When you consider your finances, what comes to mind? What you have or don’t have? Whom you owe or what to buy? Do you feel stress, or are you at peace? God’s Word offers much wisdom for our financial decisions. In this message, Dr. Stanley covers common concerns, discussing what God thinks, says, and promises regarding personal finances—and what we can expect if we are obedient to His principles. Discover the path to generosity and provision as you learn how to trust Him with this important area of life.
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next on InTouch god and our money when
you think about your finances do you
have a good feeling or a bad feeling I
didn’t I didn’t hear that answer but I
heard a roar a good feeling or a bad
feeling well when you think about your
money for example do you think about how
much you have how much you’d like to
have how much you don’t have what you
spent it on what do you think about it
do you give it in this spiritual thought
has it ever dawned on you for example
maybe you need to give or maybe you need
to give more or would you say that you
have a pretty good excuse not to give in
it because you don’t go to church that’s
not the only place you can give and so
when people think about their finances
usually they think about how much they
need and what can they do to increase
their income I understand that that’s
sort of natural normal there’s nothing
wrong with questioning that I’m
wondering why maybe you don’t feel like
you’ve been treated right you don’t make
enough on your job whatever it might be
so what I want us to do is to find out
what God thinks it’s not what man thinks
it’s what God thinks secondly what God
says what he promises that his God keeps
his promise so I want to know what he
promises I don’t know what I can expect
if I’m obedient to God if I’m not
obedient to him I can expect not to be
blessed somewhat you to turn to one of
my favorite passages in the 3rd chapter
the Proverbs turn that for a moment if
you will and I want us to begin reading
in this fifth verse this is an awesome
passage of Scripture and we’ll just read
from 5 down to verse 10 so listen to
this trust in the Lord with all your
heart do not lean on your own understand
in all of your ways acknowledge him and
every aspect of your life and he will
make your paths straight do not be wise
in your own eyes fear the Lord and turn
away from evil if you will it’ll be
healing to your body and refreshment to
your bones then he says honor the Lord
from your wealth and from the first of
all your produce
so your barns will be filled with plenty
and your vats or your barrels will
overflow with new wine
what an awesome promise of God so when I
listen to that passage I think well
according to that I shouldn’t be worried
about finances if I do exactly what God
says do I have to decide what I believe
that he keeps his word and doesn’t is
God telling the truth or is he not yes
he’s telling the truth
and oftentimes we’re in financial
problems because we’ve simply disobeyed
God he’s not going to challenge us to do
something that’s not for our best
benefit so I want to think for just a
moment when you think about your
finances consider the basic teachings of
Scripture very basic and the very first
one is this listen to the fiftieth Psalm
and the second verse 12 verse listen
though the world is mined and all that
contains well that settles the issue to
some degree that everything that exists
God controls it
he is listen the world is mined and all
it contains now there are a lot of
people who think it’s theirs they think
this is my money this is mine to do with
it what I choose that’s not what the
Bible teaches the Bible teaches that God
is the one who owns it all and he’s
given us the privilege of being
caretakers of it managers of it stewards
of it but not on us there’s a difference
to recognize that what you have belongs
to God it came from God you say well
I’ve worked 40 hours of 50 hours last
week well you could have been seeing
couldn’t work you could have been
without a job
and so when you consider the basic
teachings on scripture about giving the
first one is this the question is are we
at either of our income he says in
Malachi I better turn that cuz I want to
show you something look in melikhaya the
third chapter for moment and you’ve
heard this many many times and people
have preached on it and you’ve listened
to it some of you’ve listened to it
unhappily and some of you listen to it
happily but listen to this passage of
Scripture he says will a man Rob God yet
you’re robbing me but you say how have
we robbed you in tithes and offerings
you’re cursed with a curse for your
robbing me the whole nation of you then
he says bringing the whole tithe 10%
into the storehouse so that there may be
food in my house given as a reason test
me God says gene put me to the test and
since the Lord of Hosts if I will not
open for you the windows of heaven pour
out for you a blessing until it
overflows one of the purposes for his
blessing us is to prove himself to us
then he says I will rebuke the Devourer
for you so you not so he’ll not destroy
the fruits of the ground now when your
vine in the field cast its grapes says
the Lord of Hosts all the nations will
call you blessed for you shall be of the
lightsome land says to all of us now
what’s he saying he said look I’m the
