Please Let God Double Your Money And Your Joy
GNLCC 10/19/2003 Deuteronomy 28:1-14 Luke 12:13-21
Today, we’re going to talk about money. Money is one thing that can cause us to lose our minds. Jack Benny was a comedian in years past, and Jack prided himself on what a cheapskate he was , when it came to money. It was hard to get money out of him. He tells the story of one day when he was walking through a park. A mugger surprised as he passed a group of bushes.
The guy pulled out a gun, and looked at him and said, “I’m not playing. It’s either your money or your life.” Jack froze as he looked at the barrel of that gun.” The mugger begin to get angry, he said, “didn’t you hear what I said, what are you waiting for. For the last time, as he shoved the gun closer to his head, it’s your money or your life.” Jack said, “well I’m thinking about which one I want to give up.”
It’s easy to laugh at Jack and see how ridiculous he was being. After all, if the mugger shot and killed him, Jack would still leave the money behind and his life would be gone as well. It’s a little bit harder to laugh when we realize that Jesus said almost the same thing to us, when he said your money or your soul. Well the way Jesus said it was, Matthew 6:24 (NIV) "No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money.”
Let me tell you about Steve. Steve had decided to go into business for himself. And like any self employed person, he found out there was a lot of work involved. The hours were long and sometimes disappointing. But Steve was determined to make his business succeed. He read books, he went to seminars, he networked, and he did everything he could to make his business a success. Steve was at the top of his game. His hard work began to pay off. The money started to come in. Steve was able to provide a comfortable life for his wife and children.
Barbara, Jackie and Steve Jr. didn’t get to see much of him because so much of his time went into being a success. That night his wife, Barbara, wore a very pretty night gown to bed. She wanted to get him into a good mood. As she lay his arms, she said, “Honey, look. We’ve got a nice home and a great life, why don’t you start spending more time with me and the kids? Why not come and go to church with us once in a whil?. It would help relieve some of the stress you’ve been under. Your doctor said, “you need to slow down.”
Steve replied, “my love, I’m on the verge of making a big deal tomorrow that can double our money. This house is nothing compared to the house I intend to give you and wait until you see the car that I’m going to buy you. I do plan to spend more time with you and the kids, and eventually I might even think about going to church with you. But let’s not talk about all that right now. You look to good in that gown for us to argue. I promise you after this big deal goes down, I’m going to change.
Steve had a great vision for his company, for his family, and for his future. He planned to double his money and double the joy he had in his life. There was just one problem. He didn’t know, that God above had already decided that this night would be Steve’s last night alive. He didn’t know God had made a judgment on his life by declaring, “you fool, tonight your very life will be demanded of you. What’s going to happen to all your wealth and your big plans.”
Steve was facing the question of “your money or your soul”, and he did not even know it. He was planning on getting his soul right one day, but for now he was choosing the money.
Let me ask you this? Is God opposed to money? Is God opposed to you having money? Is God opposed to you having lots of money? Can God trusts you to be faithful in giving to Him out of the money He has given to you?
The smallest amount of money God has ever requested of his people in the Bible is to give him a tithe which is one penny out of each dime they have. I have yet to meet a person who claims to love God, who will refuse to give God a penny out of dime, so long as they only have one dime. But somehow, the more dimes God gives to them, the harder it becomes to keep giving God a penny.
Suppose I asked you to loan me twenty dollars until Friday, and on Friday I promise to give it back to you. Now you have the twenty dollars to loan and you need to use it on Saturday. Now those of you who do not believe I’m going to pay you back, are going to say, “Pastor Rick, I’d love to help you out, but I just ain’t got it.”
Those of you who aren’t sure if I will pay it back on Friday, will say, “now Pastor Rick, I really need to have this money back on Friday, so are you sure you can pay me back then.” If I say yes, you’ll loan it to me. Those of you who trust me are simply going to say, sure here’s the twenty dollars. Your giving to me is going to be based on your trust in the promise I have made to you.
Our giving to God is based on the trust we have in God’s word and God’s promises. If we do not trust God, we will not give as He has told us to give. Even his promise to double our money and our joy will not be enough to motivate us.
