Money Your Master Or Your Servant
1/9/2000 Proverbs 1:8-19 I Timothy 6:6-16
Money is one of the things Jesus spends a lot of time talking about, because the way in which we use our money says more about the health of our spiritual life than anything else that we use. It does not matter how much or how little money we may have, we must still ask the question, "is money my master or my servant in my life." Everybody is going to have some money in their lives. You get a different feeling inside when you reach into your pocket and pull out a wad of Franklins than you do when you reach in and come out empty.
Now we say money can’t buy happiness, but do we believe it. No. Do you realize that somebody can give you a million dollars and your happiness can be changed in less than 10 minutes. If the same person then turns around and for no apparent reason gives everybody else in the church 5 million each. Most of us would have a hard time being happy and content with our one million simply because everybody else got 5 million and we got one. The problem is knowing, they can buy more than we can.
The Bible does not teach there is any value in being broke or being poor. Not having any money in your pockets or bank account is not going to make you more spiritual. It takes money to live. What the bible does teach is balance. God wants us to realize that it is never in the power of things to bring contentment to our lives.
William Barclay said of money: Money in itself is neither good nor bad; it is simply dangerous in that the love of it may become bad. With money a person can do much good; and with money he can do much evil. With money a person can selfishly serve his own desires; and with money he can generously answer to the cry of his neighbor’s need. With money a person can buy her way to the forbidden things and facilitate the path of wrongdoing; and with money she can make it easier for someone else to live as God meant her to live. Money brings power, and power is always a double- edged thing, for it is powerful to good and powerful to evil.
The bible does not teach money is the root of all evil. It does not teach that the love of money is the root of all evils. It does teach that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some of us sacrifice our families for the love of money. We’re working two and three jobs trying to get rich, with no time to invest in the lives of those we supposedly love.
Some of us intentionally choose to stop growing in Christ for the love of money. We tell God, I will not tithe no matter how much money I make. Some of us sacrifice our values and principles because we want to get rich. We steal and embezzle from our companies and then claim a mental disability of some sort or another.
Money allows us to become gods. We can get what we want, go where we want, and do just about anything we want as long as we have enough money. So we’re tempted to keep on buying, keep on going, and keep on doing. The love of money causes us three main problems. It causes us to become jealous of what others have. It causes us to wander away from the faith. It causes us to pierce ourselves with many sorrows. There’s a lot of people in jail today driven by the love of money.
The bible teaches there is a difference between wanting to get rich at all cost and obtaining wealth. It condemns the first position and commends the second. Jesus expects us to be wise with what God blesses us to have. Remember the story of the talents in which people are given five, two and one talents. Jesus commends the servants who takes their money and get more, whereas he yells at the servant who wastes what is given to him. Jesus says, if you had of just put the money in the bank, I would have gotten something for it. Jesus has no problem with us investing for the future to make a profit.
We are told in the Bible the first enemy of collecting wealth is laziness. Prov 6:6-7 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Even an ant knows it has to prepare for the future today, if it expects to make it tomorrow. Young people God has made available to you thousands of dollars as soon as you get out of high school if. But only if you are like the ant who is smart enough to work hard today because it knows tomorrow is coming.
Everytime you choose to settle for a D- or a C in high school, you’re throwing money out the window that could be yours. Every homework assisgnment you choose not to do, every test you choose not to prepare for, and every project you use to do less than your best, you’re throwing away wealth that is rightfully yours. God is going to say, "I gave you the brains to do more than that with your time and your life." You spent 30 years praying for more money when you wouldn’t take what I was trying to give you. Every day you do your best in school, you’re receiving an investment into your future.
We need to quit trying to find shortcuts to wealth. Proversb 28:19 says the one who works his land will have abundant food, but he chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. In other words live today like you plan to really have something tomorrow. I’ve had 3 sons in my home all who were going to be big time record producers. They did not need to study. Not a one of them got their degree, all 3 have spent time in jail, and needless to say they have not produced a single record.
It’s one thing to have a dream, its another to make up your mind to work. The lazy person can come up with all kinds of reason for not working. In Proverbs, the lazy person says "I can’t go out looking for a job because there’s a lion outside", "or "somebody might attack and kill me." Quit praying for money and start asking God to show you what doors He may want you to enter.
