Money: Temptation or Tool?

Money: The second knockout punch
Last week we looked at the problem we are facing in the area of sex and pornography and how it can destroy the life of a believer. It is probably the strongest punch the enemy uses to knock us out of the ring as we fight the fight of faith. Tonight I want to look at the second punch he uses and that is money.
During the past week the USA experienced one of its most critical financial crises since the Great Depression. The very foundations of our financial system have been shaken and the government had to intervene to prevent another depression from occurring.
NBC news reported that 10,000 families have lost the mortgage on their home every day.
Part of the cause of the fall of three large companies came as a result of giving out loans that people were not qualified to receive and eventually were unable to pay. Once the company’s finances were scrutinized several things came to light. One issue many have questioned is the practice of paying executives of these companies enormous wages and bonuses that leave them multimillionaires when the company goes bankrupt. Nicholas Kristof wrote about an executive with Lehman Brothers in an editorial in the NY Times on September 18,
Last year, Mr. Fuld earned about $45 million, according to the calculations of Equilar, an executive pay research company. That amounts to roughly $17,000 an hour to obliterate a firm.
Mr. Fuld when he was an executive with Tyco billed the company $6000 for a shower curtain!
1 Timothy 6:10
10 For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.[1]

The Bible states that the love of many is a root of all kinds of evil. We see the destructiveness that comes when people become greedy to gain money at all costs or make it one of the highest priorities of their life. A survey of college freshmen revealed that 75% of those surveyed felt that making a lot of money was a high priority. Having a large amount of money is appealing to them because it represents the ability to do whatever they want to do. It represents security and power along with prestige. It seems that a spirit of greed is sweeping over many people lives and is driving behavior that leads to great problems. A person who is motivated by greed is blind to the needs of others as they are focused primarily on themselves, making their life comfortable. Greed is like an incurable cancer that does not stop growing. It continues to grow until it totally consumes and destroys the person. Greedy people do not know when to say they have enough. Enough to them is always just a little bit more.
Solomon was one of the richest men of his day and he understood very clearly what happens to people who seek after wealth and become greedy. In Ecclesiastes 5:10-17
Ecclesiastes 5:10-17
10 Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness! 11 The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what is the advantage of wealth—except perhaps to watch it run through your fingers!
12 People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich are always worrying and seldom get a good night’s sleep.
13 There is another serious problem I have seen in the world. Riches are sometimes hoarded to the harm of the saver, 14 or they are put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. 15 People who live only for wealth come to the end of their lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day they were born.
16 And this, too, is a very serious problem. As people come into this world, so they depart. All their hard work is for nothing. They have been working for the wind, and everything will be swept away. 17 Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry.[2]

The writer of this book points out several important things about greed.
First greedy people never have enough. John Rockefeller one of the richest men ever was asked how much money was enough and he said a little bit more. When he made his first million he was asked how much more he need and he replied another million. It almost becomes a game to them to see how much they can accumulate and it drives them to seek for more each day. We live in a day of excess and the media does everything they can through their advertizing to convince us we need more stuff.
The second thing about greedy people is that once you have money others will be attracted to you to get it out of you. People who win the lottery are prime examples of how bothersome wealth can be. Everyone becomes your friend and everyone wants a piece of the pie. You attract people who are really parasites who want to live off of the wealth you have obtained. It is difficult to have genuine relationships with people because you are always wondering what they are after.
The third thing about greedy people is they find it hard to not be anxious about their money. It becomes the consuming thought of their lives is how to get more and how to manage and protect what they have. Wealth can be taken away very quickly and those who have placed their confidence in their wealth will always have anxiety and worry about losing it. Many do not experience a good night of sleep and do not have true peace in their lives.
The fourth thing about greedy people is they have a false sense of security. Wealth can be lost quickly in a bad investment or stolen by a con artist. In the end they have nothing but their birthday suit. Placing one’s trust in the temporary riches of the world is a false security. During the recent rise in oil prices many speculators were driven by greed as they saw no end to the rise in the price of oil. Those who bought oil at $150 a barrel have lost their investment as the prices have plummeted. Our faith must be in God who is our security. He will never leave us or abandon us. He promised to take care of all who seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness.
The final aspect of greedy people is that they are not joyful. True joy comes from being in right relationship with God and other people. When one’s focus is on materialism, people become objects or obstacles to one’s desire to obtain more. Everything is centered on money and it becomes the controlling factor of their emotional health. The recent hurricane that swept through Texas gives evidence to what really matters in life. Those who placed their happiness in their possessions were greatly saddened when it was all stripped away while those who valued life and relationships saw beyond the set back and expressed gratitude for the families and friends that surrounded them.
The opposite value of greed is contentment. A person who is content is not dependent upon their financial situation to determine if they are happy. Contentment is learning to appreciate all that you have and being able to be fully satisfied with what you have.
Hebrews 13:5,6
5 Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.”
6 That is why we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?”[3]

