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Today we also continue our study of the 10 commandments, and our commandment for today is, the 8th: Thou shall not steal.
OK, so how much is enough? If I put $1 in each week is that enough?
A good week $5? How much should I give? $10? $20? How much should I give $50?
Put in a $100 --Did I give enough?
Prophet Malachi talked about robbing God. Let me read Malachi 3:8-10a.
OK, at what point have I given enough so not robbing God?
God says bring in the WHOLE tithe
In the OT, one estimate is that people gave an average of 33 1/3% of income to God
A 10 % tithe of sacrifices and offerings to the temple
A 10% for priests their salary
10% for poor alms
Then every 3rd year a big religious gathering, another 10% (average 3 1/3% a year)
Most of us shoot for goal of 10% as starters, then for fun give more.
What is robbing God?
Last year a report showed that the wealthy give less than half of what poor people do
Americans with incomes below $10,000 gave to churches and charities 4.3%
Americans between 75 and 99 gave only 1.8%
As God blesses folks, they give less.
Is this robbing God?
The prophet links our giving and our love for God.
Is giving worship?
If we just had a box at the front door, drop in monies to pay the bills and cut out 5 minutes offering time in worship hour—do we lose anything?
I asked that question last week to my Sunday School class.
They responded strongly.
No, our giving of our offering is part of our worship.
Part of our love is saying Thank You.
And sometimes when giving our last to God, it is an act of faith.
Real worship
Robbing God
If God gives a person an incredible ability to sing, and they do not want to sing;
Or an incredible ability with numbers, but then goof off in school;
Or if God gives incredible ability with electronics,
But they want to become an actor and make the big bucks
Is this robbing God--not using the special gifts he gives us?
The Bible talks about stealing from God
And stealing from each other
8th commandment is: Thou Shalt Not Steal
Thursday night Robert hooked up his 2 VCR’s and made a copy of a movie he wanted to have. When finished said to little Robby, I just saved us $19.95! Honey, make sure to return the video to the store tomorrow.
Friday night they were headed up to Orlando. As driving mom patted her purse and said, “I have $400 cash in here. The Johnsons paid me in cash for painting their bedrooms this week.That is $400 the IRS is never going to know about.”
They stopped for dinner. When received bill, Robert noticed they were undercharged by $10 & said to his family, “Well, we just saved $10 on this meal.”
Saturday morning they went to an amusement park, Child/Adult break off was at age 12. Robby was a little short for 13. So Robert said, “2 adults and 1 child please.”
Later than morning when the Robinsons were standing in line for a ride Robin felt her purse pulled off her shoulder. She turned to see a man racing away around a corner. She screamed, “Thief, stop him! Thief, stop him!” Robert ran off in pursuit, but man was lost in the crowd. Robert returned muttering something about
Rotten thief. Have to watch yourself all the time. Probably never heard of the 10 commandments--Thou Shalt not steal.
I ask you: Who’s the thief?
You know the 8th commandment is one in which we all share guilt.
Maybe can say I never killed someone. I never committed adultery
But who can say I never stole a thing, not even a pencil or a piece of candy in my whole life?!
We all have robbed from each other
How do we steal from each other in our society?
How do we rob?
American Airlines found out that you don’t give the CEO a raise. And ask the employees to take a cut in pay.
We have urban riots.
When some owners of mom and pop corner little stores in the ghettos, drive their Mercedes in from the suburbs and park behind a fence behind the store, and sit behind cash registers charging much higher prices for groceries and merchandise than is standard…
Thou shalt not steal.
Why years ago we outlawed monopolies in this country. Not right.
Billionaires who do not become philanthropists.
If Bill Gates, Ted Turner, the Rockefellers, the Kennedy’s, Bill Cosby, Michael Jordan
did not give much away, we would say something is wrong here.
Dictators of poor countries who add millions each year to their Swiss bank accounts
We say Thou shalt not steal.
Somebody once told me about a country south of here. Something like only 6 families own 90% of the land. We say something is morally wrong with this picture.
