Money, Money, Money

Real life presents the Jack Hibbs podcast with intention and boldness to proclaim truth, equip the saints and impact our culture. If you are obedient in the area of finances, there is a high probability that you are going to be very wise regarding finances and money and the use of money and it will better your life, it will better the life of your family and it will better the life of the people you know and it will better the life of your church that you attend and it's a good feeling because it's God-centered, it's Christ glorifying and it's the ministry toward others. Stop thinking that money is evil. You can get the outlines of this podcast by going to jackhibbs.com slash podcast. Today if this podcast lifts you up and encourages you to live a more fulfilled life in Christ then make sure you leave us one of those five star ratings to us that's like saying amen or yes then that rating will encourage others to listen. Now open your hearts to what God's word has to say to you. Here is Jack Hibbs. Hey guys we're talking about money, money. In my old mind I can hear money, money, money, money that song that makes a lot of us older kind of sick to our stomach because it was played constantly until it made you sick but money is a big deal. Everybody a very big deal. Here's the reason why. Jesus introduces us most recently and graphically to the fact that money is a alter of worship, money is an alter of worship. All that is something that is determined as all worship is by the one who chooses to worship what the object is. It's the worshiper that makes the object an object of worship. Jesus said you can either worship God or Maman. Now Maman was the ancient Greek God of wealth and prosperity. A Maman goes back with various names, various titles through every culture but in our biblical worldview sense for us all the way to ancient Babylon and the 360 guides that made up the Babylonian worship system thousands and thousands of years ago. Maman again manifesting itself in various ways. I think it's good to say at this moment that when Jesus says you can either serve God or fill in the blank of course this case. Maman being money. Remember behind the money, behind the pursuit of health or bodybuilding or looks or hobbies or sports or it doesn't matter what it is. It doesn't matter even doesn't matter how great it is. Our fall in nature being spiritual creatures we can take a really good thing and idolize it and thus making it an alter of worship. Hopefully that makes sense. For example you can take you can take shopping you have to shop everybody has to shop so you might chuckle right now because you're thinking oh my goodness Pastor Jack I didn't think you'd be into shopping I'm totally into shopping almost once a week Lisa will send me to the Trader Joe's or whatever Albert sends or whatever to shop to buy food and I've got my list and I go do that of course I shop so do you but see you might have giggled a little bit a moment ago because you thought I was going to say Nordstroms or you know fill in the blank makes macy's I don't know what your world is but um we can make shopping an idol because you know when we're depressed and our feelings are hurt or we just feel like we're not having a good day I'm going to go shopping I'm interesting right that is the exact same thing as leaning on something else and instead of leaning on God now what I'm saying to you might be very abstract to some of your thinking but there are some people who find their meaning in escaping by by masking themselves through the inability to cope through a really rough day they can't handle it unless they have a drink it's been a rough day man I need I need I need a drink that's an idol it would be look it'd be the same for me if I say man I've had a really rough day I I'm going to go paddle boarding or surfing or riding or walking or whatever it's not the thing it's what I make the thing into be and money is at the top of the list monies at the top of the list and first of all let's start here regarding money the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 3 verses 12 to 13 says this I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice and to do good in their lives and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all is labor it is the gift of God what does that mean that is one of those verses that speaks about free trade capitalism man works with his own hands takes what he has crafted and sells it and he makes his own life better and he makes the lives of those who are his family and even those who are of his community better why because he rightly used his skills listen everyone he rightly used his skills of which I am moving my fingers announcing that this is the symbol for skills and I've used my hands I've used them to create something doesn't matter if I created music if I created a brick or if I created you got my point I use the skill sets that God has given me whatever they are for you and you didn't sit idle you use them and the Bible says by all means use them because you will be a blessing both to others around you but to yourself there's a sense of self worth listen self worth and meaning by the use of your hands and so many young people today and shame on us as parents are letting our kids sit on their hands instead of pulling their hands out and using them an effort in work in sweat digging holes I'm not joking digging holes planting things lane foundations digging use the hands build something look in your own home for many of you who are homeschoolers or or you've got kids in public school have your kids build a bird house with hammer wood and nails and glue design it and then build it I'm not joking why a sense of accomplishment get up on the ladder put it on put it up in the tree nail it up there and your kids will forever in your backyard look up and remember hey we made that bird house and then there's an overwhelming sense of satisfaction when you actually see a bird or a squirrel come in and out of that bird house what has happened you meaningful used your hands in a meaningful way and you have self worth because you have ascribed yourself to do something and I'm in God does the same thing with money God wants us to use our money God listen there is no virtue in poverty but let me be careful to say this I am not preaching prosperity wealth and claimant doctrine I'm against it I preach and teach against that however God blesses obedience that's a fact if you're if you are obedient in the area of finances there is a high probability that you are going to be very wise regarding finances and money