Putting Your Money to Work

Well, I know John puts a lot of preparation into our singing portion of the service.

! So it's not by accident we sing, we finish with a song, Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe.

So, on a morning that we're going to talk about money.

Yeah, you know, this is our favorite subject, I'm sure, to talk about money.

And if all of you don't just walk out the back right now, I will be a very happy preacher today.

You know, I feel a little inadequate, to be honest with you, in talking to you about something as significant as how to give.

How to put your money to work.

I feel a little inadequate because, number one, this is a church that I know does a great job at investing in eternity.

Just a look at this past year is a tremendous example of how much you desire and invest in the things that really matter.

If I remember correctly, I think around $46,000 that you gave to the summer youth missions trip.

And in the last month of our time last year, I think there was almost $100,000 that you gave as a church

in contributing to the ministry here and to the ongoing work of the kingdom.

And so, in a lot of respects, I should be the one sitting in the pew.

And many of you should be the ones who are here sharing the significance of how to make much of your money.

I think there's also a bit of an adequacy in my own life, just knowing how much I need,

how much more room there is in my own life to grow in this area.

So, I would encourage us, this morning as we come to the Word of God, the Word of God is the standard.

God has set the principles for us.

That is the authority by which we live.

And so, even though there is room in my own life to grow,

and you can probably teach me a lot in relationship to how to be a better kingdom giver,

we can all sit underneath the authority of the Scripture,

and we can all find in this passage room for us to really grow in our giving to God.

But before we do that, let's go to the Word, the Lord in prayer,

and ask for His help in this very important subject.

God, we praise You this morning that You paid it all.

And because You paid it all, all to You we owe.

And as we sang earlier, my hope is built on nothing less but Jesus' blood and righteousness.

There is security in You.

There is hope in You.

There is certainty in You.

There is confidence for life.

There is the knowledge that You will provide for our needs.

And even though at times we feel overcome by our circumstances,

even though at times we feel overwhelmed by the pressures of this life,

especially as it relates to finances,

God, we know that we can rest in the fact, the promise that You are in control,

that we can trust You with all of our resources,

and that You will help us to be more like Christ.

On Him is the solid rock in which we stand.

All other ground is sinking sand.

And so it is not this morning that we are putting our hope in Christ and in finances,

but that as an expression of our life, our desire, God, is to put our hope in You alone.

So help us this morning as we look at this passage to see the significance of anchoring our hope in the solid rock.

May we grow in this area.

May we shine in this world because they see that our hope is distinctive,

that our hope is in Christ.

May it be attractive.

May it be compelling.

We pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

This is something that you have heard year after year.

This is a series of messages that the pastor has consistently brought to you

in relationship to how can we be better stewards of God's money.

So I really have nothing extra to bring to the table that you haven't already heard.

I just hope that through our time together this morning,

what I can do is just remind us of those simple, basic principles,

the things that God has told us in His Word so that we can be more like Christ,

be reminded of the standard and grow in this area of generosity and kingdom building.

Of course, we know that Jesus had much to say about this significant topic.

Although the crowds that came to hear Him speak were sprinkled with those who were rich

and those who were poor and everything in between,

we find even at the outset of Jesus' ministry,

this is something that He came to correct.

This is an understanding that He desired to help bring some clarity to,

even at the very beginning, the outset of ministry.

He's coming to a group of individuals in that ancient Middle East period of time

that believed that money was an indication that God was actually blessing an individual.

And so Jesus had to shatter that understanding.

He had to help them understand that whether you had money or didn't have money,

that God's favor could be on a life regardless of the economic status of an individual.

And as a matter of fact, those who seemed to be most favored by God

because they had the most in the bank account

were actually those who were furthest away from the kingdom.

He wanted to help correct their understanding of this important principle of money.

The very beginning of ministry on the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 6,

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

familiar passage to you,

Jesus says,

Don't be anxious.

Don't be fearful.

Saying,

What shall we eat?

Or,

What shall we drink?

