Money and Politics | Wisdom From the Creator

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It's the official companion resource for the new Amazon TV series also called The House of David. Sometimes it said money is the root of all evil. Money is not the root of all evil. The love of money is the root of all evil.

The problem with wealth is not in having it. It's how we get it, how we guard it, how we give it. Today a paradigm shift for some as Pastor Greg Laurie explains what the Bible really says about money. Jesus said it is more pleasant to give than it is to receive.

Have you discovered that yet for yourself? This is the day when the lost are found. This is the day for a new beginning. Amazing grace how sweet the sound. Again you hear how the angels are singing.

This is the day, the day when life begins. Some might wonder why we take money advice from a first century preacher who didn't have a horse or a donkey. Often didn't know where his next meal was coming from and was homeless. He said foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head.

Well he was the creator of the universe. Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie takes us to Jesus' words about how we can have the right biblical view of money. You know there are two topics they say you should never talk about at church, and those topics are money and politics.

So the title of my message today is Money and Politics. And why shouldn't we talk about those things? Because they are considered controversial by some or it makes some people uncomfortable. I think we need to talk about everything that we can in light of the scripture. Now we have been in a series that we are calling Hot Button Issues. Things that are considered controversial. We talked about what the Bible says about sexuality and God's plan for men and women. We looked at why we believe Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father. We looked at why there is a hell and how some people will end up there. We also looked at Christian liberties and what we should and should not do as followers of Jesus Christ. We examined why God allows suffering and the importance of the church and why we need the church and the church needs us.

Now people get uncomfortable when you bring up the topic of money. I heard about a preacher that was talking to his congregation about giving and he said to us, and this is one of those churches in the south where the people responded back in real time. And so the preacher said to his congregation, you know we have got to crawl before we can walk. And they shouted back, let us crawl preacher.

Let us crawl. And he said, but we have got to walk before we can jog. And they said, let us walk pastor. Let us walk. And he says, and we have got to jog before we can run. Let us jog pastor. Let us jog. And then he said, but we have got to give money before we can do any of those things. There was a moment of silence. And one person said, let us crawl pastor. Let us crawl.

You know it is funny. We will accept what the Bible says about so many topics. We will embrace what Scripture says about God's love and forgiveness and promise of heaven. What the Bible says about the family and much more.

But when it comes to the topic of money and us parting with any of it suddenly there is a discomfort. But the fact of the matter is Jesus had a lot to say about money and possessions and how we should get it and how we should use it. In fact 15 percent of everything Jesus said relates to the topic of money and possessions.

More than half of his teachings on heaven and hell combined and half of the parables that Jesus told dealt with material things, money, and giving. In addition one out of every seven verses in the New Testament also deal with this topic. Now compare this with how many verses are on other topics. There are 500 verses in the Bible in prayer.

Fewer than 500 on faith. But more than 2,000 verses on the topic of money. So it matters to God. Now I don't know why there is this discomfort with it but we need to acknowledge just one simple fact and this is my first point if you're taking notes.

And it is simply this. The Scripture teaches that you and everything you have belongs to God. You and everything you have belongs to God. First Corinthians 6 19 says don't you know your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit that you have from God. You're not your own. You've been bought with a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.

You're not your own. One day the Pharisees the religious leaders came to Jesus and they asked him if it was right to pay taxes to Caesar or not. That was a controversial subject.

The people were overtaxed by Rome as we are overtaxed by our government. And so how was Jesus going to answer this. Someone is going to be offended no matter what. He asked for a coin. Someone produced one.

He held it up. He said whose image is on this coin. Someone said well Caesar. That's correct. So Jesus says give to Caesar the things that belong to Caesar and give to God the things that belong to God.

You belong to God. I heard a story about a lady that went to a mall and ordered a little bag of cookies from one of those little cookie shops. And she sat down at a table where other people were seated to enjoy her cookies. And she took a bite of the first one and there was a man sitting across from her and he reached over and brazenly put his hand in her bag and took one of her cookies. She couldn't believe it.

Who is this guy. How dare he take one of my cookies. And then a moment passed. She ate another cookie. He too reached in the bag and he also ate a cookie. She ate a third.

He also did. Soon they got to the bottom of the bag and there was one cookie left. He reached down and took it.

Broken in half. Smiled and offered her half of the cookie. She took it.

Walked away in a hub. She was so angry. And she opened up her purse to get her car keys and saw her bag of cookies in her purse. As it turns out he wasn't eating her cookie. She was eating his.

And he was nice enough to share the last one with her. That's us and God. God owns the cookies.

And we think they're ours. I own them. I made this money. Well maybe you did. But God says in Haggai 2a, the silver is mine and the gold is mine.

You say hey man I work hard for my money so you better treat me right. To quote an old song. And that's not a good song to quote actually when I think about it contextually. But anyway forget it.

Donna Summer. Yeah. Who became a Christian by the way.

