“Our Money- Lesson #1”
1.This boy wanted to tell his younger brother about life.
2. The time had come for the 6 year old to share some of his wisdom.
3. To insure that he understood the point- the 6 year old took out some $
4. The first thing that the boy held out was a dollar bill.
5. This young boy said, “This will buy 2 candy bars.”
6. The boy set aside the dollar bill and pulled out 2 quarters.
7. With these coins in hand he said, “ This will buy 1 candy bar”
8. The boy reached into his pockets for the 3rd time and drew out a dime
9. He said, “ This is what you use for the church.
ON A FAIRLY REGULAR BASIS WE ARE POINTED TO THE FACT THAT GOD REQUIRES US TO DO THINGS AS HE HAS DESCRIBED IN HIS WORD. THIS PIONT IS ONE HTAT WE HAVE HEARD MANY TIMES. THUS,
A. We pay attention to the instructions about Christian living.
B. We examine what God requires in the area of church organization.
C. We study about God’s plan for worship and even our attitudes.
D. The way to salvation receives frequent attention.
E. One of the subjects that we do not commonly address is money.
F. In the denominational world money is a common topic.
G. Some denominational preachers mention $ every time they speak.
H. At times we are guilty of the other extreme- hardly ever mention.
I. God has some rules for $
J. If the whole counsel of God = going to be taught, we would be informed.
K. Part of a study on money deals with giving.
1) I have not spent much time at all dealing with giving.
2) Hence, some Sunday mornings are going to be used to discuss.
L. As we prepare to study this topic, I wish to make some things clear.
1) The eldership has not asked me to deal with this topic.
2) None of the elders on an individual basis have asked me to
3) Goshen is not in a financial crisis.
4) I have not made up some kind of weekly goal & and am encouraging.
M. The basis for the material will be presented is very simple:
N. God has a plan of salvation: we obey it or we do not obey it.
O. God has instructions about worship &Christian living: we obey these
P. God has a plan for out money: we obey His plan or we don’t
Q. My goal is to present God’s will about giving.
R. How we respond to this information is between God and us.
A
SUBJECT LIKE THIS CAN TAKE MANY DIRECTIONS. FOR OUR FIRST LESSON WHERE DO WE
BEGIN?
A. Most know that Christians are to be children of God.
B. We are not God, but we can learn to live lives which are Godly.
C. For example, God is love.
D. We can take God’s example of love and incorporate that into our lives.
E. God is a God who practices forgiveness. We can incorporate forgiveness.
F. One of the other characteristics of God is His generosity.
G. God is a God who gives.
1) James wrote that every good thing comes from God. (1:17)
2) John was a little more specific about God’s giving.
3) Some call John 3:16 the “golden text” of the Bible.
4) Let’s see how that verse reads.
H. JOHN 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever might believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
I. In this verse, “God” and “gave” are not too far apart.
J. God a giving God. God is a being who is generous. God gave us His Son’s life.
K. Why would God make such a gesture to mankind?
1) If God is a being who is generous?
2) What is the reason for His generosity?
L. The answer is in John 3:16. LOVE
M. Because of God’s live, a great gift was given.
(a). In this passage John gives us a key to giving
(b). Generous giving is a consequence of love.
(c). This principle is one we have seen a hundred times.
(d). When soldiers join the military they = often asked a question
(e). “Why did you join”
(f). 9 times out of 10 soldiers will say, “ I love my country”
(g). What does this mean?
(h). Because men and women live the USA.
(i). Because men and women believe in the land of the free, they will give their lives for this nation.
(j). They will lay down their lives for you and me.
N. A fireman rushes into a burning house to save a baby.
O. Why? Is it to get a medal and have his picture in the paper?
P. Is this done because the fireman thinks it will bring him a promotion?
Q. Daring rescues are usually preformed because of love.
R. Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this…”
(a). Giving and love are inseparably linked.
(b). If you show me a man who whole- heartedly believes in and loves something.
(c). I will show you a man who is a giver.
(d). I will show you a man who gives of his time and energy.
(e). I will show you a man who is willing to give of his money.
(f). I will show you someone who is fully committed.
(g). True love makes people want to give.
(h). How can all this be tied in with Christianity?
S. It’s not too hard for us to say, “ I love God.”
T. Anyone can say, “ I love the church that Christ built.”
U. If
we are Christians, do our words match out actions?
2. Does our giving match up with the love that we claim to have?
3. God said, “ I love the world.” God meant what he said.
(a). Because of God’s love a gift was given.
(b). God said, “Here is my son- my only son. I give him to you.”
(c). “I will sacrifice My son to save you from destruction.”
