Budgeting for Blessing

Bill Sizemore

Thanks and Giving • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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Introduction: Defining the Pain

It was reported by CBS in January of this year that 40% of all Americans are one paycheck alway from financial ruin. Meaning if they were to miss one paycheck it would throw them into a tailspin of financial ruin.

This morning is going to be a little different than other Sundays. I’m not going to preach to you this morning but I do want to help you.

I want to teach you some biblical principles that will allow you to budget for blessing instead of fearing for failure.

Everyone is on some type of budget. Right now you are functioning with a working budget. It might be a good one or it might be a bad one, but you have one.

Budget Types:

Day to Day

Need to meet the daily necessities.

If enough is gathered in the day there is none left over.

God placed Israel on a day to day budget in the wilderness.

They were to gather one day’s worth of manna and no more.

If they tried to store it up it would go bad.

God wanted them to learn to trust him every day for their provisions.

Exodus 16:4 ESV

4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.

Exodus 16:4 ESV

Exodus 16:4

Exodus 16:17-

Stress is High: The first thought in the morning is what do I need to do to make it through the day.

Exodus 16:19–20 ESV

19 And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.

Stress is High: The first thought in the morning is what do I need to do to make it through the day.

Week to Week: 78% of American households

There is a weekly or by-weekly income for the needs of the household.

A budget is created for a 7 day period to pay for necessities.

Different bills are assigned to that week and must be paid in that week.

There is usually no reserve fund.

Stress usually takes any discretionary funds through vices: cigarettes, alcohol, pills, marijuana, etc.

Month to Month

Annual Salary Income

Month budget for all expenses

Stress may be less providing more discretionary funds to be saved or used as desired.

Budgeting for Blessing

As God began to reveal himself to the world through Israel he began to instill some principles to live by. These biblical principles are still in effect and godly.

Honoring the Lord brings blessing from the Lord.

Proverbs 3:9–10 ESV

9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

We don’t just honor the Lord with our lips. It’s time to put our money where our mouth is and honor the Lord with our wealth.

The firstfruits has always been a tithe or 10% to the Lord.

Prov

This is a “If, then” statement. If you honor the Lord, then your barns will be full.

God will take your honor to him and turn it into blessing for you.

Robbing God places you under a curse and not a blessing.

Malachi 3:8–9 ESV

8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.

There is no modification of this is the new testament.

The tithe has always been the standard for giving established by God.

Some want to say that Paul said to give what is in your heart. That passage was a special missions offering being taken up by Paul for the Church in Jerusalem not the tithe to the local church.

Malachi 3:10 ESV

10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Again God take your faithfulness and turns it into blessing.

This is the only time God commands you to put him to the test.

Luke 6:38 ESV

38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Estimated Budget Sheet

On the back of your handout there is an estimated budget sheet from Crown ministries.

Monthly Income

Gross Monthly Income: What you make before they take anything out.

Less: Tithe/Giving and Taxes

Net Spendable Income.

A good rule of thumb is the 80%, 10%, 10% rule.

10% to the Lord.

10% to savings.

80% to live on.

Making it work

Sometimes your income determines your expenses.

Sometimes your expenses determines your income.

If your expense are more than your income you will need to change your income.

Get a better Job. Jobs for Life can help you with that.

Get a second job if need be. I would suggest you always have a way to make extra money if need be. The streams of income you have the more flexibility you will have.

Spiritual Stewardship Assessment

Over the past 3 weeks God has said so much

1. Gratitude: Good stewards understand all blessings and resources come from God.

“I live in an attitude of gratitude knowing all God has done for me.”

1 • • • 2 • • • 3 • • • 4 • • • 5 • • • 6 • • • 7 • • • 8 • • • 9 • • • 10

2. Care: Good stewards place the needs of others above themselves.

“I have set my heart to manifest kingdom opportunities for others here on Earth.”

3. Abundance: Good stewards live out of the abundance of God’s grace on their lives.

“I serve and give out of the abundance of God’s grace and not out of the debt of my sin.”

4. Purpose: Good stewards are focused on expanding God’s glory and influence.

“I am more concerned with building God’s house than my own.” ()

Yes Somewhat No

5. Discipline: Good stewards understand that every decision has a cost.

“I am saying “no” to the world so I can say “yes” to God.”

Yes Somewhat No

I have set my heart to manifest kingdom opportunities here on Earth.

6. Investment: Good stewards are able to look past the cost and see the return.

“I base my decisions on the return of investment and not on the cost.”

Yes Somewhat No

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7. Compounding Interest: Good stewards appreciate the investment made in them and reinvest it in others.

“I invest in others the investment that was made in me.”

1 • • • 2 • • • 3 • • • 4 • • • 5 • • • 6 • • • 7 • • • 8 • • • 9 • • • 10

8. Endurance: Good stewards are willing to push through the cost to reap the return.

I serve and give out of the abundance of God’s grace and not out of the debt of my sin.

“I faithfully endure the cost of my time, talent, and treasure to build God’s kingdom.”

1 • • • 2 • • • 3 • • • 4 • • • 5 • • • 6 • • • 7 • • • 8 • • • 9 • • • 10

9. Blessing: Good stewards honor God with their firstfruits knowing God will bless the 90% more than the 100%.

“I budget my resources to be blessed by giving to God first.”

I am more concerned with God’s kingdom than my own. ()

1 • • • 2 • • • 3 • • • 4 • • • 5 • • • 6 • • • 7 • • • 8 • • • 9 • • • 10

I am saying “no” to the world so I can say “yes” to God.

10. Commitment: Good stewards understand you can never out-give God.

I base my decisions on the return of investment and not on the cost.

“I am committed to grow in my generosity by giving more than ever before.”

I invest in others the investment that was made in me.

I endure the cost of my time, talent, and treasure to build God’s kingdom.

I budget my resources for blessing by giving to God first.

I am committed to give God more of my time, talent, and treasure this year than ever before.

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