January 7, 2018 Money Matters Part I, "For the Love of Money", Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley

as a matter of fact the image of church and money is so bad that you really can't even brag and boast to your friends about how faithful you've been and giving to the church this year because they will swear you are a bonafide fool for giving your money to the house of the Lord everybody knows somebody who's left church because the way Church dealt with money left a bad taste in their mouth somebody say man as we begin our journey into the Word of God in 2018 what to begin a series today that will carry us through this entire month of January as we launch out into part one I would that you hear the reading the Word of God is recorded in Matthew chapter 6 1 2 read verse 24 first of all in the New King James Version and then in the message translation for emphasis sake if you're able to turn on your advice or if you've got a real Bible with you would you turn with me to Matthew chapter 6 here the reading of the Word of God verse 24 from the New King James Version and then Eugene Peterson's a message translation Jesus says in Matthew 6 verse 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 Eugene Peterson translates verse 24 is thus you can't worship two gods at once loving one God you'll end up hating the other adoration of one feeds contempt for the other you can't worship God and money both I want to talk teach and preach from the subject for the love of money you may be seated in the presence of the Lord for those who are musically astute and aware you were called that in 1973 a soul and funk band out of Philadelphia recorded a song there was iconic in its day and still legendary today it had a funky bass line that allowed it to rise to number 9 on the Billboard charts and number 3 on the R&B that's song by The O'Jays [Music] [Applause] it was inspired by their Bible study on first Timothy chapter 6 and verse number 10 that says that the love of money is the root of all evil and The O'Jays put pen to paper money money money money money money money money money money money y'all are not saved amen The O'Jays understood for the love of money people will steal from their mother for the love of money they'll rob their own brother for that mean mean mean green [Music] The O'Jays put into eternal music form what we all know to be so true that for the love of money people will do something anything for the love of money people will work overtime to the neglect of both family and health for the love of money a man will sit down at a craps table and lose this child's college tuition for the love of money you would steal from people who love you and those who would simply give if you only but asked for the love of money we'll treat people some anyway for the love of money millionaires would engage in illegal ities and risk imprisonment just to have some more I think the gospel the old Jase is right people will do things do things do bad things for the love of money beloved I'll suggest to you that how you get money is directly connected to what you're gonna do with it if you took it you're gonna spend it if you earned it you're probably going to invest it if you stole it you're probably gonna smoke it if you work for it you're probably going to enjoy it if you inherited it you're probably gonna pass it down to others if you were blessed by it you're probably gonna bless others with it if you prayed for it you're probably going to tithe on it if you got it easily you're probably going to lose it quickly if it's old money it's probably in a fund somewhere if it's new money it's sitting on dubs outside and if it's your first money you're probably wearing all of it right now because it is really not how much you earn that speaks to who you are but Judy it's rather what you do with money that you have that speaks volumes about your character my friend nothing shares more about who you are than your position and your perspective on money how you handle money reveals more about you than any genetic testing you can engage with online given the fact that money is so powerful to shape who we are reveal who we are disclose our real intentions and motivations it is amazing how little many of us have been taught on money for the reality is that in many communities of color people who've never had money have not been taught how to deal with money and therefore we wind up misusing money if you've never been taught spending is more important than saving if you've never been taught image is more important than investments if you've never been taught you were confused having cash with building wealth if you've never been taught you will think your credit score is something to laugh at if you've never been taught you typically advertise how much you make by what you drive if you've never been taught you will spend money being free advertising wearing the logos and brands of designers who don't look like you didn't make clothes for you and probably don't even like people of your color it's amazing how little we've been taught about money and if we were taught about money if we were blessed to have family and friends parents who guided us in understanding many of us were taught the principles of the world we were taught about making sound investments about homeownership 401 KS 403 B's but very rarely have we been taught how to handle money from the perspective of the kingdom of God a part of that reason is that you'll agree with me that dealing with money on holy ground is a sensitive subject because unfortunately the history of Christianity particularly contemporary Christianity has caused us to witness such volatile vulgar financial misconduct abuse indiscretions begging for money and offerings and at the end result to all this been given we've created a generation of celebrity preachers who live in mansions and drive Mercedes Mae box while their church is in an impoverished community and members are struggling to pay their bills and all of us know