The level of our generosity is reflected by the results...

This week, we have been focusing on the issue of giving. Specifically, we have been asking the questions “why should I give? and "how should I give?” And to answer these question, we have been looking at a section of a letter that a man named Paul wrote to a church that was located in Corinth, Greece called 2^nd Corinthians.

Wednesday, we looked at a statement by the Apostle Paul that provided for us the answer to the question “why should I give?” in that when it comes to treasure, we are to give generously because Jesus is generous. We discovered that Jesus Christ was and is rich. He is the hands of creation. He owns everything. Jesus Christ is rich spiritually, relationally, and materially. And Jesus is generous. Paul explains that Jesus is so generous that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor.

Paul then explained that Jesus left the riches of Heaven for the life of a beggar on earth was so that you through His poverty we might become rich. Jesus entered into humanity to live as a beggar and allowed Himself to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful lives by dying the worst death possible by crucifixion so that God the Father could treat us as though we lived Jesus perfect life and bless us with the riches that come from the forgiveness of sin and the relationship with God that we were created for in Heaven.

As followers of Jesus, we are to be generous because Jesus is generous. And when we give generously, we reveal and reflect the generosity of Jesus to others. As a church, we do not ask followers of Jesus to give because we want your money. Instead, as a church, we invite followers of Jesus to respond to the generosity of Jesus by reflecting that generosity in a way that enables us as a church to create environments where people can explore, faith, grow in their faith and experience genuine and authentic community, so God’s kingdom mission can advance and God’s reputation can be enhanced.

Now that leads us to the second question which we are looking at, which is "how should I give?" We see Paul reveal for us the timeless answer to this question just a few verses later in this letter by providing us a timeless principle that most of us have probably heard, but may not have realized that it was from the Bible. So let’s look at it together, beginning in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7:

Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Paul introduces the members of the church at Corinth, and us here this morning to a timeless and true principle when it comes to generosity by way of a familiar farming metaphor: “he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully”. And even today, this metaphor is still used in our culture. However, we tend to say it this way: “you reap what you sow”. This principle is also referred to as the Law of the Harvest.

Now when Paul uses the word sparingly, he is referring to one who is meager when it comes to giving. The word bountifully, on the other hand, literally means generously. And it is in this metaphor that we see Paul reveal for us the timeless and true principle that the level of our generosity is reflected by the results.

Paul’s point here is that the person who is meager or miserly when it comes to investing their treasure in God’s kingdom mission and to meet the needs of others will produce little or no benefit. By contrast, the person who generously invests their treasure in God’s kingdom mission and to meet the needs of others will see their generosity reflected in the benefits that are produced and flow from their generosity.

Now it is important to understand that this principle is neither good nor bad; this principle simply is. And while you can push back against or resist this principle, the principle is active and at work in my life and in your life. Regardless of whether you like this principle or don’t like this principle, you cannot avoid this principle: the level of our generosity is reflected by the results.

Paul then explained to the members of the church at Corinth that, in light of this principle, that each one must do just as he purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And so often, in my experience as a pastor, I have seen this verse used as a justification why Christians are not required to tithe.

The conversation usually goes something like this: “Well Dave, I am a new covenant Christian; I am not under the Law. And since God loves a cheerful giver, I am not bound by any percentage when it comes to giving. And since God does not want me to give if I am not cheerful then I only have to give what would make me cheerful. And what makes me cheerful is to simply give God a tip”. They usually don’t say that part; that is my editorial comment.

However, to understand what Paul is trying to communicate here we first need to understand the meaning of several words and phrases. First, the phrase purposed in his heart literally means to make a decision beforehand. In other words, you should not be deciding how generous you are going to be when it comes to your giving as the offering basket is making its way down your row. If Paul was communicating this phrase in the language we use in our culture today, this phrase might sound like this: “You should have already decided what you are going to give and the check should already be written before the worship service begins.

Paul then provides three reasons why we are to decide beforehand how generous we are going to be when it comes to investing our treasure in God’s kingdom mission through giving. First, when we fail to decide beforehand we can find ourselves investing with an attitude of painful reluctance instead of gratitude. The phrase “grudgingly” literally means to be in pain of mind or spirit”.

And for some of us, if we could paint the true picture of what is going on inside of us when we give during the offering, it might look like this: “here you go; this is so painfully hard, oh what I could do with this if I didn’t have to give it to God”.  Now, here’s the tough question: does that seem like an act of worship to you? Instead of investing our treasure with an attitude that giving is a grateful response to God’s generosity, giving becomes a duty that must be painfully endured.

Second, when we fail to decide beforehand we can find ourselves investing our treasure in giving from pressure instead of pleasure. The phrase “under compulsion” literally means under pressure. “Oh no, here comes the basket, what should I give? I don’t know, I don’t know? What are those around me going to think if they see what I’m giving? Oh I’ll just throw in what’s in my hand” or “I’ll just put this number down on the check”.

Now does that seem like an act of worship to you? Instead of investing our treasure in a heartfelt, joyful response of worship that reflects the generosity of Jesus, we are hurriedly focused on the pressure that comes from beating the deadline of the basket and the possibility of informing the opinions of others.

