Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus. The founder and perfecter of our faith. There was a TV show called Mythbusters. It exploded common assumptions about how things worked.
Well, it's time to bust some more myths, this time about how a Christian should look at his or her money. To get our lessons, we turned to a church in a place called Macedonia. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. We come now to part four in a series on managing God's gifts.
Pastor Lutzer's focus will be on myths about money. Pastor, some may say, what myths? All churches seem to want from me is money.
Well, Dave, you know, I can identify with a person like that because oftentimes there are churches that constantly emphasize giving.
Now I have to speak from the standpoint of a pastor. and say that the best way to motivate people to give is to preach the vision of the church. and once people catch on what that vision is, they become very generous. You know, we here at Running to Win, we gladly admit that we are dependent upon the gifts of many people, thousands of people around the world. And this is a very special month because it's the month in which we double our gifts.
That is to say, anything that you send will be doubled dollar for dollar.
Now, in return, to thank you, We're going to be sending you a copy of a book I've written entitled Christ Among Other Gods. Perhaps you have heard me say this before, but the reason that I wrote it is I attended the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago. 5,000 delegates. representing all the religions of the world asking whether or not we can be united.
Well, I love to point out to people that Jesus Christ cannot be put on the same shelf as other religious leaders.
Now let me ask you a question. Would you be able to defend that if someone were to ask you about it?
Well that's the gift that we are giving this month for all those who contribute. Here's what you do. Go to rtwoffer.com.
Now, at the end of this message, I'm going to be giving you that contact info again. But always remember this. It's really not about your money. It's about your heart.
Okay. Yeah. Today I'm going to speak for a few moments about myths about money. Myths about money. We like to believe different myths, don't we?
And if I look at my notes more often than usual, it's because I left them at home this morning, a fitting. a fitting day to leave them at home. There was a man who, a preacher, who left his notes at home also, and he said to his congregation, I left my notes at home today, so I'm going to have to depend upon the Holy Spirit, but I promise you, I'll never do that again.
Well I am going to depend upon the Holy Spirit, but I do promise you I will do that again. But the notes have arrived, and so the text today is 2 Corinthians chapter 8. There are many myths that we believe. For example, the ancients believed that roosters had hidden knowledge, and that's why they could predict the sunrise so accurately. There are many people who still have a hang-up about the number 13.
There are hotels here in the city that do not have a 13th floor. And in the very same way, we sometimes believe myths about money. For example, we believe that the abundance that a person has really determines what kind of a life he has. Or to put it differently, that the joyous life and the abundant life is wrapped up with how much you possess and how much you own. That's a myth.
There are many people who are poor, who are much better off in many different ways than those who are rich. Here's another myth: that you can't take it with you. Yes, you can. I won't explain today how you can take it with you, but there are hints along the way in this message. Absolutely, you can't take it as money.
You can't take it as silver, you can't take it as gold, but yes, you can take it with you. In fact, it can meet you on the other side at a high rate of interest in a place that is secure and free from all possibility of robbery or the fluctuations of the Dow Jones industrial average. What I'd like to do is to look at 2 Corinthians chapter 8 and give you five characteristics of the people at Macedonia. Macedonia was that area in northern Greece that was actually in the area of Mount Olympus. And it is there that there was a cluster of churches whose hearts God so captivated that they became an example to all of us as to how to give.
And in the process of giving these five characteristics of the way in which they gave, each one of those characteristics is going to explode a myth. about giving and our commitment to the Lord.
So let's begin. You'll notice it says, And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. First of all, I want you to know that they gave out of their severe trial. That's what the text says.
In the midst of their affliction, the new American standard says. What was the severe trial? What was the affliction?
Well, persecution for one thing. We always think that because there are sometimes a cost involved to be a Christian today, We think this is so terrible. The history of the Christian church is littered with people who gave their lives, people who were ostracized from jobs, people who were in situations where they did not have opportunity, even physical persecution, even death. And so he says, in the midst of this severe trial, you gave. They lived at a time of economic uncertainty because you were dependent upon the soil.
You didn't have money in the bank, you didn't have retirement accounts. All those things, of course, were unknown to them. It was day-to-day, hand-to-mouth, trying to live. And it is, the scripture says they gave out of extreme Poverty, or rather, severe trial, I should say.
Well, what myth does that explode? It explodes the myth that giving is for those who have personal peace or affluence, people who have their personal problems solved. That's a myth. There are people who say, Well, you know, if I ever get it together, somebody said, Well, I got it together, but when I did, I wasn't able to lift it.
Well, whenever you say, people say, well, when I really get it together, my life now is really disorganized. I'm going through a time of difficulty. This is not a time to give.
Well, notice it says they gave in the midst of their severe trial. No, we don't wait till we've got it all together. Because in one sense, there is no convenient time to give to God and to His work. We just give even in the midst of severe trial and affliction. Let me give you a second characteristic of these people.
They gave out of their deep poverty, it says. In fact, these phrases just are abundant in instructing us, aren't they? You'll notice it says their overflowing joy and their extreme, extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. Paul is talking about the offerings they gave. Even in the midst of their poverty, And you and I don't know what poverty is.
