How to face life's challenges - how to handle money (Luke 16v1-13; 1Timothy 6v16-19)

Money is almost an obsession of our society, as the song extract we just heard underlines. Today, as part of my series on "How to face life's challenges", I want to address a very big issue in our part of the world - how to handle money. You've maybe heard the Church jokes on this, such as: Head usher, to the pastor: "Your stewardship sermons are improving. Still no money, but a lot more IOUs." But I want to look at this whole subject in broader terms. There are almost 200 references to money in the bible, so it's a topic about which the scriptures have a great deal to say. So, how should we handle money? Five headings coming.

1. Recognise that it is a necessity of life. John tells us that Jesus appointed one of his disciples as "treasurer" to look after their money, and Luke (8v3) records that a group of women provided the money they needed to sustain their ministry. Paul organised a collection of money amongst the churches as a practical response to the poverty of the Christians who lived in Jerusalem. The bible has verses offering practical advice that we should be sensible with our money: Proverbs 11:16 - "Lazy people will never have money...." Proverbs 21:20 - "Wise people live in wealth and luxury, but stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it." Proverbs 22:7 - "Poor people are slaves of the rich. Borrow money and you are the lender's slave." So the bible teaches us to be realistic about life, and see that money is needed so we can provide for ourselves and for those dependant on us. Most of us should not be "head in the clouds" over this issue, but make sensible provision.

2. Recognise the danger of love of money. For most of us the danger is not that we will be careless about money, but that we'll care about it too much! The bible is therefore clear in warning us about the danger of money becoming too important to us, becoming a god. Let us listen to Paul's advice to a young Christian called Timothy: read Bible:1Timothy+6:6-13. The bible does not say that money is the root of evil, as it is sometimes misquoted. It does warn: "The love of money is a source of all kinds of evil." (1 Timothy 6:10) Paul says, "Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and are caught in the trap of many foolish and harmful desires, which pull them down to ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil. Some have been so eager to have it that they have wandered away from the faith and have broken their hearts with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:9) Paul, in harmony with the rest of the bible, calls on us to put money, wealth into the context of eternity. He reminds us that we arrive in the world empty handed and that we shall leave it in the same state, however rich or poor we become, so we ought to be content with just having what we need for life. Instead of making wealth our goal, Paul advises: "Strive for righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Run your best in the race of faith, and win eternal life for yourself..." (1Timothy 6v11-12) The character we develop is what we will take with us into eternity, and there the rewards will be given by God to those who have grown like Jesus, who was certainly not wealthy or obsessed by money. Jesus told this story about a man for whom money was the chief concern: read Bible:Luke+16:1-13. There are different ways of interpreting this story, but the comments Matthew records Jesus making afterwards suggest that the manager's astuteness, not his dishonesty is being commended. He knew how to make money work for him - he used his opportunity. The point is be that people should learn from the manager to use every opportunity to prepare for eternity (v.9). How we use our money is one aspect of this. We can use it to help other people, and so make friends of them (v.9). We can see it as a test of our faithfulness to God with something which is eternally insignificant, which will show we are worthy of God entrusting to us eternally important things (v.10-12). We can make it subordinate to our service of God, and so show where our heart & priorities lie. Jesus warns, "You cannot serve both God and money." (Luke 6v13), but we often try to prove him wrong! So, in addition to recognising realistically the importance of money, we are challenged by the Christian faith to not let money become too important.

