INTRODUCTION:
Do you remember your high school reunion? Many who attend the 5 and 10 year class reunions just want to impress each other with how successful they have become. By the 20th many have given up on impressing their friends and are just happy to survive. As you near the age of 40 you can begin to tell the difference between the “haves” and the “have nots” – between those who have arrived and those who got lost along the way.
At one such reunion two high school buddy’s sat at a table to talk. Many at the reunion could tell the first friend had found the secret to success while the other was still just a “wanabee.” The “wanabee” asked his wealthy friend about the secret to his success. “Well I’ve asked God to help me make my financial decisions along the way. I’d pray, ‘Lord show me what to do,’ then I would open my Bible and point my finger on the page. The first time I did that the word was ‘oil,’ so I invested everything I had in the oil market. Later I went to God again and when I opened my Bible I pointed to ‘gold and silver,’ so I bought into the precious metals markets. Most recently I pointed to the word ‘gates.’ I wasn’t sure what God was trying to show me at first, but I soon realized God was leading me to invest in the computer markets. With God’s help I’m nearly as rich as Bill Gates himself now!”
Later that night the “wanabee” was back in his hotel room. He knew he needed help; he had maxed out all of his credit cards to try to impress all his high school friends, but it wasn’t working. He decided if it worked for his friend maybe it would work for him too, so he opened the nightstand drawer and pulled out a Gideon’s Bible. He sat on the bed and prayed, “Lord, I need your help; please show me what to do.” He opened the Bible and pointed at the words “chapter 11.”
We can find wisdom for right living from God’s word, but it isn’t just hit or miss. The Bible tells us “study to show yourself approved . . . rightly dividing the Word of truth” (See 2 Timothy 2:15). God will give us wisdom to live our lives; through the Bible you can find financial wisdom.
• Proverbs 30:8-9 (NIV)
[8] Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. [9] Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ’Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
This is a prayer of integrity; a specific prayer for the character of Christ to be developed in and through our lives. One of the best ways for us to be known as a person with godly character is through what we say and how we hand money. Are we known for honesty and integrity or are we a lying cheater?
How can we develop integrity in our lives? How can we have wisdom for right living?
Over the last several weeks we have looked at keys to have wisdom in how we live our lives each day. Godly character does not happen by accident, but is developed as we apply these principles in how we live our lives.
Key #1: Start with God; Fear the Lord. (Proverbs 1:7)
The fear of the Lord is active; our lives will be changed from the inside out.
Key #2: Learn wisdom from those who fear the Lord. (Proverbs 1:8-19)
Don’t go it alone. Surround yourself with those who fear the Lord.
Key #3: Answer wisdom’s call; wisdom is found in our daily choices. (Proverbs 1:20-21)
Jesus gives us wisdom in our daily routine; He reveals the mind of God for our lives. Wisdom is not earned it is practiced daily.
Key #4: Remember the Law of the Harvest; consequences follow your actions. (Proverbs 1:22-33)
Key #5: Let authentic love lead you everyday; make love your guide and your motive. (Proverbs 3:3-4)
Love should be used only in the context of relationships; we should express our love for God and other people—not things.
Don’t limit who you love. Love should be given to anyone with the capacity to return love—that’s everyone.
Key #6: Depend fully upon God alone; in everything rely upon God with absolute confidence and hope. (Proverbs 3:5-8)
Key # 7: Wealth and possessions are not ours to own; everything belongs to God and is ours on loan. (Proverbs 30:8-9)
We don’t own anything. Everything belongs to God.
Stewardship involves more than our giving and being a good manager. Stewardship is accountability to God for our finances.
We concluded the last message on financial wisdom by asking the question: How can we develop stewardship I our lives? How can we learn to live with an awareness that we are accountable to God for how we use our wealth and possessions?
1. Start with God; it all begins with the fear of the Lord.
2. Look for the blessings and discipline of the Lord.
3. Acknowledge you trust God to meet your needs.
4. Learn the secret of contentment.
In the previous message our focus was on stewardship versus ownership. This morning we want to focus on developing a lifestyle of stewardship; we are going to put some more meat on these action points. We find more wisdom through out the book of Proverbs to help us be prepared to give a good account to God for the wealth and possessions entrusted to us.
Being a good steward means we are ready to let God examine the debits and credits on our balance sheet; as a good steward we are prepared to be judge how we have used the financial resources on loan from God.
Stewardship is developed in our lives:
1. Start with God; it all begins with the fear of the Lord.
The fear of the Lord is an active awe and reverence for the Lord transforming our lives from the inside out. Why is the fear of the Lord active? Why are our lives transformed from the inside out? With the fear of the Lord we know we will one day be judged by God and give a full account of how we have lived our lives. God will not just examine how we used our money; God will judge every area of our lives.
• Proverbs 11:4 (NIV)
Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
• Proverbs 15:16 (NIV)
Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.