Or,

What shall we wear?

For the Gentiles seek after these things.

This is not only an important topic for us today,

this is a differentiating topic.

This is a distinguishing component of the Christian life.

This sets you apart from the world.

Where is your confidence?

Where is your hope?

Is your hope in your 401k,

your savings account,

all of those things that you are putting your confidence in for the future?

Or,

Is your hope in God?

Is it on the solid rock upon which we stand?

That all other ground is sinking sand?

The world looks at money in one way,

and Jesus sought to bring a different perspective.

A heavenly one.

What we do with our money can either enhance our testimony,

increase our joy,

bring delight to God,

and maximize our future reward.

Or,

it can distract our focus from what really matters,

lead to anxiety,

dissatisfaction,

and ineffectiveness in the Christian life.

So it really raises this important question,

what will we do with our money?

And how can we put our money to work?

Even the world understands that there are opportunities in relationship to money.

Just this past week,

there was an article that I read that said that eight of the world's wealthiest men

are richer than three and a half billion people combined in the world.

That's a staggering figure.

Eight people,

as this one article said,

that can fit into a minivan,

own more than the sum total of individuals who can fit on,

let me get the figure correct.

Oh,

I lost it.

Here we go.

50 million school buses.

Think of that.

Eight men

that fit into one minivan

have more than the sum total

of all the people that can fit on 50 million school buses.

That is mind-boggling.

And of course,

the world has their ideas

of how to resolve the issue.

This distribution of wealth

that needs to happen.

And all of these ideas

that certainly the world is broken

and we need to fix it somehow.

And of course,

Jesus has his ideas as well.

And the Apostle Paul,

in working through this issue,

wants us to understand

that having wealth is not the problem.

It's what we do

with the opportunities that wealth affords us.

What will we do to make much

of the gifts that God has entrusted to us?

How can we put it to work in this world?

It's a plan that involves deliberate investment,

but one that has a guaranteed result.

And that's what I want to look at this morning

from 1 Timothy chapter 6.

1 Timothy 6 · chapter mention

So turn with me, if you would,

to 1 Timothy chapter 6.

1 Timothy 6 · chapter mention

And we'll look at just these three verses.

And I want us to see that in three verses,

there are two commands and one promise.

And as we look at this together this morning,

I want us to understand

that Paul is interested in helping Timothy,

as a pastor to the church of Ephesus,

to coach and to encourage

and to command the people

in relationship to this important area of life.

So 1 Timothy chapter 6,

1 Timothy 6 · chapter mention

if you're a guest with us this morning,

it's on page 993

in the Pew Bible in front of you.

1 Timothy chapter 6,

1 Timothy 6 · chapter mention

actually beginning in verse 17.

It says,

As for the rich in this present age,

charge them not to be haughty

or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches,

but on God,

who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

They are to do good,

to be rich in good works,

to be generous and ready to share,

thus storing up treasures for themselves

as a good foundation for the future,

so that they may take hold of that

which is truly life.

Paul begins encouraging Timothy

with some strong language.

He tells Timothy to charge

the rich of the present age.

We see that his encouragement to Timothy

is a non-negotiable.

I want you, Timothy, as a pastor,

to elevate this to the area of urgency

that it belongs.

I want you to help the people

who are rich in your church,

rich in that culture,

to understand the significance

of the opportunities that they have

and that this is a non-negotiable in life.

This is not optional.

This is something that is commanded

by the Apostle Paul

and coming from the Lord himself

to us this morning.

Something that we need to know.

Something that will encourage

and help us in relationship

to using the money

that God has given to us

in a way that honors God

and magnifies his testimony

in the world.

Now, Timothy, you all know,

joined the Apostle Paul

in ministry early on in life.

There was some real suffering

and persecution that took place

in Timothy's hometown

as Paul was there.

And yet, his mother and grandmother

entrusted Timothy to Paul's care.

And so, Timothy was really,

in a lot of ways,

a real son,

not just a spiritual son

to the Apostle Paul,

but in many ways,

nurtured and encouraged

and raised by the Apostle Paul himself.

