Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Dealing with our money, handling our money, forces us. to look at our values, our priorities, our loves. You may talk the talk, you may look the part, you may be regarded as an authentic follower of Jesus, but if you're not handling your money in a biblical way, you have a serious, a serious spiritual problem. Welcome to the verdict with Pastor John Monroe, Senior Pastor at Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
There's no question that money is an important consideration in life. But how we handle our resources isn't just a financial matter, it's a spiritual one. Today on the verdict, we're gaining a biblical perspective on money as we continue in next steps in following Jesus.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe with this lesson titled, Your Money. How much money would you like? A wee bit more than you have? Last time we learned that dealing with our money forces us to look at our values. Our priorities What we love.
How we handle money is a very accurate barometer of our spiritual life. No. In this series, next steps in following Jesus. Today we continue on the subject of money. Jesus is saying, don't lay up for yourselves treasures on earth.
Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. We're looking at Matthew chapter 6. Money is not inherently evil.
So the important point is not so much our money. but our attitude to it. Listen though. As we continue to learn from the teaching of Jesus on this important subject of money. The question is: in life, what's driving you?
What are your values? What are you trying to achieve? Why do you want more money? Why is money so important to you? And as Jesus is saying, where is Your heart.
Let's stand and read the teaching of Jesus on this subject as it's found in Matthew chapter 6, verses 19 through 20. Twenty-four. Read with me. from scripture. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth.
Where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, There your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body.
So if your eye is healthy, Your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness? No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, Or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and money. Please be seated. John Calvin writes: When riches hold the dominion of the heart, God has lost his authority. You know that's the case. When you are greedy, When you're focused on yourself and your money.
God has lost authority. in your life, isn't that true? You tell me where your treasure is and I'll tell you where your heart is. You may sing like an angel. You may preach like the prince of preachers.
You may be serving the Lord, but how you handle your money reveals your heart. Isn't that true? Where your treasure is Verse 21, there your heart will be also. And Jesus in Luke chapter twelve tells a story about this. Luke chapter twelve.
Verse fifteen. He said, take care. You're listening. Jesus is talking to you today. Take care.
And be on your guard against all covetousness. For one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possession. Your life doesn't consist of the house you live in, the car you drive. The amount of money you have Your wage packet, the profits, that is not the essence of life. If you think it is.
You're very, very wrong. And to make his point, Jesus tells this story. I'm going to read it. About a man who was self-made. If he was living in America, we would say he had fulfilled the American dream.
He had made money the old-fashioned way, he'd worked for it. And he was very, very proud of his accomplishment. You don't need to know this man very long, and he's telling you all that he has done. and how his business has thrived. But I want to read it.
And as I read, The story. Notice. Who is at the center of his life? And notice how often he talks about I. Me.
Yeah. Jesus told a parable, saying, The land of a rich man produced plentifully. And he thought to himself, What shall I do? For I have nowhere to store my crops. And he said, I will do this.
I will tear down my barns and build larger ones. And there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, he likes speaking to himself, doesn't he? And I will say to my soul, Soul, you've ample goods laid up for many years. Relax, eat, drink, and be merry.
Life is good, isn't it? You said, what was wrong with that? Listen to Jesus. Jesus is going to tell you what's wrong with it. But God Said to him Full.
God calls That attitude Foolish. This night Your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared Whose will they be? It's not really asking him, did you make a will or not? He's saying you're leaving it all behind man And you're a fool. And notice the lesson Jesus gives us in Luke 12, verse 21.
So is the one. Who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. No, money is not The root of all kinds of evil is the love of money. And this man loved money, he loved his possessions. And you can love money if you only have a penny.
And you may be a multi-millionaire and not love money. It's not the amount. It's not the amount of money you have, it's not the amount of possessions you have. That's not the point. In Scripture there were rich people and poor people.
No, it's the motivation. It's your attitude. It's the greed. It's the grasping, it's the holding on to what you have. This is mine, I made it, I inherited, this is the business I built.
It's the desire to control your life. It's the sin. to say, I don't need God. It's living your life. independent of God that is so serious.
So how are we to handle our money? Look back to Matthew chapter six. He gives us the teaching that we've read. He then gives a warning about anxiety. And then he says in verse 33, this wonderful verse that you need to underline in your Bible and memorize in your heart, he says, seek first.
Not to make money. Not to be successful in life. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added. To you. Do you believe that God is well able to take care of you?
God a is well able to Give you clothes. to give you something to eat. If you wonder about that, read Matthew chapter 6. Jesus says, take a lesson from the birds. The birds are not worrying, but your heavenly father feeds them.