Third, Paul explains that when we take the time to prayerfully decide beforehand how generous we are going to be when it comes to investing our treasure in God’s kingdom mission through giving, we are able give with an attitude of gratitude that reflects the generosity of Jesus as a response of joyful worship. And it is this attitude of gratitude; it is this response of joyful worship that God loves.

The investment of the treasure that God has given us through giving is an act of worship that is to be done out of a heartfelt and joyous recognition that God is our provider who owns everything and allows us to manage all that He has given us.

So, for those of us that would consider ourselves “new covenant Christians” which we all are if you have a personal relationship with Jesus by the way, and justify this as a reason as to why you are not bound by the “10 percent rule”, here is my question. In light of all that God has generously done to rescue you from your selfishness and sin, what percentage do you think would reflect the heartfelt joy that you feel in response to His generosity?

Is the heartfelt joy that you feel as a result of what Jesus has done for you the same as the joy you feel when your waitress brings your meal to you at the restaurant? Because most people give that waitress 10%; I mean that is the minimum cultural standard isn’t it? So, why are we so put off at the idea of giving God at least a tip when he comes to responding to His activity in our lives but we give almost no thought to giving a waitress a tip? You see, the level of our generosity is reflected in the results.

So what does your generosity, or lack of generosity, say about your relationship with God? And what motivates you to be generous? Do you believe that Jesus is generous? And do you believe that you are to be generous because Jesus is generous? Does your generosity flow from an attitude of loving gratitude in response to Jesus is and what Jesus has done?  

Because, as followers of Jesus, the timeless reality is that, when it comes to treasure, we are to give generously because Jesus is generous.

When it comes to treasure, we are to give generously because Jesus is generous...

This week, we have been talking about a very common perception and objection that many people have when it comes to the church and the issue of money. And that perception and one of the major objections to the church and to Christianity in general, is the belief that the church just wants your money.

We have focused on this issue of giving and the answer to the questions “why should I give? and "how should I give?” And to answer these question, we have been looking at a section of a letter that a man named Paul wrote to a church that was located in Corinth, Greece called 2^nd Corinthians. We have looked on as the Apostle Paul was surprised, and even taken aback, by their attitude of gratitude and the actions of generosity that he experienced the churches of Philippi and Thessalonica, which were immersed in a culture of poverty and persecution.

Unlike the church at Corinth, these poor and persecuted churches were willingly investing their treasure to meet the needs of the church at Jerusalem. Paul did not have to make a sales pitch or a guilt trip to these churches. Instead, these churches heard of the need and were motivated to respond. As a matter a fact, they were so motivated to respond that they gave beyond their ability. In other words, they gave sacrificially.

While the wealthy church at Corinth was dragging their feet when it came to following through on their commitment, the persecuted and poor churches of northern Greece dove in head first in order to be a part of God’s activity in the world. After experiencing God’s activity in the lives of these northern churches, Paul responded by sending Titus, who was partner of Paul’s who also planted a church on the island of Crete to Corinth in order to encourage the church to finish and follow through on the commitment that they had previously made when it came to participating in the famine relief fund for the church at Jerusalem.

Now a natural question that may arise is “why is generosity important when it comes to following Jesus? And does God really expect us to be generous? I mean, so I do not normally give; does that really matter? And why should I be generous and give when it comes to the church? I mean, this is why I feel like churches are just interested in my money.” If these are questions or objections that you have or that you have heard others have when it comes to the subject of giving and generosity, I just want to let you know that these are fair questions to be asking. And as Paul continues in this letter, we see Paul answer these questions and reveal for us a timeless truth when it comes to generosity and giving, beginning in 2 Corinthians 8:8-9:

I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

Paul explains to the church at Corinth the he is not commanding the church to finish and follow through on the commitment that they had previously made when it came to participating in the famine relief fund for the church at Jerusalem. Instead of giving an authoritative directive, Paul explains that their response to his call for them to finish what they started would be “proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.” But what does that mean?

When Paul uses the word prove here, he is explaining that he will draw a conclusion based on their response to Titus’ encouragement to finish what they started. The conclusion that Paul will draw will be in regard to the churches earnest and diligent commitment when it came to their relationship with Christ and His people who form the church.

In other words, Paul had seen the diligent commitment that the northern churches of Greece demonstrated when it came to following Jesus and being a part of God’s kingdom mission in the world. Paul had seen their sincerity or their genuine and authentic love for God that drove and motivated their attitude of gratitude and actions of generosity. Paul had seen that the churches of Philippi and Thessalonica revealed and reflected Christ by how they loved and served those both near and far.

Now, Paul will be able to draw a conclusion as to how committed the church at Corinth is when it comes to following Jesus and being a part of His activity in the world. Paul will see what genuinely drove their relationship with God and His church. Was it gratitude and generosity, or is it something else? Now a natural pushback that many people experience at this point is “what does my generosity have to do with the genuineness or depth of my relationship with Christ”?

Paul provides the reason why our generosity, or lack of generosity, is a barometer as to the depth and sincerity of our relationship with Christ in verse 9; “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” And it is in this statement by Paul that we see provided for us the answer to the question “why should I give?” And that timeless answer is this: When it comes to treasure, we are to give generously because Jesus is generous.