And here, Timothy is in

the city of Ephesus

helping to provide some

pastoral leadership

over this city.

Now, this was a city

that was kind of at the crossroads

of the Roman Empire.

This was a prominent

and affluent city

in many ways.

And one look at the city

from Acts chapter 19,

Acts 19 · chapter mention

you'll get an idea

of how wealthy they were.

Remember that once

they were converted to Christ,

they had this massive bonfire

of all of these books

of sorcery and witchcraft

that they had owned

and they wanted to get rid of.

Remember that?

Well, it says that

when they brought their books

and counted the pieces

of them,

they found that they was worth

50,000 pieces of silver.

Now, looking at commentaries,

we find that one piece of silver

would have been equivalent

to 150 salaries for the year.

And to kind of equate that

to our day and age,

that would have been

somewhere around

$7.8 million worth of books

that they burned

in that bonfire.

So, we can understand

why Paul would be talking

about the rich of that age.

This was an affluent community.

A group of individuals

who had great opportunity

to use their wealth

in a way that was

pleasing to the Lord.

This was not just

a friendly suggestion.

This was a command,

a charge.

Now, I want us to understand

that this not only relates

to the city of Ephesus,

but this relates to you.

There are three little

bullet points right there,

and I just want to lead you

through quickly,

helping you understand

how this relates

to our specific situation,

where we live

in this present day.

I want to take a look

at the world situation.

I want to understand

where we fit in this picture,

and I want to see

that this is relevant

to us this morning.

First, just a quick look

at the world situation.

Almost one billion people

are living on just a dollar a day.

Can you imagine?

One billion people

living on a dollar a day.

Nearly half of the world's

population are living

on two and a half dollars a day.

And 80% of the population

is living on $10 a day.

And in case you're thinking,

well, you've got to apply

the going rate of that culture

and then understand

how that factors in,

maybe this will bring

this to light for us.

There are some 22,000 children

who die every single day

because of malnutrition.

That's how far the dollar

has gone.

It's not feeding tummies.

It's not meeting

even the basic needs of life.

60% of the people

around the world

have no access

to clean water.

Even the things

that we take for granted

from day to day,

60% of the world

doesn't even have access

to clean water.

So how rich are you?

Well, if you're making

more than $10 a day,

you're richer than 80%

of the world.

You're in the top 20%,

the upper echelon

of society.

And if you make a minimum wage,

$8.15

here in 2017,

you make in one hour

what most of the world

doesn't even make

in an entire day.

If your household income,

combined income,

is $50,000 or more,

you make five and a half times

more than the typical person.

And if your household income

is $80,000 or more,

you make eight and a half times,

almost nine times more

than the person

who lives in this world.

So is this relevant to us?

You better believe it.

And it's relevant

not only because

we are part of the puzzle here.

We fit in the category

of those who are wealthy.

But it's relevant

to any of us

who have experienced

a measure of anxiety

thinking about the future

in terms of

how we're going to make it.

Like if you come

to the end of a month

and you wonder

how you're going to get by,

that the pressures

of finances

are weighing down

on your shoulders,

then this passage

is for you.

If you have ever been

disappointed

by a financial investment

and your heart

has been in angst

over the money

that you have lost,

well,

this passage

is for you.

If you're wondering

how to make ends meet

from day to day

and you're worried

about how your 401k

will benefit you

at your retirement age,

then this passage

is for you.

Maybe you're stressed

about your current

employment situation

or lack thereof.

If that's your situation today,

then this passage

is for you.

So let's look

at some of the obstacles.

What are some of the things

that get in the way

of God helping us

to make the most

of our money?

What stands in the way?

And that is our first point

for this morning.

There are some obstacles.

The obstacles

to a good investment.

And if you can move

to the next group of slides,

that would be great.

Good.

I think you already did that.

First,

I want us to see here

in verse 17.

It says,

Charge them not

to be haughty.

