Stressed About Money? Here's Where to Start

Automatically generated from the video captions and lightly tidied, so expect the odd misheard word.

Oh, so I'm I'm going to tell you a story. U my son who's over there just having water. When he was young, so that's Jaden. So when Jaden was young, maybe when he was like 6 years old or so, six or seven, he loved to play football. He still loves to play football and watch football. So we took him to like one of these tournaments where he's playing football and many parents come over to watch their children play.

So we go watch Jaden play and he's doing well. He's killing it. But then do you know when you go to those football majors, do you know who the worst people are? Their parents. Their parents are like the worst like they are just not behaved. So they there is this dad who's just so passionate and he's like shouting at his kid and shouting for everybody to get into position, right?

And then he starts shouting at Jaden. The whole half he's shouting at Jaden, telling him where to go. And he's just shouting at Jaden. And my other kids are looking at me. Dad, what are you going to do? And my wife is looking at me.

What are you going to do about it? This guy is just shouting at Jaden. And I'm like, I got to do something. I look at this guy, veins popping out of his neck, and he's big. I mean, he's twice as big as you can see me. I'm short.

I'm small, but I was like, I've got to do something. But I'm not feeling brave. I'm not feeling courageous. But I'm like, that's my son out there. So, at halftime, I master all the little courage I could get. And I walk and I go to the dad and there's this is important.

I love backpacks. So, if you see me out there, I'll usually have a backpack. So, the fact that I'm small and I have a backpack, I look like a little kid. So I go to this dad and I'm like, "Could you stop shouting at my son, right?" So then my wife and my other children are looking at that and my wife is like, "I feared for your life because that guy is twice your size and you are there with your little backpack, you know, almost like Oliver Twist. Please, sir, may I have more?" Right? That was me.

But then the guy's like, "Oh, I'm really sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't know that I was doing that. I won't I won't do that anymore. So then when I go back, I'm walking a bit taller now. Yeah, I'm walking a bit taller.

And then my wife is like, "That was brave." And I say, "Yeah, it was brave. That was courageous. Yeah, it was courageous." But here's the thing about courage. In the moment, courage does not feel like courage. Courage actually feels like being irresponsible. Walking down to somebody who is twice my size and telling him off.

That sounds But courage doesn't feel like courage in the morning in the moment. So in our story there, I'll just give a little recap. So in our story, we've got two brothers. So we got Cain, who's the older son, and Abel. And Cain and Abel bring an offering to God. And there's something going on in this passage.

It's kind of kind of hard to tell, but I just want to if you're like a Bible nerd, this next slide is for you, right? So, the Bible speaks in Bible in images and symbols and repeated patterns. So, I just want to show you this pattern which is in Genesis 2:19. Now, out of the ground, the Lord God formed every beast of the field. So anytime you see field, you see beast, right? And then in the next verse in 22, you see beast of the field.

And then when you go like in Genesis 3:1, now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field. So when we get to our story, guess what? Where does Cain take Abel? He takes him to the field. So if you're tracking with Genesis, you're like, "Huh, every time I've seen field, there's a beast. Field, there's a beast." So when you hear that Cain is taking Abel to the field, the question then is, who's the beast?

Cain's the beast. Cain is the beast because he's he's doing what is easy. He is operating out of instinct. And we saw this with Joseph's brothers, right? They were the ones that were acting like beasts. They were acting like wild animals.

And this is the kind of same thing. Repeated patterns in the Bible. Someone is acting like a beast. And my family, we love detective movies. Do you know if you love Hiku Puarro or Benoir Blancs from a nice mana? There's always three things.

Means, motive, and opportunity, right? It's like when you try to do that detective Sherlock Holmes things. It's like who had the means? Who had the motives? Who had the opportunity? So when we're trying to say who done it, we know in this one it's Kane.

Kane done it. Cain is the beast. But then the thing is, did he have opportunity? Yes, he did cuz he take him out to the field. But what was the oh why did Cain murder his brother in cold blood? He was jealous, right?

He was jealous. All right. But why was he jealous? Because God had accepted offering. All right. But why?

It kind of seems unfair to me because you know, Cain's brought an offering. Abel has brought an offering. So what the problem is, right? What's the problem? Right? They've all brought an offering.