The timeless reality is that Jesus Christ was and is rich. He is the hands of creation. He owns everything. Jesus Christ is rich spiritually, relationally, and materially. And Jesus is generous. Paul explains that Jesus is so generous that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor.

Now when Paul uses the word poor here, this word literally means to become poor as a beggar. Jesus entered into humanity and grew up in a blue collar home of a carpenter. During Jesus ministry He was homeless, relying on the support of others for food and shelter. Jesus left the riches of the glory and majesty of Heaven to live the life of a beggar on earth.

Paul then explained that the reason that Jesus left the riches of Heaven for the life of a beggar on earth was so that you through His poverty we might become rich. Jesus entered into humanity to live as a beggar and allowed Himself to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful lives by dying the worst death possible by crucifixion so that God the Father could treat us as though we lived Jesus perfect life and bless us with the riches that come from the forgiveness of sin and the relationship with God that we were created for in Heaven.

And Jesus generosity had “no strings attached”; Jesus willingly became poor in order to provide us the opportunity to experience the riches of the life that we were created and called to live. I mean what did Jesus get out of the crucifixion? How did Jesus entry into humanity benefit Him?

And the churches of Philippi and Thessalonica and northern Greece got this reality. Their generosity flowed from an attitude of gratitude for what Jesus had done to rescue them from their selfish rebellion and sin. Their generosity flowed from a response of love and a desire to reflect the love of Jesus to the church at Jerusalem and the world. Paul saw this response to who Jesus was and what He had done for these churches as confirmation of the firm commitment that they had to Jesus and His kingdom mission. And in the same way today, Jesus' generous willingness to leave the riches of the glory of Heaven to live a beggar’s life and die an excruciating death should drive us to live a life that is motivated by love and that reveals and reflects His generosity.

You see, as followers of Jesus, we are to be generous because Jesus is generous. And when we give generously, we reveal and reflect the generosity of Jesus to others. As a church, we do not ask followers of Jesus to give because we want your money. Instead, as a church, we invite followers of Jesus to respond to the generosity of Jesus by reflecting that generosity in a way that enables us as a church to create environments where people can explore, faith, grow in their faith and experience genuine and authentic community, so God’s kingdom mission can advance and God’s reputation can be enhanced.

Now that leads us to the second question which we are looking at this morning, which is "how should I give?" We see Paul reveal for us the timeless answer to this question just a few verses later in this letter by providing us a timeless principle that most of us have probably heard, but may not have realized that it was from the Bible.

We will discover that principle Friday...

Taken aback by an attitude of gratitude and actions of generosity...

At the church where I serve, we have been spending our time together looking at what the Bible has to say about the subject of money and finances. We discovered that the Bible teaches that how we handle our money and finances is a big deal. We have discovered that Jesus talked so much about treasure because how we handle our treasure reveals what we treasure. We have discovered that when it comes to treasure, God is the owner and we are the manager.

We have discovered that when it comes to treasure, the measure for how we manage God’s treasure is faithfulness. We have discovered that when it comes to treasure, debt reveals an arrogance that enslaves us. Last week, we discovered that when it comes to treasure, those who fail to plan for the future financially plan to fail financially in the future.

This week, I would like for us to spend our time together talking about a very common perception and objection that many people have when it comes to the church and the issue of money. And that perception and one or the major objections to the church and to Christianity in general, is the belief that the church just wants your money.

Maybe I have just described the perception and objection that you have had with Christianity and the church. Maybe you keep Christianity and the church at arm’s length because you believe that the church is all about the money. Maybe you have encountered Christians or churches that give that perception. Maybe you are thinking to yourself “I know we are only doing this series because the church wants to build a new building, so they are trying to get us to give money for the building.”

And even if you do not believe that the church just wants your money, then why is it we can tend to get so uncomfortable when the issue of money and giving is brought up in church? And why do churches pass the plate and take an offering? Do they take the offering because God needs the money? Or is it just because the pastor needs the money? Why does the church ask Christians to give every week?

So this week, I would like us to focus on this issue of giving and specifically answer the questions “why should I give? and "how should I give?” And to answer these question, I would like for us to spend our time together looking at a section of a letter that a man named Paul wrote to a church that was located in Corinth, Greece called 2^nd Corinthians. And it is in this section of this letter that we will discover the timeless answer to these questions. So let’s jump into this section of this letter together, beginning in 2 Corinthians 8:1-2:

Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.

Paul begins this section of his letter to the church in Corinth by sharing with them the evidence of God’s activity in and through several churches that were located in Macedonia. These were churches that Paul had previously planted in the cities of Philippi and Thessalonica, which were located in the northern region of Greece. And in our Bibles today, we have several letters that were written to these churches. The book of Philippians and the books of 1^st and 2^nd Thessalonians were written to these very churches at around the same time that this letter was written to the church at Corinth.

Paul explained to the church at Corinth, which was located in southern Greece, that in spite of the trouble and distress that these churches were experiencing as a result of persecution and exploitation by the Roman government, that these churches were marked by an unexpected joy. In spite of their outward circumstances, these churches demonstrated an attitude and mindset of gratitude and gladness.

