What About... My Money? I have taken the time to write this booklet for four reasons. First of all, almost everyone struggles at some time in the area of money. Jesus said it is impossible to serve both God and money (Matt. 6:24), but we still try. The primary goal of this writing is to help the honest follower of Christ discover the joy of giving all to God. Secondly, when we see that God has given everything for us, it is very easy for us to give everything to God. Jesus said to a the rich young ruler in Mark 10, You still lack one thing. That meant the ruler had done a lot of things right, but was still unsuccessful in fully obeying God. His hang up was possessions. Thirdly, we need to recognize that throughout our life, the Holy Spirit will be challenging us to grow in God. The way we handle the resources of our life, that is our time, money, energy, possessions and abilities, show whether God is really in charge or not. Finally, we need to learn to see life as an act of worship. Worship is more than words attached to music. Worship is a lifestyle in which we put God in first in all we do. The ways we use the resources God has given me is clearly and act of worship. When something comes between God and us, we call that thing an idol. God takes idol worship personally and it is offensive to Him. I want you to clearly see that the way you live your life is worship to God, and it is 24 X 7 (24 hours a day & 7 days a week). My hope, as your pastor, is for each of you to grow spiritually and become all God can make you in this life. Being a faithful and honorable steward is very much a part of that growth process. May God give you insight, as you choose to obey Him.
2 Why Do We Emphasize Stewardship At Creekside? Being a steward of the resources God gives us in this life is an important part of being a Christ follower. As you will see, Jesus talked more about money than any other subject. In this booklet, I have tried to give you a money overview as well as answering some questions that have been repeatedly posed to me. I hope it is helpful in your spiritual growth as you learn to discover, trust and love Jesus Christ. What is Stewardship? A steward is a manager someone who is in charge of something that belongs to someone else. We brought nothing into the world and we will take nothing out of it. We are to be stewards of all God puts in our charge. Here are a few more helpful points on stewardship. 1. Stewardship is part of our ability to produce wealth, which comes from the Lord. But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. Deut. 8:18 "Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can." John Wesley 2. Stewardship means learning to be generous. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. Proverbserbs 11:25 "Generous people are rarely mentally ill people." Karl Menninger 3. Stewardship is trusting God, which is a critical step in our personal spiritual growth. 2
3 A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper. Proverbs 28:25 I know God will not give me anything I can t handle. I just wish He didn t trust me so much. Mother Theresa 4. Stewardship reflects the condition of my heart. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt 6:19-21 "If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life." Billy Graham 5. Stewardship determines how we will sow and reap in our life. Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 2 Cor. 9:6 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Gal. 6:7 6. Jesus thinks the subject of stewardship (how we handle our resources and possessions) is very important. He talked about money in 16 of 38 parables. 7. The BibleBible devotes 500 verses to prayer, less than 500 verses to faith, but over 2000 verses to money and possessions. Keys to Staying Out of Financial Stress 1. Budgets are a Blessing. 3
4 A personal, written budget shows faithfulness on our part, as we handle the resources that God has given us. Budgets show we are stewards of these resources from God and that we will be ready to handle more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Matt 25:21 Your budget should be in writing in order to hold you accountable. If your budget is only in your head, it simply won t work. 2. Debt can be Dangerous. The Bible doesn t tell us we can t go into debt, but it does give us guidelines for both borrowing and lending money. Avoiding the pitfalls of debt is critical to being a good steward of God s resources. Scriptures on borrowing... Romans 13:8 says, Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. Psalms 37:21 says, The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously... Proverbs 22:7 says, The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. 3. What about loans and borrowing money? God asks us to be gracious and patient if we loan others money. He also expects anyone who borrows money to pay it back fully. Loaning money is often a source of friction in a relationship. It should be avoided, if possible. 4
