Sermon Part 4: “Idle Money Does Not Make Money!”
Good Morning Saints!
Introduction
The picture illustration above is really a “financial crime scene!” It’s showing us “Dead Money!” There should be yellow crime- scene tape placed all around the “corps of money.” Procrastination murdered the coins, as over a long-period of “Time,” the owner let them lie idle without any work.
Saints, if you have a jar full of coins/and or dollar bills lying around your house like this, thenI beg you to take “Time” today to start raising your money from the dead by putting the money to work!“Dead money” is a slang term for any investment that has shown little or no growth over a protracted period of “Time. ”DAAAA! Money that is lying around in your car cup-holder and under the seats, under couch cushions, hidden underneath bed mattresses, holes in walls, and/orjars and piggy-banks is DEAD MONEY! Money lying around in your house, or car, is a bad investment that will never yield a return!
Money is given to us to achieve the Divine Purposes of God over our “Time”allotted on earth. Money is for making sacrificial offerings to God, buying necessities, enjoying things in life,saving and investing for future uses, giving to those in need, and leaving an inheritance to loved onesupon making our transition to Heaven.
God is watching how we handle money to determine whether more money can be entrusted into our stewardship in this life, and the next. No matter how large or small the sum you may have, God observes how you manage money.Jesus Christ said,
“He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much.” (Luke 16:10)
Um, could it be that the coins lying around in our houses and cars is a “Test” of our faithfulness unto Jesus Christ? Could it be that among our dead stash of coins there is a rare coin worth much more than its face value? Could it be that our prayers for more money to purchase the things we desire are hindered because of the idle money/dead coinsin our houses? Again,idle money can never bring a profit. For every born-again Christian, the Word of God and Spirit of the Lord and Anointing has been given so that we might be“profitable” in all things. (Jos.1:8, II Tim. 3: 16-17 & I Cor. 12:7)
God Owns All Things;Including Our Coins!
Psalm 24:1 makes it abundantly clear that God is the sole Creator andOwner of every person and thing, including all money in the world. The Psalmist wrote:
The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters.
Yea, the Lord decreed at Haggai 2:8, “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. At I Chronicles 29:12-16, King David acknowledged that all wealth and honor comes from God, and that people should give thanks and praise to God for what they have. Yes, daily we ought to praise and thank God that God owns us, and all things, including all of the money in the world. Every time you look at a coin you ought to thank and praise God that He owns it; and that on all of our currency is inscribed, “In God We Trust!”
Look at this pretty Penny, in God we trust! The next Time a person says to you, “a Penny for your thoughts,” take the Penny and say, “my thoughts are increase, increase, increase!
I love what the Apostle Paul stated at Colossians 1:16-20, which expresses Jesus’ central and superior role in creation for eternity.
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
It would be exceedingly wise of every born-again Christian to consider these Verses in light of “money,” including every coin in our possession.As the Son of God over all creation, “money was created by Jesus Christ, and for Jesus Christ.” Jesus is before money, and money consist of Jesus! And, Jesus has the preeminence over money. Thus, without Jesus, money would not exist! Finally, through the finished works of Jesus Christ on the cross“money,” as with all things in heaven and earth and Mankind, have been reconciled by God in Him. Yes, “ALL” belongs to Jesus Christ to Him be glory and honor forevermore!
Hear me now, “Money” consists of Jesus Christ. Every coin in your house consist of Jesus. Therefore, our money is blessed (empowered to prosper) of God; to grow, be fruitful, and multiply in Christ. Money in Christ, is intended to lift every man out of poverty into riches! (II Cor. 8:9). However, when we choose to leave money idlefor protracted periods of “Time,” we deny Jesus’ finished works on the cross! Christ is alive forevermore, why then are our coins lying around the house and in our cars yet dead?
Christ’s Anointing, His Resurrection Poweris in every coin. How then can we aimlessly throw coins into a jar or can and forget about them? Many people in the world, and I think some born-again Christians may too, just consider the coins in their possession as, “Chump-Change.”Many people can see a penny on the street and say to themselves, “um it’s just a penny leave it there.” But that penny belongs to God. Many peoplealso think of loose change in their pockets as a stubborn nuisance, only worthyof their “Time” when the jar is full and to one day spend it, or deposit it in the bank. But, for many of these folks that day never happens. The coins in the jars just continue to be filled up, only to get more jars to serve as “caskets” for coins that belong to God!
Let’s just stop for a moment and ask ourselves this question about our personal wealth portfolio. How much “money”in total do you have? For many people when they think about their liquidity, their thoughts immediately go to the amountof cash they have amassed in their bank accounts (checking, savings, and certificate of deposits). Or, they may also include money they have invested in the stock market, retirement accounts, or even the equity in their houses.
However, almost no one thinks to include in their wealth portfolio calculation the corps of coinsin their homes and cars, which they consider insignificant. But heaven considers our coins to be “Treasure.”Other than venturing a “pie in the sky” guess, many people do not know how much money is idlein their homes. Do you know the total amount of coins presently in your house and car? Moreover, have you listened to the Spirit of the Lord for direction on how to put the coins to work?
Coinstar Survey Shows Consumers Lack Knowledge of the Amount of Money in Their Homes
Let’s turn on the Wisdom of God from within us now. Because we are God’s humble children, we have been given plenty of wisdom to become very wealthy. We will talk about the wisdom of God and moneyin greater detail next week, but for now let’s think about what we have learned thus far in light of Colossians 1:16-20.
–We were all made by Jesus, for Jesus, and consist of Jesus.
–Money was made by Jesus, for Jesus, and consist of Jesus.