But not only did this church demonstrate unexpected joy in the midst of their persecution. Paul also reveals for us the reality that these churches experienced deep poverty. What is so interesting is that this phrase, in the language that this letter was written in, literally means that their poverty was so significant and extreme that is was difficult to measure. The apostle Paul had a hard time wrapping his mind around how poor these followers of Jesus were.

Yet, in spite of their extreme poverty and the intense persecution they were facing, these churches were extremely rich when it came to their generosity. The phrase the wealth of their liberality, if communicated in the language of our culture today, would sound something like this: “these churches had a ‘no strings attached’ approach when it came to their goodness and generosity.

You see, Paul was surprised, and even that he experienced at these churches that were immersed in a culture of poverty and persecution. And as this letter continues, we see Paul unpack how these churches demonstrated their gratitude and generosity, beginning in verse 3-5:

For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

Here we see Paul sharing with the church at Corinth how he experienced the unexpected joyous gratitude and generosity of the churches. Now to fully understand how Paul experienced the gratitude and generosity of these churches, we first need to understand what Paul is referring to with the phrase “participation in the support of the saints”.

When Paul talks about the support of the saints, he is referring to churches involvement in a special offering that was being taken for the church of Jerusalem, whose members were suffering as a result of a famine in the region. In a previous letter to this church that is recorded for us in the Bible, called the book of 1 Corinthians, we discover that while other churches were following Paul’s instructions to invest their treasure to meet the needs of the church in Jerusalem, the church at Corinth was failing to follow through on their commitment.

In verse three, Paul explains that, unlike the church at Corinth, these poor and persecuted churches were willingly investing their treasure to meet the needs of the church at Jerusalem. Paul did not have to make a sales pitch or a guilt trip to these churches. Instead, these churches heard of the need and were motivated to respond. As a matter a fact, they were so motivated to respond that they gave beyond their ability. In other words, they gave sacrificially. They responded to the need that they saw by pleading and appealing to Paul to be a part of God’s activity by meeting the pressing and practical needs of the church in Jerusalem.

What makes this act by these poor churches so significant as compared to the inaction of the church at Corinth was the difference in the socio-economic condition of these churches. You see, Corinth was a wealthy port city and commercial center and was a key player in the world economy. Unlike the churches of Philippi and Thessalonica, the members of the church at Corinth had the resources that they could easily invest to be a part of what God was doing to help the church at Jerusalem.

So, while the wealthy church at Corinth was dragging their feet when it came to following through on their commitment, the persecuted and poor churches of northern Greece dove in head first in order to be a part of God’s activity in the world. That is why, in verse 5, Paul makes the statement that he did not expect such gratitude and generosity. When Paul uses the phrase “gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God”, he is revealing for us the reality that these churches were first and foremost dedicated to God’s desires for their life and their investment and involvement in what He was doing in the world. And as a result of his experience with these churches in Northern Greece, Paul was provoked to respond. We see his response revealed for us in verses 6-7:

So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well. But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.

After experiencing God’s activity in the lives of these northern churches, Paul responded by sending Titus, who was partner of Paul’s who also planted a church on the island of Crete to Corinth in order to encourage the church to finish and follow through on the commitment that they had previously made when it came to participating in the famine relief fund for the church at Jerusalem.

Paul explained to the church that just as they have excelled in their confident trust in God; just as they excelled in what they comprehended and grasped about the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel; just as they excelled in what they said when it came to doctrine and theology; they were to excel when it came to being a part of God’s activity through this famine relief fund.

You see, while the church at Corinth seemed to have their head, their mouth, and their heart engaged when it came to following Jesus, their hands were disengaged. While they excelled in many areas of what it means to follow Jesus, they were not excelling when it came to their generosity.

Now a natural question that may arise for some of you this morning here is “why is generosity important when it comes to following Jesus? And does God really expect us to be generous? I mean, so I do not normally give; does that really matter? And why should I be generous and give when it comes to the church? I mean, this is why I feel like churches are just interested in my money.”

If these are questions or objections that you have or that you have heard others have when it comes to the subject of giving and generosity, I just want to let you know that these are fair questions to be asking. And as Paul continues in this letter, we see Paul answer these questions and reveal for us a timeless truth when it comes to generosity and giving.

Tomorrow we will discover that timeless truth...

Great guiding principles when it comes to investing...

This week we have been talking about a very practical and yet misunderstood aspect of how we manage the money, possessions, and treasure we have been given. And that aspect involves the issue of investing. We looked at a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the Old Testament of the Bible called the book of Proverbs, where a man named Solomon revealed for us a timeless principle when it comes to the issue of investing in that when it comes to treasure, those who fail to plan for the future financially plan to fail financially in the future.

We talked about the reality that Solomon wanted his son, and humanity throughout history, to clearly understand that there are seasons in our lives where we have the ability and opportunity to prepare financially for the seasons in our lives where will not have the ability or opportunity to do so. Those who plan and prepare for the future by investing in short and long term savings demonstrate the wisdom, the developed skill for living life, that brings the positive result of being prepared for that future when it arrives. Those who fail to plan and prepare for the future by investing in short and long term savings reveal the reality that followed a faulty plan that resulted in them failing to be prepared financially for that future when it arrives.

