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've joined me for this episode. Now, we've started a series on money, focusing not just on a theology of money, which we will get to and are laying a foundation for, but I want to get to the practical aspects of it too, like saving, investing, giving, and having eternal perspective and focusing on the kingdom, not just building our own. And in this, we're going to get to what the Bible says about tithing. Is it mandated that you give 10%? And if you don't give 10%, is God not going to bless you? Or is that maybe the reason that you're not experiencing financial abundance? All of these things are important to cover and study because I believe, based on what scripture teaches, Christians should be the best money managers, the best stewards, because our God has the best wisdom on this topic and every other topic that he covers in his word. And so last episode was titled Jesus Taught This About Money. We looked at things that the Lord Jesus unpacked from the Gospel of Luke. And in this episode, I want to break down five biblical facts about money. So picture this as the second portion to the foundation that we're laying. And then we're going to jump in in the third episode of that question. Do you have to give 10%? Is that biblical? How should we view grace-driven giving? I think this is going to be really strengthening for you. Now, a reminder that money is like a microscope. That's where we started. It tests our hearts and reveals our hearts like nothing else on the earth. And whether that be the test of poverty, when you don't have a lot and you're struggling and straining, it can really bring out heart issues and frustrations and really just our needs as we seek the Lord's provision in the basic things of life. I was actually just reminiscing uh the other day, I was going through some old records and uh checking into like taxes and different things. And I just thought, you know, let me look back over some years ago after leaving the prosperity gospel and entering into what I would say is biblical ministry. And I was looking and I I actually have forgotten how difficult it was in those early years. And how when you get into real ministry, certainly any ministry, you're not in it to get rich. You're not going to get rich. And I was looking back and just was talking to my wife about it and sharing how humbling that was, still how humbling it is to look back, and then also how grateful I am that the Lord has allowed us to continue to have a family. And we had two babies back then, and now we have six, and the Lord is providing, and we are able to put food on the table, and we have a roof over our head. All of these things that when I look back were so difficult and so hard to come by. And every little dollar was like fought for. It was like just to have enough, just to get through another day. And there is the test of poverty in our lives. And then there's the test of prosperity. And I would say that's not some prosperity gospel stuff. That's just the test of having a lot or having more. Our hearts are revealed when no longer are we seeking the Lord for just the next dollar that would provide the next meal or the basics of life, but when we're trusting the Lord for wisdom on how to steward having more than we need, the test of prosperity also reveals our hearts and our priorities. Money brings out the best and the worst in us. And far too often, I'm sure you would agree, we don't know as much about managing our money as we ought to, and we're afraid to admit it. Within church circles, it's even more daunting to face our deficiencies on money management because we're supposed to be people of the book with all of the answers just rolling off the tip of our tongue. But the reality is everybody, and I mean every Christian, needs to continuously revisit biblical principles on money and be a lifelong student of financial stewardship in order to be strong in this area. Just like you need the gospel every day. You never graduate from the gospel. You go back to it again and again. Every day we need the God, the grace of God in our lives, in the same way you never graduate from God's word on the basic aspects of life. And so these practical matters are important. And to help contrast some of the bad teaching out there, or perhaps some of our own ignorance, I want to lay out some principles to build on. And so these five principles should govern the way you and I view money and handle money. Principle number one, God owns everything. When we think of wealth, and I'm talking about any measure of wealth, first we've got to understand God is the owner of all of it. Psalm 50, verse 10, one of my favorite passages, said God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He controls everything. He's the owner. We're just the managers. God doesn't owe you or I anything. There are really foolish teachers out there who will tell you if you give a certain amount of money or if you do this by faith or that by faith, that you are forcing God's hand and that he has to keep his promises and you can make demands of him and he'll deliver. Listen, that is a bunch of unbiblical garbage. It's blasphemy. God doesn't owe you and I anything. And he isn't shocked by the state of the world. He's not looking at your giving or your faith, thinking, oh man, I just, I guess I have to do this now. He didn't lose the deed to the earth when Adam sinned, as some word of faith enthusiasts will preach. He doesn't just hold the deed to all the land and all the earth. He's the creator of all the land and all the earth, and he owns it all. The Bible says that he owns everything under heaven. Job 41, 11 declares that. The psalmist declares in Psalm 24, 1, the earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it. So he owns the matter, organic matter, the money, the people, all of it. Everything that has breath belongs to God. He's the owner. So when we approach money, we really need to start with that principle and say less of mine, my money, my stuff, and think of it as God's. There's no arguing with the Bible on who is the owner of everything. God