"Start Now, Finish Content: Jesus Words for Financial Freedom"

Part 2: "Create a Plan" (Luke 14:28-30)

As we get started today I want us to read together our focal verse that we are using to anchor our thoughts in this series: "Your Father already knows your needs. He will give you all you need from day to day if you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." (Luke 12:30-31)

The picture you see on the screen was taken on our family’s first trip to Disney World in 1994. We made the decision to go in the fall of 1993 and I immediately began to plan our trip. I bought a guidebook, laminated maps, developed schedules for each of the days and had a no fail plan to have the time of our life. We have another picture of us at Epcot. You will notice there are no other cars on the lot! We did have a great time because we had prepared. In contrast to my obsessive preparation, others had a more relaxed approach. I’ll never forget standing at the rope at Magic Kingdom ready to make the dash to Space Mountain and seeing a guy with a map he had just bought saying to his wife and kids, "Where do you want to go, hon’?" I don’t know if he had a good time or not but that was the wrong time to be making a plan! Failure to plan when a plan was needed may have ruined the experience of a lifetime. Our planning made the experience of a lifetime something that we still remember and will always cherish!

The same is true for any area of our life but especially when it comes to managing our money. All of us have our own personal management style when it comes to managing money. In spite of the different styles of money management that a person may have you need to create a plan on how you will manage your resources. If you don’t then you will come to a place where you find yourself never experiencing the contentment or the freedom God intends for your life and your resources. As the old saying goes "failing to plan is planning to fail" and that is never truer than when it comes to our resources. It is that principle that Jesus uses to challenge us in his teaching from Luke 14:28-30.

Last Sunday we studied a story from Luke 12 that Jesus told about a man who was enormously successful in the financial arena of his life. Yet greed had such a grip on him that it prevented him from seeing that his self-worth, his security and his satisfaction did not come from his stuff. We learned that if we are going to finish life content then we have to start by getting a grip on greed in our own lives. Today we are going to learn that if we are going to finish our life content we not only need to get a grip on greed we also need to create a plan for the use of our resources that honors God and gives us freedom.

In this mini-parable Jesus is talking about those who don’t give enough attention to the management side of their resources. Jesus is using a little humor in this parable. We have all seen someone start a construction project that goes over budget and they can’t finish it. They never ask how much it’s going to cost, and they get into something that they can’t finish. It becomes an eternal construction site. Jesus asks, "If you want to build a building, won’t you first sit down before you build the foundation and estimate what the cost of the building is going to be?" Often the answer to that question is ‘no.’

In Jesus’ story the problems came after the foundation was built. When it comes to our resources our problems start because we are trying to build our financial future on a faulty foundation. There are some stress fractures going on in the financial foundation of our lives. Where do these stress fractures in our financial foundations come from? One thing that has to be mentioned as contributing to the stress fractures in our financial foundations is a lack of effort. In a segment of our society there is something that affects people called plain old-fashioned laziness and that causes stress fractures in financial foundations. The Bible says in Proverbs 28:19, "Hard workers have plenty of food; playing around brings poverty." Sometimes the reason we have financial problems is because we just don’t give our best effort.

Another cause of stress in our financial foundation is just simply because we overspend. Sometimes on impulse we make some very unwise purchases that we think we just have to have. Somewhere in your house, you have something that you just had to have, and it’s not getting used. The Bible puts it this way in Proverbs 21:20, "Stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it." Consuming what we don’t need creates weakness in our financial foundation.

One other leading cause of our financial stress fractures is lack of a financial plan. According to

The Wall Street Journal, 70 percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. It’s amazing that tens of thousands of dollars come through our hands every year, but so many put so little thought into a financial plan, financial goals or budget. One poll revealed that 25 percent of all Americans believe their best chance to build wealth for retirement is not patiently saving and investing with a financial plan, but the lottery. And yet the Bible makes this promise in Proverbs 21:5, "Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity." In other words, when you put a simple financial plan together, when you build your foundation right, you will be able to build a financial foundation for your life. You’ll be able to do that and all it takes is a simple plan.

One of the best plans that I have found is one that is called the 10-10-80 plan. It’s a plan that’s based on the wisdom of God’s Word. It’s something that is so simple every one of us can follow this plan to build a foundation. The 10-10-80 financial plan says you begin by taking the first 10 percent of any income that you get, any windfall that you get, any inheritance that you get, and you honor God by giving the first 10 percent to him.

