How Do We Accumulate More Money To Put In The Church Offering
Church Offerings
How Do We Accumulate More Money
To Put In The Church Offering?
(How Do We Accumulate More Money To Advance The Reign of God)
[From Illy]... Misunderstood
Years ago The Chaplain magazine told how Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the prince of preachers, and his wife were called miserly because they sold all of the eggs their chickens laid, and wouldn’t give any away. Even if a close relative would ask for some, they would reply, “Yes, you may have them if you pay for them!” Rumors circulated that the Spurgeons were mean and grasping because they always made a profit on their butter, milk, and eggs. But they took the criticism graciously, and it was only after the death of Mrs. Spurgeon that the truth was revealed. The records showed that their entire profits had been used to support two needy, elderly widows whose husbands had spent their lives in serving the Lord. Yet because the Spurgeons were unwilling to let their left hand know what their right hand was doing (Mt. 6:3), they had refused to defend themselves.
Dear Saint, if you wish to accumulate money for the Kingdom of God you will be misunderstood, but God knows your motives and your final vindication is assured.
Today, we are finishing a series on “Church Offereings.”
In the first message, we dealt with “The Problem with Prosperity Preaching.” We pointed out that
· Peasants primarily populate the pages of the New Testament. While,
· Many of the main characters of the Old Testament are rich, by the hand of God.
· God wants to bless His people with prosperity, but how we handle that prosperity is up to us.
· God is not ultimately concerned with our financial status, but with the condition of our hearts.
· God doesn’t mind us having riches, but He doesn’t want riches to have us.
In the second message, we dealt with 2 Corinthians 8:1-5. There Paul’s words point to the Corinthians as excellent examples of givers! In our consideration of his words, we covered four principles that they exemplified:
I. Principle Number One: They Gave Graciously (vv. 1-2).
II. Principle Number Two: They Gave Sacrificially (vs. 3).
III. Principle Number Three: They Gave Voluntarily (vs. 3).
IV. Principle Number Four: They Gave Eagerly (vs. 4).
In the third message, we covered 2 Corinthians 8:6-9 and primarily dealt with:
V. Principle Number Five: They Gave Wholeheartedly (vv. 5-6).
(Now, in my mind, we are still left with a formidable question, “If God is going to bless me, how do I accumulate as much as I can from His blessings to be able to help advance the reign of God?” Another way of asking this question is, “If we are blessed by God, why are we so poor that we can’t finance the reign of God?”)
I have read two powerful books recently: 1) The Millionaire Mind, by Thomas Stanley and 2) The Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, by T. Harv Eker. The former book is a statistically valid study of millionaires and their habits, while the latter is a common sense perspective of what Eker has learned about becoming a millionaire.
· Both books highlight the importance of character.
· Both books sound a great deal like the wisdom literature of Proverbs.
They sound like that because they are tapping into universal principles that are built into the fabric of this universe that God has created.
Now, since we are stewards of all that God blesses us with, we are going to have to give an account of what we did with His blessings. Poverty, in this country and culture of plenty, suggests that we are going to have some explaining to do, when we get to heaven. Ending up poor, when most of us here will make between two and five million dollars in our lifetime, is poor stewardship of God’s resources, a poor testimony, and ultimately sin!
“The University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth recently released ‘The Multicultural Economy 2003,’ in which black buying power is estimated to be around $688 billion -- twice as much as 2001. Projections show that the buying power of African Americans is likely to increase by 169.5% to $921 billion by the year 2008. To come up with the numbers, the Selig Center estimated total disposable income of black Americans, not just salaries and wages” (blackenterprise.com).
I don’t have to use the reasoning of the prosperity preachers that God wants everyone to be rich. We may not all be rich, but we all should use the resources that God blesses us with wisely, and many of us can be rich!
So, “Why are we poor?” or “Why can’t we accumulate more of what passes through our hands?” Well, in simple terms, it has to do with hard work, discipline, and saving! We have to work hard; discipline our spending habits; and save! Does the Bible have anything to say about this?
Proverbs 14:23 (NASB), “23 In all labor there is profit, But mere talk leads only to poverty.”