Now, just as it was last week, you might be here this morning and you are thinking “well Dave that is great; thanks for telling me this now, but where were you five years ago? And how am I supposed to invest anyways?” If that question is running through your mind, I have good news for you. And that good news is this: The Bible also provides some guiding principles when it comes to investing. We discover a guiding principle a little further in the book of proverbs, in Proverbs 21:5:

The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.

In this proverb, we see Solomon provide for us a contrast of two types of investors. One type of investor is diligent. Diligence, simply put, is thoughtful and industrious plodding. This is a person who carefully and thoughtfully makes calculations and plans when it comes to investing. Solomon states for this type of investor, the result is advantage. In other words their investments make steady progress over time that leads to abundance. 

Solomon then contrasts the diligent investor with the hasty investor. The hasty investor makes quick decisions without careful thought. The hasty investor is making the plan up as they go along and often changes that plan without much thought as they go along. The hasty investor is looking to get rich quick. Solomon states that for this type of investor, the result is poverty.

Solomon here is revealing for us the reality that investing requires diligence. Investing is not a get rich quick endeavor. Investing requires careful and thoughtful planning and the diligence to stick with the plan and not become distracted by a get rich quick scheme. Because usually, the people who become rich in the get rich quick scheme is not the investor, it is the one who is running the investment. Take Bernie Madolf, as the most recent example.

But not only does investing require diligence; in Ecclesiastes 11:1-2, we see Solomon reveal for us a second guiding principle when it comes to investing. Let’s discover that guiding principle together:

Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days. Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.

Here we see Solomon paint for us a word picture designed to reveal a guiding principle in investing. To fully understand the word picture, however, we first need to understand what Solomon means when he uses the phrase “Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days”. In Solomon’s day, as it is today, some trade and commerce was conducted over the waterways. Unlike today, however, maritime trade involved to use of wind power. In addition, ships were made of wood.

As a result, maritime commerce was much riskier that commerce conducted over land. Solomon uses this word picture to explain that just like maritime trade, investing is risky. Just like maritime trade, there is the possibility of loss when it comes to investing. Yet, in spite of the risks that are involved, the Jewish people still went ahead and engaged in maritime trade. And in the same way, despite the risks of investing, we should engage in investing.

Solomon then described how we should engage in investing so that we manage the risk of investing in verse 2. Because there is danger in maritime trade, what traders would do is run several small ships that left at differing times instead of running one larger ship on a single load. That way, if misfortune struck, you would not lose the entire product that was being traded. 

Solomon uses this word picture to reveal for us the reality that investing requires diversity. Instead of investing all of our resources in a single investment, we reduce the risks that come in investing by diversifying our investments. We even have a phrase in our culture for this, don’t we? “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”. 

When we diversify our investments, we reduce risk and demonstrate wise management and planning for our future that results in a positive return on our investment. And there are many financial advisors that apply the principles of diligence and diversity when it comes to investing. Because, the timeless reality is that when it comes to treasure, those who fail to plan for the future financially plan to fail financially in the future.

So, how are you doing when it comes to investing? Are your planning for the future financially?

When it comes to treasure, those who fail to plan for the future financially plan to fail financially in the future...

This week, we are talking about investing, which is a very practical and yet misunderstood aspect of how we manage the money, possessions, and treasure we have been given. Yesterday, we talked about the reality that investing, simply put, is making financial plans and provision for the future. There are two types of investing. The first type of investing is called short term savings, which involves putting money aside that is easily and readily accessible to provide for emergencies or future purchases. The second type of investing is long term savings, or investments, which are designed to provide for long term needs or goals.

We then began to look at a proverb that the smartest man who ever lived wrote to his son that is recorded for us in our Bibles in the book of proverbs. Now, a proverb is a little slice of truth about the way things generally happen in life. Solomon engaged a person who he referred to as a sluggard. A sluggard is one who lives a life that is reactive in nature and whose lifestyle is marked by lethargy, laziness, and a lack of motivation. Solomon commanded such a person to go to the ant and observe her ways.

Solomon then explained that what the sluggard, or lazy person, would learn from the lifestyle of the ant would make them wise. In the book of Proverbs, the phrase to be wise or the word wisdom refers to a developed skill for living life that brings positive results. In other words, Solomon is saying, “your lifestyle of laziness and lethargy is not going to bring you positive results, so go learn from the ant so that you can develop some skills for living life that will bring you positive results”. Today, we will see Solomon describe to the sluggard the wisdom of the ant that produces such positive results in Proverbs 6:7:

Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest.

To understand what Solomon is communicating here, we first need to define some terms. When Solomon refers to the ant having no chief, he is explaining that the any has no leader giving him commands or directions to follow. An officer, in the language that this letter was originally written in was a term that was used to describe an accountant or record keeper. When Solomon refers to a ruler, he is referring to someone who exercises dominion or authority over another.

Solomon’s point is that the ant does not have anyone giving orders as to what they should be doing. The ant does not have anyone keeping track or record of what they are doing. The ant does not have anyone that they have to report to who holds them accountable for what they do.

Yet, in spite of the fact that the ant has no one in authority over them that gives them direction and holds them accountable, Solomon states that the ant prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provision in the harvest. In the agrarian culture of Solomon’s day, there were seasons of the year where food grew and there were seasons of the year where food would not grow.