is. And so if God is the owner of everything, what does that make us? We are, again, the managers and the stewards. And in the first principle that I'm laying out for you, we quick, we quickly realize this. And it's humbling. One day, as managers and stewards, just like the parable of the talents unpacks in Matthew chapter 25, verses 14 to 30, an amazing parable that is really good to think through, if not weekly, daily. We will give an account for how we managed what he entrusted to us. You can't say, and I can't say, well, Lord, I didn't have a lot, you know, so I just I didn't really worry about this much. No. Any level of what God has given. You see that in the parable of the talents. He gave each servant a different measure. One more, one a little bit less, and one just one. All expected to manage and steward what the master had given them faithfully. And so, number one, God owns everything. Do you see your money that way? Do you see your bank account that way? Is that how you're approaching when you increase in your life? This is good for our humility as well as we begin to think less and less, you know, I made this and I did this. Nobody is self-made. We are, as Christians, God made. And so if He's blessed you and blessed you with abundance, you can look and say, Lord, you've entrusted this to me. Help me to faithfully steward it. You ultimately own it. And wow, I don't know what I did to deserve you blessing me with these gifts and these abilities and this brain or this body to accomplish these things that bring in great wealth, but all of it belongs to you. Help me be faithful. And you can have just a little and say, Lord, in this season, I'm going to be the best manager of this amount, trusting that if you are going to keep me at this level forever, I'll be faithful. But if I'm faithful in little and you provide more, I'll have proven to be a faithful steward no matter what. Number two, wealth isn't guaranteed on earth. I really want to get this in your head and in mind. The Bible is equally clear that while God owns everything, wealth is not guaranteed for everyone on earth. This isn't socialism, communism. This is not going to be equal distribution to everybody. And that's not fair. And that's not fair. No, Jesus told his disciples in John 12, 8, the poor will always be with you. We can gather from his words that people are naturally going to struggle financially in this broken world. Not everyone is going to live some high life of prosperity. And no wonder Scripture is so adamant that the poor be cared for because they are some of society's most vulnerable people. Assuming, of course, they're not poor because they're lazy. The Bible has so much to say about laziness. But God cares greatly for those who are in genuine need. The book of Proverbs contains wisdom on serving the poor because wealth is not going to be evenly spread out the world. And because of that, we should not oppress the poor, but rather Proverbs 14, 31 says we should be kind to the poor. Proverbs 19, 17 says that we should lend to the poor and then trust the Lord with the results. Proverbs 22, 9 is another great passage. It says that we should be generous. We should be sharing our food with the poor. Proverbs 28, 27 says that we should be giving to the poor. We should not ignore them. That is the best way to be ignored by God. The Bible actually teaches he who shuts his ear to the poor, he himself will be cut off or ignored in his time of need. And of course, Proverbs 29:7 explains that the rights of the poor should be protected. They should not be exploited, abused, or overlooked. Caring for the poor is necessary because wealth is not guaranteed for all. And so if the Lord has blessed you, you ought to be thinking of others. If you're a Christian, you and I, we are called to live an others focused life. That could be certainly taking care of our wife if you're a man. That could be taking care of your children. That could be taking care of extended family. It certainly will include meeting the needs of those who cannot meet their own. Scripture shows us that God wants that for all of us. He desires and commands and calls and shapes and teaches contentment for his people, not riches. And what I mean by that is that even if you are rich, God calls you to be content, not to live it like the world. And if you got it, flaunt it and be flashy and have your big ego and your big confidence because you have big wealth. No, contentment, humility. That should be the goal of every believer. Now we need to maintain balance in our understanding on wealth and poverty. And with all of his intelligence and extensive religious training and his Roman citizenship, the apostle Paul was certainly deserving of great wealth in many ways. And he chose to lay his life down for the sake of the gospel. Paul is actually very antithetical to the prosperity gospel and these other frames of mind we have in American culture. Paul's the man, a Hebrew of Hebrews. He was a big-time leader, a big-time guy in Jewish culture, and he forsakes everything. He calls all that he had and his position and power and all of it, rubbish, garbage, trash compared to knowing Christ Jesus his Lord. And on the topic of the haves and the have nots, when it comes to contentment, Paul the Apostle, who had a great life before he was converted, he wrote, I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I've learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Philippians 4, verse 12 speaks to the contentment that Paul had in his life. And so wealth is not guaranteed for everyone. And in these principles, we find the need for contentment. God will accomplish his purposes through both the rich and the poor. And in the end, contentment is the key to a happy and joyful heart. Number three, wealth is a tool for gospel advancement. Even though wealth is not guaranteed on earth, and God does still give an opportunity to gain wealth to people, and we can enjoy it. God's desire is that we be kingdom-minded in how we are increased. Now, you may say foolishly, you know, nobody gave me my wealth. I earned it. Now the children of Israel thought the same thing, and Moses reminded them it was God who was blessing them based solely on his sovereign will. Deuteronomy 8, verses 17 to 18 says this you may say to yourself, My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me. But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors as it is today.