• Matthew 6:24 (MsgB)
You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.
• Proverbs 6:6-11 (NIV)
[6] Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! [7] It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, [8] yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. [9] How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? [10] A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest--[11] and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
The ant has no overseer; the ant will not be required to give an account for how it lives its life. You and I do have a judge; we are accountable to God for what we do and say. We will give an account to God for how we handle the finances he entrust to our care.
Solomon encourages us to go to the ant and learn to be productive. Don’t be lazy; don’t be a sluggard, but be productive with your life. This brings us to the second action point.
Stewardship is developed in our lives:
2. Look for the blessings and discipline of the Lord.
Contrary to popular opinion work is not a result of the curse. God created man to work and be productive. Work is a blessing of God.
• Proverbs 10:4-5 (NIV)
[4] Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. [5] He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.
• Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
This may surprise you, but I want you to think about this for a moment. For the Christian there is no such thing as GOOD LUCK. When good things happen these in your life you are not just lucky—YOU ARE BLESSED BY GOD.
Illustration: A Kent man recently won $1 million playing the lottery. (Perhaps some of you wish you were “so lucky.”) Now I’m not encouraging anyone to go play the lottery; look again at Hebrews 13:5. This man had recently become a Christian and is attending Christian Life Center in Kent. New in his faith, yet he chose to give a tithe of what he had won; he decided he wanted to honor and recognize God’s blessing in his life by giving to the Lord. Within the last few weeks he gave the church a check for over $72,000. This gift though also showed the pastors and the church board the reality that God was with them. You see the finances at the church had declined over the last year and there was a real possibility that one of the pastors would have to be laid off, but God provided right on time to meet the need of the church and the pastoral staff.
Because of His love for us, God will bless us. However, God will also lovingly discipline us when we sin.
• 1 Timothy 6:10 (MsgB)
Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after.
Remember stewardship is more than just the giving of offerings or how well we manage our wealth and possessions. Real stewardship understands we are accountable to God for everything we have; we will be judged for how we use or misuse what God has entrusted to our care.
A good steward, a faithful servant will acknowledge his master’s blessings and will respond to the master’s rebuke and discipline in order to please the master.
Looking for God’s blessings and discipline in our lives grows within the heart that knows God loves them and chooses to love God and not money or any other upstart god. Finding God’s blessings and responding to His discipline develops within the person who has learned to trust God in everything.
Stewardship is developed in our lives:
3. Acknowledge you trust God to meet your needs.
• Proverbs 3:9-10 (NIV)
[9] Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; [10] then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
If I were to ask how many of us trust God to meet our needs every hand would go up. How many of you know it’s one thing to say it, and it’s anther to live your life trusting God. Let me put it this way: if you say you trust God, but withhold tithes and offerings because “you can’t afford to give,” then how much do you really trust God?
I have learned God’s economy is not the same as man’s economy because I can’t afford not to give my tithe and offerings to the Lord. 90% goes further with God’s blessing than I could ever make 100% go on my own!
How many of us would like to receive wisdom from the Lord for our financial decisions? Godly wisdom comes from trusting God through the giving of our tithes and offerings. How does this happen? We learn this truth: EVERY FINANCIAL DECISION IS A SPIRITUAL MATTER. Therefore, when we give to the Lord we place ourselves in a position of obedience to receive wisdom from God in all our financial decisions.
TURSTING GOD GIVES YOU A GENEROUS HEART.
• Proverbs 19:17 (NIV)
He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done.
• Proverbs 11:24 (NIV)
One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
Stewardship is developed in our lives:
4. Learn the secret of contentment.
WHEN WE TRUST GOD WE CAN BE SATISFIED AND CONTENT.
• Proverbs 21:25-26 (NIV)
The sluggard’s craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work. [26] All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing.
Americans by and large are DISCONTENT. We are not satisfied with what we have and are always looking for more. Our discontentment is seen in our debt as a nation. Americans spend more than we make. Few of us have any savings—we spend everything we get, and then borrow to buy even more. We try to satisfy all our wants on credit. Credit gives us immediate gratification; buy now pay later!
• Proverbs 22:7 (NIV)
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
• Proverbs 17:18 (NIV)
A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.
• Proverbs 22:26-27 (NIV)
[26] Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; [27] if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.
We can develop a stewardship mentality. We can have a greater awareness of our accountability to God for the wealth and possessions we have. One day we will be judged by God; the financial books of our lives will be opened for God to examine. When God looks at our financial reports will he say, “well done” or “you’re out of balance?”
1. Start with God; it all begins with the fear of the Lord.
2. Look for the blessings and discipline of the Lord.
3. Acknowledge you trust God to meet your needs.
4. Learn the secret of contentment.
Key # 7: Wealth and possessions are not ours to own; everything belongs to God and is ours on loan. (Proverbs 30:8-9)
We don’t own anything. Everything belongs to God.
