10 Apr Puppies, Ice Cream, and Football (Part 2)
At times, I can be easily distracted! For example, if I somehow get roped into shopping with my wife…I can be easily distracted if I see that football is on in the electronic section of the store. Money can be a sensitive topic so I figured if I can just distract you with puppies, ice cream and football…that maybe we could talk about finances from a biblical perspective. After all, there are 2,350 scriptures on finances in the Word of God!
Don’t be sensitive about the topic…don’t be like the guy who they found stranded on a deserted island for 10 years. His rescuers noticed he had built two huts and questioned the stranded man about them. To which he replied, “The hut to the left was my first church. The hut to the right was the church I went to after my first church started talking too much about money!”
With the recession of the last two years, we should be eager to discover God’s wisdom concerning our finances! After all, it does not take a good economy for God to bless His children! I have two very simple words concerning this recession…don’t participate!
Last month we shared with you our key scripture from Ecclesiastes 7:14: “In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.”
Our focus was “in the day of adversity consider”. We found that adversity is simply a condensed period of personal discovery. We also shared with you how to do adversity correctly:
- Adversity
- Insecurity
- Discovery
- Opportunity
- Victory
- Demise of your enemy
We also began our “Six Opportunities to turn Adversity into Victory”:
1) Prepare for victory (Prov. 21:31).
This week let’s continue…
2) Pray for victory (I Tim. 2:1-4).
Here the Bible tells us, “I exhort therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority: that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
In other words, instead of criticizing those in authority, we should be praying for them. “Yes, but Pastor Jim, my boss has done some really dumb things.” All the more reason to pray! Remember, complainers are not obtainers! Bless your boss! Bless your company! Bless your city! The Bible tells us, “By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted; but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked” (Prov. 11:11). Based on this scripture, I daily “bless” my city and region. I call in great jobs and businesses into the area!
When Anne and I first got toMt.Juliet, it was a sleepy little bedroom suburb toNashville. It had one hotel, a Cracker Barrel and a Waffle House. Now just eight years later it is a burgeoning area with lots of beautiful places to shop, eat and play. Literally, thousands of jobs have entered our city. “Pastor Jim, do you mean to tell me you think your prayers had something to do with that?!” Absolutely I mean to tell you that! The righteous can bless their city! Prepare for victory! Pray for victory!
3) Produce for victory (Matt. 25:14-30).
Here the Bible tells us, “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.”
“And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou delivered unto me five talents; behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou delivered unto me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
“Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou has not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed; And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed; Thou ought therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Here the Bible clearly tells us in principle that faithfulness is revealed in fruitfulness, and fruitfulness is revealed in production! Prosperity comes to those who produce. Look back at verses 28-29. In other words, God does not take from him who has to give to him who has not. He takes from him who won’t and gives to him that will. It is the producer who has abundance!
Please allow me to share with you some “Principles of Production”:
1. Work for Jesus, not your boss (Col. 3:22-24, Ps. 75:6-7).
“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge; he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Here the Bible clearly tells us that God is your promoter. If you will work heartily as unto the Lord (Col. 3:23), God can:
- Remove your boss
- Move you around your boss
- Make you boss!
2. Leaders are learners (Prov. 9:9)
The more I know, the more I know I need to know! How many of you know what you know? If you already know what you know, when you are around those who know more than you…don’t do all the talking! Remember this, don’t be a know-it-all, be a learn-it-all!
3. Look to increase your responsibilities before you increase your benefits (Gal. 6:7)
Most of us get this exactly backwards. We live in a society where we all want handouts and think everybody owes us. The Bible teaches us the exact opposite. Nobody owes me anything but I owe the debt of love to everybody (see Rom.13:8). Remember this, production precedes prosperity.
4. Take ownership of your company (Prov. 6:6-8).
Godly pride in your work ethic and loyalty to your company are lost arts. The Bible tells us, “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand; but the hand of the diligent makes rich” (Prov. 10:4). Work for your company like you own that company…maybe one day you will!
5. Anticipate the Reaction (John 2:7).
Not only am I a pastor, I am also a boss. I can’t tell you how refreshing it is when I begin to say, “Hey make sure you do…” and one of my employees says, “Pastor, it’s already done.”
6. Have an “I can do it” attitude (Phil. 4:13).
No one likes every part of their job. The more you move up in your career, the more you can delegate what you don’t like. But for now, doing things you don’t like is good preparation for the future. When you are doing one of those things you must keep a good attitude. Have you ever noticed your attitude won’t take care of itself? It might be good today, but you must continually take your attitude out and dust it off.
Remember this, the attitude you presently have is the one you’ve presently chosen. It only takes a moment to make an attitude adjustment! People meet your attitude before they meet you! Attitude is more important than I.Q. It is a choice to rejoice!
Next week we’ll continue our series on “Puppies, Ice Cream and Football!”