Success and Money

Welcome to the weekend intensified catheter lifting me you have a godly perspective on your finances, the Bible is the guide for a lesson on the proper relationship between success and money.

There is a great distraction that prevails all across our land. The deception is so strong that many people will risk everything, including the laws of their own soul and all the to somehow in some way make this work because what they've done. They have defined success as well. That is, a person is only successful if their wealth. Well, that may sound rather good.

The people who are interested in having a lots of money and so forth. But it's interesting that all the way down through history, and even today, we can discover that is absolutely not true that his wealth does not necessarily mean success. For example, the issue here is not how much money a person has, the issue is what's their attitude toward it.

The issue is how to use it. Issues does it govern and enslave them or did they have control over their finances. If you turn to Luke chapter 12 Luke chapter 12 and Jesus is been talking to his disciples and others here when you look, if you will, beginning in verse 13. This passage verse 13 and some of the crowd said to him speak of Jesus, teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me but he said to him man who appointed me a judge on arbiter over you watch this verse 15 and he said to them, beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions. That's the first mistake people make certain that their life consist of their possessions which you can lose quickly. Then he said he told a parable saying the land of a certain rich man was very productive and he began reasoning to himself, say, what shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops and he said this is what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build larger there was still all migraine and my goods and I will send them so. So you have many goods laid up for many years to come.

Take your ease, eat, drink and be merry. It is something he forgot to come back. But God said to him, you fool, this very night your soul is required of you and now who will own what you have prepared so is the man who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

So the first thing we need to talk about his this whole idea of the place of money in a person's life in a Christian's life. What is money money is simply a medium of exchange of money is not to be worshiped. I'll become a slave to it is to be used is a medium of exchange to be used. It is a stewardship of Almighty God who owns it all and the fact that we have money, we will one day give an account before God will not to love it is not to be the heart of our life. Simply a medium of exchange. But we also see it as a tool by which God uses to test us and to grow as it is a very important tool the mind and eyes of God and in his ways in our life to test us and to train us to trust him and to be faithful to him and so money is a very important thing in the eyes of God because there are more scriptures and more versus relating to finances and money and our use of them there now are versus the Bible concerning heaven because God knew that it was that practical thing we all have to deal with every single day of her life now this rich man was no fool, simply because he became wealthy. He was a fool because he didn't know how to utilize as well didn't know how to handle as well and did not have the proper attitude toward I will give you five precautions that you not to take concerning our money our material possessions. It would genuinely going to be successful in God's eyes are becoming the persons God wants us to be and listen achieving the goals that God has is the set and some of those goals that God has for us are goals that are going to require finances on our part.

It may be that God has a goal for you. I have a certain house so certain automobile on to give a certain amount of money to the Lord's work on to get your kids through school to get your grandkids through skill, whatever it may be he has goals he set for is now so let's think about this for moment and thinking in terms of this man as Scripture who had all this wealth and the first precaution we need to take is this and that is guarding against allowing our life to center around money. Number one is to guard against allowing our life to center around money.

He said in verse 15 be on your guard against every form of greed will not even one who has an abundance does his life consist of possession will submit one of those precaution should be that you and I should not let our life surrender.

He says in verse 15 it your life does not consist of money. The second precaution is this, and that is guard against loving money with the guard against loving money if you will go to first Timothy chapter 6 now listen to what he says in first Timothy chapter 6 verse 10 for the love of money, what's this heated since the route he says the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many a pain. The love of money is a root of all sorts of evil. There are other routes of bitterness is certainly a root of all sorts of evil but the love of money. Gotta have more want more life centers around it. All that matters is making more saving and investing you make and make and Megan Moore can't get enough how much is enough to know how much an up is used. It's a little bit more.

We guard against filling a life centered around we guard against loving money because I think is very evident from Scripture.

He says if you'll notice, he says.

By longing for and people have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many a pang that is there is suffering that comes with the misuse of money. Money can be a dangerous commodity, not because of the nature of its own. A medium of exchange. What I do. It is her attitude toward so number one. We cannot allow it to be the center of our life cannot ourselves to to be a loving money and looking for example, look, if you will. In first Timothy again. Chapter 6 this week in verse nine and that is guarding against the temptations that come as a result of having money. Now what's this, he said we could this verse nine but those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. He says now when a person if their goal is to get rich. What happens is they make themselves available those things that will ultimately he says a snare. That's a trap, temptations, traps, foolish and harmful desires which ultimately will plunge them into ruin and destruction. So first of all my kids and run secondly can afford 11 and thirdly you have to guard against the temptations that would cause you to make very very erroneous decisions that will bring ruin and destruction be like the full thing that a guard against.

He says here is allowing money to cause us to drift away from God.

When you look at his throat. Chapter what happened.

It was the fact that he got so much and finally what one absolutely submerged him was all the material blessings and found that it was not God. What can I do this, but what shall I do with it. How can I save it. How can I have a life of ease and comfort and pleasure is what I'm saying money. Listen. Money can be a very dangerous thing. If you don't how to use it and don't have the right attitude. So first of all, what is he say guard against letting your life surrounded guard against loving it. Guard against temptations that will be there when you have it guard against the tendency to drift away from our Lord. As a result of becoming interested in things you didn't have the money to become interested in before and the last thing he says guard against allowing your attitude toward money to choke off the word of God in your life now would on me with the simpler this would he mean by people WHO have little there at church had taken their notes asking God speak to my heart. Would you change my life to change my finances change my circumstances, then what happens, God begins to answer their prayer and the blessing becomes a blight not because a blessing is a blight because they use an attitude to the blessing it becomes a blight before whatever they begin to drift away and don't like than it need to go every Sunday and the limited think the Bible.

Next thing you know what happens. They are in ruin an ultimate destruction. Listen, they may live out this life without money.