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SPEAKER_00Great passage to be reminded of if the Lord's blessed you and you are smart and you're making money with your mind, if you are very athletic and you're making money with your body, whatever that looks like, because you're talented, oh, it doesn't mean that you're the one doing it. God has blessed you with the ability to earn your wealth. If you're an entrepreneur, if you're a galvanizer, a people person, you just have this knack for bringing people together and achieving a vision, you ought to humbly thank God, realizing He has given you a great gift and you have a great responsibility. Speaking to the rich, it was John who wrote, if anyone has material possessions and he sees his brother or sister in need and has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech, but with actions and in truth. It's first John chapter 3, 17 to 18. When it comes to being rich, the Bible is hardly silent about what rich people are supposed to do with all that money. Sure, it is biblical and prudent to leave an inheritance for your children. Proverbs 13, 22 says a good man does that. And it's good and right to work hard and save for your future. We're going to talk about that in the episodes ahead. Proverbs 6, 6 actually says, go to the ant, sluggard. In other words, hey, lazy, look at the ant. Look at how that little tiny creature with no master and nobody bossing him around goes about his business saving and preparing for the season ahead. Hey, that's good wisdom. But you know what the greatest purpose of wealth is? To advance the gospel and do God's will. This is what Paul told Timothy to command the rich people to do in the church. You're not to be scared of them, intimidated by them, ooh, and awed by them. Wow, they're rich. Wow, they have a lot of stuff. That doesn't matter. That's a great tool, praise God. But in the end, we're just people living out a purpose. He says this to Timothy, who is a little shy and a little timid. Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant, nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for enjoyment. Isn't that good? You're allowed to enjoy it. God's not mad if you purchase some nice item. He's not mad if you have a boat. He's not upset if you have a nice vehicle. No, what's he most concerned about? Your heart. He says, command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous and willing to share. In this way, Paul continues here in 1 Timothy 6, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age. Notice not for now, the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. That's good wisdom. You're allowed to enjoy things here. You're allowed to enjoy modern comforts and first world amenities. You're allowed to enjoy things that you're able to purchase with your first world wealth. But God's word is clear. Don't you dare and don't I dare fix my hope and my confidence on stuff. We are anchored to Christ. So wealth is not a sin. You're allowed to enjoy it, but don't for a second fix your hope on it. It's a tool for ministry, not for materialism. It is a tool for gospel advancement. And so we put our treasure towards what we love. And if we're Christians, well, we love the kingdom of God. We love Christ. We love its gospel. We love people being saved. And so we're going to drive our resources into that work. You can't take it with you. There's no U-Haul behind the hearse. So get busy with it here and now for biblical purposes. Principle number four: wealth is not a sign of elite spiritual status. You may say, you know, I already know. That's basic. I mean, come on, wealth is not a sign of elite spiritual status. But hey, listen, we get this in our heads. People start thinking, because I got a lot of stuff and I'm blessed. You know, I must have some high status with God. Prosperity preachers will tell you that wealth is a sign of your elite spiritual status. And, you know, you finally have achieved your full identity as a child of God when you step into the wealth God has for you or some kind of nonsense like that. Look, check the Bible on this. It is estimated that the Bible contains upwards of 2,000 references to money. Approximately 50% of Jesus' parables dealt with stewardship of money and possessions. And nearly 300 verses in just the gospels alone deal with money. Doesn't that tell you that your money and your wealth are a very serious subject to God? Nor do all these verses contain exciting affirmations about being wealthy. Rather, many of them are warnings about being wealthy. So we want to be careful attaching some high spiritual elite status to high net worth. In fact, wealth is often a distraction from what really matters. And so it takes a lot of discipline and biblical teaching to keep your heart from being sucked in by money's malicious pull. The wealthy are often in a tug of war between their affections for earthly things and for eternal things. Wealthy believers, though, by the power of the Holy Spirit, can overcome temptations and use wealth as a tool for good. But more than likely, there will always be a battle in our hearts between giving generously and the natural inclination to keep, keep, keep, or spend, spend, spend on earthly pursuits. Does the Bible paint wealth as a mark of spiritual status, some elite status, or does it warn of the dangers of having all the things that your heart desires? Well, I think you could just take a walk through the New Testament and you'll find out for yourself pretty quickly that Matthew 6 24 says you can't serve two masters. Mark 4.19 describes the deceitfulness of riches, choking out fruitfulness. It is difficult for rich people to choose Christ over wealth. Think about Luke 18, verses 22 to 23, and the rich young ruler who just could not give up his stuff for Christ. It's difficult for rich people to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus said that flat out and plain in Luke 18, 25. It is difficult for rich people to enter the kingdom of God. He does not offer a caveat, a nuance, some other angle. Plain and simple, money is going to grab at our hearts. And when we have a lot of it and we don't channel it towards kingdom purposes, it is going to wrestle for our heart. 