5 Deut 24:10-11 10 When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, do not go into his house to get what he is offering as a pledge. 11 Stay outside and let the man to whom you are making the loan bring the pledge out to you. Ezek 33:14-15 14 And if I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right-- 15 if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan, returns what he has stolen, follows the decrees that give life, and does no evil, he will surely live; he will not die. 4. Planning is Preferred. We live in a world that emphasizes impulse buying, and that is dangerous. Quick decisions usually lead to long-term regret, and spending is no different. Planning large purchases ahead of time requires us to use the Christian virtues of patience and self-control, but the benefits are worth it. Proverbs 6:6-8 says, "Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 30:24-28 says "... things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;... " Proverbs 22:2-4 says, "Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all. A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life." What About Tithing? Tithing is the practice of giving a tenth of one s income or property as an offering to God. The word tithe means tenth. It is God s basic plan for funding His work on the earth through His church. 5
6 The first recorded instance of tithing in the Bible occurs in Gen. 14:17-20. After returning from rescuing Lot and defeating his enemies, Abraham met Melchizedek, the King of Salem and priest of God Most High. The text states simply that Abraham gave Melchizedek a tithe of all the goods he had obtained in battle. Jacob, Abraham s grandson, also gave a tenth to the Lord, as recorded in Genesis 28:22. This happened long before God s law on tithing was taught by Moses. Thirdly we have the Law of Moses, regarding tithing, given in Leviticus 27:30-32 and Deuteronomy 12:5-7, 11-12 & 17-18. This gives the details of tithing, stating that the Hebrew people were required to give from their fruit, and seed and flocks. The most clearly given Old Testament teaching on tithing comes from Malachi 3:7-12, which reads: 7 Ever since the time of your fathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty. But you ask, How are we to return? 8 Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, How do we rob you? In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse, the whole nation of you, because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit, says the Lord Almighty. 12 Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land, says the Lord Almighty. Basic to tithing is the acknowledgment of God s ownership of everything in the earth (Psalms 24:1). In the New Testament, the words tithe and tithing appear eight times (Matt. 23:23, Luke 11:42, 18:12, Hebrews 7:5-6, 8-9). As believers, Christ Himself is our model in giving. He gave everything for us. 6
7 In the New Testament, giving is to be voluntary, willing, cheerful and given in the light of our accountability to God. Giving should be systematic (I Cor. 16:1-3) and not limited to just tithing (II Cor. 8:7). We recognize that all we have is from God. We are called to be faithful stewards of all our possessions. Tithing also is a means by which God blesses us. He promises to open the windows of heaven for us. Our obedience clears the way to experiencing God s blessing in our lives. Seven Common Questions About Tithing 1. What should I do if my spouse doesn't believe in tithing? First of all, pray for your spouse's understanding of the scriptures. Explain why you believe in tithing and how you see it affecting your family and finances. See if you can do a three-month test. And finally, if possible, do what you can by tithing on the part of the money you control. 2. Does God promise a financial return for our faithful tithing? Yes. The Hebrew language used here implies prosperity, which is more that just finances, but also includes finances. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. Malachi 3:10 3. Why does God call someone in the church that doesn t tithe, a "robber"? Isn't that kind of harsh? In the same way that our government has the right to levy taxes to support our country, God has an even greater right to institute a means to support His church on the earth. He has chosen tithes and offerings as this means. God understands that we grow spiritually and this takes time. 7
8 He is patient with us. Once we clearly know the truth about His financial plan from his word, we are responsible to be obedient. 4. I want to tithe, but if I paid 10% now, I'm afraid I'd go broke. What should I do? Obedience to the Lord is the key here. Jesus said only those who love Him will obey Him (John 14:23-24). God knows it may be hard to begin and that's why He offers us a test (Mal. 3:10). In a practical way, the 90-day challenge complies with this principle. Here's how the 90-day challenge works. Follow the eight key principles of tithing for 90 days. If at the end of that time you feel you have made a mistake, or God is wrong, or you have not been blessed, we will refund the amount you gave. It is important that you make a decision to honor the Lord with your obedience. After obedience, attitude is key. 5. Should I tithe on net or gross earnings? Do you want a gross blessing or a net blessing? The Bible tells us to tithe on the increase of what God has blessed us with (Duet. 14:22). If you are a business person, for example, you may have spent $100 to make $20 profit, then your gross total would be $120, but your increase would be $20. That is what we are to tithe on. 6. Is my local church really the storehouse mentioned in Malachi 3:10? The Hebrew word for storehouse literally means, "treasure depository". It is clear from Malachi 3:10, we are not to divide our tithe (Bring the whole tithe) and give a little here and a little there. It is to all go to one place. It is also clear that the purpose of the tithe is to provide provision for God's house (that there may be food in my house). Finally, the scripture does not say to bring the tithe into a storehouse, but the storehouse. Each of us has a specific storehouse that we draw from spiritually. That is our local church and that s where the tithe goes 8