Many ways to violate the spirit of this commandment and rob from others.
But now I have to ask you: We holler and scream when logging companies rape our forests; We say that the water belongs to us--not just to the farmers whose land lies next to the river--Those farmers may not steal that water from us.
We resent it when Arab countries charge us high prices for a barrel of crude oil--saying something like God put that oil under your desserts--Not just yours, You can’t exploit us. That is stealing!
But I ask you how many garbage cans do you put by the curb twice each week?
Ever wonder why poor people of our world hate us for using up lion share of natural resources of our planet? We buy and throw away a lot of stuff. Many are so hungry
And we throw away more when we are finished eating than most people in our world have when they begin to eat.
God in the Old Testament commanded his people:
Every 50 years to have a jubilee year, all land, property, houses bought and sold in last 50 years goes back to original family that owned it.
God was trying to more equitable distribute the wealth and natural resources.
In God’s eyes there is no such thing as absolute ownership.
Ownership means you need to care for what you have.
We may not leave a devastated wasteland for the next generation.
Ownership means sharing from our wealth.
Very interesting. In the Old Testament, God told Jewish folks that they may not loan money to fellow Jews and charge interest. At Abraham’s time was about 20% interest a year.
Well during Moses time, God said do not charge brothers interest.
Jewish bankers did not charge foreigners interest as we well know.
But God said we may not charge family members interest. God considered that robbing a brother who finds himself in a difficult time.
What is legal is not always moral.
When faced with a question about possessions, money questions, taxes, you can call your lawyer, or your accountant. But more important send a prayer up and say, “Jesus, what would have me to do? What would you do in my shoes?”
Thou shalt not rob God.
Thou shalt not steal.
But this commandment in its fulfillment when we talk about our use of possessions has a beautiful positive side to it.
The old Heidelberg catechism - Q&A 111
Let me tell you the story of a reformed thief who never went to prison
There was once a tax collector who lived in Jericho. He was a very short man.
When he collected taxes from locals, from merchants traveling the highway through Jericho who had to pay him tariff, he lied. He charged much too much. He pocketed much of the money and became a rich man. Kids, what was name of this short little tax collector?
Well, he met Jesus. He made a commitment to follow Jesus. When felt the love of Jesus in his heart. He said, “Now I will give half of my possessions to the poor.”
He was a wealthy man, Dr. Luke tells. “And anybody I have cheated, I will pay back 4 times the amount.”
Jesus people see money and possessions in a new light. Become giving helping people.
Paul told persons who became Christians who used to rob and steal to work, and have something to share with those in need.
The positive fulfillment of the 8th commandment is becoming a sharing person.
The early Christians continued the tradition of collecting alms to help widows, orphans, and refugees-foreigners.
Acts 2:44,45
Sad thing today is that Sunday brunch waitresses have a joke they like to tell.
What is the difference between church goers and canoes?
Canoes sometimes tip
Jesus people tip generously.
Jesus people love to help others less fortunate.
They love to give folks a jumpstart, volunteering at Habitat For Humanity.
Our church works with an agency called Christian Reformed World Relief Committee.
Something like World Vision.
In many poor countries, we send very little food aid. Instead of sending fish, we send fishing poles. So not just receive gift of one fish but can catch and eat many fish themselves.
We send our agricultural workers to help increase food production or try some new crops or new kinds of seeds.
We set up little banks and to help some poor become little landowners Other poor learn how to start a small business.
A group of widows in Bangladesh have been helped recently and after getting loans and investing well, they have money to feed their families again.
Jesus people know the joy of giving that enables.
Many of Jesus people tithe and support their local congregations financially because excited about their ministries.
Pastor, you are a dreamer.
‘Fraid not, many of Jesus’ people know joy of giving.
But if you can’t give like this, if you don’t know the joy that it is more blessed to give than to receive, then I’ll dare bet it is not because you not make enough to give—but rather you spent too much and are in debt.
God knows debt robs joy of many of Jesus people, so there are lots of teachings in Bible about avoiding debt.
