Take out the copy of God's Word I hope you brought with you today.
Go ahead and turn to 1 Timothy chapter 6.
!
And we started out this series in 1 Corinthians chapter 9, kind of set as our theme for it, verses 22 and 23, which read,
I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.
I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessing.
And so we see that Paul was in this process as he lived in this world of self-denial and self-control,
of denying himself some of the privileges bought for him in the gospel, but for a greater joy.
He was willing to trade some of his liberty to do certain things, act certain ways,
in order that he might see some come to know Christ and share with them in its blessing.
And so we have picked up a number of topics and addressed it from this perspective.
And this morning's topic is Christ and money.
And we certainly live, as Americans, in a culture that is incredibly consumeristic.
I would say if there's a defining characteristic of American culture, it is consumerism.
It controls how we think.
It controls our desires.
We live in a place that is about consumption.
So how should we as Christians think about this part of our culture?
How should we act in regards to it?
And how should we interact with it for the sake of the gospel, to advance God's kingdom in this world?
The scriptures certainly are not silent on this topic.
It doesn't take me long to find a main text or proof text.
The hard thing about preparing a sermon of this nature is to decide what to disclude.
What do we not talk about?
What proof verses do I not use?
Because the Bible is full of conversation about money.
Christ talks about it.
Paul talks about it.
John talks about it.
James talks about it.
It is everywhere about the scriptures.
So before we begin plowing through much of that, let's pray together.
And I'll get cranky.
Father, we love you and I thank you for these people.
I thank you that you have drawn us together this morning and that you care about all of our eternal souls.
I thank you that we hold in our hands the written word of God that certainly was written by men and addressed to men, but was inspired by your Holy Spirit.
And it means something for our lives today.
So I pray, God, by your spirit that you will apply the truths we discussed today to our individual lives.
We might understand what it looks like to worship you with all that we have.
And I pray this in Christ's name.
Amen.
So let me start not with the main text that I had to turn to.
Although I promised to get there very briefly.
But let me start in Mark chapter 4, verse 18 and 19, which is the parable of the sower.
You're welcome to try to keep up with me, but I'm going to cruise and not wait for the flipping pages to stop.
Okay.
The way I want to start this is with a stern warning.
Wealth, money has been given to us for our benefit, but it has many, many dangers.
And so I want to start this morning by setting the stage of the danger of possession.
So Mark chapter 4, verses 18 and 19, towards the end of the parable of the sower.
Jesus says,
And others are the ones sown among thorns.
They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches
and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
These are those who the truth of Christ has been sown into their lives,
but because of the deceitfulness of treasure, the deceitfulness of consumerism,
that truth is choked out.
1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 10,
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.
It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith
and pierced themselves with many pains.
Luke chapter 18, verses 24 and 25,
Jesus says,
How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God,
for it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.
Because why?
Because they love their money.
And I'll remind you that right after that, his disciples said,
Then how can anybody get in?
He said, With God, all things are possible.
But that's an aside.
Luke chapter 12, verse 33 and 34,
Jesus instructs,
Sell your possessions and give to the needy.
Provide yourselves with money bags that do not grow old,
with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail,
where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be awesome.
Where your value, where you place value is what you desire.
It's reflective of what you most desire.
Money has value, right?
In America, the value of our money is declining rather rapidly.
But the bills that we pull out of our wallets,
the coins that we carry,
the zeros and ones that are represented by our bank accounts and on our cards,
have value.
We've all decided together that we will use this currency to buy and sell goods.
But beyond that, it has value to show what we value.
College students, you value education.
So you spend money on education.
Lots of money on education.
We all value entertainment.
I'm sure way too much.
So we spend money on Netflix and baseball games.
Things of that nature.
I'm not saying these things are bad.
But what I'm saying is that the way we spend our money shows what we most care about.
And nothing, nothing in this world is free.
Save the free gift of the gospel.
But nothing else is free.
A group of us yesterday from Christ's family went with Set Free Ministries out of Gainesville
to Atlanta to minister to homeless people living under bridges.
Doesn't sound like an expensive thing to do,
but we rode together in a 12-passenger van that consumes fuel.
And we had to fuel it up to get down there.
And gas costs money.
Everything that we do as a church and as Christians is going to cost us something to accomplish it.
So how we're spending our money is going to show what we most value.
Luke chapter 16, verse 13.
Jesus says,
No servant can serve two masters.
For 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 God and money.
And here's the shocking truth about American Christianity.
The church is failing, failing to serve God with its money.
I'll say I believe that this church does a much better job of this than most.
So I'm not mostly getting on to you at this point.
But the American church is failing.
I read a, I was going to say a great article,
it was actually kind of a repressing article in Christianity Today
that was written out of a study called Passing the Plate.
