Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. Mal 3:10 (NIV)
We’re going to be talking about what may seem to be a touchy subject for many… We’re going to talk about money. And yes, we’re going to talk about giving money. But I’m very comfortable talking about it. Here’s why:
- Money is spiritual
- God is practical
- The church must be relevant
- We don’t talk about this very often – we only took one offering today, and many services we don’t even ask for one.
Put your money where your mouth faith is.
As all of you know – this is a spin off the challenge, “Put your money where your mouth is”. That saying has an origin in gambling. It’s much like saying “Put up or shut up”. If you have a good hand, or if you really believe in that horse – don’t just talk about it. Bet on it. Put your money behind it.
Of course – I don’t condone gambling. Most gambling today is not based on our faith in something at all – it is based on a long shot that the numbers will fall in our favor. But they never do. The numbers only fall in the favor of the bookie – the casino – or the state. As a matter of fact – the entire system only works because there are so many losers. This is what is amazing to me – that the state actually encourages its citizens to become poor suckers. How good can that be for our society?
Gambling is not Christian. And Christians don’t gamble. Gambling is exactly the opposite of Christianity, really. The concept of gambling is: everybody loses so one man can win. The concept of Christianity is: one man loses so that everyone can win. You don’t get much more contrast than that.
But I didn’t come to preach against gambling. That was just a bonus. If it hit you between the eyes, it’s because God knew you needed hitting.
I brought up that phrase, though – because it is saying, “If you really believe in something – you should put your money in it or on it”. Why? Because you understand that putting your money there is an investment, not an expense. What it is really saying is – put your money where your faith is.
But really – we don’t have to be told to do that. We will, won’t we? Our money goes where our heart is.
Jesus said the same thing, but differently.
19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt 6:19-21 (NIV)
I’ve said – our money goes where our heart is. It sounds like Jesus is saying – our heart goes where our money is. That is also true. We will invest in what we believe in. And we will believe in what we invest in.
What Jesus is saying is this – we will find our heart and our money in the same place. A pastor friend of mine always used to say, “You can tell what a man believes in by looking at his checkbook”. Today it would be his credit card statement. But the concept is still true...
I’m asking you to consider today – what is your money saying about you? What does your checkbook say about your priorities?
Let’s say you take a look at your checkbook, and you don’t like what it’s saying about your priorities. And you want to change. How do you do that? According to Jesus, you change the checkbook. You start putting your money where you want our priorities to be. And immediately we find that our priorities are there too. So did your priorities follow the money? Or did the money follow the priorities? Which comes first – the chicken or the egg?
Jesus spent a lot of time talking about money in Matthew 6. It is part of the Sermon on the Mount. I heard someone once call it the Sermon on the Amount! But as I was reading this more, I realized a few things about this sermon. Look at the whole sermon with me…
- Chapter 5: It’s what’s in the heart that matters
o Beatitudes
o Salt of the earth, Light of the world
o Fulfilling the law (Don’t hate, Don’t lust, Love your enemies)
- Chapter 7: God will be the judge
o Judge not…
o Ask, seek, knock
o Narrow and wide gates
o By their fruit you will know them
o Wise and foolish builders
- Chapter 6: Practical ways to ensure your heart is in line
Let me give you the sermon in a nutshell. Jesus begins and ends the sermon by telling us that we will be judged based on matters of the heart, and not by strict obedience to law. As God alone can see the heart, he alone is qualified to judge. But between the beginning and the end of that sermon, he gives us very practical ways that we can make sure our heart is right.
- We change the way we give (v 1-4)
- We change the way we pray (v 5-15)
- We change the way we fast (v 16-18)
- We change the way we handle our money. (v 19-24)
- We quit worrying – about anything. (v 25-34)
It should be interesting to us that the theme of Chapter 6 is How to Serve God. And the simple, practical point that Jesus makes in v 24 is this - we simply cannot serve both God and money at the same time.
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Matt 6:24 (NIV)
I want to talk to you about serving Money just for a moment. How do we know we are serving money?
It becomes our focus in life
- Prosperity doctrine
- Poverty doctrine
One focuses on having a lot of money, one focuses on having very little money – but the problem with both is that they turn our focus to money.
- Proper doctrine – just don’t worry about it.
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Phil 4:12-13 (NIV)
It causes us to worry
How many of you could admit that you probably spend more time worrying about money than anything else? Now – this may not apply to all of us, but it does apply to most. Most of us spend more time worrying about money than anything else.