at least one somebody that stands outside the doors of the church with the sound argument that they will never give their money to the church they see Church as some sanctified hustle a predatory environment where the weak and the gullible are persuaded to give money so the preacher can live well as a matter of fact the image of church and money is so bad that you really can't even brag and boast to your friends about how faithful you've been and giving to the church this year because they will swear you are a bonafide fool for giving your money to the house of the Lord everybody knows somebody who's left church because the way church dealt with money left a bad taste in their mouth somebody say man now the irony of all that is that when one reads the Bible and looks at the topics and issues covered you may be surprised to find out that money is hands down the number one topic dealt with in all of scripture from Genesis to Revelation the Bible talks more about earning money and using money correctly more than it does walking by faith more than it does praying and more than it does being saved from your sin money is the number one issue in all of Scripture it comprises more than half of the teachings of Jesus and many of the parables of Jesus center around money in some way shape or form money is at the heart of the Word of God which would mean that if we gather here for the next 52 Sunday's in 2018 and all I did was tell you how to pray and encourage you to shout to God and tell you to read your Bible because it makes you a better Christian and tell you to walk by faith and to love your neighbor and to serve in ministry and to lead others to the cross of Jesus Christ if we talked about all of that but never dealt money I would be guilty of not teaching you of what the Bible's trying to teach you that how you handle money can either align your life with the will of God or leave you misaligned with God's plan we have to talk about money and I know it's sensitive I know you're probably saying I'm not coming to church to February because you really don't want to hear any messages on money but allow me to tell you this series is not one you want to miss today we'll talk about for the love of money next week gonna go through tithing 101 answer all the frequently asked questions you have don't miss next week I'm going to answer the question net or gross amen in week 3 we're gonna dig into the New Testament and look at another way of giving called graceful giving that is above and beyond tithing and in part for I really want you to be here the sermon is called show me the money because you work hard for your money and I want you to know how your money is working hard for you when you give it back to the kingdom of God that you might understand that when you give you're not given to some black hole with no accountability you need to know what happens with your money this is a series you don't want to miss now before we engage them you tell you something real quick I am NOT a financial planner I've never taken a class in economics I don't know a thing about investing I hired my financial planner to do all of that I have no PhD in money management I am NOT here to teach you about investments I'm not here to teach you about budgeting I am not here to teach you about retirement that's what financial piece ministry is all about and if you need some help and getting your stuff together I encourage you to take financial piece that's not what I'm trying to do nor am i standing here in the spirit of those false prosperity preachers in Christianity I'm not here to give you some biblical principles to make you rich I'm not here to tell you over these next few weeks that God wants you to have a private jet I'm not here to get you to do like some preacher in Louisiana and declare I will never be broke another day in my life I'm not here to offer and tell you if you bring some miracle seed offering of eighteen dollars 18 cent that God is gonna bless you with whatever you need oh I'm not here to do all of that I stand before you if this month to answer one question how do we honor God with our money how do I handle my money in a way that honors the call of God on my life this series was really motivated by a discussion I had in the center of african-american culture no not the museum the barbershop and CJ typically when I go to the barber shop I try to be incog-negro I really don't want people to know who I am because when you're in the barber shop and people know you're a preacher they want to engage you in theological debate Judy I don't have time to school folk while I'm getting my hair cut I was in the barber shop the other day and the brother began speaking to me and he asked me a question he said pastor let me ask you this why should I give my money to the church and I realize I had to address it I said brother we need to rephrase the question first of all is not your money and second of all when you give you're not giving to the church you're giving to the Lord and so when you give what you nestlings are doing is taking what God has given you and you're giving it back to God he was not content with my answer so he pushed it getting on my nerves and this what he said he said well why does God need money if God is God God is omnipotent God can do what God wants to do and God doesn't need human help why does God need money doesn't make sense to me that if God gave it to me I got to give it back to God that God gave to me our to keep it and use it as God intended me to use it why are you telling me God me why does God command us to give back to him somebody asked a good question glad you came to church today i'ma share with you what I shared with him in a more structured and patient way why the Lord commands us to give why does God give to us and then say give some of it back to me why is giving a commandment from the Lord why is giving part of the discipline of being a Christian why are we commanded to tithe and bring offerings let me give you five reasons why God