Or if you're worried that you don't have enough clothes. Take a lesson from the lilies. Look at the lilies. Look how they don't toil. Or spin, and yet, says Jesus, I tell you, Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Take a lesson from nature. God takes care of it. Why are you worried? Here's a widow. The husband has passed away.
And she wonders if she's going to make it financially, who's going to provide for her. Jesus is saying to you, my dear sister, Don't. Worry. Don't be anxious. Seek first the kingdom of God.
And all of these things, the material things in life, God will take care of.
So stop worrying over money. Each day, put your trust in the Lord. You see, the problem with the rich man who loves money. He doesn't need to pray, he thinks the Lord's Prayer that we thought of last week. Remember the Lord's Prayer?
Give us this day our daily bread. He laughs. He's got enough bread in his house. To live a thousand years, he doesn't need to pray that, he thinks. And his trust is in himself.
His trust is in his achievements. And he has forgotten that God gave him everything that he has, and God can take it from him in an instant. No, each day. Whether you're rich or poor or in between, each day. We're to live in daily dependence upon the Lord.
This is the life that pleases God without faith. It's impossible to please God. We're to live by faith. I'm to live by faith today. In terms of my health, in terms of the future, I have not to worry about the future.
It's in the hands of God. What am I to do? I'm to seek first God. I'm to love God. I'm to pursue God.
I'm to make sure that my life is lived to the glory of God. And all of these things, yes, they are important. I understand that. God We'll take care of. You see This is what it means to live for Christ.
When you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, He does remarkable things, miraculous things. He forgives all your sin. He gives you eternal life. And you say, I praise God. That Jesus is my Savior.
I hope you've done that. I hope your life is committed to Christ. But can I remind you? That Jesus is the Lord Jesus. Maybe it's time we started calling Jesus the Lord Jesus.
As a reminder, That I am to surrender everything I have. to the Lordship of Jesus. Christ. I'm to resign as the CEO. of my life.
I'm to resign as the chairman of my board. I'm to hand over everything to Christ, everything that I have. My future. My present. Everything belongs to Jesus Christ.
This is what it means to follow Jesus. And if God asks me to give money to someone or to do something or to go somewhere, I am to obey Him, am I not? Have we forgotten that? Are we living our Christianity in such a dull, mediocre, comfortable way that our eyes are closed to the needs of our world? And all of us are to have hearts of compassion.
And not just to talk about it, but to have that compassion in action. How can you follow Jesus? How can you love Jesus? If your focus is on yourself. And your money.
So a correct view of money. and resources begins with having an authentic relationship with Christ. Everything I have comes from God. Deuteronomy 8, verse 18. You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth.
Some of you, God has blessed. Financially. In ways that you're even surprised yourself. And God has poured His grace on you. Praise God for that.
You don't need to feel guilty about it, but you do need to remember this. But it is the Lord your God. Who gave you the ability, who gave you the opportunity, the power to get wealth. And your life is to be in the hands of the Lord.
So trust Him. Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:17: The rich are not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. That's it. See, when we hold what God gives us with open hands, Haven't you found that's the way to enjoy it? And my life I've had the privilege of interacting with some very, very generous people.
People who give. Incredibly. And you know they're the they are among the most joyful people I know. I've met others who are the opposite. who hold on to what they have.
Who are tight-fisted? This is mine. And isn't it the case that are the most miserable suspicious self-centered people around. We have to hold what we have. with open hands.
I'm not saying don't be concerned. I'm not saying don't get good advice. Of course, we're to be wise stewards. But you don't wake up at three in the morning wondering if your boss is going to fire you either. Everything belongs.
To the Lord. Therefore, don't love money. You see, John, how would I know if I love money? Let me give you a couple of points. You'll know if you love money.
if you're covetous and envious of others. Can you celebrate? when a colleague gets promotion and you don't. Can you celebrate when someone moves into a new home and it's bigger than yours or or are you bitter? Do you make some petty remarks?
Thou shalt not covet. It's the tenth commandment, and often one that is forgotten. When I announced three weeks ago that someone had given me a brand new Lamborghini, I mean, were some of you envious? My wife said, You've got to explain, John, it was a toy. I said, No, I don't know if I want to.
I want to keep people in suspense, but it was a toy. I'm still waiting for the real one, and I would be able to handle it very responsibly.
Some of you couldn't. But if something happens well to a person, Can you celebrate with them? Or is there covetousness? See, everything belongs to the Lord. Remember, we're stewards, we're managers.
We're not owners. We are managers of what God Has given us. And through prayer, we pray that it will be used not in self-indulgence, but for the glory. of God also. Here it is.
I'll tell you whether you're free from the love of money. Are you generous? Are you generous? Read 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9, where Paul explains that every follower of Jesus is to give to the Lord and is to give generously. Why is it that some of you can come to a church and enjoy the benefits of the life and ministry of church and you contribute nothing or very little?
