“FOUR MONEY PRINCIPLES IN THE BIBLE – W.I.B.O” May 31, 2009

W.I.B.O Worship Increase (income, investing, saving) Blessing Obligation (debt, expenses)

W.I.B.O Worship = Money going to God from you in recognition of what He’s done and who He is.  Tithes and Offerings. Increase = Money coming to you by God’s grace  Income, Saving, Investing Blessing = Money from you to others when you don’t expect anything in return  Benevolence, Honor, community responsibility Obligation = Money from you to others in exchange for something you have received or will receive  Expenses & Debt

Work Breakdown Worship = How much you’re working to honor God Increase = How much you’re working for your loved ones Blessing = How much you’re working to be generous Obligation = How much you’re working for someone else

Blessing - Luke 10: Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.'

Worship - Malachi 3: Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?'In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts.

Obligation - II Kings 4:1-7 1 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves." 2 And Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?" And she said, "Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil." 3 Then he said, "Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. 4 Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside."

Worship II Kings 4:1-7 cont’d 5 So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel." And he said to her, "There is not another." Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She came and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest."

Summary We should not worship God with money for the sake of increase Increase is not necessarily an indicator of righteousness Don’t enter into debt lightly. If you do go into debt, pay it. If you can’t pay all, pay some and communiciate. God can multiple whatever we yield to Him What principle is the biggest driver for how you handle money?