Welcome to the For the Gospel Podcast, where we provide sound doctrine for everyday people. I'm your host, Costi Hinn. And whether you're listening to this on your favorite podcast platform or watching on our YouTube channel, I'm really thankful that you joined me for this episode. Today I'm beginning a series about money because money is an important topic for Christians. I personally believe that Christians should be the best money managers because our God is the best at giving money management advice. His word is loaded with principles, truths, commands, prohibitions, and direction so we can know his will about managing and being good stewards with regards to our money and our possessions. And so I want to get into this from a few angles. In this episode, we're going to talk about what Jesus taught about money straight from the Gospel of Luke, and I'll lay out some truths that will set a foundation. In the next episode, I want to talk about what the Bible teaches about money overall, a biblical theology of money. And I want to get into tithing. Is tithing 10% mandated in Scripture? Do you have to give 10%? What was the tithe? Why does it seem that there is a great deal of debate about whether or not you should be giving 10% or more or less? How should we be giving? And all of that, very important, because since the Bible commands that we give and it's a part of our Christian obedience, we really should know what we're doing. And I don't want you caught in spiritual abuse. And I don't want you being disobedient and missing out on God's clear will regarding how we're to live as generous people. And so we're going to get into that. I'm going to answer your questions at the end of the series. So look for some posts on Instagram asking you to send in your questions. You can already start doing that now. If you want to drop a comment or shoot us a DM on social media, we'll file those. And in the last episode, I'll answer all of your questions about money. Let's jump into this first one. It has been said time and time again that money is like a microscope. And that little nugget of wisdom is referring to the way money magnifies what's really happening inside of us. Wise men have said that. It's certainly something we should keep in mind. And when something affects our wallets, the reaction reveals the heart. If you touch my money, if your money gets touched, how you react will tell you everything about your relationship with money. Some questions that we should be thinking about. Do we view money the way God's word instructs us? Are we generous where God has called us to be? Are we wise and prudent with our saving, our giving, our investing? We're going to get into some of that in this series as well. Are we eager to meet the needs of others? Are we content when we don't have as much? And are we faithful when we have a lot? All of these are such important questions to ask, and we need to trust that the Holy Spirit is going to convict and guide and teach and shape us through his word. In the Gospels, an average of one out of every ten verses deals with money. The Bible talks about money a lot. We shouldn't avoid it, and we certainly shouldn't teach erroneously about it. We should get it right. And Luke's gospel leads the way with more talk of money than all of the other synoptic gospels. Clearly, Luke, as an author, and Jesus, of course, as our savior and the great teacher in these gospels, wanted people to be well informed when it came to how they managed money. And so as you and I seek to be teachable stewards under the sanctifying chisel of the Holy Spirit, Luke's gospel and all that it contains about money is a great place to turn for guidance. I want to begin with seven principles that Jesus taught about money straight from the gospel of Luke. Number one is that followers of Jesus march to a different beat when it comes to money. Followers of Jesus march to a different beat when it comes to money. What do I mean? Well, in contrast to the way the world operates with money, we march to a different command, a different cadence. What God says is what we do, how God says we're to view money and use money is the way we are going to do it. Our worldview of finance doesn't come from the world. And most of the principles they use anyway for success, they steal from the Bible. Even before Jesus arrived on the scene, John the Baptist is announcing his arrival and he's declaring that followers of the Lamb of God would be called to a renewed way of living and giving. John the Baptist calls for the fruit of repentance from the Pharisees in Luke 3:8. And when people ask, you know, what shall we do in chapter 3, verse 10 of the Gospel of Luke, he tells them, share your food and clothing. That's in verse 11. He says, conduct business with integrity. People weren't. That's verses 12 and 13. And that if people were in powerful positions, so they have a lot of money and influence, they are to be content and refrain from monetary exploitation using their position and their