Charge them not

to be haughty.

That is the first obstacle

to making the most

of your money.

Money can make us haughty.

Money can make us haughty.

That's just another word

for proud.

Charge them

not to be haughty.

Paul's first concern

is the unity

of the church.

His focus

is how the church

relates together

and how the church

represents Christ.

When we use our money

in the wrong way,

we tarnish

the reputation

of God.

We corrupt

the beauty

of the gospel

in this world.

Money has the potential

of creating

huge divisions

and factions

and separations

within the church.

This is not

just a tangential issue.

This is a central one.

It's something

that we see

throughout the New Testament.

We see it's something

that's addressed

consistently

throughout

the New Testament.

Jesus deals with it.

The church

of Jerusalem

deals with it.

The church

of Corinth

is dealt

with this issue.

The Jerusalem Council

in commissioning

Paul and Barnabas

to ministry

makes sure,

Paul,

that you

don't forget

the poor.

The writer

of the Hebrews

commands it.

Paul commends

the church

of Philippi

for their

investment

into his ministry.

This is a

significant issue

in the church

that causes

incredible

division

or at least

it can

cause

incredible

division.

Those who are proud,

those who are haughty.

How does that look?

What form

does that take?

Well,

any number of things.

It can relate

to the company

that people keep.

It can relate

to the small groups

or the little

cliques

that they're willing

to associate with.

Somebody maybe

doesn't smell right.

Maybe they don't

talk right.

Maybe they don't

dress right.

Maybe they don't

seem to have

the right education

or the right

etiquette.

They just don't

know how to do

church the right

way.

They don't come

from the right

part of town.

They don't seem

to have the right

hygiene.

They certainly

don't dress

in the distinguished

way they should

be dressing

when they come

to church.

Maybe they don't

come from the

most prominent

job.

So it's hard

to make a

connection with them

because there

doesn't seem

to be any

overlap or

any common

ground with

them.

And so instead

of engaging

them in

conversation,

there is

distance that

happens.

That's natural.

I understand

that when it

comes to

comfort.

But those

who are

interested in

loving God

and loving

their neighbor

will be those

who will engage

the individuals

who are right

around them.

The Bible

talks about

the exclusiveness

and prejudice

that can happen

for those

who are

haughty

and those

who are

proud.

James really

concentrates on

this in chapter

two.

He uses an

example of a

man who comes

into the church

with fine clothes

and gold rings

and then obviously

this poor man

who walks in

and there is

this distinctiveness

in how they treat

these two

individuals.

The one,

he says,

hey,

come sit next

to me.

I want you to

have the place

of honor.

You're wealthy.

Let's make this

connection.

But then the one

who is poor,

he says,

hey,

you go stand

over there.

You can be in

the room,

but go have a

seat in the

corner over there

or if you want

to,

you can sit

here at my

feet.

Pride does

a great deal

of harm in

the church.

Church that was

intended to be

this beautiful

picture of the

unity of Christ

and the unity

of the people

that God has

connected in

Christ.

I wonder this

morning if we

need to ask

ourselves this

question.

What ministries

or activities

do I avoid

because it

either makes me

uncomfortable

or takes too

much work?

That may be

an indication

that pride

is something

that God

needs to help

you overcome.

Like for

example,

on a Saturday

morning you

might say,

I don't really

want to go to

the homeless

people and

hand out oatmeal

because it

makes me feel

so uncomfortable.

Or maybe you

would say,

I don't want to

serve in the

nursery, that is

way too much

work and I

might get stuck

there.

Just as a

side note,

for at least

eight years

when I was

in high school

and college,

I got stuck

in the fours

and fives

ministry.

Every single

Sunday for

four years.

Some of those

kids still

look to me

as a significant

example and

mentor and

help in their

life.

Let me tell

you, it

might be hard

work, but

it's worth

it.

The investment

that you make

in the hearts

and lives of

children,

partnering with

parents, helping

to lead them

along may be

the very best

ministry you

could ever do

because it will

have the most

traction and

will have the

most fruit.

