Taking Inventory
gtcotr/ws020503
A Map - You must know where you are to know how to get where you are going.
Text: Haggai 1
1 ¶ In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,
2 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built.
3 Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,
4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?
5 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.
9 Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.
I. Three Simple Steps To Becoming Free From Petty Debt
A. Stop Digging
B. Take Inventory
C. Get A Plan
II. Stop Digging (Perhaps the hardest step)
* One of the reasons you can’t buy what you want is because you bought what you wanted.
* A dollar only spends one time.
* It is insane to do the same thing over and over, expecting different results.
* Take Control of your spending
* Make A Quality Decision to stop digging the hole
* Practice Saying No – It’s easier when you hear it from yourself
> To you first
> Then to others under your financial authority
III. Take Inventory - Consider - Examine
A. Consider Assets
1. 2 Kings 4:2 What do you have in your house?
* Income - Fixed Assets
2. Your resources in God’s hands will be enough to recover
* It may take a miracle - but we do miracles
3. How do we get our resources into God’s hands?
* That will come up in the ‘Get A Plan’ step.
B. Consider Liabilities
1. Track where your money goes
2. What gets money first - what never gets money
3. At this point, we are just taking inventory, not judging our past or planning our future --- we are just finding out where we are
C. Consider your ways
1. Where is God in your life?
2. What position does He occupy? (Servant or Master)
3. What priority do you give His number one priority?
4. Are your resources committed to His Kingdom?
5. Could you be convicted in a court of law, by a jury of people who do not know you, for advancing or enhancing the Kingdom of God?
* Where is the evidence in your life that you are Christ-like?
* Luke 9:23 (prelude to key scripture)
Denied yourself -
Taken up your cross daily -
Followed Him?
Note: In the past God has used money pressures or a lack of resources to teach some lessons. He did this for several reasons. To challenge priorities - Haggai 1
To teach faith for provision John 6:9 “There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?”
Or like in Deuteronomy, it appears God wanted to know men’s heart - where does mankind think provision comes from?
Note: Deuteronomy 8
3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
10 ¶ When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.
11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, …
16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;
17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.
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.
Note: It is possible that all of your plans and hard work will come to nothing when you forget who gave it to you and whose it is.
*1 Corinthians 4:7 … and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
* This is not a place to throw a fit, accuse God foolishly, or give God the silent treatment … He won’t change & you wouldn’t want Him to.
* Mark 4
18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
* You cannot serve God and money (Matthew 6:24)
* You cannot protect your money from God
* God wants you to have money -- He does not want money to have you!
* 1 John 2:15 Love not … the things of this world
* 1 Timothy 6:17 God has given us richly all things to enjoy
* Matthew 19:21 The Young Rich Ruler:
> He heard ‘give up’
> Jesus never said give up … Jesus said ‘give to’
^ basically: give over to - Give God Control
^ missing the boat by worshipping money & increase
> Jesus was attempting to re-prioritize this man’s life in the area of Lordship over money verses stewardship over money.
Note: Refusing to trust God and put God first where finances are concerned, disqualifies people from receiving true increase
IV. Take Inventory
* Inventory Assets
* Inventory Liabilities
* Inventory Priorities
* Inventory Attitude
Note: You must know where you are to know how to get where you are going.