It is not wrong to desire to have certain things, we all have dreams that keep us motivated to improve and be successful. The problem lies with whether or not we can truly enjoy and be content with what we have now. We have to be able to say, “yes it would be nice to have that but I am happy with what I have right now and if the Lord wants me to have something else I will wait until I have the money to purchase it and will ask the Lord at that time if it is something I really need.” We all have to examine our motivations regarding why we want certain things. If we want something based on greed we have wrong motivations. I heard it said that “we buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.” Being ruled by greed will do this to you. It is a never ending battle in which you are guaranteed to be the loser.
We can be confident that God will never fail us in regard to our needs. We can place all of our trust in his promises to never leave us in a desperate situation. Our confidence is that God will show up to help. He is our ever present help in time of need.
Another money issue or attitude that also leads to trouble is mismanagement of finances. All of us are subject to temptation in areas of greed and mismanagement and the enemy has used them both to destroy many Christian’s witness and ministry. Currently in the USA there is an on-going investigation of several ministries that are being accused of misusing money given to them. They are being asked to give account for the money they have received and how they have spent it. Some do not feel it is the legal right of the government to meddle with their finances with the exception of the IRS that has the right to reject non-profit status if there are violations. Regardless of the legality of these inquiries the real issue for the believer has to do with stewardship of the resources God has given us. Someone described stewardship as “Everything that happens to a person after they give their lives to Christ.” Stewardship involves every aspect of our life not just our finances. The concept is that God is the one who gives us everything we have and it is still under his control after we receive it. We are not free to use what he has blessed us with in whatever way we choose. The ministries that are being questioned have used donations to purchase homes, cars, jets, vacations etc. that to many people seem quite extravagant and an unjustified use of the money. Are these ministries being wise stewards of God’s resources or have they mismanaged the money given by others who in good faith gave money to be used to further the gospel? It is not just ministries that need to be open to examination of their finances but individual believers must come under the same scrutiny. Each of us must hold ourselves accountable first to God but also to each other. We must first go to God and ask him how we are to use the resources he has given us. We need to ask him first if what we plan to do with the money is what he wants us to do. I think we fail to ask because we are afraid he will say no. We have a warped attitude about God and forget that he is the giver of all good gifts. If we feel a check in our spirit or know that we are violating scriptural principles then we need to stop pursuing whatever we are doing. We also have to be willing to submit our decisions to the scrutiny of other believers. If we are uncomfortable allowing others to question our financial decisions or see our financial records then one has to question if there is some impropriety involved. We need to be transparent and open to the counsel of other believers who have our best interest in mind. This becomes very critical in the marriage relationship as disagreement regarding finances is one of the leading factors of stress and divorce in marriages. I know of husbands who buy things behind their wives backs because they are afraid that they will be denied if they should ask. They hope that forgiveness will prevail. This is a recipe for failure, mistrust and revenge that is rationalized as justifiable. It is often expressed in these terms, “You bought this so I am buying this.” This does not promote harmony in the home but rather competition. One of the best courses you can ever take is one on money management from a Christian perspective. I have seen many young people with desires to go to the mission field thwarted because they have not learned to manage their money and have accumulated great debt which will take time to pay back. Keep track of how you spend your money and you be in control of where it goes rather than at the end of the month when you come up short wonder where it went. Many financial advisors give a simple plan of 80-10-10. Use 80% of your money to meet your needs; give 10% to God as your tithe and save the other10%. Learn how to be a wise steward of the resources God has given you. If you will prove to be faithful in little God will be able to entrust you with more.
Another temptation we often face is stinginess. We hoard things for ourselves and do not freely give when legitimate needs are presented. Sometimes we may give a token offering to satisfy our conscience but we miss out on the blessing because we have not given generously with a cheerful heart. The Bible says if we see a brother in need and are able to meet the need but fail to do so we lack the love of God. Love by its nature always wants to give.
1 John 3:17
17 But if anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help—how can God’s love be in that person?[4]

God told Abram that he would be blessed to be a blessing to the nations (Gen. 12:1-3) When we are blessed by the Lord we are to use those blessing to help other people and not spend it all on ourselves. When we are aware of needs and we have the resources available, we need to respond with generosity and cheerfulness knowing that we are blessing the person who is receiving. Generosity is the mark of a believer who has placed his trust in God to be his provider. When we give we know that God has promised to give back,
Luke 6:38
38 If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving—large or small—it will be used to measure what is given back to you.”[5]“

