"the Three C's Of Financial Stability"

Title: “3 C’s of Financial Stability” Scripture: Various Passages

Type: Thematic Where: GNBC 7-24-22

Intro: (Take hammer, power saw, dollar bill). Which of these is a tool? Which of these can I hurt you with? Which of these can I hurt myself with? Each is a possibility. During His 3.5 yr. ministry, Jesus spoke more about which of the following topics: heaven, hell, salvation, money? Would you believe, MONEY! Having a proper Biblical concept of money is essential to our growth and maturity as believers.

Prop: Examining various passages we’ll better understand the 3 “C’s” of Financial Stewardship.

BG: 1. What is “stewardship”? It is the understanding that everything I have belongs to God and He expects me to use those items, resources, talents, and abilities for His purposes.

2. Religious giving is down 50% from 1990! All US Christians gave 2.5% of income last year!

3. Just back from missions trip. Literally $10ks given to send a team. Many gave joyfully.

I. Financial Stability Requires that We: “Realize the Danger of Coveting.” (Ex. 20:17)

A. Mastering our Money Begins by Realizing the Dangers of Coveting.

1. Coveting is a Sin we Christians need to beware of in our personal lives.

a. In Ex. 20:17; Dt. 5:21; 7:25 – The last of the 10 Commandments states: “Thou shall not covet.” Personally, I see this commandment as standing out from the rest. We see in this verse the heart of the law of God laid open to us. God is not concerned with actions alone. God is also concerned with attitudes. Coveting is a matter of the heart…my attitude.

b. What is “coveting” and why do we need to reject it if we wish to successfully master our money? “Covet” is most commonly defined as “desire.” To covet something means to desire it and for a person to want to take it for themselves. Some people hold that chamad, the Hebrew word most often translated as “covet,” refers to a person’s desires instead of a person’s actions. This would make the 10th Commandment unique as it would deal solely with a person’s thoughts and emotions. The other commandments all deal with a person’s actions. One point that is used by those who argue that chamad should be used like “desire” is that chamad is often used with lakach, or “take.”

2. We must realize that Coveting is Deadly.

a. Why is coveting so deadly? Because it is never satisfied, Coveting relentlessly covers more of this world and a person’s thoughts, affections, and heart occupied with the world will cease seeking heaven, Coveting pulls the heart down to the pit of self-seeking, the muck and mire of envy, slander, pride, adultery, murder, and thievery. Our lust for more. Our lust for what others have.

b. Illust: When living in SC had fire ants. One time I laid a small circle of poison around a hill of fire ants. Thinking the tiny granules of poison were food, the ants began to pick them up and carry them throughout the colony. I returned later to see how well the poison was working. Hundreds of the fire ants were carrying the poison down into their hill. Then I noticed a hole in the circle of poison. Some of the poison was moving the opposite way—away from the hill. Some smaller, nonstinging ants had found this “food” and were stealing it from their ant neighbors. Thinking they were getting the other ants’ treasure, they unwittingly poisoned themselves. That’s what coveting is for you and me. Poison.

1. Covetousness is a Sin Punished by God.

a. The best way to understand the OT is to interpret passages by the commentary the NT makes on the OT. In I Cor. 10:6 we see that the Apostle Paul does just that. The Apostle Paul is warning the Corinthian congregation by looking back scores of centuries to interpret the failure of the Jews wandering in the wilderness. He said that their failure was linked to their “evil cravings” or desire for “evil thngs” that tripped them up spiritually. Paul is saying the same to Christians then: “Let their failure be a lesson to you!” God punished all of the Jews of that generation with two notable examples. Their sin was covetousness. DON’T Covet!

b. Illust: Certainly we can think of notable examples of coveting in the Bible that were severely punished. Back in Josh 7:11-25, after the 40 yrs of wandering, entering the Promised Land. Israel has just defeated Jericho. Now, taking on little Ai. Expecting to easily obliterate this city state. However, soundly beaten with 36 soldiers killed. Joshua and others weeping in prayer. God says: “Get up off your face. There is sin in the camp that needs to be dealt with.” Prior to attacking Jericho, God had put a ban on all the gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Was dedicated wholly to the Lord. One soldier, Achan, ignored that ban. In a dramatic story God ordered the tribes to assemble and then by lot, narrowed down to Achan and his family. Achan confessed his sin of coveting a beautiful mantle, 200 shekels of silver and a gold bar that weighed 50 shekels. Result: God judged Achan, family, livestock, all were stoned and burned up. Severe! God takes coveting seriously, because at the end of the day, it is IDOLATRY.