Sermon Title: Five Financial Myths
Place: Oakdale Wesleyan Church
Date: February 6, 2005
Series: Living the Uncomplicated Life
Introduction
I got a beautiful illustration in the in-box of my e-mail about myths that circulate our world. Every few months someone sends out this e-mail to me and it has been happening for about the last ten years. This is one of the reasons I seldom read or respond to forwards in e-mails. Let me read the original e-mail and then I will read the retraction that I got this week….
DR. DOBSON’S PLEA FOR ACTION
CBS discontinued "Touched by an Angel" for using the word “God” in every program. Madeline Murray O’Hare, an atheist, successfully managed to eliminate the use of Bible reading from public schools a few years ago. Now her organization has been granted a Federal Hearing on the same subject by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington, DC.
Their petition, Number 2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the gospel our Lord and Savior, on the airwaves of America.
They got 287,000 signatures to back their stand!
If this attempt is successful, all Sunday worship services being broadcast on the radio or by television will be stopped. This group is also campaigning to remove all Christmas programs and Christmas carols from public schools!!
You as a Christian (or any other religious background) can help!
We are praying for at least 1 million signatures. This would defeat their effort and show that there are many Christians alive, well and concerned about our country. As Christians we must unite on this. Please don’t take this lightly.
We ignored this lady once and lost prayer in our school and in offices across the nation.
Please stand up for your religious freedom and let your voice be heard. Together we can make a difference in our country.
Please press "forward", and forward this to everyone that you think should read this.
Now, please sign your name at the bottom (you can only add your name after you have pressed the "Forward").
Don’t delete any other names, just go to the next number and type your name and state. Please do not sign jointly, such as Mr.. &Mrs. Each person should sign his/her own name. Please defeat this organization and keep the right of our freedom of religion.
REMEMBER: Our country was founded on freedom of religion and our Constitution is based on the 10 Commandments.
This sounds good and all and what a stirring subject. But as stirring as it sounds, as gut wrenching and alarming as it may appear to be, this is a myth!
Let me now read the retraction…..
Just a note here to say that I regret having sent you this petition as we now have information that it is not valid, and would not be of help, officially. The person that sent this to me then sited this e-mail they received in regards to this petition.
Just to give you a heads up. Online petitions do not hold any legal weight because the individuals cannot be verified. Also, this particular email is a false email in that it refers to the FCC petition number 2493 which is not a current FCC petition.
If you do a search online you will discover that this type of email has been circulating for years and is not accurate. There are no current attempts to ban religious broadcasting that the FCC is considering.
Just thought you should know for future reference.
Robert Canen
We live in a world of myths. In fact we are so enamored by myths that sometimes we Americans no longer know what is reality and what is a myth. We sit in front of our televisions, we head off to the movie shows, we engage in plays, and even sporting events and loose touch with reality and get wrapped up in a mythical world.
Unfortunately the church is not unscathed in this world of myths. Often times myths even influence and affect the church. We hold ideas or concepts that are just not accurate or true according to God’s word.
We are currently in a series Learning to Live the Uncomplicated Life and often times the complications that we have secured in our lives are very well due to myths that we have taken and made concrete ideologies and governing principles of our lives. This morning we are continuing our look at Finances and Holiness and we are going to break down five myths in the church that surround our financial stewardship.
This morning is going to be more of a teaching sermon. So you probably won’t walk away from this sermon all inspired and pumped up to do something great, rather, my hope is that you walk away from this sermon with some solid financial concepts on which to build your life. Concepts not based upon myth but rather based upon God’s word.
So let’s jump in and resolve Five Financial Myths.
1. It’s mine – the myth of stewardship
Many Christians are caught up in the American way of thinking that we are self-sufficient and that we are responsible for all that we possess. The Bible of course, provides an entirely different perspective.
The American culture is bent on consumerism and capitalism. We have the mistaken idea that if I am able to produce wealth then that wealth is mine. I earned it, I worked for it, I thus possess it. Unfortunetly while this makes for a very strong economy this is not God’s economy nor is it a good axiom to live by in life.
The Bible provides a different perspective that we are merely the overseers of God’s earthly domain, responsible for taking care of His resources until Jesus returns. Another words, even though I may be able to produce wealth, I really don’t own it, it came from God and it will return to God.
The scriptures make this very clear. Dr. John in the scripture reading this morning read the first passage that tells us that everything is God’s. Let’s take a look at a another passage. Psalm 50:10-12
“For every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mind. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.”
In the bulletin I placed a few extra verses for each of these myths if you want to study a particular myth a little farther.
