What the Bible says about........Money

Reading Matthew 25:14-29

What do we learn from this passage?

V14 – are are all stewards of money. We are to be business minded

V15 – we are all given different talents according to our ability

Moving away from money – what other talents have you?

V16/17/18 – We are to serve God in Business

V19 – there is a day of account

We will not be judged by how much we have but what we have done with it.

V20-23 – if we are responsible in the small things God will give us greater responsibility

How does this work its way out in every day life?

• Home
• School
• Work
• Church

V24-30 – inactivity will be judged. Do something

V27 – Pro 11:24-25

Use the things God gives you or lose them.

According to this passage is it wrong to make money?

1 Timothy 6:6-11

V6-Contentment

Is it possible to be materialistic even you are poor?

A person once told me me that he thinks less about money now that he is rich than when he was poor.

V7-Money is only for time

V9/10-The love of money is the root of all evil. Not money!

Look at your spending and see where your priorities are.

Luke 12:21 We need to keep money in the perspective

We need to remember who gives us our money

Reading Matthew 6:19-21

Are we working for today or for eternity?

Proverbs 22:6 what does it teach us?

Look at verse 7

What does this say to us? Put it into everyday life.

Who has the responsibility to teach?

Is God the God of your money or is money your god?

Christian Elders

Reading Acts 16:1-5

What are the roles of an Elder?

·         Elders are to lead the church - 1 Tim 5:17; 1 Peter 5:1-4 (Examples)

·       They are to teach and preach the Word - 1 Tim 3:2; 2 Tim 4:2; Titus 1:9

·    They are to protect the church from false teachers - Acts 20:17, 28-31

·         Exhort and admonish the saints in sound doctrine - 1 Tim 4:13; 2 Tim 3:13-17; Titus 1:9

·         Visit the sick and pray - James 5:14; Acts 20:35

          Judge doctrinal issues - Acts 15:6

Elders are to be in every church

Qualifications of a Bishop/Elder are:

1 Tim 3:2-3/Titus 1:5-11

•                    Blameless - unrebukeable

•                    Husband of 1 wife

•                    Vigilant

•                    Sober (Sound Mind; Self-controlled)

•                    Good behaviour (Orderly arrangement/Modest)

•                    Given to hospitality – fond of guests

•                    Teacher - instructive

•                    Not a drunkard

•                    Not a striker (Quarrelsome) see 2 Tim 2:24

•                    Not for money (Greedy)

•                    Patient – Mild/Gentle

•                    Not a brawler (you need to be peaceable)

•                    Not covetousness

•                    Able to rule over his own house. Maintain. Children honouring their parents

•                    Mature. Not a young convert. No always to do with age!

Elders are to oversee, lead, and care for the local church

Giving - Money

Money is the root of all evil! Is that correct?

The correct verse is 1 Tim 6:10

Who owns the money? We are only stewards of it - a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.

God is a great giver. Expand (Creation, Christ, Salvation)

Tithing – what is it?

Lev 27:30-33

Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Number 18:20-22, 26-28 The tithe was for the Levites. And the Levites gave to the priests.

In a time of spiritual decline the people had stopped tithing. Read 2 Chron 31:4-12

Neh 13:10-12

Mal 3:7-12 – Have you robbed God?

Do we need to give a tithe? Read 1 Cor 9:9-14

Acts 11:29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judæa:

1 Cor 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. (To get the context read verse 1 -4)

Our giving should be regular, systematic and without fuss.

Matt 6:1-4

Luke 21:1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

What can we learn from this?

1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

Our giving should be joyful, cheerful, ungrudging, an act of will, without external pressure, and a matter of individual determination. 2 Cor 9:5-7

Why do you work?

Eph 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

We please God when we give. Heb 13:6

In our giving we will never be without. Phil 4:15-19

Our works prove our faith. James 2:15-16

Buy a good insurance policy. 1 Tim 6:19

We can know God's blessing in the present.

Acts 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Should we give a 10th or tithe? I don't believe that we should be curtailed by it.

Matt. 25:14-30

God is the creator of the universe and therefore 100% of our time, talent, and treasure belongs to Him. We are just merely stewards with what God has entrusted to us.

Raising the standard!

