Today I'm Living on the Edge Chip Ingram Gram Money. How much of it can you have and still be godly? Is it more spiritual to be poor or more spiritual to be rich? What does money say about us and how do you get God's help to handle your money well? That's today.
Here's a sobering reality. Did you know that the vast majority of families lose their inherited wealth within one generation? Not from poor planning, but from never learning the truth about money. But here's the biggest danger. Wealth is a liar.
Wealth convinces millionaires that to be satisfied, they need to amass just a little bit more.
Well, today on Living on the Edge, Chippinggram exposes how money deceives even sincere believers and reveals why passing on financial wisdom to your children and grandchildren may be the most critical legacy you'll ever leave.
Well before he starts his message, I'll remind you that Living on the Edge is making headway on the December match. Every gift you give will be matched dollar for dollar, automatically doubling your impact. We'll share more details about the match later. Right now, let's begin Chip's message titled, Teach Them to Manage Their Wealth Wisely. I'm going to ask you a series of about five questions.
And then here's how I want you to think. With one part of your brain going, This is my answer to the question. And then the second is how do you think? Those people that matter to you most would answer this question. Because I want you to begin to ponder where they are at with this issue of wealth and money.
So this is my answer. And then I want you to see, gosh, were they answered about the same? Or, oh, we're really on different pages. And it's just a little diagnostic tool. Are you ready?
Okay, question number one. Uh talking about money. How much is enough? Write a number. I mean, don't give me one of those soft, just enough to cover our needs and live comfortably, whatever that means.
I mean, if it's a million, write a million. If it's $5 million, $5 million. $500,000. How much money is enough to really live and be who God wants you to be from where you're living for you in your world? Write it down.
And then I want you to be thinking: what would my son, my daughter, the guys in my Bible study, what would they say? Question number two: how much is too much? Write down a dollar amount. In other words, if God gave you $2 million, That would be enough, but 11 might kind of send you over the edge. Or $50 million you feel like you could handle, or what you want is X a month.
You wouldn't want a big stockpile. I don't know what you. But what's the answer to that question? How much would be too much? You would say, God, please.
Third question. Can I be both godly and rich? Yes or no? And then you want to think about how does the person you want to pass this on, how would they answer that? Can I both be godly and rich?
Question number four. If riches and material goods Can choke out spiritual life. I mean, I'm referring to that passage in Mark chapter 4, and you know, the seed of God's word, and it's four different kinds of soil. And one of the soils is the thorny soil, and the thorny soil grows up, right? And it chokes out the very life, the word of God, in a believer's heart.
If that, in fact, is true, and it is because Jesus said it, is poverty God's calling for spiritual maturity? And if not, what is? And it is okay to write on some of these answers. I don't know. Like, that's a good question.
I don't know. But how would you answer that? And then how would That guy you're discipling, how would one of your grandkids, how would one of your kids answer that? Final question. Why does Jesus warn against the deceitfulness of riches?
And what I want to talk about here is deceitful.
Now, the definition of when you're deceived You don't know you're deceived. I mean, that's part of being deceived, right? And so apparently wealth has an ability Two allow you to live As best you know, In fellowship with God, obeying Him, and doing what you think is really good and right and fruitful, and actually. Have your ladder leaning against the wrong wall. be totally off.
Apparently there's something about money.
Now it's clear. Money's not in and of itself evil. We have wealthy people in Scripture, we have poor people in Scripture, but apparently, according to Jesus, wealth or money has the power. to deceive us into thinking We're doing okay when we're really not. Which, by the way, I think is pretty scary.
I remember uh My daughter, when she was much younger, we were riding in the car, And we have lived in very tiny little houses, and we have taken quarters out of the back seat, and we've had God miraculously provide. And then my job and my world changed at different times, and then I moved to Atlanta, and God had blessed in a number of areas, and we were riding in our little housing development. And there's some big pretty trees. And we were coming around the corner. Annie turned to me and said, Dad, I said, yeah.
