DISCIPLES OF JESUS MINISTRY

Tithe Challenge 2010 Into Video from mariners church on Vimeo.

MONEY AND STEWARDSHIP, Whose money is it anyway?

This study is a hard hitting one and very thought provoking for me too. I have a lot to learn from it
Psa 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.

Mat 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

We would have difficulty surviving in this world today without money, but the love of money can mess u our priorities. God should always come first in our lives; money can’t satisfy our deepest needs.


1Ti 6:6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
1Ti 6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
1Ti 6:8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
1Ti 6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Heb 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you

Psa 119:36 Give me an eagerness for your decrees; do not inflict me with love for money! (NLT)

It isn’t the money itself that is evil, it is our love of it, and it interfering with our relationship with God.

Pro 11:28 He who trusts in his riches will fall,
But the righteous will flourish like foliage.

Isa 55:2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.

Do we spend our money wisely? Often we will spend money on things that are unnecessary to fill a void in our lives. The Bible shows us a way to have a lasting happiness that satisfies our every need.

Psa 146:5 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the LORD his God,

Pro 11:23 The godly can look forward to happiness, while the wicked can expect only wrath. (NLT)

Psa 106:3 Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!

So, instead of focussing on financial gain and love of material things we should focus our minds on God, trust Him to meet our needs, and live godly lives.

Pro 19:1 Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

Mar 8:36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

No amount of money is worth having if it was gained deceptively or dishonestly. In fact the dishonest gain of money is stealing.
What is the value of money? All the riches in this world do not bring happiness. How often do we hear of people who seem to have everything by this world’s standards going through problems such as marital break-ups; searching for answers in New Ageism or Eastern Religions; alcohol problems; drug addictions and sometimes getting to the depth of despair and taking their own lives?

Phi 4:11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
Phi 4:12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
Phi 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Phi 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

The Bible tells us God will supply all our needs. Problems arise because our definition of need differs from that of God’s. So what do we need to do realise how we can have a fulfilling life? First of all we need to look at the Word of God and discover how we can have fulfilment in our lives.

Mar 12:41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much.
Mar 12:42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.
Mar 12:43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury;
Mar 12:44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

1Jo 3:17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

If we learn how to give unto others we are less likely to become lovers of money. Can we really as Christians have plenty and watch our brothers in need?

Pro 3:9 Honor the LORD with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
Pro 3:10 So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.

Mal 3:10 Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (Amp)

Luk 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

2Co 9:6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
2Co 9:7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
2Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
2Co 9:9 As it is written:

"He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever.

Pro 21:20 There is desirable treasure,
And oil in the dwelling of the wise,
But a foolish man squanders it.
Pro 21:21 He who follows righteousness and mercy
Finds life, righteousness and honor.

The Parable of the Talents
Mat 25:14 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
Mat 25:15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
Mat 25:16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
Mat 25:17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.
Mat 25:18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.
Mat 25:19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
Mat 25:20 "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, "Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'
Mat 25:21 His lord said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
Mat 25:22 He also who had received two talents came and said, "Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'
Mat 25:23 His lord said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
Mat 25:24 "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, "Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
Mat 25:25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.'
Mat 25:26 "But his lord answered and said to him, "You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.
Mat 25:27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.
Mat 25:28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
Mat 25:29 "For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
Mat 25:30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

1Th 4:11 This should be your ambition: to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we commanded you before.
1Th 4:12 As a result, people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others to meet your financial needs.

God wants us to be good stewards of our money, to work diligently, spend wisely and be cheerful givers.

Mar 10:17 As he was starting out on a trip, a man came running up to Jesus, knelt down, and asked, "Good Teacher, what should I do to get eternal life?"
Mar 10:18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked. "Only God is truly good.
Mar 10:19 But as for your question, you know the commandments: 'Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not testify falsely. Do not cheat. Honor your father and mother.' "
Mar 10:20 "Teacher," the man replied, "I've obeyed all these commandments since I was a child."
Mar 10:21 Jesus felt genuine love for this man as he looked at him. "You lack only one thing," he told him. "Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
Mar 10:22 At this, the man's face fell, and he went sadly away because he had many possessions.
Mar 10:23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for rich people to get into the Kingdom of God!"

Mark 10 :17 -24

The Lord did not deny the possibility that a rich person can be saved; he merely said that it is difficult. The problem though was that money was more important to this young man than his desire to follow Christ. He put money first before anything else. We would be much happier if we concentrated on accumulating treasures in heaven.

