HoHum:
Started a series for Youth Group called Generation Change that talks about financial matters. Learned something about John D. Rockefeller in the video but now let’s hear the rest of the story. The very first person to reach the status of billionaire was a man who knew how to set goals and follow through. At the age of 23, Rockefeller had become a millionaire, by the age of 50 a billionaire. Every decision, attitude, and relationship was tailored to create his personal power and wealth. But 3 years later at the age of 53 he became ill. His entire body became racked with pain and he lost all the hair on his head. In complete agony, the world’s only billionaire could buy anything he wanted, but he could only digest milk and crackers. His personal, highly skilled physicians predicted he would die within a year. That year passed agonizingly slow. As he approached death he awoke one morning with the remembrances of a dream. He could barely recall the dream but knew it had something to do with not being able to take anything with him into the next life. The man who could control the business world suddenly realized he was not in control of his own life. He was left with a choice. He called his attorneys, accountants, and managers and announced that he wanted to channel his assets to hospitals, research and mission work. This new direction eventually led to the discovery of penicillin, cures for current strains of malaria, tuberculosis and diphtheria. The list of discoveries resulting from his choice is enormous. But perhaps the most amazing part of Rockefeller’s story is that the moment he began to give back a portion of all that he had earned, his body’s chemistry was altered so significantly that he got better. It looked as if he would died at 53 but he lived to be 98. Rockefeller learned gratitude and doing so made his whole.
WBTU:
One of the challenges we face in church is the economic diversity of the people. Some are rich, some are middle class, and some are poor. We are not John D. Rockefeller so this does not apply to us. We have the perception that some are funders of the church and others are fundees. Is it true that some people are to be the givers while others are to be the receivers?
No, giving is for everyone regardless of economic standing. Everyone, whether wealthy or poor, is under Christ’s authority when it comes to finances. Putting Christ at the center of life, including our financial life, is one of the most important principles to teach.
Thesis: Let’s talk about 4 different kinds of givers
For instances:
Bag people
In the days of Haggai the prophet, the Israelites were so busy making money and other things that they had no time for God. Sound familiar?
““Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse (a bag) with holes in it.” This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the LORD. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the LORD Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.” Haggai 1:4-9, NIV.
If we want to prosper personally, we need to be interested in the church. If we want God to bless our houses, begin to bless His house.
How much should I give? “The entire tithe of the herd and flock--every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod--will be holy to the LORD.” Leviticus 27:32, NIV.
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” Malachi 3:10, NIV.
Now wait a minute, we live under the NT, where is this in the NT? “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” 1 Corinthians 16:2, NIV.
First need to give to the local church and then to other Christian causes. Whatever we give beyond that will be determined by 3 things:
Our ability. “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.” 2 Corinthians 8:12, NIV.
Our desire to reap. “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” 2 Corinthians 9:6, NIV. “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 9:10, NIV.
Our love. “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” Matthew 22:37, NIV.
Bin people
In the middle of the famine, God sent the prophet Elijah to Zarephath, saying he’d meet a widow there who would feed him.
Why did not God send Elijah to a wealthy family? Because the widow needed a miracle! When Elijah asked this woman for something to eat she told him, “only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar” NKJV, 1 Kings 17:12. She had just enough for one more meal, then she and her son would die.
“Typical preacher! They’ll take the last bite out of your mouth and the last penny out of your pocket.” No, this was the best day of her life! She was about to step into miracle territory.
But first she had to overcome the fear of giving. “Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.’”” 1 Kings 17:13, 14, NIV.
How does the story turn out? “She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.” 1 Kings 17:15, 16, NIV.
This widow discovered that when we obey God’s Word He will meet our every need. Are we a bin person? ARe we afraid of letting go of what we have in case we don’t have enough?
We can never out give God. Whatever we give to Him, he has promised to give back, “A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”” Luke 6:38, NIV.
Basket people
A boy gave his lunch to Jesus and He used it to feed at least 5000 people. Afterwards, the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.” Mark 6:43.
Basket people find a need greater than their own and say, “Lord, here’s what I have; take it, bless it and use it.” What a contrast this boy was to the disciples. Notice:
They tried to escape the problem. “Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”” Mark 6:36, NIV.
They didn’t know what they had. ““How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five--and two fish.”” Mark 6:38, NIV.
They despised the day of small things. ““Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”” John 6:9, NIV. Instead of looking at our lack, look at God’s abundance and His willingness to work on our behalf. ““Who despises the day of small things? Zechariah 4:10, NIV. Factor God into the equation.
Barn people
“When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened the storehouses (barns) and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt.” Genesis 41:56.
God used Joseph to feed the nations during a time of worldwide famine. When Pharaoh’s advisers couldn’t interpret his dream, Joseph did. He actually gave Pharaoh a plan that would not only feed Egypt during 7 years of famine, but also feed the world and cause Pharaoh to come out of this crisis a rich and powerful man.
God can give us not only the wisdom to survive, but thrive when we are in a recession.
This didn’t happen overnight. Joseph’s journey to the throne of Egypt led through years of delay, detours and discouragement. He experienced betrayal at the hands of his family, temptation and slander at the hands of his employer’s wife, false imprisonment, years of waiting and wondering when God would fulfill His promise to make him a leader. But Joseph never doubted God.
We must not either. If God can take an ex con like Joseph and make him the prime minister of Egypt, no obstacle and no enemy can keep us from seeing God’s promises come to pass.
If we are bag people, “consider our ways” and start putting God first in our finances. If we are bin people, “be not afraid,” give, and God will give back. If we are basket people, place what we have got into God’s hands and watch him multiply it. If we are barn people with hearts that long to meet the needs of a hurting world, nothing our enemies do will stop us.
