The Bank of GOD
How to Use Your Heavenly Checking Account
10/01/03
I. Introduction
A guy driving a Mini Cooper pulls up at a stoplight next to a Rolls-Royce. The driver of the Mini rolls down his window and shouts to the driver of the Rolls, "Hey, buddy, that’s a nice car. You got phone in your Rolls? I’ve got one in my Mini!"
The driver of the Rolls looks over and says simply, "Yes, I have a phone."
The driver of the Mini says, "Cool! Hey, you got a fridge in there too? I’ve got a fridge in the back seat of my Mini!"
The driver of the Rolls, looking annoyed, says, "Yes, I have a refrigerator."
The driver of the Mini says, "That’s great, man! Hey, you got a TV in there, too? You know, I got a TV in the back seat of my Mini!"
The driver of the Rolls, looking very annoyed by now, says, "Of course I have a television. A Rolls-Royce is the finest luxury car in the world!"
The driver of the Mini says, "Very cool car! Hey, you got a bed in there, too? I got a bed in the back of my Mini!"
Upset that he did not have a bed, the driver of the Rolls-Royce sped away, and went straight to the dealer, where he promptly ordered that a bed be installed in the back of the Rolls. The next morning, the driver of the Rolls picked up the car. The bed looked superb, complete with silk sheets and brass trim. It was clearly a bed fit for a Rolls Royce.
So the driver of the Rolls begins searching for the Mini, and he drove all day. Finally, late at night, he finds the Mini parked, with all the windows fogged up from the inside. The driver of the Rolls got out and knocked on the Mini. When there wasn’t any answer, he knocked and knocked, and eventually the owner stuck his head out, soaking wet.
"I now have a bed in the back of my Rolls-Royce," the driver of the Rolls stated arrogantly.
The driver of the Mini looked at him and said, "You got me out of the shower for THAT?!"
You know, people love to show off their STUFF. And how do they get that stuff? With money! You have to have money to buy stuff. But there’s more to life than just having stuff. Now, I like stuff, antique stuff, new stuff, technological stuff, entertaining stuff, comfortable stuff, stuff you wear, stuff you eat, stuff you want, and stuff you need. But some people can’t get enough stuff. How many of ya’ll like stuff? How many of ya’ll like money? How many of ya’ll want more stuff and more money? YEAH, me too!
But there’s more you can do with money than just buy stuff. So, tonight we’re talking about The Bank of GOD: How to Use Your Heavenly Checking Account. We’re gonna find out how to get money, and what to do with it when you get it.
II. Open Your Account
In order to have access to any type of bank account, you must first open the account.
To open your heavenly account, you must begin by tithing.
Tithing is the first step to prosperity.
Leviticus 27:30 - The tithe is the Lord’s and is holy unto Him.
Tithe: one-tenth
The tithe belongs to God and has been set apart and designated for His use. Because the tithe belongs to God, you aren’t really giving anything when you tithe. You are returning to Him what belongs to Him.
Ok, so the first step is to immediately recognize that you’re going to tithe on whatever comes into your hands. That opens the account.
Malachi 3:10 “10Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.”
When you tithe and give offerings, you cut off your dependence on this world’s economic system for your financial well-being, and God becomes your source.
III. Make A Deposit
After you open the account, you have to realize that God wants you to increase, it’s His desire, His will, His plan for you to increase.
3 John 2 2Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
Above all things, God desires for His people to prosper.
Prosper: to flourish, thrive, grow in a vigorous way. To do better. To help on the road. To succeed at reaching something desirable.
Based on John 10:10, Jesus came to give us the life of abundance.
He designed a life that overflowed with good and was well supplied and rich.
(Show video clip of Steve Harvey’s Big Time: “Cheapest Man in the World”)
Make a deposit by putting God’s Word concerning prosperity in your head. If you don’t make deposits, you’ll end up living life like this guy because you don’t know what’s available to you.
Psalm 35:27 - God takes pleasure in prospering us.
Psalm 1:1-3 - He will cause whatever you do to prosper.
Psalm 23:1 - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack).
Psalm 34:8-10 - Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good.
Psalm 37:19 - In the days of famine, the upright will be supplied until there is no lack.
Psalm 65:11 - The paths He has made for us drip with abundance.
Psalm 67:5-7 - As we praise God, He causes the earth to yield her produce to us.
Psalm 68:19 - God daily sends us a load of benefits.