Think about

that.

But sometimes

we want the

upfront ministries,

we want the

adult ministries,

we want the

things that are

fun and exciting

and I get

that.

But there are

times where

God is asking

us to overcome

some of those

obstacles of

pride perhaps in

our life to do

what's difficult

so that we can

really magnify

the testimony of

Christ in this

world.

Or maybe

greeting the

guests on a

Sunday morning

is a little

awkward for you

because you may

have met them

a couple of

weeks ago but

you kind of

forget their

name.

Oh the

things that we

can do to

save face,

to keep

ourselves from

embarrassment

because of

pride in our

hearts when we

could actually be

useful for the

Lord in

significant ways.

Pride is a

way, it is an

obstacle, it gets

in the way of us

being able to

use money in a

way that pleases

the Lord.

But it doesn't

stop there.

He talks about

being haughty but

here also in

verse 17 he

says, don't be

haughty or set

their hopes on

the uncertainty

of riches.

The second

obstacle is that

money can

misdirect our

hope.

And it was of

the Lord that

we sang, my

hope is built

on nothing less

but Jesus'

blood and

righteousness.

When our

hope is founded

in Christ alone,

it sets a

testimony to the

world of where

our confidence

is.

It's not Christ

plus something

else, it's

Christ alone.

And money can

misdirect our

hope.

Biblical hope

is not the

possibility of

wishful thinking

that something

might happen.

Biblical hope

is where do you

put your

confidence?

Where is your

security?

Where have you

placed your

hope for the

future?

And there's a

significance here

in the grammar.

The Apostle Paul

uses a word that

helps to describe

something that has

happened in the

past but it has

ripple effects into

the future.

That our hope has

been placed in

Christ and because

it's there, it

will have real

and tangible

results for the

future of your

life.

In each season

of life it's

easy to get

distracted, isn't

it?

The pressures of

life weigh down

on you, the

financial burdens

you experience

never seem to go

away.

Maybe you're a

college student,

you're barely

making ends meet,

trying to pay the

monthly bills,

trying to put some

food in your

stomach and to

have a couple

extra bucks so

that you can do

some things with

your friends.

Or maybe you're a

young married couple

and now there's the

burden of a new

home or a new

car or now

purchasing all of

those things that

are so necessary

for raising

children.

There are the

new pressures of

family and medical

insurance and all

of those things that

are bombarding you

and you say,

well, I will use

my money sometime

in the future when

I get established.

That pushes you

into middle age.

And you have an

established job, you

don't have to jockey

for a position

anymore.

But now the

expenses that were

smaller when your

kids were little,

now they begin to

expand as kids are

getting married, as

now you're helping

them purchase cars

and you're helping

them with various

school activities or

you're sending them

to college.

Pressures continue to

weigh you down.

Or perhaps you're

nearing retirement and

all of the investment

that you have wanted

to do in the past,

you realize you've got

some catching up to

do.

There are regular

trips to the doctor,

still helping out with

the kids periodically

as they have left

the home, but now

the financial burdens

are still considerable.

The stock market

hasn't been as

favorable to you as

you had hoped.

And the looming

pressures of

retirement age are

weighing down.

Perhaps you are

retired.

There's no more

income.

What used to be

coming in month

after month is no

longer there.

The pressures of

life weigh you

down.

At each season of

life, the money

that has flowed

through your hands

seems to evaporate.

And the result of

our focus is

diverted from hope

to God, to hope

in the security of

things.

That's the danger.

That's the obstacle

that keeps us from

making much of the

money that God has

entrusted to us.

The Apostle Paul is

calling them to

something greater.

He says,

Don't put your

hope in the

uncertainty of

riches, but on

God, who richly

provides us with

everything to

enjoy.

Now, this little

phrase is packed

full of promise.

That God richly

provides.

He gives lavishly.

He gives liberally.

He gives graciously.

He gives abundantly.

All of these things

that are couched

within this term.

