How Much Is Enough

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>How Much Is Enough</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id80.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Living Simply"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id82.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Parting With Money Positively"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Ministry Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>“Money: How Much is Enough?” Berean Bible Church, September 17, 2000</B></div> <bR> <div> Lee Iacocca writes, “My father always said, ‘Be careful about money. When you have five thousand, you’ll want ten. When you have ten, you’ll want twenty.’ He was right. No matter what you have, it’s never enough.” The millionaire John D. Rockefeller was asked one time, “How much does it take to satisfy a man completely?” He said, “It takes a little bit more than he has.” Even as Christians, our focus in life often becomes money and possessions – getting, keeping, and enjoying. And while we are not really satisfied, we think just a little more will satisfy us for the long-term. Greed is a factor for both rich and poor alike; no matter how much or how little one has, he can still struggle with greed, and a lack of contentment. What should our attitude toward money and possessions be?</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. Don’t let your happiness depend on your bank account – be content.</B> 1 Timothy 6.3-10.</div> <div> – Vss. 3-5, Some false teachers taught that being godly is a way to get rich!</div> <div> – Vss. 6-8, Paul says what true gain, profit, prosperity is – godliness linked with contentment. Be content with the basics of life, with what God provides – having more is not wrong; but your happiness should not depend on having more.</div> <div> – Vss. 9-10, There are dangers in the pursuit of riches (crime, schemes, excessive worry, wasted money on lottery, workaholism and loss of one’s family or poor health, stunted spiritual growth, no time to invest in eternity). Verse 10 explains that the love of money gives root to all kinds of evil actions. Even Christians have been caught up and have wandered away from the faith in a pursuit for more money and more possessions. They have been distracted from what is important.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. Don’t let a focus on money cause you to neglect what is eternally important.</B></div> <div> 1. Matt 6.19-21, 24, Invest in eternal matters by serving God first and foremost. </div> <div> 2. Luke 12.13-21, Money and “stuff” are not what life is all about. Prepare not only for the future, but for eternity by being “rich toward God,” making sure that your sins are forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on your behalf. Then invest in serving God. Missionaries give up financial and material pursuits to be able to share the gospel in other cultures. Maybe God is asking you to give up some of your financial and material pursuits in order to be able to better minister on his behalf in your own context. Simplify so you can serve Christ more effectively (both a time and money issue).</div> <bR> <div> <B>III. Develop a lifestyle of contentment.</B></div> <div> A. Commit to using your resources under God’s control, with the eternal perspective in mind.</div> <div> B. Stick with a budget. Plan what you use your money and resources for. Exercise discipline, rather than making spur of the moment decisions that can have long-term consequences.</div> <div> C. Handle credit wisely. Don’t get into the debt trap and thus get ripped off by interest charges. Don’t spend money you don’t have.</div> <div> D. Don’t give in to advertising pressures. Marketers value greed; they subtly say “you can’t be happy, fulfilled, satisfied, successful without this!”</div> <div> E. Give generously. That forces you to give up your greed.</div> <bR> <div> Don’t let your happiness depend on your bank account. Don’t let a focus on money and possessions cause you to neglect what is eternally important. Instead, develop a lifestyle of contentment. If you are looking for contentment and satisfaction in your bank account and in your possessions, you’re looking in the wrong place. Choose first to be satisfied with Jesus, and be content with what he provides.</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>