Series Review:
Intro: What are Convictions?
•
Convictions are
beliefs you settle before life tests you
•
Convictions are
not formed in pressure—they are revealed in pressure
•
If you don’t decide what you believe, something else will decide
for you
• A shaky belief system leads to a shaky life
Part 1: Convictions about
God
•
God is supreme —
(uncreated, infinite, unchanging)
•
God is good —
(holy, loving, just)
•
God is sovereign
— (all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present
•
God is worth
trusting
Introduction:
John D. Rockefeller is on of the wealthiest men to ever live. When most people think about him, they think of oil, financing, and immense wealth. However, what is often overlooked is how his relationship with money began. Long before the wealth, long before the success, long before the millions, he made a decision as a young boy. He made the decision that the first 10% of everything he earned would belong to God.” Not after he became rich, but before. His first job only earned him a $1. He made sure to give 10% of that to God. As his income grew, so did his giving. Eventually, Rockefeller went on to become the richest man in the world at that time. Yet, he still gave 10% of everything he earned even in his wealth. Later on in life, he shared something profound. He said, “I never would have been able to tithe the first million dollars I made if I had not tithed on my first $1 salary.”
Early on, John D. Rockefeller made a decision on what he believed about money before it ever tested him. He didn’t wait until he had money to figure out what he believed about money; he settled it early. Consequently, that decision shaped the rest of his life moving forward.
That is what this series Rock Solid Convictions is all about. Convictions are not formed in the pressured moments in life, pressure only reveals what you believe. Instead, convictions must be settled before a crisis arrives.
If you don’t settle what you believe about money now, money will decide for you later.
So today, we are going to discuss
4 rock solid convictions that we should have about money as believers.
1.
God
Owns Everything
Psalm 24:1 — “The earth
is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and
all who live in it.”
•
Everything we
have belongs to God (property, possessions, money, relationships), it all
belongs to the Lord.
•
This means that
we actually don’t own anything.
•
Instead, we are
managing that which has been given to us by God
•
You are a steward
of what God has given us…that should impact:
How you spend money
How you save money
How you give money
•
The question we
should be asking God is: “What do You want me to do with what you have given
me?”
2.
Money
is a Tool
1 Timothy 6:10 — “For
the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”
•
Money itself is
not evil, but it is powerful. This scripture says that the “love” of money is
the root of all evil. God does not hate money! God is not opposed to you having
more money! He wants you to have more money! He needs more people who are
willing to help build the kingdom of God and more people He can give through.
•
God is not
opposed to you having more money… He is opposed to money having more of you
•
Money has the
ability to:
‣
Shape your
decisions (What you say yes or no to)
‣
Influence your
moment (Peace, anxiety, fear,
confidence)
‣
Compete for your
priorities (What you actually rely on)
•
Money makes a
terrible master, but it makes a wonderful tool.
Let us be careful not to get sucked into the lure of chasing money instead of
God.
3.
God
is My Provider (Not Money)
Philippians 4:19 —
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in
Christ Jesus.”
•
It is important
for me to believe that my job is a blessing. My paycheck is a blessing.
However, they are not your provider. While they do provide you your salary, God
is the one who gives you the ability to create wealth.
•
Jesus speaks
about the everyday needs that you and I have like what we will eat, what will
we drink, what we will wear. There are things that we are concerned about that
money many timed can fix. However, look at what Jesus says:
Matthew 6:32-33 — “32
For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows
that you need all these things. 33 But
seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall
be added to you.”
[Story of Norah losing her money]
•
Norah was not
overly worried and was not overly afraid when she lost her money. Why? Because
her trust was never in the money she had, her trust was in her father (me).
•
Let us not be
overly tethered to resources we have when we are connected to the one who is
the source.
•
God knows what
you need, and He will provide your every one of them. We just need to trust
Him. How? By seeking first the kingdom of God and righteousness.
4.
Money
is Temporary
Matthew 6:19-20 —
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy
and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do
not break in and steal.”
•
This is one of
the most grounding truths about money, that it is temporary. No matter how much
we earn or accumulate, we cannot take it with us. Jesus made that clear here in
this verse. Money can gained and lost.
However, He also says to invest in heavenly riches because it can be gained but
it cannot be lost. There is no better investment than a heavenly investment.
•
Jesus is not
speaking against money nor is He speaking against possessions. Instead, He is
correcting our perspective. Earthly treasures are fragile and fading, but
heavenly riches are secure and eternal.
•
We must be
careful not to pass up the eternal in order to chase what’s temporary. Instead,
we must use what is temporary in order to invest in what is eternal.
•
That is what we
do here at Church on the Rock. This is why we invest in world missions, because
we are investing in heavenly riches.
5.
Being
Blessed is a Responsibility
Genesis 12:2 — “And
I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name
great, so that you will be a blessing.”
•
From the very
beginning, God’s design for blessing was never meant to sop with us, but to
move through us. Abraham was blessed, but he was blessed with a purpose. It was
not just for Abraham’s comfort and security. Instead, it was for a greater
impact beyond himself.
•
That same
principle is seen carried our throughout scripture and into our lives today.
When God blesses us, it is more than just for myself. It is not just so that I
can enjoy myself. Instead, blessings come with responsibility.
2 Corinthians 9:10-11 — “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for
food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the
harvest of your righteousness. 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.”
•
God is the
provider of our needs. However, He also can “increase” our resources so that we
can be generous. In other words, God is not just looking to give to you, He is
also looking to give through you.
•
There is a
difference between provision and overflow.
Provision meets your needs; Overflow creates opportunities to impact others.
God not only provides for us, but He overflows us so that we can be a blessing
to others.
It is important that we
stop seeing increase as something to accumulate for ourselves and
start seeing it as an opportunity to participate with God.
TAKEAWAYS
5 Rock Solid Convictions I should
have about money as a Christian:
I.
It
all belongs to God
II.
Money
doesn’t control me
III.
God
is my source
IV.
Don’t live for what’s temporary— Invest in what is eternal
V.
I
am blessed to be a blessing
