Stronger Families Part 4: PoTENtial

Message Date: July 10, 2019
Bible

PoTENtial

Pastor Christian McDaniel

 

Stats on MOney

· CNBC says finances are the leading cause of stress in a relationship

· KSU study-top predictor of divorce is arguing about $$, 76% say $$ is the leading cause of stress in their life…

· So, what do you think the #1 cause of heart disease, cancer, anxiety, worry is?

· We get mad about it and frustrated when we can’t make it and then fight about it.

· What is your foundation? If your foundation isn’t there, then you will struggle.

4 crippling beliefs:

1. Money is scarce – shrinking

1. In America 1,700 new millionaires created every day

2. With this mindset we go into protection and saving, making sure no one takes what I have.

3. How do I become the person the money is “moving to” instead of “away from”

4. We think that when we make too much money, we are taking it from other people. When you flourish, you improve the economy.

2. Money doesn’t solve problems

1. Retirement, parents, college, Academy

2. Your negative mindsets about $$ is keeping it from you

3. Money is evil, money changes people

1. Loving money is evil, love God and others

2. No, it magnifies who you are

3. Would if you woke up tomorrow and ___ was gone

4. How much do you think about oxygen? Unless you sucked it through a straw. That’s where we are at with money.

5. If we were not consumed with $$ what would we be focusing on and spending our energy on-emotional, mental, physical? Who would we be helping? Where would we be serving when we aren’t doing 20 OT hours?

4. “I will never…”

1. Keyword “I”

2. We become the very thing we vow to never be

So now what?

Let’s talk about design…

Pen story

Are we frustrating our purpose??

Tithing Stats

· Tithers make up only 10-25 percent of a normal congregation.

· Only 5% tithe and 80% of Americans only give 2% of their income.

· Christians are giving at 2.5% of income; during the Great Depression, it was 3.3%.

Malachi 3 AMP

Lev. 27:30-34 NASB

If for some reason someone needed to “redeem” or keep all or a portion of the goods he was to tithe, he could just give money instead. However, the cash would need to be equal to the tithe’s value, plus an extra fifth. In other words, Israelites could give 10 percent in produce, or 12 percent in cash.

 

Is tithing still relevant today?

Gen. 14:19-20 – The first Tithe: Abram give a tenth, in response to God’s blessing

Gen. 28:20-22 – Jacob give in response to God’s provision

Num. 18:21, 26 – Tithe given for the service of the priests & the Tithe of the tithe!

Deut. 12: 5-6, 14:22, 28-29 – Obligatory tithes: Jubilee festival, orphans, widows and poor (about 23%) plus freewill offerings above this

2 Chron. 31:4-5 – Bringing in a tenth of EVERYTHING

Neh. 10:35-37 – Nehemiah re-establishes the tithe (children of Is. in captivity, broken down walls)

Prov. 3:9-10 – You will have PLENTY

Mal. 3:10-12 – Test me…He doesn’t just want your needs taken care of

Mt. 6:1-4 – Secret giving, left hands relationship to the right hand

Mt. 23:23 – Wrong focus on weighing out spices but neglecting justice & the love of God

Mark 12:41-44 – Jesus watches people as they give; the widow is the only one he says anything about; faith revealed in the habit of giving

Luke 18:9-14 – Pharisee proud of his disciplines…it is not a badge

Heb. 7:1-2 – Last time tithing is mentioned in the Bible, point towards Christ’s preeminence

Tithing wasn’t something Israel did in the same way we mindlessly toss a gratuity down with our bill at a restaurant. It was an intentional practice through which God intended to teach Israel about his sovereign ownership of everything. Instead of being consumers of their blessings, they had to stop and think through just how much blessing they had.

Through the tithe, God took care of his people—and through the act of generous giving, God continues to bless his people.

Overcoming…

Mind Shift

· Living is about Giving

· When you are faithful with smaller amounts, you will be given bigger amounts

· Giving is proof you have conquered a greed and poverty mentality (love/hate relationship)

· The Power of Ten is a money multiplier, not a money subtractor! [each point on new slide]

o Poverty mindset says 100% – 10% = 90%

o This is logical math

o Planted seeds are MULTIPLIED in the ground – 2 Cor. 9:6-10 (few seeds = small crops, generous seeds = generous crops)

· Wealthy people view giving as…

o 100% X 10% = 1,000%

o This is Supernatural Math

My story

Other Stories

· John D. Rockefeller – The First Billionaire

o Founder of Standard Oil & devout Baptist, said: “I never would have been able to tithe the first million dollars I ever made if I had not tithed my first salary, which was $1.50 per week.”

o Grandson Nelson received 50 cents a week allowance and was taught to save 5 cents and tithe 5 cents, said: “Our parents made us feel, from an early age, that we had to contribute, not just take.”

