New Series: Christians and the Concept of Wealth

Last Subject #4 – You Are Blessed to be a Blessing!

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)

If we are blessed with the gift of a beautiful voice, the chances are that we will enjoy using our vocal chords to bless others with our singing. Likewise, if our gift is in encouraging people, we will naturally feel the good energy when interacting with folks who need a ‘lift’.  Although we still have to work hard and apply ourselves, we actually thrive when operating in our gifts and enter into our God-given flow.  It is the same with the blessing of gaining more wealth and abundance.  Receiving more money for instance allows us to give more money where it is needed.  Our blessings and gifts come in many types.

Around 4,000 years ago God made an agreement with Abraham.  Part of that agreement was the promise that Abram (Abraham) would be blessed, and in turn, be a blessing to the future families of the earth.

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:1-3 (NIV)

This agreement is referred to again several times in scripture, right through to the New Testament where the Apostle Paul reminds us that all Christians are ‘in on it'.

If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:29 (NIV).

Therefore you should expect by faith, that you are blessed, will be blessed, and ultimately, will be a blessing to others.

GETTING MORE TO GIVE MORE

Staying in the New Testament we find the Apostle Paul instructing another group of Christians at Corinth about the same subject:

For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will give you many opportunities to do good, and he will produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will break out in thanksgiving to God. So two good things will happen – the needs of the Christians in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanksgiving to God. You will be glorifying God through your generous gifts. For your generosity to them will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.2 Corinthians 9:10-13 (NLT).

Verse 11 holds the key principle for us here: “... you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously”.   Paul is clearly talking about material gifts. So the principle here, just as in the Old Testament scripture, is that God blesses us materially so that we in turn can bless those in need.

And in typical God fashion, there is not just one, but two great consequences to this act of generosity. First we see that needs will be met, and secondly, that the recipients will praise God!

In the words of Alistair Kent:

“There is a potential danger to look out for. It comes when we look to the gift and not the Giver, when we focus on the call whilst neglecting the Caller.”

In our dealing with personal finance on a regular basis or our involvement in the ongoing process of creating wealth, it’s easy to get caught up in the destructive nature of the power, influence and security that money can bring.  We must be careful not to think only of the gift but to know and understand who the giver is that gave us the gift.

“Is your treasure the wealth that you have, or maybe the potential wealth you can make? Or is your treasure Jesus? Deuteronomy 8:18 tells us that it is God who gives us the ability to create wealth. For those of you with an entrepreneurial gift you must continually remember that this is a gift from God. Therefore we should look upon the result of that gift (wealth) with a heavenly perspective.

“If you think that just possibly your treasure may be in more of an earthly realm than a heavenly one, take a look at this ‘entrepreneurial gift’ checklist:

·         Does your wealth creation gift have a detrimental effect on your relationship with God?

·         Does your wealth creation gift lessen the time you should spend with your spouse and family?

·         Does your wealth creation gift disconnect you from your local church and your service there?

·         Do you read the pages of the business news more than the pages of your Bible?

·         Do you think more about ‘great profits’ than the ‘greatest Prophet’?

·         Are you consumed more by the thoughts of what you can get with your money (i.e. vacations, new car, bigger house) than by what good you can do with it (i.e. feed the poor, give to the needy, make a sacrificial offering)?

“If you can answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions then you need to stop immediately. Evaluate whether your focus is on the gift or the Giver. And most importantly, get help by talking these issues through with a trusted friend, accountability partner or Christian leader.”

We must not kid ourselves by thinking we can serve Jesus separately from operating in the gifts and abilities that he has given us. Our 'physical' life and our 'spiritual' life are not separate from each other - we are accountable to God for every aspect of our lives. And our so-called 'secular' work can just as much be service to God as full-time Christian ministry, if we offer our whole lives to Him to use. The Bible tells us in Romans 11:29 that the gifts that God gives us are ours for keeps, and whether we use them or abuse them, he will never take them back. But you can’t automatically assume that just because you’re operating well in your gifting that God is pleased with you. You can achieve what looks like ‘great success’, but when your accomplishments are tested by fire that’s when their true value is seen.

SEEK THE SOURCE

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.Deuteronomy 8:18 (NIV)

Let’s remember it is God who has given many the ability to create wealth. Let’s be thankful to ‘Him’. Seek his face, not his hands. When we seek after God for who he is, instead of what he can give us, it is then that the Father’s natural reaction is to bestow blessings upon those he loves.
“Have you got a calling to operate in the commercial world? Are you naturally able to make a quick buck? Do you have a gifting to create wealth? Has God led you to run a business?

“If the answer is yes, then you particularly need to safeguard yourself by continually checking your motives, evaluating your heart and making sure that Jesus is still number one in your life - with nothing else coming close. You need to know for sure that if he called you to stop what you are doing, that you would unreservedly do just that. You would do that knowing that obedience to your heavenly Father is of paramount importance for the success of your life, not to mention for the way in which you will live out eternity.”

Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.
1 Timothy 6:17 (NLT)

THE SEA OF GALILEE AND THE RED SEA

Let’s look at this principle from a different angle with the help of a quick geography lesson to make a point. The Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea are two bodies of water in Israel. They are both connected by the Jordan River and contain the same water. All of the water that is in the Dead Sea came into it from the Sea of Galilee via the Jordan River.

The two seas have so much in common, but at the same time are totally different. For thousands of years, right up to this very day, the Sea of Galilee is surrounded by fishing boats on its shore. But there is not one fishing boat to be found around the Dead Sea. This is because the Dead Sea is true to its name! It doesn’t contain a single living fish. The reason for this phenomenon is really quite simple. While the Sea of Galilee contains fresh water as an inviting habitat for a variety of fish, the Dead Sea has the most concentrated mineral content of any body of water in the world. It is seven times more salty than the ocean.

The Dead Sea is the lowest spot on the Earth - over 1,000 feet below sea level. While water comes into and then flows out of the Sea of Galilee, water comes into the Dead Sea - and stays there. There's no place lower for it to flow. The Sea of Galilee both receives and then gives out its fresh water; the Dead Sea just keeps receiving and receiving without ever giving out.

These two seas picture two different kinds of lives. God gives all of his children many blessings. If we hoard the blessings that you receive without passing some of them along to others, we become like the Dead Sea - bitterly sour and fruitless. But as we are willing to share our blessings with others, we not only enrich their lives, but we also experience joy and fulfillment in our own life as well.

YOU CAN ONLY SERVE ONE MASTER

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in).
Matthew 6:24 (AMP)

The love of money can keep us from truly following Christ. Jesus’ standard and criteria for truly following him are high. But there is some good news. God doesn't set the standard high without also providing the power to reach up to it! We only need to be willing to change, with his help.

The Message Bible puts Matthew 6:21 like this: “The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.”

 
We will have a guest speaker next week, Dr. J.W. Stansell.
Blessings, Rev. Sharra