Now this principle is taught in many places in the Bible, but maybe the most famous passage is the one from Malachi 3:10 where God himself says, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the Lord Almighty, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you!"

Every person I’ve ever known that I consider to be a fully-surrendered follower of Jesus Christ takes this very seriously. They give their tithe-the first ten percent of their income-to the local church that they’re a part of, acknowledging God as the leader of their life, acknowledging that they are forever grateful for the work that Jesus Christ has done on a blood-stained cross for them, and believing that God will keep his promise to be supernaturally involved in their finances if they do that. They believe God will sustain and provide for them in ways that he wouldn’t if they didn’t honor him with the first part of their income.

For over 32 years Proverbs 3:9-10 has guided Kathy and I in regard to our giving, "Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything your land produces. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with the finest wine." We have consistently honored God with the full 10 percent tithe and beyond in our income. One thing I know, one thing I’ve learned from my experience: it is absolutely true that when you give, God gives back to you. You cannot out give God. In no way am I saying that it is always easy or that his blessings are always monetary. I can just say that our lives have been consistently blessed because we have honored him with our tithes and offerings. Many of you know exactly what I’m talking about because you have experienced it in your lives. I just wish every one of you could experience God’s supernatural touch and involvement in your financial life because you’re honoring him with the first 10 percent of your income.

Next in this 10-10-80 plan, you take the second 10 percent and you pay yourself. Don’t you like

that? Most people like this part. In other words, before you head to the mall, before you book the vacation, before you buy whatever it is, you set 10 percent of your income aside in a savings fund of some kind. This fund needs to not be a reserve fund that you draw money in and out of but one that you put money away for a longer time. Proverbs 13:11 says, "Whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow." That’s often referred to as the miracle of compound interest. It grows.

The beauty of God’s plan is that you don’t have to make a lot of money in order to accumulate a lot of money because when you save it little by little, it grows into a lot. If you make just a little and take 10 percent every time you get some income, it will grow and grow and grow. Some of you aren’t sure if you believe that because you don’t have a lot. Yet little by little, it grows.

Now I need you to understand that I have learned this the hard way. I have had success and I have had some failure. Let me tell you one story. In June of 1976 Kathy and I received a left over grant from Ouachita of $1000.00. Now we knew that we were moving to seminary in July so we needed to save at least most of that money, which we did. But being 22 years old and having a $1000.00 dollars is not easy sometimes. It was the most money I had ever had at one time in my life. I told Kathy that I wanted to go to Florida and see the ocean because I had never been there. So off we went to Destin and had the worst time on any trip we have ever had. We fought; the car broke down in Monroe, LA. It was awful. But I saw the beach!

Now at that time Wal-Mart stock was worth $13.00 a share. If I had taken that $1000.00 and invested it in Wal-Mart stock it would have cost me $985.00. The stock has split eight times since then and at the end of last year, without ever buying one more share, I would have had 19,200 shares worth $46.18 a share. That would have totaled--are you ready?--$886,656.00! A $1000.00 investment put away for 31 years would result in nearly $1 million today. Putting aside a small amount, 10% of your resources, can make a huge difference in the financial foundation of your life. Anyone can do this but you have to start now!

So the 10-10-80 plan says that if you want to build a financial foundation, you honor God with the first 10 percent—that’s a test to see if you’re putting God first; you pay yourself with the second 10 percent; and then with the last 80 percent, you enjoy. You live joyfully on the rest. 1 Tim. 6:17 says, "God…richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment." Do you see those words: "for our enjoyment"? You live joyfully when you do this because when you’ve honored God with the first 10 percent of your income and you’ve invited his supernatural involvement in your finances and you’ve paid yourself 10 percent for the future, there is a joyful freedom that comes in learning to live on the remaining 80 percent.

Now I know right away some of you are saying you could never do that. That it’s unrealistic: "I have a house payment." "I have car payments." "I have utility bills." "I cannot afford to do it." Or "It’s too late for me." Or "It’s such a mess for me." Friends, you can do it. I want to give you some very practical suggestions.

