Till Debt Do Us Part 1

Race is looking to Jesus and founder of our society says getting in debt is normal. If your credit card is maxed out what's wrong with you as people feel they have to live beyond their means is destroying all too many marriages and families. What's the answer. Please stay with us from Moody Church in Chicago. This is clear. Teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Estimates are in our country's debt ceiling is being raised by Congress again and again to astronomical levels. Why should we care if our own financial houses are not in order of date. I think the difference is this. The government can print money and we can't it's very important for us to realize that debt is a terrible thing and sometimes it's necessary. Of course, and we all understand that there are investments perhaps buying a house, but at the same time, but we must recognize is that debt often times destroys marriages and that's why this message till death do us part is so incredibly important as we put money in perspective you're interested in receiving these messages so you can listen to them again and again and the study guide comes with them. You can go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337. Now let us concentrate on what the Bible has to say about money and I hope it will be a means by which many people who struggle in this area will begin to receive hope and be shown the way out, let's listen my topic today is till death do us part. According to a Gallup poll about 50% of all divorces happen because of money issues, usually because of debt. I am going to take the time to read two letters that came to me. You can look over my shoulder. These came to me from different parts of the country. Several years ago I left a very successful job to open my own business. Unfortunately due to 9/11 and other reasons my business failed after five years I lost about $200,000 which was my family saving my wife has never forgiven me for being so you're responsible I've lived with his guilt and shame for years and the money we've lost is a constant issue in our marriage. I can't trust God to help me because I suspect I made these decisions without consulting him every day I'm depressed over it. Do I just have to live the rest of my life reliving this failure by the way he's wrong even though he made those decisions unwisely, God is still available to help them another letter we've been married for 20 years. We have young children all summarize here, we fell into debt. I took a second job because I lost some of our money in what I thought was a solid investment. Even though were making it financially. She wants out of the marriage because she feels that I've neglected her emotionally, which I have because I took a second job trying to make up the extra money that I lost. She spends hours on the Internet and is corresponding with a man she dated before we were married, she's helping him with his issues, but I think I know how this is going to and I feel helpless to stop it till debt do us part to begin by saying that young couples before they are married and they say I do. They should solve the problems of their expectations regarding lifestyle regarding money issues because it is huge divides people and divides marriages. But what we have to do is to overcome three myths in our culture, three ideas that we live with, especially those of us who live in the great United States of America.

The first is the great desire to live beyond our means to live beyond our income to act our wage which most of us don't want to do. So young couples and others they extend themselves. It's more house than we can really afford, but it'll work out somehow because we really like. So we have to overcome that we have to overcome the manipulation of the marketers this past week somebody gave me a book on marketing and now they're studying neurology to see what it is that makes us buy things, the whole idea of surveys doesn't work anymore because the experts say that what people say in surveys. They do not carry out their behavior is different. I heard on the news that if you put on Facebook that you like Diet Coke for example, the day will come when you walk into a store and on your phone will flash Diet Coke for sale at a certain amount of money that's what it's coming to. And we have to resist it. Now I have today's seven principles that are foundational to this whole money thing.

And because we don't have a lot of time. What I need to do is to summarize them, but each of them is worthy of an entire message but I want you to listen carefully. I've been praying that this message will keep a couple from divorce. For example, a couple that is on the rocks, a couple that can talk about money because it's one of those hot but issues that they avoid so without any more chitchat. Let's get right into it immediately. Principle number one is this that God owns everything. Now I am going to ask you to turn to first Timothy chapter 6, I'm going to be quoting other verses but this is the one I shall refer to a number of times in this message. First Timothy chapter 6 Paul is talking about. Teachers and he says that these false teachers.

I'm in the last part of verse five.

Imagine that godliness is a means to gain that's in a sermon in itself.

The health and welfare's godliness is the means by which you get money, especially if you support their ministries separate story. Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world and we cannot take anything out of the world.

I'm going to stop there for just a moment who's was it before you were born. It belonged to God, the earth is the Lord's and all that is in it.

Who is it. After you die whose will it be. It will be gods.

You say, but Emily Jean times it is mine because I earned it by the sweat of my own brow, or as some husbands say by the sweat of my own for how we earn the money you'll have to think about that some of you, but the fact is, the Bible says it is God who gives you the validity to get wealth, who woke you up in the morning who gave you health and strength who enabled you to find a job who gave you the wisdom to earn the money that you did as you worked hard it is God. Let me explain to you why this is so important. What this means practically is that every financial decision is therefore a spiritual decision is not like some people think what we give 10% to the ministry of missionaries in Moody church and then the rest is ours.