3. See money as a gift from God to be used aright. King David, in the Old Testament, prayed to God: "Everything in heaven and earth is yours, and you are king, supreme ruler over all. All riches and wealth come from you..." (1 Chronicles 29v11-12) We are on the right road when we see the wealth, money and everything else we have as belonging to God, and entrusted to us by him, so that we can be good stewards of it on his behalf. Peter wrote, "Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received." (1 Peter 4v10) He wasn't talking just about money, but his words do include wealth. Paul told Timothy, "Command those who are rich in the things of this life not to be proud, but to place their hope, not in such an uncertain thing as riches, but in God, who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share with others." (1Timothy 6v17-18) He also told him, "But if anyone does not take care of his relatives, especially the members of his own family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." (1 Timothy 5v8). Furthermore the bible is full of instructions to use our resources to help those who are poor or in need. Paul's says, "Those who used to rob must stop robbing and start working, in order to earn an honest living for themselves and to be able to help the poor." (Ephesians 4:28) This echoes the consistent teaching of the Old Testament. As we are going to recognise over the next two weeks, we are surrounded by a world of needy people, and at least part of our relative affluence must be used by us to ease their suffering. The bible also commands us to give directly to God by supporting the financial needs of his Church. In the Old Testament God's people were commanded to provide the money needed to build, equip & keep the temple & its priesthood working. In the New Testament we are taught to give to enable the Church to function. Paul told Timothy, "The elders who do good work as leaders should be considered worthy of receiving double pay, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching." (1 Timothy 5:17) Jesus himself paid the temple tax which enabled it to function. So we are to see our money (& everything else) as belonging to God to be used as he pleases, which includes

• Helping the poor & those in need
• Providing for our relatives & dependants
• Enabling the Church to function & God's work to go forward

4. Give proportionally & regularly. Most Christians would endorse what I've said so far very happily. The real challenge comes when we start to put figures on these principles. God did that in the Old Testament by commanding people to tithe their income, which means to give one tenth of all they received to God, partly to fund the worship of the temple and its priesthood, partly to help the poor. This was seen as money owed to God. Freewill giving was on top of this, an opportunity to gladly give extra to show appreciation to God for his blessings. Jesus on one occasion criticised the religious people, "You give to God a tenth even of the seasoning herbs, such as mint, dill, and cumin, but you neglect to obey the really important teachings of the Law, such as justice and mercy and honesty. These you should practise, without neglecting the others." (Matthew 23:23) He says justice, mercy & honesty matter most to God, but he does also endorse tithing! It's the relationship of what we give to how much we have that measures generosity. On one occasion Jesus was in the temple. "Jesus looked round and saw rich people dropping their gifts in the temple treasury, and he also saw a very poor widow dropping in two little copper coins. He said, "I tell you that this poor widow put in more than all the others. For the others offered their gifts from what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, gave all she had to live on."" (Luke 21v1-4) And so when Paul is instructing the Churches about giving he says, "Every Sunday each of you must put aside some money, in proportion to what you have earned, and save it up..." (1Corinthians 16v2) In order to be true to Jesus & the rest of the bible, I must challenge you to give at least one tenth of your income away, to God's work, including the funding of your local church, and to help those who are poor & in need. As I'll explain next week, we do that as a Church, and I can testify that having always done that as an individual God has blessed that commitment in my life. We're also asked to give cheerfully, willingly! "You should each give, then, as you have decided, not with regret or out of a sense of duty; for God loves the one who gives gladly." (2 Corinthians 9:7)

5. Trust God to meet your needs! If the last part of what I've said seems challenging, I hope that my conclusion will be encouraging. Jesus has promised, ""So do not start worrying: 'Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?' (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things." (Matthew 6:31-33) God knows about your needs, and he will ensure that, if you put him first in your life, including your money, you will be able to be content with what you have. You may not be rich in money, but you will be rich in what really matters. In Old Testament times God put this challenge to his people, "I ask you, is it right for a person to cheat God? Of course not, yet you are cheating me. 'How?' you ask. In the matter of tithes and offerings. A curse is on all of you because the whole nation is cheating me. Bring the full amount of your tithes to the Temple, so that there will be plenty of food there. Put me to the test and you will see that I will open the windows of heaven and pour out on you in abundance all kinds of good things." (Malachi 3:8-10) You cannot out-give God!! Jesus said, "I have come in order that you might have life - life in all its fullness." (John 10:10) I cannot promise that you will prosper materially if you put God first in your money, though that may be the case (Jesus did not). But I can promise you that if you put God first with your money and everything else, he will bless you more than you can imagine, not because you will have earned that, but because he is a God of grace who loves to bless people, and has promised to do so if we put him first.

Next week I want to talk about how to face the challenge of a world of need around us, but meanwhile may I invite you to take home the sheets I've prepared which give you the bible material of the subject of money, and will help you face the challenge of how to handle it.