Money: The Right Way to Handle Money - Handle it God's Way - Mount Calvary Baptist Church (Singapore)

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The Right Way to Handle Money - Handle it God's Way

by Pastor John Khng
Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:24
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (money).”

Theme: Biblical Teachings on Money

Introduction:
It has been said that in the Bible, there are over 2300 verses that are related to money, wealth and possessions and one third of Jesus' parables relate to these topics. Why is there such a vast amount of teachings on money in the Bible? It is because money can be a blessing and also it can be a curse to a Christian depending on how well we handle it. Our message this morning is “The Right Way to Handle Money.” What is the Right way? The Right Way is to handle money God’s Way.

I. We are Not to Serve Money – Mat. 6:24

A. There are those who say, “I serve the almighty dollar.” – If you are doing that, you are making a very serious mistake because the dollar is not almighty. Only God is Almighty.
B. Money is a Good Servant but a Bad Master.
Some still choose to serve a bad master but the issue is:
C. We cannot serve two masters – Mat. 6:24
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (money).” - Mat 6:24
D. We are not to serve money but serve God with our money.
E. The Story of the Rich Ruler – Luk 8:18-27
“Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.” - Luk 18:22, 23

II. We are Not to Love Money – 1 Tim. 6:10

Beware that the Love of Money (Coveting after Money) is the Root of All Evil – 1 Tim. 6:10
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” - 1Tim. 6:10
Illustration: There was a man who loved money more than anything. He worked all his life and hoarded as much as he could. Just before he died, he told his wife, “When I die, put all my money in the casket with me. I want to take my money to the afterlife with me.” She promised him that she would. At his funeral, just before the undertakers closed the casket, his wife put a box in the casket. The casket was closed and rolled away. The wife’s friend said, “I know you didn’t put all that money in there with that man. You weren’t foolish enough to do that!¨ The wife said, I promised him I would put the money in the casket. “You mean to tell me you put that money in the casket with him?” her friend asked. “Yes!” she said, I wrote him a cheque. There is no way to cash any cheque beyond the grave. Also there is no way to use any cash after we die. When we love money, money is not going to be there when we die. When we love God, God is going to be with us in death and in eternity.

III. We are Not to Hoard Money - Eph. 4:28

A. Reason for working – to take care of our needs and the needs of other people - Eph. 4:28
“Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” - Eph 4:28
B. Hoarding does not bless other people and only hurt ourselves – Pro. 3:27-28; 11:24-26

Use our Resources to Save Lives – Pro. 3:27-28; 11:24-26
“Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.” – Pro. 3:27
“Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.” – Pro. 3:28
“There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.” – Pro. 11:24
“The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” – Pro. 11:25
“He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.” – Pro. 11:26
Use our Resources to Show Love – 1 John 3:17-18
“But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” - 1Jn 3:17
“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” - 1Jn 3:18
Use our Resources to Spread the Gospel – 1 Cor. 16:1-3
“Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.” - 1Co 16:1-3
“For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.” - Rom 15:26 - 27

Illustration - John G. Wendel and his sisters were some of the most miserly people of all time. Although they had received a huge inheritance from their parents, they spent very little of it and did all they could to keep their wealth for themselves. Mr Wendel was able to influence five of his six sisters never to marry, and they lived in the same house in New York City for 50 years. When the last sister died in 1931, her estate was valued at more than $100 million. Her only dress was one that she had made herself, and she had worn it for 25 years. The Wendels had such a compulsion to hold on to their possessions that they lived like paupers. Even worse, they were like the kind of person Jesus referred to "who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:21). Daily Walk, June 2, 1993.