We can do with it as we please know you can do because it belongs to God to now you can use it for yourself.

You can pay bills you have to live.

But all of our financial decisions. As Larry Burkett's to say are, at root, spiritual decisions, so all of this comes under the umbrella of the sovereign control and watchful eye of God. That's lesson number one lesson number two is simply that Tim we have to keep in mind that money makes all of the same promises as God and therefore it competes with God in our lives now. Your Bibles are open to first Timothy chapter 6 notice in verse six. Now there is great gain in godliness. Actually, verse six, yes, there is great gain in godliness and contentment and I'm going to actually skip now to verse nine will be coming back to the other verses in just a moment about contentment. It says in verse nine but those who desire to be rich fall into temptation. I've to stop there for a moment there is nothing wrong with bettering your living situation. There's nothing about ambition to be able to earn money if it's going to help your family and is going to free you up so that you can give money generously to other causes and people in need. The Bible does not condemn wise investment.

Some people live in poverty. Perpetually, when if they would think about it. They may have opportunity to better their situation. The Bible is not opposed to that. In fact, it would encourage you and we looked at other passages but when Paul here in verse nine talks about those who desire to be rich. He's speaking about those who look upon money in itself as power and as some they want to attain to some of these people may be very stingy. Actually very stingy and so they don't look at it as an opportunity of generosity at all. Paul says that that kind now notice it says they fall into temptation, into a snare into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a bootable kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many paintings do you love money more than you love God do you hear the voice of money more than you hear the voice of God.

You see, the reason that the rich fall into these temptations is number one. They have the opportunity to be able to send in new and creative ways because they can finance their sins. For example, and not only that, the love of money has so come into their heart that they don't really need God. God says I am with you in sickness and in health, and money says the same thing it says I'm going to be with you during a good economy I'm going to be with you in a bad economy. I am your security.

I'll be there when you are sick.

I'll be there when you are well will be there when you want entertainment when you want to travel. I will be with you competes with God and the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. You know when you talk about big money people just lose they become crazy.

Never noticed all the athletes.

Not all of them, but many of them that have earned millions and billions of dollars ending up in bank. It's because big money does things to people they sacrifice their families. They sacrifice their ethics. They sacrifice everything because of the love of money so the Bible warns about that craving nothing wrong with money we needed to live, but the craving to be rich is destructive.

There's 1/3 lesson and that is that Tim, the use of our wealth is a test it's a test brought into our lives by God to see where we should be slotted in the kingdom. Not everyone in the kingdom rules the same way Jesus made this very clear. Just imagine during the thousand year kingdom. All Christians will have a part raining somewhere but some will have more territory. Some will have greater and more wonderful responsibilities just like a chandelier.

All of the bulbs give light to a room. There are some that are brighter than others.

Jesus told parables about money.

Several of them in one of them. He said that there were those who were given on equal amounts of money, but at the time of reward they receive the same reward because both were faithful or unfaithful, as the case may be, whether they had much or whether they had little and then Jesus gave another parable in which he said this remarkable thing.

He said if you cannot be trusted with the unrighteous money. I kind of like the King James here with filthy loop. Says who in the world thinks of money is filthy lucre go to Wall Street go to your bank. Talk to your neighbors labels out of love, money, no.

But you dated and you enjoy it and you think about it all the time. But Jesus said this, he said if you cannot be entrusted with unrighteous money. How are you going to be entrusted with the true riches. I don't know how the judgment seat of Jesus Christ is going to be like because all Christians will appear there but I can imagine in this is kind of scary because I personally take the point of view that not everyone is going to do well at the judgment seat and that's why worry so much about myself. Some Christians think all you know were all going to just get a pat on the hand and get into none on the now it's very serious. It is the judgment seat of Jesus Christ I assume that Jesus will show us our bank statements will show us our checkbooks and on this basis, he'll say you know some of you are going to have greater responsibility in the kingdom and some of you a very limited responsibility, because if you can't be trusted with money how my going to trust you with the true riches said Jesus very sobering. What is 1/4 lesson in that is that get rich quick schemes are deceitful. Avoid them. You know I wish I had time to speak about the lottery gambling except to say this. It is one of the greatest deceptions that is perpetrated upon American people on the south side here in Chicago there was a billboard that said two ways to have a better life, one way get up early in the morning. Work hard, come home late at night work six days a week. The other way play the lotto. Even as we are gathered here today.

There are people who are using their money unwisely because of the lotto fever, and then you hear the ads and then I always in the news that gambling problem: 3 to 1 of the loan alone right where she was clear giving that in fact that's a phone number that should be given over and over again folks I could explain to you why this is a bad deal, but don't go there, but I'm not only thinking of that.