So I think it kind of seems almost unfair of God. A and many people have come up with kind of different reasons for it. You know, somebody, you know, some people say, you know, this is just evidence that God is a meat eater, right? You know, he just likes meat, right? And they Cain is bringing him veggies and God is like, "No, no, no, no, we're not doing that. We're not doing that." And some people be like, "Oh, it just means that, you know, meat is more superior than veggies." Or some people will say in Genesis 3, God had cursed the ground.

Like one of the punishments was the ground was cursed. So then people like oh you know it's because these are crops that are coming from the ground that's cursed. And some people if you are of this theological stream you would say it's because God just chose Abel. God just loved Abel. So he just chose him. But it's not it's none of that.

It's none of that. And I'm going to use an illustration. I don't really do illustrations, but today we are doing illustrations. So, just hold up there. All right. So, it's my son's birthday today.

Actually, there's Micah. Right. So, Micah. Okay. Come on. All right.

Happy birthday, son. I love you, Lo. Want to blow it up. All right. Good stuff. Good stuff.

So, Birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear. Happy birthday to you. All right. All right.

Who wants some cake? I'd like some cake. All right. Go give some cake out there. Who else wants some cake? Come on.

Don't be shy. You want some cake, guys? Don't be shy. Cake. Cake. Cake.

You want the illustration to work. So, we got people. Go give Marty some cake over there. You don't have to eat it. All right. One last one.

Maybe at the back row there. Maybe you give it to Isaac. And son, when you come back, thank you so much. You work so hard. That is so much appreciated. I love you.

And here's your Oh, we out of cake. Oh, don't worry, son. I'll give you some. All right, there you go, son. Have some cake. You can go.

All right, J. So, is that okay? So, so what happened there? Is that okay? So, gave everybody cake. Micah's cake.

It's his birthday, but in the end, you know, I was trying to be generous and give to everybody, but in the end, I was just left with leftovers. And the leftovers went to who? To Micah. But is that right, guys? Come on, guys. You can answer.

Is that right? No, it's not. Why not? Why is it not right? Cuz it's his birthday, right? It's his birthday.

So because of his birthday, guess what? He deserves to be first. He deserves to be to get the largest and the best slice. Don't worry, I've got a whole other cake for him. I'm not a horrible father. So don't.

And we celebrated yesterday as well. So I've got a whole another cake as well. So but I just want to make that illustration right. It's his birthday. He gets the first, the largest, and the best. So I want to go now to those verses.

What did Abel do well? And what did Cain mess up on? Right? So just look at this. In the course of time, Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground and Abel also brought the firstborn of the flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for them.

So, so, so the key word there is firstborn as in they had just been born first, right? They got born first and he brought that to the Lord. And actually, it seems a bit irresponsible if you think about it. What about if there's no second or third or fourth or fifth born, but he brings the first and he brings the fat portions. Like I mean like on the next slide I know like in our times now we have vilified fat. Oh my goodness.

Like fat is bad now. So like when you see fat we're like oh no that's bad. So we got low fat free zero you know 0% fat. Fat is bad. But in the ancient world in the ancient mind fat portion was the best portion. So when you hear that somebody brought the fat portions, it means they brought the best.

So Abel brought the first and the best. But Cain, he brought leftovers to God. That's what he did. He didn't bring God first. I like how this commentator says it on the next slide. I think he just says it very well.

Abel carefully chooses his offering and brings the very best that he possesses to God regardless of expense. In contrast, Cain's offering is nondescript. Right? He brings some of the produce of the ground. Abel brings God the first born of his flocks. But we are not told that God Cain brings the first fruits of the ground.

Cain could have brought the first fruits, but he did not bring the first fruits and God didn't accept it. God wasn't happy with it. And here's the thing that we need to understand is in the next slide as we read six and seven. Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?" And in the next one and this the what I've highlighted there is important. If you do what is right.

So think about what is right. Bringing the first and best to God. That is what is right. If you do what is right you will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right sin is crouching at your door. It desires to have you but you must rule over it.

