Few things upset our stomach or throw wrenches
into our relationship like money issues. Did
you know that 40 % of all divorces occur around
disagreements and pressure that grow out of financial
problems, overspending, debt, and misplaced priorities?
So how do we choose peace when you're experiencing
financial turmoil? Stay with me. That's today.
Thanks for listening to this edition of Living
on the Edge with Chip Ingram. We are an international
teaching and discipleship ministry that encourages
and equips Christians to live like Christians.
Well, in just a minute, Chip will pick up where
he left off in our series, I Choose Peace, by
highlighting how an unhealthy obsession with
money and possessions can actually rob us of
our peace. But before he gets going, let me encourage
you to use his message notes while you listen.
It's a really engaging tool that'll help you
get the most out of what you're about to hear.
Download them under the broadcasts tab at livingontheedge
.org. App listeners tap fill in notes. Well,
if you have a Bible, turn now to Philippians
chapter 4, verse 14, where the second half of
Chip's message in financial uncertainty. What
would it look like for you to develop a heart
of compassion? Where could you take some of your
wants and turn them into genuine needs? See,
giving is the proof of our love. You can give
without loving someone. You know, you can pretend.
But you can never love without giving, can you?
So the first step of breaking greed is you develop
personal compassion. The second step is to develop
a generous spirit. See, what money does, it not
only hardens my heart, but it starts making me
protective. And so as I amass and as I get, the
only way I can get more is I get to protect what
I have. So when people or thoughts or even sermons
start to mess around with my money, then all
of a sudden we put the walls up. I'll be back
next week, but I'm not listening to too much
more of this. And so the only way, you know,
it's like a muscle. What we need to do is we
need to get that muscle of our heart not only
tender toward God, but we need to get it flowing.
We need to develop a generous spirit. And the
Philippians will teach us here, you develop a
generous spirit by releasing the very thing that
has power to consume you. The very thing that
has power to consume or choke out God's life
in you, you need to release. You need to become
generous in your attitude. And so notice what
he says, verse 16. For even when I was in Thessalonica,
you sent me aid again and again when I was in
need. There was a systematic time. And Paul says,
you know, the Thessalonican church, I mean, that's
a pretty ritzy area compared to you Philippians.
And he said, even though they could have supported
me, but they didn't have the spiritual maturity.
They just didn't get it. You, out of your need,
you gave. And the phrase is again and again.
In other words, they systematically, regularly
gave to help Paul fulfill what God called him
to do. And it's going to be interesting what
he tells them happened, not for him, but in them
because of that. But you develop a generous spirit
by giving or releasing the very thing. Now turn
to 1 Corinthians 16, 1 and 2, and I could ask
everyone, are you setting aside the first portion
to the Lord because you need to give and to release?
I'm not going to do that. I was thinking, how
could we get this? I don't know about you. I
don't need one more ought, one more should, one
more artificial guilt reflex. And by the way,
I've got to tell you, if you're waiting for,
I bet they're going to talk about a building
campaign later, or the second offering will be
coming around, right? Just, you know, kind of
relax. You can take your hand off that wallet
or purse. There's nothing coming. This is God
supplying. This is about you and your heart.
This is not about any needs we have. And so I
thought and I said, you know, I got home from
a speaking engagement and for me it was a little
bit late and so I reviewed on the plane but I
got to this part and I thought, Lord, I need
a picture to really help people see the reality
but see your heart and your grace in a way that
it would really connect. And I don't have it.
And so I drove in this morning in the parking
lot and had about 45 minutes or an hour and,
you know, I went over my notes one more time
and I just prayed and I said, God, would you
give me a picture? Would you show me? how can
I help people see this? Because I don't know.
And he's, you know, I sit there quietly and this
is how God speaks to me and he brings ideas.
And I said, ask him this question. I said, okay,
okay. So I'm gonna ask you this question. You
ready? And by the way, you know, relax. I mean,
some of you are thinking, you're kind of new
going, I don't know if I'm gonna raise my hand.
So you don't have to. But here's just a question.
How many people, when you go to a restaurant,
leave a tip? You leave a tip, okay. I mean, you
just don't say, I'm not leaving, forget it, you
know. Now, if it was really, really bad, I mean,
If the service was good or, you know, general,
you leave a tip. Okay, how many people leave
5 %? Okay, not too many. How many people used
to be 10 %? How many people leave 10 %? Not too
many. Okay, how many people, you go to a restaurant,
the service is good, leave 15 % as a general
rule or maybe a little more? Go ahead, raise
your hands if you do. If you don't, it's okay.