First suggestion: Make the decision that you are going to stop the bleeding, the financial bleeding, right now. Most people want to get out of debt, but they are unwilling to change anything about their lifestyle. They still eat out at the same restaurants; they still spend freely on entertainment, vacation and movies and buy new clothes. They even continue to borrow more money to make large purchases like bigger houses and newer cars. If you are in a financially challenging situation right now, I challenge you to stop the bleeding today. Don’t go any further into debt. Some of you have got to stop the bleeding, or it’s never going to get any better.

Second: Learn to live on less. The first two key areas that we need to address to start living on less are our house and our car. These are typically the two biggest budget busters. They are where some of our biggest financial blunders get made. Another suggestion: Don’t purchase items when they aren’t on sale. I don’t know if you know this; but, eventually, whatever you want always goes on sale. A third suggestion is to take a period of time and track everything that you spend. Many people discover that they reduce their spending by 15-25% just by tracking where their money is going. (If you want a tool that will help you just go to: http://www.willowcreek.org; then in the drop down menu for Ministry Quick-Link, click on Good Sense; and on the left sidebar, click on Resources; then Expense Tracking Forms.)

Now I know some of you wonder if you could do the types of things that we’re talking about, if they would work for you. But before you can go on this kind of adventure to be content and enjoy the freedom that God plans for you, there are three questions you’re going to have to wrestle with. I want to warn in advance that these questions are not for everybody. These questions are only for those who are interested in going deep in their relationship with God. These questions are only for those of you who really want to be fully surrendered followers of Jesus Christ.

The first question you’re going to have to wrestle with: Am I trusting God as the owner of all my stuff? Really, am I? We talk about our stuff, our house, my money, my car. But we ultimately don’t own a thing; we’re just managers of it. I don’t own a thing. Every serious follower of Christ has to come to that moment where they transfer ownership and they say, "God, I’m giving this area of my life to you. I transfer ownership to you. You’re the owner, and I’m just the manager; and I’m going to do things your way." Have you done this? In your heart of hearts, down deep in your soul, are you trusting God as the owner? And have you assumed the manager role or do you still have the attitude "It’s all mine"?

Here’s a second question to wrestle with: Am I robbing God? How many of you have ever had anything stolen from you? In the Old Testament, God spoke about a very unusual theft victim. In Malachi 3:8 God says, "Begin by being honest. Do honest people rob God? But you rob me day after day. ‘You ask, 'How have we robbed you?' ‘The tithe and the offering—that's how!’" God says, "Would you really rob me? All I’ve ever done is give and give and give to you, and I’m just asking you to begin by taking a tenth out of all I bless you with in your life and return it to me consistently as a worship offering, reminding me I’m first place in your life."

How about it? Are you robbing God? You know, we could change that. I want to challenge every one of you who sincerely loves God to make an effort to come clean before God in this area and make a commitment. Come clean before God, and you’ll feel great about it.

One final question: Will I take action right now? I can point you to so many people I’ve known over the years who were sinking deep in debt; they had stress fractures in their financial foundations. Then they created a plan, and they started honoring God with the first part of their income and setting some aside in savings and learning to live on the rest as God led them. God has honored those decisions in some fantastic ways from where people were then to where they are now. But the day came in their lives where they had to make a decision and say "I am going to trust God right now."

I don’t believe you just drift in to the 10-10-80 plan. You may think you could start with a 2-2-96 plan, and move to a 8-8-84—and maybe that works for some people in some cases, but that’s not normally what happens. Ask anyone who is honoring God with the 10-10-80 plan and they’ll tell you, "I didn’t used to do it; it was hit or miss until I made a defining decision to trust God and just do it." Wouldn’t it be incredible if you got on that path today? But it’s going to take a commitment to say, "On this day, I make a commitment to stop the bleeding and start now so that I can finish my life content and enjoy the freedom God has for me with my resources."

I wish all of you would do that. This is a decision between you and the God who loves you. This is a decision between you and the God who right now is preparing a place for you in heaven that defies imagination because he couldn’t bear the thought of spending one moment of eternity without you. So how about it? Will you create a plan to bring you true financial freedom? If you agree, God says he’ll throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing you won’t even be able to contain it.

 

January 28, 2007 a.m.

Dr. Bruce Tippit, Pastor

First Baptist Church

Jonesboro, Arkansas

btippit@fbcjonesboro.org