So, so what is right is to give God the best and the first. And think about even in this passage, why is this right? Like in verse one, now Adam knew his wife and she conceived and bore Cain saying, "I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord." I mean, if you know couples who've been trying for years for children and not having children, you would know that giving children is not just down to bedroom activities. It is down to the help of the Lord. And one thing you need to understand as well about yourself on the next slide is whatever money you have is not because you are a genius. If you're a genius, how did you become a Were you just born tall, able to play basketball?

Were you just born with his genius mind? So, so I love the way Deuteronomy puts it. It is God who gives you the power to make wealth. It is God who gives you the ability. So, bringing first the best to God is right. Just the same way that it is Micah's birthday, it is right to give in first.

Because it is God who gives you the power to make wealth, to make money, it is right to bring the first fruits and the firstborn to God. A and now I just want to give you this definition of what courage is. Remember I said courage, you don't courage in the moment doesn't feel like courage. It actually feels like being irresponsible. Giving first to God actually feels like being irresponsible. But I want to say to you, courage is doing what is right over what is easy.

What Abel did was right. It wasn't easy. What Cain did was not right and was easy. Giving leftovers is easy. Being jealous and taking your brother to the field and giving in to your instincts is easy. I don't know about you when it comes to leftovers.

I like I hate leftovers. Like like when I go to the restaurant and they come afterwards and they're like, "Hey, do you want to bring like a takeaway box, you know, so that you can, you know, bring it home?" I'm like, "No, I don't want no leftovers." But I know some of you love leftovers. That's okay. That's okay. That's on you. That's okay.

I don't know what's wrong with you, but anyway, that's okay. You know, cuz some of you've got the talent. You know, you can take leftovers and make kind of something good. That's all right. But if an important guest is coming to your house, do you concoct leftovers or do you give the very best? You know, you know, so what I want to say to you is this on the next slide.

So all of us according to John C sibling in his book worry-free finances. So on the left is what comes naturally. We spend first, you know, like we spend on ourselves. This is natural. I'll tell you a story. When I was like I think I was 6 months.

Some little kid wanted to take my toy from me and I took it back and I said, "It's mine." And then you guys would be like, "Oh, you're only 6 months. How'd you remember that?" Because I'm selfish. I know I would have done that, you know. Okay, let me give you another one. If we take a group photo, what constitute that photo? A good If you look good, right?

If you look good, it's a good photo, right? So, so, so our wiring is to spend first and then we pay the bills and then we save and then we give if there's anything left over at all. And it's sort of like in our psyche this idea. I was like this week an aunt of pastor Caroline very close aunt passed away and she has struggled with cancer and in those kind of last months of struggled she had got being helped by Irish cancer society they did so many tremendous things and the husband when he was relaying what this charity had done which was tremendous was amazing like what I didn't even realize that Irish cancer society do these things, you know, even things like picking people up for their appointments so that they can get their chemo and things. I was like this is amazing. But what struck me was like at the end he then said if you have a few bob, you know, just, you know, give to Irish Cancer Society.

And I'm thinking, no, this is a great mission. If God has called you to support this mission, don't give a fuel, be intentional and give materially to this cause. But somewhere in our psyche, we think, "Ah, you know what? Giving is just for things that are left over." But I'm like, "No, no, no. If you support the cause, give materially." So now, this is what the story teaches We give first. We flip it over.

It might feel irresponsible, but it's not. We give first, we save, pay bills, then we spend last. This is this is the sequencing. We have to reverse the sequencing. This is how we build worryfree finances. We give to God first.

So just on the next slide, right? So you might be here and you're not a Christian. I will still advise you to follow that same sequencing. You know, give first whatever purpose it is. It might be Irish Cancer Society. It might be kids football.

Whatever that you support, you give to it. Not if you're Bob, but give to it materially and give to it first. But if you are a Christian, according to this story, the right thing to do is to give to God first and the best. Then save, pay your bills, and spend. You guys know I love to read, right? And, there's a book that, I read a while back.

Maybe you guys have heard. It's called The Richest Men of Babylon. And, and it had, this thesis. This basically was the thesis. The author was saying all of us like pay the government first. We pay our landlords, we pay, we just pay other people first, first, first, But he goes, "You got to give yourself first." But I'm like, from our teaching, no, we don't give to oursel first.

We give to God first. But here's I want to go but what happens when you don't put first things first. Cuz this is what I'm this is what the teaching is trying to say. Put first things first. Well, think about in your marriage. I'll be a little vulnerable here without oversharing.

