Seven Pillars of Financial Wisdom
All That Remains • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction:
Every year around this time of year we dive into the subject of generosity, finances, tithing and giving yourself to things that are of eternal significance. This is an important subject to the church becuase it is an important subject in the Bible.
In the Bible we read over 800 scriptures that have to do with money, or money management. Why is that? Is it becuase God needs your money? Is it becuase the church needs your money?
Here’s the reason I think the Bible talks about it:
The # 1 cause of worry and anxiety is money.
75% of people are worried about money all the time.
25% of people are DOMINATED by thoughts about their money
It produces three fears:
Fear of living paycheck to paycheck
Fear of living in debt forever
Fear of never being able to retire
And so each year we come back to these conversations and each year I try to bring you fresh content and fresh perspective, but I also reiterate some of what we have taught over the years; all two of them.
Today, we will do the same as we start with this talk that I am calling, The Seven Pillars of Financial Wisdom. Let’s pray together before we begin.
Seven Pillars of Financial Wisdom
Seven Pillars of Financial Wisdom
The word wisdom is throughout the Bible. It’s mentioned hundreds of times in the text.
Wisdom is doing the right thing at the right time.
Let’s read this about wisdom:
“I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment.
I know where to discover knowledge and discernment.
I love those who love me,
and those who seek me diligently find me.
Those who love me inherit wealth.
I will fill their treasuries.
In Proverbs 8, wisdom takes on a voice, it takes on a person. You can read Proverbs 8 and get great wisdom about many subjects in life. But here in in verse 21 we read that if you love wisdom, you can have wealth. So it’s really up to you to decide, do I want to be a wise person? Do I want to pursue wisdom?
Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
Vision
Vision
You need to have a vision for where you want to go. Having a vision will align your decisions - personal, financial, family, etc.
When you have a vision for your life, it will help you to say no to good opportunities so that you can say yes to God opportunities.
Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.
Hardwork
Hardwork
I love this quote by Peter Drucker, the father of modern day management. He said, “The problem with Vision is that it boils down to hard work.”
If you have a vision for your life, or better said, if a vision for your life has you, it will lead you to work hard. There is no escaping hard work. There is no hack for hard work.
Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
There is another verse here in Proverbs that I love to read:
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.
Stewardship
Stewardship
What is stewardship?
Managing someone else’s property or belongings.
When you start to manage finances God’s way, there are two things you will accept:
All I have belongs to God - every good and perfect gift comes from Him!
Manage well what belongs to Him!
Know well the condition of your flocks,
and give attention to your herds,
Make a budget. Stick to it! If you need help with a budget, talk to some of our Pastors and Elders at the church. These are men and women at the church who have demonstrated sound financial judgment.
Investment
Investment
Stewarding what God has given you is taking some of it and investing it into accounts that will bring you interest.
If you don’t have much, it doesn’t matter. It’s a principle.
Put something into an account that God can bless.
The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
but fools gulp theirs down.
What’s a good start? 10%
10% you give to the church, and we’ll talk about that in a second and more next week, and then you take your next 10% and put it into an account. Eventually, you diversify it. Eventually, you grow it.
Generosity
Generosity
As God begins to bless you, remember that it comes from Him! Start living open handed.
*Open handed example*
Open handed living positions you to receive more from God.
Give freely and become more wealthy;
be stingy and lose everything.
The generous will prosper;
those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
We are blessed to be a blessing!
*Example of “Coffee Money” for Ben*
Emotional Health
Emotional Health
Think about how you approach money emotionally.
We have an emotional attachment to our money.
Savers vs. Spenders
Think about your money as a tool to accomplish your vision. If you see it as a tool, you will keep your motivations about money in check.
The risk we run is this: Greed.
Proverbs 15:27 (NIV)
The greedy bring ruin to their households...
Greed is an unhealthy desire for more.
More is not wrong if the motives are pure. More is wrong if it is being done for the wrong reasons.
For 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.
Money takes on the personality of the owner.
God’s plan is to fill your cup so that it runs over. Greed is never having enough and therefore you are never able to run over.
*Visual of not having enough*
Honor
Honor
Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.
This is the most important pillar, becuase it sets the priority. That’s what honor is. It is giving something the right priority.
This is an “If/Then” promise in the Bible and it is talking about the tithe.
Tithe = giving the first 10% of my income to God through the local church.
We’re going to deep dive into this next week, but let me just say this, when you honor God with the first 10% of your income you are setting momentum with your money.
Conclusion:
The last two years we have talked about tithing and we have talked about generosity. Here is what I believe. More people would be generous if they could figure out how to manage their money. More people would give to the work of God if they could just get a plan. Today, we are trying to help you. You didn’t know the Bible cared about how money caused anxiety or how it caused you worry. Listen, God cares so much about you that he has give you more tools than you even know! My job is show you these tools and show you how to use them. God wants you to be blessed. God wants you to live in freedom, both spiritually and financially!
We’ve spent our time together talking about financial freedom, but I do want to ask today, is there anyone here that needs spiritual freedom? We are going t end our time with an opportunity for you to invite Jesus into your life, into your home or into your marriage. If you have never put your trust in Jesus and today you want to give your life to him, we want to lead you in a prayer.