Malachi talks of such people, and Malachi he says you're robbing God. And the people say, How can we rob God? God's got everything. He says, You're robbing me when you're not giving me your tithes and your offerings. Robbing God.
You wouldn't think of going to a restaurant, would you? I hope not. and ordering a meal. And eating that meal. and going out without paying for it, would you?
You say, well, there's people at church who've got much more money than I do. That's about. Probably right. That's not the point. God isn't interested in the amount of money you have so much.
He's interested in our attitude. And Paul tells us: listen to his words in 1 Corinthians 16. I think some of you don't have these verses in your Bible, but I've got them in mine, and I'm going to read it to you. First Corinthians sixteen. Verse 1: Concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do.
This is not This is for the church. This is for you. On the first day of every week, Each of you. Children? Students.
Singles. college students young adults. Seniors retired. With those Unemployed. Each of you.
is to put aside And to put something aside and store it up as he may. Prosper. If you've got much, give much. If God hasn't prospered you much financially, you can't give much, but you are to give, so that there will be no collecting when I. Come.
Last night I take my checkbook as I do every week.
So that the first thing I pay of every week is a check to church. I take that, I put it in the envelope, I give it to my wife.
so that she can have the joy as an act of worship. of putting that before the Lord. You say, how much do you give? I'm not telling you how much I gave. That's none of your business.
But I give Every week. as an act. of worship. Not because I'm a pastor. But because I'm a follower of Christ.
I like the bumpard sticker. If you love Jesus tithe, anyone can blow their horn. We've got enough people blowing their horn. Don't blow your horn. Give.
Cheerfully. systematically. As the Lord has prospered you. as an act of worship. It's an act of faith.
It's saying that this week Lord, I'm dependent. upon you. Money is not just a matter of economics, it's a spiritual issue. And as we give, we're breaking the power. Of money in our life.
That's one of the greatest powers there is, isn't there? This is one thing that Satan puts us in a tremendous trap. And it's time. to break the power of greed and of covetousness in your life and give. Chuck Swindall tells this story.
He says, Early one chilly morning, an American soldier was making his way back to the barracks in London. As he turned the corner in his Jeep, he spotted a little lad with his nose spread to the window of a pastry shop. Inside, the cook was kneading dough for a fresh batch of doughnuts. The hungry boys stared in silence, watching every move. The soldier pulled his jeep to the curb, stopped, gun out, and walked quietly over t to where the little boy was standing.
Through the steamed up window he could see the mouth watering morsels as they were being pulled from the oven, piping hot. The boy salivated and released a slight groan as he watched the cook place them on to the glass enclosed counter ever so carefully. The soldier's heart went out to the nameless orphan as he stood beside him.
Son, would you like some of these? The boy was startled. Oh, yeah, I would. The American stepped inside and bought a dozen, put them in a bag and walked back to where the lad was standing in the foggy cold of the London morning. He smiled, held out the bag and said simply, Here you are.
As he turned and walked away, he felt a tug in his coat. He looked back and heard the child ask quietly, Mister. Are you God? The Bible says that God so loved the world that he Give His only son. That whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
And laying up treasure in heaven begins not by giving your money, no, no, no. It begins by receiving. The free gift of eternal life if you've never done that. I invite you. To listen, this is the gospel: that God loves you.
But he sends Jesus. He gives Jesus. as your Saviour. Taking away your sin. Rising from the dead, and if you call upon his name, you will be saved.
This is the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us. From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever. but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God. To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World.
Through this special resource, John shares his personal testimony, along with a careful examination of Scripture, to offer us clarity on matters of eternity. Get your copy today by visiting our website at the verdict. org. While you're there, consider making an investment in this Bible teaching ministry. Whether it's $5, $50, or more, your gift today helps cover the cost of sharing these gospel messages to listeners around the world.
And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to the Verdict Podcast, featuring John's weekly podcast exclusive called Avizandam. It's available wherever you get your podcasts, or simply go to our website. Again, that's theverdict.org. The verdict is a ministry of Calvary Church in South Charlotte. We're located on the corner of Highway 51 and Ray Road.
If you've been looking for a church home or a community to help you grow in your walk with Christ, We invite you to join us for our Sunday services. For more details about Calvary and our service times, visit theverdict.org.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well What's your verdict? God is a giving God. God so loved the world that he gave his only son. We who follow Jesus should be characterized by generosity. Give generously to the Lord through your local church.
Give generously to other Christian ministries and charities. And the more you reflect on God's grace to you, the more generous you will be. Join me next time as we continue this series and think of winning others for the Lord Jesus. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies.
Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