Almost everybody. And here's the question God
brought to my mind. What has occurred? in American
culture? What is the deception that has occurred
where the peer pressure and the sociological
aspects of why you would never think of leaving
less than 15 % that you don't have to on a table
for a waitress or a waiter and yet about 2 .7
% of American Christians give even 10 % of their
income to God systematically. Now think this
through. Think of how powerful our foe is. I'm
not quite sure, but I don't think my life, my
breath, I wasn't created by the waiter. They
didn't create the food, they just served it.
And yet over here, the creator of the world,
who sent his son, who died for me, who raised
from the dead, who covered my sin, who implanted
his spirit within me, who has sealed me forever
and ever, deposited spiritual gifts, and has
commanded me to remember it all belongs to him
who says a beginning point. I mean, this isn't
it. A beginning point would be a tithe and then
learn proportionally as he blesses. And the average
American believer about 97 % of them, are disobedient
to this and yet obedient to that cultural norm.
If in the illustration where I talked about our
foe in the scouting report, if you had any sense
in which this really doesn't apply to you, if
there was any sense in your heart where you said,
I'm not really greedy, but I bet there's some
people that really need to hear this in this
room, then the only thing I would ask you is,
today, at this moment, Are you more faithful
to give 15 % to a waiter or a waitress who serves
food that they didn't create than you are to
give a minimum amount of the first portion of,
say, 10 % or more to the God who created the
food and you and purchased your salvation? And
if you look at your own life and say, I'm very
consistent here, and it's a real hit and miss
here, can I tell you something? That fellow Goria
has you by the neck. And the problem is not that
this church or some church or ministry needs
your money. The problem is when I turn to the
front page, it says that it is a lure. It says
that it will plunge. It'll say there's destruction.
It'll say that you're in the process of wandering
from the truth because according to Jesus, wherever
your treasure is, that's where your heart really
is. And the only way to address this is first
to get your heart soft through becoming compassionate,
and the second is by becoming generous. And of
course it's generosity in this way, but I think
it's down to little things. I think it's a lifestyle.
I just tend to think about me. Sorry, I'm working
through it, I'm growing, but I think about me.
I was in the airport. You know, I had two hours,
and I thought, well, I'll study a little bit.
And I was kind of tired. I spoke about three
or four times. And I was at this coffee shop,
and this guy, it can't take this long to make
a mocha, whoever this lady was in front of me.
I mean, it's just like on and on. You know, I
just want a regular coffee. You know, I'm just
standing there. And, you know, another guy came,
and he waited and waited, and he got fed up,
and he just left. And, you know, I'm just thinking.
You know, and I'm tired, and so my impatience
and my focus on me is rising, and my lack of
generosity, patience, and understanding is diminishing.
And I'm thinking, buddy, buddy, buddy. And, you
know, I'm thinking it's not like where I'd normally
order coffee, so it's not going to be quite as
good. So I finally get a cup, and then I go over,
and you know sometimes how they have the cream
real loose? So I just want to put a little in.
It goes, you know, ah, brother. Now it's not
very strong, and it looks like white milk, and
I take a sip, and I go, ah. You know, so I'm
thinking to myself, you know, I pour a little
out, but I'm thinking I can't pour too much out.
He may not fill it back up because I don't know
him like I know the guy at the corner. So I go
over and I say, hey, this is the phrase. I said,
you think I could get a little grace? He said,
what do you mean? I said, buddy, I put too much
cream in. If I like just dump some out, could
you pour some more coffee in so it would turn
the right color? And he said. Yeah, I'll do that
for you. And so he goes over and he pours in
and gets the right color. And as I got it, I
just thought to myself, you know something? Attitude
change. So I reached in my pocket and I said,
hey, here's a buck. I just want to tell you,
it's so great to be people with people that have
such a good attitude. And he went from this stoic
pressure, everyone doing that, and from beam
to beam, he grinned. He goes, thanks, man. I
said, no, thanks. I really appreciate that. Two
things. For a dollar's worth of generosity, for
a dollar's worth of generosity, this guy's attitude
changed, and I got a cup of coffee, and instead
of my critical spirit, it was transformed to,
well, you know, I feel pretty good about getting
to bless that guy. Do you understand when we're
speaking of greed and generosity, it's not just
about money, and it's not this little compartment
called the church and what you give or not giving.
