Family Strong: Finances
Matthew 6:19-24
Please be patient with the message today. It is one of our least favorites, typically. But before we begin, I am going to ask Stephen to come and share a testimony.
• Stephen’s Testimony
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In Family Strong, we have discussed the marriage partnership and the glue that holds it best together; God’s love. Today, we will talk about a necessity that can just as quickly become an idol.
In 1928 a group of the world's most successful financiers met at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. The following were present: The president of the largest utility company, The greatest wheat speculator, The president of the New York Stock Exchange, A member of the President's Cabinet, The greatest "bear" in Wall Street, The president of the Bank of International Settlements, The head of the world's greatest monopoly. Collectively, these tycoons controlled more wealth than there was in the U.S. Treasury, and for years newspapers and magazines had been printing their success stories and urging the youth of the nation to follow their examples. Twenty-five years later, this is what had happened to these men:
The president of the largest independent steel company, Charles Schwab, lived on borrowed money the last five years of his life and died broke.
The greatest wheat speculator, Arthur Cutten, died abroad, insolvent.
The president of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Whitney, died while serving a term in Sing Sing Prison.
The member of the President's Cabinet, Albert Fall, was pardoned from prison so he could die at home.
The greatest "bear" in Wall Street, Jesse Livermore, committed suicide.
The president of the Bank of International Settlements, Leon Fraser, committed suicide.
The head of the world's greatest monopoly, Ivar Drueger, committed suicide.
All of these men had learned how to make money, but not one of them had learned how to live.
I do not know how much anyone gives, who gives regularly, who is tithing and who is just giving their $5. I have no way of knowing. I do not count the money, look at the gifts, none of that. We have a committee that takes care of that. That committee is sworn to secrecy not to share who give what. This Church is required by law to keep that private.
Paul said to give, “not reluctantly or under compulsion…” Your giving amount is between you and God. He doesn’t need your money, but wants to share His riches with you because you were obedient.
My concern in your handling of money is strictly spiritual. Jesus said more about money than He did about Heaven and Hell added together. But as an under-shepherd, my concern is that you are growing in your relationship with God. Any disobedience hurts your growth, and my duties revolve around teaching you to negotiate around the icebergs of life.
I don’t make commission on the offerings. I am on a salary, and I don’t even work for that. It is a love offering. In the grace of God’s calling, I should have to pay to do this job. If I am delivering God’s message, you could not pay for that value.
1 Timothy 5:17-18 “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”
I believe that Paul had a smirk on his face as the Holy Spirit directed Him to write this to Timothy. You expect Paul to describe preachers in the highest terms. But he compares us to an old ox who is just pulling a load.
Let’s pray and look at our passage and see the battles that finances create.
I. Battle, accumulate and own vs. utilizing for kingdom purposes. Fortune (19-21).
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Don’t be mistaken. This is not teaching that you should not have a savings or retirement account. The Bible always instructs us to operate within God’s wisdom in our finances. Proverbs 6:6-8 states, “Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.
But the Bible is clear that our motives in savings should be pure and not the worship of money. You should save wisely, but never at the cost to the following:
1. Generosity. 1 John 3:17 ESV “But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?”
The Bible even teaches us to leave an inheritance for our kids. Pro 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.
But we are forbid to give our savings our heart. We are not to give our savings our trust. We are supposed to trust in God and in God alone. We must be responsible with HIS wealth, HIS money that HE puts in our charge.
It is subtle and deceiving how a savings account, CD, retirement account or even a large checking account slowly steals our hearts. Soon, we are living to feed it and hoping it protects us when we have a need. When we are owned by our money, we cease to be generous.
Proverbs 11:24-25 “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”
1 Timothy 6:17-19 “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
2. Offerings.
What is an acceptable reason to stop supporting a Church financially? First reason, you are not making any money.
1Co 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.
Why tithing? Tithing is not just an Old Testament topic. It means 10% of income.
One man asked his pastor if he was supposed to tithe on the gross or on the net. The pastor said, “That’s up to you. Do you want God to bless you on the gross or on the net?”
Tithing predated the Law and is affirmed in the New Testament. For me, I have seen God do more with the 90% when I am faithful to Him than the 100% outside of His favor.
Deu 29:5 I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn off your feet.
When I disobeyed God on the giving I understood, my car broke down, my air conditioner stopped working. My clothes didn’t last. Medical bills stacked up. When I obeyed God in giving, some of these things happened, but they belonged to the Lord. I don’t have time today to tell you how God paid for things when I obeyed.
Let me add here, when you give to the Lord through the Church, let go of the ownership in your tithe. You cannot designate a tithe. If you designate, you are not tithing. You cannot give freely to God and hold on to control of the funds.
3. Loyalty.
We obey Christ in all of our finances, whether saving, generosity or tithing, because we honor His lordship. Possessions tend to demand our loyalty.
Ill. When Laura and I purchased a house in Forney, we quickly realized that we did not own the house, but the house owned us. That was true for us, but it might not be true for you. That depends upon your assignment. Just don’t let what God assigns to you become the focus of your loyalty.
II. Battle, eye healthy or eye unhealthy. Focus.
Mat 6:22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”
In the same way, what captures our eye captures our heart.
Ill. In our early marriage, we were the typical young married couple in the booming economy. We lived on about 120% of what we brought home. We borrowed ourselves into debt and got into trouble.
My problem was, it seemed there was just something else I had to have. Debt wasn’t a problem if I thought I could make the payments. I would obsess over that new tool or new toy.
When we received a windfall, like a tax return, we got to get those things we had been eyeing. Our pastor at the time said, “It is just as satisfying not to want than it is to want and get.” God struck a chord in my heart with that. I have found that it was actually more satisfying not to want. When I wanted and received, I simply wanted something else.
Ecc 5:10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.
III. Battle, serve God or serve money. Favor.
Of all the things that Jesus says you cannot serve two masters to contrast against our service to God, Jesus said, “Money, Mammon, Cash, Possessions.”
Mat 6:24 "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
This is our concern as a Church, and my concern as a pastor. Many have told me through the years, “Pastor Tim, I can’t tithe. We are struggling to take care of just day to day expenses.”
Let me tell you, the worse you can hear about not tithing is, “You stumbled in obeying me in the area of money.” The least you can hear about not taking care of your family’s needs is far worse.
1Ti 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
I repeat what Charles Stanley and many other wiser pastors say. Start where you are at. Give what you can cheerfully. If that is 1% today, ask God to bless that so you can add to it in the future. Try to hear the voice of God in your life concerning what and how to give.
2Co 9:7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Decide to give faithfully, regularly, proportionally, and cheerfully. Some wives in the past have said, “Bro. Tim, my husband will not let me tithe.” Some were not allowed to give at all, others give a certain fixed amount.
If this is where you are, listen to what Peter told wives.
1Pe 3:1-2 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct.
God understands and your Church understands. Your heart is to give and God will honor that.
