HAVING THE RIGHT ATTITUDE ABOUT MONEY
5 Lessons in Leadership
March 6, 2014WE ARE CALLED TO A HEART CHANGE
April 1, 2014GCC Message 23rdApril, 2014
An attitude according to Webster’s dictionary is: a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person’s behavior.
1. Money is a good tool but a bad master.
Of all the sermons Jesus preached a big percentage of these sermons had to do with riches and with money and the best use of it. Money is therefore not bad but the way you take it is what matters.
1 Tim 6:10
“10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
· The love for.
· The dependency on.
· The craving for.
· The greed for.
· The trust in money.
MONEY IS A GREAT TOOL, BUT AN EVIL GOD
· One rich man was asked a question, how much money is enough? He answered, one more dollar, one more shilling.
· Abraham was the richest man of his time, yet the most spiritual man of his time.
· King David gave great amounts of gold and silver for the building of
God’s house, he was not a poor king.
· Joseph of Arimethea the rich man in Jerusalem provided a tomb in which Jesus was buried.
· The ladies who took care of Jesus, were successful business ladies who funded the Gospel.
We need money to feed our families, take kids to school, put fuel in our cars, pay rent on and on and on……
But money and riches can be a source of problems and that is why Paul said the love of Money is the root of all evil.
Jesus said it is so difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom, and the reason is that money gets into their soul and gets to be the end instead of the means, it becomes the master instead of being the servant. It can take the place of God in our lives.
2. The spirit of mammon
Matthew 6:24
“24“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money (mammon).” ESV
Mammon was an Aramaic word which meant riches. The countries which lived around Palestine had a god called mammon, they worshipped him, in order to give them riches.
This spirit says: man does not need the God of heaven, he is self sufficient, it says: you can trust riches for your life.
“Someone once said that all money has a spirit upon it, it is either the spirit of God and such money is blessed and it multiplies or the spirit of the devil and such money does not have blessings, it is blood money.”
People with a spirit of mammon are very insecure when it comes to money.
When such people get some little money they become very prideful, they always want to show off.
They are very mean and very stingy.
Such people are very controlling and they are Manipulative of others for their selfish end.
They are very jealous with those who have, they never want their friends to prosper.
They have greed. Always want to use people and many times if they are employers they do not want to pay or when they do they are not always fair.
If you find it hard to stop and rest, and give time to your family, your church, and those people that matter in your life. You have a problem.
If you find it is so hard to give even the minimum which is your tithe.
3. Money comes from God.
Deuteronomy 8: 17-18
“17Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” Crossway. “ESV Bible.”
He gives us the energy/ and health to make money
He gives us the ideas on how to make money.
He can take it away for a season if he so desires.
He may not make us rich but he has promised to provide for what we need if we follow his principles.
Paul wrote: Phil. 4: 19And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
4. The right attitude about riches is to be generous.
God has decided to use money for the expansion of His kingdom and he puts money in the hands of his children, that they may release it for the benefit of His work the people who learn that secret then become God’s channel of blessing, and when you are a channel, those resources will keep coming your way.
2 Bible examples of generosity.
The little old woman with a little coin which she put in the basket. Jesus applauded her, for from the little she had she sacrificed for the kingdom of God.
The second example is the Good Samaritan, as rich as he was, when he saw the man beaten by robbers, he was touched, he got off his donkey, took care of this man, used his donkey and spent his money at the inn to make sure the man is ok. He was rich and he was generous.
TREASURES IN HEAVEN
Matt 6: 19-21
“19“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be “ESV Bible.” Crossway Bibles, 2001.