Proverbs 14:23 (NLT), “23 Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty!”
Philippians 4:11-12 (NASB), “11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”
Proverbs 13:22 (NASB), “22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous” (bold type added).
Proverbs 6:6-8 (NASB), “6 Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, 7 Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, 8 Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest.”
(However, although this is simple, it is not easy. If it was easy, we would all be well off or millionaires. So, what else do we need to know?)
I want to give you the 17 secrets of the millionaires mind! These secrets are wealth files in the minds of millionaires that most people don’t have, because of scripts from their homes of origin.
Wealth File #1
Rich people believe “I create my life.”
Poor people believe “Life happens to me.”
“PARADIGM
· Ineffective: I am a product of my circumstances (Victim/Irresponsible)
· Effective: I am a product of my choices”[1] (Victor/Responsible)
Romans 6:16 (NASB-U), “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?”
Wealth File #2
Rich people play the money game to win.
Poor people play the money game to not lose.
Colossians 3:23 (NASB), “23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.”
Wealth File #3
Rich people are committed to being rich.
Poor people want to be rich.
Consistently work hard, spend less than you make, save and invest what you do not spend and you will rich!
Wealth File #4
Rich people think big.
Poor people think small.
Philippians 4:13 (NASB), “13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
Wealth File #5
Rich people focus on opportunities.
Poor people focus on obstacles.
Ecclesiastes 11:4-6 (NASB), “4 He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. 5 Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things. 6 Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.”
Wealthy File #6
Rich people admire other rich and
successful people. Poor people resent rich
and successful people.
Psalms 73:2-3 (NASB), “2 But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling, My steps had almost slipped. 3 For I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”
Wealth File #7
Rich people associate with positive,
successful people. Poor people associate
with negative or unsuccessful people.
1 Corinthians 15:33 (NASB), “33 Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’”
Wealth File #8
Rich people are willing to promote themselves
and their value. Poor people think negatively
about selling and promotion.
The Bible exhorts us to promote many things. We are not to promote ourselves for the wrong reason, but the first-century circum-Mediterranean concept of honor included an expectation that clients would promote patrons, because of their favor!
Wealth File #9
Rich people are bigger than their problems.
Poor people are smaller than their problems.
Romans 8:37 (KJV), “37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
Wealth File #10
Rich people are excellent receivers.
Poor people are poor receivers.
Psalms 24:3-5 (NASB), “3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord And righteousness from the God of his salvation” (bold type added).
Wealth File #11
Rich people choose to get paid based on results.
Poor people choose to get paid on time.
Isaiah 40:10 (NASB), “10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him And His recompense before Him.”
Wealth File #12
Rich people think “both.”
Poor people think “either/or.”
Ecclesiastes 7:18 (NASB), “18 It is good that you grasp one thing and also not let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them.”
Ecclesiastes 7:18 (NLT), “18 So try to walk a middle course—but those who fear God will succeed either way.”
Wealth File #13
Rich people focus on their net worth.
Poor people focus on their working income.
1. Income
2. Savings
3. Investments
4. Simplification
Wealth File #14
Rich people manage their money well.
Poor people mismanage their money well.
Proverbs 30:24-25 (NASB), “24 Four things are small on the earth, But they are exceedingly wise: 25 The ants are not a strong people, But they prepare their food in the summer.”
Wealth File #15
Rich people have their money work hard for
them. Poor people work hard for their money.
Luke 19:20-23 (NASB), “20 Another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 ‘He said* to him, “By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?”’” (bold type added)
Wealth File #16
Rich people act in spite of fear.
Poor people let fear stop them.
2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT), “7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
Wealth File #17
Rich people constantly learn and grow.
Poor people think they already know.
Luke 2:52 (NASB-U), “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
Since God has already blessed us, let’s accumulate as much money as possible, to advance God’s Kingdom by putting it in church!
(Now is the Day of Salvation. Come to Jesus, now!)
Invitation
Call to Discipleship
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[1] The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People® Signature Program “Version 3.0, FranklinCovey, The United States, 2005, p. 21.