834- God’s Economics Part 2

May 2, 2010

Sermon: #834

Part 2

God's Economics

Introduction: Question, was Jesus poor? Were the "heroes of the faith" in the Bible poor men and women? Is it good and holy to be poor – a pauper?

 

Matthew 17:24 - 27 (NKJV) ²⁴When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, "Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?"
²⁵He said, "Yes."
And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?"
²⁶Peter said to Him, "From strangers."
Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free. 
²⁷Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you."

1. Jesus
   

2. Born in a borrowed stable, but not because Joseph did not have funds to pay for a motel room.
   

   Luke 2:1 - 7 (NKJV) ¹And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 
   ²This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 
   ³So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
   ⁴Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 
   ⁵to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 
   ⁶So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 
   ⁷And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
   

   
    

   Psalm 24:1 - 2 (NKJV) ¹The earth is the Lord'S, and all its fullness,
    The world and those who dwell therein.
   ² For He has founded it upon the seas,
    And established it upon the waters.
   

3. Supplied with wealth as a baby
   

   Matthew 2:7 - 11 (NKJV) ⁷Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 
   ⁸And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also."
   ⁹When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 
   ¹⁰When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 
   ¹¹And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
   

4. Had His own treasurer
   

   
   John 12:4 - 6 (NKJV) ⁴But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, 
   ⁵"Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" 
   ⁶This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.
   

5. Abraham
   

Genesis 24:32 - 35 (NKJV) ³²Then the man came to the house. And he unloaded the camels, and provided straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 
³³Food was set before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told about my errand."
And he said, "Speak on."
³⁴So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. 
³⁵The Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 

 

1. Job
   

Job 1:1 - 3 (NKJV) ¹There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. 
²And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 
³Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

 

1. Solomon
   

Ecclesiastes 2:4 - 10 (NKJV) ⁴I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards.  ⁵I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 
⁶I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. 
⁷I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. 
⁸I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds.
⁹So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.
¹⁰Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,
 For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;
And this was my reward from all my labor.

 

1. There is nothing wrong with being wealthy!
   

Psalm 112:1 - 5 (NKJV) ¹Praise the Lord!
 Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.
² His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
³ Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
⁴ Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
⁵ A good man deals graciously and lends;
He will guide his affairs with discretion.

 

Proverbs 8:17 - 21 (NKJV) ¹⁷I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.
¹⁸Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.
¹⁹ My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.
²⁰I traverse the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
²¹That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.

 

Proverbs 10:15 (NKJV) ¹⁵ The rich man's wealth is his strong city;
The destruction of the poor is their poverty.

 

Ecclesiastes 5:18 - 20 (NKJV) ¹⁸Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. 
¹⁹As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God. 
²⁰For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.

 

1. Who or what do you trust in?
   

Genesis 26:12 - 14 (NKJV) ¹²Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. 
¹³The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 
¹⁴for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him. 

• Philistines and Pharisees will always envy the man God blesses!
  

  Mark 10:29 - 31 (NKJV) ²⁹So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, 
  ³⁰who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. 
  ³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
  

  ILL: I want to give a personal testimony of the truth of this – Mary and I had to "give up" my Mother and Father when I received Jesus as my Lord. We sold our first house to go into the ministry, Mary had to leave her brothers and sisters, - we have seen God restore my parents, Mary's brothers and sisters, and we have received a hundredfold – but the persecutions have come and mainly from other Christians.
  

  
   

• The place of God's blessings
  

  1 Kings 17:1 - 16 (NKJV) ¹And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word."
  ²Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 
  ³"Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 
  ⁴And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there."
  ⁵So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 
  ⁶The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. 
  ⁷And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
  ⁸Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 
  ⁹"Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you." 
  ¹⁰So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink." 
  ¹¹And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand."
  ¹²So she said, "As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die."
  ¹³And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 
  ¹⁴For thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.'"
  ¹⁵So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 
  ¹⁶The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.
  

  
   

  ILL: Mary and I have never had the ravens feed us but we have had the widow provide when we were down to the last bit of food in the house.
  

  When you are out of work and out of resources, take whatever God provides but do not stop sowing!
  

 

Conclusion: It's all about obedience and faith.

Malachi 3:8 - 15 (NKJV) ⁸"Will a man rob God?
 Yet you have robbed Me!
 But you say,
'In what way have we robbed You?' in tithes and offerings.
⁹You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
¹⁰Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,"
  Says the Lord of hosts,
 "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing
that there will not be room enough to receive it.
¹¹"And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,"
 says the Lord of hosts;
¹²And all nations will call you blessed,
For you will be a delightful land,"
Says the Lord of hosts.
¹³"Your words have been harsh against Me," says the Lord,
"Yet you say, 'What have we spoken against You?'
¹⁴You have said,
'It is useless to serve God;
What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance,
And that we have walked as mourners before the Lord of hosts?
¹⁵So now we call the proud blessed,
For those who do wickedness are raised up;
They even tempt God and go free.'"

• What? Tithes and Offerings
  
• Where? The storehouse
  
• The challenge? "Test God"
  
• Why? "You have said, "it is useless to serve God" – you do not trust HIM!
  
• The Promise – TRUST HIM AND SEE!