source everything my requirement is that
you give a tenth of your income back to
me for three reasons primarily first of
all to provide for the work of the Lord
secondly to provide for the needs of
others and thirdly to prove his
faithfulness in other words one of the
reasons God requires those to give is he
wants to prove to us his faithfulness
that if I give he’s going to get back
if I give he’s gonna give more that is
he wants to prove to us that he is
everything he says if somebody says well
now I don’t need to give the proof that
ask you a question are you tabbing more
than likely anybody that questions
that’s not a toddler well I give to God
well how much do you give well I give
enough well it’s enough well I’ll tell
you what enough is enough starts with
one tenth and somebody says well in this
day and time God does not expect me to
give a tenth of my income to him well
let’s look back and let’s see what his
reasons are to provide for the work of
the Lord you want to get the gospel out
secondly he says to provide for the
needs of others you don’t keep
everything for yourself and thirdly he
says to prove his faithfulness one of
the reasons God requires of us and asked
of us to give to him is he wants to
prove himself so for example what else
could he do to prove himself and this
reaches the heart of a lot of people
their money there was I worked 40 hours
of 50 or 60 or 20 or whatever it might
be and this is mine don’ts not mine God
provided that for you and to prove
himself to you give him a tenth and
watch what he does it isn’t that God
can’t operate without us that he’s given
us this awesome privilege of working
with God so that he can prove himself to
us that he’s who he says he is now he
says we to tile their income and
secondly we to give cheerfully and
second Corinthians chapter 9 looked at
for a moment second Green chapter 9 and
look if you will in these verses
beginning in verse 6 now this I say he
who so sparingly will also reap
sparingly he who sews bountifully will
reap bountifully now listen to that
watch this this is this is a simple this
is
I either believe God oh I don’t believe
this is not the words of our pet
preacher this is the word of God if I
sow bountifully I’m gonna reap
bountifully watch this each one must do
just as he’s purposed in his heart not
grudgingly or
the compulsion for God loves a cheerful
Giver this is what he promises in God is
able to make all grace abound to you so
that always having all sufficiency and
everything you may have an abundance for
every good deed so God doesn’t put
pressure on people to give he says
here’s the opportunity here’s their
words here’s what God says this is where
I operate God says that the way I
operate is that I want you to have all
your needs met and I’ve chosen to do
this I’ve chosen that as you count your
dimes ten of them you take one and give
it to me you have nine somebody says but
but nine and ten are not the same not
with you but with the sovereign I’m
different than God he can take a little
bit and multiplied far beyond anything
we imagine you said well I don’t know
whether I believe it or not well I’ll
tell you when you believe it when you
try it one thing was certain when you
obey God God is going to honor your
giving you say well I don’t know whether
it’ll work or not well God is simply
saying you don’t have to wonder but just
try me imagine trying God I love that
idea
try God he’s not gonna ever come up
short and we know you don’t ever come up
needing anything because that’s who he
is
he’s our God of grace and love and mercy
if I should ask you if you believe that
God is a God of goodness and love and
mercy you’d say yes I said well if you
believe he’s that would you give him
1/10 of what you have it’s just 1/10
think about what he said I’m gonna bless
you
the son so all I want you to do is to
set aside 1/10 of it one penny out of
every ten just line them up one penny
out everything and see what I do over
here because of what you’ve done God is
a God who keeps his word and when I
think about the simplicity of that
promise and what he’s willing to do if
we are willing to trust him so I want
you to turn to this very important
passage it it’s go back to the maloca
the last book Nils has been go back to
books as your quickest way to find a guy
I want you to listen to this awesome
passage of Scripture which should be a
warning to you about not given to God
listen to what he says verse 5
now therefore thus says the Lord of
hosts can watch this consider your ways
you have so much that you harvest little
you eat but there is not enough to
satisfy you you drink but there’s not
enough to become drunk you put on
clothing but no one is warm enough and
he who earns earns wages to put into a
purse with holes now is that not an
awesome passive scripture or not you
know what he says in one sentence no
matter which there’s not going work no
listen people can gain millions and
millions in their income just as
miserable when they lie on the bed at
night you you can’t buy a bed anywhere
that takes away the burdens of the day
you can’t you can’t have a room that so
as absolutely beautiful and peaceful and
everything is just right and relieve you
of guilt God says that you and I are
managers we are caretakers we are people
who are responsible for every aspect of
our life and money is an area in which
