Go

Contact Us

  • Phone: (509) 747-3007
  • Email:
  • Mosaic Address:
    606 West 3rd Ave., Spokane, WA 99201

Service Times

  • Sunday:  8:30 am, 10 am, 11:30 am
  • Infant through 5th grade Sunday School classes available
  • FREE Parking!

Sermons

FILTER BY:

Back To List

Sep 11, 2016

Holy Giving

Holy Giving

Preacher: John Repsold

Series: Living in God's Grip of Holiness

Keywords: holiness, money, motivations, purposes, resources, value, wealth

Summary:

This messages looks at the connection between wealth and holiness. What are God's holy purposes for wealth and resources verses what the world wants us to believe wealth is for?

Detail:

Holy Giving

September 11, 2016

DISCUSS TOGETHER:

  • What do you think are God’s holy purposes for money?
  • How can money develop our practical holiness?

We’re finishing up our short series on HOLINESS today.  So let’s see what you learned (or how poorly the teacher has done).

  • What is holiness?
  • What is the relationship between holiness and happiness?
  • What part does worship play in personal holiness?
  • What is the relationship between holiness and separation from people? Separation from sin?

Since holiness is such a vast subject when it comes to both God and our relationship to Him, I’d like to focus today’s teaching on the relationship between holiness and wealth.  How can wealth either increase practical holiness or diminish it?  How can wealth either root holiness more in our lives or rot it out of our lives?

By “wealth” I mean any money or financial resources you receive any given week or month. 

            Now, you might be asking yourself right now, “Is Pastor John preaching on this right now because we’re in the midst of a fund-raising campaign to get us into our new building ASAP?”  Answer: YES!  J

            The next logical question that should pass through your brain is something like, “Is Pastor John trying to manipulate me to give to this project through this message?”  Answer: NO.

I can say this morning, as God is my witness, I am more concerned and interested in the depth and quality of our relationship with God than any building or money we need for a building.  I trust that I’m speaking my heart when I say that I’m far more interested in our holiness as God’s people than in some “temporal home” we are trying to acquire for our family life.  Hopefully this full disclosure of what we are doing here today will help you put to rest distracting thoughts and enable you to focus on hearing the heart and voice of God about how money can be a tool for developing holiness. 

PRAY

Allow me to talk briefly about two aspects to holiness that we as redeemed saints are called to recognize and honor.  The first is the POSITIONAL fact of holiness.  When we take our stand in Christ, when we receive his gift of eternal life through faith in Him and all that He has done to rescue us from separation from God and bring us into God’s family through His death on the cross for us, we are credited with Christ’s righteousness and holiness before our purely righteous and holy Father.

Satan can accuse us all he wants before God and Jesus will always come to our defense with, “That sin…and that one…and that one…and that one…they’re all covered by my blood, all paid for by my death.  My holy, sinless life has been credited to their record.  So run along, Satan, because we’ve already made them holy.”

That’s why Paul repeatedly writes his letters to Christians and calls us “Saints.”  (See 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1; Eph 1:1, 18, 2:18, 5:3, 26,27; Phil 1:1; Col 1:2, 22, 3:12; 2 Thess 1:10.)  It’s the same root word from which we have the word “holy.”  We ARE God’s holy children, not because we live such holy lives, but because the holy life of Jesus has been credited to our account and lives in us by His Spirit. 

ILL:  It’s as if we had lived on the street as orphans much of our life.  Then, along comes someone (we’ll call them The Divines) who are truly loving, genuinely caring, and has a huge heart for orphan kids.  They could have had kids of their own, but chose not to.  Instead, they are adopting as many children as they possibly can. 

The Divines invite you to, of all things, join their family.  Not only is it a very happy family; it’s a well-known and respected family in the world.  It’s a stunningly wealthy family.  So you accept this unbelievable invitation to join their family.  And you become a “Divine.”  So from the very day you are declared adopted by Mr. & Mrs. Divine, you are, in fact, one of the family. 

But as you grow up, you hear people around you saying things like, “Well, he sure doesn’t act like a Divine!  They are so kind and generous.  But just look at how possessive and greedy that little Divine is!” 

The truth is, you haven’t grown up into the family character yet, have you?  You carry the family name, but your life and actions don’t show the family spirit, the family character, the family integrity and generosity. 

Does that mean you aren’t a Divine yet?  No, you are, based on what Mommy and Daddy Divine did for you.  But it will take some time before your character, your attitudes and then your actions shed the street life of an orphan and take on the family life of the Divines. 