commands us to give number one giving is an act that glorifies God that when I give I'm literally lifting up and glorifying the presence the reality and the power of God in my life more than your sunday shout more than your holler of hallelujah more than your Amen in the sermon which you don't give the Lord says it is my giving that glorifies God's presence stay with me when Jesus is teaching in Matthew 6 he said listen you can't serve two masters two things cannot compete for ultimate authority in your life wherever there are two masters there inevitably is competition and you've got to decide which one you surrender to and so he brings it home and says you can't serve God and money notice Jesus does not say you cannot serve God and your spouse your spouse ain't in competition with God he doesn't say you can't serve God and your job your job is not in competition with God when Jesus recognizes the reality of the human situation he says this there's only one thing in your life that can compete with God money in real sense Jesus knows money is God's number one competitor for the ultimate authority in your life either you will serve God or you will serve your pursuit of money here's what Jesus says in case you ain't got it every dollar in your pocket is raising his hand and hollering at you saying make me your God trust me like you trusted him believe in me like you believe in him let me make ways for you the way he made ways for you let me guide you the way he guided you love me the way you love him that money is God's number one competitor and so Jesus says in Matthew 19 watch this it is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich sister to make it in heaven and it's not because there's something wrong with having money there's nothing wrong with earning there's nothing wrong with climbing up the ladder but Jesus understood the more money you have the less prone you are to trust in God the more money you have the more you believe you can buy your way out you can buy your way through you can buy an open door that money can do for you what God can do and it's a shame to have so much money that you can't trust God so Jesus says listen God wants you to know he's a jealous God and when God says he's jealous he says listen don't elevate anything to my status don't elevate anyone to my status don't trust anything like you trust me don't love anything like you love me don't depend on anything like you depend on me when you do that it's idolatry and I will have no other God next to me beloved when you trust in money and will you believe in money more than you obey God you've made money and Idol and whenever you have an idol in your life God's gonna do two things number one God's gonna take a step back that's who you want to trust let's see how that works out for you that's who you want to call on let's see what that does for you that's who you believe in let me step back because I am NOT Co God I am NOT vice God I am NOT Junior God I am NOT conciliatory God if I'm not God over everything then I'm God over nothing so God steps back and then God will take his hand off of the relationship you have with your new God so when you read in scripture reading scripture there were some white supremacists who read the book of jeremiah judy and saw all the commandments of God against African nations and they argued that God was against black folk because in the Book of Jeremiah God condemns Africa when you read it correctly though God's condemnation against African nations was not a hatred of black folk God condemns the African nations because Israel kept running back to them and God said listen here's the problem my people trust in black folk more than they trust in me and so I'm cutting my hand off so that my people will know you can't count on anything other than God and whenever you run to something more than you run to God God will take his hand off of it [Applause] that's why you get in situations where money can't do nothing because God wants to remind you that money is not your God so every time I give I'm glorifying God by saying if I've got to choose between trusting God and trusting my money I trust God I give cuz I love God I give cuz I want the Lord to make a way I give because I want him to know in him alone do I trust and obey I give to glorify God God says I want you to give because it glorifies me it allows me to know you choose me over anything because if you can choose God over money you'll put him over everything he says I want you to give because it glorifies me number two give because giving is an act of governance say with me Saints giving to the Lord requires that I get my finances in order giving to God requires that that I lock some stuff down now get some stuff under control because you cannot give correctly to God as I will teach next week without two things number one planning to give God word of God right through desires and deserves requires that you look over your finances that you look at your income and your out goal that you look at where you're spending and you realize there's some things I've got to tighten up so that I can give God what God deserves there some holes in the bucket I got to plug there are some areas I'm in too much debt I'm too much in credit there some areas I'm excessively going over and is preventing me from giving God what God deserves so in order to give God correctly you've got to budget and budgeting is getting your household in order so you can give God what God deserves it requires planning but secondly it requires prioritization that I cannot give God what God deserves without pulling aside what God deserves before I go to Nordstrom before I make my way to Neiman before I find myself and Target I've got to tell myself I've got tithe I've got mortgage I've got student loan and then I can spend on whatever I have and the Bible says that when you put God first gotta put everything in its rightful place you got to put God first so watch the blessing of giving to the Lord when I put God first and