I’ve heard people say, “I just want to have enough money that I don’t have to worry about it”. How much is enough? The truth is - having more money simply gives you more to worry about! The decisions we make about it are larger. The stakes are higher. And the losses are bigger.
The problem is that when we are worried about money it affects every aspect of our life. We are not a sociable. We are not as productive. We are not as focused. We don’t make smart decisions.
What is the problem here? The problem is not that we need to have more or less money. The problem is that we need to quit serving it! The problem is – money is just too important to us! You can worry about a little, or you can worry about a lot. Or – you can simply decide not to worry.
How do you do that? Serve God. Lay up your treasures in heaven!
It reduces the quality of life
The best things in life are not free, as many say. The best things in life only come with a great price. But that price is not financial…
- Money can buy a bed… but it cannot buy sleep.
- Money can buy amusements… but it cannot buy happiness.
- Money can buy companions… but it cannot buy friends.
- Money can buy books… but it cannot buy brains.
- Money can buy a house… but it cannot buy a home.
- Money can buy medicine… but it cannot buy health.
- Money can buy flattery… but it cannot buy respect.
I’ve been around a lot of rich people. But you know what – they are by no means the happiest people I have been around.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 1 Tim 6:6-11 (NIV)
So – money has the potential to: become our focus, cause worry and reduce the quality of life.
Notice I am not saying that money does these things, in general. I am saying that it does these things when we are serving it. It should not be the focus of our lives. Paul did not tell Timothy that it is the root of all evil – he said the love of money is the root of all evil.
So – we should be managing money, and not money managing us. We will either serve it, or it will serve us. How do we get to the place where money is serving us?
- We decide to serve God.
- We give our money to God – all of it.
All of it? Yes!
Stewardship is managing that which belongs to another.
Let me tell you how you can ensure that money is serving you. Decide that you are a manager and not an owner. Remember all of those things that we said money would do if you serve it? The opposite is true when you serve God, and your money becomes His money.
- It will not be your focus
- You will not worry about it
- You will enjoy a higher quality of life – regardless of how much you have.
Why? Because now it is His money. And you are His manager. And God takes care of what is His! He knows how to take care of His money. And he knows how to take care of you!
You see – it really is a matter of faith. You know why most of us have trouble giving our money to God? Because we have trouble believing that he can, or will, take care of us!
So – How Do I Make this Change?
Remember we said that the money goes where the heart goes? But the reverse is also true – the heart goes where the money goes. And so one of the first steps in being a steward is deciding to change what you can change. Can you change your heart?
9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." Jer 17:9-10 (NIV)
I’m not sure that I can change my heart. But I do know that I can change my mind. I can repent. I have to trust God to change my heart. What is repentance?
- Recognizing that I am not as I should be
- Deciding to change
- Seeking God’s help
- Taking a step in the right direction
This idea applies to every change you make in life. What comes first – a change of heart or a change in your actions? What if I always waited until I wanted to:
- Exercise?
- Eat right?
- Pray?
But by the same token – you cannot continue those practices for long without wanting to. This demonstrates the bond between discipline and passion – they follow each other. That’s why Jesus said, “Lay up treasure in heaven… because your heart will follow”
Today, we are talking about becoming a good manager of God’s money. And in our series on stewardship, we have learned that this awareness of God’s ownership is reflected in our priorities. We give the first and best to him. We call this tithing.
What is tithing?
- Literally, a tenth
- A token of the whole
- The first step – a discipline
Is God satisfied with a tithe?
Is God satisfied that you don’t murder? Is he satisfied that you don’t commit adultery?
Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, 'How do we rob you? In tithes and offerings… Mal 3:8 (NIV)
Tithing is a start. Your heart follows. That’s when you get into offerings.
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Cor 9:6-7 (NIV)
The Lord says, “Test me in this…”
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. Mal 3:10 (NIV)
God doesn’t need your money. The thing is – you need God’s money! As long as it is yours – it will never be enough. But when it is His – it will always be enough.
You might ask – don’t you feel bad asking for money? Well – I’m not asking for it… I would feel bad if I was asking you to give me your money. But I’m asking you to fill the role of a steward. Give God your money. And I know – from His Word and from personal experience – that it is one of the best decisions you can make in life.
I want to challenge you today. First of all – I want to challenge you to repent in the area of finance. Recognize that you are only a steward, and take the first step in that role – tithe. While you are doing that, pray that God will receive the whole, and help you to manage it all well.
Test God…
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