We need to quit spending money chasing after fantasies thinking we are going to strike it rich quick. You do not need to play a whole lot of numbers in the lottery. If God told you to play the lottery, God can give you one number to win. Stop spending your grocery money, light money, and tithes thinking you’re about to be rich tomorrow. The reality is, for every person that wins a big jackpot, there are nine million of us that lost. Thinking we can get some money illegally and live happily ever after is another plot from the devil. Forget about swindling somebody else out of their money. Proversbs 13:11 warns us that dishonest money dwindles away, but the one who gather money little by little makes it grow.
The second great destroyer of wealth is thinking we have to have it all right now and going into debt to prove it. One of the number one problems in marriage is debt. The bible teaches" the rich rule over the poor and the borrower is servant to the lender." Prov 22:7. We do far too much to try to impress other people using money we do not have. Young people who are going to get married. Before you spend thousands of dollars on a new rings, you need to remember you’re going to need some new furniture in your house. If you got parents who are willing to pay for an elaborate wedding, ask them if they would consider a simple wedding, and give you the money as a down payment on a home.
Before you decide to spend $20 a plate reception meal, remember you need some money in the bank for your first year of marriage. You’re going to find out, one of you likes spending money a whole lot quicker than the other. You will be just as married serving cake and ice cream after the ceremony as you will be serving steak and potatoes. The lack of money is going to cause you some financial stress that you need to be able to get past.
Do not go into debt to finance a honeymoon to Tahiti or the Bahamas. You can have just as much fun in a really nice hotel in Cleveland or if you want to get away, go to Akron. Forget all that hype about spending money on one day. I’ve got one of the best wives that ever was and the best marriage that ever was.
We stayed within the budget we had for our wedding and our honeymoon. Now if you’ve saved the money in advance and you want to spend it lavishly, that’s up to you, but I’m telling you. You’re going to need that money more than you think later on during that year. You certainly should not be in debt from the wedding and honeymoon or you will regret it.
The writer in Ecclesiastes said, "I noticed why so many people are killing themselves working. It’s because they are competing with their neighbors." We forget that what we need in life are food, clothing, and shelter. The Bible says if we want contentment in life, we also need godliness. Now coming to God should not be seen as the way to get rich. Coming to God allows us to become rich by becoming content with what has been provided.
Every job that comes your way with better pay is not necessarily a blessing from God. Just because the bank approved you for a house you can barely afford is not a blessing from God. Every advancement to a higher position is not necessarily a blessing from God. Do you think God is blessing you when the job you have gives you little time with your spouse and puts your marriage at risk of exploding in failure.
Do you think God blesses you with a payment that every month you’re struggling to meet simply because you wanted to live in this particular neighborhood or that city? Do you think a promotion that takes you out of bible study and out of church is really a blessing from God? God does not need for us to make more money for his kingdom to be built. He needs us to say no to money sometimes in order for us to be available to grow in Him. God has more ways of sending money into our lives than simply through our jobs.
It’s one thing to accept a part time job because you have a specific goal in mind of accomplishing something which is needed. You may need to take a second job to get you out of debt to get you in the place God wants you to be. But don’t take on a permanent second time job just to get something which costs more than you can really afford.
The advertisers make us forget what the purpose of things is. A car is to get you from place A to point B. We are told we need all kinds of accessories from push button this to voice activated that in our cars. It’s funny how the dealers can say, "yeah but for just $10 a more each week, I put you in this upgrade model." We say, "Oh man, for $10 a week more I can have the surround sound. I know we can come up with $10 a week." But if I said, "we need $10 more a week from you to do such and such at the church, some of you would say, now where in the world does he expect us to come up with that much more money."
We need to have decided before we go to the lot, before we go to the real estate agent, and before we go to the story, how much we can afford to spend. Jesus even commends the person who sits down and figures out how much something is going to cost before trying to build it. Once we know what we can afford, we need to look only at those cars, houses, and things that are below what we can afford. Everybody wants to show us something more expensive because they know of the pressure upon us to try to impress others with what we have. They also make more money off of us, and they’re not around when we are struggling to make the payment.
One of the worst investments you can make is to pay to rent to own. You will always pay twice as much for the item, and often times you will not get a new product. It is better to swallow your pride, go down to the goodwill and get you some use furniture and save those payments in the bank for a year. You can then go and buy the item outright, brand new and still not have a year’s worth of payments to make. Proverbs 21:5 says the plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. If we would just wait, we would have more money at our disposal. The only way money can be your servant is if you’re using your money to buy something and not somebody else’s money to do it.
Each time you use the bank’s money or the credit card company’s money, or the finance company’s money, that money becomes your master. It’s the love of things that keep us from wealth. We can have so much more for ourselves and for our God if wearing the life of Christ meant more to us than wearing the name of fashion designers.
