Giving Matters: The Commitment To Give
Giving Matters: The Commitment To Give
Illustration: Chapter 11
Two old friends met one day after many years. One attended college, and
now was very successful. The other had not attended college and never had
much ambition.
The successful one said, "How has everything been going with you?"
"Well, one day I opened the Bible at random, and dropped my finger on a
word and it was oil. So, I invested in oil, and boy, did the oil wells gush.
Then another day I dropped my finger on another word and it was gold. So,
I invested in gold and those mines really produced. Now, I’m as rich as
Rockefeller."
The successful friend was so impressed that he rushed to his hotel, grabbed
a Gideon Bible, flipped it open, and dropped his finger on a page.
He opened his eyes and his finger rested on the words, "Chapter Eleven."
When It Comes To Investing Are You A...
Consumed Investor, An Involved Investor or a Hands Off Investor?
Play Investment Movie
Luke 12:13-21 (NIV)
Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." [14] Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" [15] Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." [16] And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. [17] He thought to himself, `What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' [18] "Then he said, `This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. [19] And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ' [20] "But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' [21] "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
Wealth Is Dangerous Because It Can...
Illustration: Greed Is Good
GEKKO: The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed — for lack of a better word — is good.
GEKKO: Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms — greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge — has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed — you mark my words — will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.
A. Consume Out Thoughts, Cut Our Ties, Communicate Our Theme
Luke 12:13-14(NIV)
Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." [14] Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?"
Proverbs 21:17 (NIV)
He who loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich.
B. You Are More Than The Sum of Your Stuff!
Luke 12:15 (NIV)
Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
Lessons From The Parable
A. Blessings Will Show Up
Luke 12:16-17 (NIV)
And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. [17] He thought to himself, `What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
-The Production was Heavenly Not Earthly vs. 16
-He Consulted The Wrong Person vs. 17
Luke 16:14 (NASB)
Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him.
B. Blessings Are For Sharing Not Storing
Luke 12:18-19 (NIV)
"Then he said, `This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. [19] And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '
Our Wealth Can Give Us A...
1. False Sense of Fiscal Responsibility vs. 18
“This is not a game, ... Debt has become a part of who we are. It's become that spoiled child in the grocery store with their lip stuck out: 'I want it. I want it. I deserve it because I breathe air.' And, well, that's an uphill climb in our culture right now, to go against that and say, 'Hey, let's be grownups here. Let's be mature, learn to delay pleasure, save up and pay for things.'” ~Dave Ramsey
Illustration: We Must Battle Debt!
Nearly 75% of those seeking help from a credit counselor held a credit card.
The average person seeking a credit counselor carries a balance on two credit cards.
The average client seeking the help of a counselor had $43,000 in debt, of which $20,000 was consumer debt and $8,500 was revolving debt.
The size of the total consumer debt grew nearly five times in size from 1980 ($355 billion) to 2001 ($1.7 trillion). Consumer debt in 2010 now stands at $2.4 trillion.
The average household in 2010 carried nearly $6,500 in credit card debt.
2. False Sense of Importance vs. 19
James 2:1-7 NIV
My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
3. False Sense of Completion vs. 19
Luke 12:19
[19] And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."
Ecclesiastes 5:13 (NASB)
There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt.
Build a Strong Eternal Portfolio
Luke 12:20-21 (NIV)
"But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' [21] "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
Illustration: Acts 2:38
An elderly woman had just returned to her home from an evening of religious service when she was startled by an intruder. As she caught the man in the act of robbing her home of its valuables, she yelled, 'Stop -Acts 2:38!' (..turn from your sin...). The burglar stopped dead in his tracks. The woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done. As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar, 'Why did you just stand there? All she did was yell a scripture to you.' 'Scripture?' replied the burglar, 'She said she had an AXE and two 38's!'
Let 1Timothy 6:18-19 Be Your Investment Model!
1 Timothy 6:18-19 (NIV)
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. [19] In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Invest Your Time, Talents and Treasures Today
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