Now many of us think, I know how to make money and double it too. Why do I need God. You may know how to make money. But can you guarantee that you will be able to double your joy when you get it. There are sometimes what I call dark sayings in the Bible. A dark saying is when I don’t understand why God does something, yet the Bible says God says it. It says in Eccles. 6:2 God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead.
When we put our trust in our own ability, we forget there are many things beyond our control that we need. Is there anyone here who can make their brain function, or cause their eyes to see, or force their muscles to work, or able to command disease out of their bodies. No ultimately, God is in control of all these things. Even if you get all the money, fame, and popularity you desire, what good is it if you can’t enjoy them.
Our giving to God is based on our trust in God, and whether or not Jesus is going to be Lord of our lives. We often sing songs about the praise and honor that is due to the Lord. But when we say, “Lord I honor you.” What does that mean in terms of everyday living? When we do something in our spirit, there is going to be something that happens in our physical body as well. One of the ways we are told to honor the Lord is in Proverbs Proverbs 3:9-10 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
Our giving is an expression of our honor to the Lord. We are told to give God from the top of what we have, and not from the leftovers. Once we get into a pattern of giving God from our left overs, or not giving at all, we will be convinced that we simply don’t have enough to give to God in the way God has commanded. The moment we do this, we lock ourselves into a poor pattern of giving and put ourselves under an economic curse. Jesus is no longer lord of our giving, we are.
Notice this verse is again about trust. God didn’t say give me off the top, so that you can learn what it is to be a servant and not have enough. No God says give off the top, and watch me bless you with money you did expect to get into your account, and raises you did not know you’d get on your job. God’s message is please let me double your money and double your joy. I have found this principle to true again and again in my own life.
But you may say, why trust God, when I can see how ends are going to meet with the money I have. Now there are some things that happen to us that are bad, simply because we live in a fallen world. But there are some things that happen to us because God is disciplining us to get us to change. When people say, “I can’t afford to tithe” and do not do it, they don’t know if they came out ahead or in the hole during the course of the year.
If God is faithful to his word, then we know they did not receive all the blessings God wanted to give, because there is a correlation between giving and receiving. It is not always money that’s given by God. Because God seeks to also double our joy.
But then there is another one of those dark verses in the Bible. It’s found in the prophet Haggai. Haggai tells us of God working against us. Haggai 1:6 (NIV) 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 with holes in it."
He’s saying, even though you’re making more money than ever, you still are running out of money and going further into debt. When you buy something, you’re not going to be happy and content until you rush out and get something else new. Your credit card debt keeps growing. The things you buy are not going work in the way you expected them to work.
So this week, it’s one thing, and next week its something else. Time it looks like you’ve seen your way clear, some other bill comes up. Even getting a second job has not helped in the way you thought it would. Your money is just disappearing out of your purse or your wallet. You are forever running and losing the race. You swear somebody is working against you. God is saying, “you got that right and it’s me who is doing it.” How much did we miss out on?
Have you ever met someone who wanted to put God to the test? God prove you exist by doing such and such. God if you do this for me, then I will know that you are God. Do you remember when Jesus was being tested by the devil. Satan said, “prove you are the Son of God, by throwing yourself off the top of this temple, and have the angels catch you just before you crash into the stones and break every bone in your body for it is written they will make sure nothing bad happens to you.” Jesus says, it is also written, “you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”
But there is one time in the Bible where God says to test him and to put him on the spot. That’s in Malachi 3:10-11 (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. [11] I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the Lord Almighty.
God is saying, look, if you agree to tithe I will not only bless you in ways that you did not think possible, but I will also keep things from happening to you that would take your money away. This is the exact opposite of what God said he would do if we did not give as we should. God’s return goes beyond simply money. Do you recall the verse in which God says, if you can be trusted with something small, then I will entrust something great to you. Money is really something small.
I believe that my being faithful in my giving is part of the reason God entrusted my wife to me, who is far greater than any sum of money. Our lives can’t be cut into little parts, where we want God to do this for me over here, but we will not be obedient over there. I can show you verse after verse of God’s promise to bless you if you give, but in the long run it will not matter in getting you to choose the right thing.