And in this article I discovered that Christian evangelicals,
so not all Christians in America,
but just those who claim to be evangelicals,
those who believe that the church's modus operandi
is to share the gospel and to carry the gospel to the world.
The average evangelical Christian gives 2.3% of their income.
2.3%.
Now, get this.
If they gave 10%,
which I believe is the easy minimum,
if they gave 10%,
Christian evangelicals would be giving
$85.5 billion more per year.
What a staggering figure.
I can't even begin to tell you what that would accomplish.
I can't even wrap my mind around $85.5 billion more.
That's a figure, I abbreviated it.
We don't even write that out.
That's a crazy large number.
$85.5 billion per year.
Now, of those Christians who say they're committed Christians,
I would argue the definition here,
but committed Christians who say they attend church
at least twice a month.
But we're narrowing the field a little bit more.
Those who attend at least twice a month,
catch this.
Those who make less than $12,500 a year
give 7% of their income,
which is a figure that's not even touched
until a household makes more than $90,000 a year,
and they give 8.8%.
So if you have any idea that someday
when you make more money,
you'll begin to give.
You don't really give now
because things are real tight now.
But, you know, someday you're going to get freed up
to give more,
and you're planning on doing that.
The statistics say you're not going to
until you hit six figures.
And even those still aren't reaching 10%,
8.8%.
These are these six-figure salaries.
It's shocking.
The American church is failing
to serve God with its money.
And the world looks on.
We are totally disillusioned
if we don't think that unbelievers
are watching what we're doing.
They pay attention to the buildings that we build.
And I'm not against large buildings.
Large buildings house lots of people.
I think that's great.
But I am dead set against decadent buildings.
People drive by and see what we care about
when they look at our buildings.
I went through the drive-thru at McDonald's this morning.
You know who else is going through the drive-thru
at McDonald's this morning?
People going to church.
Everyone, I would guess, going to church.
The people working minimum wage at McDonald's
pay attention to the kind of cars we're driving.
They pay attention to what we're ordering.
They notice what we care about.
And if we're going to live in a consumeristic culture,
I think this is one way,
not the only way,
but this is one way
that we can so easily,
as believers,
set ourselves apart
from the rest of the world.
Not without personal sacrifice.
I'm not saying it'll be easy personally.
But a simple thing
that can change about the way we live
and show people
that we care about something different
than what they care about.
So this morning,
I want you to hear me
so carefully
that my heart is the heart of Paul
in 2 Corinthians 12, 14,
when he said,
I seek not what is yours,
but you.
This is not a guilt you into giving
sermon
for our sake.
This is a guilt you into giving sermon
for your sake.
We have denied you discipleship.
We don't teach you
that you ought to give
all that you have
for the cause of Christ.
We are denying you
immense joy.
We don't do that.
So let's look.
1 Timothy,
chapter 6,
verse 17
through 19.
All right.
As for the rich
in this present age,
charge them not to be haughty,
nor to set their hopes
on the uncertainty of riches,
but on God,
who richly provides us
with everything to enjoy.
They are to do good,
to be rich in good works,
to be generous
and ready to share,
thus storing up treasure
for themselves
as a good foundation
for the future,
so that they may take hold
of that
which is truly
life.
Well,
this morning,
I just have
two points
from our exegesis
of this text,
and then
four practical steps
that we can take.
Let me begin by saying
many of you already
may have
dismissed this text
previously
or maybe even
this morning
as I read
as for the rich
in this present age
in your mind
immediately said,
great,
I'm off the hook.
Fantastic.
You're not rich
from your perspective,
but you are rich
from the perspective
of the rest
of the world.
College students,
you are in
the 90th percentile
of income earners
in the world.
90th percentile.
90% of the world
makes less money
than you do.
As strapped as you are,
you are wealthy
in comparison.
Now,
I understand the cost
of living in America
is higher.
I'm not saying
that you should live
on a dollar a day
like some people
in the world
are able to do.
I get that.
But I believe
that Paul's writing
as he's carried along
by the Spirit of God
is for us
as for the rich.
none of us.
Probably shouldn't
just say that,
but I don't think
any of us
have ever really
been hungry.
I'll be hungry
later.
I mean,
probably that's how
I'll know
I should be wrapping
things up.
My stomach will begin
telling me I'm hungry,
but I've never
really been
truly hungry.
I've never really
lacked.
I might think
I've lacked.
I might think
I haven't had
something that
I really needed.
I've always had
everything I needed.
I never worried
about where
my next meal
would come from.
There's always
been food in my
cabinet and in my
fridge.
I have never
walked it
for anything.
We are rich.
If we have
any lack,
it's so easy
to go get
what we need.
There's so much
wealth in this
country.
We are the
rich.
So point
number one,
hope in money
is no hope
at all.
Hope in money
is no hope
at all.
Verse 17,
Paul instructs
Timothy to
instruct us
that we ought
not to be
haughty.
Why?