We I've been married for 15 years to Pastor Caroline and at the of every argument we've had at the heart of the issue has always been when I do not put her first or when she does not put me first. Because for of all earthly relationships to earthly relationships, we're not considering God here. All earthly relationships, if you're your wife, your husband, your spouse should be first, not your children. Actually, if your home becomes child you are in trouble. You're going to have loads of stress. Actually, research has even showed this.

I don't I don't have the research to cite it, but I've heard it somewhere that when a house is child focused, the kids themselves are a bit unsettled. But if you flip it around, if a family is marriage focused and the kids can see that mom and dad are solid, the kid has a firm foundation. So we should put first things first. Or another one as well. What about in work like for work ministry your calling when you don't put first things first? What's that called?

That's called procrastination, right? Like I'll be it'll be me like you should see me when I'm trying to like prepare for the sermon, right? I got things that I should do and this is first. This should be first. Then over there social media, over there is the internet, over there is swimming. That's how procrastination happens, right?

You are putting things that should be secondary. You are putting them first. But you might be here and you've got some objections. So let me touch on some of the objections. Right? So you might go ah pastor Oz come on that is a Old Testament principles.

Like we don't go around talking about first fruits, first bone. We don't talk about fed portions. We talk about file manon. That's what we talk about, right? We don't you know Yeah, you're you're right. That's an Old Testament thing.

But guess what in the New Testament? Guess what the old New Testament says? But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you. Guess what all the old things are in that in the context of that passage? The all things is money, things you need, property, shelter, clothing. And God says, "No, no, no, no.

Seek first. God wants to be first." And then you might be here, you might be going, "But pastor, I have not come to church to hear about, you know, money. What's that got to do with anything?" And then on the next look how much the Bible speaks about right? The things that you're like, "Oh, pastor, I've come here to hear about prayer. I've come here to hear about faith. Why are you talking about money?" The Bible is like, "No, no, no, no, no, no.

As much as prayer is spiritual, money is spiritual. And I think one of the issues that we have as well like on the next slide and I'm copyrighting this by the way. You know to remember what is here just think of pies with two s's and TM for trademark. So that's my trademark. So that will be a thing of remembering it. So pies TM.

So in our mind I don't know whether we absorbed this teaching but we have compartmentalized things right so we have oh we have the spiritual things we go to church we pray we fast that's the spiritual stuff that's what I want to hear when I come to church don't tell me about my emotions don't tell me about my social relationships like how I treat my wife my husband or how I work don't tell me about my intellect. Do don't talk about physical things. You know, we compartmentalize things. But God is like, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no. All of it is spiritual. All of life is spiritual.

So money is a spiritual concept. So just think pies. So don't compartmentalize because sometimes that's where people have an issue of this idea that somebody can become a believer but not a disciple like that shouldn't happen like where a person say oh yeah yes I follow Jesus but when it comes to the area of money of time of physical things or intellect you know I don't follow Jesus in this regard the Bible does not have that's not a category that you can have so we don't want to be walking around like walking contradictions where you come to church, the spiritual element like with inverted quotes, but you're a mean person at work and you gossip. No, no, no. God is like all of it. And then you might be here and you might be going, "Hey, why this talk about money?

Why all this talk about you know 10% which is another concept we can talk about at a different time. So a tithe just means 10% of what you get. You give 10% to God. That's what the Bible teaches." but I want to tell you this, right? God's not interested in your 10%. God's not interested in 10% of your money like on the next slide.

He's interested in 100% of you. Do you know those compartments, the ply, the pies, TM? God wants all of All of life should come under the lordship of Christ. So today it's not a money talk really. It's a disciplehip talk because God is interested in all of it. And then you might be here like but pastor I can't afford.

I can't afford to give. Like I don't get much. Maybe I'm just on welfare. I don't get much. But I want to flip it around and say this. What if you can't afford not to give God What if you can't afford not to give God first?

