Mark 10:29-30 (NJKV) So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.
The real test of whether we have a breakthrough in the area of money is through giving. When we don’t hoard money but see ourselves as stewards of God’s money, we will be willing to part with it to finance God’s work. Though we are not saved by good works, we are certainly saved to do good works! God has a heart for the poor and He will mobilise His body—the church—to carry out His acts of mercy and compassion. Therefore, the supply of money from God will be funnelled through His body, with more responsibilities expected when much is given to us.
While we expect God to fulfill His part of His covenant obligations, we should also have the same mindset if God were to call upon us as His covenant partners to sow into His Kingdom through free will offering over and above the normal 10% tithe. In fact, He might challenge us to give an extraordinary amount in order to keep us dependent on Him and to keep our faith in Him rather than on ourselves.
With men, it is impossible, but with God all things are possible because those rich and successful people who are godly and have consecrated their lives to God will be mobilised to give and support the work of the ministry. They will not allow riches to own them but allow the Lordship of Christ to instruct them in being good stewards of God’s money.
If you desire to do well, be successful, influential and rich, you mustn’t be ashamed of Jesus in the marketplace or allow money and power to own you. Your priority will be God first, family second and business third. Keep your eyes focused on God and remember that it is His power that helps you to gain wealth and influence. If we recognise that God is the source of our provision and success, we will not compromise with the world, but will seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and believe that all these things will be added to us as well. It will keep us humble when we acknowledge that God is source and we are the stewards.
Sermon Series: Are You Young and Rich
拒绝被金钱捆绑
马可福音10:29-30 耶稣说：“我实在告诉你们，人为我和福音撇下房屋，或是弟兄、姐妹、父母、儿女、田地，没有不在今世得百倍的，就是房屋、弟兄、姐妹、母亲、儿女、田地，并且要受逼迫，在来世必得永生。”
我们是否在金钱管理方面有所突破，真正的试炼是通过给予。当我们不再聚敛钱财，而是把自己视为神金钱的管家，我们就会愿意付出钱财，资助上帝的事工。虽然我们不是因着善行得救，但我们得救必是为了做更多善行！神怜悯穷困贫乏的人，祂会兴起祂在地上的肢体 – 教会 – 来行出祂的怜悯和慈爱。因此，当神供应我们钱财，是为了让我们成为祂赐福的管道，当我们获得的赏赐越多，就要承担更多的责任。
我们期待上帝守约践约，那么既然神呼召我们作祂盟约的伙伴，我们也当有同样的心态，通过超过十一奉献的额外的自由奉献，为神国撒种。事实上，为了使我们单单依靠祂，把信心放在祂身上而不是在自己身上，祂可能会要求我们付出超乎寻常的金额。
这在人是不可能的，然而在神凡事都能，那些敬虔的把生命完全献给神的富有而成功的人士，将被发动起来，捐助并支持事工工作。他们不会让财富捆绑他们，而是接受基督的主权的指令，作神金钱的好管家。
如果你想一帆风顺，想获得成功，想成为有影响力和富有的人，你就不应在职场上以宣扬福音为耻，也不应该听任自己被金钱和权力所拥有。你的优先次序将会是：神为第一，家庭第二，工作第三。把你的眼目定睛在神身上，记住是神的力量帮助你获得财富和影响力。如果我们认识到神是我们的供应和成功的源泉，我们就不会与世界妥协，而是会首先寻求神的国和祂的义，并相信我们所需用的一切都会加给我们。当我们承认神是一切的源头，而我们是神的管家，这将使我们保持谦卑。
讲道系列：你年轻并富有吗？