Money Matters - Brian McCoubrey

The most recent Listooder meeting, our penultimate gathering before the end of the season, welcomed Brian McCoubrey back to the hall. With him, Brian brought a highly relevant message from the Word of God. Asked to speak on the financial responsibility facing each one of us, Brian provided the title ‘Money Matters’ for the following reasons… It matters how we view it. Reading from 1 Timothy chapter 6, we see in verses 9 and 10 the danger faced by the child of God who falls into temptation, where a burning desire to be rich can affect our actions, our work and our relationships. While in itself it is not a sin, increased wealth only heaps increased pressure upon believers to rely upon those riches, rather than upon Christ our Saviour. It matters how we gain it. While the vast majority of ‘good-living’ men and women would agree that it is wrong to obtain financial wealth by dishonest means, the devil has many subtle ways of deceiving even the children of God in sin. God’s plan is that money should be obtained through work, that ‘by the sweat of our brow we should eat bread’. Even for those who are unemployed, rightly claiming the ‘dole’ money, it is important that the we do not lose the desire to work. For those fortunate enough to have a job, there is a responsibility upon every believer to pay what is owed to the government in tax, according to God’s word in Romans 13:7. It matters how we give it. Whether it is a tithe (10%), according to Old Testament law, or simply giving as God has prospered us, the Scriptures are clear that we should give according to what the Lord has bestowed upon us. The more we receive, the more we give back to the Lord. We should give regularly, systematically, and according to the New Testament church we should bring our offerings to a central source (i.e the local church) – 1 Corinthians 16:1-3. In giving, we should also give liberally, confidentially, and perhaps most important, we should give cheerfully. It matters how we manage it. In closing, Brian brings some very practical advice, applying Biblical principles, related to investments, loans, credit cards, mortgages, and more, advising the young people to manage their finances with a godly wisdom, giving thanks for all that the Lord has graciously bestowed upon us. It is a message of great relevance today, and we encourage you to follow the link below and listen to the entire sermon.