Because riches
are uncertain.
The NASB
renders the
word haughty
as conceited.
The Greek
word means
high-minded
or proud.
We ought
not think
we are
something
because we
have things.
We ought
not think
we have
figured it
out,
that we
have earned
it,
that we
are something
to be
bragged
about.
Why?
Because God
gave it to you.
You may
have a high-paying
job, but you
have worked
very hard
to get.
But you
have worked
very hard
by what
power?
God's.
The talents
that you
employ to
earn income
given to you
by God.
You have
nothing apart
from him.
Previously,
in this chapter,
chapter 6,
verse 7,
Paul writes,
we brought
nothing into
the world,
and we
cannot take
anything out
of it.
I'm sure
you've heard
this before,
you never
see the
U-Haul
behind the
hearse.
It can't
go with
you.
All
throughout
history,
wealthy
men have
been trying
to take
possessions
with them.
That's
what the
pyramids
are about,
massing
up their
wealth so
that they
could have
it in
the
afterlife.
Guess
what?
It was
dug up,
and people
took it
and put
it in
the
museum.
It
didn't
go with
them.
You
cannot
take it
with you.
It was
given to
you as a
gift,
and it
came from
my
mother's
womb,
and naked
shall I
return.
The Lord
gave,
and the
Lord is
taken away.
Now remember,
he says this
right after his
whole family
is taken from
him,
and all of
his possessions.
His health
hasn't been
attacked yet,
but everything
he owned,
gone.
And then he
says,
blessed be
the name
of the
Lord.
Did Job
hope in
what he
had,
or in
the God
who had
given it
to him?
Most
certainly,
the God
who gave
it to him.
God richly
provides for
us everything
to enjoy.
Have you
ever heard
this pulled
right out
of its
context?
I have,
about every
time I've
ever talked
about money,
any group
of Christians.
Yeah,
but Nathan,
God gives
us everything
to enjoy.
Yeah,
you should
read the
rest of
that chapter.
It concludes
in a much
different way
than you
think.
Let's
look quickly
at 1
John
chapter 2,
15 through
17.
The little
context,
even if
we don't
read the
rest of
the text.
In 1
Timothy,
John writes,
Do not
love the
world or
the things
in the
world.
If anyone
loves the
world,
the love
of the
Father
is not
in him.
For all
that is
in the
world,
the desires
of the
flesh,
and the
desires
of the
eyes,
and pride
of life,
is not
from the
Father,
but is
from the
world.
And the
world is
passing
away,
along
with its
desires,
but whoever
does the
will of
God
abides
forever.
This word
abides is
the Greek
word
meno,
and it
means to
live,
but it
means it
in a much
different way
than we
would use
the word
live.
Some of
your translation
may say
does the
will of
God
lives
forever,
but the
idea behind
it is
a tarrying
in Christ.
It's life
in Christ.
It's true
life.
It's not
just being
cognizant
and aware,
it's being
with the
one we were
meant to be
with.
It's about
being found
in Christ
that our
redemption
is complete,
that our
relationship
with God
is restored.
True
life.
Which
brings us
to my
second point.
Firstly,
hope in
money is
no hope
at all.
Secondly,
we are
given money
for our
eternal
joy.
And that's
what people
miss when
they read
this and
think that
it's a
justification
to just
amass for
themselves
stuff and
things to
enjoy here
and now.
They miss
that there's
an eternal
purpose for
the things
that they've
been given.
Verse 18
and 19,
they are to
do good,
to be rich
in good works,
to be generous
and ready to
share.
Thus storing up
treasure for
themselves is a
good foundation
for the future
so they may
take hold of
that which is
truly life.
life.
The things
given to you
are not given
to you to
enjoy the
things.
They're given
to you as a
resource for
what?
Verse 18,
to do good,
to be rich in
good works,
to be generous,
ready to share.
That's why they
were given to
you.
Why?
For your
eternal joy,
that you might
store up
treasure and
take hold of
that which is
truly life.
life in Christ.
That you might
have more of
Him,
not more
stuff.
And you see
the deceitfulness
of the stuff.
You see that we
have it and we
want it and
Satan tells us
it's okay to
have it.
And constantly
throughout the
scriptures we're
taught it's for
you but for a
greater thing.
You trade it
for greater joy.
That's the way
we're called
to live.
Good works.
Ephesians 2,
verse 10,
for we are His
workmanship,
created in Christ
Jesus for good
works,
which God
prepared beforehand
that we should
walk in them.
I can't tell you
exactly what you
should do with
all of your
resources and
where you should
serve and how
you should spend
that money,
but certainly
God can.
Because you're
His workmanship,
created in Christ.
You have the
Spirit of God
within you.
For good works,
prepared beforehand
that you should
walk in them.
God's got
marching orders
for you,
so don't ask
me what you
should do with
your money.