And in such a culture the summer and the fall were the prime times when food needed to be gathered, prepared, and stored so that it would be available during the winter and spring months when food was scarce. For the ant to survive, the ant must harvest his food the right way at the right time.

 

And Solomon’s point is that no one needed to motivate the ant; no one needed to record the ant’s progress in order to hold them accountable; no one needed to exercise dominion or rule over the ant in order for the ant to do what they needed to do in order to survive. Solomon then asks the sluggard a very pointed question in verse 9:

How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? "A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest "—

In other words, Solomon asks the sluggard “how much longer are you going to stay sleeping? How much longer are you going to lay on the couch napping your life away? When are you going to get up from your lazy and lethargic lifestyle that just sleeps through life and get to work?”

You see, there are seasons in our lives that are like the summer and fall for the ant. These are the seasons in our lives when we are physically and emotionally in a condition where we can earn income. For most Americans, the prime income earning years range from 22-65 years old. In other words, we have a 40-45 year window that is our summer and fall seasons in our life. We have a 40-45 year window in which to prepare and gather the resources that are necessary for the later years of our lives.

And, just like the ant, for us to survive financially in the seasons of life when we will no longer be able to prepare and gather financial resources, we must harvest those financial resources the right way at the right time. The sluggard, however, was content to spend the time that he should have been gathering, preparing and storing those resources being lazy and lethargic.

Solomon then reveals the slogan of the sluggard that reveals their lazy, lethargic, and reactive lifestyle: "A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest ". I have time to kick back and relax. I will deal with that later”. The folding of hands is a gesture that demonstrates something isn’t it? I mean, when I fold my hands, what am I saying? I’m saying “I refuse; I am defiant.”

The sluggard’s attitude is “I refuse to do what I should be doing; instead I am going to kick back and take it easy”. Solomon is revealing the reality that the sluggard refuses and instead attempts to escape the responsibility that they have to save and invest for their future. Solomon then reveals the consequences that such decisions have for the sluggard in verse 11:

 Your poverty will come in like a vagabond And your need

 like an armed man.

When Solomon uses the word poverty here, this word is not referring to lack of riches. Instead a person in poverty lacks the necessities of life. A vagabond literally refers to a shiftless wanderer who has no means of support, but instead panhandles. In our culture today, a homeless person would be a word picture of this type of person. Solomon’s point here is that just as the easiest victim for a vagabond is the lazy person who is asleep and lacks the diligence and vigilance to prepare for the future and protect what he has, the person who fails to save or invest for the future places themselves in a position where their laziness and lack of vigilance makes them an easy victim for poverty.

 

Solomon then hammers his point home with another word picture, this time of an armed man attacking a defenseless person. And just as an armed man is able to take away what one has by force, poverty that results from a lack of preparation takes away a person’s money, possessions, and treasure by force, not stealth.

At it is in this proverb that we see Solomon reveal for us a timeless principle when it comes to the issue of investing. And that timeless principle is this: When it comes to treasure, those who fail to plan for the future financially plan to fail financially in the future. Solomon wanted his son, and humanity throughout history, to clearly understand that there are seasons in our lives where we have the ability and opportunity to prepare financially for the seasons in our lives where will not have the ability or opportunity to do so.

Those who plan and prepare for the future by investing in short and long term savings demonstrate the wisdom, the developed skill for living life, that brings the positive result of being prepared for that future when it arrives. Those who fail to plan and prepare for the future by investing in short and long term savings reveal the reality that followed a faulty plan that resulted in them failing to be prepared financially for that future when it arrives.

Now, just as it was last week, you might be thinking “well Dave that is great; thanks for telling me this now, but where were you five years ago? And how am I supposed to invest anyways?” If that question is running through your mind, I have good news for you. And that good news is this: The Bible also provides some guiding principles when it comes to investing.

Friday, we will look at those guiding principles…

The state of investing in our culture today...

At the church where I serve, we are in the middle of a sermon series entitled treasure. During this series, we are spending our time together looking at what the Bible has to say about the subject of money and finances. We began this series by discovering that the Bible teaches that how we handle our money and finances is a big deal. And, as a part of perhaps the most famous sermon that Jesus preached while on earth, we discovered the timeless principle that Jesus talked so much about treasure because how we handle our treasure reveals what we treasure. We discovered that Jesus had no problem talking about treasure because Jesus knew that we spend our treasure on what we treasure.

We then addressed a tension and frustration that we can experience when it comes to our roles and responsibilities with money, possessions and treasure. We looked at a Psalm 50:7-15, and discovered the timeless truth that when it comes to treasure, God is the owner and we are the manager.

Two weeks ago, we spent our time together addressing the question that if God is the owner and we are the managers, then what is the standard we will be held to when it come to how we manage what God gives us? In Luke 16:1-13, we discovered that when it comes to treasure, the measure for how we manage God’s treasure is faithfulness. We discovered that the issue isn’t the amount of treasure you have; the issue is how faithful are you with the amount of treasure you have been given. We also discovered that our relationship with money is directly related to our relationship with Jesus, because followers of Jesus demonstrate the proof and depth of their faith and their relationship with Jesus by how they handle the money, possessions, and treasure of this world.