That’s the sort of interplay that is happening between POSITIONAL holiness (the family name—saints, holy ones) and the PRACTICAL holiness of actually taking on the “family characteristics” of our triune God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  The more we live in and with our holy family, the more we will adopt Their family culture, nature and character. 

But if we choose to run away from the family because, say, we think our Divine parents are being too hard on us, our development in that family will stop…and perhaps regress.   

            Hebrews 10:14 puts it together well when it says, “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”  There you have both the positional and the practical aspects of holiness.

            God is in the business of “making” every one of His children “holy”…just as Jesus has already “made perfect” all of us who are still imperfect.  It’s the kind of thing that might play games with our mind but ought to make every one of our hearts long to be more like Jesus, more holy.  We’re actually children of GOD…but we’re still learning what it means to be in His family every day of our lives. 

A big part of that “learning to be holy” has to do with learning to view, think about and handle wealth resources as God does—in a holy, pure, wise, righteous, just and gracious way.  It’s a packaged deal that involves both the internal motivation and heart as well as the outward action and use. 

You might be able to fool everyone with your actions into thinking that you are really holy in the use of your wealth resources.  But your actions of helping someone more needy than you, of using your wealth to fight injustice, of using your wealth to spend time with someone sharing a meal and fellowship you both need…and a hundred other good uses of wealth—if they are done for the wrong reasons disqualify them as “holy acts.” 

You might do the right thing for the wrong reason because you want people to honor you… or because you want to win votes for the next election to, say, City Hall (which I don’t know why anyone would want to in Spokane except for some tragic power trip)…or because you want to cover over the pain of some other sin you’re involved in.  Right actions don’t make holy actions.  Right actions for the right reasons make holy actions.

In God’s family holiness has to be something that starts in the heart, infects our motives and creates actions that good, righteous, holy and unstained from sin. 

            Now, even saying that may leave you with the mistaken notion that we can somehow have absolutely pure motives that result in absolutely holy actions.  Truth is, I think there are very few things we will do in this life in which we will have 100% pure motives.  We may have more actions that are holy. But until we see God—100% as He is during 100% of our existence in 100% of His presence in heaven, we’re not going to be 100% holy.

So having said that, let me give you a few of the assumptions I’m starting with today, just so you know where I’m coming from on this topic of holiness and its relationship to WEALTH (more than money).

  • While our culture measures wealth primarily economically (by money), that is NOT God’s measurement of a “wealthy” or “impoverished person.” God measures wealth based upon the heart, not the house or bank account or take-home pay.
  • Money is inherently neither evil nor good. It is only a commodity of exchange that can be used for good or evil or lead us into evil or holiness.
  • The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (I Timothy 6:10).

How about YOU name some of those evils?  (Idolatry, jealousy, envy, hatred, murder, theft, hoarding, workaholism, abandonment, addictions, greed, bigotry, indifference, injustice and lovelessness.)

  • We ALL are receiving and spending money every single month. What, why and how we do that is either making us more holy like God or more sinful like the world.  Therefore, we ALL have a responsibility to continually develop better stewardship of that “good gift” of finances from God (whether you receive $100 in food stamps a month or $10,000 in cash salary a month).
  • Compared to human history and the rest of humanity alive today, almost all of us in this room are “rich.”
    1. If you knew that 70% of people made less money than you this year, would you consider yourself on the richer or poorer end of the spectrum? Fact: if you receive $5,000 of resources a year (income, food stamps, gov. assistance, disability, SSI, etc.), you are richer than 70% of the world.
    2. If you had $400,000 pass through your hands, would you consider yourself rich? That’s what someone earning $10,000 a year for 40 years (working age 20-60) will experience.
    3. If you earn $35,000, you are richer than 94% of the world (6.1 billion people)
    4. If you earn $50,000/year, you are part of the 2%ers...richer than 98% of the world!

Why do I talk about that?  Because it is way too easy for all of us to sit here today and figure that when God is talking to “rich people,” He’s talking to someone else, not us.  Fact is, the vast majority of us fit the category of “rich” even though we may be living under the official poverty level in this country (which is, by the way, $11,770 for 1 person/yr). 

So let’s look at what God has to say about using wealth in a holy manner…in the way God designed and wants any resources to be used. This brings us back to the question you discussed in groups earlier: What are GOD’S HOLY PURPOSES for wealth?

  1. Wealth is a reward for WORKING. It motivates us to become like God by being a working person. John 5:17—“In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”

What’s the biblical support for this statement?