and the use of money and it will better your life it will better the life of your family and it will better the life of the people you know and it will better the life of your church that you attend and it's a good feeling because it's God centered it's Christ glorifying and it's the ministry toward others stop thinking that money is evil nowhere in the Bible does it say that money is evil it's just not there but we have pulled back to think oh yeah it is evil because this Charlotte and preacher this guy's yelling and screaming about sending him a thousand dollars look I I do hope you know never send to tell a evangelist money never send them money don't do it I mean do it if God tells you to but don't do it if they told you to number one way for me to not send a ministry money is if they ask will you send this money please yeah no way so listen so we already know that God is the creator of free trade market man works with his hands sells what he does to the betterment of his own life in the life of others the Bible tells us that Abraham was a man who worked with his own hands and God blessed him with a multitude of flocks and God blessed him when he stopped and they dug wells God brought up water notice all these things are miraculous all that was needed was Abraham to apply his human skill and God blessed it before Adam was ever married before Adam was married Adam had a job I think that's significant for our day and age keep that in mind before Adam ever was given Eve by God God gave Adam a job and that is a significant part nobody should get married without a job hello that's obvious by the way I don't care if you actually are listening to this podcast right now in your worth a hundred million dollars and you get up in the morning and you sit on your hands you're going to get in trouble your idle time with your hands I don't care how much money you're worth you're not supposed to stop using your hands for good if you're worth a lot of money and you don't have to work like the rest of us do and you're using your hands and your skills to get into mischief boy are you in trouble don't be surprised if your wealth sprouts wings like a bird and flies away from you instead of you using it for the advancement of God's love kingdom and grace money first Timothy chapter 6 verse 10 for the love of money there you go the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil you see money's not evil money is a moral okay so football is not evil football is a moral it has no morality until humans assign morality to it um you can go on and on with this I hope you get that we don't have the time to develop that I wish we did but money is a moral it's used for good or evil based upon the person who is governing it I have this sharpie in my hand I could write with this sharpie with my hand that so I write love you with the sharpie I wrote this with this same sharpie I could turn around and say something like down with you or you know let's riot or something this pen is a moral money is a moral it doesn't have any morality until you put it into practice that's why we are to be stewards over the resources we have and you might say pressure jack I don't have any resources yes you do don't don't say that you say I'm so broke yeah no you're not listen you're not if you're living from check to check you have the ability with one dollar to bless someone or to use it for God's glory maybe you're on a pension or maybe you're on a social security God will call you and show you how to use a nickel for his glory do you understand my friend please get this it's not in the eyes of God a million dollars is not more good than a nickel you can use a million dollars with the wrong motive to do the bad thing the wrong thing and somebody else can use a nickel and it winds up an eternity being more honoring to God than a million dollars I hope I made that point very very clear back to 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 10 for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil for which some having straight from the faith interesting faith in the use of money having straight from the faith become have become greedy and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows did you know that chasing chasing wealth will pierce you through with many sorrows did you know that chasing wealth will get you into schemes and plots and plans that will end to your demise I spoke to a man that rather recently who said to me because of my greed and my pursuit in my ambition things begin to I fudged things along the way and that man was sentenced to 127 years in prison because of money and now the Lord's got a hold of his beautiful heart and he's telling people and writing to people saying seek God first do not love money what about 2 Thessalonians 3 verse 10 for even when we were with you we commanded you this one thing if anyone will not work if anyone will not work neither shall he eat I believe this principle needs to be this should be the verse that is embossed in the front of the United States federal office of the Social Security office the US Treasury health and human services if you have the ability to make money with your hands and you do not you should not be given food the Bible says that if you're a bum the Bible says let the let the guy who's a bum let him get hungry enough he'll go to work man is this tough love or what no it's not tough love it's a normal way of living look I'm old but I'm not a dinosaur I grew up in a non-Christian home that had enough sense that my dad's instruction to us was only spend what you have save what you can put away a little bit here and there along the way that was from a non-Christian home and I since the day I was able to acquire money from my first job at the age of 15 in the summer summer job working at a grocery store did exactly that in fact can I insert this at this moment I know I'm eating up time here but this is kind of personal but I'm telling you this because it will it will make things better for you I don't care how old you are or I don't care how young you are so if I started at the age of 15 like a squirrel putting nuts away in a tree I can tell you right now that I took my dad's advice on that and I started putting away nickels quarters and dimes that eventually graduated out of a can and in my dresser drawer I started hiding an envelope and I would put dollars in an envelope and I would save up I'm sorry fighting something I have done that since I was 15 years of age the last time I checked I have an envelope and that envelope has a date on it and I think it's 1979 that I've been putting