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Last week we started a series called Keep the Change and looked at 5 biblical principles about money. From developing a budget to learning how to be generous, God has some clear things to say about how we manage the resources He gives us. It’s funny that we will turn to the Bible to learn about so many things in life but then disregard what God has to say about money. God has a lot to say about money and if we can apply God’s wisdom to our finances, our lives will improve. God says if we will embrace and live out His principles on money, we will be blessed. But none of this makes talking about money easy.
Money is a topic that can bring up feelings of guilt, shame, and inadequacy. I had to make a disclaimer last week that we aren’t talking about money this month because we need you to give more money to the church and I said that because people have this perception that the church is only interested in your money.
Our desire at Faith Church is for all of us to grow deeper in 3 relationships, a relationship with God, the church, and the world. That’s what we are interested in, but how we spend our money impacts all these relationships. Obedience, generosity, service, and blessing are all rhythms that shape these 3 relationships and each of these rhythms include not only how we use our time and talent, but also our treasure. So talking about money is important to growing in faith, but in our culture, talking about money is messy.
One reason talking about money is messy is because while God has a lot to say about money, so does the world. What God says about money is truth, but much of what the world says about money is a lie. Today we are going to look at 4 lies the world tells us about money. The first and probably the biggest lie goes like this…
You’ll be happy when you buy _____________.
And you can fill in the blank. When I wake up on Christmas and see the new car in my driveway with the big red bow, I’ll be happy. When I get that little box with diamonds in it, I’ll be happy. I will be happy when I am able to get the latest iphone or tablet, when I am able to buy some new clothes, when I have the latest technology, or redo my entire house so it looks like something from HGTV. I’ll be happy when I have new, more, or the right stuff.
We worship stuff. Stuff makes us happy. We believe stuff will fulfill our lives, which is why we are always buying more and more and more. If we believe that the right stuff will make us happy, then this will be our life…
If we think stuff will make us happy and fulfill all our hopes and dreams, then this will be our life because we will always need more stuff and new stuff. When we worship stuff, we will be running on a hamster wheel forever. Now don’t get the wrong idea, there is nothing wrong with stuff. There is nothing wrong with having stuff, buying new stuff, and even enjoying the nice stuff we have. It is OK to have stuff, just don’t let your stuff have you. Don’t let what you own - own you.
One way to see if we own our stuff or if our stuff owns us is to look and see if we are going into debt to buy it. Last week we talked about how debt makes us a slave. Proverbs 22:7, the borrower is slave to the lender. If we go into debt to buy newer stuff and nicer stuff, then that stuff now owns us. We are living for it, more specifically we are living to pay it off. Too often we are held back from doing what we might want to do, or what God might want us to do, because of our debt. Our things can hold us back, they can hold us hostage. Jesus said, No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24
That word money is the word mammon which means earthly goods; property; riches. Jesus isn’t just talking about our money here, He is also talking about our possessions, our property, all our stuff. The more stuff we get, the more we are a slave to it because we have to store it, care for it, dust it, insure it, and figure out what to do with it all when we are gone. It consumes us, and yet we tell ourselves life won’t be complete without it.
We need to stop believing this lie and here are 3 ways we can combat it and get off that hamster wheel.
1. Stop comparing. When we compare our lives to the lives of those around us, we think that to be happy we have to have what they have. If I can have a new camper like the ones I see at the campground each year, I’ll be happy. If I can get my kids into the right sports like my neighbors, they will be happy. If I can get my family to look “instagram perfect”, we will be happy.
Comparing ourselves to others is always a losing game. Pastor Craig Groeschel has said “when we compare ourselves to others, we either feel inferior or superior and neither one honors God.” We need to stop comparing ourselves to others and start giving thanks.
2. Give thanks. Give thanks for what you do have. Give thanks for the blessings God has given you. Give thanks for the opportunities you have, the family you have, the friends you have, the life you have. Gratitude can change our perspective, increase our joy, and bring about the happiness that stuff can’t.
3. Be humble. It’s important to remember that humility isn’t thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less. The world tells us that everything is about us. Even our phones have a camera that points to us so that no matter where we are or what we are doing we can get a selfie and make it all about us. Instead of looking at ourselves, we need to look up and out.
Look up to God. The first commandment is to have no other god before God. Let’s not worship our stuff but God. Let’s not look to things of this world to make us happy or feel content or fulfilled, let’s look to God. Look up and then look out. Look out to those who are in need and those who need love and care and attention and then let’s give it. Be generous. Be outrageously generous and then let God bless you with a sense of peace and fulfillment that nothing else can bring. Being humble means looking up and out.
When we do look up, we see a God who created us in His image. God is the biggest giver of all time. God gave life to the world. God gave love to the world and that love was most clearly seen in the gift of His son Jesus. In Jesus, God gave us forgiveness, grace, and the gift of eternal life. God’s entire being is to give and so if God is the embodiment of giving, then as children created in His image, we should also give. When we look up to God we need to give thanks for all God gives, and when we look out we should give. This way of life keeps us from thinking that we need more in order to be happy.
The second lie that the world tells us is that you don’t need anyone else - you can do it on your own. This lie is particularly true for us in the United States as we see self-reliance and independence as a virtue. But we were not created to be self-reliant. We weren’t created to do it all on our own. We were created to be in a relationship with God and with others.
One way this lie impacts our financial situation is when we say things like, it’s my money so I can do with it what I want. Last week I shared that the #1 cause of divorce is money and if you see your income as your money, so you can spend it anyway you want to, it can create some problems. When we start thinking that I worked hard for my money so I can spend it how I want to and buy what makes me happy, we have failed to remember that in marriage, two become one and we are to submit to one another in love.