Prov. 22:7 Old version more graphic: slave
Your lender has you by the throat. Read contract you signed, you threw all your rights away. They have got you--they will take your car, your house away.
Rom. 13:8 Paul says let no debt remain outstanding
Pay off debts as fast as you can
We pay dearly for those times that we could not wait—those time we did not practice delayed gratification.
Prov. 21:5 the plans of the diligent…
Watch out when feel you have to have it NOW
I asked my class last week about what advice they would give to young couples starting out in life.
If can’t pay for it, don’t buy.
Watch out for credit cards
Buy at yard sales.
Start a 40l K now. Don’t wait till older.
Plan your giving to God and others together.
About giving to God and others, God gave the Jews a helpful suggestion.
God called it first fruits giving. When they harvested crop, give first bushels to God,
give first barrels of olive oil to God.
Which translates in our day: When you sit down to write your checks for the week, write a check out to God, Jesus organizations first. Then live on the rest.
Jesus people know that it is to be cheerful givers--They use their money to say Thank You for the cross. For the blessings received each day.
Jesus people are givers, not takers.
Let me tell you 3 stories to make another point:
Last week I read a verse I had forgotten about
1-Found in I Chron 29:14,15a - David just gave some of his gold, silver, bronze, wood, and onyx to workers who would build God’s temple in Solomon’s era.
But he not see his possessions as his.
But more like a blessed person giving back to God what was his.
2-I had a friend
When I asked if I could borrow his pickup truck would say Sure, whenever it is free. It’s the Lord’s pickup—it’s yours whenever you need it. He was not at all possessive about his pickup truck. He really believed it was God’s truck.
3-Jesus told a story once
said God is like a master who went away on a journey and entrusted his property to his servants and also gave them money to invest.
To one he gave 5 talents- worth about $5000
To another he gave 2 talents = $2000
To another 1 talent
He told them come back and see how they did.
When came back
2 men had doubled money, and the master rewarded them.
1 man had played it safe, buried money in the ground.
The master took it from him, and gave to one of the enterprising fellas.
I don’t believe that Jesus ever talked about private property--He seldom used the word owner. But he often talked about stewards, managers.
If love of money or things has a grip on you I invite to see self not as an owner, but a manager for God.
Jesus’ people don’t speak of owning this or that. They speak of managing God’s stuff.
And when it turns a profit, they give it where Jesus’ ministries are at work.
How easy is it for you to loan out your pickup, your car, your bedrooms?
The Psalmist said “He owns the cattle on a thousand hills.” Not the ranchers.
If you want to control your money and not have your money control you and your marriage, do like a manager a steward does.
Get a ledger
Start to keep records
Watch where the money goes
Manage your money or I should say His money
The first thing a financial consultant will tell you is
Keep records
Make and live by a budget
The manager-for-Jesus concept of possessions has enabled many Jesus-people to take control of their money. And to have money to discover the joy of giving.
One last question: Do you have a will?
Never knew when could die suddenly
Wills enable you to continue to manage your money for Jesus even after you die.
May I suggest that if you want to give your money to your children, Add a child called charity.
If 2 kids, add a 3rd charity
If 3 kids, add a 4th charity
And in that charity category, write down your favorite causes.
Invite you to include our church as well
MANY WAYS TO SAY THANK YOU TO JESUS FOR ALL HE HAS DONE FOR US
When I start to think I did it, I earned it, Then I need to hear
Ps.24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s. And everything in it… He owns the cattle on a thousand hills.”
He bred the first two in the garden.
He planted the first trees in the garden.
Their seeds blew and were carried all over the earth.
He made the 2 x 8s that hold my roof up.
He charged the earth with electricity.
And the atoms with nuclear energy to power our modern civilization.
He sent the rain and the sunshine, so I could enjoy strawberries on my morning cereal.
He gave you and me an IQ that can do wonders.
Paul said to young Timothy ‘Easy does it’ (I Tim. 6:7).
We arrive naked and I have yet to see a money truck behind a hearse.
Thou shalt not steal--from God or humans.
Good News: a good word from Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
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