9 7. If tithing is an Old Testament teaching, why should we hold to it? Jesus confirmed many Old Testament teachings in the New Testament. Tithing is just one Old Testament principle that Jesus supported in the New Testament. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices-- mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-- justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. Matthew 23:23 The Old Testament is valid for our day as well. Galatians 3:24 tells us that the law (Old Testament) was given to bring us to faith. Jesus also told us the commands of the New are greater than the Old in His Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:20-48). If tithing is emphasized in the Old Testament, then it is only a starting place in the New. Beyond tithing, the New Testament teaches proportional giving (I Cor. 16:1-2, II Cor. 9:6-11). Tithes & Offerings are God's Way of Supporting His Church. The reward of a successful tithing steward is partnership with God. God offers us all the benefits, if we are willing to meet the requirements of consecration and obedience. God s plan for funding His church is tithes and offerings. This is taught internationally in churches around the world. Tithing has been the backbone of supporting God s church since the time of Moses. Here s some key tithing points from scripture. Tithing is the Bible word meaning "tenth". Tithing came before the law. Genesis 14:20 God considers the tithe His personal property. Lev.27: 30-32 Jesus supported tithing in His teaching. Matt. 23:23 9
10 8 Primary Principles of Tithing #1 God considers it robbery when His people do not tithe. Malachi: 6-8 Robbery is different than stealing. When someone is robbed, it is personal, as in a mugging or pickpocket. Stealing is taking something that doesn t belong to you. It is usually not a personal item. God is telling us that He takes the issue of tithing very personal. #2 Tithing causes us to rise above the curse. Malachi: 9 The whole earth is under a spiritual curse from the fall and sin (Gen. 3:17). Everything we have comes from the earth. When we tithe, God s blessings cause us to rise above the curse. #3 We are not to divide the tithe, but give it as a whole. Malachi 3:10 God tells us not to split our tithe in any way. We are not to send some of it to missions, or other ministries. He is very specific that our entire tithe is to be given as one lump sum. #4 Our tithe belongs in the storehouse. Malachi 3: 10 God not only tells us not to divide the tithe, but where to put it. We are to put the tithe in our storehouse, that is, the place where we receive our spiritual food. Tithing is God s way of making sure there is adequate support in His church to do His work. #5 Tithing provides the base for God's House. Malachi 3: 10 The purpose of tithing is to provide the source of sustenance for the local church. The church is the work of God on earth. Jesus gave His life to found the church, so it is close to the heart of God. Naturally, He wants it well supplied. 10
11 #6 God invites us to test this principle. Malachi 3: 10 Tithing is a command, just like other commands in the Bible. We are told not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to lie and more. This is the only command in the Bible where God says to check it out. He doesn t say, try lying and try telling the truth, and then compare. He does, though, say to test Him regarding tithing. Interesting, huh? #7 Tithing opens heavens resources to us. Malachi 3: 10 God says He will open the windows of heaven to a faithful tither. A window provides vision and access to someplace you are currently not in. From a spiritual perspective, God gives tithers a window into heaven s way of doing things that others do not. #8 Tithing rebukes the devourer. Malachi 3: 11 We have an enemy and Satan is his name. He does not work alone, and he has limited power, but he is a devourer. When we tithe, we have God s protection against him. Tithing is like God s spiritual insurance policy. What s the Difference Between Tithes and Offerings? God holds us responsible for giving both tithes and offerings (Mal.3:7). Simply put, anything we give beyond our tithe is considered an offering. We cannot give an offering until we have tithed. In other words, God expects us to go beyond tithing, into the realm of offerings. He tells us where to put our tithe and commands us to be good stewards with our offerings. One of the most helpful kinds of offerings we can give is alms (Matt.6:3-4). This is the only time our giving is to be done in secret. That s why we have a special area of ministry in our church just for giving to the needy. 11