ability to make more money, but in a greedy way. That's in chapter 3, verse 14. All of that is very different. Just a quick aside, when you think about the book of Proverbs and what it teaches about money, it's that wealth has wings. It's that ill-gotten gains don't last. I think back sometimes when people ask me, hey, do you have a lot of stuff still from those prosperity gospel days? Or does so-and-so or so-and-so have this or that or the other? Man, I mean, you could still be rolling in it, right? I always tell people the same thing. I said, No, a lot of the people that I used to run with, and certainly all the possessions that we had from the prosperity gospel were always flying away. They were fleeting. And one day I always wondered, why in the world did we not invest more or buy a bunch of properties? Or you'd you'd think that people making that much money, even from a false gospel, would be really shrewd. And I'm sure some are out there and they have done some things with their money. But from my standpoint, I always saw it as money slipping away. And then I read in Proverbs one day that ill-gotten gains don't last. They're like sand that falls through the cracks in your fingers. There's a principle there. Maybe you have experienced that yourself, or maybe you know someone that just never seems to have a lot of money left over from what they've made. Maybe they they do a lot, they get a lot, they gain a lot, and then they spend a lot, it's always gone. And it seems like the well is always running dry, even though if they were better stewards, they would, they should and would have tons of money. Listen, when you gain in ways that are related to greed, and you sin to get it, and it's obtained through fraud, it will rot. And the Bible teaches that. Well, everything that John the Baptist came to declare paving the way for Christ was telling people you gotta live different. You are gonna follow the Lamb of God, and his way is a different way than the world. And so, first and foremost, you, me, we, we march to a different beat when it comes to money. That's different. Number two, greed is antithetical to gospel living. Greed is antithetical to gospel living. From the parable of the soils in the gospel of Luke, that's Luke 8 and in verse 14 in particular, Jesus speaks of the thorny snare of riches and pleasures of this world, choking out the growth. And then you've got the rich young ruler who just couldn't stand the thought of choosing Christ over his cash. That's in chapter 18, verses 18 to 25. He went away sad. Jesus said, Oh, you've kept all the commandments, you've done a really good job. Look how religious you are on the outside. Hey, one thing you haven't done yet sell all you have, give the money to the poor, and follow me. Why did Jesus say that to the rich young ruler? Because he knew it was easy for that man to obey with all the externals, keep the commandments, and do all these things to look very spiritual. And then when it came to his money and stuff, he was wretched and hypocritical and selfish and vicious. It was his, the money was mine. And so Jesus says, That's what I want. There's a principle there in that greed is not to be named among us. It's antithetical to gospel living. And why is that? Because greed is idolatry. If you love the money more than you love Christ, if you're obsessed and attached to your money or I am more than we love Jesus, then when he asks something of us and it's attached to something we are worshiping, and that worship isn't directed to him, friend, what happens? You go the wrong way. You turn your back on Christ. You obey the world and your greed and not God. And so we have to guard our hearts against greed and revisit this issue time and time again. There's a reason the gospels talk about money just about more than any other subject, because it's a constant snare, whether you have a lot or you have a little. Number three, earthly security is not a sign of spiritual security. Earthly security is not a sign of spiritual security. Jesus did not mince words when he asked this of a man. For what does it profit a man? What is a man profited if he gains the whole world but loses his soul or he forfeits himself? That's in Luke 9, 25. Basically, you can have all this world, but still not have the one who holds the world. You can build bigger barns, you can fatten your soul up with the comforts of this fleeting world, and that guarantees nothing with God. God himself said, You fool. In chapter 12, verse 20, to the man who said, I'm gonna build bigger barns, look at all that I have, and I'm gonna make a hedge of protection and look at me, and I feel really good about myself. God says, You fool, this very night your soul is required of you, and now who alone what you've prepared? You don't keep it. There's no you haul behind the hearse. Sobering words for us to remember that not only is greed antithetical to the gospel, but earthly security is not a sign of spiritual security. Our spiritual security is in Christ alone, the