Really?

Many of us are becoming
rich.

• “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty
will a rich person enter the kingdom of
heaven. Again I tell you, 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” (Mt 19:23-24, ESV).

• “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty
will a rich person enter the kingdom of
heaven. Again I tell you, 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” (Mt 19:23-24, ESV).
• CS Lewis: “Prosperity knits a man to the
world. He feels that he is „finding his
place in it,‟ while it is really finding its
place in him.”

You & I are the rich in
this world!

• The average 4-person family in WV earns
about $57,000 a year.

• The average 4-person family in WV earns
about $57,000 a year. That‟s $14,250
per person.

• The average 4-person family in WV earns
about $57,000 a year. That‟s $14,250
per person.
• However, only 500 million people in the
world have an average income above
$11,500.

• The average 4-person family in WV earns
about $57,000 a year. That‟s $14,250
per person.
• However, only 500 million people in the
world have an average income above
$11,500.
▫ If you make more than $11,500 you are
among the richest 8% in the world!

• The average 4-person family in WV earns
about $57,000 a year. That‟s $14,250
per person.
• However, only 500 million people in the
world have an average income above
$11,500.
▫ If you make more than $11,500 you are
among the richest 8% in the world!
▫ 2.4 billion people—42% of the world‟s
population—earns just $1,000 a year.

How many of us could
survive a month on
$1,000?

It’s hard for US to enter
the kingdom of heaven!

• “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” (Mk 4:18-19,
ESV).

• “Those who desire to be rich fall into
temptation, into a snare, into many
senseless and harmful desires that
plunge people into ruin and destruction.
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
pangs” (1 Tm 6:9-10, ESV).

Do we really need to
guard ourselves against
money sin?

• How many of us have given more of
ourselves to our jobs than to God?

• How many of us have given more of
ourselves to our jobs than to God?
▫ I‟m NOT talking about those who must
work on Sundays or Wednesdays.

• How many of us have given more of
ourselves to our jobs than to God?
▫ I‟m NOT talking about those who must
work on Sundays or Wednesdays.
▫ But:

• How many of us have given more of
ourselves to our jobs than to God?
▫ I‟m NOT talking about those who must
work on Sundays or Wednesdays.
▫ But:
 How many of us have volunteered to work
on Sundays to earn extra money?

• How many of us have given more of
ourselves to our jobs than to God?
▫ I‟m NOT talking about those who must
work on Sundays or Wednesdays.
▫ But:
 How many of us have volunteered to work
on Sundays to earn extra money?
 Have we ever been “too tired” to assemble
with God‟s people because we‟ve worked so
hard?

• How many of us have given more of
ourselves to our jobs than to God?

• How many of us have given more of
ourselves to our jobs than to God?
• Have we ever neglected personal Bible
study so that we could enjoy the things
money has bought?

• How many of us have given more of
ourselves to our jobs than to God?
• Have we ever neglected personal Bible
study so that we could enjoy the things
money has bought?
• Have we ever neglected to do good
because it was “too expensive”?

• The Bible has a lot to say about money.

• The Bible has a lot to say about money.
▫ The Bible talks about money
 3 times more than it talks about LOVE.
 7 times more than it talks about PRAYER.
 8 times more than it talks about FAITH.

• The Bible has a lot to say about money.
▫ The Bible talks about money
 3 times more than it talks about LOVE.
 7 times more than it talks about PRAYER.
 8 times more than it talks about FAITH.
▫ Tonight, we want to think about “In God
We Trust.”

We must give generously
to God.

• How much of money should we give?

• How much of money should we give?
▫ The Bible does not give an answer.

• How much of money should we give?
▫ The Bible does not give an answer.
▫ Furthermore, that is a personal decision.

• How much of money should we give?
▫ The Bible does not give an answer.
▫ Furthermore, that is a personal decision.
 “Each one must give as he has made up his
mind” (2 Cor 5:7, ESV).

