The
Simplest Course on Money -- EVER!
By
Pastor Errol Hale
Eight Principles
of Stewardship -- Matthew 25:14-30
1. Stewardship
begins with submission to Christ's Lordship.
2. All
that I have has been given to me to manage.
3. God
gives to me based on His sovereign will and my ability.
4. Jesus
will return and require an accounting.
5. God
requires faithfulness -- not success.
6. I
must manage God's goods according to His priorities and principles,
not my own, or my incorrect opinion of His.
7. How
I manage His things reveals my relationship with Him.
8. Based
on that relationship (as revealed by my stewardship) I will
receive either commendation or condemnation.
Definition
of Money:
1. Any
medium of exchange which is accepted as payment for goods,
services and debts.
2. Money
is the representation of work.
Importance
of Money:
1. 1/3
of Jesus' parables were either about money or used money as
the basis of illustration.
2. Warned
not to set heart on it.
Matthew
6:19-20 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and
steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break
in and steal."
3. It
is an indicator of the heart.
Matthew
6:21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be
also."
4. Can't
serve God and Money.
Matthew
6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate
the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the
one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
5. Don't
seek it or worry about it.
Matthew
6:31-34 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?'
or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after
all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father
knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom
of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be
added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow
will worry about its own things."
6. Jesus
chastens disciples for being unwise concerning money.
Luke
16:8 & 11 "So the master commended the unjust steward
because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world
are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light
. . . Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous
mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?"
7. Paul
warns the rich.
1 Timothy
6:17 "Command those who are rich in this present age not to
be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living
God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy." (also James
5:1-6)
8. Jesus
warns about riches.
Mark
10:23-25 "Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples,
"How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom
of God!" And the disciples were astonished at His words. But
Jesus answered again and said to them, 'Children, how hard
it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of
God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.'"
9. Love
of money is root of all kinds of evil.
1 Timothy
6:9-10 "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation
and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which
drown men in destruction and perdition. For 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."
Purpose of
Money:
1. Care
for Family.
1 Timothy
5:8 "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially
for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is
worse than an unbeliever."
2. Help
needy.
Ephesians
4:28 "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him
labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have
something to give him who has need."
3. Support
Ministry.
1 Corinthians
9:14 "Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach
the gospel should live from the gospel."
4. Honor
God.
Proverbs
3:9-10 "Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the
first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled
with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine."
How To
Get Money:
1. WORK!
Proverbs
18:9 "He who is slothful in his work Is a brother to him who
is a great destroyer."
Proverbs
14:23 "In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads
only to poverty."
2 Thessalonians
3:10-15 "For even when we were with you, we commanded you
this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we
hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly
manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those
who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus
Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.
But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.
And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note
that person and do not keep company with him, that he may
be ashamed."
2. Warnings
against gaining money through "get rich quick schemes"
Proverbs
20:21 "An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning Will
not be blessed at the end."
Proverbs
28:20 & 22 "A faithful man will abound with blessings,
But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished . . .
A man with an evil eye hastens after riches, And does not
consider that poverty will come upon him."
3. Warning
against gaining money dishonestly
Proverbs
13:11 "Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, But
he who gathers by labor will increase."
Proverbs
21:6 "Getting treasures by a lying tongue Is the fleeting
fantasy of those who seek death."
What is True
Prosperity:
1. Contentment.
1 Timothy
6:6 "Now godliness with contentment is great gain."
2. Wealth
brings with it more things to consume it.
Ecclesiastes
5:11 "When goods increase, they increase who eat them; so
what profit have the owners except to see them with their
eyes?"
3. No
matter how much you have, it is never enough.
The Emperor
Nero entered his garden house for the first time. He inspected
the statue of himself, 120 feet high. He saw the enclosed
lake surrounded by buildings that were designed to represent
the cities of his empire. He admired the pillared arcade that
stretched for a mile, the dining rooms paved with marble,
the ceilings of gold and fretted ivory inlaid with jewels
and said "At last, I am beginning to live like a human being!"
4. Contentment
is learned -- by experiencing both plenty and want.
Philippians
4:11-13 "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned
in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased,
and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have
learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and
to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens
me."
Three Common
Financial Pitfalls For Christians: Taxes, Giving and Debt
A. Taxes:
1. Jesus
paid taxes.
Matthew
17:24-27 "When they had come to Capernaum, those who received
the temple tax came to Peter and said, 'Does your Teacher
not pay the temple tax?' He said, 'Yes.' And when he had come
into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, 'What do you
think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs
or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?' Peter said to
Him, 'From strangers.' Jesus said to him, 'Then the sons are
free. Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast
in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when
you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money;
take that and give it to them for Me and you.'"