Do we trust the

rich provisions of

God?

Does our confidence

in Him show to

the world that He

is a God who is

faithful to care for

our needs?

And not just a

little bit, but

abundantly,

overflowing.

That He cares for

our needs richly,

but He also cares

for our needs

individually.

Notice it says

that He provides

for us.

He knows your

unique situation.

He cares about

the circumstances

that you face.

He knows the

pressures before you

even ask Him for

help.

He cares about you

individually.

He doesn't just

provide us with a

few things, but He

says He provides us

with everything.

It's the word for

all.

It's all-encompassing

that God has given

all things for us

to enjoy.

He does not skimp

on His kids.

We do not have a

God who just

piddles away a

little bit of His

resources for us,

but He gives us

all things for

our enjoyment.

He wants us to

delight in His

provision because He

wants us to

delight in Him.

But more than

anything, the

provision that God

has given to us

is provision through

His Son, Jesus

Christ.

Just keep your

finger here in 1

1 Timothy 6 · chapter mention

Timothy chapter 6,

and I want just

briefly to turn with

me to Romans

Romans 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8.

I want you to see

what God has given

to us through

Christ.

Familiar verse,

Romans chapter 8,

Romans 8:31

verse 31.

If you're visiting

with us, it's on

page 944.

Romans says in

verse 31 of

chapter 8,

what then shall

we say to these

things?

If God is for us,

who can be against

us?

He who did not

spare, notice that

word, it's integral

here, he did not

spare his own Son,

but gave him up for

us all.

How will he not

also with him

graciously give us

all things?

grace?

I want you to think

about the seriousness

of our discontentment.

The seriousness of

our discontentment is

to say, God may have

given us the best in

Christ, but it's not

enough.

That's what we say

when we become anxious

about the things that

God has seemed to

withhold.

when he has given

us Christ, he's given

his best, he's given

us his all, and he

promises to meet all

the other things.

If he can give us the

supreme things in

Christ, he can give us

the secondary things of

this world.

But let's move to the

next part of this

passage.

In chapter, in verse

17 of 1 Timothy

1 Timothy 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6, we saw the

obstacles to our

investment.

Now in verse 18, we're

going to see some

opportunities.

Some opportunities.

I need to move through

this a little bit more

quickly.

Here's what it says.

They are to do good,

to be rich in good

works, to be generous

and ready to share,

thus storing up

treasures for

themselves as a good

foundation for the

future.

There are two

commands in this

little verse that

both orient themselves

around good works.

first we can see

that money can be a

means of blessing

others.

Paul almost repeats

himself in this

verse.

He wants to stress

the significance of

the goodness that we

can be about, the

opportunity that comes

to us in using the

wealth that he has

distributed to us to

bless others, to do

good works for others.

Here in this first

little phrase, they

are to do good, is a

compound word that is

good works.

It's the agathos

ergon.

The second here, be

rich in good works, is

also good works, but

it's kalas ergon.

And you might say, who

cares about these

things?

Well, what I want you

to see is that there

are, there's a

distinction between the

two.

The first concentrates

on the goodness as it

relates to benevolence,

and blessing, and

helping, and distributing,

and meeting needs.

It has as its focus the

welfare of other

people.

When you are involved

in doing good works in

this way, you are

interested in enhancing

your surroundings, and

helping, and enabling

the people who are

around you.

Paul starts with this

general do good, and

then he moves to the

more specific features of

this statement in the

next command.

To do good always

involves using our

wealth in a positive

way.

And here, agathos is

something that involves

benevolence and care for

the individuals around

us.

It asks this question,

how can I use my money

to bless the world

around me?

How can I use the

world?

How can I use my money

to bless the world

around me?

Now, the church of

Corinth is an example of

this kind of giving

through the exhortation

of the Apostle Paul.

We find in 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9 that they did

give, and as a result of

their giving in chapter 9,

we see so many things that

trickle out of that.

There was thanks that went

to the church of Corinth for

their contribution.

