People hate it when preachers talk about money.
This is primarily for two reasons:
1. Far too many people have used the pastorate to swindle people out of money. It’s one of the saddest aspects of Christianity.
2. People hate to have their sin exposed. Few things reveal our sinful nature as much as money. (See: What I Mean When I Say ‘You Are a Sinner’)
Whether or not people like preachers talking about money, Jesus talked about it a lot so he expects us to do the same.
In Mark 12.29–31, Jesus said:
“The most important is, ‘Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Few things reveal the nature of our heart like money. Jesus shows the connection in the Sermon on the Mount when he said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6.21)
1. Your Treasure Follows Your Heart. This makes money a tremendous gift because it can be used to detect the state of our heart.
Question: Does your money reveal a heart which has been transformed by grace.
(Small groups, ask these questions: 10 Questions About Money)
While grace may not change our income, it does:
- turn us into givers—grace received always becomes grace given
- make us less prone to debt—we understand the Biblical warnings about debt and it diminishes our desire to impress others by what we buy
- cause us to save—we aren’t arrogant enough to believe tomorrow’s blessing will be the same as today
2. Your Heart Follows Your Treasure. Those who have had their eyes opened by God’s grace are not enslaved by an evil heart. We don’t have to follow our heart, we can lead it. (See: Stop Listening to Your Heart)
This is an interesting aspect of humanity:
Wherever you put your money, your heart will often follow.
Is it possible this is the reason God calls us to give, so that our hearts will learn to love what he loves?
God calls us to give and love:
- The nations—God desires to use us in order to spread the Gospel around the world
- The poor—God has extreme compassion on those who by their own choice or life’s circumstances have less material goods
- His church—a local fellowship of people living life together and bringing glory to God
Question: In which of the three previous things would you like for your love to grow more?
As we give to what God loves, our love also grows.
Giving is a natural by-product of having received from God. We never give to get. We always give because we have been given to.
Two closing thoughts about God, money, and our hearts:
First, we can never look at how we spend our money and assume our hearts are perfect. Even if we use money wisely, we understand the sinfulness of our hearts.
Second, even if your money reveals a sinful heart, we should remember that God loves sinners.
For more on money, see:
People Do Not Get Divorced Because of Money
6 Responses to God, Money, and Our Hearts (Sermon Summary)