What’s in Your Wallet?

Haggai 2:8

Many visitors to the Rock have commented favorably concerning the disclaimer that is made before the offering is taken each week. Before the offering is received, the announcement is made that visitors ought to act like visitors. They should give at the church where they normally attend and simply become an observer during the offering (we do receive gifts, however, from those who cannot stand not to participate). Few people know what is behind this statement. There are two reasons why we operate financially the way we do.

At our first meeting as a church, we had no financial obligations. Pastor Jon Gamble and I were asked to start a church. A very generous individual told us that if we would attempt to build a church in Port Orchard, he would pay each of us a salary for the first month. When we asked the Seventh-day Adventist Church in town if we could rent their building, they said, “No.” They then felt sorry for us and offered to let us use their building for the first week; they then met and decided to change their mind. We ended up renting from them for eight years. The fact is, at our first meeting, we had no financial needs … not even one!

We did not know if we would survive or for how long. We encouraged the congregation to find non-churched people and bring them to the Rock. We promised to preach the gospel and not to talk about money. We believe that God will supply our needs. If we have needs, and God does not supply them, then we will understand that He does not want us to continue any longer, and we will quit. It is a rather simple procedure. Trust God. Do not beg on His behalf. Preach the gospel for as long as He supplies. We did. He has, and here we are today on a wonderful fifteen-acre campus that God has provided.

If we are going to preach that God is to be trusted, and we are to walk by faith, then no place will that be more clearly illustrated than in the church’s finances. We do not do fund-raisers or have a building program. We preach the gospel. God supplies the money. He does that through the movement of men’s hearts to generosity and excitement about what God is doing here. It is a wonderful thing to observe.

Finances are a mandatory part of existence on this planet. We must pay our bills or face serious consequences. That is the way life works. Most of our debt is created, not by the God who promises to supply our needs, but rather by us. Our reminder from the biblical text today, however, is that the money is all God’s responsibility, and how we manage what He gives us is all our responsibility. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord! We are reminded in the text that what is in our wallet is God’s, not ours. It is all His. We will be eventually required to return it all to Him, with the receipts showing how we spent it.

What’s in Your Wallet?

Haggai 2:8

INTRODUCTION

The attributes of God necessary for prophetic reliability

a.

b.

c.

B. The three critical dates

a.

b.

c.

INSTRUCTION

The sources of supply

“I will fill this house”

The simplicity of sustenance

“the silver is mine”

The certainty of security

“the latter...will be greater”