She goes, are we rich? And um My temptation was to say, well, honey, we're in this subdivision and our houses are really nice, but the really rich people, they live in the country club of the South. You know, the mansions, you know, with the really big houses and the beautiful golf course, and they have the statues out front.
Now, they're the really rich people. But I resisted that temptation. And I said, yes, Annie, we're rich. We have more than I ever dreamed we'd ever have. We have an abundance of everything.
We used to have to live really tight, and now if we want to go out to eat, we can go out to eat. We're rich. as are most Americans. when you look at it globally. But here's the deceitfulness of wealth.
I just want to tap into this. I don't care where you're at. Your flesh and your human nature will take wherever you're at on the economic scale. And you will unconsciously Tilt about 10 to 20 degrees above you, they are rich people and you are sort of middle or upper middle class. And by the way, it never ends.
I was with an executive in Atlanta, and he and I was a professional basketball player years ago with the Celtics. And even at 62, he still plays. And we played a little pickup, and he's about 6'8, and we'd have a lot of fun, and he really cares about our ministry. And so I would teach these, they call them in Atlanta Bible studies, you know, like two or three hundred business people. And Big Gary come up to me and said, hey, Chip.
Now I'm telling you. I invited some of my friends. I said, Yeah, great. He says, Now I'm Man, what you're doing, man, they need it. And I mean, I think they could be a part of this thing.
Chip, there's serious money. Have you ever he had anyone say that? Hey, hey. It chips. This is serious money.
I mean they're old wealth Atlanta. Oh. And I'm thinking, you know, I mean, of course in my mind, I'm here and Gary's here. I mean, he's a former professional basketball player. He owns his own company.
He has a place in Hilton Head. You know, he's a multi-millionaire. But he does not see, he's probably worth, I don't know, $10, $12, $15 million. does not see himself as rich. But these people, they got serious money.
Right?
Now, because of what I do, believe this or not, I've actually had the opportunity. To do some of these conferences where they bring very, very wealthy people together. And I've had with the straight-face conversations with people who've told me, you know, I have a giving plan, I really want to help the kingdom, but once my portfolio goes under $500 million, I feel like I really need to back off. And you laugh until Maybe you got $500 million. And you have a line, and I have a line.
I will guarantee you do. And that line is far different. If I could turn the clock back.
Well, I'd have to do it different numbers for different people, but 10 years for some, 20 years, 30 years. But if you can imagine yourself in your late teens, early 20s, starting a career, and someone freeze-frame you. And then, boom, you didn't live it, but they said, okay, when you get to be 59 years old or 67 years old, and you have this much money. You'd look and go, Are you kidding me? I never have that much, and you have it right now, and yet.
You don't think you're wealthy. You think you're sort of upwardly mobile and doing okay. In fact, we've had this big. Big thing that's happened in The losing of money. I remember talking to another one of my very wealthy friends who's a great business guy who's gone bankrupt three times, and so he has the most healthy view of money of anyone I've ever met in my life.
And uh And I mean, you talk about a guy who gets, it's all God's. He says, because believe me, I can make it and lose it and make it and lose it. And he said, here's what people don't understand. Is that everyone, you know, 10 years ago had X amount of dollars, let's say you put, you know, $400,000 or $500,000 or $50,000, and I'll just use numbers, but let's say, and then 10 years ago, let's say it went from $1.5 million to $2.5 million. or it went from 5 million to 20 million.
And that was 10 years ago.
Well now everything crashes. And if you had, you know, At half a million, you've only got three. But you had nine? And so, you know what? It's like, man, this is, I lost $6 million.
My life stinks. Or I had $15 million, now I only have $7. Instead of, how many people have you heard talking about the downturn in the economy? Going, you know, five years ago. Or ten years ago, I only had a million dollars and now I have nine.
