First Baptist Church

Many years ago, it is said, Chinese farmers decided they would eat the big potatoes and plant the small ones for seed. They learned their mistake eventually, when they found they were harvesting only small potatoes. They learned you cannot keep the best things of life for yourselves and use the leftovers for seed. Planting small potatoes is still being done by Christians today. That is why so little is being done for Christ. When we give the big potatoes to Him, He will always open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings. (Source: John F. Brand, in Sparks).

It is bad enough not to trust in God, but what makes it so much worse is the fact that many are trusting in money, instead of God! Money is the created, not the creator who we are admonished to serve. Romans 1 is a passage believers often go to in order to authoritatively state how God views the sin of homosexuality. While it is true, the sin is condemned in no uncertain terms, it also points to one of the root causes for this sin as being that they “worshiped and served the creature [or created] rather than the creator [God] who is blessed forever.” In a multitude of ways we serve the created rather than our creator. In Romans 1, homosexuality is merely one of many symptoms of elevating various things above God. “Loving” money is another.

A quick tally at the end of any given year as to where ones’ money has been spent would reveal quickly what a person serves. The average church member all across our land would find that they spent more on electricity for their home than for God’s work. Many spent more for water, much of it to keep their lawns green while missionaries often struggled to obtain the basic necessities by which to share the Gospel and as any number of needs go unmet. I believe the reason Jesus spent so much time addressing money, in one form or another, was because he knew it would be the biggest hang-up people would ever have. There are many different areas in which we are weak (food, drink, sex, laziness, etc.), but none as common and all-consuming as money.

All around us is a preponderance of evidence that people are investing nearly all their capital in this highly temporal world and placing all their faith, trust, hope, and yes money in this world. In spite of the reality of what is actually taking place, God teaches us in his word the exact opposite. As people are frantically laying up for themselves treasures galore right here on this earth, Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. . . No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Mat. 6:19-21; 24) So, the question we need to ask ourselves is “Where is my treasure?”

Too many Christians are making bad investment after bad investment in this world which is going bankrupt financially as well as morally. Throughout scripture, we are reminded again and again that our lives are very, very short and earthly goods are very, very temporary! James wrote in 4:14b of his epistle, “. . . for what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” The Prophet Isaiah wrote, “. . . all flesh is grass, and all it’s loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, and flower fades. . . surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Is. 40:6b-8).

We are further told that investments in this world are not good because those investments are fatally susceptible to destruction by a number of enemies such as moths, rust, and thievery. In one manner or another, all “goods” will be destroyed. The most beautiful garments, the most skillfully sculpted metals, the most valuable of jewelry, even money itself is far from safe. Investments in this world are simply not safe investments; not even close; their returns are only for a moment. In contrast to this Jesus admonishes us to instead lay up our treasures in Heaven where the elements which destroy now, will not harm in any way.

God must take priority in our life and not goods or money. He must be the top priority in our lives. Far too many are “involved” with God and church but are not “committed.” Involvement, as opposed to commitment is doing significant harm to our churches. The older generation is, and has been, committed whereas the younger generation largely is only involved. Former college football coach Howard Schnellenberger explains the difference between “involvement” and “commitment” this way. He says, “When you are eating ham and eggs, the chicken that laid the eggs was involved, but the pig that provided the ham was totally committed.”

God deserves our commitment and not merely our loose and non-committal involvement. God was totally committed when he literally gave his one and only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He did not do so, in order for us to yawn with apathetic lack of concern, but instead that we might commit ourselves with the strongest of zeal! A commitment to supporting his work through financial stewardship is one great way we can demonstrate just how much we appreciate all he has done on our behalf.

In Christ,

Pastor Allen Raynor