We are continuing our Man Series today. And out of all the messages we’ve done, this is the one that worried me the most. We’ve talked about some sensitive issues in this series. We’ve called out our manhood, we’ve taken on marriage, and we’ve tackled sexual sin. We’ve talked about pornography, adultery and homosexuality. We even talked about masturbation. And none of us even batted an eye. But this one subject, people get flat out angry about. And today I want to talk to you about honoring God - Financially.
Today we want to talk about the other “M” word – Money. At Element we are willing to take on any subject the Bible addresses head on, including the issue of money. Our goal is to preach all topics through the Bible and money is all throughout the Bible. God talks about money more than faith and prayer combined. There are over 2,000 verses in Scripture about money. Sixteen of Jesus’ thirty-eight parables are on money and possessions.
I could care less if you ever give a dime to this church. That’s not my agenda. We don’t want anything from you, we want something FOR you. And what we want FOR you is for you to have Jesus. And the only way for you to have Jesus is for you to give Him your heart. You can give God everything you own, and it won’t be good enough to get into heaven. Salvation can’t be bought and heaven cannot be earned. The only way for us to get into heaven, to be saved, is by putting our faith in Jesus; by the forgiveness of our sins. For the Bible says, there is no other name under heaven by which men must be saved but Jesus. And that’s what we want for you this morning – Jesus. However, Jesus makes it clear that once you give Him your heart, He begins to change, control and renew every area of your life for the better, including your money. In fact, Jesus says the way that we handle our money is one of the truest tests of our faith.
Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters. For you will hate the one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
He could have said you cannot serve both God and anything but he didn’t. He chose the word money because I think Jesus knew the #1 competitor for our hearts is money. (Possessions, stuff)
Matthew 6:21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
That which is your treasure is that which you will seek. If Jesus is your treasure, you will seek Jesus. Your heart will be drawn to Him. Your focus on Him. Your faith in Him. Money will have no power, no hold, and no grip on your life. In fact, the closer you are to Jesus the less you hold onto your money. But if money is your treasure, then your heart is drawn to it. Your focus and attention is on it. Your faith is in it. And Jesus has no hold, no grip, and no power on your life. The closer you are to money, the less you hold onto Jesus.
So I hope today to show you in scripture that the way you handle your money is so much more than a financial issue. It is a heart issue. The way you handle your money will affect every other area of your life spiritually. I think our money is God’s window of blessing into our lives. It’s why we need to honor God financially.
Big Question: What should I know about money?
Main Scripture: Genesis 2:15; 4:1-12
If money’s that important, what should I know about money? In these scriptures we are going to see 4 principles on money that God has established. As men, if we live these out, not only will it change our homes, it will revolutionize our churches and transform our cities.
1. It’s not mine (the key to everything else)
Genesis 2:15 The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.
Who did God put in the Garden? The MAN. The burden of financial responsibility in the home goes to us men. And we as men need to understand this principle. It’s the key to the whole thing. It’s the baseline for every area of our lives. It’s Not Mine. In Chapter 1 of Genesis through the first ½ of Chapter 2, it’s all about God creating this place that we live in. Everything we see, we have; everything we are was created by God. No one helped God make it. Then in Genesis 2:15 it says that God placed the man in the Garden to tend and watch over it. It’s not mine. When it comes to the Earth, our bodies, our relationships, our possessions or our money; we are managers, not owners. Psalm 24:1 says, the Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him. King David was challenging the people to give their offerings to God to build the temple. And David said this,
I Chronicles 29:14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!
If God only wanted your money, He’d flat out take it! God doesn’t want your money, He wants your heart. And to have your heart, you need to acknowledge, It’s Not Mine. He gave us every dollar we have; to tend and watch over it. We are managers, not owners. In fact, when we give to God during the offering time at church, we’re not giving Him something He never had. It was His in the first place. He gave it to us. Pastor Devon, our youth pastor, just got married yesterday. Imagine if Devon headed off to his wedding last week and he handed me the keys to his car and said, I’d like you to watch my car while I’m gone. Now he has a nice car. Nothing extravagant – a Mazda Tribute. So he’s gone and I’m watching his car – he returns and says, I need to come pick up my car. I tell him that I’ve got an amazing wedding present that’s gonna blow his mind. The wedding present of all wedding presents. He comes over, pulls up to the house. I hand him the keys to the car, ask about the honeymoon. Then Devon says, “You mentioned a wedding present, did you want to give that to me now?” And I say, “I just gave you the keys to a brand new car.” “Aren’t you impressed?” What would Devon say? “That’s MY car. I gave it to you to watch. “ It’s the same thing with God. Would Devon be pleased that I took care of his car and gave it back to him when he asked? Absolutely! But he wouldn’t be impressed. God might be pleased with our giving, but He is never impressed. In fact you can give God your whole paycheck every time you get paid for the rest of your life and it will never blow Him away. Why? Because it’s already His! It’s Not Mine.