• How much of money should we give?
▫ The Bible does not give an answer.
▫ Furthermore, that is a personal decision.
 “Each one must give as he has made up his
mind” (2 Cor 5:7, ESV).
 We can‟t force our money decisions on
others.

• How much of money should we give?
▫ The Bible does not give an answer.
▫ Furthermore, that is a personal decision.
 “Each one must give as he has made up his
mind” (2 Cor 5:7, ESV).
 We can‟t force our money decisions on
others.
• We must be generous in giving to the
Lord.

• “Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But
you say, „How have we robbed you?‟ In your tithes
and contributions. You are cursed with a curse,
for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there
may be food in my house. And thereby put me to
the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open
the windows of heaven for you and pour down for
you a blessing until there is no more need. I will
rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not
destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the
field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.
Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will
be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts” (Mal
3:8-12, ESV).

• “They gave according to their means, as I
can testify, and beyond their means, of
their own accord, begging us earnestly
for the favor of taking part in the relief
for the saints” (2 Cor 8:3-4, ESV).

We often hear people
talking about tithing.

The NT does not teach tithing.
We often hear people
talking about tithing.

The NT teaches us to be
more generous.

• “If you would be perfect, go, sell what
you possess and give to the poor, and you
will have treasure in heaven; and come,
follow me” (Mt 19:21, ESV).

• “If you would be perfect, go, sell what
you possess and give to the poor, and you
will have treasure in heaven; and come,
follow me” (Mt 19:21, ESV).
• She out of her poverty has put in
everything she had, all she had to live on”
(Mk 12:44, ESV).

It’s easy to miss Jesus’
point!

The Lord wants his people to be
extremely generous.
It’s easy to miss Jesus’
point!

How generous are we?

Debt is a bad idea.

• Some people wonder how they could give
more to the Lord.

• Some people wonder how they could give
more to the Lord.
• The answer for some may be getting out
of debt.

The Bible does speak
about debt.

• Whatever we borrow, God expects us to
repay.

• Whatever we borrow, God expects us to
repay.
▫ “The wicked borrows but does not pay
back, but the righteous is generous and
gives” (Ps 37:21, ESV).

• Whatever we borrow, God expects us to
repay.
▫ “The wicked borrows but does not pay
back, but the righteous is generous and
gives” (Ps 37:21, ESV).
▫ “When you vow a vow to God, do not delay
paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools”
(Eccl 5:4, ESV).

• Whatever we borrow, God expects us to
repay.
• Those who borrow are slaves to the
lenders.

• Whatever we borrow, God expects us to
repay.
• Those who borrow are slaves to the
lenders.
▫ “The rich rules over the poor, and the
borrower is the slave of the lender” (Prov
22:7, ESV).

• Whatever we borrow, God expects us to
repay.
• Those who borrow are slaves to the
lenders.
▫ “The rich rules over the poor, and the
borrower is the slave of the lender” (Prov
22:7, ESV).
▫ Look at the current banking crisis.

• Whatever we borrow, God expects us to
repay.
• Those who borrow are slaves to the
lenders.
• We are to be generous givers.

• Whatever we borrow, God expects us to
repay.
• Those who borrow are slaves to the
lenders.
• We are to be generous givers.
▫ “Give to everyone who begs from you, and
from one who takes away your goods do
not demand them back” (Lk 6:30, ESV).

• Whatever we borrow, God expects us to
repay.
• Those who borrow are slaves to the
lenders.
• We are to be generous givers.
▫ “Give to everyone who begs from you, and
from one who takes away your goods do
not demand them back” (Lk 6:30, ESV).
▫ How generous can we be if we are
drowning in debt?

Giving is an act of
sacrifice.

• Giving is compared to OT sacrifices.

• Giving is compared to OT sacrifices.
▫ “I have received full payment, and more. I
am well supplied, having received from
Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant
offering, a sacrifice acceptable and
pleasing to God” (Phil 4:18, ESV).

