Jesus said more about money than any other single thing because, when it comes to a mans real nature

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• Jesus said more about money than any other
  single thing because, when it comes to a mans
  real nature, money is of first importance. Money
  is an exact index to a mans true character. All
  through Scripture theres an intimate correlation
  between a mans character and how he handles his
  money.
• Richard Halverson

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• Money and spirituality
• Luke 19 Zaccheus
• Matthew 19 Rich young ruler
• Mark 12 The Poor Widow
• Luke 12 The Rich Fool
• Acts 2 Acts 4 Selling giving
• Acts 19 Burning magic books

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• Test
• What pastoral advice would you give to the poor
  widow of Mark 12?
• What pastoral advice would you give to the rich
  fool of Luke 12?

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• If you have not been trustworthy in handling
  worldly wealth, who will trust you with true
  riches?
• Jesus, Luke 16
• True riches eternal impact relationships
• What opportunities to influence people are we
  missing because we havent handled money well?

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Where my money goes, my heart always follows.
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• Lead your people to be kingdom-centered by
  teaching them to give to Gods kingdom.
• Help them develop vested interests in the
  poor, the needy, and reaching the world.

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• King Josiah
• He defended the cause of the poor and needy,
  and so all went well. Is that not what it means
  to know me? declares the LORD.
• Jeremiah 2216

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• If the churchs attitude toward money,
  spending and giving is no different than the
  worlds, what do we have to offer the world?
• If the pastors attitude and actions about
  money are no different than his churchs, what
  does he have to offer the church?

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• A materialistic world will never be won to
  Christ by a materialistic church.
• A materialistic church will never be led to
  freedom and generosity by a materialistic pastor.

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• The dirty little secret
• Many pastors are not generous givers.
  
• Im overworked and underpaid. Im doing Gods
  work. Others should give to support me. Ive
  given my life and timewhy should I give my
  money?

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• Pastors must tear down the Money-Idol as
  aggressively as the Sex-Idol.
• Pastors enslaved to materialism can no more
  lead their people into generous giving than
  pastors with sexual addictions can lead their
  people into purity.

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• Sheep first, shepherds second
• Disciples first, pastors second
• We live by same rules as our people
• We have same empowerment
• We cant lead our people where we havent been or
  arent going.

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• Question Can pastors who believe they must
  always have a nicer house and nicer car and go on
  nicer vacations successfully lead their people
  out of materialism and into Christ-centered
  giving?

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• Jesus saidWhen you give a luncheon or
  dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers
  or relatives, or your rich neighbors if you do,
  they may invite you back and so you will be
  repaid. But. invite the poor, the crippled, the
  lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.
  Although they cannot repay you, you will be
  repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.
• Luke 1412-14

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• Eternal investment lifestyle strategy
• 1. Set a financial finish line. Determine a
  reasonable amount of income to live on and save.
• 2. Give back to God everything that comes in
  above that amount.
• Radical? Compare to poor widow or Macedonian
  Christians.

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• If it all belongs to God, and we are his money
  managers, everything must be on the table.
• Nothing is untouchable. Not savings, not
  principal, not investments or retirement. We ask
  Him what He wants us to do with everything thats
  His.

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• Can you trust Him for your souls redemption,
  and not rely upon Him for a few lesser mercies
  financial provision? Is not God enough for thy
  need, or is His all-sufficiency too narrow for
  thy wants? Is His heart faint? Is His arm weary?
  If so, seek another God.
• Charles Spurgeon

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• But if He be infinite, omnipotent, faithful,
  true, and all-wise, why gaddest thou abroad so
  much to seek another confidence? Why dost thou
  rake the earth to find another foundation, when
  this is strong enough to bear all the weight
  which thou canst ever build thereon?
• Charles Spurgeon

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• When I look at the Bible I get convicted to
  change my lifestylebut then I look around the
  church I think everybody else lives like I do.
• Lets raise the bar for each other, not lower
  it.
• Lets trash our unspoken agreement not to
  challenge each others materialism and
  short-sightedness.