I personally don't know what poverty is.
Some of you may know it, because there are Americans today who are very, very poor. There are people in other countries who are very, very poor. But most of us have no idea as to what it is like to be dirt poor, where you have basically nothing. And you'll notice that they gave in the midst of their poverty. What a myth!
That explodes. The myth that giving is just for the rich. That's the way people think. They think, well, you know, if I had lots of money, then of course I'd give, but I don't have lots of money, so that I can't give. That's a myth.
You see, it's not what you do with a million if riches should be your lot. It's what you are doing at present with the dime or quarter you've got. When Jesus was there in the temple watching the people give their gifts, And he noticed the widow who came with her two mites, and sometimes people talk about the widow's mite. Give that lady credit because my Bible says that she had two mites. She had twice as much as most people think she did.
But Jesus said, she gave more than you all. You see, if you think that giving is just for the rich, what you're doing is saying is that the poor can never be faithful. The poor can never be rewarded for their generosity. No, no, no. Giving is for everyone, like I explained last time.
That's why in a pastoral prayer I never say, bless those who cannot give. We can all give something. It's a myth that giving is just for the rich. They gave out of poverty. Notice it says, now we come to a very puzzling phrase, and I want you to work with me through it in your mind.
It says, verse 3, for I testified that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. How do you interpret that? One way might be to say that they gave beyond what could be reasonably expected. You've seen that, haven't you, in the lives of people who are generous. They can't afford to give.
In fact, they are taking money from something that they should really be using for something else. And they give it anyway. They're giving beyond their ability, or at least according to their ability. But notice it says that they actually gave beyond their ability.
So maybe that's what it is. They gave more than could be reasonably expected. I like another interpretation. And that is that they gave beyond their intention. In other words, to put it in our terms, they gave $10 and then God blessed them as a result of that giving and they found out that they had $10 more to give.
And so as a result of that, God began to so multiply them and so bless them because of their giving that they ended up giving way beyond their ability.
Well, what myth does this explode? The myth is that we should give only what we can afford, only what we can afford. It's easy for us to look at our bank accounts and say, well, how much can I afford to give? Question is, how much do we want God To work in our lives so that we can trust Him beyond, beyond just what we can afford. When you stop to think of it, If we give only what we can afford, do you know that that means that there's really no room for faith?
There's no room for a miracle.
Well, as you know, we're here in a building program. But we've outlined to the congregation And what an opportunity it is for us to be able to give beyond our ability to make our three-year commitment and actually leave some room for a miracle, leave some room for God to work.
Somebody, some person who's a mathematical geek. figured out. That if the woman Who gave her two mites, that blessed lady there, that widow whose name we do not know. But if she'd have taken that two mites and it would have been invested at 4% interest for 2,000 years.
Now if you know anything about compound interest, first years are slow, but then it begins to build astronomically, that it would come out to a figure that would be 48 plus 19 zeros.
Now, I'm taking that by faith. I did not figure that out. It depends, of course, on how much you consider the mights to be in those days. But the fact is that here's a lady who invested and she gave certainly beyond her ability. And it's almost as if we can think that in the bank of heaven it's been multiplying all those years because every time we tell the story we are edified.
That lady had no idea that her commitment was going to be written up in the scriptures and for years preachers were going to be able to use her as an example of giving. It's a myth to think. that we can give only what we can afford. They gave, the Macedonians gave, beyond their ability. Let's go on to another myth.
Well, first of all, let's go on to another principle. They gave willingly. You'll notice it says in verse 4. Entirely on their own, they gave beyond their ability, entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.
Now, I can imagine Paul saying to these people, you don't afford to be able to give this. Use this for clothes, use this for food. But notice it says they begged. That's the way the NASB translates it. Here we have, they earnestly entreated us.
for the privilege of giving. I like that idea of begging, that they begged for the opportunity to give.
Well, you don't know that when the Holy Spirit of God works in a congregation, it works in our hearts. Who knows, the day may come when people will actually say at the end of the service, Pastor, we're not going home until you pass the offering plate one last time. That's what happens when the Holy Spirit begins to work and people beg. No tricks. No need for bingo games, no need for trying to figure out how they were going to meet their commitment because it was the spontaneous heart of love.
What myth does that explode? the myth that giving should be based on guilt. And you know that Jesus said it is much more blessed to give. than it is to receive, and it's not a matter of feeling guilty. If you give only because you feel guilty, It may be better not to give at all.
Give because you love, give because you care, give because God has given to you. They begged for the opportunity to give and it is a myth that we should make people feel guilty as if Somehow they must. They must do it.
Well, let's go on to a fifth principle. And I like this one the best. It's in verse 5. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us. in keeping with God's will.
That's the key to the whole thing. They gave themselves first to the Lord, the Lordship of Jesus Christ in everything. The recognition that he is Lord of all that I possess, he's Lord of my marriage, he's Lord of my vocation. He's Lord of my body, He's Lord of my time, He's Lord of my thought life. We give ourselves to the Lord first, and then having given ourselves to Him, It is then that we can rejoice in God's goodness and freely, generously give.