Our motive in giving is not to get back but to be a blessing to other people. God will reward our obedience in a variety of ways but the true joy in giving is knowing we are helping another person.
I listened to the life story of John Lake and was impressed with a couple of things. One was his obedience to God and the other was the obedience of people who gave to help him fulfill the mission God called him to. Dr. Lake was called by the Lord to go to South Africa. He had no contacts in South Africa and had no money to take his family of seven there. Yet he knew that God had clearly spoken to in a vision for him to go and he knew that God would be his provider.
Lake invited a friend and his family to go with him and they had no money either. They prayed about the money and the Lord spoke to Lake’s friend and said they had the money to go. Within a few days they received $2000 in the mail and they had all the money they needed to buy their train and ship fare to get to S. Africa.
On the train ride to get to the port, they met a lady who needed to buy a ticket to get on another train. They took the lady to buy her ticket even though they had no money. While in line a man came up and gave him $10 in obedience to the Lord and this was just what the lady needed to buy her ticket.
While on the boat they had very little money to spend and had only $.25 when they arrived in England. They had to wait a couple of days to transfer to a different boat that would take them to S. Africa and they needed to do their laundry but they did not have enough money to do it. They decided to send their clothing in to be washed and trusted the Lord to provide for the payment. After a couple of days they needed to pick up their laundry but they still had no money to pay for the service. Lake went on a walk and prayed about the need and while walking a man came up to him and gave him enough money to pay for his laundry and have a little extra.
When they got to S. Africa, the immigration office told him he needed $125 to be able to enter the country. Lake got in line to see the immigration officer even though he had no money. A man who was behind him in line asked if he could talk with him in private so they stepped out of line. The man gave him $200 out of obedience to God speaking to him.
Lake still had no contacts once they passed through immigration. They saw a lady from America standing outside of immigration. His friend Tom was in front of him and the lady walked up to him and asked him how many were in his family, he replied 4 and she said you are not the one I am supposed to meet. She proceeded to talk to Dr. Lake and asked the same question. He replied 9 and she said you are the one. God spoke to her the night before that she was to go to immigration where she would meet a missionary family of 9 from America and give them a home to stay in while in S. Africa.
Talk about a faith builder not only for Lake and the other family but also for the people who God strategically put in their pathway who responded in obedience to meet needs that some did not even know existed. They gave willingly and generously to a person they did not even know. John Lake went on to have a tremendous ministry in S. Africa but without the help of the people who gave in obedience to the Lord it may not have happened or may have been delayed.
We need to be led of the Lord with our finances. When God speaks to us to give we need to respond because he has a definite purpose in asking us to give. We can cooperate with him and be a blessing to others or we can hang on to what we have, give sparingly and cautiously according to our own plan. When you feel the prompting of the Spirit to give, don’t delay because you may miss out on an opportunity to bless someone in ways that are beyond your understanding. God wants us to be a channel of blessing he can freely flow through not a safe vault that is only accessible to you.
Money can be a root of all kinds of evil if it is used to meet selfish and greedy desires or it can be a tremendous blessing if it is used according to God’s purposes and principles.
I believe we are entering a time when our finances will be shaken. Nations as well as individuals will undergo a great shaking but God will show himself faithful to those who have surrendered their lives to him and are living according to his purposes.
Hebrews 12:26,27
26 When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” 27 This means that the things on earth will be shaken, so that only eternal things will be left.[6]

The Bible says that in the last days everything will be shaken that can be shaken and I believe this includes our finances. Only those who have their foundation in the truth of God’s word will be able to stand.
The enemy has used money to distract many people from seeking after God and unfortunately many believers have lost perspective on how they should view money. They are spending more time seeking after wealth than they are seeking after God. They are working extra jobs so they can buy things that will need to be replaced or repaired and are neglecting the most important aspect of their lives, their relationship with God and the family they are a part of. Treasure the time you have with your family and especially your children who all too quickly grow up and move on with their lives. If you have not built a solid relationship with them because you have neglected them it is very unlikely that they will want to have much of a relationship with you after they leave home. The bad choices you make regarding the pursuit of wealth above relationships have consequences that you may live to regret for a long time.
We can have an attitude of greediness, recklessness or stinginess regarding the financial resources God gives us or we can have an attitude of contentment, wise stewardship, and generosity. One attitude will bring calamity and the other will bring great blessings. Purpose in your heart tonight that you will use the resources God has blessed you with to advance the Kingdom of God and be a blessing to others.

An audio version of this message is available at the following link:
http://www.supload.com/sound_confirm.php?get=137066558.wma


[1]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[2]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[3]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[4]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[5]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.
[6]Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.