You see some of you will go and try tithing for two months and some problem will come up and you will think God has let you down. Well anytime you expect to make a change for God, you can expect the enemy to launch an assault against you. If he knows your car breaking down will stop you from tithing, your car will break down. If he knows losing your job will stop you from tithing, he’ll find a way to get you to lose your job. God does not settle all accounts at the end of the week, but God is faithful and just to settle all accounts.
God has no problem with blessing us. The problem is, most of us cannot stand to be blessed. We leave God and go after the blessing. God says, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. Do you know simply by seeking God and his righteousness, we could save a whole lot of money. Why or How—Because we would not buy the world’s pattern of thinking.
As a Christian, what would you do if someone knocked on the door and you answered the door. Then they said hi, and said they wanted to share with you their product, but as they are describing it, they are using all kind of profanity on your doorstep. How many of us, would say, “Look, I’m not going to listen to you use that kind of language on my doorstep. You certainly are not coming into my house and talk like that.” We would send that person walking and rightly so.
But then how many of us would go and pay for that stranger to come to our house and do the exact same thing only this time he comes in through Blockbuster or pay tv. We feel as though I’ve got to have this product, and I’ll just deal with the ungodly parts later. We will even take the money that belonged to God to pay for this stuff and keep it going.
Can you imagine standing before Jesus, and him asking you why you never tithed and you begin to explain how you just didn’t have the money. When the Lord says, but I put the money in your hands. Who chose how you spent it? Well Lord, I guess I chose how to spend it, but if there had been more, I would have given more to the kingdom of God.
When we talk about Jesus dying for us, and our willingness to die for him how much are we willing to die in terms of finances. A vote for tithing is a vote for obedience to the word of God. If your choice is between designer clothes and tithing, who gets your vote. If your choice is between this house and tithing, who gets your vote.
If your choice is between this neighborhood and tithing who gets your vote. If your choice is between these meals and tithing, who gets your votes? If your choice is between this standard of living and tithing who gets your vote. Do you have a better understanding of why Jesus said, we would love either God or money but we could not do both.
Do you remember you remember the opening story with the mugger saying “your money or your life.” How many times are we giving away our spiritual life in order to get money. When Jesus tells us, if we do it His way, we get far more out of life than we had imagined. Proverbs 10:22 (NIV) The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it. You see not all money brings joy. But when the Lord brings it to you, He does not add the trouble that money so often brings with fighting and bickering.
God told us that as a church, we are too reach people for the cause of Christ. Jesus put it this way Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
The reality is, it costs money to do these things. It costs money for us to do the radio broadcast and the tv broadcast. It cost money to change people’s lives. It costs money to save marriages. It cost money to provide direction to our youth. It cost money to help people pay rent, light bills, and gas bills. It costs money to do funerals. It cost money to pay for pastors, secretaries, choir directors, and custodians. It cost money to do LifeSharing, Bridges, Pioneers, Singles Ministry, and Men Who Excel. It costs money to have a building for you to come and to worship the Lord. It costs money to save people’s souls.
God’s plan to pay for these things is found sitting in these pews. It is us. Although we are often too eager to pay to help the world spread it’s message, only Christians are going to pay for us to spread the message of Jesus Christ. If Jesus is Lord of our lives, there is no problem with us paying for all these things. But when Jesus is not Lord, we find ourselves in the dilemma we are in, in which we are facing a severe shortage of income before this year ends. God has placed all the money we need in our hands.
Unfortunately Jesus is not Lord in too many hands. Jesus told a story once of a group of people who deliberately and intentionally disobeyed God in some aspect of their lives. Jesus told the disciples, “By the way fellows, not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father in heaven.” Let me ask you something, “what do you think is God’s will for you concerning your giving.” Not what you want to believe God’s will is, but based on what you know about the Bible, what do you think God’s will is.”
Are you willing to put Jesus first and start to do it? You see your decision about how you handle your obedience in the area of money is just as important as how your handle obedience in other areas. Doing good is some area will never overcome disobedience to God in another area. Jesus went on to say, on that day. Many will say to me. Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your dame, and in your name drive out demons, and perform many miracles. Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers.”