It does not matter to us, that the same overseas factory makes the same clothes, shoes, purses, suits, hats, watches, and whatever. We will gladly pay 4 times as much for the one with the name on it, than we will for the one missing the label. We’re not buying an item, we’re trying to buy a little social status. Our giving patterns sometimes let us know that we are more in love with Tommy than we are with Jesus. Even the poorest among us, find ways to support the Tommy ministry, The Fubu ministry, and others. God is not opposed to these items, but I ask are you fair to God’s requirement of giving first. Then, did you get what you were paying for and was it really worth it.
Putting the extra money in the bank, may allow you to really be building up some wealth for you in the long run. Did you know that according to Social Security records, at the age of 65, 85 out of a 100 Americans have less than $250 in the bank. Instead of giving the store the extra $40 for the name brand, invest the $40 in a money market fund and get paid for it. Each time we get a raise, we ought to force ourselves to live where we were for a year, and put that raise in the bank. That’s the way to increase our wealth.
Another destroyer of wealth is to go big on the wrong things. Simply because we can afford a payment on an item, does not mean we can afford the item. A $700 rent payment is not the same as a $700 mortgage payment. The rent payment includes repairs, maintenance, taxes, water and some utilities. A mortgage payment does not include any of that. You still have to come up with additional money for necessities with a mortgage. A rent payment you can leave after 30 days, or at the end of a one year lease and move on. A mortgage payment is there for years, and to get out of it is going to cost additional money with real estate commissions. If your budget is real tight, its not time the time to try and buy a house.
If you’re living at home, before you jump out and get your own place because you got mad. Remember this "keep your mouth shut " until you’ve saved a security deposit and the first three months rent before leaving. Other wise you will be swallowing your pride and asking if you can move back in before long.
If you’re catching the bus and you’re tired of catching the bus, remember this. You cannot own a car for $150 a month even if that is the payment. You’ve got to figure in gas and minor repairs and major repairs. When the transmission on the bus goes, that’s RTA’s problem. You simply get on another bus. When your transmission goes on your car, that’s your problem. Do you have $800 sitting in the bank to give to the mechanic? When our last transmission went, it was $2400.
The most important thing about a car payment is the insurance. If you cannot afford the insurance, you cannot afford the car. I don’t care how good or careful of a driver you are, that does not mean you’re not going to have an accidents. There are plenty of people just waiting to run into you.
We all make mistakes. How many of us have gone through a stop sign or a red light merely because we were distracted. With today’s cars, if you just bump somebody’s car, there’s $2000 dollars worth a damage. Everybody in the car you bumped swear they got whiplash and now you’ve got $20,000 in claims against you. Do not skimp and get the minimum coverage insurance. I think minimum coverage gives you about $12,000 in coverage which is nothing. Suppose you run into somebody’s brand new Lexus.
The other thing is, you can’t count on somebody else having insurance to pay for your vehicle when they run into you. If all you have is the minimum coverage, you cannot even get your own bills taken care of. If somebody is seriously hurt in an accident, just like you’d be looking for $300,000 if you were hurt, that’s what they’re looking for from you. Go ahead and pay the extra $200 on the policy because if you need it, it will be the best investment of $200 you ever made. Learn from the ant to be prepared for the future. Trying to save money in the wrong areas will cause money to be your master. If you have to choose between a beat up car that’s fully insured or a good looking car with no insurance, go with the beat up car.
The other area we blow it with money is trying to help others with our good name. We are all going to meet people with a good sob story who just need a little help. They can make the monthly payment, but they just need a co-signer. They will often be Christians that have just gotten saved. We will feel this is the least we can do. My friends remember this, "there is a good reason banks turn people down for loans." It goes like this. "in the past, they have not paid their bills. There’s a good chance in the future they will not pay their bills." When a person gets saved, three things have to get saved. Their heart, their mind, and their wallet. The wallet is usually the last to get saved. People come up with all kinds of reason for not paying you back. That’s why Jesus says, when you give, give expecting nothing in return.
It is perfectly fine for you to co-sign for someone if you do not mind paying the bill. You may be trying to help a family get started. But you should ask them to show you financially how they can make the payment. If you have no intention of paying the bill, then do not co-sign. Proverbs 11:15 tells us the person who puts up security or co-signs for another will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to do it is safe.