gospel of grace alone. What you have, oh, it's a blessing from God, but it doesn't mean you have a greater or more special anointing from God. And if you don't have a lot, you better be worried about your spiritual security. And if you have a lot, oh, God is so happy with you. Some of the richest people are the most disobedient people, and they are damned right now on the way to hell, and they need to surrender to Christ. Your earthly security, oh, it has nothing to do with your eternal security. Next, giving money doesn't make up for a lifestyle of disobedience. Giving money does not make up for a lifestyle of disobedience. And so we've gone through one, two, three, four key points. And now we're at the piece that follows up the next point because yeah, it doesn't matter what you have if you're disobedient. The Pharisees were experts at external righteousness. Jesus had some pretty bad news for these seemingly good religious experts. In Luke chapter 11, verse 42, Jesus warns, Woe to you, Pharisees, for you pay tithe, you pay 10% of mint and roux and every kind of garden herb, and yet you disregard justice and the love of God. But these things you should have done without neglecting the others. He's saying, Oh yeah, give, tithe, okay, set aside, be generous. But I'll tell you what, if you don't love others and you disregard justice, your gift perishes with you. Your soul is not secure. You're not bearing the fruits of repentance. Jesus calls his followers to give generously, but never is that a get out of jail free card concerning sin, injustice, and shallow religiosity. So I want to ask you, I want to challenge you. Do you at times think that your giving is paying off your sin? If you do, you have been sucked in more to a kind of works-based Roman Catholicism or Mormonism or other works-based religious practices, and you are not walking under the banner of grace. The true gospel is a message of grace, unmerited favor upon sinners that God forgives, washes, cleanses, redeems, saves, and secures those who place their faith in Christ alone. Giving money cannot make up for your lifestyle of disobedience. And so go ahead, make that donation. Go ahead, give at the end of the year your philosphic, I don't even say the word, philanthropic donations to this, that, and the other. I mean, make up for all of the greed and all of the sin by just trying to pay it all off at the end of the year and then hit that tax return. Friend, there's nothing wrong with being generous. There's nothing wrong with thinking through how the year has been and directing some of your finances to the work of the Lord. But let's double check our hearts. Are we doing it out of guilt because we're trying to pay off sin and we're going, well, God, let me do this, and then, you know, that'll make up for this. He wants your heart. He doesn't want your money if he doesn't have your heart. And so it's very important for us to think through that. Number five, where your treasure is, there your heart is. The world chases physical security as though it will preserve them spiritually. And on their way to achieving temporal security, they worry and pump medications and do everything they can to control their anxiety. And in the race of life, to have is to win according to the world. And many die trying. Their heart is obsessed and attached to money. Those with the most will boast about being the master of their destiny. They've got it all figured out. And Jesus comes along and teaches something entirely different. He says, Where your heart is, your treasure is. Where your treasure is, your heart will be also, meaning money and your heart are attached. So you look at what you have and then you look at where you spend and you will see what you love. The words of Martin Luther are fitting here. He said, Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God. So, Christian friend, do not fear that your father is chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. That's in Luke 12, 32. Your father is chosen to give you the kingdom. He's blessed you, he's called you, he loves you. And so seek it. Seek after the kingdom which he has given. Seek after the things of eternity that he has laid out for you. Everything else will fall into place. You don't need to worry and strive and stress and freak out and lose your mind over getting more and having more. You can set your heart on God your Father and all of the wonderful things he has laid out for you to do that are attached to his kingdom work. Seek first the kingdom, and all of the other things will be added. There were people at that time that Jesus taught this in Luke 12, and he taught the same thing in Matthew 6, who were so concerned about all of the peripherals and all of the externals. And eternity was kind of on the back burner. He says, Change the paradigm, change the order, change the sequence. Kingdom first, everything else after. Next, big offerings don't necessarily mean big sacrifice. This is a key principle about money. If a billionaire