Dear Christian friends:

You and I have feelings or attitudes about money. We feel a certain way about money. How do you feel about money? Do you feel displeased when the pastor preaches about money? Often church members are displeased when the pastor preaches about money.

Well, the Bible speaks much about money. God's Word gives much advice and warnings to us about money. In our text St. Paul warned his young assistant pastor, Timothy about money. Paul told Timothy how he should feel about money and what attitude he should have about money.

Paul's advice to Timothy is also very good advice for you and me. So today I want to preach to you about money:

In our text we see that Paul warned Timothy that he should not love money. (vv. 7-10) Paul told him that he should be satisfied and happy if he had food and clothes, the necessities. Paul told him that he should not desire to become rich. Riches will tempt him and become his idol. Money can destroy his faith. Paul says, "The love for money is a source of all kinds of evil." Often I hear people say, "Money is the root of all evil." That is not true! Paul does not say that money itself is bad. Paul says, "The love for money is the root of all evil.”

Money itself is good. Money makes our life and work easier. Some societies never used money. They traded. That is called bartering. A farmer who had too many eggs, more than his family could eat, would trade the extra eggs for bread and clothes or tools. Trading is not very handy. Money is a much better way. Money is a wise invention. Money itself is good, not bad.

But if we love money, and make that our idol, that is bad. If we love and trust money as we should love and trust God, that is bad. Then we break the First Commandment. Paul warns, "Some have been so eager to have money that they wandered away from their faith and have broken their hearts with many sorrows."

Some people love money so much they quit the church, and refuse to support it. Others will love money so much they cheat, steal, rob and kill to get it. Paul warns us not to love money. Instead we should love God and believe His promises that He will take care of all our physical needs, as I preached last Sunday to you.

We should not love money, but value it and feel that money is a good thing which God gives to us, a blessing from God. We should use money as God teaches and commands.

In our text Paul says to Timothy, "Command those who are rich in the things of this life not to be proud, and to place their hope, not on such an uncertain thing as riches, but on God, who generously gives us everything for us to enjoy. Command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share with others." (vv. 17-18)

If we realize that our money comes from God, we will thank Him for it and then use it as He commands for doing good works: support our family, support schools and government (pay taxes), support charities such as Lutheran Social Services, or CARE and support our church.

Church members usually do a good job and support their families. That is fine! We should support our family. The Bible says that if anyone does not support his family, he is worse than an unbeliever. Church members also support government and schools. If we fail to pay our taxes, we might be sent to prison. But often church members fail to support their church and charities as God commands. Perhaps we feel, "If I do not give for the church nobody will know. The police will not arrest me." But God knows. Jesus watches and sees how we give for the support of church and charities. (Mark 12:41-44)

If we really love Jesus, and we love Him because He first loved us. We will eagerly and gladly give for the support of our church. We will use our money, as Paul here says, "to do good works and to share with others."

We will know that our money really belongs to God and we are only managers of it for Him. We will use our money to bring praise and glory to God our dear Father in heaven.

Perhaps you ask: "How much should I give for church?" Often Christians ask that question. The Bible teaches that we should give as God blesses us. If God blesses us with more than others, we should give more than others. If we earn $300.00 a week we should give more than someone else who earns $200.00 a week, providing the responsibilities are equal. If a person lives on welfare, he cannot give the same as someone who earns $350.00 a week.

We call this proportionate giving or percentage giving. The Bible teaches that way:

Matthew 10:8: “Give as you have
received.

Mark 12:41-44: The poor widow
gave all (100%) she had.

Luke 12:48: “Much is required
from those to whom God has
given much,"

Luke 19:8: Zacchaeus gave one-half
(50%) of his money to the poor.

1 Cor. 16:2: “On every Lord's Day
each of you should put aside some-
thing from what you have earned during
the week, and use it for the offering.
The amount depend on how much the Lord
has helped you earn."

2 Cor. 8:12: “If you are really eager
to give, then it isn't important how
much you give. God wants you to give
from what you have, not from what you
haven't."

It is clear that the Bible teaches that we should give a percentage of what we earn or receive. But now you perhaps ask, ‘What percent? 3%? 5%? 10%? 12%? 20%?" That is a good question. I shall try to answer it for you. In the Old Testament God required 10% of the Jewish Church. The Bible calls that the tithe. Does God still require that we give 10%? There is much argument about that. Some Christians answer, "Yes," while others answer, "No."

The New Testament church is not under the Jewish ceremonial laws. Paul writes in Colossians 2:16-17, "Don't let anyone criticize you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating Jewish holidays and feasts or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. Because these were temporary rules that ended when Christ came. They were only shadows of the real thing - of Christ himself."

I think the law about tithing ended, too, when Christ came. The old Jewish laws should not be our guide. Or at least we should not feel obligated (forced) by them. Love should lead_us now. Our love for Jesus should guide us, not laws and rules. Let your love for Jesus decide how much percent you will give for the Lord's work.

Many Christians give more than 10% because they love Jesus very much, and they love to support His work. Other Christians give below 10%, perhaps 3% or 5% or 8%. Many give exactly 10%. Whatever percent you give, give it cheerfully and with love for Jesus. (2 Cor. 9:7)

So when you think and decide what percent you will give, ask yourself these questions: "How much do I love Jesus?” "How much do I earn?"

Remember, Jesus loved you and me very, very much. He did not give money for you and me; He gave His life for you and me, so we can have forgiveness of sins, become God's children through faith in Him.

Also remember, as I preached last Sunday, God promises that He will bless you more and more if you have faith in Him and show your love to Him. You will not become poorer if you give the tithe; but you will become richer, richer in many ways. Paul says so in the last verse of our text: "In this way they will store up for themselves a treasure which will be a solid foundation for the future. And then they will be able to win the life which is true life." (v. 19)

May God give us His Holy Spirit so that each one of us will have the Christian attitude about money.

Amen