money in that envelope now today in the modern age you don't have to use an envelope there's great apps like capital with a queue capital there's many apps on how to save money but why am I saying this is because if you're faithful in a little bit God will give you the honor and the ability to be faithful with a little bit more and then a little bit more and then a little bit more and you discipline yourself because I promise you this if you've got $20 in your hand and you break it up and you take $5 of that and put it in an envelope or put it in a bank account and put it away forget about it you won't spend it and by the way there's apps today like I said a moment ago where if I go get $10 worth of gas I have set my app to pay that gas bill but also it sends the equal amount of gasoline I pay $10 for gas it turns around and it sends $10 I pay myself in a savings account these are disciplines that are gloriously beautiful and it accumulates and God will bless you with that management little faithful and little make you faithful and more young people start that today watch what happens but I love how the Bible says if you're able body if you can make money I'm work if you don't you're not going to get any hands out handouts if that happened today a bulk of America's economic problems would be solved in a weekend did you know that this nation suffers because it pays people not to work and that is a godless anti-Christ concept you don't work you're not going to get any food to those who can't work because they are debilitated wounded injured hey it's our honor to take care of you gladly because you can't participate that way Proverbs 22 verse 7 the rich rules over the poor and the borer is servant to the lender Proverbs 22 verse 7 is a verse that warns us against abuse and our nation is full of abuse this probably be a good time for me to talk to you guys about gosh look at look at me I'm turning it into your to your parent or to your grandparent but that's okay I guess right if it helps you super but not not everyone can receive what I'm about to say I know that oh I can't think of his name you know who he is the Christian money guy whoever he is he does not agree with me but that's okay I don't agree with him on this in Proverbs 22 and it says the rich the rich rules over the poor and the borrow is servant to the lender I am a massive fan of using particular credit cards that are worthy of my use I mean this sincerely folks now I'm taking off my pastor's hat and I'm putting on my personal hat for Jack's life I am not for the record I'm not a financial advisor nor do I pretend to be one or play the rule of but I am a steward over what God has given me as you should be over you and so for example young people listen carefully research the best credit cards that pay the most in points and or dollars back for credit card use the best cards are gonna have fees don't let that scare you if you for example I'm just gonna go big if you for example apply for a credit card because you choose to apply for this particular let's say I hope I can say this legally I'll make one up MX American Express I'm just using as an example I'm not promoting them I'm not doing a commercial for them but the annual fee is five hundred bucks what five hundred bucks to have their credit card hold on there's a they're not dumb there's a reason why they're charging you if you are a young person this may not be the card for you you might want to go with something that the the annual fee is is 55 75 for a hundred dollars a year why would I do that because every time I use this American Express card it gives me so many points or dollars for money spent for example if I fill my guess tank up at shell oil I get four points or four dollars for every dollar spent that is put into or that is in the American Express account fast forward through all of this watch this I travel a lot and so you know that five hundred dollar fee here's how I justify it I pay them five hundred to have their credit card but I don't care what their interest rate is because I will only spend on that card what I can pay at the end of 30 days I use their money to make money I'm meaning I pay my bill off at the end of the month so that I'm not charge so they're not charging me interest but they just gave me let's say spent a thousand dollars on new tires for my car I have that thousand dollars in my pocket but I'm not going to use it I'm going to use the card and then at the end of the month send the money that's in my pocket to the credit card company because now we're now we just broke even right we're all zeroed out they're paid I paid for it it's done but they wind up giving me a thousand or two or three thousand points are you with me attracting the points I use to travel the points I use for hotel it's free money I will only use a credit card that pays me to use their card I use them to make money now people will say don't use credit cards you'll go into debt this is true for people who do not have self-control and for people who do not understand how to use somebody else's money use the bank's money use the credit card companies money to your advantage they are literally banking on you not being a good Christian steward over money does that make sense let's beat them at their game city bank chase and I don't care who it is research for yourself but here's the fun thing about this I will not become indebted to the lender I actually use the lender to to capitalize off of their lending I hope this makes sense it's so simple I'm gonna I got to hurry up I can't believe it's 26 minutes already we've been talking on this stuff you said yeah but Jack you still have the $500 problem it's a $500 fee not not a problem at all because certain credit cards certain credit cards all I have to do I know I know this like a science because I've been doing this on my life for example here's an example five hundred bucks I pay a $500 fee you know what that means to that means I have to rent a car at least four times this year if I'm traveling and I rent a car from Hertz I'm not paid by Hertz to say this if I rent the car from Hertz that particular credit card the benefit for paying the five hundred is I don't have to pay for any of the liability insurances that they want to charge me every day that I use that it's covered by the insurance company now not all cards the same you got to research this be very careful be very smart be very shrewd about this apply yourself be a good steward but I know my math it saves me four car rentals and I am well on my way to to using that five hundred dollar or getting that five