Sermon Title: Surviving a Shifting Economy

Sermon Series: Solid Stewardship in a Shifting Economy

Sermon Text: Luke: 12, 16, & selected text

May 11, 2008

Introduction:

How many of you have been reassessing your budget these days? With the housing market in trouble, food prices on the rise and all the pocketbook pain at the pump these days, I think all of us are revisiting questions of money management and asking the question, “How can I be smart in the midst of these economic stressors?” This morning I am beginning a new three week series that I believe will be timely for all of us. I’m calling it Solid Stewardship in a Shifting Economy.

In this series I want to revisit some of the fundamentals of God’s money management wisdom. This series is aimed at refreshing and reviving our understanding of how God wants us to manage all the resources he has given us. Certainly the principles of God’s Word on stewardship can be applied to our resources of time and talent, but over the next three weeks, the focus of this series will mainly be the stewardship of our finances in a shifting economy.

Over the next three weeks I’ll be inviting you to consider what the Bible has to say about how to experience financial freedom when times are good and even when times are not so good. The fascinating thing about God’s money management wisdom is that when we follow them we are better equipped to navigate both the highs and lows of shifting economic trends.

Now, when I say financial freedom, I do not mean the freedom to have all the money you want to have for what you want to do. Rather, by financial freedom I mean the ability to live your life according to biblical financial principles, trusting God to provide for you and your household regardless of your season of life, financial status or state of the economy.

Some of you have discovered this type of financial freedom. I know that because you have shared some of your discoveries with me. You have experienced the joy of jumping off the treadmill of materialism and breaking out the bondage of consumer debt.

As we work our way through this series I hope you will be willing to consider what God has to say about the wise use of money and then be willing to compare that with how you think and manage your personal finances. If during this series you realize you want to make some changes but you are not exactly sure how to start, I want you to know that as a follow up to this series you can get further help through an Sunday Adult Seminar called “Getting a Grip on Your Finances.” Gary Gall, former President of Western Sierra Bank, will be teaching this class that will begin June 1during the 9:30am service. The class is going to cover topics such as  How to Develop a Budget and Stick to It.  How to Handle Debt (The Different Vehicles of Debt and Financing)  Making Sure You are on Target to Retire (Approaches to Investment),  How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft and a few other solid stewardship principles for our always shifting economy. Check the WG for how to register.

I would recommend this class for any person who is managing any income at all and wants to do it Biblically. You might be a high-school student with your first job or a graduating senior preparing to go to college. This would be a great class for you to take. If you are preparing to get married anytime soon, take this class and start your marriage off with some solid money management practices. Maybe you are in debt and you would like to get on a plan to get out of debt so that you are free to invest in God’s kingdom work locally or around the world, then take this class. Or, maybe you just want to fine-tune your current budget so that you can honor God with your money more effectively.

I believe the cultural trends and the pressures of our society mandate that we be incredibly intentional with the resources God has blessed us with. Otherwise, instead of being a blessing, they will be the source of pain, stress and heartache.

The housing slump, higher gas prices, rising food prices are only part of the pressure. Latest statistics show:

Roughly 2.0 to 2.5 million Americans seek the help of a credit counselor each year, mostly to avoid bandruptcy.
The average client seeking the help of a counselor had $43,000 in debt, of which $20,000 was consumer debt and $8,500 was revolving debt.
The size of the total consumer debt grew nearly five times in size from 1980 ($355 billion) to 2001 ($1.7 trillion). Consumer debt in 2007 now stands at $2.5 trillion.

(http://www.money-zine.com/Financial-Planning/Debt-Consolidation/Credit-Card-Debt-Statistics/)

And MSN’s MoneyCentral reports that about 10% of card holders had total card balances in excess of $10,000. (http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/banking/creditcardsmarts/p74808.asp)

What that is essentially saying is that as Americans we are increasingly living well beyond our means and there are some dire consequences when you do that. Some of you have experienced that…you know the stress and frustration that debt can breed and it’s not a good place to be and not a fun way to live. Its fun until the bill comes then, the pain sets in and that lasts a whole lot longer.

With these realities facing all of us I felt it was a crucial time to revisit God’s Money Management Principles. In addition to these practical reasons, there are some spiritual reasons why I want to share this series with you. People often express concern that pastors always seem to always talk about money and that when you go to church all they want is your money. Let me give you a little perspective on how often the Bible teaches about certain things.

Consider some of these more acceptable or what you might think are more “spiritual” topics to preach on. Let’s see how often the Bible talks about them in relation to wealth or possessions. These numbers may vary slightly depending on the resource or translation you are using, but consider these statistics.