What a bummer. Do you understand what I'm trying to help you see? You and I, and this disease, Jesus said, it's with everybody. This disease is we reframe reality. And money has this power to make us think in ways that totally do not correspond with what's true.
And what we want to talk about, if that's true of us, imagine those children and those disciples and those people in your women's group and that young girl you're trying to help and those grandkids. Imagine if that's true for all of you, many who've walked with the Lord a lot longer. How do you pass on? what they need. to manage their wealth.
in a wise way. Uh I came across a um An article by Ray Padrone. He is from Polstra and Dardaman. It's a private wealth council. And I just want to read, I just want you to get.
How serious this is. This is a secular resource, so this isn't from a Christian background. But he writes, and it's, he counsels very wealthy people about the transfer of funds. He says: when it comes to learning values and decision-making, there's one thing I found to be true: some things are taught, some things are caught. And some things have to be learned the hard way, i.e., experience.
Just because our children grow up and leave home doesn't mean that parenting is over. As parents, will be given a host of opportunities to help guide them. The methods and the tools may require a bit more sophistication, but the fact is I will always be ahead of them in life, its opportunities, and its responsibilities. One of the final experiences we create for our families will actually happen right after we leave this world. For many families, that experience is being left to chance.
more than they realize. Listen to this. It is estimated that approximately $52 trillion will change hands to the next generation between 1998. and 2052. That's trillion, $52 trillion.
Here's the bad news. Approximately 70% of the estates fail. Following their transition into the hands of heirs. That's right. 70%.
Of heirs involuntarily lose control of the transfer of the assets by poor investments. dissipation through family arguments and legal expenses, or just plain inattention and lack of preparation.
Now this is the key. What is not the problem is poor estate planning. What I mean is that most people's estate documents are just fine. The reason for the failure with estate transitions lies within the family itself.
Now, here's some stats. 60% of failed estates fail due to the lack of trust or communication and breakdown in the family. Another 25% fail because of a lack of training to ensure the family is prepared to manage the wealth that they've inherited. Manage means more than just professional money management, but also the discipline to spend it wisely and not all of it in a short period of time. Um Now I hope at this point in time, here's my hopeful experience for where you might be at mentally and emotionally.
There's some questions about money that you haven't thought about but have a real definite answer, and you're soft in your thinking about them. When I ask how much is enough, You know, it was sort of like there must be some secret Christian answer, but like as much as I can get was the answer that I've always played around in my mind, right? But, or how much is too much?
Well, I'm. I never thought of that yet in Scripture. We have the wisest man in the world praying, God, don't give me too much, right? Don't give me too much more than I can handle, lest I forget who you are. Don't give me too little, lest I steal and defame your name.
And then this issue of, well, can you be godly and rich? A lot of rich people struggle with all kinds of guilt because instead of seeing it as a stewardship and from God and my priorities in order, and by the way, I don't have to tell everyone I got it on sale or that I won the great vacation to Vale or to Cancun. It's like I had the money. I'm generous with my money. I wanted to go there.
I enjoy skiing. I had a good time. And I'm a Christian, okay? And we didn't we didn't build the swimming pool to do baptisms, all right? God's blessed me.
And the second home wasn't just for the pastoral staff because that's who we really care about, and we wanted a little getaway for them. I mean, you can't imagine all the phony baloney I hear from people, you know? But a lot of that is rooted in guilt. A lot of that is we don't understand what God's given us, what it means to be a steward, how to enjoy richly what he's given you, and how to be sacrificially generous with what he's given you, and to know you're in the right spot with your money. Your money.
Is the clearest singular barometer of your soul of anything going on in your life? That's why Jesus talked more about money than heaven and hell combined. My money reveals my priorities. My money reveals my values. My money reveals where my heart is.
Imagine, if you will, your wallet or your 401 or your black credit card that you own or your purse. Imagine a chain connected to that into your heart. And wherever that money goes, that's the real reflection of my heart. And so when you start thinking about transferring the things that matter most. Man, you have to have not only a clear plan, but help those you care about, those disciples or kids or grandkids, to go into training.
