biblical perspective on finances
TRANSCRIPT
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON FINANCES
Dr. Kenneth W. Jones, Pastor, Practical Living Ministry
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Focus of Study
God’s will for us concerning finances
Conditions for financial prosperity
Biblical Principles of Managing Finances
Stewardship of Finances
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Biblical Principles Concerning Finances3
Things to Consider
Managing Finances is not a Passive Activity
It is hard to manage if you do not have goals, no principles to operate
within, and no commitment for success
Some say that we should not pray for money anymore. Pray for wisdom and
you’ll never have trouble with money again
The Beatles say “Money Can’t Buy Me Love;” The Word says, “The love of
money is the root of all evil,” It appears we need to have the right perspective
when it comes to love and money
People perceive, value and treat money differently which is reflected how
they use, save, and exploit funds
Couples must find areas of agreement & support, not leaving the
responsibility of handling finances to just one person
God is aware about our attitudes about money and possessions
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It is God’s Will For You to Prosper
Financially
3 John 1:2 - Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest
prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Prosper – success in business, happy in relationships, and spiritually
And be in health - To enjoy bodily health.
We should always remember that God wants our best and plans only good
for us (Jeremiah 29:11). Often present material prosperity and physical
health are part of that good He has for us
We prosper as our souls are free from error & corruption and renewed with
God’s will, purpose, and character
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Not This Guy! God Himself promises
prosperity and long life
Wait! Before You Go On….
How come people who are not godly possess a lot of money?
Answer:
First, don’t let it get you down. Psalms 37:7 - Rest in the LORD, and wait
patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way,
because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
God allows the wicked to live and some prosper, but they will face judgment.
What they have will soon pass away, but what we obtain will last for eternity
Wealth can be a detriment to those who desire to enter the kingdom of God
(Mark 10:23): Matthew 13:22 - He also that received seed among the thorns is
he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of
riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Just as God allows mankind to sin, many prosper due to the concept of free will.
People may reap rewards not from God, but just exercising knowledge and
understanding of finances and how to invest and manage them
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Asaph the Choir Leader
Psalms 73:1-3: Truly God is good to Israel, even to such
as are of a clean heart. 2 But as for me, my feet were
almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. 3 For I was
envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the
wicked.
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• The writer of this Psalm was a man named Asaph, a leader of one of the temple choirs. Obviously, he was not a wealthy man, but rather one who had dedicated his life to serving God (1st Chronicles 25:2).
• In this Psalm, Asaph watched the evil people around him living by their own rules, enjoying all the wealth and pleasures of the world and collecting riches.
Asaph Observing the Rich
He complains, "They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.
They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by
human ills" (Psalms 73:4,5).
Asaph, like us today, was looking at these people as if they didn't have
problems. They could pay their bills. They had plenty to eat and plenty of
luxuries. But poor Asaph was stuck with directing the choir and trying to live
godly. And to make things worse, his choice to serve God didn't seem to be
helping him.
He began to envy these people and even to question God as to why He
would allow such a thing to happen
Asaph envied these evil people until he realized one very important thing.
When he entered the sanctuary of God, he fully understood their final
destiny: eternal damnation
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How Should the Church View Wealth?
Ephesians 1:3: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in
Christ.”
Wealth shouldn’t come between us and the Lord: Luke 16:13: No servant
can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he
will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
money.”
God desires for us the riches of His glory and that we be rich spiritually:
Ephesians 3:16: that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to
be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
God warns us about riches: 1st Timothy 6:17: “Command those who are rich
in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which
is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with
everything for our enjoyment.”
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If This Was True, Then Why So Many
Teachings on Prosperity?
Because God wants us to be prosperous, but not to the point of greed,
avarice, compromising of principles, etc.
God does not condemn anyone for having riches, but He gives grave
warnings to those who seek after them more than they seek after God.
His greatest desire is for us to set our hearts on things above and not on
things on this earth. (Colossians 3:1,2)
The secret to true wealth and contentment is knowing Christ as Savior and
allowing the Holy Spirit to conform our minds and hearts to His way and
principles when it comes to finances.
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Other Questions
"Was Jesus rich/wealthy?“
While our Lord owns everything and possesses all power, authority, sovereignty,
glory, honor, and majesty (Heb 1:3; Col 1:15-18; Isaiah 9:6); while Jesus was
here on earth, He willingly relinquished His eternal riches and most of the
privileges of His deity.
Becoming poor indeed, our Lord took on the nature of a lowly and humble
servant (Zech 9:9; 2nd Cor 8:9; Phil 2: 6-8)
Christ and His disciples depended entirely on the hospitality of others as they
ministered from town to town (Matthew 10:9,10).
In contrast, many prosperity teachers claim that faithfulness to God will result in
financial prosperity. Yet Jesus clearly lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15) and also
lived with humble means, even dying for His teachings.
Jesus clearly lived a life marked by service to others, not a life marked by
wealth and riches.
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Is What Christ Says in Conflict As to
What is Being Preached?
Luke 12:15 - And He said to them, Guard yourselves and keep
free from all covetousness (the immoderate desire for wealth, the
greedy longing to have more); for a man’s life does not consist in
and is not derived from possessing overflowing abundance or
that which is over and above his needs.
This conflicts with the prosperity model of being rich and having an “overflow”
Is there such a thing as a “Law of Prosperity?” Or should we just trust in the Lord
and pursue the wisdom of God in all areas of our lives, trusting that all these things
will be added to us?
There are certain principles such as Psalms 37: 3,4 and Luke 6:38 as it relates to
trust and sowing along with faithfulness and being good stewards.
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Paul Encouragement to Us
1st Timothy: 6-12:
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing
out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many
foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after,
they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many
sorrows. 11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art
also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
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Ungodly, carnal, attitudes Waste
Discontentment Bad judgment/decisions Poverty
Stress & Fear
The G.O.S.P.E.L. According to Finances
G- Goals & Giving: Ensure you set financial goals and give to the Lord
O - Obligations – Always consider and reduce debts and financial obligations
S – Savings – Have a plan to save and work hard to achieve it
P – Priorities – Ensure your priorities align with your Purpose and Plans
E – Educate, Edify, and Exhort each other regarding finances, and planning
L – Live peaceably, wisely and live within your means
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Biblical Principles Regarding Finances
Realize that God is your Source
Philippians 4:19 - And my God will supply all your needs according to His
riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
2nd Cor 9:8: "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that
ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good
work.“
Psalms 23:1 - THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me],
I shall not lack.
Without a trust in God as our source, many make decisions
regarding their finances in fear, uncertainty, and unwisely
Knowing that God is your source allows you to act in faith, knowing
that every need is met and assistance available from the Lord
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Is God Your Source: David’s Prayer
1st Chronicles 29: 10-13
So David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly; and David said,
"Blessed are You, O Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever.
11 "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the
victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth;
Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.
12 "Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your
hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to
strengthen everyone. 13 "Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise
Your glorious name.
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Biblical Principles Regarding Finance
Giving is Essential
Luke 6:38: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed
down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your
bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be
measured to you again."
According to Deuteronomy 14:23, one purpose of tithing was to teach
the people of Israel to put God first in their lives.
We honor God with our giving and in return, He provides for
us
"Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine
increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall
burst with new wine."
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Biblical Principles Regarding Finance
Manage and Keep Out of Debt
Proverbs 22:7 - The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the
lender.
Proverbs 21:5 - The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But everyone
who is hasty comes surely to poverty.
Debt is considered slavery (It is not a sin) because we can get to a point where
we don’t have the freedom to decide on how to spend our income because it is
already assigned to someone else.
The Bible neither expressly forbids nor condones the borrowing of money.
As long as money is being handled wisely and the debt payments are
manageable, a Christian can take on the burden of financial debt if it is
absolutely necessary.
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Principles Regarding Finances
Keep Good Records:
By keeping good records, having a plan and being honest with oneself
and with your spouse, a person won't get into financial trouble.
Budget
“Proverbs 21:5 - The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But
everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.
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Learn to Be Content
Hebrews 13:5: Let your character or moral disposition be free from
love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly
possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with
what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way
fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I
will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor
let [you] down ( relax My hold on you)! [ Assuredly not!] :
(Amplified Version)
Live within your margin.
Your spiritual character will impact your fiscal character
God is saying that He will not fail you – Can you trust in that?
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Seek Godly Counsel When Needed
Psalm 1:1 declares, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel
of the ungodly." A person needing financial advice should not go to
someone who makes his living selling the very thing he's contemplating
buying.
Proverbs 15:22: "Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in
the multitude of counsellors they are established“
There may be people able to handle finances better than you
and from a biblical perspective
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Stewardship
Luke 16:11 - "Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use
of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?
Jesus equates how we handle money with the quality of our spiritual life
(3 John 1:2). Just as the faithful steward with the talents (Matthew
25:21). In other words, less stress over money can lead to greater
intimacy with the Lord
This is also a leadership issue: If a person can’t be faithful before God
with the money He gives, how can they be faithful with the care of
people?
Our Possessions and Money can compete with the Lord for first place in
our lives.
Matthew 6:24 - "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one
and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot
serve God and wealth.
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Stewardship
The key to growing and prospering financially rests in
stewardship – faithfully using what God has provided to you
The first and foundational principle of Christian stewardship is
the understanding that God is the owner of all we possess.
Do you feel that your income and household finances has a
purpose?
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changing principles for spiritual growth and development.
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