A God-centered Approach to Money and Finances: PT I

Our world is consumed with money. In the minds of many, the dollar bill makes the whole world go round. Different musicians have offered different takes on money. From “Mo money, mo problems” to “Man make the money, money never make the man.” People have alot of opinions when it comes to this topic.

It is estimated that people spend half of their time thinking about money (how to get it, spend it, save it, invest it, borrow it, etc). For example, the hit TV show, The Apprentice is all about rich people trying to get richer. Listen to the lyrics from the Apprentice (theme song):

“For the Love of Money” by The O’Jays -

Money, money, money, money, money (repeat 2 times)

Some people got to have it

Some people really need it

Listen to me y'all, do things....

For the love of money

People will steal from their mother

For the love of money

People will rob their own brother

For the love of money

People can't even walk the street

Because they never know

Who in the world they're gonna beat

For that lean, mean, mean green

Almighty dollar, money

For the love of money

People will lie,

Ohh, they will cheat

For the love of money

People don't care who they hurt or beat

For the love of money

A woman will sell her precious body

For a small piece of paper

It carries a lot of weight

Call it lean, mean, mean green

Almighty dollar

Friends, it’s very hard being IN the world but not OF it. It is hard to live and work in Carmel, Indiana without being tempted by materialism (which is simply hoarding, worshiping, and coveting STUFF). Can I get a witness in the congregation? We live in a wealthy country and in a wealthy county. Many people around us live their lives for the things of this world.

We are going to start a four-part series on “A God-Centered Approach to Money and Finances.” Before we begin, let me tell you up front that I’ll be heavily drawing on the following resources for this study.

1. The Holy Bible
2. Randy Alcorn’s The Treasure Principle.
3. Tim Keeter’s presentation on Counseling People with Financial Issues
4. John MacArthur’s, Whose Money Is It Anyway?

Now some of you may think that money is a personal issue. You are right. It is, to a certain degree. Some of you may think the church already talks way too much about money. In some cases you’d be right. A few of you may even think that the Bible doesn’t address money and possessions that much anyway. On that point, you’d be wrong.

Let me give you my theses up front:

-->It is very important that we Christians have a proper view of money and possessions!
-->It is also crucial that we who are saved manage them scripturally!
-->How we handle money, how we think about money, etc. is a spiritual thermometer into our very soul. (Note Matthew 6:19-21 19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust1 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. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.)


Let’s play a quick game of "Did you know that"…
(a) …every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the US Treasury?
(b) …money isn't made out of paper; it's made out of cotton?
(c) …Bill Gates is worth enough money to send every single 18-year-old in the country to a 4-year college?

Now some more important facts: Did you know that…

(d) …16 of 38 of Christ’s parables speak about how we should handle earthly treasures?
(e) …1 in 10 verses in the Gospels speaks of Jesus’ teaching on stewardship?
(f) …the Gospels speak more often about money than they do about heaven or hell?
(g) …there are over 2000 references to wealth and property in the Bible?

CONCLUSION: What we do with the things God has given us is very important to Him! Biblical stewardship is very important to God (1 Cor 4:2).