we’re responsible God is the giver of
every good and perfect gift and listen
who gives you the strength to get up in
the morning and get to work who gave you
a house to live in who gave you a car to
drive
who’s giving you good health who’s the
source of every blessing you have that’s
right
listen giving to God is not just
appreciation it’s obedience it isn’t
just being good and being kind and being
thoughtful and being sort of generous
it’s either obedience or disobedience
and either I believe what he says though
I don’t so think about this he’s God
omniscient knowing all
listen let’s say like a minute and
omniscient knowing all I’m never than
having all power well why don’t you give
to it that is if he’s all of that can
you trust him with 10% of what you have
I’m just saying are you practicing a
principle and many of you do not even go
to church how many of you do and you may
listen to whatever it might be a morning
they’re not even on Sunday but what
about your money what are you doing
about your money in your relationship to
God it is it is an opportunity to obey
God and watch him work God is always at
work in people’s hearts who will obey
Him if you ignore him
God’s not gonna force himself upon you
God gives some people great abilities
and talents and skills and reasoning and
business and so forth bait lots and lots
of money and what are they doing they’re
strutting about what they’ve done well I
only go back to Haggai according to hey
guy you got a hole in your pocket but
then you don’t even know it’s there
you can lose quicker than you made it by
far and people spend their whole life
making money accomplishing more
achieving law putting away more and one
heart beat it’s all over one heart beat
it’s all over imagine spending six to
seven years doing your best to become a
multi multi-millionaire you go to bed at
night and wake up facing God I don’t
think so so would you say that you are a
spender or would you say you’re a good
caretaker of what God has given you the
reason people get in trouble financially
is real simple disobeying God and Haggai
is a good example when you got all that
money there’s a hole in your pocket have
you ever felt like there was a hole in
your pocket somebody says I felt like
there’s a hole in my whole finances you
can lose it you can lose it quicker than
you can have it amen okay so consider
God’s plan for a given time and if you
just jot them down from your
sake and then I will read the scripture
that is God’s motivation for blessing us
and causing us the tile is love 1st
chronicles 29 12 both riches and honor
come from you and you rule over all and
your hand is power and might and it lies
in your hand to make great and they
strengthened everyone for all things
come from you nor write that in your
Bible underline the scripture both
riches and honor come from you you rule
over all the second is not only his
motivation but here’s his plan we read
it while I go bring the whole tithe into
the storehouse so that there may be food
in my house test me put me to the test
now says the Lord of Hosts if I will not
open for you the windows of heaven and
pour out for your blessing until it
overflows get that last part he’s not
saying I’m just gonna bless you up to
the rim I’m gonna bless you to let
overflows know my best example of this
and I love it
and that’s owed me land raisin bran I
like them both and the other day I
bought a large curtain of raisin bran
and it had two bags of raisin bran in it
50% air piston % raisin bran so so I
bought a big container oatmeal right up
to the tip top and the truth is we don’t
like opening a bag in at 50% air thank
god that’s not the way he works then
look at this because that’s his plan his
promise listen his promise he says
proverbs 3:10 your barns will be filled
with plenty and your vessel barrels will
overflow with new wine and so that’s
what they were concerned about most what
to eat what to drink that’s his promise
then what about his protection of
whatever we have listen to what he says
he says in Malachi 3:11 I will rebuke
the Devourer for you so that it will not
destroy the fruits of the ground nor
will your vine in the field cast its
grapes
full of their right what he’s saying is
it’s the remember this is agricultural
life he’s talking about what about today
what are you simply saying is I’m gonna
protect what you do have you said well I
have what God do that it depends on the
situation God knows how to protect us he
would protect you for example and
decisions that you make you getting
ready to buy a house new house and so
you and your wife look at it oh your
husband and and you got the children
there and they’ll you all just love it
and it’s big and beautiful then you go
home and you look at your income and you
think well that stretches a little bit
and the deep down inside you know it’s
more than you can afford so you say well
what we’ll then we’ll just pray about it
if you pray about it God is not going to
lead you into debt now watch this owning
a house and having a mortgage isn’t
necessarily debt if you can pay the
mortgage but if you’re buying something
you can’t afford and what happens you
sleep in a bed that you’re never
comfortable in because of how much money
you owe you sit at the table and you
can’t enjoy the meals because you’re in
debt and you but you can work where the
finest clothes but if you’re in debt you