Ask Him.
I promise
He'll tell you.
And we're to be
generous and
ready to share.
I don't know
how often you
read your
English translations
and wonder why
things seem
redundant.
that felt redundant
to me when I
read it.
Paul, why
did you say
generous and
ready to share?
Those are two
things kind of
synonymous,
and that always
causes me to
learn Greek a
couple of days
ahead of you
so that I can
help you
understand it.
Fascinating here.
Both of these
words in Greek
are adjectives.
They are
speaking of,
they're modifying
the subject,
which is
the rich,
us,
we are to be
generous and
ready to share.
And they
mean simply
we're to be
generous actively.
So the word
translated generous
is a pretty good
translation.
We're to be
philanthropic,
giving.
We're to hold
loosely to money
and be willing
to share it
with others.
The Greek
term translated
ready to share
carries with it
the idea of
maintaining social
activity in
such a way
that you are
forcing others
to take
what is yours.
So it's a
constant
pouring out
of the things
that have been
given to you
into the hands
of others.
Generous
actively.
I think that's
cool.
And we are
to live in
this way
with the things
that we have
not to be
depressed,
not to
God's
called me
to give
away the
things I
have.
I'll do
that because
I'm going
to be
obedient.
We're not
stoics.
Stoicism was
a horrible
movement in
Christian religion
and it still
kind of infects
us.
All of this
is for our
greater good.
And it's so
cool how every
time we're
bringing more
honor and glory
to God,
we benefit.
It's so
rad that as
we exalt
him, we get
more of him,
we are involved
in his process,
we get to
see him,
and it's
good for us.
You just
think certain
things are
better for you
than Christ.
That's never
true.
Never.
It's idolatry
to think that.
In your life,
ask the question,
would I be
happier if I
had, fill in
the blank to
that, I would
be so much
happier if I
had, whatever
drops into that
spot in your
mind is an
idol.
What you should
put in that
spot, Christ.
I would be
happier if I
had more
Christ.
Awesome, because
that's a free
offer.
And he's
going to keep
on giving
himself to me.
Never going
to run out of
more Christ.
I am not a
decadent person.
I am actually
not very tempted
to live lavishly.
But there's an
area of my life
that I do this
in because I
hate car trouble.
I just despise
it.
It's such an
inconvenience.
I'm kind of
mechanically minded,
but I never
really learned
how to work on
cars.
Some guys are
like, cool,
the car's
broken.
I get to
spend some
time fixing
it.
No thank
you.
And I don't
want new
vehicles for
the cool
factor of a
new vehicle.
I don't
care about
that at
all.
I just
want reliable
cars.
And Sam
and I have
cars that
are paid
for.
We believe
that we've
been led
to do
that.
They're not
incredibly
reliable.
And I'm
just nervous
driving everywhere
I go.
And I'm
going to get
to the place
that I'm
hoping to
get to.
My truck
has over
200,000
miles on it.
I don't
know what's
going to
happen.
And often
in my mind
I think I
would just
be more
comfortable if
I had a
newer car.
I would
just feel a
little bit
better about
my life if
I had a
car.
No car
reliable.
It's all
turning to
dust.
It's all
fading away.
It's not
eternal.
And I
should say
praise God
that I can
hope in
him.
He gave me
this truck.
If he wants
it to run
it'll run.
If he wants
it to die
it'll die.
And I'll
have the
time to
fix it and
the money.
because he
cares about
it.
That should
be our
attitude.
1 Corinthians
15.32
Paul talks
about the
resurrection.
And he's
talking about
the trouble
of Christian
living.
And he
says if
there is
no God
if the
dead aren't
raised
what should
we do?
We should
eat and
drink and
be merry
for tomorrow
we die.
We should
spend everything
we have on
us if there
is no God.
But there
is.
1 Timothy
chapter 5
verse 6
Paul's
talking about
widows who
are self
indulgent and
he says but
she who is
self indulgent
is dead even
while she
lives.
If you live
to serve you
with your
resources
you're dead.
And the two
options are that
you're not
found in
Christ.
You don't
know him.
You've never
placed your
faith in him.
He hasn't
changed your
heart at all.
You don't
desire him.
If you
spend all of
your money
on you
because you're
not a
Christian that
makes a
lot of
sense.
You have
it acknowledged
with your
heart or
with your
mind that
there even
is a
God.
That the
eternal state
even matters.
So you better
eat, drink,
and be
merry because
this is all
you've got.
The rest of
your existence
is going to
be hell.
But if there
is a God
and there
is and you
are known
by him,
you're
found in
Christ,
and you
don't live
for him,
you just
need to
wake up.
You've
been lulled
to sleep
by our
culture.
You have
been told
that you
need certain
things to
be happy.
Begin really
paying attention
to commercials.
You know
what marketing
people do?
