100:00:00,880 –> 00:00:10,380Money, Proverbs teaches us, is a great blessing from God, and we should be thankful for it.200:00:10,380 –> 00:00:17,360Every good gift comes from his hand. But it brings with it certain inherent300:00:17,360 –> 00:00:26,020dangers. So, how can I master my money, rather than have my money master me?400:00:26,020 –> 00:00:29,900Welcome to Open The Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick, I’m glad you500:00:29,900 –> 00:00:33,779could join us today, and Colin, as we approach this subject, the word that600:00:33,779 –> 00:00:38,820comes to my mind is intent. We really need to watch our intentions when it700:00:38,820 –> 00:00:43,340comes to money. That’s exactly right, then of course the reason for that is that800:00:43,340 –> 00:00:48,380money is a power. And because it’s a power, it’s going to try and gain control900:00:48,380 –> 00:00:53,139of your life. Jesus said, no one can serve two masters, and the point of what1000:00:53,139 –> 00:00:59,520he’s saying there is that, money wants to master you, and the only way in which1100:00:59,520 –> 00:01:03,900you’re going to get in a position where you are master of your money is if1200:01:03,900 –> 00:01:08,900Jesus Christ is master of you. That’s how it works. I submit myself to the Lord1300:01:08,900 –> 00:01:13,099Jesus Christ and because I’m under his authority, therefore I’m in a position1400:01:13,099 –> 00:01:17,639in which I’m able to exercise greater control over the things that otherwise1500:01:17,639 –> 00:01:22,739would be exercising control over me. So this is a very important practical1600:01:22,739 –> 00:01:26,580subject that we’re looking at in the book of Proverbs, and it’s a wonderfully1700:01:26,580 –> 00:01:31,440positive one. We’re going to see today that whatever God gives to you, whatever1800:01:31,440 –> 00:01:37,760he trusts to you, is an opportunity for you to be able to do good and to bring1900:01:37,760 –> 00:01:41,519blessing into the lives of others. I hope this is going to be a really2000:01:41,519 –> 00:01:45,940encouraging message for you today as we think together about seizing the2100:01:45,940 –> 00:01:49,959opportunities that God gives to us. So join us if you can in the book of2200:01:49,959 –> 00:01:53,519Proverbs as we continue the message, simply entitled2300:01:54,019 –> 00:01:56,019Here is Pastor Colin2400:01:56,540 –> 00:02:02,419Money, Proverbs teaches us, is a great blessing from God and we should be2500:02:02,419 –> 00:02:08,779thankful for it. Every good gift comes from His hand but it brings with it2600:02:08,779 –> 00:02:14,080certain inherent dangers and these dangers are that money can ruin you2700:02:14,080 –> 00:02:18,440especially if it comes quickly, that it can’t save you and it does have the2800:02:18,440 –> 00:02:22,199tendency to distract you from the reality that you really need to be2900:02:22,199 –> 00:02:25,720concerned about, which is how are you going to be righteous on the last day3000:02:25,720 –> 00:02:32,440when you stand before the Lord and it may tempt you, may tempt you to control,3100:02:32,440 –> 00:02:37,080it may tempt you to cheat, it may tempt you to credit yourself and it may even3200:02:37,080 –> 00:02:42,520tempt you to deny the Lord and feel that you no longer really need Him. That’s the3300:02:42,520 –> 00:02:48,419power of money. Now that takes us to the third thing because the question now3400:02:48,520 –> 00:02:53,279then is all right, money is a master and it brings temptations as well as3500:02:53,279 –> 00:03:01,460blessings, so how can I master my money, rather than have my money master me? And3600:03:01,460 –> 00:03:08,940the key to that lies in our third word, which is priority. Priority. Proverbs3700:03:08,940 –> 00:03:17,320chapter 3. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all3800:03:17,500 –> 00:03:25,279your produce. Then your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will be3900:03:25,279 –> 00:03:33,179bursting with wine, honor the Lord. Now the word honor4000:03:33,179 –> 00:03:42,520very simply means give weight to. So give weight to God in regards to your money4100:03:42,520 –> 00:03:48,419and the way that you give weight to God in regards to your money is that you4200:03:48,419 –> 00:03:52,679take a certain portion of all that God has given to you and you set it aside4300:03:52,679 –> 00:03:59,759and you give it back to Him. What should we put aside? The answer here is the4400:03:59,759 –> 00:04:09,160first fruits of all your produce. First fruits, by definition, are the first part4500:04:09,759 –> 00:04:19,700of all that comes to you. The first fruits of all your produce. And God is4600:04:19,700 –> 00:04:28,519honored when what we set aside for Him is our first commitment not our last.4700:04:28,519 –> 00:04:35,040Well when what we give is taken not from what’s left when we’ve dealt with4800:04:35,160 –> 00:04:39,880everything else that we’ve given a higher importance to. But when what we4900:04:39,880 –> 00:04:45,260give to God and what we set aside for Him comes first, we thereby honour Him, we5000:04:45,260 –> 00:04:50,640say Lord you are first in regards to all that you have given to me. In other words5100:04:50,640 –> 00:05:00,119what we give to Him is taken off the top. When our family came to this country5200:05:00,119 –> 00:05:05,019saying goodbye to parents on both sides of the family was one of the hardest5300:05:05,019 –> 00:05:13,339things we have ever done in our lives, and we made a commitment and that5400:05:13,339 –> 00:05:20,359commitment was that we would go back each year so that our boys would be able5500:05:20,359 –> 00:05:25,720to enjoy their grandparents, the cousins and so forth, and their grandparents5600:05:25,720 –> 00:05:32,940would be able to enjoy them. So from the moment we landed in this country we had5700:05:33,179 –> 00:05:38,899two financial commitments before we even began. Number one, what we give to God,5800:05:38,899 –> 00:05:46,940which was first, number two, four plane tickets to Britain each year. We—how much5900:05:46,940 –> 00:05:49,500is that gonna cost us? We’re gonna divide that by 12. We’re gonna put that6000:05:49,500 –> 00:05:52,260aside, so that we have enough money, we’re not worrying about whether we can6100:05:52,260 –> 00:05:55,779do it, we made a commitment to do it, we just have to do that. So here are two6200:05:55,779 –> 00:05:58,980commitments that are taken off the top before we begin. Then there was a small6300:05:59,119 –> 00:06:05,859matter of a mortgage. Then, someone said to me,6400:06:05,859 –> 00:06:14,200your boys are 10 and 8 years old. Now that you’ve come to this country,6500:06:14,200 –> 00:06:18,200you really need to start thinking about college, to which I said,6600:06:18,200 –> 00:06:22,959as a newly arrived immigrant, oh, how much is that likely to cost?6700:06:23,140 –> 00:06:34,260Oh, boy! And that quickly became item number four. But you see, the principle—the principle6800:06:34,260 –> 00:06:42,200of priority—is profoundly helpful to settle what you give weight6900:06:42,200 –> 00:06:50,500to and the order in which you give weight to it. And you honor the Lord where you say,7000:06:50,500 –> 00:06:55,579Lord, you are first in my life, and that means you’re first in regards to everything that you7100:06:55,579 –> 00:07:05,660gave to me, to Stuart. For some years, the amount that we set aside for the Lord as the first piece—7200:07:05,660 –> 00:07:11,619the first cut as it were—was a portion of the paycheck that we received. And then, it dawned7300:07:11,619 –> 00:07:17,779on me—I’m saying that the Lord’s first, but actually, the government’s first. They’re taking7400:07:17,820 –> 00:07:23,339their cut off first. I didn’t like the feeling of that, giving God a portion of what’s left7500:07:23,339 –> 00:07:28,440after the government have had at it. So, we decided to put the Lord before the government.7600:07:28,440 –> 00:07:37,339That just felt right to me, and before the other deductions as well. Now, many of you have been7700:07:37,339 –> 00:07:44,899doing what I’m describing here for many many years, and you can testify to the blessing of7800:07:45,079 –> 00:07:55,739it. And you know that we sometimes wonder, how are we going to manage? And by God’s grace and7900:07:55,739 –> 00:08:05,859with some discipline and some wise planning, we do. Honor the Lord with your wealth. Honor Him8000:08:05,859 –> 00:08:15,880with it. Honor Him. ‘… and with the firstfruits of all your produce.’8100:08:15,880 –> 00:08:23,579Now, one more question before we move on, and it’s a question that is often and reasonably8200:08:23,579 –> 00:08:30,839and understandably asked. How much, then, should you give? What should you set aside?8300:08:31,059 –> 00:08:36,119In the Old Testament, God’s people gave—as most of you know very, very well—a tithe8400:08:36,119 –> 00:08:42,200or 10%—that’s what the word tithe means—of all that God had given to them. But there8500:08:42,200 –> 00:08:49,859is no place in the New Testament where God tells us how much we should give. And Charles8600:08:49,859 –> 00:08:55,739Bridges says, I think very helpfully, ‘…the law dealt with us as children and prescribed8700:08:55,739 –> 00:09:02,659the exact amount, but the Gospel treats us as adults, as men, as women, and leaves us8800:09:02,659 –> 00:09:12,780to circumstance, to principle, and to conscience.’ That’s very helpful. I mean, the children,8900:09:12,780 –> 00:09:17,659you do have to tell them what to do. You have to give them direction. But as people come9000:09:17,659 –> 00:09:24,179into maturity, then there has to be a freedom of choice that is exercised as before the9100:09:25,080 –> 00:09:30,500is why rather than setting a rule in the New Testament, we have language like this, 2 Corinthians9200:09:30,500 –> 00:09:39,7609.7 Beach wone must give as he has decided in his heart. Not reluctantly or under compulsion.9300:09:39,760 –> 00:09:46,580No one’s to be put under any pressure to give a particular amount for the Lord loves9400:09:46,580 –> 00:09:52,580a cheerful giver. Let me give you an analogy to try and throw9500:09:52,659 –> 00:09:58,599light on this. You see, God does not give you a command with regards to how much you9600:09:58,599 –> 00:10:05,059should pray. You have to pray as we must give. But God doesn’t tell you how much you are9700:10:05,059 –> 00:10:09,739to pray, how long you’re to spend, what time of the day you’re to do it. The whole point9800:10:09,739 –> 00:10:16,419of prayer is that it should arise from a heart that desires communion with God. And if there9900:10:16,419 –> 00:10:19,500was some kind of rule that said you’ve got to spend ten minutes, thirty minutes, or an10000:10:19,500 –> 00:10:23,099hour and a half doing it, it would kill the whole thing.10100:10:23,099 –> 00:10:30,700Now, the same is true in regards to giving. God does not want any of us here this morning10200:10:30,700 –> 00:10:37,659to view giving in the same way as we view taxes. He wants our giving to come out of10300:10:37,659 –> 00:10:48,619love for Him. So the amount that you give is a matter of Christian liberty. It is a10400:10:48,619 –> 00:10:54,419decision on which all of us will make choices, just as we make choices about how much we10500:10:54,419 –> 00:11:05,179pray. But here’s the deal. The choices that you make will reflect your heart, and as you10600:11:05,179 –> 00:11:14,359grow in your love for Christ, your desire to give will increase.10700:11:14,440 –> 00:11:23,239Growing up, perhaps as many of you growing up, I had always thought of tithing as a command,10800:11:23,239 –> 00:11:30,640and so for many years that’s simply what we did. But in this season of our lives, and10900:11:30,640 –> 00:11:35,880there are different seasons of life where circumstances are different, but in this season11000:11:35,880 –> 00:11:48,179of our lives, I’ve come to ponder this question, and it has been helpful to me. If I’d lived11100:11:48,179 –> 00:11:53,260in the Old Testament time under the law of God and had been one of God’s people, I11200:11:53,260 –> 00:11:57,960would have given ten percent of everything that God gives to me and I hope I would have11300:11:57,960 –> 00:12:01,880done it gladly. And David says, oh, how I love your law.11400:12:01,880 –> 00:12:08,580And presumably he means the whole of God’s law in that regard. I don’t live under the11500:12:08,580 –> 00:12:21,780Old Testament law, I live under grace. And grace is way better than law. So go figure,11600:12:21,780 –> 00:12:29,340if grace is better, why would I not seek if I am able to do more?11700:12:29,840 –> 00:12:33,179You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. We have to pause the message11800:12:33,179 –> 00:12:38,539briefly there