· Henry Ford

o 1940 Story

o Bushel = 60 pounds of wheat or 1 million kernels, Total that would be $25,750 if sold today or could make 350,000 1lb loaves of bread

· J.L. Kraft

o Gave about 25% of his enormous income. He said, “The only investment I ever made which has paid consistently increasing dividends is the money I have given to the Lord.”

· Anthony T. Rossi

o Came from Italy as a teenager in 1920. Prayed in church one Sunday as new Christian “Lord, if you give me an idea for a business, I will be faithful to give a portion of everything I make to your work.” That very morning the idea of “fresh-squeezed orange juice” popped into his head. He founded Tropicana Company and was faithful to give God 50 percent of his income for 60 years!

· Henry P. Crowell

o Heard a sermon by Dwight L. Moody and he made a remarkable commitment to the Lord. He said, “I can’t be a preacher, but I can be a good businessman.” He prayed, “If you would let me make money, I will use it in your service.”

o Bought a little run-down will called Quaker Mill and the rest is breakfast history (Quaker Oats). He reportedly gave far beyond the tithe and funded the mission of the Gospel for more than 40 years.

· William Colgate

o Read the OT story of Jacob’s vow and was challenged. He put God 1st place and promised to give a tenth of his profits to God. He did so from the 1st dollar he earned and as he prospered increased to 20% and later to 30%…the more he gave the more he prospered!

· Oprah and Kim Kardashian?

o Oprah has donated at least 10% of her annual income throughout her adult life. Even Kim Kardashian claims she has given 10% of her income from an early age

o Founders of Holiday Inn, Thomas Welch of Welch’s Grape Juice and David Green, founder of Hobby Lobby have all committed to the power of Ten. In doing so they have reaped billions of dollars and made an impact on society for generations.

· Alexander Kerr, Fruit Jar Manufacturer

o In 1902 was a new believer and wanted to believe but wanted proof. Read Gen. 28:22 about Jacob’s promise and made the same promise to God. When he made the promise, he was drowning in financial obligation without hope for change…but he upheld his promise to God. That year, with little capital, he launched Kerr Glass Manufacturing Company and it quickly became the largest fruit jar manufacturer in the U.S. In 1906 the great San Francisco earthquake caused fires to break out all over with his factory in the heart of the fire, the heat was so intense it would take days to find out damages to the factory. Kerr held onto Mal. 3:11 “I will rebuke the devourer for your sake, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground.” The large two-story factory constructed of wood that contained oil tanks producing 2500 degrees of heat was untouched. The fire came right up to his wooden fence, but it couldn’t touch it…not even a single glass jar broke in the factory from the earthquake. He was so moved by God’s protection that he printed pamphlets on tithing and distributed them. To this day, his teachings on the subject of tithing have traveled the entire globe.

· Jack Canfield, Co-Author of Chicken Soup for the Soul

o “Tithing is the best-kept prosperity secret in existence.” -Mark Victor Hansen, Co-author

o Previous Guinness Book of World Record holders for more than 500 million copies sold

o Came up with the title while on a walk in the woods and said to God, “Please help me with a title for this book. We are under a deadline.” He felt he heard a voice ask, “When you were a child and you got sick, what did your mom give you to make your body feel better?”

o The power of Ten releases multimillion dollar ides from heaven….if you ask for them.

· LL Cool J, Actor/Hip-Hop Legend

o “Every dime I get, no matter what it is, I give ten percent to the church. I’m a life-long tither. I believe strongly in giving.”

· Derek Carr, NFL Quarterback

o 2017-2018 season held the record for highest paid player ever in the NFL after $125 million extension. CBS interviewer asked how he would be spending his first check, he said “Chick-fil-A… I’ll probably get some Chick-fil-A. But, no, first thing I’ll do is I’ll pay my tithe like I have since I was in college.”

· Truett Cathy, Founder of Chick-fil-A

You can make excuses…. or take action

The 30-day challenge

-Commit, like many of these Men did, to the power of Ten for the next 30 days