Now those are strong words from Jesus. They are clear and to the point. What really matters is this issue of Lordship. If Jesus is Lord we obey him, even when it comes to money. If Jesus is not Lord, we do as we please, especially when it comes to money.
Remember how death caught up to Steve unexpectedly. If death caught up with you tonight, would you feel confident before God in your giving. We can’t do anything about what we have or have not given in the past, but we can choose to let Jesus be Lord from this point forward. Giving for the work of the Lord is never about how much you have, but rather how much God has of you. Please, let the Lord double your money and your joy from this day forward.
Sermon Outline—Pastor Rick GNLCC 10/19/2003
Please Let God Double Your Money & Your Joy
Deuteronomy 28:1-14 Luke 12:13-21
A. Can Money Really Make You Lose Your Mind
1. Jack Benny, Penny Miser, The Mugger
2. “Your Money Or Your Life”
3. “What’s Really At Stake”
4. Jesus-Did He Offer Us A Choice
Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money.
B. Steve – The Self Made Businessman
1. Hard Work, Long Hours, Success Determined
2. At The Top Of His Game
3. A Family That Almost Had It All
4. A Plea From A Woman In A Night Gown
5. After Tomorrow, What A Change There Will Be
6. God Decides To Intervene
5. Your Money Or Your Soul—Who’s Asking You
C. What’s God’s Attitude Toward Your Money
1. Is God Opposed To You & Money
2. The Smallest Request—A Tithe, A Penny In A
Dime
3. Why Does More Money Make It Harder To Obey
4. Can You Loan Pastor Rick $20 To Friday
5. Can You Trust Pastor Rick
6. I’d Love To Help You Out But
7. Our Giving To God Based On Trust In God
D. Without Trust, No Promise Will Motivate Us
1. Do We Need God To Double Our Money
2. Who Can Guarantee A Double Of Joy
3. What Are The Dark Sayings
Eccles. 6:2 God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.
4. What About The Things We Can’t Control
5. What Can You Really Make That You Need
E. Giving Is Based On Trust & Lordship
1. What Does It Mean To Honor The Lord
2. The Spiritual Always Affects The Natural
Proverbs 3:9-10 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
3. Giving From The Top Not The Left-Overs
4. Setting Into Dangerous Patterns
5. Getting Under An Economic Curse
6. Who Is The Lord Of Our Giving
7. Trust Which Leads To Unexpected Blessings
F. Choosing Not To Trust God
1. I Can See How To Make Ends Meet
2. I Can’t Afford To Tithe—How Much Does It Cost
3. Connection Between Giving & Receiving
4. Another One Of Those Dark Verses
Haggai 1:6 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 with holes in it."
5. Hey, What Happened To My Pay Check
6. Don’t Tell Me It’s Broken Down Again
7. God Is On Your Side For Discipline
H. When Choosing To Give As God Requires
1. The Devil Is Going To Fight It
2. Temptation And Problems Are Coming
3. Jesus And The Devil On The Test
4. God Says, Go Ahead And Test Me
Malachi 3:10-11 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. 11I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty.
5. God Is Looking For Ways To Bless You
6. If I Can Trust You With The Little Things Then
7. Money Is Something Small
8. Let God Trust You With Something Great
9. Expect Satan To Discourage You From Tithing
10. Not All Accounts Are Settled By Friday
I. Seek First The Kingdom And His Righteousness
1. The Bad Mouth Stranger
2. Paying To Invite The Stranger Back
3. Standing Before Jesus And Telling Our Side
4. Decisions On How Much Are We Willing To Die
5. If You Have A Choice Between This And That
6. Which Will We Choose To Love
Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD brings wealth,
and he adds no trouble to it.
J. The Mission That God Gave Us To Do
Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
1. The Reality—Ministry Costs Money
2. God’s Plan Is To Use Us To Sponsor His
Kingdom
3. If Jesus Is Lord, Then There Is No Problem
4. When Jesus Is Not Lord The Plan Fails
5. Not Everyone Who Calls Jesus Lord
Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, ’Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ’Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ’I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
6. How Are We Rated By Our God
7. Good Works Won’t Cover Disobedience
8. Always An Issue Of Who Is Lord
9. Forgetting The Past, Choosing The Future
10. It’s Not To Late To Start
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