There was thanks that went

to God for meeting a need.

There was glory that went

to the Lord for the way

that He was able to settle

their hearts and to help

them in crisis.

A connection was made

between two churches, and

hearts were knit together.

There was praying that

happened from the Jerusalem

church to this church of

Corinth, and the testimony

of the gospel was magnified

in the area because of this

sacrificial and beneficial

care.

money can be used as a

means of blessing, but also

money can be used as a

means of bearing fruit.

That's really what this

second aspect of being rich

in good works is all about.

It concentrates on the

intrinsic or inherent nature

of the rightness of this

deed.

It is an overflow or an

expression of what is truly

going inside of the heart.

It's a reflection of what

the work that God is doing

in a life by helping to

bear out good works in the

world.

Is there an abounding work

of God in your life?

It will show up in how you

do good works, how you bless,

and how you help the world

around you.

It is inherently right.

We are told not just to hoard

our money, but to give it

lavishly, to be rich in this

process, to emulate our Savior

who was rich and for our sakes

became poor.

We are, as people who have been

recipients of the grace of God,

to also bestow that grace on the

world around us, to be rich in

good works.

In Matthew 5, 16, Jesus says

this.

He says,

Let your light so shine before

men that they may see your

what?

Your good works.

It's the same word.

That's the word kalas.

That's the word that we find

here.

How does the fruit of the

Spirit show up in your life?

Is it creating righteousness?

Is it creating benevolence to

the world around you?

And that's really now the two

components that Paul focuses on

here in terms of being rich in

good works.

How do we do that?

Well, he gives two examples.

There in verse 18, he says,

Be generous and be ready to

share.

Be generous.

Be ready to share.

Be liberal in your sharing.

Bountiful in your giving.

Willing to contribute to the

needs around you.

And this word, ready to share,

is also closely connected to the

word fellowship, the word

koinonia.

This really is a way for us to

be connected as God's people,

is when we are contributing to

needs.

Maybe the sharing involves your

money, but maybe it also

involves your time.

That instead of spending extra

time that you might do on the

side to build up more income,

maybe instead what you do is you

use those gifts to benefit the

church.

Like, maybe you know how to fix a

car.

Instead of fixing a car for money,

you decide, you know what, we've

got some people in our church that

need their car fixed.

Or maybe you know that there are

individuals in the church who have

issues with their home and it's

breaking down.

Maybe the plumbing or electrical is

going bad and you can say, listen,

I can do that.

I can use my time.

I can use my skills.

And instead of building into me,

I can build into a brother or

sister in Christ.

Maybe you are really gifted in the

area of cooking or baking or you are

a good seamstress and you can use

your gifts and your time to benefit

somebody who's in need.

That's what God has called us to.

But it doesn't end there.

God doesn't just give us the

obstacles.

He doesn't just give us the

opportunities.

But he finishes here with a promise.

He finishes with the outcome.

What does it result in in life?

What is the benefit to me?

We see that here in verse 18.

Thus storing up treasure for

themselves as a good foundation for

the future so that they may take

hold of that which is truly life.

I want us to see two things.

I want us to see that it leads to

eternal reward in heaven.

And secondly, that it leads to

eternal life with God.

God has always called us to a long

view of investment.

He's always called us to a long view

of a future look as it relates to

everything in life.

when it relates to suffering, when it

relates to love, when it relates to

loving our neighbors.

All of these things, including money,

finds its hope in the future.

This guaranteed eternal reward in

heaven.

The motivation is the glory of Christ.

The motivation for us is how does it

show Christ in the world?

And how can I take part in making

much of him where I am?

It's an evidence, secondly then here,

of eternal life.

How does it lead to eternal life?

And you might say, time out.

Wait a second.

Are you telling me that we are saved

by giving?

No, I'm not telling you that at all.

What I am telling you though is that

this is such a distinctive fruit of a

Christian.

This is such a work of the Spirit

that only those who are in Christ

will love this way.

It's an unmistakable mark of a true

believer.