  • Work in the Garden of Eden…before the fall.
  • Proverbs 12:11-- Those whowork their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.
  • Proverbs 14:23-- All hardwork brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
  • Proverbs 28:19-- Those whowork their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
  1. Wealth allows us to BLESS OTHERS just like our holy God does.
  2. Our enemies: Giving to our enemies keeps us from being “overcome by evil” and instead enables us to “overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:20, 21--“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
  3. The weak—Acts 20:33-35-- 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
  4. Those who can’t repay—Luke 14—Who to invite to dinner. 12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Interestingly, we are never called to give our wealth or gifts to the already-wealthy or well-to-do.  Rather, doing so, especially at the expense of the oppressed, will lead to ruin (Prov. 22:16).

  1. The poor—2 Cor. 9:9--As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever.”

  1. Those who request our help—Mt. 5:42-- 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
  2. Our families—I Timothy 5:8-- 8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
  3. God’s family—Mt. 25:45ff-- 45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

Gal. 6:10-- 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

  1. Wealth shared can help us experience JOY: 2 Cor. 9:7-- 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
  1. Wealth shared can keep us from “foolish and harmful desires” that lead to “ruin and destruction” rather than contentment (which is God’s desire for us when we have the bare minimum of essentials—food and clothes). I Timothy 6:6-8--“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” 

You know, God’s standard of living for contented living is frankly way below the U.S. poverty level.  It’s food and clothing, period!  That’s pretty Spartan.  Every person in Spokane can have food and clothing thanks to the many wonderful Christian agencies and non-profits around town.  God didn’t even say what kind of food or what era of clothing.  He just said that you can have holy godliness and contentment at the level of being a transient… homeless but with enough food and clothing to survive. 

Here’s a counter-cultural spiritual truth:  If we’re discontent with your level of wealth beyond having enough food and clothing to survive, we’re looking to money to do something it wasn’t designed to.  Money wasn’t designed to make us content.  It was designed to do lots of other things but not bring contentment. 

  1. Wealth is one of God’s means for making friendships that have eternal consequences.

Luke 16—Parable of the Shrewd Manager

9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 

  1. Wealth is one of God’s tests of good stewardship of His resources. Luke 19:11-27—Parable of the 10 Minas
  1. Wealth enables us to express the depth of our worship and gratitude.

Luke 7:36-50, Jesus anointed by the sinful woman at the Pharisee’s house.

  1. Wealth helps us support human government.

Romans 13:7-- 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Jesus paid his tax and Peter’s--Matthew 17:27-- 27 “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

  1. Wealth given enables us to lay up eternal treasure in heaven…while fixing our affections more on God.

Luke 12:32-34-- 32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 19:16-22—Rich man & Jesus

21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

  1. Giving wealth can be a statement of our faith in God and His Word.

Luke 21:1-4-- As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

            This unnamed widow expressed more faith in her giving of 2 pennies than all the other gifts given that day.  Jesus said so. 

            Giving is an act of faith.  In giving we are trusting that God sees what we are doing.  We’re also trusting Him, not the money we are parting with, to take care of us in an unknown future.  If that giving means we must fast and go hungry, we’re trusting God for the grace to go hungry.  If that giving means we’ll be waiting on God more and praying more for His provision, that grows our faith. 

            Giving sacrificially when you don’t know where or how God is going to provide for what you genuinely need is, above all, a statement of faith in God himself.  As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9, giving when you can’t see the harvest is a statement of faith in the God who has said,” “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously (vs. 6). 

            And when we believe God’s word about how He will supply abundantly when we give abundantly, we bring honor to God by giving others all the more reason to be thankful to Him.

Vs. 10ff--10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

            How often does God want us to be generous?  On a couple of “occasions”?  Once a year?  Every Christmas?  No, God is looking for people of faith who will see “every occasion” as an opportunity to trust God, to prove His word true again, to give more people cause to be thankful to God.  “On every occasion…”

Well, we have another one of those “occasions” right now at Mosaic.  So we’re asking you to

  • Go to God and ask Him for the faith to do something generous that may accomplish any number of the purposes for which God made wealth.
  • Make a “faith-commitment” of what you plan to do over the next 4 months by filling out the card in your bulletin.
  • DON’T do this if

a.) your heart isn’t in it, or…

b.) you feel pressured by any human being to do this, not the Holy Spirit, or…

c.) you want to impress God or someone else to win their favor. 

ONLY do this if the Spirit of God is leading you into a step of faith in response to a call from God. 

[Review of week’s slides… and “What We Get for $165,000”]

PRAY