God's at War: God of Money

God's at War: God of Money 

Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 6:19-24

Pastor Miles

October 5, 2014

Too often we measure our worth (identity) by our net worth instead of finding our worth with God.

Money can be a wonderful servant but a bad master.

HOW CAN WE PREVENT MONEY FROM BEING OUR MASTER?

1. Learn to guard your heart.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬ NIV)

This is the greatest and highest priority. 

Scripture warns us not to look at outward appearance but to look at the heart.

We need to protect our heart because it is so important.

Spiritually the heart is the core of our being.

All that you do flows from your heart.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

...

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭19-21, 24‬ NIV)

We can only serve one master.

We need to recognize that God is the source of all things, including money.

2. Recognize when money becomes an idol in your life.

"Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭30‬:‭7-9‬ NIV)

Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' "This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God." (‭Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭13-21‬ NIV)

When we assign divine attributes to money, it becomes our god.

Are we putting our trust, hope and security in money instead of in God?

Are we putting our satisfaction in money or in God?

Are we finding our identity (significance) in our finances or in God?

3. Honor God with your finances.

A. You honor God by acknowledging that everything you have belongs to Him.

David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, "Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. (‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭29‬:‭10-16‬ NIV)

Everything we have comes from God, and belongs to Him.

Are we being wise stewards of what God has entrusted us with? Remember, He is the owner.

B. You honor God by giving Him the "first fruits" of your work.

As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits of their grain, new wine, olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything. The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to the Lord their God, and they piled them in heaps. (‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭31‬:‭5-6‬ NIV)

"Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God. "Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk." (‭Exodus‬ ‭34‬:‭26‬ NIV)

We do this to show that God is first in our lives.

Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always. (‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭14‬:‭22-23‬ NIV)

Giving money away is a way of acknowledging He is more important than it.

C. You honor God by having an open hand toward the needy.

Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭31‬ NIV)

The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor. (‭Proverbs‬ ‭22‬:‭9‬ NIV)

When you make this commitment, you are putting Him first in your life.