“It’s Not About Money, It’s About Mindset!” {Heart vs. Habit p.6}
(Final Version)
Pastor Jim Lowe III
Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream 03/17/24 (3rd Sunday Message) (Final Version)
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{All scriptures are “NIV84” unless stated}
Message Title:
“It’s Not About Our Money, It’s About Our Mindset!”
{Heart vs. Habit p.6} {Likely WILL start with title this time}
Matthew 6:19-21
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
As we talk about our heart…
The bible says where your treasure is… THAT’s where your heart is.
Where Is Our Real Treasure? God Or Our Money?
Let’s recap what we’ve talked about this month.
{Concerning Our Finances}
Psalm 24:1
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
The things we work so hard for… The things we think we own.
It actually belongs to God. Everything thing in it is his!
Our lives, our homes, our MONEY. It belongs to the Lord!
{Concerning Our Finances}
Proverbs 3:9-10
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
The bible says first to “honor” the Lord.
Then it says how.
Using our wealth is a way to honor the Lord. if you do…The Lord will do this…
This is telling us to keep your focus on God!
If You Take Care Of God’s Business, He Will Take Care Of Your Business!
{Concerning Our Finances}
Proverbs 30:8-9
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. 9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
It’s better for us to be RIGHT where the Lord wants us to be. Too much or too little can cause us to doubt God.
Our desire to be rich can be the thing that drives us from God.
“God Don’t Give Me More Than My Capacity Can Take”
{Concerning Our Finances}
Colossians 1:16
16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
As we said…everything belongs to the Lord. Including our money.
Here’s another:
Isaiah 43:7
7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
THIS is about us!
God put us here for a reason.
And the bible tells us to do things for HIM…
1 Corinthians 10:31
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
If the bible talks about something as simple as eating or drinking… This INCLUDES the finances he allowed us to have.
Everything belongs to God…
He gave us these things for his glory…
What God Gave Us Should Be Used For His Glory!
What is one of the responsibilities of what God gave us?
God Wants Us To Take Care Of His House!
Haggai 1:1-2
In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest: 2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come for the Lord’s house to be built.’ ”
God’s people were taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar. they were taken to Babylon.
Daniel…Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stories.
God allowed his people after a long time to come back. But they were to rebuild and take care of God’s house. They came back…and didn’t do that.
The Lord says, the “people” say it isn’t time to build the house of the Lord. Why did they change their mind?
What did they do?
Haggai 1:3-4
3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”
God asks the people is it time for you to live in your nice homes… while HIS house remains in ruin?
This shows that God CARES what his own house looks like. He points out there is a problem with priorities with his people.
God didn’t say they couldn’t spend money on themselves…
But it’s the WRONG time to do so when the Lord’s house is in ruin.
Do We Have Our Priorities In The Right Place?
God takes this very seriously.
Haggai 1:5-6
5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”
The Lord says…give thought. give CAREFUL thought.
to what you’re doing.
Look at what’s happening:
You plant a lot…but get a little back.
You eat and drink…but are still in need of more.
You make money…but put them in a purse with holes in it.
Are these things happening for us??
The Lord Says To Think! If Many Things Are Going Wrong For Us Right Now, Is It BECAUSE Of What WE Are Doing?
Do we seem to have more money going out than we’re bringing in? If so…are our priorities in the wrong place?
there is nothing wrong with taking care of your needs. it’s a good thing.
it’s being a good steward of what God gave you.
But your needs can’t come before what God wants.
Are We Doing The Right Things At The Wrong Time?
The Lord says HE is to come first. Meaning the things he gives us… it all BELONGS to him!
HE is to come first!
HIS house is to come first!
What Is God’s House?
It’s HIS temple!
It’s HIS Church!
Are we putting more focus on our own things… when GOD’s house is in need?
Haggai 1:7-8
7 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord.
Give careful thought to your ways… He says it TWICE!
Do what is necessary to make sure HIS house is what it needs to be.
So he can take pleasure in it. and be honored.
The Lord Holds Us Responsible For The Condition Of His House!
The Lord is telling us to get our priorities in order!
Haggai 1:9-11
9 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.
The Lord says he will BLOW away what you bring home. WHY?