The heart of the matter is not being courageous when it comes to your finances. So courage, remember it doesn't feel like courage, but courage is giving to God first. Like I'll give you an example of from this month like we have not always given first to God but for years now we've given a tithe actually more than a tithe to God but we always kind of put it last was the last thing that we'll do you know we'll do everything else and then we'll do that tithe at the end but guess what would happen all the time you just run out of money because emergencies and things happen so then at the end you're like God I'm sorry I'm sorry you know this is just all has left and it's never the tithe, you know. So, we were like, "Okay, we're going to commit to the first." So, giving the first, but this month it was it was put to the test because this month was just an unusual month because emergencies happened. So, for instance, like I was saying, Auntie Caroline's aunt died. So we had to make multiple trips to Dublin you know for the funeral and the car so we have two cars.

So one of them you know is already in the garage so that's out for about 2 3 months but the car that we do have that's functioning took it to the NCT and it started having issues and they said oh you need to fix some other part. So then I was like oh I've got to take this car now to the garage to get fixed. And I brought it to the garage and the guy was like, "Oh, I think this is going to cost it's going to cost a bit." And I'm like, "Oh man." So now guess what the temptation was? Hey God, for this month just for this one, can we make an exception? You know, can we not give first? But Auntie Caroline, Pastor Caroline doesn't take that.

She's like, "No, no, we give to God first. We give to God first." So we gave to God. And then I was just worried, anxious. I was like, "How is this going to work? Like how are we going to pay for this car? But I was like, you know, God, we're going to trust.

We're going to have courage. You're going to give So, I bring the car to the garage. They fix it. They do everything that needs to be done. And I'm like, man, where is this money going to come from? In that morning, I remember praying.

I was like, God, we need some extra money to pay for this car and pay for all these things. But honestly, like I, you know, like when you pray with very little faith, like expecting nothing. That was kind of one of those prayer. There was no feeling in it. But then we prayed and then I went to pick up the car, you know, just expecting a heavy bill and now trying to move. I was like, you know, which of my kids kidneys am I going to have to sell?

You know, you know, that kind of thing. And I go to the guy. I was like, oh, I'm here to pick up the car. I was like, oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Here you go. I was here the keys.

You're free to go. I'm like, what? He's like, yeah, you're free to go. I was like, don't I have to like pay for the big huge thing? It's like, no, no, you don't have to pay. Hey, the car is under warranty, so you don't have to pay nothing.

I'm like, "Praise God." I'm like, "Praise God. Praise God." So, let's give to God first. So, so you know, here's the thing. So, on the next slide, if there's ever going to be a shortage, let it be there. Not with God. All right?

Let me let me negotiate with a garage, you know, can we have some payment terms or whatever it is, but not with God. God gets first. We're not negotiating that. Negotiate with your landlord. Don't negotiate with God. And I want to kind of finish with this story.

Oh my goodness, the numbers have turned red. We should change that color. That's scary. It turned red and say it's time to stop. All right. I got this story.

Okay. When I went to college in UCD. When I finished and I got my first proper job when I got my first paycheck, I bought my father beautiful suit. It's just a Zimbabwe thing that you do. I bought a beautiful suit for my father. I bought a beautiful dress for my mom.

And even my dad up to now says when I die I want to be buried in this suit. My son got me this suit with this first paycheck. You see but you know it was just a way to honor them for what they have done. It's not to repay them. I could never repay them you know even financially for what they did to me. But in Zimbabwe it's just this thing you just give them from your first paycheck.

You do something good for them. But here's the thing. You might think, "Ah, that guy, he's a swell guy, isn't he? He knew how to do all that stuff." No, I did not. Like, but my aunt sat me down and he said, "This is what Zimbabwean children do for their parents from their first paycheck." So, I want to say to you, generosity must be learned. Like, giving to God first must be learned.

It doesn't come naturally. So, we need to how to be generous. So, now my challenge to you is this courage with your finances. Remember, it doesn't feel like courage. Starts with giving. Not just any 10%.

So, this story is not it's not calling you to just give 10%. Any 10%. It's not calling you to give. It's calling you to give the first 10% of your income, not the middle, not the end. It feels irresponsible. It might feel scary.

It's counterintuitive. But if you want to start building worry-free finances, you have to give to God the first and the best. So, so I want to invite you guys to try it. If you have never tithed in your life, tithe is to give a 10%. If you've never tithed in your try it. Try it for 3 months and see if God would not look with favor on that.

If God would not see that as right. If God will not see that as