Anyway. But the Bible clearly teaches it's the Lord that gave you these things. God is the one who gave us everything to enjoy. And Deuteronomy 6 18 or 8 18 says the Lord your God gave you the ability to produce wealth. So no matter how you came by your possessions and your money.

I know it's through your hard work or ingenuity or your creativity. Whatever it was God gave you the ability to do all of that right. The beat of your heart is the gift from God.

The thought in your mind right now. These are all gifts from God. So everything we have comes from God. Now sometimes it said money is the root of all evil. And they'll even say the Bible says money is the root of all evil. Did you know that the Bible does not say money is the root of all evil.

Oh Greg you're wrong I read it. No no. Here's what the Bible says. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil while some have covered it after they've erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Money is not the root of all evil. The love of money is the root of all evil. Money is not immoral nor is it moral. It's amoral. It's neutral. It can be used for good and it can be used for bad.

The problem with wealth is not in having it. It's how we get it. How we guard it. And how we give it. Now let's read 2nd Corinthians 9. Here Paul is speaking to the church of Corinth and he's giving them some principles on giving.

And they apply to us as well. Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 9 6 remember this. A farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But one who plants generously will get a generous crop.

You must make up your own mind at how much you should get. Don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure for God loves a cheerful giver. And God will generously provide all you need so you'll always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. So number one everything you have belongs to God. Number two every believer should give and do so happily. Because verse 7 says God loves a cheerful giver that could better be translated a hilarious giver. Not someone giving under pressure but because they want to and they even find joy in it. Jesus said it is more blessed to give than it is to receive.

Have you discovered that yet for yourself? Now I think when we're kids we think no no it's better to get than to give. And we're and we're very possessive. You know you see little children even like little toddlers you know fighting over a toy. You can have a toddler sitting there with the toy that they care nothing about. Put another child next to them that takes an interest in the toy and a fight ensues right. That's called human nature.

We don't necessarily outgrow that by the way. Have you ever gone to a store where there's a sale and you find out there's one item left and you want that item and someone else wants that item and and you're in that same tug of war you were in when you're little toddlers. So one day we'll discover there's actually a joy in giving.

In fact experts have said there's a description of this. It's called the giver's high. Now you've heard of the runner's high. Supposedly the release of endorphins when you run.

I've never experienced that. I've experienced the eater's high. But but there's a giver's high.

They found that there are literal endorphins that are released in your mind that give you a sense of well-being when you do something for someone else. Okay so that's true for us as believers as well. It's more blessed to give than it is to receive. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. So many listeners have commented on the help they receive from Pastor Greg's messages like this one. Pastor Greg in a world of ever-changing truth I am thankful for Harvest Ministries and your commitment to preach the whole gospel. When I hear your messages I never feel judged but instead I feel encouraged to adjust course if needed based on what God's word says. Thank you for always preaching the truth. It's a blessing to know that listeners are hearing these messages and God is using his word to touch hearts. How have Pastor Greg's studies impacted your life?

Would you let him know? Send an email to greg at harvest dot org. That's greg at harvest dot o-r-g. Well Pastor Greg is uncovering some principles on giving today from our text in 2nd Corinthians 9. Let's continue. Point number three it is a real joy to give. Paul talked about the believers in Macedonia and he said in 2nd Corinthians 8 4 listen to this this is so interesting. They begged us again and again for the gracious privilege of sharing in the gift to the Christians in Jerusalem. So what he's saying is these believers have been in Macedonia begged us for another opportunity to give. When's the last time someone begged to give? We've heard people begging for money.

But what about people begging to give? And this happened with Moses as the tabernacle was being built. We read in Exodus 36 that the people were so excited to give toward the tabernacle which was the tent which was the dwelling place of God where the tent which was the dwelling place of God where they would keep the ark of the covenant. The people were so excited the Bible says they had to be restrained from giving. And Moses had to actually say okay enough already stop giving.

They had discovered the joy of giving. Point number four as we give to God God will give more to us. The Bible says given it shall be given unto you pressed down shaken together and running over. In the same measure you give it shall be given back to you. So the idea of a farmer you sow a few seeds you get a small crop.

You sow more seeds you get a bigger crop. Listen you can never out give God. So be a generous believer and God will make it up to you according to 2 Corinthians 9.

He'll make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more so it will not only be enough for your own needs but you'll have plenty left over to give generously to others. So be a generous person. Do your giving while you're living then you're knowing where it's going. And this is something we all can engage in as believers because one day we'll come to the end of our life and all the stuff that we've accumulated will be left. And as Corey 10 Boom once said a life is measured not by its duration but its donation.

A life is not measured by its duration in other words how long you live but its donation. The problem with wealth is not in having it it's how you get it how you guard it and how you give it. Now we shift gears. I said we'll talk about politics let's do that together. Now I know the knee-jerk reaction is no we shouldn't talk about politics in church and you as the pastor should not talk about this subject.

