In Your Bible Read This Out
Loud 2 Corinthians 5:9-10
Memorise This Verse:
Romans 14:12 ‘Each of us will give an account of himself to God’
Afterwards Talk About This
How will Jesus hold us accountable for our financial dealings on judgment
day?
Something To Do Before Next
Time Seek out on the types of people Jesus calls his brothers in
Matthew 25:31-46 (the hungry, the sick, the prisoner) and give something
to them
Written Diploma Work
Write one page on what distinguishes a sheep from a goat in Matthew
25:31-46
Meditate Word By Word On
This Verse Hebrews 9:27
In 2 Corinthians 5:10 Paul
speaks of the 2 universal appointments that everyone has, namely death and
judgement and as believers we shall give account to Jesus for the way that
we have lived our Christian lives. In fact Jesus spoke several parables of
this day of judgement and reveals that one of the major areas that we will
have to give an account to him is the way that we have handled money.
This section seeks to unfold
the fact that along with prosperity comes increased accountability perhaps
if this truth was better understood in the body of Christ then a flood of
money would move from bulging personal and church bank accounts and into
the work of God.
The one of the major parables
that Jesus spoke of regarding money and judgement day is the parable of
the faithful servant in Matthew 25:14-30. Here, the two servants who had
been diligent and faithful with the money that had been entrusted to them
were commended for their faithfulness but the person who hadn’t be
active in seeking to put to work the money that had been entrusted to him
was condemned on the day of accounting.
Does this mean that Christians
who have entered into God’s prosperity will automatically receive a
‘Well done good and faithful servant’, or is there more to it than
that? Well, if we read on to the next verse (Matthew 25:31) Jesus speaks a
further parable about judgement day and gives further insight into the
role of accountability and money.
Those who were justified were
those who had actually done something about using their time, money and
abilities to help the lost, the last and the least of society those who
were condemned were those who did nothing.
Is it unreasonable to suggest
that a major part of the ministry to the under privileged is that people
spent money on food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, hospitality for
the stranger, clothing for naked, medicines for the sick and gifts for the
prisoner?
In fact, will not Jesus
justify and commend those who have been faithful in investing money in
outreach work such as that described in Matthew 25:34-36 whilst condemning
those who claimed to know him but didn’t prove their devotion to him by
investing their money in his work on the earth?
These two parables in Matthew
chapter 25 about judgement day and money therefore seems to show that
money is a major area of accountability. God is expecting his people to be
diligent and faithful in the money they have so that they increase what
has been given to them, and God is further expecting his people to use
their money to invest in the lives of those on the margins of society and
bring the Kingdom of God to them.
In fact, Jesus tells a further
parable in Luke 19:12-27 which is very similar to the parable of the
faithful servant the same theme runs through this parable in that people
are charged with the task of putting money to work (verse13) and are
eventually judged accordingly.
James also gives a stinging
rebuke to rich ‘Christians’ who do nothing with their wealth and
declares that they have a dead faith (in much the same way that Jesus
exposes the hypocrites in Matthew 25:40-43).
James 2:15 says ‘Suppose
a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says
to him “Go, I wish you well keep warm and well fed”, but does nothing
about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith
by itself, if it is not accompanied by actions is dead’. In his first
letter, the apostle John joins with James in his rebuke to rich
‘Christians’ who do not invest their money in hurting and needy people
and asks where the love of God is in their lives 1 John 3:17 ‘If
anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no
pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?’
The verses in James 2:15 and 1
John 3:17 are sadly very applicable to millions of rich Christians today
they hear reports from the mission field and see on their televisions a
world of need, especially amongst their fellow believers and do absolutely
nothing about it. Judgement day is coming and the rich have an increased
accountability towards the risen Son of God, those who have invested in
the King and his Kingdom will be called ‘Good an faithful servants’
(Matthew 25:23). Those who haven’t will be declared to have a dead faith
and without the love of God in their hearts.
It will surely be a
spectacular sight on judgement day when many Christians who have exhibited
all the external trappings of religiosity and respectability come before
the throne of King Jesus. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, ‘Man looks at the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’ many respectable church
members who haven’t cared about the poor, widows and orphans are going
to be exposed and are in for a rude awakening.
What would happen if you died
tonight and you had to give account to Jesus for your financial dealings
– are you prepared for his all-knowing judgement to come against your
finances? would he say ‘Well done good and faithful servant’ to you
for the way you have handled your money?.
Every last penny that we have
had in our possession we will give an account for both how we earned and
how we spent it. This should cause us to think very carefully about what
we spend our money on and the way we handle our financial dealings. Many
Christians on judgement day will regret ever having large amounts of
money, as due to the fact they were unfaithful in their financial
dealings, all it will bring will be an increased accountability and loss
of heavenly reward on judgement day.
The bible warns that if we
seek the blessings of God we must do so in the sure knowledge of death,
judgement and heavenly rewards and use our money with these facts in mind.
Romans 14:10
‘For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat…..So then, each of
us will give an account of himself to God
Hebrews 9:27
‘Man is destined to die once and after that face judgment’
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Prayer for the Poorer Nations
Pray for Benin
11,109,357 people, Islam
& Christianity
competing with traditional ethnic religion
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