Their job
is to convince
you that
you're not
happy,
that you're
less of a
person,
that you
can't possibly
be content
if you don't
have the
thing they're
trying to
sell.
It's with
everything.
Ladies,
makeup,
all of that
is about
making you
feel ugly
so you'll
buy the
products so
you can be
pretty like
the girl
commercial.
Guys,
have you
noticed how
many guy
products are
sold to us
with women?
If you use
this deodorant,
you'll have
these women.
It makes no
sense whatsoever.
We are so
stupid.
We buy it.
We swallow
it right up.
For a while,
I lived with
Jamie and
Chris.
They were
gracious enough
to me when
they were
living in
Swanee,
and I
worked for
Chris.
Every day,
I had to
drive through
the Mall of
Georgia,
make that
little trek
through there.
Even just
going through
an area like
that where
everything is
shiny and
new,
and there's
all those
new cars,
and everybody's
driving new
cars,
and I
think at
the time
I was
driving an
old Jeep,
and it
just suddenly
starts to
work into
you.
I'm not
happy.
I don't
have
everything
else that
everybody
else has.
Dead.
How
miserable.
You've
been granted
true life
now to
experience
Christ by
moment of
each day,
and to
have him
forever.
Why do we
spend money
on the
things we
spend money
on?
Turn with
me to
Luke chapter
12.
Derive this
point with
a parable
that Jesus
told.
Luke chapter
12, and I'm
going to start
reading in
verse 13.
Luke records,
someone in
the crowd
said to
him,
Teacher,
tell my
brother to
divide the
inheritance
with me.
But he
said to
him,
Jesus said
to him,
Man, who
made me a
judge or
arbitrator over
you?
So he
basically said,
you're asking
me a question
that's not
my job.
My job is
not to tell
you how the
inheritance
should get
worked out.
That's not
why I came.
So then he
turns to the
crowd.
Notice the
pronoun change.
Verse 15,
and then he
said to them,
so all those
who were
gathered to
hear him,
he says,
take care and
be on your
guard against
all covetousness.
My assumption
is he knew
this man was
coveting the
inheritance.
Against all
covetousness.
For one's
life does not
consist in the
abundance of
his possessions.
Now, note
here, he says
all covetousness.
You don't have
to have things
to worship
things.
You can
certainly
worship things
and have
nothing.
And he
told them a
parable saying,
verse 16,
he told them
a parable saying
to the whole
crowd,
the land of a
rich man
produced
plentifully.
And he
thought to
himself,
what shall I
do?
For I have
nowhere to
store my
crops.
And he
said,
I will do
this.
I will tear
down my
barns and
build larger
ones.
And there I
will store
all my
grain and
my goods.
And I
will say
to my
soul,
you have
ample goods
laid up for
many years.
Relax,
eat,
drink,
be merry.
That's not
familiar?
God said to
him,
fool,
this night
your soul
is required
of you.
And the
things you
have prepared,
whose will
they be?
So is the
one who lays
up treasure
for himself
and is not
rich toward
God.
That's an
interesting
phrase.
It's the only
place it's
found in the
New Testament
is not rich
toward God.
And I
think it
means simply
this,
that we
are to take
the possessions
we have and
in being rich
toward God,
we're meant
to tell the
world what
we value.
Certainly
not what
this rich
man was
doing.
His sin
was not
that his
fields produced
plentifully.
It's okay
to have a
job that
pays you
well.
We'll get
to that.
I hope
you do.
That was
not his
sin.
His sin
was that
he took
it and
he used
it for
him.
He said
to the
world,
what I care
about is
comfort.
I care
about
parties.
I want
to just
hang out,
eat,
drink,
be merry.
It's a
common
Greek phrase.
It was
a
c'est la vie,
enjoy life,
hedonism.
That's what
that phrasing
meant.
He used
that and
said to
the world,
I don't
care about
God.
I'm not
going to be
rich toward
him,
I'm going
to be
rich toward
me.
And so
why
ultimately
was his
soul
required
of him?
Why
was he
damned?
It's
because he
didn't
treasure
God.
He
treasured
himself.
Now note
he turns,
again we
have a
turning of
attention
in verse
22.
He says
to his
disciples,
so he's
making a
general call
to the
crowd to
say,
if you
are part
of my
kingdom,
you're
not going
to be
this
fool.
Then he
turns to
his
disciples,
those who
were part
of the
kingdom,
and he
raises the
bar a little
bit,
explains it
a little
bit more,
and says,
therefore I
tell you,
do not be
anxious about
your life,
what you
will eat,
nor about
your body,
what you
will put
on.
For life
is more
than food,
and the
body more
than clothing.
I believe
he's talking
about that
true life
in him.
Consider
the ravens
that have
sowed or
reap,
they have
neither
storehouse nor
barn,
and yet God
feeds them.
Of how much
more value
are you
than birds?
