Fighting Back: Financial Arena
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Sermon Notes
3 Pastor Charlie quotes about money
- “Money is amoral; it is neither good or bad. What we think about money and how we use money makes it good or bad.”
- “Money makes a great employee but a lousy boss.”
- “You cannot live without money but if you live for money you will have no life at all.”
Satan wants to elevate money’s position in your life from something you use to something…
- that identifies you.
- in which you place your trust.
- that you worship.
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:24
Passage: “No one can serve two masters."
- Serve: Total commitment, not isolated acts of service.
- Masters: Lord. One to whom you would owe total commitment.
Re-translation: No one can be a slave to 2 lords.
Passage: "Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other."
- Hate: malicious feelings, total disregard
- Love: Agape. Exclusive & Unconditional Commitment
- Devoted: hold fast to
- Despise: to disparage, to treat with disinterest
Re-translation: No one can be a slave to 2 lords. Either you will have malicious feelings and total disregard for one and exclusively and unconditionally commitment to the other or you will hold fast to one and completely disparage and be disinterested in the other.
Passage: “You cannot serve both God and Money.”
- God: The one true living God vs. a polytheism (multiple gods)
- Money: Mammon – riches, that in which one trusts. In addition, the word connects to a Syrian god known as the money-god.
Re-Translation: No one can be a slave to 2 lords. Either you will have malicious feelings and total disregard for one and exclusively and unconditionally commitment to the other or you will hold fast to one and completely disparage and be disinterested in the other. You cannot offer yourself in total commitment to both the One True Living God and the god of money.
Psalm 115
1 Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. 2 Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?” 3 Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. 4 But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. 5 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. 6 They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. 7 They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. 8 Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. 9 All you Israelites, trust in the Lord— he is their help and shield. 10 House of Aaron, trust in the Lord— he is their help and shield. 11 You who fear him, trust in the Lord— he is their help and shield. 12 The Lord remembers us and will bless us: He will bless his people Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron, 13 he will bless those who fear the Lord— small and great alike. 14 May the Lord cause you to flourish, both you and your children. 15 May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth
3 ways Satan tries to use money against us…
- Re-possess our Identity.
- Re-position our Dependence.
- Re-purpose our Worship.
1. Repossess our Identity
What is our true identity in Christ?
1 Peter 1:3,4
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.
- If what we have identifies us we will never be satisfied in who we are because there is always something new to have and someone else who has it!
- If our identity is in what we have we will continue to look to someone else to validate who we are. We need someone else to ooh and aah over where we live, what we drive, what we wear, where we vacation, where are kids go to school etc. etc. etc.
- If our identity is in our career we will always be limited by our own natural talents, energy and resources.
Don’t let the spirit of money repossess your identity as Sons and Daughters of the King. Put money in its proper place a tool not a lord.
2. Re-position our Dependence
Psalm 20
1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. 2 May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. 3 May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. 4 May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. 5 May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests. 6 Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. 8 They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. 9 Lord, give victory to the king! Answer us when we call!
3. Re-purpose our Worship
Throughout the OT and NT God instructs us to
- give first
- give generously
- give cheerfully!
Bottom Line Concerning Money
We are to…
- Find No identity in it
- Place No dependence on it
- Ascribe No worship to it!
Cut your insecurity loose: Embrace your identity as an heir of God, a joint-heir with Christ.
- Cut your independence loose: Verbalize your allegiance to and dependence on God as your Provider and your Chief Financial Officer.
- Cut your fear loose: Go All In in your worship in giving.
Financial Freedom Prayer
Dear heavenly Father I completely and whole heartedly give myself to you as your child. Forgive me for placing my identity in anything other than You. Free me from my fear of following your Word as it concerns money. As I steward and give, sustain and prosper me and my family.