but we’ll be back shortly so do stay with us. Our message today is all11900:12:38,539 –> 00:12:44,200about money, and it’s called wealth. It’s part of the series Wisdom For Life. And if12000:12:44,200 –> 00:12:48,440you’ve missed any of the series, it’s easy to catch up, or go back and listen again,12100:12:48,440 –> 00:12:55,859by coming online to our website, openthebible.org.uk or make your way to your favourite podcast12200:12:56,320 –> 00:13:00,159there. Get on our website and there search for Open the Bible UK. And there you’ll find12300:13:00,159 –> 00:13:06,039all the messages which have already been broadcast. Back to the message now, here again is Pastor12400:13:06,039 –> 00:13:14,219Colin. And then the last word is opportunity. We’ve thought about blessing, we have thought12500:13:14,219 –> 00:13:20,659about dangers and then we have thought about the very important principle of priority that12600:13:20,659 –> 00:13:28,320is made clear in the book of Proverbs. Here’s the last thing and it is opportunity. Proverbs12700:13:28,320 –> 00:13:40,78011 that was read to us, one gives freely yet grows all the richer. Another withholds what12800:13:40,780 –> 00:13:54,080he should give and only suffers want. Now, this seems counterintuitive. Surely if I give12900:13:54,080 –> 00:14:03,619freely, I will have less. Yet, Proverb says, one who gives freely grows all the richer.13000:14:04,020 –> 00:14:12,820How does that work? Well, think about farming. The farmer has a sack of seed.13100:14:13,859 –> 00:14:20,419And what does he do with the seed? He scatters it. He throws it out freely.13200:14:22,340 –> 00:14:27,619And when the harvest comes, that which he has thrown out freely, when the harvest comes,13300:14:27,619 –> 00:14:32,659the seed that he has scattered comes back to him in a more abundant measure.13400:14:33,940 –> 00:14:42,979Now, the New Testament takes up that picture. Whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly.13500:14:43,619 –> 00:14:51,140And whoever sows bountifully will reap bountifully. So, here are two farmers.13600:14:51,140 –> 00:14:56,260This is the contrast that’s being made. And both of these farmers have a sack of seed.13700:14:56,260 –> 00:15:03,460And the first one says, oh, the seed? Oh, it is very, very precious, and I need it to make bread.13800:15:04,260 –> 00:15:11,460I can’t afford to go out throwing it on the ground. So, he holds back most of his seed.13900:15:12,419 –> 00:15:16,340He takes just a little off the top and throws it out in his field.14000:15:17,619 –> 00:15:21,859And when harvest comes, there is not much for him to reap.14100:15:22,820 –> 00:15:30,099But now, here’s a second farmer and he has the same bag of seed and he says, oh, this seed,14200:15:30,099 –> 00:15:40,179it is very, very precious, and I need it to make bread, but I know that if I sow this seed,14300:15:40,179 –> 00:15:47,140it will multiply. So I’m only going to hold back what I need for making the bread14400:15:47,140 –> 00:15:50,179and everything else I will sow.14500:15:52,820 –> 00:16:01,219And so he sows bountifully, and guess what? When the harvest comes, he reaps bountifully.14600:16:02,179 –> 00:16:07,619Now, that’s what Proverbs is getting at when it says, one gives freely yet grows all the richer,14700:16:07,619 –> 00:16:12,580another withholds what he should give and only suffers want.14800:16:13,539 –> 00:16:20,820Enough Ain’t no one ever gave more freely than our lord jesus christ14900:16:22,500 –> 00:16:27,140you know the grace of our lord jesus christ that though he was rich15000:16:28,820 –> 00:16:34,260yet for our sakes he became poor that we through his poverty might become15100:16:35,140 –> 00:16:39,780rich the son of god loved me the apostle says and15200:16:40,500 –> 00:16:46,979gave himself not a bit of himself he gave himself for me15300:16:48,900 –> 00:17:01,700and what comes from christ self-giving the father is honored we are forever blessed and15400:17:01,700 –> 00:17:09,380jesus christ will see of the fruit of the travel of his soul15500:17:09,380 –> 00:17:17,619and he will be satisfied he’s going to have a great harvest that day has not come yet but it15600:17:17,619 –> 00:17:23,939will the day is coming the bible tells us when jesus christ will stand in the presence of the15700:17:23,939 –> 00:17:30,260father with the whole company of the redeemed around him and he will say father here i am15800:17:30,260 –> 00:17:32,900and here are the children that you have given me15900:17:35,380 –> 00:17:41,140the fruit of the travel of jesus soul will be reaped in heaven16000:17:43,859 –> 00:17:50,979and what is true for jesus will be true for us as well16100:17:53,140 –> 00:17:57,459Two analogies and then we’re through for today very briefly here’s the first suppose16200:17:57,459 –> 00:18:03,699that a revelation was given to you that at some point in your life16300:18:04,579 –> 00:18:09,699your home would be destroyed by fire and everything in it would be lost16400:18:11,380 –> 00:18:15,619you don’t know which home this will be or when in your life it will happen you don’t know if it’s16500:18:15,619 –> 00:18:19,380going to happen early in life in your starter home you don’t know if it’s going to happen in16600:18:19,380 –> 00:18:22,579your family home you don’t know if it’s going to happen in your retirement home16700:18:22,579 –> 00:18:29,219you don’t know when you don’t know where you don’t know exactly how all you know is that for sure16800:18:31,060 –> 00:18:33,219at some point in your life a day will come16900:18:34,579 –> 00:18:41,619when your house will be destroyed by fire and everything in it will be lost what would you do17000:18:43,699 –> 00:18:49,380well i know what i would do i’d move as much as i could to another place17100:18:49,540 –> 00:18:54,660i’d only keep in my house what i absolutely need17200:18:56,500 –> 00:19:01,540i’d look at things that i really value and i’d say do i really need to keep that here17300:19:01,540 –> 00:19:07,780where it’s at risk i’d rather put it somewhere that it’s safe17400:19:09,939 –> 00:19:13,540now you think about your money in that regard17500:19:13,699 –> 00:19:17,380right and then here’s another analogy17600:19:18,099 –> 00:19:22,500that karen and i resonate john calvin speaks about this and karen and i of course have17700:19:22,500 –> 00:19:28,339experienced it as some of you have also and it’s this picture that if we truly17800:19:28,339 –> 00:19:35,300believe that heaven is our home then we will be like those who emigrate to another country17900:19:36,020 –> 00:19:42,020and send their goods ahead of them to the place where they can enjoy them for a longer time18000:19:42,900 –> 00:19:49,219and i will never forget the day when we stood outside of the home that was owned18100:19:49,219 –> 00:19:56,020by the church we served in london we’d lived there for 16 years and the truck left18200:19:57,459 –> 00:20:07,859down the street taking all that we possessed to bring it over here it was quite a day18300:20:07,939 –> 00:20:15,699but you know what it was a very happy day because our hearts were here already18400:20:17,459 –> 00:20:20,660and we were sending our belongings ahead of us saying18500:20:20,660 –> 00:20:24,819they’re going to a place where we’ll enjoy them for a longer time18600:20:25,939 –> 00:20:31,459so that is embedded in my mind from that experience and can you see how a christian18700:20:31,459 –> 00:20:36,739person might then say that’s how i should be thinking about all that god trusts to me18800:20:38,020 –> 00:20:47,060and i have the opportunity to put that in a place where it will be invested for a longer time18900:20:48,020 –> 00:20:58,099jesus said do not store up for yourself’s treasure on earth where moth and rust corrupt and where19000:20:58,099 –> 00:21:06,260thieves break through and steal no store up for yourselves treasures in where heaven19100:21:07,140 –> 00:21:12,660where moths and rust do not corrupt and where thieves do not break in and steal for19200:21:14,020 –> 00:21:22,739where your treasure is there your heart will be awesome19300:21:24,020 –> 00:21:29,140some really helpful pictures and analogies there from pastor colin smith as well as19400:21:29,140 –> 00:21:35,939guidance we find in the book of proverbs about the blessing the priority and the opportunity19500:21:36,260 –> 00:21:42,180of money you’ve been listening to open the bible with pastor colin smith and a message called19600:21:42,180 –> 00:21:47,859wealth the last of our series wisdom