Elevate In Your Finances, Part 2

Today's message was 2 parts. The first part dealt with the Needs and Testimonies of the Connect Project. The second part was a continuation of Pastor Robert Morris teaching on the Ten Financial Commandments.

Elevate In Your Finances Part 2

5^th Commandment

Thou shalt not teach thy family that having and spending money is the answer to problems.

Exodus 20:12 Honor Thy Father and Mother

Pass on their values… don’t pass on the wrong values or the wrong messages about money.

“If we only made more money… we would be happier; have less problems”

• You cannot serve Jesus and Mammon… 
• You cannot serve God in a demonic spirit that rests on money

All money has a spirit… the spirit of mammon or the spirit of God [“Gotta Serve Somebody”-Dylan]

• We cannot teach pour family that money id the answer to problems.
• The spirit of mammon is the spirit of anti-Christ; it rules by the threat of not being able to buy and sell.
• Money is not evil; the love of money is evil.

6^th Commandment

Thou shalt take time to budget, plan and set goals for your finances

Exodus 20:13 Though shalt not murder; it is murder to not have a budget!

A budget is away to make non-emotional decisions about emotional issues

We plan to fail when we fail to plan. If you don’t have a plan… you will fail.

• Many people don’t have a plan for their finances.
• You must watch the goal to make a goal [score]

7^th Commandment

Thou shalt live below thy means

Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

A man who commits adultery is not content with the mate that God has provided. A man who is not content with his finances is not content with the provision that God gave them.

1 Tim 5:6-10

When we live above our means we are shaking our fists in the face of God saying, “I am not content with your provision and I am not happy with you!”

Live below your means… You will have to learn MATH

Many people don’t live below their needs simply because they cannot count! “I don’t understand where the money goes!”

Budget… do the arithmetic. Spend less than you make!

The root is discontentment!

8^th Commandment

Thou shalt not count on future earnings to pay present expenses

Exodus 20:15 Thou shalt not steal!

Where your treasure is… there your heart will be also.

Buy now and pay later is financial suicide.

Romans 8:24

Hope that is realized is not hope. God designed us to live with hope… to hope for something and then experience tremendous joy when we receive it.

God designed us to have delayed gratification.

Generations before us didn’t live the way we do. They saved for things they wanted… and when they were able to receive it… there was a tremendous joy

This is a huge spiritual principle: If you buy on debt [credit] you take away the joy; causes depression.

9^th Commandment

Thou shalt use your finances to bless others & be a witness about [for] God

Exodus 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

• Why were you put into your neighborhood? To bless others!
• You are a witness to your neighbors
• Keep your ‘house’ looking nice. Sometimes a Christian’s house is the worst looking house on the block.

If we don’t handle our finances well it creates a poor witness!

Never forget that when you are a god steward and trust God that He will always provide!

10^th Commandment

Thou shalt not try to keep up with the Joneses

Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet

Colossians 3:5

Covetousness is idolatry; idol worship.

When we value something more than we value God it is covetousness.

When you try to keep up with the Joneses the Joneses are your God; they control your checkbook.

Psalm 22:1

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?(NKJV)

Psalm 22:24

For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard.(NKJV)

God had to let Jesus ‘go through’ the cross… God did not forsake Jesus; He promises that He will be with you as you ‘go through’.