CELL NOTES 18/5/09

ICE BREAKER

Did you do anything to earn money as a teenager/student? Did you enjoy doing what you did?

SERMON OUTLINE

1) The western world has bought into the materialistic life-style in a huge way. Worldwide lottery tickets are the third biggest item of personal spending.

2) Christians Against poverty (CAP) is increasingly seeing cases of extreme poverty in this country.

3) We are meant to love God – people – heaven. In practice we love money – things – the here and now. Our bank statements reveal our true priorities.

4) There are roughly 500 Bible verses on prayer and faith, but 2,500 on money.

5) Everything I have is the Lord’s – I am just a steward.

6) Money is neutral – good and bad is in people, not money.

7) “We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.”

8) We can’t enthrone Jesus as king in our lives until we dethrone money and every other god. The devil uses our love of money to render Christians ineffective in the world.

9) Story of visitor who asked,”Have you been burgled?”

10) “How much did Rockefeller leave?” “Everything.”

11) Look at our culture – “Who wants to be a millionaire?, “Shop till you drop”, “I’m worth it” etc.

12) We all need hope, love, a future. Church needs to model that – too often has bought into material values instead.

13) 5 key questions

              i) Is God or money on the throne of my life. I can’t have both – it will be one or the other.

             ii) Do I trust the Lord in the area of finance?

            iii) Do I act with integrity in the are of finance.

             iv) Am I identified with Christ – can people see Christ in me?

              v) Do I give others unconditional love?

14) The average level of credit card debt of those calling CAP is £36,000. Average annual income in UK is £24,000.

15) Don’t underestimate impact of these things. E.g. 75% people who approach “Relate” cite money as key problem, debt nearly always leads to fear, guilt, loneliness etc.

16) God looks at what we keep, not what we give . Conversation between £50 note and 50p piece.

17) Book title “Money isn’t god, so why is every Christian worshipping it?”

18) Story of Sally.

QUESTIONS OF APPLICATION

1) Read the passage. How would you summarise its message? What did the Lord say to you on Sunday? What will you do about it?

2) tackle the questions in point 13 of the sermon.

3) What have you done in the last week to store up treasure in heaven?

4) How can you resist the tendency for money to become god?