I get my household in order God says now I can pour more blessing on you cuz now I know you put me first and now I know you've got your money in order and now I know you're paying off your bills and in order for me to bless you I need to know that I'm first and your house is in order so God commands us to give not only to give him glory but to govern our household affairs can I give you number three giving not only glorifies God giving is not only an act of governance giving is an act of godliness don't miss this when you give you are proving that God is in you you you you cannot contemplate the character of God and not come to the conclusion that he's a good guy you really can't think about who God is without recognizing how much God has given you how much the Lord has shuh is how much the Lord has deposited into your life how much the Lord has favored you how much the Lord has rained on you how much the Lord has poured into you I'm looking for some people who when I think about God I have to remember how good god has been to me he's he's given to me because he's a giving god that is the witness of Scripture that God gives huh John 3:16 for God so loved the world that He gave James 1:17 every good and perfect gift comes from God Psalm 84 11 no good thing will God withhold from us God wants to give he wants to give me what eyes haven't seen what ears haven't heard what I have not earned what I could not achieve what I did not married what I could not buy he gives to me somebody say God is a giver and maybe the Lord commands us to give as an invitation to exemplify his presence in our life how can you not give and you walk with a God who gives you every day if you say you love the Lord and you do not give if you say the Lord is the head of your life and you do not give if you shout every Sunday and thank God for what he does but you never give you have a form of godliness a selfish heart can never exemplify a giving God that the real way I prove my godliness is not just my shout it's not just my scripture quoting it's not my singing of the hymns what proves that God reigns in me is that the God who gives to me moves upon my heart and cause me to give back unto Him to show that I'm becoming more like him so you show me a saint that comes to church and I'll show you someone who likes sanctified entertainment you show me a saint that brings their tithe to church and I'll show you one who loves the Lord you showed me a saint that can shout at shouting time and I'll show you a saint that's moved by the crowd you show me a saint that gives their offering to the Lord and I'll show you one that's thankful for everything the Lord has done you showed me a saint that can sing to him I'll show you one that has a good memory you showed me a saint that shows their offering I'll show you one who's been thinking about the goodness of God all week long that that it is my giving that shows my godliness so my giving that governs my finances it's my giving that allows God to be glorified and watched number four watch them before the choir knows this but I tell y'all it's about to get real quiet right here it's about I have a prophetic spirit it is about to get quiet giving number four is an act of generosity it shows my desire to want to sow into a better world but love you know what I find amazing talk to Judy do you know what I find amazing Church is the only thing people voluntarily join and expect it to be free this is the only thing you walk down the aisle raise your hand and say yes to and expect there's no financial obligation everything else you joined cost you something fraternity dues Founders Day assessments where my aka how much are the links gonna get from you this year what Judy what's the cost to be a delta this year how much is your membership in the Junior League every year brothers how much is the boule this year something I don't even know what that is how much does it cost to go to your gym every month your new year's resolution paying for something you don't even go to how much does it cost to be a member of the n-double a-c-p how much does it cost to be part of that uh that that that monthly wine club you're in that they sent you the wine ever ever and you know what the crazy thing is watch what happens if you don't pay your dues watch what happens if you don't give the assessments you you don't know that let me tell you what's gonna happen if you don't pay your gym dues you gonna show up one day you can wave your card and try to get in and they're gonna let you know that your membership has been suspended what happens if you don't pay that bill for the wine club they will not send you any more wine shooty I wonder what would happen if God decided to cancel your membership what happened if the Lord decided you know what no more for you you give more to organizations you value less you you give more to things you don't even go to as much as you go to church let me tell you how much you like Church you like Church so much that when you woke up this morning and you saw how cold it was you still didn't stay at home you didn't log on the line you got just let me tell how much you value Church you got here and the 7:30 went lead so the parkin was not available yet but you did not drive home you found your pattern of circling around to know what spots are go open first let me tell you how much you like church you parked three blocks away get out in the cold walked over some cobblestone knowing you gonna change your shoes when you got in the sanctuary because you needed to get to the house of God on a Sunday and you ain't been the sorority meeting since August [Applause] [Music] you give more to things you value less and what's this things that do less with the money you've given I'm not here to belittle any organization you belong to but I double dog dare you to stand any of them next up to Alfred Street Baptist Church i double-dog dare you to look at whatever your organization is done and ask yourself have they done anything comparable to the work