Other People's Money
Pt. 4 - Dollars & $ense
I. Introduction
I have learned there are certain things that just don't go well together. Some of this I learned in school and others just by observation. Some of you will learn this in a month or so . . . being a teenage boy and having a girlfriend at Christmas. Having a wife at Christmas is entirely different. A donut shop next door to a Planet Fitness. An aquarium store next to a sushi restaurant. A believer and hopelessness. A believer and lack of love for the church. And at least in the modern version, the church talking about money.
So have said that even though money issues are the number one reason couples get divorced and if the truth was told It is the number one reason most of you are struggling, afraid, and stressed out in your life right now we still seem to get very nervous and even angry when the church addresses money! I understand that the church has brought some of this on itself due to the crazy and outlandish things preachers have said in order to line their own pockets. However, I think we also have used that craziness as an excuse to keep the church from addressing this area because most of us struggle mightily to allow God to speak to this area of our life.
So, since I know that this topic makes people nervous and I also know that Jesus addresses finances more than any other topic (twice as much as heaven and hell combined), have titled this series "Other People's Money"so that as we talk about this topic you can relax because I am not talking about your money. I am talking about your neighbor's money. Touch your neighbor right now and tell them, "Hey you should really listen because he is talking about your money not mine!" OK, now that you are off the hook maybe you can relax and listen. In fact, make sure you take good notes so that your neighbor doesn't miss anything that they might have needed to hear.
So let's wrap this up by talking about "Dollars and Sense"! Now before we read the text and you fear that your pastor is taking a passage out of context let me say that I do realize that when Jesus makes these statements He is directly talking about discipleship. At the same time I would say that you really can't be a disciple without dealing with money correctly and that Jesus' statements do in fact have implications financially as well.
Text: Luke 14:25-32
One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple.
28-30 “Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: ‘He started something he couldn’t finish.’ 31-32 “Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? And if he decides he can’t, won’t he send an emissary and work out a truce?
Jesus asks this question . . . is there anyone here who plans to build a house and doesn't sit down and count the cost? Unfortunately, the answer is a resounding yes! What He is really asking is there anyone here who doesn't live on a budget.
Jesus is saying to live like that is a crazy way to live and that we become the butt of the joke if we do.
Let me see if I can prove that most of your neighbors don't live on a budget . . . Average American makes $50k and accidentally or randomly gives away 6% of their income. They don't even realize they do it.
The average American home in 2009 spent over $2600 a year on eating out!
The result is that when our neighbor lives with no budget we continue to run out of money before we run out of month.
So Jesus is trying to get us to learn to live two ways:
a. Live On a Budget
The bottom line is that our neighbors don't like to budget because living on a budget requires discipline! Jesus is trying to teach us that in order to succeed we must count the cost and live within our means.
Count the cost! Ask your neighbor this question . . . "Where does your money go?" If they don't know, then that is a pretty good indication that they are using their dollars with no sense. Without a budget we live by impulse and our society makes a practice of living on and capitalizing on impulse. That is why one survey shows that the average American spends almost $200 a month on impulse purchases.
I would suggest that one of the biggest issues your neighbor has today is not that they lack dollars. The biggest problem is that they simply lack sense!
Some of your neighbors are in a constant state of fear and worry because they didn't count cost until after they built or bought. Buyers remorse is a result of no pre-planning.
Jesus is trying to teach us to take the time before we build, shop, browse and count cost. The beauty of a budget is that it forces us to ask two questions long before we are influenced by impulse 1. Do I want or need this? 2. Can I really afford this?
Developing a budget forces us to be honest with ourselves and with each other. It helps us identify waste. It helps us see danger before we are actually in danger.
Budgeting can seem scary at the beginning because it forces us to actually think about our money. We tend to fight boundaries. But the truth is boundaries keep us safe! A budget is a boundary that frees us on the back end. It forces us to live on what we make and plan for tomorrow. Rather than living on tomorrow today.
So your neighbor has an assignment . . . write out an honest and complete budget. Live on that budget for one month and see if you don't have more than you think you have. If you don't know how to do a budget I invite you to come and see me and I can send you to a couple of people who can help you with that. Everyone close your eyes. No one looking around. By show of hands . . . how many of you actually have a written out budget for the month?
b. Live with a Margin
Dave Ramsey would call this an emergency fund. Life doesn't always go as planned. The issue is that most of us don't count the cost. We count the leftovers so we end up disappointed at best and in an emergency at worst.
Jesus said the goal is to finish. To finish you have to have extra or resources put back in case it takes more to finish than you thought.
Without a budget and without margin built in we eat our seed! We put nothing back to ensure that we can have a harvest later.
And sense nothing always goes right we want to get mad at God when He doesn't come through when the emergency we are now facing could have and should have been avoided if we would have simply lived with margin.
I want to remind you that one of the characteristic traits of Kingdom Climate was that we share with those in need. Here is the question . . . How can you establish the Kingdom Climate of generosity if you have no margin? You will be less likely to give to someone else's need if you have to tap into are resources that are necessary for your own survival. If it is extra, then it is easier to give. Our lack of margin causes us to, and out of necessity, become stingy and selfish. If your desire is to establish Kingdom Climate and I know that it is, then you must get to the place where you have margin! Responding to promptings of the Holy Spirit becomes much easier and more frequently obeyed when we have margin!
I must be honest . . . our congregation for the most part is made up of people with little to no margin. Our congregation, although, generous with time and talent seems to struggle with being really generous with money. I am not slamming you. I am proud of you for giving what you give. But remember last year over half our congregation gave less than $1000 in any way to the kingdom. I think that means we haven't learned to live on a budget and we certainly have no margin. I am convinced that we are better and bigger than that but in order to become so we must learn to count cost and finish!
The good news is that in the 2nd quarter of next year, we are going to be offering Financial Peace University. If you have not been through this, then I can tell you with no hesitation or reservations it will change your life. Everyone, more than enough or barely getting buy, without exception needs to go through this!