IV. We are to Manage Money – 1 Cor. 4:1-2

A. We are Steward of God’s Money – 1 Cor. 4:1-2
“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” - 1Co 4:1-2
B. God will hold us Accountable - Accountability is the key teaching in the parables of Christ on money or possessions
The Parable of the Talents – Mat 25:14-30
“After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them” - Mat 25:19
The Parable of the Pounds – Luk 19:12- 27
“And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.” - Luk 19:15
C. God is the Owner of the Whole World including our Money - Gen. 1:1; Haggai 2:8; Ps. 24:1; 50:10; 89:11.
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” - Gen 1:1
“The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.” - Hag 2:8
“The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” - Psa. 24:1
“For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.” - Psa 50:10
“The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.” - Psa 89:11
D. God gives us the ability to earn money so what we have belong to God – Deu. 8:18
“But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” - Deu 8:18
E. Management of Money is more than just giving to God. We handle money every day. We need to know how:

To live within our means – buy only what we can afford; not to “keep up with the Joneses” or worldly life style and not to spend or invest on borrowed money.
To save for an emergency or save for future use
To buy the needed insurances – term, life, medical, saving, etc.
To invest prudently
To avoid debt and to be debt free
To give wisely to God, your loved ones, God’s people, and those in need
To handle many other aspects of financial management.

Illustration - Godfrey Davis, who wrote a biography about the Duke of Willington, said, "I found an old account ledger that showed how the Duke spent his money. It was a far better clue to what he thought was really important than the reading of his letters or speeches." How we handle or manage money reveals much about the depth of our commitment to Christ. That's why Jesus often talked about money. One-sixth of the gospels, including one out of every three parables, touches on stewardship. Jesus wasn't a fundraiser. He dealt with money matters because money matters. For some of us, though, it matters too much. Our Daily Bread, August 26, 1993.

V. We are to Treasure Our Soul more than Money – Mark 8:36

A. There is No Profit to gain the whole world and lose your own soul – Mark 8:36
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” - Mar 8:36
All the money in the world cannot be compared to the worth of your soul.
B. There is No Way to buy Salvation because it is FREE and ONLY available from God – Pro. 11:4; Acts 8:20
If I make a list of what money cannot buy, there will be some who will dispute my list but deep down in our hearts we are aware that there are many things that money cannot buy. I am going to point out just one thing that money absolutely cannot buy. According to the Bible, the Word of God, money cannot buy the gift of salvation from sins for us.
“Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.” - Pro 11:4
“But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.” - Act 8:20
There are some who may think I can sell my salvation. It is given to me free but I can sell it for a profit. Is it possible? No! Because salvation is personal and the name of the saved person is written in the Book of Life and the record cannot be changed.
Some others may think, let me buy salvation from someone else other than God, is it possible? No! Because those you are buying from are selling fake salvation. Only God is giving away true salvation FOC, Free of Charge.
C. Be Willing to Accept the Free Gift of Salvation in Christ – Isa. 52:3; 55:1-3; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8, 9
“For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.” - Isa 52:3
“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” - Isa 55:1
“Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.” - Isa 55:2
“Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.” - Isa 55:3
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” - Rom 6:23
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” - Eph 2:8-9

Conclusion:
There are two ways in which a Christian may view his money--"How much of my money shall I use for God?" or "How much of God's money shall I use for myself?" W. Graham Scroggie.

In I Talk Back to the Devil, A.W. Tozer reminds us:
"Money often comes between men and God. Someone has said that you can take two small ten-cent pieces, just two dimes, and shut out the view of a panoramic landscape. Go to the mountains and just hold two coins closely in front of your eyes-- the mountains are still there, but you cannot see them at all because there is a dime shutting off the vision in each eye." It doesn't take large quantities of money to come between us and God; just a little, placed in the wrong position, will effectively obscure our view. Cedric Gowler.

Further Food for Thought
Money Will Buy?
a bed but not sleep;
books but not brains;
food but not appetite;
finery but not beauty;
a house but not a home;
medicine but not health;
luxuries but not culture;
amusements but not happiness;
religion but not salvation;
a passport to everywhere but not heaven.

The Voice In the Wilderness, quoted in Discipleship Journal, Issue 53, 1989, p. 21

MESSAGES:Money

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The Right Way to Handle Money - Handle it God's Way

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