Christmas at North Ridge
Week 1 | Money
Dean Pollard
November 28, 2021

1 Timothy 6:6 ESV But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Imagine yourself living out these two things:
1) Godliness
2) Contentment

1 Timothy 6:7 ESV for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.

1 Timothy 6:8  But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

Paul says,

  • If you are Godly - right with God and understand his work in you
  • If you are content- and you understand that you are only here for a little while.

Matthew 6:19-24 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Treasure matters because it is an indication of your heart)

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
(Heart healthy, then your actions will be too)

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
(you have a choice)

Jesus’s Outline for us:

1) What not to do - do not lay up treasure on earth.

  • What Jesus said- “how and where you spend your money, will be the primary indicator of the condition of your heart.

Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

2) What to do- lay up treasure in heaven.

Psalm 67 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah (a pause, not a period) 2that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah 5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us.7 God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!

  • ONE MAIN THEME: God blesses His people for the sake of His praise among all people.

Genesis 12:1-3 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

  • God blesses His people for the sake of His praise among all people.

Genesis 26:4 to Isaac- I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,

Genesis 28:14 to Jacob- Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

Exodus 14:4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.”

  • God blesses His people for the sake of His praise among all people.

Daniel 3:28-29 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God
of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.”

Psalm 23:1-3 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Isaiah 43 “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you….you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you,… whom I created for my glory,

Ezekiel 36:22-23 It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.

Matthew 28 “Go make disciples of all nations…”

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Revelation 7:9-12 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.

  • ONE MAIN DANGER- We are prone to disconnect God’s blessing in our lives from God’s purpose for our lives.