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• Pastors must lead the way in giving
• Becoming givers, providing a model and giving
  credibility for their teaching.
• 2) Leading the church to be a model for
  individuals an us-first church cannot change
  me-first people

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81 And now, brothers, we want you to know about
the grace that God has given the Macedonian
churches.
Our giving and Gods grace are inseparable. Our
giving is an extension of Gods grace.
It can be appropriate to point to other peoples
examples of giving.
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82 Out of the most severe trial, their
overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled
up in rich generosity.
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• Philanthropy can be man-centered.
• Grace is God-centered. Its supernatural.

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How much of our giving can only be explained by
the supernatural workof Gods Spirit?
As thunder follows lightning, so giving follows
grace.
The more God gets a hold on you, the more you
give. The more you give, the more God gets a hold
on you.
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4 They urgently pleaded with us for the privilege
of sharing
When we stand before Christ, will any of us
think, I wish Id given away less ?
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7 But just as you excel in everything in faith,
in speech, in knowledge see that you also excel
in this grace of giving.

Giving isnt something you just do. You can excel
do it bigger and better than before. You can
give

• more often

• more

• more strategically

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Rom. 12 gifts of prophecy, serving, teaching,
encouragement, giving, leadership, mercy.
Gift of teaching you get better at it as you
use it people know what it looks like.
Gift of giving you get better at itas you use
it people dont know what it looks like.
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We knowthe prayer warriors.
Who arethe giving warriors? What are we doing
to identify, mentor and train them to excel in
their gift of giving?
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• Fair game in accountability groups Time with
  God, marriage, sexual purity
• Whats accountabilitys final frontier?
• Stewardship and giving Hows your spending
  life, debt life, and thought life about money?
  Hows your giving?
• So, Bobhow much of your income you been
  giving to the Lord?

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• What gifts might you expect God to grant widely
  during a time of unprecedented physical and
  spiritual needs?

• In just such a time as this, what resources
  might you expect God to entrust to His people
  (especially those with the gift of giving)?

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1. Tithing isnt givings pinnacle.
2. Tithing isnt giving.
3. Tithing is ceasing to rob God. (Of the tithe
can also rob of freewill offerings.)
4. Tithing is the training wheels of giving.
Tithing should be so over-shadowed by grace, its
moot.
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Giving less than a tithe?
Does grace lower the bar of giving set by the
law? Or does it raise it? Dont call it grace
giving if its a fraction of what God required
under the law.
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• From everyone who has been given much, much
  will be demanded and from the one who has been
  entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
• Luke 1248
• What does God ask of us? What will he demand
  of us?

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8 I want to test the sincerity of your love
comparing it with the earnestness of others.
We need to hear each others giving stories, so
we can stimulate one another to love and good
works. (MPE, Appendix E Should Giving Always be
Kept Secret?)
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• Beware of practicing your righteousness before
  other people in order to be seen by them
  motive, for then you will have no reward from
  your Father who is in heaven.
• Matthew 61

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• Neither do people light a lamp and put it
  under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand,
  and it gives light to everyone in the house. In
  the same way, let your light shine before men,
  that they may see your good deeds and praise your
  Father motive in heaven.
• Matthew 515-16

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• If 80 of giving by those over 55, what will
  make the young into givers?
• How does a young Christian in our churches
  learn how to give? Where can he look for models
  and wisdom?
• How do people with the gift of giving discover
  they have it? And how to use it for Gods glory?

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• How will the next generations learn to excel
  in giving if we dont link them up with those who
  will tell them their giving stories?
• We must encourage veteran givers to mentor
  others in the grace of giving.

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R.G. LeTourneau
Stanley Tam
John Wesley
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• What might you expect God to do for people
  hes granted the gift of giving?
• Provide them with considerable resources to
  give, and with the skills and savvy that generate
  income.