for life and if you’ve missed any of the series you can19700:21:47,859 –> 00:21:54,900easily go back and listen to them again online at our website open the bible dot org dot uk19800:21:54,900 –> 00:22:01,300also available on all the main podcast sites search there for open the bible uk and subscribe19900:22:01,380 –> 00:22:07,699if you want to receive regular reminders i know many of you listen to podcasts and we’re excited20000:22:07,699 –> 00:22:13,780to tell you about a new podcast for open the bible it’s a companion to pastor colin’s book20100:22:13,780 –> 00:22:18,979hike through the bible yeah and each week i’ll read a chapter from the book and then i get to20200:22:18,979 –> 00:22:25,780discuss it with some friends so if you join us on the podcast in 50 weeks we’ll cover 50 chapters20300:22:25,780 –> 00:22:32,099of the bible together and in a year you’ll have hiked through the entire bible story now if you20400:22:32,099 –> 00:22:38,660think hiking sounds like hard work don’t worry i promise you this hike will be an easy gentle20500:22:38,660 –> 00:22:46,099piece there’s a link to the podcast and lots more information on our web site at opentherbible.org.uk20600:22:47,459 –> 00:22:52,739Open The Bible is supported by our listeners we’re able to bring you pastor colin’s teaching20700:22:52,739 –> 00:22:59,219on the radio internet and podcasts as a result of the generosity of listeners like you so if20800:22:59,219 –> 00:23:05,380you already give to support our work thank you so much we do appreciate it this month when you20900:23:05,380 –> 00:23:10,099begin to support open the bible for the first time we’d love to say thank you by sending you21000:23:10,099 –> 00:23:16,020a copy of pastor colin’s brand new book grow in faith this devotional book is not yet available21100:23:16,020 –> 00:23:23,140in the uk so our offer is very exclusive colin why did you write this book well the bible speaks21200:23:23,140 –> 00:23:30,099to us repeatedly about the central importance of faith and of hope and of love at the end21300:23:30,099 –> 00:23:34,660of first corinthians 13 paul speaks about everything else is going to pass away but21400:23:34,660 –> 00:23:40,739these things are going to remain faith hope and love so they’re of central importance and of course21500:23:40,739 –> 00:23:46,500they speak to the needs of our world today i mean we’re living in days where so many people21600:23:46,500 –> 00:23:53,859experience fear and a sense of gloom and where there’s so much conflict we need faith hope21700:23:53,859 –> 00:24:00,979and love and so grow in faith is actually the first of a series of three books that are coming21800:24:00,979 –> 00:24:06,579out beginning this month and then in the two months that follow really excited and grateful21900:24:06,579 –> 00:24:15,540for the opportunity to do this if God’s people can grow in faith grow in hope and grow in love22000:24:16,180 –> 00:24:22,660then the world is going to see something distinct about us that is very powerfully attractive and22100:24:22,660 –> 00:24:27,780so i hope that these books are going to be a means of God’s blessing and encouragement to many22200:24:27,780 –> 00:24:33,219start this month with grow in faith and follow up next month with growing hope and the month22300:24:33,219 –> 00:24:39,300after that with growing love well pastor colin’s book growing faith is our special offer to you22400:24:39,300 –> 00:24:44,020this month when you support open the bible financially for the first time with a one-off22500:24:44,020 –> 00:24:51,300gift of 60 pounds or more or a monthly direct debit of five pounds per month or more full22600:24:51,300 –> 00:24:58,500terms and conditions are on our website that’s at openthebible.org.uk and you can give online22700:24:58,500 –> 00:25:01,540please do remember to leave your full name and address22800:25:01,540 –> 00:25:07,300when you set up your payment so we can send you your free gift for open the bible and pastor22900:25:07,300 –> 00:25:13,060collin smith i’m david pick and i look forward to you joining us again next time on open the bible23000:25:21,699 –> 00:25:25,380you’d like to use your spiritual gifts more effectively23100:25:25,380 –> 00:25:28,579find out how next time on open the bible