Psalm 112:1-3 - He puts wealth and riches in the house of the upright.
Psalm 115:12-15 - He has in mind to bless both us and our children.
Proverbs 13:22 - The wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.
Ecclesiastes 2:26 - God has assigned the sinner to gather that he may give to us.
Romans 8:32 - If God gave us His only Son, how shall He not freely give us all things?
We have to know that God wants us to prosper, otherwise, we wouldn’t even dare to ask for His help. And as the Master Banker, we need His help.
IV. Unending Balance
Ok, you now know that you have access to your account.
Alright, I’m RICH, LET’S MAKE A WITHDRAWAL! LET’S GET SOME MONEY OUT OF THE ACCOUNT! WOO-HOO!
Not so fast, before you make a withdrawal, you gotta know how much is in the account, because if you try to take out more than what’s in the bank, you’ll get an insufficient funds charge and that’s no good. That means that you’re paying the bank $30 just because you didn’t have enough money in there.
Well, there’s good news, with your heavenly account, you now have an unending balance.
Psalm 24:1 “1The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.”
Psalm 50:10 “10For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.”
God owns the whole kit n caboodle, so he’s not only the Master Banker, but He’s the VAULT…He’s the ultimate source of our supply.
V. Withdrawal Time
Ok. Making a withdrawal from your heavenly account is not as easy as it sounds. People think that if they pray to God, that money will come down from the sky like snow, that a money tree will sprout up in their backyard, or that a big suitcase full of hundred dollar bills will magically appear underneath their bed.
But that’s not how it works.
Luke 6:38 KJV “38Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.”
The Scripture says that you’ll get money by men giving it to you. Well, why would men give to you?
Because…
1. God tells them to
2. They accidentally lose it and you “accidentally” find it
3. One Word…ALLOWANCE
4. It’s your birthday…party like it’s your birthday
5. Graduation or holidays like Easter, Christmas, Groundhog Day, etc.
6. You work for them
The main avenue through which you’ll get money is if you work for it. The Scriptures say over and over that those who work hard will get rich.
Proverbs 13:4 NLT “4Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper and be satisfied.”
Proverbs 10:4 NLT “4Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.”
Deuteronomy 8:18 “18"And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
The Word doesn’t say that we have been given wealth. It says we have been given the power to get wealth. Again, money doesn’t fall from the sky.
When you decide that you’re going to be a hard worker and you rely on this power that’s on the inside of you, you will make your way prosperous.
Well, what can I do? I’m not old enough to have a job. There are plenty of things that you can do to work hard.
Here’s a list of “6 Careers You Can Start In Your Teens.”
Sure, your youth is a time to have fun and enjoy life, but it’s also a time to learn the value of work and ambition.
1. Newspaper business. Throw a paper route, and discover the satisfaction of getting a job done early.
2. Investment broker. There are companies that will take investment capital of just $50. Learn how the market works, and start investing a little at a time.
3. Graphic arts. If you have a bent for drawing and art, offer your assistance to those in need now. I know 14- and 15-year-olds who design logos and Web sites for companies and churches.
4. Film and video production. With an inexpensive camera and some computer software you can be in the “movie” biz. Blaine Bartel’s son began to be paid for his projects when he was just 15 years old.
5. Lawn care. If you have a mower and a weed-eater, distribute flyers in your neighborhood and sign accounts to cut and trim grass after school and all summer.
6. Child care. Make yourself available to families for quality baby-sitting services. Be a good one, because they are hard to come by.
VI. Do I Spend It?
Ok, men are giving to me like crazy. I’m working on a regular basis and I now have some moulah coming in. What do I do with it?
Spend it, right?
Proverbs 21:5 MSG “5Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.”
Luke 14:28-30 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ’This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’”
Have a plan for where your money’s going.
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
Here are 5 categories that you can start with for your financial plan.
1. Tithe – go ahead and take out ten percent.
2. Offering – MFT
3. Invest – an investment is something you contribute to without always seeing a quick or immediate return, trusting that its long-term results will be great. Open a savings or money market account and put something in it every month.
4. Spending – eating out, entertainment, stuff
5. Gifts for Youth Pastor
VII. Priorities
Ecclesiastes 5:10 “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.”
1 Timothy 6:10 “10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
Don’t seek money. Seek God and all His wisdom.
Matthew 6:33 “33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Solomon asked God for wisdom and everything else came to him.
Let’s pray.
