Mentoring Men for the Master

MONEY MATTERS: SLAVERY OR FREEDOM

MONEY MATTERS:  SLAVERY OR FREEDOM

Luke 6:38; 2 Cor. 8:5; 9:6-11; Prov. 11:24

It is not wrong to possess MONEY, but it is WRONG ( a great sin) for Money to possess us.  Money Matters:  it enslaves or frees us.  If we live to covet money, we are guilty of the worst kind of idolatry.  “The borrower is a servant to his lender” (Prov. 22:7).   Jesus warned “Beware of covetousness, for a man’s life consisteth in the things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15). The Apostle Paul defines coveting as Idolatry (Col. 3:5) and Hebrews 13:5 commands  “Let your conduct be free of coveting…”

You and I cannot idolize money and Jesus SIMULTANEOUSLY.  Either Jesus is our Lord and Master or Money.  Jesus did not magnify poverty or criticize the legitimate getting of wealth.  He knows we need certain things to live and He has given us “richly all things to enjoy.” (1 Tim. 6:17).  But Jesus emphatically declared in the greatest sermon ever preached, “YOU CANNOT SERVE GOD AND MONEY, FOR YOU WILL EITHER HATE THE ONE AND LOVE THE OTHER OR HOLD TO THE ONE AND DESPISE THE OTHER.”  (Matthew 6:24).  Therefore, Jesus clearly instructs us how to avoid making MONEY an idol, “LAY UP FOR YOURSELF TREASURES IN HEAVEN.” (Matthew 6:20).  But what does it mean to “Lay up treasures in heaven?”  It means to use all the money and material things we have for the glory of Jesus Christ.  WHAT STEPS MUST WE TAKE TO OBEY THESE WORDS OF JESUS?  The answer is found in 2 Cor. 8:5 and 9:6-11.

  1. FIRST AND FOREMOST AND ABOVE ALL, WE MUST GIVE OURSELVES TOTALLY TO JESUS. “They first give themselves to the Lord…” (2 Cor. 8:5).  If we give ourselves to Jesus, we will have little problem to give graciously and generously to the gospel of Jesus, and all the causes which promote His name and kingdom.  Jesus is always the PREEMINENT EXAMPLE to follow, whether in giving our Money, Service, Time, Suffering, and Sacrifice.  The LORDSHIP of Jesus takes the HARDSHIP of Stewardship, as we say with Paul, “THANKS BE UNTO GOD FOR HIS INDISCRIBABLE GIFT, Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 9:15), counting it a privilege to give liberally in view of His immeasurable gift to us.
  1. GIVE “GOOD MEASURE, PRESSED DOWN, SHAKEN TOGETHER, RUNNING OVER.” (Jesus in Luke 6:38). The “Good Measure” God gives is not always money or material things, but it is ALWAYS worth more than anything we give, for we cannot out give God.  Giving is not primarily something we do, but is always something we ARE.  Giving is a way of life for the truly born again person who has experienced the grace of God.  The world simply cannot understand the truth stated in Prov. 11:24, “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty.” 

Our motive in giving is not “TO GET SOMETHING” (Slot Machine Religion – the Prosperity Gospel), but RECEIVING  GOD’S BLESSINGS IS AN INEVITABLE FRINGE BENEFIT.  The promise to those who give graciously and generously is in these words, “MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEED (not your greed but) according to the riches in glory  through Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19).  Illus.:  When the millionaire gave out of his riches but not according to his riches.

  1. GIVE WILLINGLY FROM YOUR HEART. The motive for your giving must please God, which means we must not be “Sad Givers,” who give grudgingly, or “Mad Givers,” who have to give, but be “GLAD GIVERS”  who CHEERFULLY SHARE because they love Jesus with all their hearts and have experienced His wonderful grace.  And remember:  If our giving is to boast or be seen, we are not practicing true Christian giving. ((2 Cor. 9:7). We already have our reward from man now but not from God (Matthew 6:1).
  1. GIVE UNTIL IT DOESN’T HURT BUT MAKES YOU “HILARIOUS.”  Humor:  God loves an hilarious giver, but He will take from a TIGHT-WAD.  Wrong, except there are times the Lord will test us with strange actions to get our attention until the “TIGHT-WAD” repents and pays up.  (James 1:2ff; Heb. 12:6ff). The oft repeated words, “Give till it hurts” is not biblical, for we are commanded to give until it does not hurt, but makes us “Hilarious” and especially loved of God Himself (2 Cor. 9:7).

TWO MIRACULOUS RESULTS OF GRACE GIVING:  

  1. “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”  The “universals” of this verse are staggering: ALWAYS  ALL SUFFICIENCY IN ALL THINGS, ALL GRACE ABOUNDING, EVERY GOOD WORK.  What does this mean?  This does not mean that God makes every Christian wealthy and driving Mercedes, etc, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT TRUE BORN AGAIN BELIEVEERS GIVNG GRACIOUSLY FROM OUR HEARTS WILL ALWAYS HAVE WHAT THEY NEED WHEN THEY NEED IT, even all the necessities of life – food, clothing, shelter according to Jesus in Matthew 6:33.
  2. YOU WILL AVOID THE “IDOLATRY” OF MONEY (financial bondage) and ABOUND (makes us “hilarious”) in the LIBERTY of FINANCIAL FREEDOM. “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be GENEROUS ON EVERY OCCASION, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (2 Cor. 9:11).

POINTS FOR REJOICING: 

  1. We are not laying up treasure on EARTH which will last a few days, but we are LAYING UP TREASURES IN HEAVEN FOR ALL ETERNITY, even saved souls who will welcome us there (Luke 16:9).
  2. We are NOT MAKING MONEY AS OUR IDOL (thus an idolater – Col. 3:5), but worshipping and obeying Jesus as Master of Everything we are or have.
  3. WE HAVE DISCOVERED THE GREAT LIBERATING TRUTH:

 

YOU MAKE A LIVING BY WHAT YOU GET

YOU MAKE A LIFE BY WHAT YOU GIVE.