hundred dollars back of the fee that I've used on top the fact any airline I'm not going to tell you because I don't want to get in trouble but I have a particular well known credit card that if I book any travel on that card during the duration ticketed dates of that card if I die during those ticketed dates of that travel that I use with that with that credit card it pays a one million dollar life insurance policy out for the duration of my life if I die while using that flight that train that plane that cruise and the ship sinks because I bought the ticket on that credit card that's one of the perks you see what I'm telling you to do as a Christian use got use money wisely and be a good steward over it what I want to do is I want to make enough money to feed my wife all my kids are gone now but I want to lay up a treasure for my children and grandchildren but first I tithe to the work of God always first always first that's between me and God and I'm not going to tell you what percentage I use that's between me and God my goodness we go on and on about this I don't know how much time you have I don't even know how much time I have I'm going to wait for the producers to start yelling at me um proverbs oh wow here it is proverbs 13 22 a good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children I just said that I didn't even know that was the next verse uh that was printed out did you know that as elderly people we are not to borrow or we're not to lean upon our children for help did you know that as elderly people we are to have blessed our children so that they are blessed because we have seen to it that we're not a burden to them so in other words if we got our home and we paid it off um we are now no longer a burden to our children and our children's children because we'll never be homeless or if you bias in an America a lot of people after they pay their home off they can buy a second home or they can reinvest in other things that's great that's great just don't become a burden to your children or your children's children but rather a blessing president trump i don't know if you know about this president trump just initiated the trump uh the trump anybody know what that's called you guys the trump savings account for children it's never happened before in the history of of america trump initiated the trump savings plan for children that are born uh from 1920 from 20 born from 2025 on the government puts a certain amount of money uh it's in i think it's in the thousands uh two three or four thousand dollars something like that oh it's one thousand dollars the government of the united states of america trump said this is a good idea by the way he did this with his kids that's the way he's doing it for you which is great everybody you know i don't care what you think about him he did a great thing here and kids get a government account with a thousand dollars uh deposit in it that's managed by the united states government and it's tied to the market and when they become eighteen years of age they get a note from the united states government saying you have this much money now that has earned interest and increased in percentage and um it was a thousand dollars that grew in the stock market and here you go trump did that the bible said that thousands of years ago it's awesome and then we'll have to end with this my goodness thirty one minutes malachi chapter three verse ten bring all the tides into the storehouse that there may be food uh in my house god says and try me now in this thing says the lord of hosts if i will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessings that there will not be room enough to receive it such blessings let me end with this what is such blessings this is a test right this is a test of the national broadcast this this is a test by the national security agency this is a test give to gods causes whatever gods concerned about and he will return to you blessings what does that mean if you think money you're thinking wrong i want you to take a deep breath and relax think bigger think bigger there's a lot a lot that's bigger than money but god first support his work who bless you back with blessings you can have a billion dollars and you cannot buy health what if god blesses you with health you can have a trillion dollars but you have rotten relationships with your wife or your husband family you can't buy it two different economies you know what god does god says you know what i'm going to do is i'm going to do because you put me first i'm going to bless you back and let him bless you back don't tell him oh that means i'm going to get a raise it could i don't care about that i'd rather have my life favored by the grace of god good relationships with my kids grandkids my staff the ministries businesses people health influence come on you can have all the money in the world and you can't influence anybody what if god gives you favor to influence people that's precious well there's one thing that god did not blesses with and that is with enough time which means god who is sovereign knows that 34 minutes is time to stop so you guys thanks for joining if you'd like to hear more stuff if you'd like me to expound more on some of these things was this too practical to you or what about other topics please we'd love to hear from you give me ideas give me topics i bumped into a kid where was i um and doesn't matter where i was it was very recent is young man uh i'm impressed he's 17 years old the guy was like 64 and um he said pastor jack i listen to your podcast all the time i said oh my gosh that's great um i'm blood you just bless me man by by saying that you listen to an old guy talk to you about life and he said no no man i'm just loving it and i said you could really do me a favor if you just sent me ideas and questions and thoughts from your generation that you represent he said i'd love to i'm gonna do it i said great do it please friend do that what do you want me to talk about from a biblical worldview what do you want me to talk about this is something we just got done talking about that otherwise did not look like a biblical worldview issue did it and look how much in short period of time does the bible talk about you and i staying clear dangerous free from on guard against the love of money nope the christian call is the wise to use money if it's even a widow's might a little bit be faithful in that and god will make you faithful in more and that's not just money make you faithful in more of life until next time god bless you guys 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