John K. Jenkins Sr - Moving Forward Requires Proper Money Management - Part 4

In the last few weeks, we have been doing a subseries on the "Moving Forward" series, and we've entitled it "Moving Forward Requires Proper Money Management." We have been examining the financial principles of proper money management , and today is no different. I want to conclude this financial piece. I could talk on and on for weeks about proper money management , but I will close today with the concepts of obedience and priority. Say that: obedience and priority. Turn to the person on one side and say, "God wants your obedience," and to the other side, say, "He wants you to have proper priority."

In Proverbs chapter 3, I want to take a look at this starting at verse one. Quickly, turn to the Book of Proverbs chapter 3 and say " Amen" when you have it. Amen. Verse one: "My son , do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands. For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you." Get that right there-don't forget His law; let your heart keep His commands, and the benefits of that are length of days, long life , and peace. They will be added to you.

"Let not mercy and truth forsake you; don't let mercy or truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man." Favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man come from binding God's truth and mercy around your neck.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." How many of you know you've made mistakes by leaning on your own understanding? You make a mistake when you try to make decisions based on your opinion. So He says what we need to do is trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding. Verse six says, "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path." That 's a powerful verse right there. Some people are struggling with where to go in life , what to do; they have no sense of direction, and according to this verse, a lack of direction is evidence that a person has not acknowledged God. So the scripture says, "In all your ways acknowledge Him," and the promise is He will direct your path. When you acknowledge God in everything you do , He will direct your path.

Verse number seven : "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones." Verse nine: "Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all your increase , and your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine." I love that verse. Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all your increase . When God gives you an increase, He is essentially telling you to honor Him by giving Him the first fruits of that increase-by giving to Him off the top.

Now, some of us are struggling because we haven't given God priority, especially when it comes to giving Him our resources, tithes , or offerings. We haven't prioritized God . We pay everybody else, and whatever is left over, we'll see if we can slide God a few dollars . Amen. Praise God. I can already see what kind of sermon this is going to be, but I'm trying to teach you a principle that I've discovered to be true .

What 's important to God is that before you pay anybody-before you pay the mortgage company, before you pay your rent, before you buy groceries, before you pay your MasterCard, Visa , Discover, Nordstroms, Macy's, or your electric bill-before you buy groceries, you honor God off the top. Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all your increase-not the net of your increase. That 's a debate that goes on and on among Christians: do I tithe off my gross or my net ? That 's elementary school, no, that's daycare-level questioning. As good as God has been to us, we should not be wrestling with whether to give Him the gross or the net. As a matter of fact, what kind of blessing do you want from God: a gross blessing or a net blessing?

Now, I don't know where you are, but God has grossly blessed me. He has blessed me far beyond what I deserve. Can I get an Amen? As a matter of fact, if you just take a look at your life and reflect on where you have come from, you can acknowledge and confess that everyone in here, without me knowing your story, has been blessed way beyond what they deserve. And He says, "Your barns will be filled with plenty , and your vats will overflow with new wine." There lies the fruit of obedience to God. He says when you do the right thing, give Him the right honor, and give Him the right priority, this passage here in Proverbs deals with the priority of it-that is the first thing off the top. Amen.

God says your barns will be filled and your vats will overflow with new wine. Now, that's an incredible passage of scripture right at the outset. But let's go to Malachi chapter 3 ; the priority of managing our resources is mentioned here .