don’t you can’t enjoy them they’re words
God wants to protect us in what we have
and if we honor him listen to him and
you get ready to buy something for
example and you have this little
reservation mm-hm
I don’t know how God uses you don’t you
but it’s just like I’ll just think
that’s not a mate then you better drop
it right there and you know here’s what
we say sometimes we say well you know
what I know it’s nobody’s perfect and
y’all understands no he does not
understand disobedience he just doesn’t
and if God tells you not to do something
you have a strong feeling and remember
you have the Holy Spirit living within
you that’s his gift and what does he do
he warns us about things and he
encourages those it he gives us
direction and guidance and leadership
and so God wants you to have a place to
live he may not want you at this time in
your life to have a
that has all these particular minute to
sue it but he wants you to have
something you can rest in enjoy n
decorate in or what and have fun in it
he doesn’t what she’s living in a house
that you afraid financially
it’s just going to collapse on you and
many people have lost the houses because
they didn’t listen to God they bought
something they couldn’t afford that into
it because God let him because he warned
them against it so watch this when he
comes to God’s protection of us and his
watch yet he protects us in every facet
of our life what about his generosity
look if you will in Luke chapter 6 verse
38 give and it will be given to you that
is whatever you give they will pour into
your lap a good measure how much is that
when they pour it in its be pressed down
shaken together running over for by your
standard of measure it will be measured
to you in return look at that you know
it doesn’t get the simple of this look
at this he says by your standard of
measure you’ll be measured to you in
return so far he ever got one dollar out
of ten I’m gonna get blessed it’s just
that simple
I’ve been telling since my first job I
made four dollars I I would have felt
guilty if I gave God twenty-five or
fifty since I gave him a dollar I was
grateful I’ve never just tired in my
life I’m not saying I’m an example I’m
just saying this I know it works we
forget who we’re talking about we’re not
talking about what I’m gonna do for we
talk about what he’s gonna do for you
God is going to keep his word because
that’s who he is he’s a God of truth
that’s one thing to tell the truth the
second thing is does he have the power
to do it yes he has he has infinite
power to work in your life to do his
will to get his
well done so is he generous yes he is
gives us more than we expect more than
deserve more than we asked for then of
course his sufficiency listen what he
says in second Corinthians 9 6 through 8
and we ready now this I say he who sews
sparingly chichi you know that’s a
little bit well also reap sparingly he
who sews bountifully even a lot will
reap bountifully God loves a cheater is
that what it says God loves a cheerful
Giver
now watch this God is able to make all
grace abound to you that always having
all sufficiency in everything you may
have an abundance for every good deed
you know what God is saying I’m gonna
bless you if you distrust me it’s just
that simple it all boils down to one
thing do I believe the Word of God or do
I not
I’ve given you a few illustrations but
what I’ve given you is the word of
Yahweh just been quoting scripture olive
oil do you believe it or not what about
your children
some of you have small children and you
talked some things about them you should
talk to your children about your
finances you should teach them very
early in life to tide their income and
the way you do that is stack up stack up
10 pennies put one over here and they
have nine and you say well songs which
one do you on he’ll sell I’ll take the
nine you should talk about tithing your
income to your children because you
don’t know when they’re gonna need it
you don’t want them coming back for to
you for something that y’all would
provide so you just heard the truth this
morning and nobody here has an excuse
and nobody listening as an excuse for
not knowing what to do and that is time
your income if it’s your local church or
wherever you
get blessed you do what God tells you to
do and watch God work in your life it
may be a revolution that takes place in
your life about not only your giving but
everything else that you’re doing father
had grateful we are that we never have
doing any way apologize for your word we
never really don’t have to defend it but
just proclaim it and watch you work it
we love you we praise you we thank you
we could never thank you enough and
father I pray for the person who is
unsaved and they are seated here or
watching and listening and probably not
very interested in money but to realize
they have to give an account to you one
of these days they can’t pay their way
in but it’s a matter of asking you to
forgive them of their sins surrendering
their life to you and by faith trusting
you to forgive them on the basis of
Christ’s death II Calvary shedding of
his blood payment for their sin what an
awesome God you are let you race dear
father let your grace rest upon every
person who is trusting you as their
Savior believing you for their life in
Jesus name Amen
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