But you know what they would have missed. They will miss God's reward. And if that person. For example, this uses their money towards it as the nano Scripture did what they will do is miss all that God had provided for them.

Plan for them and he turned to now some others as well. But as long as I've gotten here and I'm not worried about dying the size that nobody knows where you go to go when you die a lot. God made this very clear you really going to hell are you going to have a wonder to even be rewarded with by God's blessings you toward you for all that you've done in this life. It was obedient to him or you will die without Christ, to be eternally separated from him, you'll leave it all in. Either way, the only difference is this.

We saints, we are sending it on the head when we're giving with sending it on the head by good works, no service, and those who give him nothing, said nothing ahead. Those who die without Christ will make a difference because you lose it all. When you die without Christ it makes a difference. Money listen.

The truth is, you know on cigarettes they have is labeling some of the things this thing and this and cautioned this could be dangerous to your health, you could run on every dollar bill. This could be dangerous to your health or to your family alter your future world if you don't use it right attitude is not right. Then there's gonna be a destruction ruin in some fashion. So what is he saying he says the old guard.

That's why he began the chapter he says, be aware and be on your guard.

Don't let your life centered around money don't love money be on your guard about the temptations that can come as a result of having money. The old guard against drifting away from the Lord in his work because you have new opportunities that your blessings are provided.

Be careful. He says the old guard list you allow material things to choke out the word of God, you lost your interest in spiritual things in grade reading the Scripture starting the Scripture you've lost your interest now you not praying as much as you want to because you don't have this many needs is used to have. You don't have the right need you step you have enough money to buy all these things used to pray about what happens money, material things choke out the word of God and if you think about it. Money can be a very dangerous thing a very dangerous commodity. If it is not used properly, and if the attitude is not right now.

Some others as well. I understand that I do understand them to be very careful here about how I handle my money and so by doing or how much can I have how much money can you make average how how much money is it rightful for you to have all the way back about third John Revelation Jude 3rd John from the Becky about and John is writing it to his friend Gaius and I his what he says to just one chapter in this book he says the elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love and truth.

I watch this beloved verse two beloved, I pray that in all respects every aspect of your life, you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. How much do you mean trusted with his how much you can be entrusted with the walk in the spirit be a godly person and still have lots of money is the key that my relationship to him. In my spiritual growth will never lag behind my financial growth. He says listen I pray that you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers on ask a question as you think about your life in which area are you growing the most.

Are you going more in your finances. The accumulation of your wealth then you are in your spiritual life.

Do you have a greater hunger and knowledge for God today than you did last year. Are you is faithful in the Lord's work are used faithful in your church.

Are you is faithful in your tithing and your giving and growing in all of that.

The truth is you now to be more so more faithful in the Lord's work more faithful in giving, giving more than ever before.

More desirous to understand the ways of God. The principles of Scripture, more interest in knowing who God is and what is like. He says I have a right to make is much money as possible as long as it does not in any way affect my personal relationship with him. It does not affect my service to him and for him and that my spiritual life is always ahead of my financial life. My friend, this is so simple, I think of it has simple God has made it you want to be blessed financially. Then start getting blessed spiritually. You want God to bless you financially put your emphasis on growing the Lord does that mean that every person who grows the Lord is just to become very wealthy. No, because that's not God's goal for some people, God's go over some people will always be to have very little, but look what God does in their life and through their life and you know I cannot be the judge's I think of a godly mother out here is raising godly children by herself praying over her children everyday reading the Scriptures to them early in life and life kneeling them of the bed, then at night time and praying for God to raise them up to be godly you think God's going to bless that woman yes he is when she necessary become a wealthy person, though she may not which you have her needs met.

Yes, she will wish you have a joy and contentment. Her life as she watches God bless her children yet. She will listen real, genuine, lasting internal blessing cannot be counted in dollars and cents, nor can it be measured by lands in stocks and bonds and all the rest is relationship to Christ. If I want God to bless me. The question is what is my relationship to him. To the degree I woke up being the before him had the degree I submit to him. To the degree I love him, to the degree on devoted to him. To the degree I love him, to the degree I want to know him studying his word, seeking the principles abiding with the principles that degree God can trust me what it is, material wealth and spiritual wealth, that's his decision, but the degree of our growing and spiritual and material wealth. We make that decision got listen without waiting on God.

God's waiting on us the issue. This issue is not with God, he says, I'm warning you that listen, I want you to be a success in growing your relationship with him one you be able to achieve those goals and you've set up their and some of the big goes medium-size gold immediate goes long-range goal. Some of the required lots of money that's easy.

I hope to set that goal and with the help, but it I help you set that goal and then you violate the very principle that helps you reach that goal. You can't blame anybody but yourself. God help you set fantastic goals for your life. The question is are you willing to take the steps we talk just finances the day you want to take the steps financially.

At this point in your life with whatever you do have in order to allow God. The poor in his blessing on you so that you will be able to reach those goals that he helped you set which he will not help you reach if you violate the very principles that help you reach that goal. So I want to challenge you want to be a success in your finances. This take the principles of God, write it down, reading whatever you under this, ask yourself this question.

Here is the principal. This is a good way to do it but you gotta be honest right down the principal bring you all the time. The storehouse of this one given, it should be given to you write it down and then beside that right this answer. I am willing to abide by this principle. See what God or have enough courage to say I am not willing to abide by this principle to see what God is that simple is simple enough. Now what is it take to do that courage to face your self as we in this much I know my heavenly father will bless you beyond your fondest dreams mean you will trust him and let him handle your money as well as your personal relationship with him when it comes to praying Scripture service and all the rest. It's a vital part of what it was. The thank you for listening to success in many if you like to know more about Charles Stanley more intense ministries that might enhance tantalizing content of the presentation intense ministries landed during