It is about a complete mindset about how you
live. And if you want contentment, you're going
to have to beat greed. And the only way you beat
greed is you've got to develop personal compassion.
You've got to care about people. And then you
have to develop a generous spirit. And then third,
you've got to develop an eternal perspective.
You've got to begin to live in such a way as
though you actually believe there's a heaven
and there's a hell and there's certain good things
that happen in heaven to people who live in a
certain way and that it's really wise to live
life God's way. That's exactly what Paul's going
to say. Follow along now in step three. He says,
develop an eternal perspective. How? By understanding
the inseparable relationship between our money
and authentic worship. Now, this is all throughout
the scripture, but here's what you got to get.
Your money is here. Worship is here. We tend
to have money in this category and worship in
this category. And God says that you can never
separate them. Every financial decision you make
ends up being a worship decision of some kind.
And I've got to tell you, as pastors, I need
to apologize to you on behalf of all my other
pastors, and I probably spent the first 10 or
12 years failing churches as well. Pastors don't
talk about money. Jesus talked more about money
than heaven and hell combined. Pastors don't
talk about money, and so the average believer
doesn't know the relationship between money and
worship. All they've heard is now and then, we
need some, and we'd like to visit your house
and find out how much you can give us. And so
money has been a bad word in the church. Money
is about worship. There's a link between the
two. And once you see that, I mean, those are
from the words of Jesus. And we've done a terrible,
terrible job. The only time you hear money in
church is about what you ought to give and some
big need instead of this is what it means. Here's
how to be grateful. Here's how to use it. Here's
how to align your family. Here's how to protect
your marriage. Here's how to use money as a tool
to develop your kids. But how does this happen?
Watch in this passage. This is an amazing thing.
The Apostle Paul is going to talk through and
he's going to use financial and business terms
to describe the gift that he gave them. And then
watch how he'll put a twist on it at the end.
And he'll say business, business, business, business,
money, money, money. And then it's like worship,
God, spiritual terms. Notice what he says. He
says, okay, I can do all things through Christ.
It was good of you. I appreciate it. I mean,
even when I was in Thessalonica in that kind
of wealthy place, you gave systematically. But
I want you to know my motives. Not that I'm looking
for the gift. This thank you note is not like,
you know, the thing that you tear off on the
bottom and so you can give your next gift. Not
that I'm looking for the gift. I'm looking for
what may be credited to your account. The phrase
credited to your account is an accounting term
of debit and credits. He's saying I'm looking
for what. of the spiritual P &L statement in
heaven so that debits, credits, I want you to
know that this gift isn't about the gift that
I got. I'm happy because in heaven, it's getting
accredited to your account. Notice what he says.
I have received full payment. The phrase means
literally, it's like I've got the receipt in
my hand. I've received in full payment, and even
more, I'm amply supplied. In other words, you
know, Epaphroditus, when he gave, I got plenty
of money. That's not the issue. Now that I received
it from Epaphroditus, the gifts you send me,
they are, now notice the shift. What happened
to the financial gift? How does he describe the
financial gift? They are, underline, fragrant
offering. Underline, an acceptable sacrifice.
Underline, pleasing to God. You gave, the gift
is accredited spiritually to your account. And
the literal phrase, when you did that, it was
like a burnt offering, a fragrant, a sweet smell
that went up into the nostrils of God. He looked
at it not as money, but as a sacrifice unto him,
and it brought joy or pleasure to his heart.
You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip
Ingram. And before we return you to today's message,
are you tired of feeling anxious about what's
happening in our world or your personal circumstances?
Stick around after the teaching to learn about
a powerful resource we have that will encourage
your soul and help you experience real lasting
peace. You won't want to miss it. But for now,
here's Chip to continue his talk. You see, the
Apostle Paul is teaching them and teaching us.
That an eternal perspective requires that you
got to see this relationship between your finances
and your money. And that when we give, it's an
act of worship. And what we do with our money
is an act of worship. And God wants you to know
that every financial decision you make becomes
a spiritual decision. That sacrifices the heart.
Don't you remember David and the threshing floor?
Do you remember that? Remember that time where
he had sinned and he realized, hey, I've really
blown it. And he learned this is what I need
to do. And he was at the place, the guy's name
was Arunah. And God says, offer an offering.
And so Arunah goes, hey, man, you're the king.
You can take my oxen and I've got some wood and
I'll pay for the whole deal. And remember what
David said? Far be it from me that I would offer
a sacrifice unto the Lord that cost me nothing.
See, the Bible says that when I give, my time,
my energy, my talent, that there's a spiritual
transaction occurs that accredits to me in heaven.
And I gotta believe, I've gotta come to believe
that accumulating and getting and impressing
and having now is not the end of the line. As
long as I believe that lie, I will never, ever
become a generous person. And therefore, I will
never, ever beat. and therefore I'll never be
content. The horizon will just keep moving. Well,
a scouting report has two things, right? Scouting
report tells you about the other team or the
foe, their strengths, their weaknesses, but what
does a good scouting report do? It gives you
recommendations. Hey, they run this kind of defense,
you need to run this kind of offense. Or, hey,
I tell you what, that girl, she dropped the last
seven guys and this is the way you did it. You
say, hey, I'm not gonna ask her out. And so Paul
is now gonna give some scouting recommendations.
He's going to give four specific commands about
how you can now, okay, you know how formidable
the foe is. Out of the same chapter, he's gonna
give four specific commands to start you on a
journey so that you could beat the greed monster.
And I think this is gonna be a lifelong process
for you and for me. And by the way, if you're
sitting here thinking, if giving is the antidote
to greed, And if this is gonna release my heart,
I gotta have eternal perspective. And if your
heart's kinda sinking and you're going, man,
if this guy even had any idea how much debt I've
got in credit cards alone, plus I got a car on
time, ah! You could show pictures of kids with
their bellies out to here till Jesus comes. I
can't give. Am I destined forever and ever to
be out of God's will? I mean, I think the hook
is not in my mouth. I think it's somewhere down
into my internal intestines, you know, and it's
got me. So how do I get out of this? You get
out of it through a process that begins today.
And by the way, you know what? I didn't grow
up in the church. I'm a skeptic, and I ran into
all kind of like what I call religious jerks,
and you may have had that, and you're sitting
here thinking, yeah, right, I think this guy's
conning me. Give it to World Vision. But, I mean,
start being generous. But if you think our motives
are wrong, it's okay. Just give it somewhere.
Here's the four commands. They're very clean,
very clear, very quick. Command number one. command
those who are rich in this present world, that's
us, not to be arrogant or put their hope in wealth,
which is so in certainty is to protect you, but
to put their hope in God who richly provides
us with everything to enjoy. Yes, we're to be
sacrificial, but we're to enjoy what he's given
us. You can't enjoy it if you're always worried
about the payments and error. So he says, first
of all, it's a focus. Put your hope on God for
contentment and fulfillment, not on stuff. Second,
Verse 18, command them to do good is the second
command, to be rich in good deeds, third command,
and to be generous and willing to share. So he
says, look, you need to get your focus on God.
Then you need to have a lifestyle of doing good
instead of getting. And then you need good deeds,
give away your time. And then he says, be willing
to share, give away your money and your possessions.
So it's very general command, not hope on stuff.
Hope on God. Do good. Be a giver instead of a
getter. Then begin to share your time, good deeds,
and then begin to share your stuff. Be willing
to share. And then what I love is that he says,
if you do this, you're going to win the game.
You'll beat the competitor. Look at the very
last line. In this way, they will lay up treasure.
Will you circle the phrase for themselves? We
get this idea that, oh, you know, we're just
doing this for some day, some way, somehow. God
wants us to learn to be generous because in eternity,
he says, there's a forever and ever and ever
and ever and ever and you can increase the quality
of that experience. He says, in this way, they'll
lay up for themselves treasure as a firm foundation
for the coming age so that in this present life,
here it is, they may take hold of the life that
is truly life. What does life that's truly life
kind of sound like? Does that sound like a life
where relationships work? A life where you have
it and God can tap you on the shoulder and you
can give it or keep it? You have it and instead
of telling everyone how you got it on sale and
feeling guilty about it, you can say, thank you,
thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. I
can't believe I get to live in a house like this.
You've let me be generous. I don't have debt.
I've done this. Lord, who am I that you'd be
so good to me? Life that is really life. A life
without creditors calling. A life not believing
the next thing or the biggest thing or the next
style will fulfill. But a life that knows in
plenty or in want, I can do all things through
Christ. I'd like you to ask the Lord a question
as we close. And the question I want you to ask
him is this. Father, will you show me The extent
to which greed has infiltrated my heart and my
life. And just sit quietly. Ask him to help you
be honest. The goal here is to help you. And
then as you think about that, as you listen to
his voice, and then ask him, Lord, will you show
me just the first step? Don't try and solve all
your problems and all your debt and all. Just
say, Lord, will you show me the first step to
move toward developing a heart of compassion,
a generous spirit, an eternal perspective? He
will speak. Just ask him. You're listening to
Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. And the
message you just heard in financial uncertainty
is from our series, I Choose Peace. Chip will
join us in studio to share some insights from
today's talk in just a minute. What's weighing
on your mind right now? Financial uncertainty?
A tense relationship? Or is it just the grind
of everyday life? Whatever it is that's robbing
you of your peace, let me tell you, there's an
antidote. View this practical study in Philippians
chapter 4. Chip will teach us how to access the
peace of God, which can restore, calm, and encourage
your soul, no matter what may be happening around
you. You're not going to want to miss a single
program of this series. Well, Chip's back in
studio with me now, and Chip, in a world often
defined by turmoil and anxiety, where can we
go for genuine peace? Well, Dave, the world teaches
that peace is your circumstances working out,
being financially secure or having conflict -free
relationships. But the fact of the matter is,
is there's chaos everywhere. It's in relationships,
it's in finances, it's in racial issues. Jesus,
before he left, told his disciples that he was
going to give them a gift. He said, my peace,
my shalom, I give to you. And this is a peace
that's more than an emotion or a feeling. This
is a peace for purpose, for wholeness, for calmness.
It's the peace of God in the midst of everything.
And because this is an important issue, I wrote
a book where I walk people through the journey
of when they become a Christian and the Holy
Spirit lives within them, how they can experience
God's peace. How do you have peace in a financial
crisis? How do you have peace when there is conflict
in relationships? How do you have peace when
crises and wars and economic issues that you
can't control? It's possible. In fact, Jesus
promised it. But my experience is a lot of people
don't know how to access the shalom of God that
Jesus promised. This book. is my very best effort
to help regular, ordinary people in the midst
of the chaos and the conflict of life to really
experience peace. Well, to get your copy of Chip's
book, I Choose Peace, visit livingontheedge .org
or call us at 888 -333 -6003. Learn how to quiet
the worries of your heart and the anxieties of
this world and experience genuine peace that
only Jesus offers. Again, go to livingontheedge
.org or call 888 -333 -6003 for complete details
about this book, I Choose Peace. App listeners
tap special offers. With that, Chip, let's get
to that application we promised. As we close
today, I want to be gentle, but here's the deal.
We all struggle with greed, okay? It's the human
condition. So resist the temptation that I'm
talking to someone else, all right? It's just
you and me right now, and I'm talking to you.
So let's take a deep breath and say, okay, God,
would you please show me, show me personally
where greed still has a hold in my life? Would
you show me where my fingers need to let go and
my heart needs to get soft? God, will you show
me, would you give me, would you grant me the
courage to trust you? You know, we learn two
specific steps that God has given us in this
passage that allow us to say no to greed and
create a generous spirit and a compassionate
heart. Step number one is compassion is cultivated
when we put others' needs ahead of our wants.
What would it look like for you to do that today?
And second, we really hit today is a generous
spirit grows when we give away the very thing
that can absolutely strangle our soul. I don't
know how to say this to you, but unless you start
giving your money away, let me encourage you
to do something regular and some percentage,
but give first to your local church. You need
to begin to be that person that releases your
money because you recognize it's not yours, it's
God's. And as you begin to release your money,
I will tell you, your heart will get softer and
softer, your joy will be greater, and it will
force you. It will literally force you to get
priorities in line that will bless you for the
rest of your life. Can I encourage you just from
my pastor's heart, there isn't a demand, there
isn't a get with the program. This is for your
good. Release your finances to the Lord. Be compassionate
and you will find a God who will provide for
every need. As we wrap up, I want to thank those
of you who make this program possible through
your generous financial support. Your gifts help
us create programs, purchase airtime, and develop
additional resources to help Christians live
like Christians. Now, if you've been blessed
by the ministry of Living on the Edge, would
you consider sending a gift today? You can do
that by visiting livingontheedge .org or by calling
888 -333 -6003. Again, that's 888 -333 -6003
or visit livingontheedge .org. App listeners,
tap Donate. And we want you to know how much
we appreciate your support. For Chip and the
entire team here, this is Dave Drewy thanking
you for listening to this edition of Living on
the Edge, and I hope you'll join us again next
time.