Breaking the limitation of your financial situation
By Pastor Fernando Cabrera
Newlifebronx.com for free audio/video sermons
1. Problem
a. The saving rate in America is at the lowest level in 60 years
b. 5.5 million addicted gamblers
c. Over 1 million bankruptcies a year
i. More people go bankrupt each year in America than graduates graduate from colleges and Universities
ii. 1 in 300 in 2001, 1 in 300 in 2001
d. average Christian household only gives 2.5 of their income to church
i. worst than during the depression!
ii. The average church member only gives $20.00 to missions, but spends $1,174 in gambling
e. Churches have ignore the topic all together, while there are over 2,350 verses and 2/3 of scriptures speak of stewarship
f. The average American spends 6 hours shopping related activities (malls, online, home shopping channel, infomercials
g. 64% couples argue over money and 54% it is the #1 reason for divorce
i. till debt do us part!
2. Purpose
a. Enjoy (I Timothy 6:17) –
i. God truly wants you to enjoy life
b. Entrust
i. #1 theme in the bible is salvation; #2 is stewarship
ii. We are managers of kingdom finances
1. how you handle your finances will determine whether God will bless you with more in this life and the life to come
iii. The first job God gave people was to manage and take care of God’s stuff
1. because God owes it, I must take the best care of it I can
iv. Financial problem is a spiritual problem
1. Luke 16:11 “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?”
2. How I manage money (wordly wealth) determines how much God can trust me with spiritual blessings (true riches).
a. Is the way you manage your money preventing God from doing more in your life?
b. Matthew 25:23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”
3. God measures your spiritual maturity by how you use your money
a. No one who is financially bound can be spiritually free
c. Examine
i. It will reveal the condition of your heart
1. Money is the greatest test of all
3. Promise
a. The bible is rich with promises of God meeting your needs
b. “My God will supply all of your needs according to his riches in glory”
i. “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you”
ii. “I will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing until it overflows”
iii.
iv. For every promise there is a condition
4. Plan
a. Earn it
i. You increase your earnings by increasing your value
1. education/knowledge
2. work ethics
a. breaking laziness
i. Prov. 14:23 “In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty”
ii. There are no quick get rich schemes
b. Record it
i. Keep good records
ii. You need to know where your monies are coming and going to Some people say, “Money talks”: No, it sleeps away without announcing it is leaving
1. If you are saying? “Where does it all go?”, then you are violating the first
a. You cannot cut the outgo unless you know where it is going
iii. What do I need to record?
1. what I own
2. what I owe
3. what I earn
4. where it all goes
c. Budget it (plan your spending; Budgeting=telling your money where to go, rather than wondering where it went; money plan)
i. Tithe it
1. Why give?
a. It makes a difference
i. Provision is pro-vision
1. it takes money to run a hospital, it takes money to run a spiritual hospital
2. it takes money to run an army, it takes money to run a spiritual army
ii. with out the vision the people perish, but without the provision, the vision perish
b. Expect a return
i. Here and now:II Cor. 9:6 “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully”
1. financial harvest vs. financial miracle
2. Law of sufficiency: there is always a surplus to those who sow abundantly
a. It pays to give to God
ii. There and then:
1. affirmation – “Good and faithful servant”
2. Promotion –
3. Celebration – “Come you who are blessed of My Father”
a. DON’T ASK HOW YOUR INVESTMENT WILL BE PAYING OFF IN JUST 30 YEARS. ASK HOW IT WILL BE PAYING OFF IN 30 MILLION YEARS.
b. Anything we put in God’s hand will be ours for eternity
c. Treasure Principle: “You can’t take it with you, but you can send it on ahead”
i. Develop a Treasure Mentality
c. Breaks unselfishness
i. Micers are miserable
ii. Generous givers: “I live to give”
1. it develops the character you need to be blessed with more
a. If you don’t develop the character to master money as a servant, money will master you and you will become its slave
iii. This is especially true in our areas
1. least likely to give in America
a. northeast
b. Hispanic and Asian
c. Under 25
d. Never attended college
d. Obedience
i. 90% with God’s blessing is better than 100% without it.
ii. Story of 51 weeks supermarket parking lot
iii. Put God first
1. Principle of First Things
a. First 10%
ii. Save it
1. “there is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man swallows it up” (Prov. 21:20)
2. We don’t know how to save in America
a. Japan saves about 21% of their income
b. Europe 18%
c. US citizens – 1% more than what they earn
iii. Repay it
1. Prov. 22:7 “the borrower becomes the lender’s slave”
a. The job of advertisement is to take wants and make them into needs
2. pay extra on debts
a. allow debt no more – credit cards
d. Enjoy it
i. I Timothy 6:17
ii. Principle of contentment
1. Contentment is knowing God’s plan for your life and being peaceful about it
a. Whether you have much or little (Phillipians 4:11)
2. Eccl.6:9
3. Hebrews 13:5