It's the way they meet needs of their

Christian family.

Just write down Matthew chapter 25.

Matthew 25 · chapter mention

Matthew chapter 25.

Matthew 25 · chapter mention

I forget where it begins.

I'll look here for a second.

Matthew chapter 25.

Matthew 25 · chapter mention

Beginning at verse 31.

It says,

When the Son of Man comes in His glory

and all the angels with Him,

He will sit on His glorious throne

and before Him will be gathered

all the nations.

And He will separate the people

one from the other

as a shepherd separates the sheep

from the goats.

And what is the standard?

You might ask.

As He works through this passage,

He demonstrates that those who are

involved in meeting needs,

in helping those who are naked,

in clothing them,

in feeding those who are hungry,

in giving drink to those who are thirsty,

those are the ones that will be put

on the category of sheep

where those who refuse to do that

will be considered goats.

Jesus says here in verse 40,

The King will answer them,

Truly I say to you,

as you did to one of these,

of the least of my brothers,

you did it to me.

The hallmark of a Christian life

is the spiritual fruit

that God will create in your life

to give you a compassion

for the world around you

so that you can work out

this loving your neighbor principle,

not only in the world,

but especially as it relates

to people here in this church,

those who are your brothers

and sisters in Christ.

How is the Spirit

showing up in your life?

And just to close,

you might be asking yourself,

Where do I go from here?

What's the next step?

What do I need to do?

How do I make this process

of loving God in this way

with my money,

of making the most of my money?

The danger at this point

is to give you a number.

The danger at this point

is to give you a percentage

or some dollar amount

to shoot for

or some number of people

that you need to help.

But the target is Christ.

The model, the example,

the supreme example

of all things is found in Him.

He is the target.

So until we measure up

to His example,

we're going to fall

woefully short

of the standard.

So how can our giving

be shared

by the example of the Lord?

How can your giving

demonstrate the hope

that you have in heaven?

How can we shift our focus

onto eternal joys

so that we can magnify

our delight in God?

That is the direction

that we need to go in

and ask God for help

in providing wisdom

and clarity

on how to do that.

unless our giving

looks like Christ

then we've got

some work to do.

Though He was rich

yet for your sake

He became poor

so that you

through His poverty

might become rich.

That is the standard.

May God help us

to measure up

to that standard

through the power

of the Spirit

working within us.

Let's pray.

Lord, we understand

the weightiness

of this subject.

We understand

the sensitivity

of this topic.

We recognize

how much room

we have to grow

in this area.

Oh God, help us

to magnify You

through our giving.

help us to put aside

these obstacles

the pride

that often gets

in the way

and the hoping

in this worldly stuff

that often redirects

our attention

from things

that are truly eternal.

And help us

to see the opportunities

that are right

in front of us

the benevolence

that we can give

to those around us

and how it bears out fruit

the gospel testimony

of a life

that's been changed.

Lord, help us

to be those kinds

of people

so that we can show

the world

that our hope

is in heaven

and not in the things

of this earth.

We pray that You

would be blessed

through the transformation

that will happen

in our lives.

We pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

As we go

and sing,

I want to just

make opportunity

for any of you

who do not know Christ.

Maybe as you're listening

this morning

you say,

you know,

I'm not sure

that I'm that kind

of person.

Maybe the Spirit

isn't really living

inside of me.

We would love

to lead you

to an understanding

of who Christ is

in the gospel.

We encourage you

during this singing time

to come forward.

And if you would like

to be a member

of this church,

be part of this fellowship,

be part of the connection

that we have

in ministering

to one another

and ministering

to the world together,

we would love

just to encourage you

to make that statement

public by coming

forward this morning.

Why don't we stand

and we sing

as we close

this last song.

And I'll talk about you

through this holy chat chat

guitar solo

guitar solo

guitar solo

guitar solo

guitar solo

guitar solo

guitar solo

guitar solo

I think of a better way to end this service than that song.

And I can't think of another truth that is so distant from me.

guitar solo