Baptism = referenced 40 times.

Prayer = 275 times

Faith = 350 times

Love = 650 major subject to God…

Finances, material possessions or wealth: How many times does God talk about that? 2,350.

Think about that for a second. Why do you think that is? Why does the Bible reference finances, material possessions or wealth so often?

I think it’s because God knows that money, wealth or possessions occupy our waking moments every single day. And God knows we need his Word and his truth to counter the materialistic pressures of our society. He knows how easy it is for us to get sideways when it comes to money. He knows how much pressure there is in our culture to have more...better...bigger... nicer. He knows how eager every credit card company is to loan you and I more than we should borrow. And he knows how material possessions can take our focus off of him.

Consider the commercial that uses the Queen song, “I want it all, I want it all and I want it now!”

Because of the daily onslaught of materialism that comes gushing at us, we are prone to go down some unhealthy paths when it comes to financial management. So, in this series we are going to look together at God’s ways verses man’s ways. The Bible’s instruction verses our culture’s instruction on how to experience true financial freedom.

If you stick with this series and discover that you have been following man’s ways on a particular point of money management, the good news is, you can move. You can makes some decisions as a result of this series and you can begin to align your financial management patterns with God’s ways. You can begin to live by God’ principles of stable stewardship and be better equipped to weather the cross currents of our shifting economy. God’s way of stable stewardship will bring you freedom and joy and peace in your life that you simply can not find when you follow man’s way.

Let me share the first Stable Stewardship Principle.

Man’s perspective is: How I manage my money and possessions is none of God’s business but God’s perspective is: It is pivotal to your spiritual life.

Man’s perspective says it’s none of God’s business, it’s my money, my stuff, I’ll do what I want with it...while the Bible says how you manage your money is crucial to your spiritual life. Your money management practices will either distract you from following God or free you to follow God. Here’s a very practical question: If you are consumed with financial stresses then how easy is it to have a quiet time with God in the morning? When you are under financial bondage, how easy is it to have your priorities aligned with God’s priorities? You sit to be with God and you’re thinking I gotta get out here…I gotta get this deal going…I gotta make that deal happen…you aren’t able to center in on the Lord because of the entanglements of financial problems.

Consider Jesus teaching in Luke 12:34. He was talking to his disciples reminding them that they don’t need to worry about having their basic physical needs cared for. Why? Because, God always cares for his creation...the lilies of the field...the birds of the air, etc. With this in mind, Jesus coaches them to invest in things that will not wear out or rust out or run out...he coaches them lay up “a treasure in heaven...” And then he said, “Where your treasure is there your heart will be also.”

Jesus was saying that your heart will follow your money. In other words…your money leads your affections and it indicates your affections. Jesus is saying, “Show me your checkbook, your VISA statement, and your receipts, and I’ll show you where your heart is.”

Think about it this way: If you were to buy shares of Peet’s Coffee Stock, what happens? You suddenly develop a high level of interest in Peet’s Coffee. You check the financial pages. You see a magazine article about Peet’s and you read every word, even though a month earlier you would have passed right over it (Alcorn, Randy, The Treasure Principle, p. 44). As surely as the compass needle follows north, your heart will follow your treasure. Money leads; hearts follow. Sometimes people will say to me, “I want to feel more connected to the church or I want to feel more passion for missions.” If that is your desire, make sure your “invested” in those things as a first step toward amping up your connection and passion for those things.

Because of this principle: Money leads; hearts follow...how you manage your wealth is absolutely core to your spiritual life. The majority of the time when the Bible speaks about money it treats it as a chief indicator of one’s spiritual condition. The Bible doesn’t speak so much about money because money is so important. It speaks about money so often because the management of money is the best indicator of spiritual health. That’s so true it’s annoying! It is the best indicator of our ability to trust God as Lord of our lives. And when we begin to trust God and his promises with regards to our finances, we experience a freedom and a joy that is second to none. When we relax our grip on material things our hands can be open to receive all that God has for us.

Our culture will tell you that your money and your possessions are your business but, God says it is pivotal for your spiritual life. Here is another way of thinking our culture constantly throws at us…

II. Man’s perspective is: all I have is mine but, God’s perspective is: all I have is God’s

This is a fundamental misunderstanding deep in the heart. Correcting it can revolutionize your life. In Deuteronomy 8:17-18, God says, “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But, remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…” Outside of verses directly related to how to be saved, I believe this verse may be the single most poignant verses for us here in El Dorado County. Because we are at risk in these foothills of being infected with “Affluenza.” Our affluence puts us at high risk for making God a “God of the gaps.” If I can’t buy it, own it, fix it or settle it with my money then I’ll turn to God and cry out to him for help. And he better be there like any other vendor I do business with.

