The Consumption Assumption Andy Stanley€¦ · The Consumption Assumption Andy Stanley Scripture:...
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©2010 North Point Ministries, Inc. Guardrails – Part 5 1 The Consumption Assumption Andy Stanley Scripture: Matthew 6:24, 31–33 Idea: To avoid greed and irresponsibility: give, save, live. Introduction/Review 1. Talking about guardrails. 2. We all know what a guardrail is: a system designed to keep vehicles from straying into dangerous or off-limit areas. 3. You are most likely to find guardrails in the potentially dangerous areas of a road. 4. Guardrails are not placed in the actual areas of danger. • They are placed just inside the danger zones. • The actual danger zones are just beyond the guardrails. 5. We’ve asked the question: What would it look like if we had guardrails in other areas of our lives? 6. We need guardrails to awaken our consciences. Your greatest regrets could have probably been avoided if you had had some financial, moral, relational, or professional guardrails. 7. Guardrail: standard of personal behavior that becomes a matter of conscience. 8. Two weeks ago, we talked about sex . . . today—money. 9. Interesting thing: 90 percent of the problems people come to us with are related to sex and money. In most cases, they stem from someone’s lack of self-control. 10. Oddly enough, the two areas of scriptural teaching most disregarded are the teachings around sex and money. • The church is against sex. • The church just wants my money. 11. If we threw out the rest of the Bible and just embraced what it says about these two things, it would transform our culture. 12. FYI: God created sex; God doesn’t need your money. As is the case in every area of life . . . I. God does not want something from you. He wants something for you. It’s true financially. A. Specifically, the peace of mind that comes with trusting him as the source of all you need. B. God’s biggest competitor for your trust is money. ON SCREEN: Matthew 6:24 (TNIV)
Transcript of The Consumption Assumption Andy Stanley€¦ · The Consumption Assumption Andy Stanley Scripture:...
©2010 North Point Ministries, Inc.
Guardrails – Part 5
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The Consumption Assumption Andy Stanley
Scripture: Matthew 6:24, 31–33 Idea: To avoid greed and irresponsibility: give, save, live. Introduction/Review 1. Talking about guardrails. 2. We all know what a guardrail is: a system designed to keep vehicles from straying into
dangerous or off-limit areas. 3. You are most likely to find guardrails in the potentially dangerous areas of a road. 4. Guardrails are not placed in the actual areas of danger.
• They are placed just inside the danger zones. • The actual danger zones are just beyond the guardrails.
5. We’ve asked the question: What would it look like if we had guardrails in other areas of our lives?
6. We need guardrails to awaken our consciences. Your greatest regrets could have probably been avoided if you had had some financial, moral, relational, or professional guardrails. 7. Guardrail: standard of personal behavior that becomes a matter of conscience. 8. Two weeks ago, we talked about sex . . . today—money. 9. Interesting thing: 90 percent of the problems people come to us with are related to sex
and money. In most cases, they stem from someone’s lack of self-control. 10. Oddly enough, the two areas of scriptural teaching most disregarded are the teachings
around sex and money. • The church is against sex. • The church just wants my money.
11. If we threw out the rest of the Bible and just embraced what it says about these two things, it would transform our culture.
12. FYI: God created sex; God doesn’t need your money. As is the case in every area of life . . .
I. God does not want something from you. He wants something for you. It’s true financially.
A. Specifically, the peace of mind that comes with trusting him as the source of all you need.
B. God’s biggest competitor for your trust is money.
ON SCREEN: Matthew 6:24 (TNIV)
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24 "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
C. When our trust is in our stuff, we veer off into one of two ditches:
consuming/unbridled desire, which leads to debt. Or hoarding/fear.
ON SCREEN: Consuming—Hoarding
1. Both are self-centered. 2. The root is the same for both . . .
ON SCREEN: Greed Greed: the assumption that it’s all for my consumption
3. Now or later/hoarding. 4. Both are emotionally driven: fear/desire. 5. Both leave you living as if there is no God.
Until there’s trouble . . .
D. Financially speaking: God is a backup plan. 1. When we get into trouble financially, we get real cozy with God. 2. That’s human nature.
As your pastor, my job is to do what I can to keep you from doing that. So I have to model that. And I have to teach this. And the answer is very simple. And most of you ignore me every time I talk about it.
II. The guardrail against greed is to reprioritize your financial world with God at the top.
ON SCREEN: 1. Give 2. Save 3. Live
This puts consumption and hoarding after God.
A. When my kids were old enough, I got ‘em each three jars and labeled them.
ON SCREEN: (Visual) Three Labeled Jars – Give, Save, Live
B. Why would a preacher teach his kids to give first? 1. Because I want the church to get my kids’ money? 2. Because the church “needs” their $1.70?
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3. Because after the service I go back and scoop up an armful of cash and checks and run . . .?
C. It’s because I know this is the key to financial independence. 1. Independence from the belief that life = stuff. 2. Independence from a lifestyle that leaves God for emergencies. 3. Independence from a life independent of God.
I know that for the rest of their lives, money will be God’s primary competitor. And I don’t want money to win. I don’t want them choosing money over their marriages or my grandkids. I don’t want them to be slaves to consumer debt. I want them to own their stuff and for their stuff to never own them. And this is how you do it.
III. Here’s how Jesus said it in the Sermon on the Mount . . .
Matthew 6 24 "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
A couple of minutes later . . .
31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' [Hoard]
32 For the pagans run after all these things [Those who don’t recognize God. Jesus just called you a pagan. Pagan the Hoardarian],
and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. [Do you believe that? You think God knows? Cares? Does God know you are saving for college?]
33 But [in the meantime . . . while you wait . . . in the gap . . .]
33 But seek first [Reprioritize. Rearrange. Reorder.]
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
A. Translated: put God first in your finances and he will be involved financially.
1. This is why I tithe off the top. 2. This is why I plead with you to be percentage givers.
Give FIRST.
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B. Generally speaking, people learn to be percentage givers when they get into financial trouble. 1. When they can afford it the least. 2. When they need God to get involved. 3. When they are in debt.
C. Give. Save. Live. 1. Give before you spend. Write that check first. “God, I want to make sure your
kingdom and your concerns get funded first. I’ll figure out a way to live on the rest. No more leftovers for you.”
2. Write the next check to you—hoard. 3. Live on the rest. Consume.
D. You need to think percentage, not just dollars. This system needs to ebb/flow with your income.
Conclusion 1. Would you please take a baby step in this direction? When you are paid (paycheck,
tips, bonus), would you write your first check to your local church? Even if it’s one percent. “God, your kingdom first.”
2. Then, if you don’t have some sort of automatic savings system, write the next check to you. Save second.
3. Financial independence is living as if your ultimate dependence is not your finances. Here’s what I think about. If we all did this, we could build orphanages, churches in Haiti, churches here. We would never have to have a capital campaign, because we are so large. All our unemployed teachers . . . we could pay them temporarily and put them to work in schools where teachers are being cut. This would not require anything extraordinary from anyone . . . just obedience from everyone. I’m in. My kids are in. You need to get in as well. Give. Save. Live. That’s how you guard against GREED.