Proverbs 17:18 says a person lacking in judgement co-signs for a neighbor. If you do not want to tell the person no on the spot, tell them "I have to speak with my pastor and see what the Bible says for me to do." Then you can blame me for turning them down. You will not find out from the other person that the bill is behind. You will hear from the finance company when they are months behind. You are making a promise to pay whatever the person is responsible for paying. Do not take this lightly. If you don’t pay, it will come back to haunt you when you least could afford it to happen.
If you want money to be your servant and not your master, then make Jesus the Lord of your money. It is only by living for Christ that you will find contentment in life with what you have. Godliness with contentment is great gain. Keep in mind there is a limit to what money can buy. It’s a really bad choice to choose as the master one’ life. Only Jesus is the master who will never betray us in the end.
A person lacking in judgment strikes hands in
pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.
Proverbs 17:18
G. Put The Blame On The Pastor
H. It Will Come Back To Haunt You
VI. Better To Make Jesus Your Master
Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands
bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer
is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is
a disgraceful son. Proverbs 10:4-5 [NIV]
He who puts up security for another will surely
suffer, but whoever refuses to strike hands in
pledge is safe. Proverbs 11:15 [NIV]
One man gives freely, yet gains even more;
another withholds unduly, but comes to
poverty. Proverbs 11:24 [NIV]
A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in
Pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.
He who loves a quarrel loves sin; he who
builds a high gate invites destruction.
Proverbs 17:18-19 [NIV]
One who is slack in his work is brother to one
who destroys. Proverbs 18:9 [NIV]
Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;
stay awake and you will have food to spare.
Proverbs 20:13 [NIV]
The plans of the diligent lead to profit
as surely as haste leads to poverty.
Sermon Outline Pastor Rick
Money Your Master Or Your Servant
I. Jesus Talks About Money
A. My Master Or My Servant
B. Feeling Of A Franklin
C. Can Money By Happiness
D. You Got A Million But
II. The Value Of Balance
A. Poverty , Broke & Spirituality
B. Balance And Contentment
C. Barclay--Money Good Or Bad?
D. Money Is Powerful
III. The Love Of Money
A. Not "Root" But "Roots"
B. Sacrifice Family, Christ, Values
C. Gods Are Made--Temptations
D. Getting Rich Vs Wealth
E. Parable Of The Talents
IV. Barrier One To Wealth
A. Laziness
Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, Proverbs 6:6-7
B. What You Do In School Counts
C. Receive That Due You
D. Avoid Taking Shortcuts.
He who works his land will have abundant food,
but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. Proverbs 28:19
E. 3 Future Record Producers
F. Chasing After Fantasies
G. Winning The Lottery
H. Making A Fast Buck Wrongly
Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who
gathers money little by little makes it grow.
Proverbs 13:11
V. Barrier Two To Wealth
A. Got To Have It All Now
B. Marriage & Debt
C. Reconsidering Where The Money Is Spent
D. Honeymooning Tahiti or Cleveland
E. Staying Within Your Budget
F. Just Competing With Our Neighbors
G. Food-Shelter-Clothing
H. When A Blessing Is Not A Blessing
I. When To Take A Second Job
J. What’s The Purpose Of A Car
K. It’s Just $10 More Per Week
L. Sit Down & Figure Says Jesus
M. Don’t Even Look At It
N. Rent To Own--Good Deal Or What
The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely
as haste leads to poverty. Proverbs 21:5
O. When We Use Somebody Else’s Money
P. Which Factory Makes What
Q. My Heart To Jesus, But My Money To Tommy
R. Invest Your Money & Let It Grow
S. 65 And $265
VI. Barrier Three To Wealth- Big On The Wrong Things
A. Is A Rent Payment A Mortgage Payment
B. The Hidden Costs Of Ownership
C. Before You Move Out--Save
D. Catching The Bus Not All Bad
E. Can you Afford To Own It
F. Consider The Hidden Costs
G. The Grand Transmission
H. The Insurance Most Important
I. We All Make Mistakes
J. Where Did The Damage Come From
K. Whiplash, Here, There Everywhere
L. The Minimum Is Not Enough
M. Pay The Extra Cost
N. Go With The Beat Up One
VII. Barrier Four To Wealth. The Co-Signer
A. All I Wanted Was To Help
B. The Good Sob Story
C. Why Banks Turn People Down
D. Three Things Have To Get Saved
1. The Heart
2. The Mind
3. The Wallet
E. Give Expecting Nothing In Return
F. Co-Sign If You Will Pay
He who puts up security (co-signer) for another
will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to strike
hands in pledge is safe. Proverbs 11:15