God understands our susceptibility to “affluenza.” So, he warns us in Deuteronomy. When things are going well for you and you have plenty to eat and a stable place to live etc, etc,...you will be tempted to think; “My power and my strength and my creativity and my intelligence and my hard work produced this wealth for me.” But, instead that would be the time to remember the Lord…for he gives you the ability to produce wealth.

God said to Job, “Everything under heaven belongs to me.” - Job 41:11

David declares in Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lords, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it…” The clothes you wear, the house you live in, the car you drive…he gave you the ability and opportunity to have it all…it’s all his. God’s the owner…you and I are just the manager. We deceive ourselves when we think stuff is ours. God is the real owner and we are temporary managers.

Here’s an exercise that I’d like to suggest you try this week. This will help make this principle real. Sit down by yourself or with your spouse and take a few moments and list out everything you own. Then at the bottom, sign it over to God. It’s a great exercise and reminder mentally and spiritually that everything you have is God’s. I’d encourage you to try that this week. Make a general list of all you own and then read back over these verses in this message and then sign over what you own to God.

Let me share one final comparison between God’s way and Man’s way of money management.

III. Man’s perspective says, “I need more money.” While God’s perspective says, “manage what I have.”

Many people think that having more money is the answer to most of their problems. I don’t have enough money; I need more money. But, you know what? Most of the time, it’s not about more…it’s about managing what you have.

Luke 16 records the parable Jesus told about the shrewd manager. At the end of that parable Jesus shares some key takeaways from the story. In verse 10 he says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”

Some people think, “I’m in a mess, I’m in a whole and if I just had more…things would be better.” But, often when more comes they just get into a bigger mess. If you don’t learn how to manage what you have, when you get more, the problem didn’t get fixed…it got bigger.

Ecclesiastes is an Old Testament book that was written by Solomon. The Bible says Solomon became one of the wisest men that ever lived. I mean his word is way more reliable than the Kiplinger Letter. Listen to what Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 5:11 in the New Living Translation, “Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness!!!” In the next verse he adds this amazing truth statement, “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!” Do you think that is true? Ask a lottery winner or someone who gets a windfall inheritance.”

"Winning the lottery isn't always what it's cracked up to be," says Evelyn Adams, who won the New Jersey lottery not just once, but twice (1985, 1986), to the tune of $5.4 million. Today the money is all gone and Adams lives in a trailer.
William "Bud" Post won $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988 but now lives on his Social Security.

"I wish it never happened. It was totally a nightmare," says Post.

Willie Hurt of Lansing, Mich., won $3.1 million in 1989. Two years later he was broke and charged with murder. His lawyer says Hurt spent his fortune on a divorce and crack cocaine.

Susan Bradley, a certified financial planner in Palm Beach, Fla., and founder of the Sudden Money Institute, a resource center for new money recipients and their advisors writes, “In our culture, there is a widely held belief that money solves problems. People think if they had more money, their troubles would be over. When a family receives sudden money, they frequently learn that money can cause as many problems as it solves” (http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/8lotteryWinnersWhoLost

TheirMillions.aspx?page=2)

One statistic I found said the average American spends up to 107% of their income. How does that happen? Well, you spend what you make…then you borrow more. Credit card companies love this about us. Do you realize that the savings patterns of Americans are at a 70 year low? The last time Americans saved as little as they do today was 1930. We spend what we make and then pile more on top of that because we think “more” is the answer when really “manage” is the answer.

Psalm 37:16-17 says, “It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and possess much. For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the Lord takes care of the godly.”

It is so easy to get into the trap that says, “I can’t manage on what I have so I need more.” The key is learning to manage and learning to live within the means that God has provided. This is not to say that it is wrong to figure out ways to earn more. I’m just saying that if you are in financial trouble simply earning more may not be the cure all…you first need to learn to manage what you have more effectively. Remember Jesus’ words, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can be also be trusted with much…” (Luke 16:10a).

Conclusion:

I hope you will allow this series to be an occasion for you to assess where you are with regards to your perspective on finances. Are you managing your resources God’s way or man’s way? I pray that you will take the opportunity of this series to evaluate your patterns of financial management and be willing to make the changes necessary to move from managing man’s way and move toward managing your resources God’s way. Then you’ll experience all God’s best for you.