12 Another word for alms is benevolence, or giving to those in need. Nothing is more satisfying that helping someone with the resources God has given us. God wants us to understand, though, that this is not the place for our tithe. If we give our tithe to help other people, it is the equivalent to paying rent to the landlord, with money earning from selling off parts of the house we are renting. The landlord wouldn t be happy and neither is God. Our first response should be to become a faithful tither and then move into the giving of offerings. Giving to missions, evangelists, orphanages, food programs, needy people or church planting, are some examples of offerings. Seven Warning Signals that Our Loyalties are Shifting from God to Possessions. Look at the following checklist and reflect for yourself on your attitude. Each of these statements is designed to help you sort out the priorities in your life. Write your own thoughts for each statement as you meditate on the content and Let the Holy Spirit speak to your heart. 1. I try to manage my money with God s help and not be anxious about it. 2. Sometimes envy and jealousy creeps into my life. 12
13 3. I have lost appreciation for what God has already given me. 4. I have never known or have lost the joy of cheerful giving. 5. I have a tendency to spend more time seeking things than God. 6. Sometimes I act and live like things will make me happy. 7. I have plenty, but still want more. 13
14 7 Goals for Successful Stewards at Creekside Below are listed seven stewardship goals that we are focusing on as a church. These are long-term goals because they represent elements of both personal and public discipleship, or spiritual growth. 1. Increasing spiritual growth and obedience in our church. 2. Increasing individual prosperity, as taught in scripture. 3. Reduced individual debt. 4. Increased personal funds, resulting from obedience, for God s work. 5. 10-20% increased giving to God s kingdom through our church. 6. More and better disciples resulting from new ministries, which is a result of new money. 7. Clear understanding of the following four Biblical principles. WHO'S IN CHARGE? The Ownership Principle Psalm 24:1 states very clearly that "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it". If you've ever thought of yourself as the owner of your home, just think about how long the dirt underneath it was there before you lived in it, and how long it'll be around after you -- and the house -- are gone. That puts things in perspective, doesn't it? In this world, God is the owner of everything, and He has chosen us as managers. When we acknowledge that truth, we can release our feelings of ownership or entitlement to the things we have. And we are free to be less selfish and more responsible in how we use our time, money and resources. 14
15 WHO'S NUMBER ONE? The Priority Principle If God is the owner of all that we have, then He deserves the first of everything. Yet many people, even those who describe themselves as his followers, tend to give Him only the "leftovers" -- what remains after our own needs have been met. In Proverbs 3:9, we're commanded, "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops". God's will on this subject is very clear. But God's directive doesn't end there -- like most commands, this one's followed by a promise, in the next verse (10) is says, "...then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine." In other words, when we give God first priority in our lives, we don't have to worry about having enough left to meet all of our needs. No matter how you try, you simply can't out-give God. WHO DO YOU LOVE? The Relationship Principle The Apostle Paul said, "God loves a cheerful giver." And I've discovered that while we're capable of giving without loving, it's impossible to love without giving. Giving is the natural result of a loving relationship. Love is the foundation of all generosity. Unlike legalism, which asks, "How little can I give and be obedient?" love asks, "How much can I give?" Our ability to be good stewards of all of the resources God has given us must be based on the fact that we love God with our heart, soul, and strength. Our relationship with Him is the key to our life. Any time you're having trouble giving your possessions over to God, remind yourself of how much He loves us. A natural result of that will be love for Him. WHO DO YOU SERVE? The Leadership Principle You know the Scriptural injunction that we can't serve both God and the things of this world. Unfortunately, people often don't realize how much they're enslaved to the world until it's too late. More bankruptcies occurred a few years ago than ever before in the United States. And that's a shame. 15
16 We're called to serve God and effectively manage the resources He's given us. Whenever we discover that our things are managing us, we know we're out of balance. I hope this booklet has been a blessing to you. If it has, let me know. I encourage you to begin now to put into practice what you have been studying and learning. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be obedient and watch what God will do. Following Christ is an adventure and I hope you enjoy the trip! Pastor Donald E. Ross Lead Pastor Creekside Church www.thecreeksidechurch.org 16