Last week, we spent our time together addressing an issue that has been prevalent and prominent in the conversations that we have been having as a culture when it comes to money, possessions, and treasure. And that issue is the issue of debt. We talked about the reality that debt is a significant and growing problem in our culture nationally, corporately, and individually. We then looked at a statement that the richest man who ever lived, named Solomon made that was recorded for us in the book or Proverbs. And it was in this statement, along with another statement made by James, who was the half brother of Jesus that we discovered that when it comes to treasure, debt reveals an arrogance that enslaves us.

We discovered that the temptation to get into debt is driven by an arrogance that blinds us to the reality that debt will enslave us. We discovered that the temptation to get into debt becomes awakened by an awareness that there is something better. And it is that awareness that can fuel an arrogant discontentment that can leads us to make decisions that result in debt. We ended our time together recognizing that the problem isn’t in understanding how to get out if debt. Instead, the problem is in our behavior when it comes to getting out of debt.

This week, I would like for us to spend our time together talking about a very practical and yet misunderstood aspect of how we manage the money, possessions, and treasure we have been given. And that aspect involves the issue of investing. My hope and prayer is that we would be able to wrap our heads and hearts around three specific answers to three specific questions. First, my hope and prayer is that we would be able to wrap our minds around what investing is. In other words, that we would understand on a practical level what we are talking about when we talk about investing.

Second, my hope and prayer is that we would be able to wrap our minds around why we should invest. In other words, I want to answer the question “why do I need to worry about investing? Does investing really matter?” And third, my hope and prayer is that we would be able to wrap our minds around how we should invest. In other words, in a practical way, how can we as individuals wisely invest the money and treasure we have been given?

So let’s take each of these questions head on, one at a time, so that we would be able to come to discover the answers. Simply put, investing is making financial plans and provision for the future. Investing is the opposite of debt, which we talked about last week. Investing makes provision for tomorrow, while debt is presuming upon tomorrow.

There are two types of investing. The first type of investing is called short term savings, which involves putting money aside that is easily and readily accessible to provide for emergencies or future purchases. Dave Ramsey, who is a financial expert that I highly recommend, recommends that the first financial goal that one should have is to have $1,000 put away in an emergency fund, or short term savings.

After achieving the second goal, which is to be debt free except for a house payment, Ramsey suggests that a person or family have between 3-6 months income set aside in what he calls a fully funded emergency fund, or short term savings account. The second type of investing is long term savings, or investments, which are designed to provide for long term needs or goals.

A question that often arises at this point is “well, Dave, why is that so important? And why should I really become so focused on savings or investing?” And this question or objection, whether or not it is verbalized, is apparent in the statistics of our culture when it comes to investing, especially short term savings. Studies have revealed that the average American is three weeks away from bankruptcy.

The average American is three weeks away from bankruptcy because they have either no emergency fund or short terms saving, significant consumer or mortgage debt, or a combination of the two. Here is a question to consider? If you were somehow unable to work and earn a paycheck, how long would it be until you would be unable to pay your bills? For the average American, it is only three weeks. After missing one paycheck, the average American is in a position, where they do not have the financial resources to pay their bills apart from going deeper into debt.

And this problem is not a new problem. This is a problem that has been around for thousands of years. As a matter of fact, around 2,950 years ago, the wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon, wrote a proverb to his son that is recorded for us in our Bibles in the book of proverbs. Now, a proverb is a little slice of truth about the way things generally happen in life.  And it is in a section of this proverb that we see revealed for us the reason why we should invest and why investing matters. So let’s look at this proverb together, beginning in Proverbs 6:6:

Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise,

Here we see Solomon engaging a person who he refers to as a sluggard. Now a sluggard is someone who is lazy and sluggish. A sluggard is one who lives a life that is reactive in nature and whose lifestyle is marked by lethargy, laziness, and a lack of motivation. Solomon commands such a person to go to the ant and observe her ways.

If Solomon was to communicate this command in the language we use in our culture today, this command would sound something like this: “I want you to go watch how an ant lives their life so that can learn something from the life of the ant that you have not learned in your own life.” Solomon then explains that what the sluggard, or lazy person, would learn from the lifestyle of the ant would make them wise.

In the book of Proverbs, the phrase to be wise or the word wisdom refers to a developed skill for living life that brings positive results. In other words, Solomon is saying, “your lifestyle of laziness and lethargy is not going to bring you positive results, so go learn from the ant so that you can develop some skills for living life that will bring you positive results”. Solomon then describes to the sluggard the wisdom of the ant that produces such positive results in verse 7.

Tomorrow we will discover that wisdom together…

A strategy to deal with debt...

This week, we have been addressing an issue that has been prevalent and prominent in the conversations that we have been having as a culture when it comes to money, possessions, and treasure. And that issue is the issue of debt. So far this week, we have talked about the state of debt in our culture today.

Wednesday, we talked about the significance of debt in our culture today by looking at two different passages that provide us a timeless principle when it comes to the issue of debt. And that timeless principle is this: When it comes to treasure, debt reveals an arrogance that enslaves us.

We talked about the reality that the temptation to get into debt is driven by an arrogance that blinds us to the reality that debt will enslave us. You see, awareness, leads to discontentment, which leads to debt. We can be perfectly content until we became aware that there is something better. And it was that awareness that fueled an arrogant discontentment that can lead to debt.