I Chronicles 29:14-18 – everything is God’s; we watch over it on earth
Psalm 24:1,2 – everything belongs to God
Psalm 50:10-12 – God created, knows and owns everything
I Corinthians 4:2 – Paul exhorted those being trusted to prove themselves faithful.
One of the practices that I was taught as a child was to pray before meals. I did it half heartedly and never would give thanks before a meal at school or at least not in any form that anyone else would see it. I took this whole meal blessing relatively lightly. Then one day this concept that I am sharing with you dawned on me. Everything in this earth is God’s. I don’t own it, I am only using it for the time being. The thought then came to my mind that if God is the one who graciously gave it to me to use, God could also take it away. Or God could choose not to give it to me. It’s totally up to him. All of a sudden praying before meals took on a new perspective. All of a sudden their became purpose and meaning to those seemingly routine prayers. As we sit down and smell the good food before us, weather it is at home, in a restaurant, at church, or wherever, prayer acknowledges the fact that God is the one who truly provided it for me, and prayer of thanksgiving then is appropriate to say thank-you for doing this great things for me.
So the first financial myth is the idea that we own what we have and we deserve what we have because we provided for it. According to scripture, this just isn’t true, God is the one who provided it, God is the one who owns it, we are simply barrowing for a time.
2. Someone else will take care of it, it’s not my responsibility
Many Christians acknowledge that they have a small degree of responsibility for the financial needs of the church but believe that someone else takes care of the lion’s share, thus it is not their responsibility. The Bible of course, provides an entirely different perspective.
While many Christians feel somewhat responsible for the church they assume the Bible does not prescribe a level of giving or a theology related to that responsibility.
Consequently, their giving becomes random and emotional. Imagine what it would be like if everyone in our congregation understood that God expects each of us to fund the church generously, that He accepts no excuses for stinginess and that our lives are materially affected by our generosity to his work.
Let’s not take my word for it, let’s take a look at God’s word…
Luke 8:2,3
“The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases…These women were helping to support them out of their own means.
Luke 12:10 –
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
Galatians 6:6 – we must support those who instruct us about the Bible
“Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.”
3 John 8 – When full-time servants of Christ have needs, we should respond generously
So according to God’s word, the work of the church, the ministry of God in our world is each of our responsibilities and we should fund that work quite generously. It is a myth that it is someone else’s responsibility. If you receive anything from the church, it is your responsibility.
3. God doesn’t care how I use my money – worship
Many Christians believe that God really doesn’t care about how I use my money, it’s mine to do what I want with - anyway, God gave it to me. The Bible of course, provides an entirely different perspective.
Have you ever wandered why we take tithes and offerings during the worship service on Sunday morning? You might think because it is the best time to get money out of people’s pockets, may-be you think it’s because it is just the most convenient way to get the money. Or, it just makes sense, we come for the show and we expect to pay for it. Payment due upon services rendered kind of thing!
Well, that’s not why we do it in the morning worship service. The taking of the tithes and offerings are quite intentionally placed in the morning worship service because the very act of stewardship and giving account for our use of God’s resources is a huge act of worship. If we truly believe that God owns everything and that He is graciously allowing us the chance to use His resources now, then giving our tithes and offerings becomes not only a prayer of thanks before a meal but a huge act of worship. So our tithes and offerings time is not a time to catch up with your neighbor who’s sitting next to you, it’s not a time to just sit back and enjoy or endure the music as the plates are passed, but rather it is a time of giving account to God for how you have used his things. It is a gut check time to make sure that my objectives, that my interests, that my desires are in line with His and that the use of the money that he has lent to me reflects what he would want done in the world.
Read…
Genesis 28:16-22
Genesis 14:20b-24 – Abraham gives a tithe to Malchisidec
– Jacob realized that all belong to God and used his tithe as a means of worship
Leviticus 22:17-22,29 – God serves on the best of what we have to offer
I Corinthians 10:31-giving, as in everything we do, should be done for God’s glory
2 Corinthians 9:10-12 – our giving is an expression of thanks to God
4. God understands my bills – God first
Most Christians believe that their first responsibility is to tend to their personal needs, then to give God a slice of the leftovers. The Bible, of course, provides an entirely different perspective.
I really appreciated Laurie and Bernice’s willingness to be open and vulnerable in sharing this morning about their own personal walk in stewardship. One of the things that I though was so interesting to hear from them is that it has not always been easy to give God the first of their fruits.
You know what, we all have bills. It seems that no one walks through this life without some kind of bill. Food bill, insurance, car bills, house payments, electric, gas, phone and on and on goes the list of bills. For many Christians the way they approach giving to God is that once the bills are paid then if we have enough we will give to God. Another words, instead of the first fruits they give God the left overs.