WHY DO WE NEVER SEEM TO HAVE ENOUGH?

Isa 55:1 "Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink – even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk – it's all free!
Isa 55:2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen, and I will tell you where to get food that is good for the soul!

Why is it that we so often spend money on things that we don’t need, we don’t use our money as wisely as we could, yet all that we have comes from the Lord?   Only God and God alone can satisfy the human soul.

All Scriptures other than indicated otherwise are from the NKJV

Heavenly Father,
My prayer is that I will learn much from this study, hit home the things that you need to teach me here. Help me to be a wise steward of your money for all that I have comes from you. Help me to be a cheerful giver and to build up my treasures in heaven.

This I ask in Jesus Precious Name,
AMEN

ARE YOU SOWING YOUR SEED WISELY?                Galatians 6: 7-9

Gal 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
Gal 6:8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
Gal 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

It is October and Christmas is just around the corner. Christmas and New Year for many people in our contemporary Western culture, Christmas is associated with materialism, commercialism, and self-indulgence. There is a solemn warning against ignoring God!
Paul tells us here in Galatians though that our actions, our words, our thoughts, the way we spend our time, the way we spend our money; we’re going to sow something that we’re going to get back when we reap it. We reap what we sow, and we reap in greater quantities than we sow. When the farmer sows wheat, he reaps wheat, sometimes thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold. Schofield remarks that “the Spirit is not speaking here to sinners about their sins, but to saints about their meanness.”
We should notice that this reminder follows an exhortation on Christian giving. Looking at it from this perspective, we can see that sowing to the flesh means spending money on oneself, caring more about our own pleasures and comforts, possibly holding back what we could be giving to God. Sowing to the Spirit is when looked at as regards financial giving is using one’s money for the furtherance of God’s interests. However, I believe there is more to it than that.
If you as a Christian are going to live in the flesh, you will produce the things of the flesh. That does not, however, mean that you will lose your salvation, but it does mean that you will lose your reward, which will make it a day of shame and regret when you stand before our Lord at the Bema Judgment Seat of Christ where we will receive our rewards.

The law of sowing and reaping is at the heart of world evangelism.

Joh 4:35 Do you not say, "There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
Joh 4:36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
Joh 4:37 For in this the saying is true: "One sows and another reaps.'
Joh 4:38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors." Our lifetime is our “seedtime,” and our harvest will yield multiplications of the fruit of the seed we have sown if we sow wisely. This calls us to cast off reserve and to give God the finest “soil” of our lives so that there may be a rich harvest.

Hos 8:7 "They sow the wind,
And reap the whirlwind.
The stalk has no bud;
It shall never produce meal.
If it should produce,
Aliens would swallow it up.

Do you see the negative power of “sowing” for evil rather than for God. If sowing to evil (the flesh) may reap a whirlwind, how much more may righteous sowing (to the Spirit) make room for God .The Holy Spirit came as a rushing, mighty wind at Pentecost.
Could God work in holy hurricane power if He can find us sowing to the Spirit? A Spirit controlled life guarantees our partnership with God in reaping a harvest for worldwide increase in His Kingdom.

So, if we don’t want to suffer this frustration of reaping from the flesh, we have to sow to the Spirit. And at Christmastime one special way to do this is to keep our hearts and minds focused on Jesus.
In the next couple of weeks when your standing in those queues in Stores and Supermarkets remember that the folks in the world around you can’t see Jesus, they are blinded by the things of this world, but they can see you and I when we are standing in amongst them, may we reflect Christ in us and not let the impatience and frustrations of Christmas shopping, which if we are truthful we all feel at least in part show through. May they instead see Christ in us.
Abraham believed God, he was a man of faith and walked with Him in the land of Canaan. Abraham had a son named Isaac. When Isaac became a young man, Abraham took him to the top of Mount Moriah and in obedience to God’s command, Abraham prepared to offer his son as a sacrifice. God, didn’t let him go through with it, but you can see the level of trust and obedience that this man had. Abraham sowed to the Spirit and he reaped life everlasting.
My prayer is that we shall sow to the Spirit and not the flesh and thus reap the blessings of Kingdom living both in the present, knowing a life more abundant now and in eternity.

Joh 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

We need to sow to the Spirit though to know that abundant life, flee the things of the flesh.