I'm thinking of a man whom I happen to know who went into their savings. Their retirement fund and used it because he didn't do diligence online didn't tell his wife that idea and he did due diligence online and was making an investment that he absolutely was certain was going to help them financially. Well, it's an old story but he lost it all. The marriage held together thankfully because he did what everybody should do in that situation mainly confess it to his wife and figure out where to go from there.

And thank God there marriage survived, but don't fall into these get rich quick schemes, no matter how much pressure, no matter how tight the place is that you are in financially wish I could say more about that. I know a friend who cities made so many bad financial decisions that he's convinced that if he were Tobias Cemetery, people would quit dying. He said we have to hurry to number five. The devil dirt and depth are bedfellows there related to one another. You know the Bible tells us that we should owe no man anything. Now some of us we do go into debt.

For example, we have a mortgage because the whole idea in America is that if you buy a house that is an increasing investment. Now that's been challenged during the days of the mortgage crisis but generally that's true but you think of all of the debt that is accumulated for a items that depreciate you know the Bible says this and isn't it accurate. Proverbs 22 verse seven, the borrower is the servant to the lender and some of you who lived with creditors, you know what that is like you become a servant to those who have lent you money debt is a terrible terrible pit to fall into and you think of all of the credit card debt that people have something like an average of 9000, but that means that many people are way beyond the 9000 because there are some people who pay off their credit cards at the end of every month and so that takes into account the fact that there are those who are constantly constantly going into debt is a terrible terrible pit not want to speak to you frankly about this because you know when Rebecca and I were first married.

We thought that some debt was okay whatever you need it you put on a credit card and then later we discovered, you know, we actually have to pay this off and at an amazing rate of interest if you pay only the interest or make the monthly payment take years and years and years because of high interest rates. There was a time when families looked at situations very differently and you see what we've done is we've undercut God.

Let me explain. There was a time when families would say you know we need a new car, the old one is just absolutely broken down. It's not running anymore, and that we need a better vehicle for family so we don't have any money for very little money can go out and buy one. So let's pray together and ask God to do a miracle and to give us a better car and they would cry up to the Lord they would pray to God and Satan, God, you know, our need and somebody in church would see them and say you know I have a car that I think you folks could use. I'd like to give it to you. The whole family would rejoice in the fact that God answered prayer.

We don't have that today you walk in you can for 0% interest and probably make the first payment within six months or year I don't know exactly how all that works, but you don't need to pray to God because whatever you want, you can buy on credit. Now there was a time when God led his people, the way in which God leads us is through is through poverty and through money or lack of it. For example in Deuteronomy chapter 8 God said to the Israelites something very interesting. He said that you know I let you in that wilderness and there was no food bye-bye provided man and I provided clothing so that you might trust me. You see, we don't need that trusts today have the credit card. Some of you quite frankly should do some plastic surgery at this point I can lend you some scissors.

Isn't it interesting how society oftentimes shapes the way we do things back in the days before credit cards buying things by cash was the generally accepted procedure. I remember those times when my parents would never think of going into debt to buy something. Of course at that time they did invest in land and there was some debt, but it was a reasonable debt that was paid off. I think that this message that you have just heard and its continuation is so critical in a world that is gone wild with materialism.

You know I want to thank the many of you who support the ministry of running to win because this ministry.

I genuinely believe in my heart isn't mine. It is God's. Thank you so much for standing with us. I have in my hand a letter that says this letter is to express thanksgiving to our Lord and deep appreciation to you and your staff. It is been a true blessing to listen to the broadcasts over these past years. My husband and I have grown closer to God and to each other are emotionally damaged marriage is healing and we have benefited from running to win.

You had a part in that my friend is you prayed for us. Those of you who give to this ministry we're looking for endurance partners. That is, people who stand with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts. If you'd like to know more. Here's what you do you go to RTW offer.com. Click on the endurance partners button that's RTW offer.com. Click on the endurance partner button or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 1-888-218-9337 in a time of confusion when people no longer remember what marriage is or what it should be in a time afraid relationships. What we need is guidance and I believe that this series of messages fighting for your family is going to continue to be of great help. You can write to is running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 running to win is all about helping you find God's roadmap for your recent life. Our country is trillions into the government is digging a deeper hole every year for too many Christians dependence on God is more interdependence plastic credit card. Why go without. When it's so easy to just charge it. Why worry about a need, when you can just go by what you want. Next time I'm running to, when saying goodbye to the scourge of war, Dr. Erwin lutes are this is Dave McAllister running to win his sponsor by the movie church