• Giving is compared to OT sacrifices.
▫ “I have received full payment, and more. I
am well supplied, having received from
Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant
offering, a sacrifice acceptable and
pleasing to God” (Phil 4:18, ESV).
▫ “Do not neglect to do good and to share
what you have, for such sacrifices are
pleasing to God” (Heb 13:16, ESV).

What can we learn
about OT sacrifices?

• The Jews were to be generous.

• The Jews were to be generous: “The
people bring much more than enough for
doing the work that the LORD has
commanded us to do” (Ex 36:5, ESV).

• The Jews were to be generous: (Ex 36:5).
• The Jews were required to give only the
best animals.

• The Jews were to be generous: (Ex 36:5).
• The Jews were required to give only the
best animals: “If his offering is a burnt
offering from the herd, he shall offer a
male without blemish” (Lev 1:3, ESV).

• The Jews were to be generous: (Ex 36:5).
• The Jews were required to give only the
best animals: (Lev 1:3, ESV).
• The Jews were to give of their firstfruits.

• The Jews were to be generous: (Ex 36:5).
• The Jews were required to give only the
best animals: (Lev 1:3, ESV).
• The Jews were to give of their firstfruits:
“When you come into the land that the
LORD your God is giving you for an
inheritance and have taken possession of
it and live in it, you shall take some of the
first of all the fruit of the ground, which
you harvest from your land that the
LORD your God is giving you, and you
shall put it in a basket, and you shall go
to the place that ht e LORD your God will
choose, to make his name to dwell there”
(Deut 26:1-2, ESV).

• The Jews were to be generous: (Ex 36:5).
• The Jews were required to give only the
best animals: (Lev 1:3, ESV).
• The Jews were to give of their firstfruits:
(Deut 26:1-2, ESV).

• The Jews were to be generous: (Ex 36:5).
• The Jews were required to give only the
best animals: (Lev 1:3, ESV).
• The Jews were to give of their firstfruits:
(Deut 26:1-2, ESV).
• The Lord blesses the generous.

• The Jews were to be generous: (Ex 36:5).
• The Jews were required to give only the
best animals: (Lev 1:3, ESV).
• The Jews were to give of their firstfruits:
(Deut 26:1-2, ESV).
• The Lord blesses the generous: “Blessed
is the one who considers the poor! In the
day of trouble the LORD delivers him”
(Ps 41:1, ESV).

What principles to we
need to gather from the
OT?

• We need to be a generous people.

• We need to be a generous people.
▫ The Israelites brought much to the Lord
after he rescued them from Egyptian
bondage.

• We need to be a generous people.
▫ The Israelites brought much to the Lord
after he rescued them from Egyptian
bondage.
▫ But, he has rescued us from bondage to
sin!!!

How generous should
we, therefore, be?

• We need to be a generous people.
• If the Jews were required to give their
best animals, how can we not give our
best to the Lord?

• We need to be a generous people.
• If the Jews were required to give their
best animals, how can we not give our
best to the Lord?
• If the Jews were required to give the first
of their crops, how can we not give the
first of our income to the Lord?

• We need to be a generous people.
• If the Jews were required to give their
best animals, how can we not give our
best to the Lord?
• If the Jews were required to give the first
of their crops, how can we not give the
first of our income to the Lord?
• If God blessed the Israelites when they
gave generously, shall he not also bless
us?

It’s all God’s.

She thought the car was
hers, but it really
belonged to someone
else.

Our lives belong to God!

• “Every good gift and every perfect gift is
from above, coming down from the
Father of lights with whom there is no
variation or shadow due to change” (Js
1:17, ESV).

• “Every good gift and every perfect gift is
from above, coming down from the
Father of lights with whom there is no
variation or shadow due to change” (Js
1:17, ESV).
• “To him and through him and to him are
all things. To him be glory forever” (Rm
11:36, ESV).

Are we properly using
the lives God has given
us?