Because his house is not how it should be. And WE are busy with our own affairs.
with HIS money!
This is why some aren’t being blessed like they should.
Verse 10-11
10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands.”
The Lord doesn’t play about his house!! Now we know WE are responsible.
now we know it’s GOD’s money.
So how do we take care of the Lord’s house?
Malachi 3:10 (a)
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse… so there will be food in his house.
Food in God’s house?
God doesn’t eat.
So why does God need food in HIS house?
The food isn’t for him…
it’s for helping others.
So we are to bring the tithe into the storehouse…
so the CHURCH will have what it needs to do for others.
What Is A Tithe?
A tithe is 10% of what we earn… giving BACK to God!
so there is food in his house!
THIS is why God is trying to rewire our mindset. Your money is not what you think it is.
It ALL belongs to God.
We already read:
Proverbs 3:9-10
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
Using what we have so God will be honored… Reminding us to take care of God’s business.
If we take care of God’s business… he will take care of our business!
But many of us aren’t taking care of God’s business!
Malachi 3:8
8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings.
This means we aren’t “honoring” God the way we’re supposed to. Are we REALLY robbing God?
With HIS OWN STUFF??
Romans 13:7
7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
We make sure to pay our taxes don’t we?
We don’t want to…but we respect it… Do we not respect God?
Do we not OWE honor to God?
It’s Not About Money, It’s About Mindset!
The Lord says to bring the tithe into his house. Take care of him…
And he will take care of us.
Malachi 3:11-12
11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.
The Lord says if you honor me…I will honor you.
If you take care of my house. I will take care of yours.
How Do We Honor God?
By NOT robbing him!
Malachi 3:10 (a)
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.
We bring the WHOLE tithe into the storehouse! not just some of it.
When God gives us anything… a way to honor him…
is to make sure there is food in his house! “EVERYTHING” was created by him and FOR him.
“EVERYTHING” has a purpose… that INCLUDES the CHURCH!
And the church needs your help to do it!
and if the church can’t do what it’s supposed to do.
we ALL suffer!
Make Sure To Honor God With ALL That Belongs To Him!
One more point:
Both Cain and Abel honored God with an offering. Abel’s offering was accepted…
Cain’s was not.
WHY NOT?
Genesis 4:3-4
3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock…
They BOTH brought offerings…
They BOTH seemed to respect God… But one did something different.
Cain brought “some” of the fruits…
while Abel brought Fat portions from the “firstborn.” Cain brought an offering…
Abel brought from the “FIRST.”
Some of us give based on what we currently have available. and some of us give to God from off the TOP.
Do You Honor The Lord With The Firstfruits?
When we get our check…
what’s the first thing we spend it on?
Power bill, Cell phone bill, Home internet, 12 Streaming Services, Car, Mortgage?
All these things are important…
but are we building our own priorities while God’s house is in ruin?
All of those things…
are spending them on YOU. God wants us to honor him first!
Proverbs 3:9-10
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
We see that we may be missing a lot because we give wrong. or not at all.
We try to hold on to our money…
but God wants us to love him above all.
Do we put God over ourselves??
These other things MUST be taken care of… But God told us:
Malachi 3:10-12
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.
It’s almost like God recognizes this is difficult…so he says it.
{contd}
Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.
God doesn’t tell us to test him often…
In fact…he tells us NOT to test him.. but in this…
he says try me.
If We Take Care Of God’s Business, He Will Take Care Of Our Business!
In conclusion:
God Wants Us To Love Him Above Everything Else!
God is telling us to make sure of all things we take care of HIS house. If we can rewire our mindset about money…
We begin to realize that God REALLY wants our heart. Either we’ll be focused on ourselves or on him.
We have a job to do.
the church has a job to do.
We all have to HELP the church… so the church can help others.
We have to make sure we make God our source… not our money.
Luke 16:13
13 “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
God tells us we are supposed to give a certain way. He expects the WHOLE tithe as a minimum.
everything above that is the offering. This is to keep HIS house as it needs to be.
When you take care of his… he will take care of yours.
If We Honor God, He Will Honor Us!
If We Are Stingy With God, He Will Be Stingy With Us!
Don’t Get Distracted From The Real Treasure Chasing The Wrong One!