gives, you know, $10,000 and a broke widow gives $10, what do you think God sees? Jesus taught in Luke 21, 1-4, that, well, the wealthy may arrogantly put their large gifts into the treasury and they're showing off their generosity, and it was just that a show. They could have done much more and didn't. They weren't that generous. They kept a ton for themselves, and what they did give was just to display some false humility. In the midst of their pompous display, this humble widow comes forward in Luke chapter 21, and she puts a gift in that really doesn't register on the Richter scale of giving. Few probably even noticed it at all, but Jesus did. And his words drop like an anvil of conviction, melting the pride of the Pharisees and the rich. He says, Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them. How is that possible? The rich were dumping in their big amounts, and she put in two little things, two little mites, the widow's mite, just dropped it in there, two coins. He says, She put in more than all of them. For they all out of their surplus put into the offering. But she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on. That's Luke 21, verses 3 to 4. Sacrifice matters. It's important to think through. Are we really sacrificially giving? Like, do we even feel this? Is this moving the needle of our convictions? Is it something we actually notice or it's just eh, whatever? But then when it comes to other purchases and what we want to do, I mean we're stretching the limits to have more stuff and to do this or achieve that. And then when it comes to God's work and the kingdom, we're just kind of you know tipping. Big offerings don't necessarily mean big sacrifice, and small offerings don't necessarily mean small sacrifice. Friend, assess your heart. We do the same thing in our home all the time. Just taking inventory. Are we are we giving in a way that is sacrificial? Are we actually feeling this or is it just some easy thing that we barely notice? Finally, number seven, death is the great equalizer for both the rich and the poor. I want to end here because it's eternal and it helps us think about life in the right perspective. Jesus is teaching his disciples one day about money, tells the story about the rich man and Lazarus, different Lazarus than who he raised from the dead. Lazarus in this story was a poor man. He ate the crumbs off this rich man's table. He lay by his gate, he was helplessly left in his poverty, and eventually the rich man would die in his fine robes, and poor Lazarus in his rags. Jesus is teaching about this in the Gospel of Luke. And one would go to heaven, the other would go to Hades, the rich man to Hades, Lazarus to heaven. And from this sobering glimpse of life beyond the grave, we learn and are reminded that death is the great equalizer. The rich and the poor will share the same end. And from his agony and torment in Hades, the rich man cries out for just a drop of water for his burning tongue. Maybe you remember the story. And then Father Abraham, who held Lazarus closely in his heavenly paradise, the Bible specifically says that Lazarus is lying on, he's he's laying on in Abraham's bosom. He's there, Abraham is there, and he's there. And it's this picture of heavenly comfort and paradise responds by saying to the rich man, Remember that during your life you received your good things. And likewise Lazarus bad things. But now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. Oh, what sobering words. On judgment day, it will not matter how much you possessed on earth, but whom you possessed on earth. Did you have Christ? Was he your life? Did you use all that he gave you and gave towards his kingdom? Did you use the talents, the gifts, the energy, the drive, the blessings, whatever level of wealth and money he's given you? Did you manage it in a way that brought him honor and glory? Did you save, give, invest, and steward? Did you even enjoy in a way that honors the word of God? Those who by grace have Christ will have life here and have it abundantly with joy, no matter what they have. But most of all, we will have life even more abundantly in glory. John 10 and verse 10 is all about that. The abundant life really has much to do with our life to come. And so how you live now is going to impact how you live then. And how you steward what you have here and now will have an impact on your eternity in heaven. That's where we start. What Jesus taught about money from the Gospel of Luke. Next time we'll keep on going. I pray that this series is going to be fortifying for your stewardship. And keep in mind in future episodes, we'll cover everything from tithing to giving, New Testament, grace-driven giving, what the Bible teaches about money overall, saving, investing, all of it, and some principles for you to put into practice. And then, of course, I'll answer all of your questions. Thanks for listening, for watching, and for supporting. I'll be back next Monday with another episode. Keep on living for the gospel.