1 Timothy 6 10 says the love of money is the root of all evil. Luke 12 20 reminds us that our soul is our most important asset. We don't just build bigger barns and feel good. God says, you fool. We covered that in the first episode. And Mark 8.36 is the scary reminder. We can gain the whole world and yet lose our soul if we don't have Christ. In the Bible, often the poor and the afflicted are given special attention when it comes to spiritual care, not the rich. They're often able to worship more freely because they're free of the entanglements that riches bring. And Revelation chapter 2, verse 9 illustrates this perfectly and tells us what real riches are. Jesus calls the church of Smyrna rich because even though they're in poverty and tribulation, they have held fast to their faith no matter the cost. They received the highly esteemed crown of life for their faithfulness and for their suffering. Paul said he counted anything he gained. As lost for the sake of Christ. I mean, what a powerful truth. Wealth is not a sign of elite spiritual status, but having Christ is. And so don't buy the lie of the American dream and these prosperity preachers, and even the ones you think, wow, that's I don't believe in that stuff. We buy into prosperity gospel light, the diet version that you and I are somehow elite and blessed because we've got a lot, and so we've got some high status in the kingdom. If you want to be great, Jesus said, learn to be the servant of all. The hall of faith will be lined with not bigwigs and wealthy executives who were hot shots and not focused on Christ, but humble people, no matter their net worth, who gave their life and their best efforts and all that they had for the priority of the kingdom. Many will be rewarded for standing strong for their faith and paying the ultimate price with their lives. Many of them will be nameless and faceless here on earth, but God will call them faithful. Finally, principle number five wealth is an immense responsibility. You and I, whether it's a lot of wealth or a little wealth, we are meant for the purpose of building God's kingdom, not our own. Jesus said not to be anxious about any kind of provision, but instead seek the kingdom. And so we are called to live kingdom-focused lives and be generous with whatever we have been given. Wealth is a responsibility that we're to steward. When we give, we give willingly. God sees the heart. But to be faithful with it. Our job isn't to keep, our job is not to obsess, our job is to work hard, to invest, to give generously, and to focus on the kingdom of God. I think that with the original truths we walked through from Christ in the Gospel of Luke and the first episode and what Jesus taught about money, and these five foundational principles, really facts that the Bible teaches about money, you and I have a leg up on the world and it's obsession with stuff. Will that mean you're perfect or I am in this? No. Will it mean you're not tempted even right now, wrestling with these things? No. You're going to be. I am as well. But when you go back to God's word every day on what your purpose is, who ultimately owns it all, and what he's called you to, oh friend, you will never wonder why he's given you what he's given you. He gave it to you and he gave it to me to be faithful stewards. Open hands, open to receive, open to give, rejoicing at how God would use sinners like us, redeem us through the cross and through faith in him, we're made completely new. And then he'd bless us with the opportunity to share in the gospel work, whether you have a vocational job in education or business or real estate or farming or pastoral ministry or athletics, whether you're a nurse, a doctor, a lawyer, whether you're a plumber, whether you're a construction worker, a general contractor, whether you have your own landscaping business, you're in pest control. It doesn't matter if you build things, if you fabricate uh nuts and bolts for construction sites to use, and nobody ever knows that you're the one who made the thing that they're tightening everything with. You might make tools, you might make cars, you might sell them. Whatever it is that he's given you to do, you do it with all of your might unto his glory, using whatever he's given for his purposes. Thanks for listening to this episode. I hope it strengthens you, I hope it blesses you. Next time we're gonna get into that big question. Do you have to give 10%? What is the deal with biblical giving? If you've been abused by bad teaching on this topic, I've gotcha. And really, I don't. The Bible does. I'm just gonna lay it out for you, plain and simple. If you're looking for a way to grow in the knowledge of this topic so you can help others, the episode's gonna strengthen you. And if you're wanting a refresher or you've been confused, or maybe you've never been really well taught on the topic of money in Christianity, I can't wait to dig into the rest of our series with you. Thanks again for listening, for watching, and hey, thank you for supporting. So many of you are living out a lot of what I've already covered in your faithfulness to your local church and your kind generosity towards for the gospel as we produce these resources and seek to bring honor and glory to the Lord by providing sound doctrine for everyday people, both here and in English, but now around the world and adding Spanish to that menu. We're grateful for you above all else. Please be generous with your prayers. We desire to honor God with our little grain of sand in the timeline of history. It's a short life, it's a quick ride, and we want to honor Him in all that we do. I'll be back next week with another episode. Keep on Living for the Gospel.