Being single also doesn’t mean we can use our money the way we want to either. Trust me on this. I often feel compelled to think about how God might want me to use my money to help others in my family, in the church, and in the community. Am I willing to reach out to others and use my resources to help form the true community God wants, the kingdom of God.
In the book of Acts it says that followers of Jesus shared all things in common so that there was no one in need. Am I willing to see myself as part of a larger family? And if I am, what responsibility do I have to that larger family? The world says our money is our own and we can do with it what we want but God says that what we have is a gift from Him and we need to share what we have with others.
The third lie the world tells us is that you are your mistake. Let me ask, how many of you have ever made a mistake? We all make mistakes. We also all make mistakes when it comes to our money. How many of you have ever spent money on something you thought would make life better only to find that it didn’t. I once bought a nordic rider, if you don’t know what that is, it is an exercise machine that was supposed to make you fit and healthy. It wasn’t cheap. It was the most expensive clothes rack I ever bought. We all make mistakes.
The problem when we make mistakes that involve money is that we have an actual scorecard that we can’t get away from. That mistake cost me $400 or $4,000. That mistake set me back financially for 6 months or 6 years. The actual numbers can haunt us and go with us. Or maybe our mistakes have led us to where we are financially, and our net worth isn’t what it should be. The world says that our net worth equals our self-worth, but that is not true. Our money does not define us. Our financial mistakes don’t define us. There is forgiveness, there is grace, and we can become a new creation in Christ Jesus.
We are not our money mistakes. We are not our fiscal failures. We are a new creation in Christ Jesus and can find financial freedom when we learn to accept God’s grace, forgive ourselves, and move into a new life.
And the last lie that the world tells us is YOLO. If you don’t know what this means, don’t worry, you are not alone. I saw this acronym for a long time before I asked someone what it means. You Only Live Once. The world tells us that we only live once and therefore it’s ok to spend all our money right here and now to do all we want to do, experience all we want to experience, buy all we want to buy and not worry about tomorrow. While it is true that we only have one life to live in this world, God doesn’t tell us to spend all we have on ourselves during this life. God says, A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children. Proverbs 13:22
In other words, don’t spend all you have on you - think about your children and their children. Clearly there are financial implications with this teaching. We need to ask ourselves how our money is being used for future generations, but this wisdom goes well beyond money management.
What inheritance are you leaving for your children and their children when it comes to your faith, or your wisdom, or your love? What kind of legacy are you leaving by how you live your life? YOLO is all about you and today, a legacy is about others and tomorrow, and it is never too late to start leaving behind a faithful legacy. Since we are not defined by our mistakes and it is never too late to become a new creation in Christ Jesus, we can choose today to leave behind a legacy of faith and service and love that will speak to generations to come.
Friday was Veterans’ Day, and we all celebrate the legacy left by those who have been willing to serve. Veterans didn’t live for themselves but for others and they didn’t just live for the moment but to help create a better future. That’s living for our children and our children’s children.
In every church I served, I heard the stories and was blessed by the legacy of those who had gone before us. My first church in Altoona was built in the 1920’s with a basketball court in the basement. The people 100 years ago had faith and vision and they left a legacy that continues to touch the lives of children a century later.
Here at Faith Church, over 50 years ago a group of people said they were going to build here and they began a building project that included a sanctuary that could also be a fellowship hall and a wing of classrooms. 20 years later people said we need a separate and larger sanctuary for the church to grow so they built this space, and then 10 years later another group added on another wing of classrooms for children, youth, and families.
They had faith, and vision and gave financially to bless their children’s children. They left us a great legacy. What legacy are we leaving for our children’s children? I’m not talking about bigger or newer buildings; I’m talking about a vital faith that speaks to the next generation?
I’m grateful that right here and right now we are investing ourselves in children and youth and families. I’m thankful that we are committed to worship that reaches multiple generations and that we are investing in technology that allows us to connect with even more people. I’m thankful that we have a vision for reaching people beyond these walls in our own community but also in the communities around us, and a vision to grow and build the kingdom of God wherever God leads us.
What legacy are you leaving for your children and their children? What legacy are we leaving for the next generation and the one to follow them? No matter what we have done before, we can start today to leave a legacy of life, or love, and of faith. Let us choose this day to turn away from the world’s lies and walk in the truth and grace of God.
Next Steps
4 Lies the World Tells Us about Money
1. You will be happy when you buy____________.
● When have you listened to this lie? What did you buy? Did it bring lasting happiness?
● How does this thinking lead us to the hamster wheel?
● Read what Jesus said about the pursuit of money - Matthew 6:24
● 3 ways to combat this lie: Stop Comparing, Give Thanks, Be Humble. What one step can you take in each of these areas this week? During this Thanksgiving and Christmas Season?
● Join the new Advent Conspiracy small group.
2. You don’t need anyone; you can do it on your own.
● How does this impact your understanding of “your” money?
● How is money handled in your marriage?
● Read Acts 2:42-47. How can I give more to others?
3. You are your mistake
● What financial mistake have you made? How did it shape your identity? How did you find forgiveness and freedom?
● What financial mistake are you wrestling with today? Ask God to forgive you and set you free.
4. YOLO (You Only Live Once)
● How has this shaped your financial decisions?
● Read Proverbs 13:22
● What legacy are you leaving for your children, their children, the church, and the community?
● Give thanks for the legacy left to you by all those who have gone and given before you.