I hope you
know this
morning you're
way more
valuable than
birds.
Created in the
image of God,
you're of
infinite more
value than
birds.
And which of
you by being
anxious can
add a single
hour to a
span of life?
If then you
are not able
to do a
small thing
as that,
why are you
anxious about
the rest?
Which time
do we
spend doing
things,
orienting our
lives in
such a way,
even financially,
thinking that
we're extending
our life?
Jesus says
that's a
really small
thing,
and you
can't
accomplish
it.
Consider
the lilies
how they
grow,
that neither
toil nor
spin,
yet I
tell you,
even Solomon
in all his
glory was
not arrayed
like one
of these.
But if
God so
clothes the
grass which
is alive
in the
field today
and tomorrow
is thrown
into the
oven,
how much
more will
he clothe
you,
or you
of little
faith?
Do not
seek what
you are
to eat
or what
you are
to drink,
nor be
worried.
For all
the nations
of the world
seek after
these things,
and your
Father knows
that you
need them.
Instead,
seek his
kingdom,
and these
things will
be added
to you.
Seek
Christ.
Take hold
of that which
is truly
life.
Store up
for yourself
treasure in
heaven,
for moth
and rust
does not
destroy.
Find your
pleasure in
God,
and the
necessities
of life
they'll
be there.
Fear not,
little
flock,
for it
is your
father's
good pleasure
to give
you the
kingdom.
Sell your
possessions
and give
to the
needy.
Provide
yourselves
with money
bags that
do not
grow old,
with a
treasure in
the heavens
that does
not fail,
where no
thief approaches
and no
moth
destroys.
The writer of
Hebrews talks
about a
kingdom that
cannot be
shaken.
For where
your treasure
is,
there your
heart,
will be
also.
I fear
that none
of us
really
use our
riches
as a
proper
reflection
of what
we say
we believe.
Wes picked
out two
phenomenal
songs
before I
got up
here and
preached.
If we
all really
believed
the verses
of those
songs,
if we
could sing
them with
such gusto
and actually
believe them
and our
lives
reflected
that,
I have
no need
to preach
this morning.
I could
have gone
up and
said,
amen,
and sat
down.
But we
don't really,
I don't,
I say I
treasure Christ
above all
else,
but I
don't always
show that
the way
I use
my resources.
resources.
So four
practical
application
points from
this text.
Now I
will tell
you that I
am really
probably not
the source
of information
on how
you should
manage your
money.
I probably
could write a
book about
what not to
do with
your money
and maybe
a short
essay on
what you
should do
with your
money.
I praise
God that I
married a
woman who
is very
careful with
money.
certainly a
way that I
am being
sanctified and
that we are
better together
than I was
apart from
her.
Sam and I
have rules in
our house.
We don't spend
more than
$20 without
talking to
each other.
And that's
really good for
me because I
tend to be a
little bit
impulsive.
And it's
good when I
have to go,
ooh, I'm
going to have
to talk to
Sam about
that and
give it five
minutes and I
go, I don't
need that.
That is not
something necessary
in my life.
Sam has
actually no
idea how many
things I
don't buy.
because I
know I
have to
talk to
her about
it.
So there's
a chance you
might be in a
relationship or
some day will
be where you're
both really,
really weak in
this area.
And I'd
suggest that you
have somebody
who's not be
that accountability
for you as a
couple.
But I don't
intend to be
quite that
practical with
you because I'm
really not
qualified for it.
But here's the
four things.
Number one,
treasure Christ
more each day.
The way you
fend off the
lies of this
world, of this
consumeristic culture,
I mean, we're in a
tough place to
stand against this
lie.
It is all around
us.
You treasure
Christ more each
day.
How do you do
that?
Take a look at
him.
Spend some time
with him in his
word.
Get into the
word of God
every single
day.
That when you
walk out the
door in the
morning, you're
armed against
that kind of
stuff.
Guys, I know
a lot of us
don't function
well in the
morning.
Our brains
don't really
click along
well.
And you
might say,
I do better
in the evening.
My quiet
time is best
spent in the
evening.
What are you
doing all day
then?
Where's the
armament?
All day.
If you're
going to study
in the evening,
fine, that's
good.
Spend some time
in the word of
God before you
head out the
door in the
morning.
Number two,
pray that God
would kill the
idolatry of
your heart.
All those
things that you
do worship,
those things
that you do
need, you
think you
need, pray
daily that God
would kill that
in you, that
you might desire
only him.
Thirdly, earn
so that you
can give.
again, I
am really
glad that the
rich farmer's
produce yielded
well for him.
He had a
great opportunity
to use his
riches for his
eternal joy.
You should do
the same.
Young people,
I don't know
what you're
supposed to
major in.
There are
some better
majors out
there than
others.
I was a
sociology major.
I believed
I was supposed
to be.
You can't
make money
as a sociology
major.