of the kingdom of God and the body of God and the family of God and alpha Street behind no you're registered 50 folk to vote but that don't come close to the souls that were saved and baptized into the body of Christ I know you gave away a $500 book scholarship we gave two million dollars to young people going to school you give more to organizations that do less and when you give to this family of faith you are helping change the world in ways your little chapter never can that there's a bonuses comes when you've been pastoring 10 years you can just just say what you're willing to say now let me let me out of here it's a it's an act that gives God glory it's an act the governs of my household it's an act of godliness that shows God within me it's an act of generosity where I give to change the world but finally when I get back to the Lord the Lord says I want you to give because that is an act of gratitude every time you give to the Lord you're saying thank you beloved if you got any good sense you came to church this morning with an attitude of gratitude because you know how good god has been to you you should have shown up today knowing that the Lord has answered some prayers you should have walked in knowing he's gone exceedingly and abundantly above all you could ask a thing you should have walked in here knowing that if it had not been for the Lord on your side you wouldn't have even awakened this morning you you ought to be grateful for the goodness of God and the faithfulness of God and the mercy of God and the love of God and the peace of God and the joy of God are there any thankful for Bible says that when I'm thankful I ought not just shout my Thanksgiving I ought to show my Thanksgiving and nothing shows my Thanksgiving more than my giving to the Lord when I give I'm acknowledging God you helped me get when I give I'm acknowledging you are the source of all when I give I acknowledge I didn't make it by myself so I'm going to tell you this and I'm done here that if you are one of the small minority of folk who can sit in church today and believe you made it where you are yourself if you believe that it was so grind they got you where you are if you think you pulled yourself up by your bootstraps and you live by the sweaty old brow if that is you I'm gonna give you 30 seconds to put your Baptist finger up find the nearest exit and leave the sanctuary because this moment is exclusively for those who know that if God hadn't been on my side wish I had a Baptist if if the Lord hadn't heard my prayers if the Lord didn't make a way out of no way if the Lord didn't grab me favored to get the job that I would have nothing is there anybody here who knows that I am by the grace of God and and if I'm thankful then I get back to God that's a shine of who I really am listen I need to close and this may be the best way cji I need to confess something to you that you may not know I've not always been saved that's okay you haven't either and I want you to know in my unsaved days I have some hours logged in the club I've visited a few lounges in my day I've been at a few bars I've had a few pre Dawn's at the club I've left the club when the Sun was gonna look at me like that you're saved and you still go [Applause] I'm I'm um you know I've I learned how to navigate through the club and I I learned I learned for those don't know there there's a term that's using the club to describe certain folk in the club it's called fronting fr om TI and don't put the G on it's not fronting it's fronting now now if you've never been to the club and you don't know what fronting is i'ma help you fronting is when you appear one way in the club but it doesn't match what you are at home fronting is when you got money for the club but you don't have money for the stuff you really need okay you fronting it you can buy drinks for everybody and pop bottles and get private tables but you ain't got no job [Applause] you're fronting if you got on diamonds and a Rolex and platinum and you still living with your mama you frontin you frontin if you got a Range Rover outside but you leave it parked outside cuz you don't have a garage cuz you don't own the house you renting your apartment but you got a six-figure car you you frontin a front frontin is when you appear one way but you don't have money for the stuff that really counts if you understand fronting allow me to indict some folk in church under the indictment of sanctified frontin you frontin in church if you can go into a two thousand dollar Louie Vuitton bag to pull out a $5 offering [Applause] you frontin if you drove your Mercedes to church but you too broke to give God an offering you are for if you got enough money to pay to go to Cabo but you come to church and act like you ain't got nothing to give God you are [Applause] fronting if you got on red bottoms but when offering time come you lick an empty envelope to put it in the tray so nobody on your Pew knows that you ain't got no money baby girl you are would you kindly nudge somebody tell them stop frontin if you know God's been good to you you ought to be good to God if you know the Lord's made a way for you you ought to bring your time to God if you know God has blessed you you ought to bless God back is there anybody here that's gonna give God what God deserves [Music] come on won't you stand somebody holler stop front and stop front don't come with all the material stuff and not have what God desires of you you're giving glorifies God you're giving gets your house governed you're giving shows that God dwells within you you're giving generously changes the world and your giving is your way of telling God thank you for all you've done to me

Channel: Alfred Street Baptist Church

Views: 47,719

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Keywords: Alfred Street Baptist Church, 2018, Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley, For the Love of Money, Part 1, ASBC

Id: ccxOMEStaU8

Length: 44min 26sec (2666 seconds)

Published: Mon Jan 08 2018