Because it's so deceitful.
So with that, let's dig in together. And let's talk about a theology of wealth or stewardship. And let's teach them how to manage their wealth wisely. I mean, again, if you were gonna die exactly 365 days from now, There's few things you could do that would help those you love the most than to teach them, model for them, and put into place some things how to manage their wealth. Because their entire focus of their life will follow that.
Okay, theology of stewardship. And this is sort of a summary of a lot of teaching. I just want to give the basics, then we'll dig in. God owns everything. And you can jot Psalm 50 verse 12.
The earth is mine and the fullness thereof, declares the Lord. God owns everything. That is a big, big step that you need to pass on. Second, God has entrusted. his things Time Talent and treasure.
to us to manage for him. The Apostle Paul would write, what do you have that you haven't received?
So, this is the tipping point. This is the clarity of all about stewardship. It's God's. He's entrusted it to you. It's not yours, it's not mine, it's his.
You're a manager. You're a steward. The New Testament word is oikonomia. It comes from the root word of the house. It's the governor of the oversight of a household.
And he's put so much time. And so much energy, and so much spiritual gift, and so much money deposited into your world, and you're his money manager.
Okay. We'll hear more from Chip Ingram's message in just a moment. First, we're inviting you to multiply your year-end donation through an exciting match that's active right now. Because of the match, your donation will be matched dollar for dollar in the month of December. And when you support this match, you're not funding yesterday's methods.
You're investing in a discipleship strategy that actually reaches the smartphone generation right where they are. Will you give to the next generation? Double the impact of your gift at livingontheedge.org. from his series called Leaving a Legacy That Lasts Forever. Again, our Bible teacher, Chip Ingram.
Third, God expects a positive return on his investment. I mean, he is the best banker in the universe. He has deposited certain things for Different people at different times according to our ability and purposes and expectations. And when you meet him, not. to deal with the issue of your sin.
But for the issue of rewards, He expects a positive return. In fact, the next line is: God will hold you accountable. You might jot down 2 Corinthians chapter 5. You might read through that slowly. It's called the Bemaset.
It's a judgment, not again for your sins, that's been judged at the cross, but you're saved by grace.
Now, what did you do with the new life? You'll stand before God. I'll stand before God, and I'll give an account of this. How does use the money I gave you? How do you use the time I gave you?
And then I'll be rewarded or disappointed. accordingly. Notice the motivation. God wants you to share in His joy. He's given you money not to be a burden around your neck.
He's given you wealth and opportunity, not so that you feel like, oh, what am I supposed to do? It's to create. A relationship at a level in your heart, so that as you learn to use it and say, you know, it's kind of like this, Father, how would you like this money used? Father, how would you like this money used? As you cooperate with that, his whole goal is that you would have a level of joy and intimacy with him through that transaction.
I'll share a story of how that works in a minute. But this is just sort of the outline. Finally, the Old Testament roots are Genesis chapter 1, 26 through 29. And just listen. Just listen to it.
It says: Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness. And then let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over the livestock and over all the earth and over all the creatures that move along the ground. And so God created man in his own image. In the image of God, he created him. Male and female, he created them.
And then listen to this. God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful and increase in number and fill all the earth and subdue it and rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves on the ground. Then God said, I give to you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth, and every tree that has fruit and seed in it, they will be yours for fruit. Do you see what it is? Look.
It's my earth. I created you. Have at it. Manage it well. I'm putting you in charge.
You're in charge of the planet. You run it. You develop it. You're my steward. Job put it another way in Job chapter 1.
After some devastating things that were taken away, Job understood. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a second. It's hard to lose stuff, but I guess if it really wasn't my stuff. It gives me perspective. He says, At this Job got up, tore his robe, shaved his head, and then he fell to the ground in worship and said, Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. May the name of the Lord be praised. See, I get really angry When God takes things away, when I start thinking it's mine. How could you do that to me? I worked hard for this.