I hope
that some
of you are
being called
to and
obedient to
becoming
businessmen,
studying
international
business.
I hope
you go
and make
millions of
dollars and
then you
spend it all
generously on
the kingdom
of God.
We need
that.
The kingdom
of God,
that 85.5
billion needs
to be 300
billion.
We need
people who
are willing
to go out
and spend
their lives
spending for
the kingdom.
So earn
so that you
can give.
John
Piper is
famous for
saying it's
okay to
have a six
figure salary
but not a
six figure
lifestyle.
I agree.
You didn't
earn it.
It's not
yours.
It's given
to you as
a gift.
We have
to really
begin to
talk about
what we
want and
what we
need and
how that
plays into
our Christian
living.
I could
ramble for
hours about
that and not
really arrive
at anything
tangible for
your life
but I
constantly
ask myself
that question.
I don't
think it's
wrong for
me to
have some
things I
want.
Okay?
But mostly
my life is
about me.
What's the
trajectory of
my life?
Where is
God taking
me and how
does he
intend me to
go along
that way?
And I
mostly find
that he
directs me to
spend my
money only on
things that
I need and
not really
much that I
want.
I really
used to have
a dream of
owning a
Porsche
Speedster,
1952
Porsche
Speedster.
It's the
model of
car that
James Dean
died in.
If you've
ever seen
him, that's
a cool
car,
Porsche
Speedster.
And as
God began
to get a
hold of
this area
of my
life, I
had to
realize I'm
not going
to ever
own a
Porsche
Speedster.
I had to
die to
that dream
of having
a Porsche
Speedster.
And some
of you might
be thinking,
maybe someday,
God gives
good things
to enjoy.
If somebody
gave me a
Porsche Speedster,
if one of
you has a
Porsche Speedster
in your
garage right
now and
you gave it
to me, I
would sell
it.
I'm not
driving through
McDonald's
drive-thru in
a Porsche
Speedster.
I'm not
going to do
it.
I'm not
going to do
it.
I want to
say to this
world, with
everything that
I have,
price is more
precious to
me than, I
don't even
know what that
costs.
I don't
want to
know.
Probably an
$80,000
vehicle.
Right?
So if you
care about
it, don't
give it to
me because
I'm going
to sell
it.
It would
be painful.
But you're
going to
recognize that
some dreams
of your life
are going to
have to die.
And as you
work hard and
do things and
you attain and
you rise up in
your company and
you do all that
which you should
do, you're
going to feel
like in those
moments that
you've earned
a little larger
flat screen TV.
Got the money
now.
We should do
it.
Please trade
those things for
greater joy.
The value of
those things is
so fleeting and
passing.
With a greater
joy in Christ,
you will
appreciate
forever.
Have a
kingdom,
eternal mindset
and earn so
that you can
give.
And then
number four,
be a
disciplined,
cheerful
giver.
I don't
think that
we here
have actually
put enough
emphasis
on giving.
I know that
personally,
I've kind of
treated money as
the necessary
evil to do
things.
We kind of
go,
we want to
give.
I'm sure
Chris will
mention it.
There's a
can on a
table as
you go out
the door and
that's where you
put your
offering.
It's kind of
like we want
to not make a
big deal out of
it.
We don't want to
guilt people by
passing a plate.
Things like that.
I don't know if
we're going to
change it.
I don't know.
But I don't
think we really
emphasize it enough.
It's been a
disservice to
you.
It's an act of
worship to come
together and
give money to
the work of the
church.
That's the
primary place you
should give your
money.
I'd say first and
foremost you should
give your money to
the church.
Sam and I have
this little bookmark,
so I bookmarked the
text for today.
We give to
Compassion
International.
We have a little
guy that we
sponsor named
Shevchenko.
I call him
Shev.
$35 a month and
we do that, but I
wouldn't do this in
the neglect of
giving to the
church.
You ought to do
that first and
foremost.
My generation, I'm
now 32, I went to
a very large church
coming up through
middle school and
high school, and I
saw no value in
giving to that
church.
They were
building massive
buildings debt-free.
I didn't see the
point.
And I wanted to
see directly, I
wanted to see my
check go to
something really
good.
I actually started
sponsoring a child
in those days, and
I didn't give to
the church, to my
regret.
I didn't give to
what was going on
there.
No one who
comes here wants
the money that they
give here to go to
electricity.
Am I right?
In fact, if I
said, hey, why don't
you give to the
kingdom by turning
the lights on?
People go, no,
no, no, I want
to see it go
directly to ministry,
but you know that
lights are valuable.
You can see what
we're doing this
morning as a result
of them.
You can hear me
talk because we're
running AC.
If it were, I'm
guessing, 105 degrees
in here, if we
weren't running the
AC, you would be
totally checked out.
There's value in
those types of
things.