2. God only accepts the first and the best
Genesis 4:1-7 Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!” Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. Abel also brought a gift – the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right.”
And what would have been right? For Cain to have given God his first and his best. It’s a principle all throughout scripture. God demands the first and the best of our income. For Abel that was his flocks; for Cain that was his crops. Now why does God demand only the first and the best? First of all, it’s His money, He can ask for whatever He wants. He could have asked for 90% and allowed us to keep 10%. But He’s a gracious God. He asks for 10% and allows us to keep 90%. The 2nd reason is this. It’s a sign of our trust in God and an act of worship to God. So how do I give God my first and my best? By giving my tithe. Now tithe might as well be a 4-letter word in the church today by the way people respond to it. If you’re new to the church and the Bible, tithe literally means tenth. It’s 10% (a tenth) of all the income that I earn given back to God before anything else, through the local church as a sign that I trust Him and a way to worship Him.
Malachi 3:8-10a “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!” “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple.
What we oftentimes hear in the church is, “Well, that’s part of the Law and we’re not under Law, we’re under grace. We are New Testament Christians not Old Testament Jews. So we’re not bound by the law.” First of all, we’re not bound by the Law. But tithing is not a Law principle; it is a universal principle much like the day of rest. The Sabbath, a day of rest, is a principle established by God Himself in the Garden of Eden when He rested on the 7th day. God calls people who don’t work lazy. He calls people who don’t rest disobedient. Tithing was established as a principle 400 years before the Law was ever given, when Abraham gave a tenth of his income to God through the high priest Melchizedek in Genesis Chapter 14. He did so as a sign that he trusted God and way to worship God. Tithing is not just part of the Law but a principle that predates and post dates the Law. Secondly, we are New Testament Christians. Where in the New Testament does it show that having Jesus, the Word of God available to us, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, allowing anyone to go below the Law in their giving? You will not find it. Tithing in the New Testament is just the starting place for our giving. In the New Testament we’ve been given everything. We have the presence of Christ, the Word of God, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which they did not have in the Old Testament. So should we do less or more than those in the Old Testament? I would say absolutely more. Sadly though, nearly every person I’ve ever talked to who claimed New Testament giving did so as an excuse to give below the Old Testament requirements. Instead of using Christ as empowerment to give beyond what the Old Testament required. I hope you are a New Testament giver. A true New Testament giver always gives beyond what the Law demands because looking more like Jesus is what their hearts desire. God only accepts the first and the best.
The Bible says at the time of the harvest, when payday arrived, Cain offered some of his gift. “Well, let me pay my bills first.” “Let me take care of this, and cover that and pay for this and pay for that and then God I’ll give you some of what I have left over.” When we give God some of our crops from what we have left over we are essentially saying to God, “I don’t trust you.” I don’t trust you to provide for my needs. “I can’t afford to tithe.” The reality is, it’s not that you can’t afford it; you haven’t prioritized your giving. And if you have not prioritized your giving then God is not a priority to you. Some of you drove your tithe to church today. Some of you look good wearing your tithe today. Some people go home and watch the Bronco game on your tithe. You’re texting on your tithe. You’re golfing with your tithe. You’re hunting with your tithe. You’re about to go on vacation with your tithe. You’re gonna spend your tithe on Black Friday. On the 15th and 30th when I get paid, I auto-draft my tithe and more directly to Element Church. I do that as an offering because it’s a priority to me. I want to honor God with my giving. When you give to God first, when you give Him your tithe, you are saying, “God, I trust you.” I trust you to care for all my needs because You know all that I need. All I have is Yours, so here’s 10% that You gave me to manage as a sign of my trust in You. As an act of worship to You. And I ask you God to help me manage the other 90% with wisdom and good stewardship. 90% with you and God is more than 100% all by yourself. And if you are dishonoring God by not giving Him the first and the best, that is where you are financially – all by yourself. All I have belongs to God. He asks for the first and the best in return. The first and the best is 10% off the top of what I get paid to God. Some of you are uncomfortable with all this. There should be a certain level of discomfort if something that belonged to someone else is kept in your possession. Especially, if that something else belongs to someone that has done so much for you. You can give what God asks without loving Him, but you cannot love Him without giving what He asks. He accepts only the best and the first.
3. My attitude toward money reflects my attitude toward God
Genesis 4:7b-10 But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him. Afterward the Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?” “I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s guardian?” But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cried out to me from the ground!
This is HUGE! Cain’s disobedience to God financially led to the murder of his brother Abel physically. And the result was a disaster in his heart spiritually. Don’t think for a moment that the way you handle your money for God doesn’t affect the way you look at every other area of your life in God. There’s a direct correlation.
I Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
Not those craving sex, power, popularity or sin; but those craving money. How I view and handle God’s money is the greatest test of where my heart and mind are spiritually. It’s a spiritual thermometer. Give me 10 minutes with your calendar and checkbook and I’ll tell you where your treasure is. And where your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Your attitude about money reflects your attitude about God in every other area of your life. For Cain, it led to murder because he didn’t start by honoring God first with his offering.
4. When the First is given the rest is blessed
Genesis 4:11-12 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”
I think that curse of God goes beyond the murder of his brother all the way back to being disobedient with his offering.
Malachi 3:8-12 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!” “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. (the first and the best) You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. (the best is blessed, the rest is cursed) Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. (I believe in the NT, the storehouse is the local church. Your tithe, the first 10% is not to be given to a charity, to a missionary, or the church you grew up in. But it’s to be given to the local church that you attend. Anything beyond the tithe becomes an offering to God. You can’t give an offering if you haven’t tithed. Anything else is just a tip. God doesn’t want to be tipped, He wants to be worshipped. If you can’t trust the church you attend with your finances, find a new church! Why would you trust them to feed your soul?) If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Illustration: (Car door with window up) When we choose not to give God the first and the best through our offering, it’s like there’s a window between us and God. God wants to pour out blessings upon us, but He can’t. There’s a window there. Or maybe better yet, He won’t. Because I have not honored Him out of the portion He first gave me. Imagine that your favorite restaurant has a drive through and you heard that they are giving out your favorite dish for free. They want to pour out a blessing on their patrons. You pull up to the drive through, you see other people getting their blessing and you get up to the window but you can’t get your window down. And they’re trying to hand you this blessing and you’re saying “How do I get this goodness in me?” That’s how it is with God. God is waiting to bless your life but He can’t when you don’t honor Him financially. You might say, “I’ll give God some of my crops.” Then He’ll open some of the window. (Window partially down still isn’t going to get you your ‘lettuce wraps’) This is a New Testament principle by the way as well. In 2 Corinthians 9, the apostle Paul says those who sow sparingly, reap sparingly; but those who sow generously, reap generously. God says, give to me the tithes and the offerings due Me and I will open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing on you so great you won’t be able to contain it.
The biggest test of where your heart is with God is how you handle the money that belongs to Him. This is maybe the most insane verse in scripture. God says, that’s your test, but put Me to the test! I’m big enough to take it. Try it!!! That’s a promise from the God who created everything that we do not own. I want to bless you, He says. But I can’t bless you if you don’t honor Me. I am the Lord, put me to the test. God doesn’t demand something from us because He needs it; He demands something from us because He knows what we need. Blessing, provision, protection. God says, “I’m waiting.” How many of us want the windows of heaven to open up and pour blessings upon us? It might be financial, but it might be better than financial, it might be answered prayers. It might be contentment with what you already have. The apostle Paul says, godliness with contentment in itself is a great gain. It might be gratitude or generosity or making what you have to stretch farther so you meet your needs. God will never ask you to sacrifice what He Himself is not willing and able to supply. The truth is, it’s not that you can’t afford to tithe, it’s that you can’t afford not to.
(Video testimony) – consignment kids shop was going under, decided to actively make the decision to tithe, even though it didn’t make sense.
The first time I heard of Karousel Kids was through an email they sent us. Here are some things they didn’t share on the video. Their sales have doubled from before tithing to now. Operating costs have been cut in 1/2, their retail space has doubled, they just hired their 4th employee, and they had someone to get saved in their store. And they closed their original email to me by saying this, “You can’t out give God. We’ve tried and we’ll just keep trying.” Put God to the test for the remainder of the year (8 weeks). You may have to make some changes in your living and your spending, but I truly believe (Men) that if we start living this out it’s the key to financial freedom in our homes. It’s the avenue for revolutionizing our churches. It is the catalyst for transforming our cities. We here at Element take 10% of whatever comes into the church and we put it into a separate outreach account that can only be used to reach others for God in this city. This week we did something for the Fire station #2 out on College Avenue. They needed their rec room remodeled so we gave them money to finish that off, we bought them a flat screen tv, gave them a blu-ray player. Said this is from us to you. Thank you for what you do in our city. Consider this an offering to God from us. Imagine what could happen if just the Christians began to honor God financially. Our churches wouldn’t need building programs, we’d pay cash for every building we need. Missionaries wouldn’t need to write letters, they would be fully funded by God honoring people. The poor in our cities would be cared for. The families in our cities would be provided for. Our church would have everything they need. We’d have financial peace across the board if we just did with our money what God asks.
Visual: Ledger sheets given to everyone to use to keep track everything they spend their money on, including what‘s given to God in tithes & offerings. At some point, bring it back, place it in the offering and pray the prayer on the back “Dear God, thank you for your provision for me and my family this week. On the other side of this sheet you will see how I honored You with Your money.”
If the first is given, the rest is blessed. So passionate about this not because I’m angry at those that are robbing God, but I’m angry for those of you that are missing out on His blessings. You have no idea what opening the window of heaven will do for your life.
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