Series: How Do I Get Out Of This Mess?

Gripped By The Squeeze Of Money

INTRO: Memorial Day is tomorrow. I cannot begin to thank the Lord for all those brave men and women who gave their lives for all of us to keep us safe.

Continuing with our series, “How Do I Get Out Of This Mess?” I want to use, Gripped By The Squeeze Of Money.” Does money cause you problems? Would money bring stability to your life? Would money be the answer to a lot of your problems in life? Well, we all tend to think this is the case. Money brings with it a whole new set of problems. I cannot give you all the answers today. I cannot even list them. But we can look at money and some of it’s effects upon our lives.  Let us read from the scripture.

(1 Timothy 6:7-12)  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. {8} And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. {9} But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. {10} For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. {11} But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. {12} Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

It is obvious our ideas about money are not always in line with scripture. Let us see what we can gain from this today…

Money was not part of our initial moment of life

I don’t care if we had a bank account ready to be set up, or already done

I don’t care if our grandparents were ready to hand us money (like all the other grandchildren)

I don’t care if they found a silver spoon in our mouths

Money will not be a part of our departure from this life

Currency not accepted there

It will stay here

Money does not bring contentment

All we really need is food and clothing

Thus any dissatisfaction we have should line up with that

A Miserable Millionaire

Former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman, in his book God in My Corner, explains how money couldn't buy him happiness.  He writes:

Before I met God, my attitude was about as bad as it could get. Even when everything was going well for me, I couldn’t see it. And I didn’t appreciate it. When Muhammad Ali fought me for the heavyweight championship, I received a five-million-dollar paycheck. That purse was an astronomical amount of money in those days, and would be worth many times more than that amount in today’s dollars. No fighters had ever been so well-paid in the history of boxing. You’d think that being a multimillionaire would bring instant joy to my soul.

It didn’t. Because I lost the boxing match, I couldn’t enjoy my money. I had five million dollars in the bank, but couldn’t find pleasure in even one penny of it!

I chose to see the worst in my situation, and my stomach was tied up in knots as a result. My sour attitude caused me to sink into deep depression, even though I was filthy rich. Five million dollars could buy me anything I wanted—except happiness. (George Foreman, God in My Corner, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007, p.71-72)

Money/riches can be problematic

A snare or temptation (as we preached about last week)

Foolish or lust Hurtful lust (Gold fever – men did really dumb things for money)

Physically detrimental to our heath (or even family’s)

(Proverbs 15:27a)  He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house;…

Can be harmful to our family circle as well

Spiritually it can be fatal as well

Likened to drowning (I think of a fast moving river)

Path to perdition and ruin

Time of sorrow

There is a better way

Seek God’s way of righteousness

A life of trusting Him and seeking His ways

Okay, let’s see what other things we can gain from the scripture about money…

Money is not the answer

(Ecclesiastes 5:10)  He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

Matthew 6:19-20 KJV ¹⁹Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
²⁰But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

It brings compromise in our lives, contempt from others, a clash or conflict that can tear our family apart

Peter mentions Balaam

(2 Peter 2:15)  Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

The Lord warns us as well ( tells about a rich man who faces certain death)

(Luke 12:15-16)  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. {16} And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

We also need to understand…

Money needs to be used properly in our lives

As hard as it is for us, we need to…

Pay our bills and even our taxes

(Romans 13:7-8)  Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. {8} Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Although it seems natural…

Don’t covet what others (seem to) have

God leads us away from this

(Exodus 20:17)  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

It touches us all – we must deal with it

(Jeremiah 6:13)  For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

There is a saying – “Get all you can. Can all you get. Then sit on the can!”

This is the attitude we all have at times. We can never get enough.

It may be a thing of the past, bet we need to…

Be honest in our dealings

(Romans 13:9-14)  For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. {10} Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. {11} And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. {12} The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. {13} Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. {14} But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Jesus said this is important – the basis for the golden rule

(Mark 12:31)  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

And…

Be willing to labor

(2 Thessalonians 3:7-12)  For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; {8} Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: {9} Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. {10} For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. {11} For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. {12} Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

Ecclesiastes 5:19 KJV Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

And, we may not want to, but we need to…

Be a planner

(Luke 14:28)  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

It may not come easy at first, but…

Be generous

Deuteronomy 15:10-11 KJV ¹⁰Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.
¹¹For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 KJV ¹⁷Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
¹⁸That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
¹⁹Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Luke 21:1-4 KJV ¹And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
²And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
³And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
⁴For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury [poverty] hath cast in all the living that she had.

Be a believer (who believes and practices what he preaches

Hebrews 11:6 KJV ⁶But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Gary Marcum – New Beginnings Church – 052409am