Now, today you may be thinking “well Dave that is great; thanks for telling me this now, but where were you five years ago? I am in debt now, how am I supposed to get out of debt?”

If that question is running through your mind, I have good news for you. And that good news is that the letters that make up the Bible also provides a strategy on how to get out of debt; a strategy that we find back in the book of Proverbs. So let’s look at that strategy together, beginning in Proverbs 6:1:

My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, Have given a pledge for a stranger, If you have been snared with the words of your mouth, Have been caught with the words of your mouth,

In this proverb, we see Solomon addressing the issue of debt with his son by providing an example of what not to do. To understand the example, however, we first need to define some terms. When Solomon uses the word surety, he is referring to a person who pledges to guarantee the debt of another. The word pledge here refers to making a down payment that serves to seal a financial agreement.

In our culture today, we refer to this as being a cosigner on a loan. Solomon is providing an example of a person who provides the down payment and cosigns on a loan for another that commits them to be responsible to pay off the loan if the person defaults on the loan. Notice how Solomon describes this financial arrangement in verse 2: “If you have been snared with the words of your mouth, have been caught with the words of your mouth”.

Solomon uses a hunting metaphor that paints a picture of an animal being caught by the bait of a trap to describe how a person becomes caught by the bait of debt by making the commitment to enter into such a financial arrangement as a cosigner. Here’s the timeless principle that Solomon provides in these verses: Never, ever, ever, be a cosigner for a loan.

There is a reason why that bank is not willing to lend a person money. And that reason is because the bank views that person as being a serious risk to fail to pay back the loan. There is myriad of landmines that surround the idea of cosigning for someone else, especially when it involves family. After providing the example of debt, Solomon then provides a strategy for getting out of debt in verse 3:

Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself; Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor, Go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor. Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids;

Here we see Solomon provide his son three specific commands in order to deliver, or free himself from the trap of debt that he had become caught in. Solomon’s first command is to go. In other words, Solomon is revealing the reality that debt is a serious and urgent problem that requires immediate attention. Debt does not resolve itself; the trap of debt needs to be attacked immediately and aggressively.

Second, Solomon commands his son to humble yourself. What is so interesting is that this command, in the language that this letter was originally written in, literally means to exert oneself to the point of exhaustion through persistence. Solomon’s point behind this command is that getting out of debt requires strenuous effort. While it does not take much effort to get into debt, it takes a great deal of effort to get out of debt.

Third, Solomon commands his son to importune the lender. This word literally means to plead your case aggressively or to badger someone. In other words, Solomon is encouraging his son to consistently and persistently speak to the lender to attempt to negotiate a situation where the debt could be paid off sooner or with terms that are more reasonable.

In verse 4, Solomon then reinforces these commands with two additional admonitions: Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids. Solomon’s point is that we are not to be lazy when it comes to dealing with our debt. Instead we are to deal with the debt immediately. Solomon then paints an amazing word picture to summarize his strategy in verse 5:

Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter's hand And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

Solomon provides a word picture that, while we may never have experienced firsthand, almost all of us have seen this picture unfold, haven’t we? I mean, at some point in our lives all of us have seen this picture play out, either on wild kingdom growing up or on natural geographic today. You know the picture: “Jim, here we see the gazelle grazing in the African tundra. Just look at what a beautiful animal the gazelle is. Oh, now we see the cheetah, as the hunter, begin to stalk his prey”. Have you ever noticed that the humans never warn the gazelle?

We all know what happens next, don’t we? Sure we do- there is going to be a chase; the cheetah is going to chase the gazelle. And one of two things is going to happen: either the cheetah will catch the gazelle and have dinner, or the gazelle is going to escape.

Now here is the question: Are either the cheetah or the gazelle casual about what is happening? Does either the cheetah or the gazelle seem to be lazily going through the motions? No, there is intensity there; I mean that is why we lean to the edge of our seat; that is why we do not change the channel; that is what we watch. There is an adrenaline rush and intensity that occurs.

And it is that same intensity that Solomon wants his son to display as he attacks the debt that he has become enslaved to. As Dave Ramsey so famously states when referring to this passage “we need to attack debt with a gazelle like intensity”. You see getting out of debt is like dieting.

Debt and dieting are really both quite simple. We all know that we gain weight when we eat more calories than we expend. And is the same way we get into debt when we spend more money than we earn. Similarly, we all know that we lose weight when we burn more calories than we eat. And, in the same way, we get out of debt by making more money than we spend. 

The problem isn’t in understanding how to diet or get out if debt; the problem is in our behavior when it comes to dieting or getting out of debt. And to get out of debt, we need to, with gazelle like intensity, make more money than we spend and then take that money to pay off the debt. It is as simple as that.

Whether it is working two or three jobs in order to pay off the debt; whether it is spending significantly less money than in the past; whether it is a combination of the two; to get out of debt requires an intense and a persistent commitment to do so. Because, as we have seen this morning, when it comes to treasure, debt reveals an arrogance that enslaves us.

So, are you in debt? And if you are in debt, what are you doing to get out of debt?  Because debt enslaves us and arrogantly presumes upon tomorrow.