I think one of the most profound and clear passages about this is actually the first recording sin in the entire Bible. Let’s see how sharp you guys are. What is the first recorded sin in the Bible? Cain killing Abel was the third recorded sin. Before Cain killed Abel he first burned with anger the Bible tells us. But why did he burn with anger? Because God looked favorably upon Abel’s offering but not his. Why did God look favorably upon the one and not the other? Because Abel brought God the best he had to offer while Cain only brought the seconds or just the run of the mill, not the best.
So the very first sin in the Bible is a sin over firstfruits. God takes very seriously this idea of bringing him the first fruits. Another words, He wants us to bring the first cut of the pie before anyone else gets a piece.
But why? I am not the smartest person to ever live, but this is the way my simple minds understands this. Michelle and I bring God our first fruits because we choose to see God as our biggest creditor. If (going back to myth one) God owns everything I am simply barrowing it, then He is my biggest creditor, not the light company, not the phone company, not the bank who owns the title to my car or the deed to my own. God is the biggest creditor and He also has the biggest power over me to take my wealth away.
Deuteronomy 14:22,23 – revere Him by offering the first tenth of your wealth
Nehemiah 10:37-39 – God gets the first share of our reaping
Proverbs 3:9,10 – honor God with the first fruits of your wealth
I Corinthians 16:2 – provide an offering on the first day of each week
5. Giving has no bearing on my trust in God.
Many Christians are caught up in the idea that giving has nothing to do with trusting in God, and that giving has little to do with Holiness and/or our Christian growth. The Bible of course, provides an entirely different perspective.
There is a fascinating story in the Old Testament that deals directly with this myth. Let me read it to you.
I Kings 17:7-16
One of the reasons God asks us to be stewards is to test our willingness to truly trust Him. He does not need 10 percent or 20 percent of even 100 percent of His resources to be returned by us: He can get the job doe with us or without us, through us or in spite of us. He was able to create the resources we oversee for Him in the first place, and He is abundantly capable of creating them anew or creating other means of having His plans accomplished. By entrusting recourses to us, and giving us free reign in managing them, though, the priorities of our heart emerge clearly. His desire is that we will consistently demonstrate unbridled obedience and trust, and thus recognize our place in creation. So how generous I am in my giving is a direct result in my trust in God.
Let’s look at bit at number myth four again. Many Christians see their creditors as more powerful than God and thus show their lack of trust in God by the way they spend their money. If you truly trust God, you will generously give to Him, even if the creditors are knocking on the doors.
Luke 6:38 – give generously and it will be returned to you in like manner
I Timothy 6:17-19 – put your hope in God, not in your wealth
Hebrews 6:10 – God remembers our good efforts to help others
James 1:10 – the rich are lowly in position; their only hope is in God
Conclusion
Pastor, I hear what you are saying but some of this just seems so unreasonable. God never foreclosed on a loan but the bank I have my mortgage with sure has. It’s easy for you to say trust God, give generously, support the church responsibly, but you don’t know the bills I have.
This is one of the fascinating things about stewardship. It seems that when we bring our finances in line with God’s will, all of a sudden we begin to have money we never had before. I don’t know if this is a miracle or just plain common sense. When we spend as if it is God’s money and our spending is in line with His will all of a sudden we stop living beyond our means, we stop being driven by our lusts and wants and we start to have money and financial freedom. It is all circular, the one directly effects the others.
Let me leave you with this neat story this morning. There was a single mother who had heard a Biblical financial teacher say, “Quit looking at your job as the source of your income. Look at your job as only one avenue, one channel the Source, El Shaddai, uses to bring finances into your life. Begin to teach your children to look to their heavenly Father as their Source, not the parents.” Her little daughter, one day told her that she wanted a bike, like all the other children. Her mother, at first was about to reply, “Honey, momma does not have extra money,” because this was her typical response. However, she remembered what the teacher said in the seminar, so she told her daughter, "Let’s ask the Lord for a bike". They prayed together and thanked God for hearing their prayer. A few days later, the little received a check in the mail, payable to her personally. On the way to town to cash the check, they noticed a man placing a bicycle out by the side of the road. The mother stopped the car and asked the man what he was going to do with that bike. The man replied that his daughter had quickly outgrown the use of it and he was going to sell it. The little asked the man how much he wanted and he replied, “For you, $25.00.” which was exactly the amount of the CHECK the received in the mail!”
The little grew up not remembering a mother who worked hard to buy a bike, but thankful for a mother who taught her about her Heavenly Father, who cared about an eight years old ’s need.