(d). Love and giving are linked together in John 3:16.
V. Let’s suppose that the New Testament said nothing about God being a loving God.
W. Suppose that we only had John 3:16, and this verse read,
X. “God gave His only begotten son so that the world might not perish.
Y. Based upon this statement,
(a). We would know that God gave His son.
(b). This son was “ begotten “ (unique, special, one of a kind)
(c). This gift was to bring salvation to people who would otherwise perish.
(d). Could we not deduce from this great gift that God had?
(e). YES!
(f). In most cases the gift indicates the level of love.
Z. There are some isolated exceptions to this.
AA. A parent may buy children expensive gift to gloss over neglect.
2. Normally giving is connected with love.
3. What we give indicates how much we love someone.
(a). Most who are present have had to buy a wedding gift,
(b). What about those wedding gifts, which were for someone…
(c). That we barely knew?
(d). Maybe we wondered why an invitation was sent to us.
(e). What kind of a gift did we give to that couple we barely knew?
(f). When our brother or sister got married (or our children);
(g). Did we give them some
type of gift that we gave to the couple we barley knew?
4. In the world we recognize a connection between love and giving.
A. If we are Christians, what are we giving to God?
B. What do we give to Him?
C. In terms of our attention (the amount of study we do)
D. In terms of our time (teach lost; support church);
E. And what we put into the collection plate.
5. John 3:16 gives us an indicator as to who much we love God.
6. Jn. 3:16 tells us that God has given His best gift to us.
7. God could not have given anyone better than Christ
8. As children of God, are we not obligated to do the same?
A. Do we not have a responsibility to give God our best gifts?
B. We do.
C. Though this is true, God is often put last.
D. It is uncommon to find that when people need to economize,
E. or if some extra $ is needed for entertainment,
F. Cut the contribution. God won’t mind.
G. There are others who look at giving legalistically.
H. Some have asked, “ How much should I give?”
I. “Tell me what God mush have to be satisfied.”
9. This is not the way that the system operates.
10. Our love for God is really the foundation for NT giving.
11. Aside from Jn 3:16 I know of no better illustration than that of Mark 12.
A. Jesus was sitting by the treasury.
B. He was watching people give.
C. There is a sense in which this is still true.
D. When the collection plate is passed, Jesus is watching us give/
E. We can crinkle up a couple of $1 bills and toss them into the plate.
F. We can fold up our check; the Lord watches us as we give.
G. He watches our giving outside the assembly as well.
12. According to Mark, Jesus was watching the people give. (vrs. 41)
13. There were some “rich people” who were big contributors.
14. Not everyone who gave on this day was wealthy.
15. There was a poor widow woman; vrs. 42. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in 2 mites, which make a farthing.
A. When I spoke about “love and great giving”,
B. I did mean that “great giving” necessarily means a lot of love.
C. This widow had practically nothing.
D. What she gave (in terms of monetary value) was insignificant.
E. This woman’s gift reflected her great love for God.
F. Because there was great lover and a great gift.
G. Verse 43 says: And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this pope widow hath cast more in, that all they which have cast in to the treasury:.
H. Why
would Jesus say this? Verse 44: For all they did cast in of their abundance
(superfluity); but she had, even all her living.
16. We surley see the point that the Lord made.
A. Here was a woman who had great love for God.
B. She gave the best that she could give.
C. By the world’s standards, her gift was superior to all the others.
D. By God’s standard, her gift was superior to all the others.
CONCLUSON:
1. As Christians we have a duty to learn to be like God.
2. Part of our responsibility is in the area of giving.
3. Because God is a giver of the best gifts.;
4. So we have a responsibility to offer to Him our best.
a. In the OT the Jews more than once tried to give God the leftovers.
b. Instead of bringing the best animals
c. Jews brought sheep, which were sick and blemished, sheep which no one wanted.
d. The leftovers and the junk were given to God.
5. The Jews reasoned, “God is a gracious God; He will not mind.”
6. The matter was so serious that God sent prophets to His people.
7. God was given us His best.
8. When we offer anything to Him, it needs to be the best that we have.
9. If someone here is thinking about becoming a Christian,
10. Please realize that if you become one God wants you to be the best one
11. When it comes time to study the Bible, God wants us to do our best
12. When it comes time to worship- singing, praying, preaching, and yes giving,
13. We have the responsibility to give God our best.
14. Today out best may not have been given.
15. Maybe what we have offered to God is, for us, shameful.
16. Perhaps we have been like those Jews in the OT.
17. Now we know better, and God has given us and opportunity to repent.
18. Our repentance may be a private matter- between God and us.
19. Or, it may be
something that we wish for others to know about.