Have you ever met somebody who wants to give, but they have not given themselves to the Lord? First. By the way, the myth. that this explodes is that giving is a financial issue. It isn't.
It isn't financial. It has everything to do with the spiritual dynamics of our relationship with God. They gave themselves. first to the Lord. You've seen people, haven't you, who haven't given themselves to God.
They're trying to figure out how little they can give to get by with. They're nickeling and diming. And so I say to you today, in sincerity, if you're going to cry about it, Don't give it all. Don't even bother. Because the scripture teaches that It should be out of that heart of joy, that sense of love.
It's been more than 30 years now since I've been married, but what if What if on our honeymoon I said to Rebecca, you know, Um I forget exactly how many kisses I promised you on the honeymoon. And do we have any ideas to whether or not I've made my quota. It's not the way it was, folks. It's not the way it was. That's the way it is when you give too.
You give because you love, you give because you're committed, you give because you know it's a privilege, you give because you have been given to and you know you don't own anything. And it is with that kind of a heart that you give.
Okay. Um Well, my friend, this is Pastor Lutzer, and of course, Rebecca and I have been married now much longer than 30 years. But the point that I was making is still valid, namely we give, Because we love. Jesus, in fact, emphasized money. And the Apostle Paul says that God loves a cheerful giver.
We hope that that's you. And we want to thank the many of you who contribute to this ministry. It's because of you that this ministry does indeed go around the world. I'm holding in my hand several letters from people who listen overseas. I don't have time to read them here, but I have one from West Africa, a Spanish-speaking listener.
another one from West Africa, and so forth. Thank you, friends. And remember that this is a very special month. For every gift that you give, it will be doubled. We have people who are committed to this ministry who say that they will double any gift that is given during this month.
and also as a thank you. will be sending you a copy of my book Christ Among Other Gods. It was written to help all of us to understand that Jesus Christ is unique. I sure hope that you have a pen or pencil handy, because I'm going to be giving you some contact info now. Here's what you do.
Go to rtwoffer dot com. Of course RTW offers all one word. RTWOffer.com. By the way, when you're there, you can also click on the Endurance Partner button. Find out what that's all about.
and ask God if he would have you contribute to this ministry. on a regular basis. Or if you prefer, you can call 1-888-1. 218. ninety three thirty seven.
Remember, this very special month, any gift that you give will be doubled, and we have a gift for you as a thank you. Time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Lutzer a question about the Bible or the Christian life. There is some mystery about what happened to Jesus between the cross and the resurrection. Jane listens in Copley, Ohio, and has this question Can you explain Matthew 12:40, where Jesus is speaking to the scribes and Pharisees, and they ask him for a sign? after saying that an evil generation seeks a sign, he then talks about how as Jonah was in the whale for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
What was Jesus doing during this time? I've never heard a clear explanation, and would love to hear yours.
Well, Jane, you've asked a very interesting question over which there has been some disagreement. I hope that I can bring some clarification to it. You know, the Bible does say that he went into Hades, and because of that, people have believed that Jesus actually went into hell.
Now that deserves a longer discussion that I can't have here regarding exactly what Hades is. But for those who believe that Jesus descended into hell, If he did, he wasn't there very long. because he had said to the thief, To-day you shall be with me in paradise.
So I personally doubt that Jesus went into hell. I think that he went directly to heaven. I think that when the Bible talks about him being in Hades, Hades is sometimes simply a reference to the grave. But I could be wrong on that, but one thing I do want to emphasize Is this? There are some Bible teachers who say that when Jesus was in hell, That's where he redeemed us.
That's totally unscriptural. Jesus redeemed us when He died on the cross and when He shed His blood. and it is his life there on the cross. that purchased our redemption.
Now the rest of the story is this. When Jesus was taken down from the cross, his body was taken down from the cross. if he did go into Hades, and was conscious there. As I mentioned, it wasn't for very long because he said that he would meet the thief in Paradise.
So his body goes to the grave, His soul goes with the thief, to Paradise. and they commune there. And just imagine for this thief, you know, he has breakfast with his buddy on earth, And yet he sups with Christ that evening in heaven What an amazing transformation all because of God's grace. and then when Jesus is raised from the dead, His soul and spirit return to the body, And so then Jesus lives on earth and of course later on he ascends into heaven. I hope that this helps, Jane, because I know that it is a complicated question, and perhaps I gave a very complicated answer.
But just know That the good news is that someday we will be like him. In fact, we're going to have bodies like he does, the Apostle Paul says. and we shall see him as he is. At that time all of these mysteries, I'm sure, will be clarified. A LOOK AT MATHEW THELEVE FORTY WITH DOR ERWIN LUTSER.
THANK YOU, DOR LUTSER. If you'd like to hear your question answered, go to our website at rtwoffer.com and click on Ask Pastor Lutzer or call us at 1-888-218-9337. That's 1-888-218-258. 9337. You can write to us at Running2Win 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 60614.
That was Erwin Lutzer introducing Myths About Money. The fourth in a six-part series on managing God's gifts.
Next time I'm running to win, more of the characteristics of a church that knew how to give. Plan to join us. Thanks for listening. For Pastor Erwin Lutzer, this is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.