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In my devotion to the temple of my God I now give
my personal treasures of gold and silver for the
temple of my God, over and above everything I
have provided for this holy temple. Now, who is
willing to consecrate himself today to the
LORD? 1 Chronicles 29
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Then the leaders of families, the officers of the
tribes, the commanders of thousands and
commanders of hundreds, and officials in charge
of the kings work gave willingly. They gave
toward the work on the temple of God five
thousand talents andgold, silver, bronze and
iron.
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• Any who had precious stones gave them to the
  treasury of the temple of the LORD in the custody
  of Jehiel the Gershonite.
• The people rejoiced at the willing response of
  their leaders, for they had given freely and
  wholeheartedly to the LORD.

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David the king also rejoiced greatly. Formula
for community-wide joy and praise to God people
seeing their leaders give generously and joyfully
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David praised the LORD in the presence of the
assembly Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our
father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and power and
glory and majesty and splendor, for everything
in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is
the kingdom you are exalted as head over all.
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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.
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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.
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We are aliens and strangers in your sight O
LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we
have provided for building you a temple for your
Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it
belongs to you.
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God, you test the heart and are pleased with
integrity. All these things have I given
willingly and with honest intent. And now I
have seen with joy how willingly your people who
are here have given to you.
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• O LORDkeep this desire in the hearts of your
  people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to
  you.
• so they all praised the LORD, the God of
  their fathers they bowed lowThey ate and drank
  with great joy in the presence of the LORD that
  day.
• 1 Chronicles 29

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• Be careful with
• Bringing professional fundraisers into the church
• Fundraising techniques
• Pledges and faith promises
• Outside personal income
• Lifestyle decisions that dont reflect kingdom
  priorities

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• Educate concerning wise and strategic giving.
• (19 questions to ask before you give, MPE 277)

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• Hudson Taylors list of assets on starting CIM
  Ten pounds and all the promises of God.
• Gods work done in Gods way will never lack
  Gods supply.
• Money is never our greatest asset. God is always
  our greatest asset.

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Miscellaneous

• Address in messages and small groups all
  aspects of stewardship including lifestyle,
  spending, saving, debt, inheritance, investments,
  retirement, mentoring your children (see MPE).
• Refute prosperity theology (but show the half
  truth its based on)

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• Be above reproach with the wealthy. No
  favoritism live by James 2. Dont bring up your
  material needs. Dont try to use them.
• They need to be mentored by pastors who cant
  be swayed by their wealth. Dont fail them.

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• Your people wont fully trust you when you
  profit from relationships.
• You cant raise the bar of discipleship for
  people youre enamored with.
• When people want to give to you instead of the
  church, gently correct them.

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• Confront
• ethical violations and mismanagement in
  parachurch
• Manipulative and dishonest fundraising
• Excessive overhead
• Paid celebrity endorsements
• See MPE, chapter 15 Ministry Finances and
  Fund-raising Special Ethical Concerns

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• Teach about Heaven and the New Earth, and
  rewards.
• People will never take seriously Christs
  command to store up treasures in Heaven unless
  theyre taught accurately about Heaven, and the
  doctrine of eternal rewards.

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• You ought to live holy and godly lives as you
  look forward to the day of God. . . . In keeping
  with his promise we are looking forward to a new
  heaven and a new earth, the home of
  righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you
  are looking forward to this, make every effort to
  be found spotless, blameless and at peace with
  him.
• 2 Peter 311-14

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• generousgiving.org
• crown.org/LocalChurch
• epm.org
• Free Treasure Principle DVD, free MPE and
  giving resources for pastors, Use anything
  Request PowerPoints, book text, articles
  kathy_at_epm.org

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• The man of pseudo faith will fight for his
  verbal creed by refuse flatly to allow himself to
  get into a predicament where his future must
  depend upon that creed being true. He always
  provides himself with secondary ways of escape so
  he will have a way out if the roof caves in.
• A.W. Tozer

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• What we need very badly these days is a
  company of Christians who are prepared to trust
  God as completely now as they know they must do
  at the last day.
• A. W. Tozer

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