Well why why not? My job is to give you the whole counsel of God and certainly the Bible has a lot to say about a lot of the issues in America. Now someone might say well what about the separation of church and state? Did you know that that particular phrase is not in any of our founding documents? It's not in the Declaration of Independence. It's not in it's not in the Bill of Rights. It's not in our Constitution.

But often people invoke separation of church and state. Where did that phrase even come from? It was penned by Thomas Jefferson who was a prolific writer. Jefferson wrote up to 19,000 letters. He was a letter writing machine. A brilliant intellect and of course one of our founding fathers and signers of the Declaration of Independence.

But and our third president as well. So in response to an inquiry Jefferson coined this phrase. It was a letter he wrote to a group asking about the role of religion in our culture. And so he wrote it in a personal letter.

It was not in executive order. And in this letter he wrote of a wall of separation between church and state. But the idea was not that the church should have no influence on the state. It was that the state should not have the influence over the church. Okay so the church must have influence on the state. The church must have influence on its culture. This is part of what we're called to do as Christians.

To shine our light and be salt in the earth. So we have an absolute command to do that. And by the way our country, don't let some revisionist historian tell you otherwise, our country was built on Judeo-Christian principles.

It was. Going back to Thomas Jefferson he said quote, it was God who gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God? And then he concluded again to quote him, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just and his justice cannot sleep forever. Our first president George Washington in his farewell address said quote, reason and experience both forbid us that national morality can prevail in the exclusion of religious principle. In other words this morality we should have our sense of right and wrong comes from religious principle. Again back to our foundation. Patrick Henry a ratifier of the U.S. Constitution said this and I quote, it cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians.

Very clear. Harvard University and Yale University which are quite liberal today were founded on Christian principles. Harvard College's first presidents and tutors insisted that there could be quote, no true knowledge or wisdom without Jesus Christ end quote.

In Harvard's rules and precepts it was written quote, everyone shall consider that the main end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life. So it's so important for us to speak up about these things and pray that we could get back to those spiritual roots that we have strayed from. And God has given this promise to send revival if we will do the following. Second Chronicles 7 14 God says, if my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then God promises I will hear from heaven I will forgive their sin and heal their land. But listen when God sees a problem in a nation notice where he points his finger if my people. God doesn't point his finger at the White House. He points a finger at his house. If my people we can stand all day and say Hollywood does this.

Washington does that. God says yeah interesting my people. Now let's personalize it. If you if you if I will turn from my sins and pray and seek his face God will hear from heaven forgive me my sin and heal the land.

Let it start with you. Good encouragement today here on A New Beginning. Pastor Greg Laurie is bringing a message called Money and Politics and there's more to come in this study. But getting back to that verse if my people have you ever wondered about how to become one of God's people? Ever wondered how you could have peace with God and know that you'll go to heaven when this life is over? Pastor Greg what would you say to someone who would like to make that kind of change today?

I would say that God is just a prayer away. You know it doesn't take years to become a Christian. It doesn't take months. Frankly it doesn't even take hours.

It can happen so quickly. It just starts with you saying to God I know I'm a sinner. I know that you love me. I know that you sent Jesus to die on the cross for my sin and pay for those sins and then to rise again from the dead and I want him to come into my life. So here's my question to you.

Have you done that yet? Because Jesus who did die on that cross and rose again from the dead three days later is alive and standing at the door of your life right now and he's knocking and he's saying if you'll hear my voice and open the door I will come in. Would you like your sin forgiven? Would you like to know that when you die you will go to heaven?

Do you want Christ to come into your life right now? If so why don't you just stop whatever it is you're doing and pray this prayer with me. You could pray it out loud. You can pray it in the quietness of your own heart but pray this prayer to God. Say Lord Jesus I know that I am a sinner but I know that you are the savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead. I'm sorry for my sin and I turn from it now and I choose to follow you from this moment forward. I ask all of this in Jesus name.

Amen. Listen if you just prayed that prayer the Bible promises that God has heard your prayer and has answered that prayer. The Bible says that we will confess our sin. He's faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So God bless you.

You've made the right decision. The decision to follow Jesus Christ. Yeah yeah that's right and listen as you begin to live this new life we want to send you something to help you get started off right. It's Pastor Greg's New Believer's Bible. It's in an easy to understand translation plus hundreds and hundreds of study helps especially for those who are new to the faith.

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Your investments have eternal benefits. Why not make this a part of your personal ministry to partner in an effort that's making a real difference with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your prayers and for prayerfully considering how God might lead you to help tangibly. Online you'll find us at harvest.org and there you'll see the way we'd like to thank you for your donation right now. That's harvest.org. Or write us at A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514. Or call us at 1-800-821-3300. We're here around the clock to take your call, again at 1-800-821-3300. Well next time, more insights on the political questions that demand biblical answers. Join us here on A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie.