Fellowship in the Word

Bil Gebhardt: Today, on Fellowship in the Word, Pastor Bill Gebhart challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ.

Bil Gebhardt: It's a very different thing. God's agenda is completely different. He owns all the cattle on all the hills.

Bil Gebhardt: I just can't stand when I see somebody saying, "God's kingdom will never move forward unless you give more money."

Bil Gebhardt: That's ridiculous.

Bil Gebhardt: But I can tell you this, it won't move forward if you don't give your heart. It won't.

Bil Gebhardt: Thank you for joining us today on this edition of Fellowship in the Word with Pastor Bill Gebhart. Fellowship in the Word is the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible Church, located in Metairie, Louisiana. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhart now as once again, he shows us how God's Word meets our world.

Bil Gebhardt: Honor the Lord from your wealth. And from the first of all your produce.

Bil Gebhardt: Now, you might be thinking, the first thing you think there is, oh yeah, I knew that always get to something like that. That's sort of the reputation of the current evangelical church.

Bil Gebhardt: But I think you'd be missing the whole point. He said, "Honor the Lord with your wealth." Okay, that, okay, I get that. But notice the next verse.

Bil Gebhardt: He says, "Honor the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce, so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine."

Bil Gebhardt: Oh. Honor the Lord with your wealth so that you'll be wealthy. That's an interesting statement. And it's a statement that is repeated over and over again as a principle in the Word of God.

Bil Gebhardt: You see, if you don't honor the Lord with your wealth, you dishonor the Lord. That's the point. If you honor yourself with your wealth, you'll dishonor God with your wealth. That's the point.

Bil Gebhardt: That's what Jesus talked about when he said that you'll love the one and you'll hate the other. No man, he said, no person can serve God and mammon. You can't. There's either one you're going to honor or the other you're going to honor.

Bil Gebhardt: What we like to say is, no, I think I honor both. He says, "You can't. It's a matter of your perspective. Honor God," he says, "with your wealth." Solomon writes this in, as I said, because of his enormous wealth, he had a perspective on money that almost none of us could ever have.

Bil Gebhardt: I want to show you that perspective near the end of his life. I want you to go with me to Ecclesiastes chapter 5. Ecclesiastes chapter 5 and verse 10. These are Solomon's conclusions in his life. Now, remember, it's a life of tremendous wisdom and from our point of view, almost infinite wealth.

Bil Gebhardt: He had anything and everything he ever wanted to have. He would, he would be in a sense a Saudi sheikh. He, he would be Bill Gates, he would be that in his world. He could do any, but he even was better than that because he was king. So he had all the political power as well.

Bil Gebhardt: So notice what he says in verse 10 of Ecclesiastes 5, this is near the end of his life. He said, "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money." I'm just going to make set that up right now. He who loves money will not be satisfied with money.

Bil Gebhardt: What's our natural response to that? Oh yeah, because you had a lot. You say, "If I would have had, I don't want as much as you had, Solomon. I just want more than what I have."

Bil Gebhardt: See, that's the kind of way we look at it. He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income, because this is vanity.

Bil Gebhardt: Solomon said, "I've been there, I've done that." That word vanity as I've said, that's the word vapor, smoke. He goes, "You really love money? Boy, are you going to be disappointed?"

Bil Gebhardt: He says, verse 11, "He says, when good things increase, he says, those who consume them increase. So what's the advantage to their owners except to look on?" He said, "The more and more you have wealth, you'll be amazed how many more and more people you attract."

Bil Gebhardt: There are all kinds of people there that want to share your wealth with you. He said, "I've done that. I've been there." He says, "There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt."

Bil Gebhardt: He said, "That's another thing. Why are you hoarding money?" You see, why do you hoard money? Well, we already said, "Maybe because I, I want to be secure. I want to be significant."

Bil Gebhardt: Come on, let's be really honest. Do you really believe all the money you hoard is going to be every dollar you need? Really? That's what you really believe?

Bil Gebhardt: You see, to hoard the money, he said, "Much to their own hurt." It doesn't stop there. He says, "When those riches were lost through a bad investment, he had fathered a son, there was nothing to support him." Money comes and goes.

Bil Gebhardt: He says, and here's my, here's his point, "And as he had come naked from his mother's womb, so he will return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand."

Bil Gebhardt: He said, "This is also a grievous evil. Exactly as a man is born, thus he will die." He said, "So what's the advantage of him who toils for the wind?" You know how much money you're taking out of this world? Exactly what you brought in the day of your birth. Zip.

Bil Gebhardt: Zero. He says, "Then why would I spend my life thinking this is the most important thing? I need to accumulate as much of this as I can."

Bil Gebhardt: You see, his whole point there is, I don't see anything there. He said, "It's, that's like I'm toiling for the wind." He said, "Throughout his life, he also eats in darkness with great vexation, sickness and anger." He said, "Money gives you problems."

Bil Gebhardt: The more money you have, the more you think about it. Either I've got to protect it, or I've got to expand it. I'm thinking constantly about it. I always wonder about, when you think about money, of all the jobs that you could have, that I think would be the most, at least for me, would be the most difficult job as far as money goes, would be a day trader on the market.

Bil Gebhardt: I, that to me is just like, all you think about is money all day. And then, when you're not trading, you're thinking about the next day. Oh wait, it's going to open up in Japan, it's going to open up and I've got to think, and that's all you do. And you spend your whole life doing it, and then when you're dead, nothing.

Bil Gebhardt: You have nothing. So his conclusion is in verse 18. Solomon says, "Here's what I have seen to be good and fitting, he says, to eat and drink and enjoy oneself in all one's labor which he toils under the sun, during the few years of life which God has given him, this is his reward."

Bil Gebhardt: Don't miss what the key to this is. Solomon says, "I've learned how to, I've enjoyed my life." He was wealthy, and he enjoyed his life. What do you mean? He said, "You know why? Because I finally came to the conclusion that God gave me the gift of my life."

Bil Gebhardt: The time that I have on this earth, God gave me that. It's a gift. And so he gave me the gift, and I enjoy it. You see, "I am just going to enjoy what God has given to me."

Bil Gebhardt: Notice how difficult that is. You see, God can give you the gift of life, money can't. It just doesn't. He said, "Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth." So, how do you get riches and wealth? He said, "God gave those to you."

Bil Gebhardt: You see, we, there's nothing in here about the self-made man. I made money the old-fashioned way. I earned it. That's good to earn it. But where did that come from? What about the circumstances? What about the family you were born into? What about the ties you've had? What about your IQ? Where did all that come from? He said, "That comes from God."

Bil Gebhardt: Solomon says, "Once I figured out that, I could enjoy my life." He says, "He has also empowered him to eat." He says, "From them and receive his reward and rejoice in his labor." There's that joy word again. "This is the gift of God."

Bil Gebhardt: He said, "For he will not, he said, often consider the years of his life." He said, "If you get this perspective, you won't think about life much." You won't wake up in the middle of the night worrying about it.

Bil Gebhardt: He says, "For he will not often consider the years of his life because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart." You see, I can't say, "Lord, I, I just hope I want to know where I am financially when I'm 86."

Bil Gebhardt: But Lord, I want to thank you for today. You see, I want to thank you for today. I want to thank you for what you provided for me today. Thank you. He said, "When you see every day like that, you don't get all preoccupied with everything else."

Bil Gebhardt: Again, this man can speak from experience because of his wisdom and because of his wealth. His words are backed up. A thousand years later, Paul writes to Timothy, and he backs up exactly what he says Solomon says.

Bil Gebhardt: So let's go to First Timothy 6. First Timothy chapter 6.

Bil Gebhardt: And watch how this theme continues a thousand years later. And now he's talking about people in the church just like you and me. In verse 17 of First Timothy 6, he said, "Instruct those who are rich in this present world."

Bil Gebhardt: Now, if your annual income is more than $2,900, that would be you. Okay? And by the way, if it was only $2,900, you'd be the median. So you would be worldwide middle class.

Bil Gebhardt: He said, "Instruct those who are rich in this present world." Notice he didn't say Metairie. He's talking about the whole world because God sees everybody equally. "Instruct those who are rich in this present world. First, not to be conceited."

Bil Gebhardt: Don't you get your significance because you have money. Don't you for a moment think you're better than other people because you have money. He said, "Don't do that. Don't be conceited about it." Why would he tell us that? Because we're tempted to be exactly that way. We really are.

Bil Gebhardt: Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches. Don't get your security from money. Don't think you're secure because you have money. Your life might be expected of you this very day.

Bil Gebhardt: And then he says this, "Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but to fix their hope on God." That's exactly what Solomon said. Why? Because God's the one that's provided me the gift of time and the gift of wealth.

Bil Gebhardt: And he says, "But fix your hope on God, who richly supplies us with all things." And then don't miss that last word. That's important if you have, if you're wealthy at all. "He richly supplies us with all things to enjoy."

Bil Gebhardt: For centuries the church would teach asceticism and say, you know, no, nobody who's a believer, no one's a member of the church, you should never, never, we should all take a vow of poverty. That, hey, that's anti-God.

Bil Gebhardt: God has not said that. Some of us are have tremendous fiscal wealth. Others are in the middle and some of us are at the bottom. It doesn't matter. What he is saying here is though that that's what you get, you give you all things to enjoy.

Bil Gebhardt: It's exactly the word that Solomon used in a sense when he was talking to Ecclesiastes. He said, "I rejoice. I enjoy." He said, "Who gives us all things to enjoy." And then he says this though, "Instruct them to do good and to be rich in good works."

Bil Gebhardt: Now I know why I'm wealthy, to instruct them to do good and to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share. There is the rub, isn't it?

Bil Gebhardt: Oh. Probably pass a plate around here. I would not.

Bil Gebhardt: I'm just telling you what God said. You've been blessed in this way. It's no different than anything else. If you've been given the gift of God to teach, teach.

Bil Gebhardt: If God is giving you enormous amounts of time then pray. If God has given you wealth then share. That's what God is saying. That's what he's saying. He said, "Why wouldn't you? I gave it to you. It's a gift to you."

Bil Gebhardt: You see, it's not the source of your security or your significance. Ready to share. You know what's happened to us in our culture too? I think one of the reasons that we don't feel ready to share is we have a culture of, of so many, and all cultures have had this in a way, of so many who will try to take advantage of your good nature heart.

Bil Gebhardt: And so what's happened is there are all kinds of flim-flams, there's all kinds of schemes, there's all kinds. We need to really be discerning. But what I'm afraid of sometimes as Christians is you can become so discerning that there can be a need right in front of you and you refuse to share and you think you've done the right thing.

Bil Gebhardt: You see, God's interest is not so much in what that individual is going to do, as to what your heart is with that individual. You see, you can't do that.

Bil Gebhardt: I've done that on a couple of occasions where somebody we think it really has apparently some kind of need and so we've decided to share. And we had the conversation, do you think that it is going to be used in a wise way? And we finally came to the conclusion, that's not for us.

Bil Gebhardt: That's not for us. See, I'm not going to only, there's not, I can't do that. What's my heart here? You see, am I willing to share when an opportunity comes?

Bil Gebhardt: And by the way, you still use great discernment. There's no doubt about that. Nobody by the way is more callous about sharing and helping people who are downtrodden than anyone who's a leader in a local church. Because I would say in all the years of ministry that I have had, 95% of all requests have been bogus.

Bil Gebhardt: As everyone that we could investigate far enough. It's always a scam. But it's not always a scam. It's just often. You see, he said, "Are you ready to share?" Now, watch, "If you do that, storing up for themselves, the treasure of a good foundation for the future."

Bil Gebhardt: He said, "So that they may take hold of that which is life indeed." He says, "Not only you'll be blessed forever by the use of that. By God, you're sending a treasure ahead. But secondly, you've finally taken hold of what life indeed is."

Bil Gebhardt: It's an over stated action, but it's absolutely true. Happiness is giving yourself away. It is. And for those of us that hoard and all that, I'm sorry, you're never going to be that happy. Happiness is giving yourself away.

Bil Gebhardt: You see, that makes us happy, and that's why he said, "You'll take hold of life indeed." But get this, you can't lose in this proposition. Turn with me to Second Corinthians chapter 9. Second Corinthians chapter 9. And look what Paul says, starting in verse 6.

Bil Gebhardt: Talking to a group of believers. And by the way, the reason he was talking to them and had to in this way, they were rich. And they didn't want to separate from their money.

Bil Gebhardt: You see, there was a tremendous need in Jerusalem for some really poor saints. People who were caught there after Jesus Christ was crucified, stayed there and thought that he would be coming back to Jerusalem. And so they were basically mostly Hellenistic Jews from around the empire.

Bil Gebhardt: And the, the Jews from Israel detested them. And so no one was really even helping to feed them. And so Paul, the Apostle Paul said, "Look, I got to raise money for these people. They have great need." And so what he did is he went to a town like Thessalonica. And Thessalonica is pretty much what you would call, uh, blue collar middle class.

Bil Gebhardt: And guess what they did? They gave sacrificially to help the poor saints in Jerusalem who they never met. So then he comes to Corinth then he's telling the Corinthians, "Now, when I told you before about this, I'm coming back." And the Corinthians are like, "Well, you know, I was, happened to them."

Bil Gebhardt: So Paul says, "Look, let me give you a little lesson here." So in verse 6, he says this, "Now, this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." There's my point. He said, "Each one, each one of you must do just as he purposed in his heart."

Bil Gebhardt: Notice what Paul's not trying to do. He's not trying to extract their money. We've turned that into an art form in the 21st century church. He's not trying to extract their money. He's trying to reveal their heart.

Bil Gebhardt: Paul says, "I want you to, I want to reveal your heart." He said, "Each one must do just as he purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion." I'm not going to make you give.

Bil Gebhardt: And I'm also going to, I'm not going to try to influence you so you give grudgingly. I don't care. Why does it, why does God not want us to give grudgingly or under compulsion? Because God doesn't need money. He needs hearts.

Bil Gebhardt: It's a very different thing. God's agenda is completely different. He owns all the cattle on all the hills. I just can't stand when I see somebody saying, "God's kingdom will never move forward unless you give more money." That's ridiculous.

Bil Gebhardt: But I can tell you this, it won't move forward if you don't give your heart. It won't. He says, "For God loves a cheerful," if you've heard me say this over the years, that's the word hilarion.

Bil Gebhardt: That's the Greek word. God loves a hilarious giver. That's what giving is. You see, it's joyful, not dutiful. Oh boy, I got to do this. I got to, got to give.

Bil Gebhardt: He said then this, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that always having all sufficiency in everything that you may have an abundance for every good deed." You have a heart for God and a heart for people. Guess what? You won't run out.

Bil Gebhardt: God's just, you see why? God's just looking for a conduit. You see, that's what God loves. He loves a piece of conduit that he can flow through. And that's what a hilarious giver is. Hey, flow through me.

Bil Gebhardt: He then says in verse 10, "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in everything for," he says, "for all liberality, which," he said, "through us is producing Thanksgiving to God."

Bil Gebhardt: That's his point. Jesus said in Luke chapter 6, "Give and it will be given to you." But he said, "When God gives it back to you, it'll be pressed down, it'll be shaken, it'll be spilling over." Just your heart. Solomon backs up exactly what he says.

Bil Gebhardt: That's the wise use of money. You see, it's all a gift. Let me close by just saying six principles I think that come from these verses and I know there were many verses.

Bil Gebhardt: The first one is this. You have a wise view of wealth, one, when your wealth is seen as a gift from God. You have a wise view of wealth when your wealth is seen as a gift from God.

Bil Gebhardt: Secondly, you have a wise view of wealth when your hard work and good planning produces satisfaction for you. God's all into hard work. He's all into planning. That should be satisfying to you.

Bil Gebhardt: You have a wise view of wealth, three, when gratitude is your prevailing attitude. Man, if you're wealthy, thank God. Thank him every day. It's just like having health. Thank you. It's a gift.

Bil Gebhardt: Fourthly, you have a wise view of wealth when the benefits of your wealth are enjoyed. You have a wise view of wealth when the benefits of your wealth are enjoyed. Enjoy it.

Bil Gebhardt: You don't have to feel guilty. You have a wise view of wealth when generosity is your way of life. You'll have a wise view of what wealth is. And last, you'll have a wise view of wealth when you realize that God is honored by your life.

Bil Gebhardt: When you use wealth to honor God. That's a very important thing for us to understand. Wisdom and wealth. They can coexist. The choice is yours. A wise, wealthy believer or a stupid rich person. It's up to you. Let's pray.

Bil Gebhardt: Father, I fear that this is one of those areas in our life that we've come almost callous to. Much of the problem with that has been that for many people, their whole experience in the community of believers has been people plotting and trying everything they can to extract money from God's people.

Bil Gebhardt: Father, I just pray that what we come to is simply a perspective that is clear in your Word, that we are grateful and thankful for what you have given us. We will enjoy what you have given us and we will share what's been given to us.

Bil Gebhardt: Father, I thank you that of all these good things you give us in life, wealth is just simply one of them. Jesus said it's just a very small thing. I guess it is from his perspective. But Father, I pray because for so many of us, it's the biggest thing of all, that we begin to see our wealth the way our Lord sees it and use it to honor you in Christ's name. Amen.

Bil Gebhardt: You've been listening to Pastor Bill Gebhart on the radio ministry of Fellowship in the Word. If you ever miss one of our broadcasts or maybe you would just like to listen to the message one more time, remember that you can go to a great website called Oneplace.com. That's Oneplace.com and you can listen to Fellowship in the Word online.

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Bil Gebhardt: Support for our ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word, 4600 Clearview Parkway, Metairie, Louisiana, 70006. If you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format, that is as a sermon that Pastor Bill delivered during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible Church, then you should visit our website, FBCnola.org. That's FBCnola.org.

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Bil Gebhardt: Once again, our website is FBCnola.org. For Pastor Bill Gebhart, I'm Jason Gebhart, thanking you for listening to Fellowship in the Word.