know that all wealth and prosperity comes from the Lord. Proverbs 3:10 Illus. Legend of Stupid Servant
f. Say this, “I will make God, not money, the priority of my life.”
Conclusion:
Illus. Chess (everybody goes back to the box)
Since the only way to handle money properly is by having a God-centered perspective, we must honor God with our money as well as trust Him for our prosperity. Say this, “I will make God, not money, the priority of my life.”