This is my stuff. I had a plan for this. And so part of the whole stewardship thing is really coming to grips that God owns it all. Uh the two biblical uh profiles here. New Testament command is Matthew chapter 25, verses 14 through 30.
And I put that in your notes. It's a very long passage. And in light of that, what I'd like to do is give you the summary. You're familiar probably with it. Jesus is teaching about stewardship.
And Jesus is teaching about being ready for his return, and Jesus is talking about what it looks like to be his manager. And so he tells this story, and he talks about this person who's going to go to a faraway country. And he gives five talents of treasure to one, two talents of treasure to another, one talent to another. He goes for a long period of time, and the one with five talents doubles it, so he brings in five more. The one with two doubles it brings in two more.
And both of those hear this: Well done, thou good and faithful servant or steward. Come, enter into the joy of your master. This was my stuff. I entrusted it to you for a period of time. You had brains, opportunity, and you could do with it whatever you want.
But the goal was that it would be pleasing to me. I've come back to hold you accountable. My dream in holding you accountable was not to be down on you, it was to you to get to experience some things in our relationship and what I had.
Now, well done.
Now the one with one, it says he went and hid it in the ground. Which basically says he didn't put it in the bank, basically, also says that the bank would know it actually belongs to someone else. And so he comes and then he makes an excuse. And his excuse is a very warped view of God in the context. And it's, I knew you were a harsh master, and you, you know, glean where you haven't sown, and you are really tough to live with, and you're going to be.
He said, okay, if that's who you think I really am. Take this wicked one away and give his one talent to the one that has ten. Because see, what he did is he buried it. He didn't do anything with it. He didn't even put it in the bank and get interest for his master.
And Jesus point of that whole Talent. Is that each one of us, according to his purposes for us? and some abilities deposited in us. have been given different levels of gift. different levels of financials.
different levels of opportunities. And the measure is not how do I do compared to someone else. The thesis of the whole parable is What did you do? with what God entrusted to you. And did you notice that Number five talent guy and number two talent guy got the same commendation.
They got the same praise. Because they both fulfilled with what they had what God wanted them to do. And part of it is Because the Spirit of God. as we're going through these very basic things from his word, is beginning to expose some of how we're deceived. And some of you are feeling really uncomfortable.
Can I tell you, that's probably a good experience. Because how do you ever change if you don't realize, wow. And When God convicts us, he's not down on you. He's not in heaven, you know, tapping his toe. Come on, Ingram, give it to him, baby.
Give it to him. His whole goal when he shows me sin in my life. Is to restore his son back into intimate fellowship with the father so he could say, Chip, you know, you were deceived. You know, you kept thinking everybody else is rich, and your daughter asked you a simple question, and you finally had the guts to say, Yeah. But you know what?
Your dad came from a depression area, and you've been poor most of your life, and you've actually, you know, struggled with money and didn't know how to, and so you are uncomfortable with God's blessing, even though I should say, are my priorities on? Yeah, are you giving more than you ever dreamed you could ever give? Yeah, so why don't you enjoy the house you're in?
Well, God, because I'm a little uncomfortable. instead of thank you. And that's what God wants to do in our life. Let me give you a picture and then I'm going to give you practical ways to pass this on. The two pictures are: one, if you ever want to read about a man, one of my most favorite characters.
Is Nehemiah in the Old Testament and Barnabas in the New. And the story of Nehemiah, very briefly, is he's the right-hand man to the most powerful man in the world. Israel has sinned against God, so he promised he would. Disperse them across the world, and he did. And so you have Jews in all these different places.
And now Persia is the ruling empire. And Nehemiah opens with this place called Susa, which is a it's up in the mountains, so it's cool because it's very hot in Persia or Iran in the summer. And so the king has this right-hand man named Nehemiah, and he's called a cupbearer, but the cupbearer's job was more than tasting the wine or the food to make sure it wasn't poison. He became a confidant. And so basically, Nehemiah has the hottest chariot, the greatest clothes, the most money, the best food.
