Ron Blue "There are five things you can do with your Money."
-Spend it.
-Re-pay Debt.
-Pay Taxes.
-Save it. / Invest it.
-Give it.
What Determines how much goes to them:
1. Priorities
2. Self Control
What we do too many times is give God the Leftovers!
Our Challenge is Stewardship knowing that:
"Everything Belongs to God."
"Everything Comes from God."
"Everything is Given by God."
Matthew 6:21-34
Jesus challenges the issues of ownership vs. management.
The Problem: We are living and thinking like owners.
The Result Is Worry and Stress.
Jesus wants to lift all of that off of you:
Matthew 6:24 "You can serve both."
Matthew 6:25 "Isn’t life more important?" Yes!
Matthew 6:26-27 "All worry will do is take time off your life."
Matthew 6:28-30 "Only owners feel the weight of finances."
Matthew 6:31-32 "Nothing but pressure."
The Principle: We need a whole different way to live an entirely different approach.
Matthew 6:33 "Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well." (NCV)
The Message Paraphrase says, "Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met."
We must seek God’s Kingdom and Trust God to fund our lives.
We must reverse our List:
-Give it.
-Save it. Invest it.
-Pay Taxes.
-Re-pay Debt.
-Spend it.
It means Going from Ownership to Stewardship! Going from Leftovers to God to giving our First Fruits!
How much of our First Fruits do we give?
First Check:To God! God eats first!
Malachi 3:10 "Bring to the storehouse a full tenth of what you earn so there will be food in my house." (NCV)
10% to God and we get 90%
Second Check:Write it to yourself for the Future.
Third Check:Pay those Taxes.
Fourth Check: Pay the Debt. Get rid of high consumer debt. Average home pays $1,000 in interest on CC each year. That could be over $50,000 here at Calvary a year.
Fifth Check:Spend it. Remember God is the master of the Leftovers.
"Whether men are wealthy or poor; or somewhere in between;their attitude toward material possessions is one of the most reliable marks of their spiritual condition." John MacArthur