Reading  Isa 59 Text v19 So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. (Isaiah 59:19 KJV) Introduction EternityWhere.com banners 12th July  My experience We are living in difficult times. The world is ungodly with no fear of God Men that God uses Psalm 60:4 those that fear God  See Hebrews 12:28&29 -serve Song of Solomon 6:4 They are an army -we are only the instruments United with focus, determination One commander Obedience  See 2 Cor 6:14-18/Matt 6:24 Mission It is to identify -who and what you are -Numbers 1:52 Who are you standing with? Abraham and Lot!! Peter as he stood at the Judgement - Matthew 26:69-75 Testimony -Gods & our own Method it is to be displayed -Psalm 60:4 Banners unfurled set up Psalm 20:5/Isa 13:2 not to be hid When are we to set it up? Isa 59:19 It will be tough and hard in the wind Speak up Live your life -walk the talk Pass out a tract, DVD, CD,  wear a badge, social share Message Scripture - not mans ideas Truth -10 commandments Banner of love -Song of Solomon 2:4 Raising the standard

The New Room

The Fruit of the Spirit Part 2 – JOY

Are you happy? Where do you find the most happiness and joy and with whom?

What is the joy required?
The joy required of us is seldom found as a result of an agreeable set of circumstances but an inward joy springing up within us, irrespective of what our difficulties may be. It is a gift of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and is one of the principal consequences of the experience of salvation.

What is joy?

Gladness or delight – Matthew 5:12

Where does it come from?

It is all to do with heart – Psalm 16:8, 33:21, Acts 2:26, 46 and 14:17, Soul or Spirit – Luke 1:47 or the very innermost being (John 7:38)

It is a gift – Romans 15:13

Real Christian joy has God as its object. Psalm 9:2, 33:21, 149:1, God becomes our exceeding joy (Psalm 43:4)

Read Luke 1:46-53 and note how joy is focused on His power; His holiness and His mercy

Christian joy is connected to salvation – Isaiah 44:23 and Revelation 19:7

What are the things in your life that destroys your happiness?
True Christian Joy cannot be lost – John 16:22. It is everlasting – Isaiah 35:10; 51:11

How does joy express itself?

• Acts 2:46 – everyday things
• Ps 27:6 – Praise and thanks giving
• Ps 5:11 - Singing
• Neh 8:10 – Confidence in God
• John 16:24 – Confident prayer
• Rom 12:15 – Christian Fellowship
• 2 Cor 8:2 – Generous giving

What are the obstacles and impediments to Christian joy?

• Failure to progress in the faith – Phil 1:25
• Neglect of practical righteousness Rom 14:17
• Breakdown in loving one another – John 15:10-12
• Unbelief – Phil 1:25
• Disobedience – John 15:10-11
• The neglect of prayer – John 16:24
• Broken fellowship with God and His people – 1 John 1:1-7
• Unconfessed Sin – Psalm 51:3, 8, 9, 12
• All that grieves the Holy Spirit – Eph 4:30

Fruit of the Spirit Part 1 - Love

John 13:34 - A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Reading Galatians 5:16-26
Other useful readings - Romans 13, 1 John 4 and 1 Corinthians 13

What is LOVE?

What is the love required of us?
The love required of us is totally unselfish love, a matter of will and action, expressed in service of unworthy as much as of the worthy, based upon the pattern of the love set forth in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 John 4:7
It is commanded
God is the source
Love is a characteristic of the believer – see 1 John 3:14

1 John 4:8/16
Not only does God love but He is Love

God demonstrated this love to us when He sent His only son to die for us. See Romans 8:32

He has lavished us with His great love in calling us His Children – 1 John 3:1

What is adoption? Adoption is an act of God's free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God (Shorter Catechism)

God pours out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit – Romans 5:5

We only Love God after he has loved us. It is our response. 1 John 4:19

Love has a priority over spiritual gifts – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Love also takes 1st place in the “Fruit of the Spirit” - Galatians 5:22

What are the foremost characteristics and activities of love?

Patience – 1 Corinthians 13:4
Kindness – Love strives to be honest (Mark 10:21), see also Ephesians 4:15 in regards to how we speak to one another.
Joy – 1 Corinthians 13:6
Hope – 1 Corinthians 13:7
Endurance – 1 Corinthians 13:7 (see also John 13:1)
Service – Love is active in good works (Hebrews 10:24). see also Galatians 5:13 and Romans 13:10
Generosity – 2 Corinthians 8:8-12, 24, 1 John 3:17
Constructiveness – Love builds/edifies (1 Corinthians 8:1) it also unites believers (Colossians 2:2)
Reflective of God's love: love that shows love even to your enemies. Matthew 5:44-45, Luke 6:27, 35 and John 13:34

What are the opposites of love? Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 and 1 John 3:11-18

Jealousy
Boastfulness
Arrogance
Rudeness
Selfishness
Irritability
Resentment
Maliciousness
Hatred