He is a person of great influence and affluence. He's filthy rich. And he lives in a palace. He drives a Lexus chariot. And doesn't feel guilty about it.
He's got a Rolex Sunda. God deposited that in Nehemiah. for a window of opportunity. And he wasn't a prophet, and he wasn't a pastor. And if you studied all of God's agenda for his people, You would find out that man was the linchpin between all of God's.
prophecy going in the tubes and Israel being restored. He sent Ezra back, it didn't work. He sent Zerubbabel back to rebuild. It wasn't until Nehemiah, the business guy. The guy with position, the guy with power, the guy with leadership gift who could mobilize everyone to turn everything around.
Stewardship isn't feeling guilty for having money and position and power and brains. Stewardship is understanding it's not yours. All you get is a verse that's hard to live with. To them, much given. Much is required.
And so, when you make a lot of money and say, I tithe, God is not impressed, nor is anyone else. I mean, how hard is it to tide when you six figures or seven figures or beyond? The most generous people in the world right now are the poor. And when things go down, the people who stop giving first by all the research is us rich. And Nehemiah, he's this model.
of what it looks like to be godly, to be wealthy, and to be generous. In fact, he decided, no personal expenses for me. There's much more Chip Ingram wants to show us about Nehemiah, the consummate model of generosity. Chip is here to share an important closing comment, and that's coming up in just a moment.
So please stay with us. If you arrived late in the program, you're listening to Living on the Edge. Today, Chip Ingram is talking about leaving a legacy that lasts forever. The subtitle for this series is How to Give Your Kids and Grandkids What Money Can't Buy. Details on helpful resources are found at livingonthege.org.
This study emerges from a heart of concern for the next generation. At Living on the Edge, we're using every technology at our disposal to meet your kids and grandkids, nieces and nephews on the digital platforms they prefer. They're open to hearing the truth of the Bible. In fact, they crave hearing the unfiltered truth when it's delivered with honesty and transparency. More than 1 million people have engaged with our UVersion resources.
And last year alone, this daily program has been listened to more than 100 million times through radio and on 12 different streaming platforms. The next generation is asking hard questions. And we're stepping into the conversation with clarity and compassion. Chip? Thanks, Dave.
I'm sure you're watching the trend, and it is so exciting. I mean, all across our high schools and college campuses, there is a spiritual awakening taking place. Young men in particular, they're searching for the truth. They're finding Jesus. Pastors are reporting a resurgence of young people showing up at churches, and God is moving.
Okay. Here's my fear. unless they're discipled. unless they get resources that take them beyond the emotion and the excitement and I pray to prayer. We will have the same kind of Christians that we've produced the last four or five decades.
They know about Jesus, they pray to prayer, but their life is little different than non-believers. There's never been a more important time to disciple the next generation. God is moving. We've created the resources. We have the game plan.
We literally have a catechism and a digital pathway to help young people not just pray the prayer, but actually grow and become a disciple maker. When you give to this match, you are helping us do the most important thing that can happen in America right now. Catch those who are coming to know Jesus and helping them to do what Jesus actually said. Not believe in me only, but follow me. Will you help us help young people follow Jesus and make an impact?
This match doubles that impact. December 31st is the last day. Will you give to reach the next generation? We invite you to respond to Chip Ingram in one of three ways.
Now you can call right now, 888-333-6003. Many prefer giving directly on our secure website, livingonthege.org. As a third option, you can include a donation in an envelope addressed to LivingOnthege PO Box 3007 Atlanta, Georgia 30024. That's PO Box 3007, Atlanta, Georgia, 30024. Our phone number one more time is 888-333-6003 or visit livingonthege.org.
Exhausted from trying to acquire more, more, and more? I'm Dave Drewy. Chip Ingram explains how to break free Tuesday on Living on the Edge.