And for us to be
able to as a
church to go beyond
that and begin to
reach this community,
it's going to take
money.
We have kind of a
directive that we've
prayed about together
as a church and
decided that we're
working toward what
we call the 90-10
endeavor.
I don't know that
we'll ever get
there.
I hope that we
will, but what
that means, it is
our hope one day
that 10% of the
money that comes
into our church
will go to the
administrative types
of things, paying
utility, things of
that nature, replacing
light bulbs.
But the rest of it
will go to directly
affect people's lives.
Set that out ahead
of us.
We get a little
closer to it every
budget year.
I hope one day
that we'll achieve
that.
I'm not even sure
if it's mathematically
possible, but we
put that before us
because we want to
see money go and
change people's
lives.
Help us go.
Take us to Atlanta
to share our day
with people on the
bridges.
But we have to have
it to be able to do
those things.
So it's important
that we be disciplined
and cheerful givers.
So just as an
example, and I
don't do this to
praise me because
I'm more of a
failure with money
than I am a
success with it.
Sam and I give
more than 10% to
the church.
We do it every
month, first of the
month.
I write a check,
and I won't get
into the details,
but we do do more
than 10%.
Guys, 10% is
biblical tithing.
In the Old
Testament, God gave
that to the people
of Israel to provide
for the Levites.
That's how they made
their living because
they spent all
of their time serving
the people in the
temple.
That's how they
lived.
We're beyond that
now.
So it's not a,
oh, freedom in
Christ, let me just
figure out, let me
pray about what I
should do.
2.3%.
Those things should
still be happening.
Jesus chastises the
Pharisees because they
were so legalistic
about the tithe.
They tithed even
their herbs, their
herbs, their dill,
their mint.
They even tied that.
And Jesus said,
this you should be
doing.
You should be giving
10%, but you should
also be seeking
justice.
And he took them
even beyond that.
And so I have no
hesitation to say to
you, start at 10%.
If you're not doing
that already, start
doing it, and then
pray about going up
from there.
I don't think you
even need to pray
about 10%.
Just do it.
And then go up
from there.
And I know because
I've been there in
my life, I'm there
right now.
Honestly, I would
say to you, I can't
afford to give 10%
of our income.
You can't do that.
You can.
God has given you
everything that you
have.
He's commanded you
to give to the work
of the church.
He's going to reward
that.
He's going to keep
it coming.
I promise.
He'll do that.
There is a generation
of givers, sadly,
that's passing away.
Sid and Ruth are
hanging on.
I'm so glad that
they're here.
These are people
that understand that.
They've given
faithfully year after
year after year
after year.
And Sid, in our
times together, has
said, God has never
failed.
Sid, 83 years?
83 years.
I've got 32.
He's never failed me.
Let my life and Sid's
life be a testimony
of you that he will
never fail you.
So give.
Be disciplined.
Be cheerful.
Start at 10 and go up.
You know, a lot of
churches now do
online giving.
You can automatically
have it deducted out
of your account.
I don't want to say
we'll never do
something like that,
but I find that so
easy.
I want you to have to
think about what
you're doing.
Not be forgetful.
Don't forget that
part of what we do
together is give for
the kingdom.
Consider it an act of
worship.
Be disciplined in it.
And be a cheerful
giver.
So I hope that this
morning, as we talk
about Christ and
culture, that you're
allowing this truth to
run into you.
I can't see how it's
possible that any of
us is just okay with
this.
That we've all, that
we've just got it
figured out.
And so I believe as a
result that some
response is necessary.
I think after any
sermon, we ought to be
responding to God.
As he's spoken to us,
we ought to speak back
to him.
So we have a time that
we do every Sunday
together, taking the
Lord's Supper together.
It's one of my
favorite times.
I hope that it
hasn't become dogmatic
for you.
Another motion to go
through.
But we believe that
together, if we haven't
already, we ought to
really point to the
cross of Christ.
Where his body was
broken, his blood was
spilled on our behalf.
That if we're going to
treasure him more and
more each day, we
certainly should do
that on Sunday as we
gather together as his
redeemed people.
We ought to celebrate
the work that he did
for us.
And it's not just that.
We're looking back to
the sacrifice of
Christ for the
redemption, but we're
also looking forward to
his return.
That's a guaranteed
thing, that our
redemption is going to
be completed, that he
started it and he's
promised to finish it.
He's coming back for
us.
Eternal promises.
We should live for
that.
Take hold of that
which is truly life
now, and that which
will be forever and
ever.
Praise God.
And the guys are
going to come play
right after I get
done praying.
We'll have some
stations set up.
I just ask that you
take some time to ask
God to examine your
heart and reveal to
you any hidden sin.
I don't expect that
you'll get this all
figured out in the
next five minutes, but
that you'll take some
time, that you might
take the Lord's
Supper with a clean
conscience.
Let's pray together.
that.