2. Jesus
told us to pay taxes.
Matthew
22:15-22 "Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might
entangle Him in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples
with the Herodians, saying, 'Teacher, we know that You are
true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about
anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us,
therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to
Caesar, or not?' But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and
said, 'Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax
money.' So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them,
'Whose image and inscription is this?' They said to Him, 'Caesar's.'
And He said to them, 'Render therefore to Caesar the things
that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.'
When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him
and went their way."
B. Giving:
1. Wrong
reasons to give:
a. Do
not give in order to receive money
b. Do
not give in order to receive glory (Matthew 6:1-4)
c. Do
not give because God is broke (Psalm 50:10-12)
d. Do
not give based on feelings or coercion (1 Corinthians 16:3)
2. Right
reasons to give:
a. Give
because it is commanded (1 Corinthians 16:1-3)
b. Give
because of gratitude (Mark 12:41-44)
3. How
to give: Faith offering.
Genesis
4:3-5 Abel was respected Cain was not .
Why?
At the heart it was not a matter of grain v. blood. It was
a matter of Faith.
Hebrews.
11:4 "By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice
than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous,
God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead
still speaks."
4. What
is a faith offering?
2 Corinthians
8:1-3 "Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace
of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great
trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep
poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I
bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond
their ability, they were freely willing,"
5. Faith
Giving Formula: Ability + More = Faith
6. What
about TITHING?
Malachi
3:8-10 "'Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you
say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.
You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even
this whole nation. Bring 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.'"
For some,
10% is a great gift of faith. For others, it is robbing God!
7. HOW
are we to give?
1 Corinthians
16:1-3 "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I
have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must
do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you
lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there
be no collections when I come. And when I come, whomever you
approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem."
a. Commanded
"Orders . . .you must do also"
b. Regular/Systematic
"First day of the week"
c. Proportional
"storing up as he may prosper"
d. Not
Manipulated "no [special] collections when I come"
e. Responsible
"Whomever you approve . . .I will send to bear your gift"
C. Debt:
1. To
be avoided.
Proverbs
22:7 "The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant
to the lender."
2. What
is Financial Bondage?
a. Living
beyond your means (What are my means? Whatever God has gifted
me with MINUS Taxes and Tithing.)
b. Owing
more on anything than you can easily liquidate it for.
3. What
about Bankruptcy?
Psalm
37:21 "The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous
shows mercy and gives."
Reorganization?
May be necessary. (Reorganization is only court assistance
for what you should have been doing all along.)
Cancel
debts? Do not expect God's blessing.
4. Use
charge cards, NEVER credit cards!
When
you pay your entire balance every month, you are charging.
When you pay less than the balance, you are going into debt
with credit cards!
5. What
about co-signing?
Proverbs
11:15 "He who is surety for a stranger will suffer, But one
who hates being surety is secure."
Proverbs
17:18 "A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge,
And becomes surety for his friend."
Proverbs
22:26-27 "Do not be one of those who shakes hands in a pledge,
One of those who is surety for debts; If you have nothing
with which to pay, Why should he take away your bed from under
you?"
The Importance
of Budgeting:
1. Live
within your means. PERIOD!
2. Saving
and Investing:
Charles
Wesley advised: "Make all you can. Save all you can. Give
all you can!"
Having
savings is not unbiblical.
Proverbs
20:4 "The lazy man will not plow because of winter; He will
beg during harvest and have nothing."
Proverbs
21:20 "The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish
man spends all he gets." (The Living Bible)
It is
unbiblical to trust in your savings or to have anxious thoughts
about money. (Matthew 6)
3. How
To Figure A Budget:
It is
not godly to fail to plan. God plans. Jesus didn't just happen
to die on the cross for us. It was all a part of God's plan!
4. A
simplified budget plan:
|
Gross
Pay
|
100%
|
|
Minus
Taxes
|
20%
|
|
Minus
Tithe
|
10%
|
You have
70% of your gross income left.
Divide
what is left:
|
Savings
for retirement.
Not
to be spent until then!
|
10%
|
|
Living
expenses.
That
means EVERYTHING!
You
must adjust your expenses to fit this number, not this number
to fit your expenses!
|
70%
|
|
To
clear present debts and then to save for things that you
used to buy on credit.
|
20%
|
If you
are NOT paying your taxes;
If you
are NOT tithing (giving a faith offering);
If you
are NOT serious about getting out of debt and staying
out;
Then praying
for God to bless your finances is:
at
best meaningless – and at worst an affront to God!
"Not
that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds
to
your account." – The Apostle Paul, Philippians 4:17
|