Every person and thing in Jesus is built to prosper. As such, “we” along with all of the “money” we possess, areblessed and highly favored to get more wealth to establish God’s Covenant in the earth that He swore unto Abraham. (Gen. 12:1-3, Gal. 3:6-9, & 13-14)With regard to the coins in our homes and cars, we should think of it as, “Treasure” that God has given to us to prepare for future use! Somebody shout: “The coins in my house and car are Treasure destined for multiplication.”
The people of God need to endearthemselves toProverbs 21:20, which says, “There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man spendeth it up.”
The Amplified Bible says: There is precious treasure and oil in the house of the wise [who prepare for the future], But a short-sighted and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it.
The coins in our homes and cars are precious Treasure and we have the oil (The Anointing of the Holy Ghost) to take the coins and multiply them in preparation for future Divine Purposes of God.With all money, we are to “do” things with it. We should look at our coin stash and determine that the money will be multiplied “Times” over for Kingdom Priorities. But, if we act foolishly and let the coins remainidle, then we waste God’s precious Treasure afforded to us to accomplish God-good works in the future.
A recent Survey conducted by Coinstar, a company that allows people to exchange loose change for cash, gift cards, or charitable donations, (for a service fee charge of up to 12.9-percent and 59-cents per transaction) shows the average person that uses the company’s machines “underestimates” the amount of coins in their homes.
Coinstarfound that on average, people believe they have within their homes and cars about $28 in loose change lying around. However, the company found the average amount that customers bring infor exchange for gift certificates is $56!This means that people in many instances are actually sitting on about “twice” as much spare change than they know.But, I must add to pay service fees of up to 12.9-percent, and 59-cents per transaction is onerous. When with a little extra effort of using coin wrappers and a sack, and happily lugging the coins to the bank for deposit would cost nothing.
Some people may read this and say, “What’s the big deal Pastor its only $56 that the average person has at home.”To this, first I would say never use the word “only” in front of any amount of money!Fifty-six dollars, or any amount of money, is a very big deal because all money belongs to God!” As I mentioned last week, an estimated 10-percent of the world’s population (700 million people) live in extreme poverty. They live on less than $2.15 per day. Just think what $56 could “do” for a person living in poverty, if a person led by the Spirit of the Lord gave the money to a person in need.
But let me also show you what the average person in the Coinstar Survey could have done with the precious Treasure of $56. For illustration purposes, let’s assume that the average person in the Survey had been holding on to the coins at home for the last five-years, from December 2019 through December 2024, and then decided to take the coins for exchange.
Instead of purchasing a gift card with the $56 after 5-years, the money could have been deposited into an interest bearing savings account at a bank, or invested in the stock market for a future return of gain. If the $56 had been deposited into a bank account, at an interest rate of 0.43-percent over the five-year period, the money would have increased to $57.21. Glory be to God! On the other hand, if the person had invested the $56 into the stock market, in which the average annualrate of return was 15 percentover the 5-year period; the total return on investment would have more than “doubled” to$114.41.Glory be to God!
Additionally, had the average person in the Survey invested the $56 in Apple or Microsoft stock, respectively, the annualized rate of return during the period was 55-percent and39-percent, and the total return of investment would have been $501 or$295. Glory be to God! For the Apple investment, this would have been about a ten-score increase during the period. (These total returns do not reflect gains that would have also been made through dividend reinvestments and stock splits during the period.) If you are wondering about Bitcoin, the investment of $56 would have been worth about $370 in December 2024.
Oh Saints, let’s take the example on step further.If the average person in the Coinstar Survey had invested the $56 in Nvidia stock. Over the five-year period, Nvidia returned to investors an annualized rate of return of 534-percent. Thus, the total return on investment would have been about $573,600.Glory be to God! Now, remain Kingdom-minded, and let the Spirit of the Lord open your eyes to what good works the average person in the Survey could have “done” to help the poor and those in need because of the wise investment of spare change in Nvidia!
Saints, please understand that I am not recommending that you purchase any of the aforementioned stocks. As I said at the beginning of this Sermon Series, this is not a financial planning and management Seminar. With respect to stock picking, past performance is not a predictor of future results.
This Series is all about how we spend our “Time” on earth; and seeks to admonish us, to not waste our God-given “Time” accomplishing things that have little or no eternal value with respect to our wealth. The Spirit of the Lord chastens us not to let coins sit idle for protracted periods of “Time.” But Procrastination seeks to have us say, “One day I will get around to putting the money to work.”
My motives for sharing this investment information today is “solely”to get you focused on the value of “coins.” What seems to be a little or not worth muchto many people, if invested wisely over a period of “Time,”can result in abundanceand used to accomplish Kingdom Purposes.If we stop Procrastinating about the utility of coins and work to invest them wisely,we can be a blessing to many people in need.
The Anointed King Jesus Has Commanded We Do Business (Trade) Until He Returns
Let’s get something straight about our Salvation. We did not choose God, God chose us for His Divine Purpose. (Rom. 8:29-31) We are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of the Life and Mind of Jesus Christ is living through us. Whatever the Anointed King Jesus Commands us to “do,” we are to keep His Commandments, and “do them.” Jesus said if we love Him we will keep His Commandments. (John 14:15)One of Christ’s Commands is that we be “fruitful” unto Him. Check out John 15:5 & 16. Jesus said,
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you.
One of the ways in which we are to be fruitful is by multiplying the money God has given us in support of Kingdom Priorities. Simply put, with the money we have been given,“we are to make more of it.” In Christ, we are to have the mind-set of “increase, increase, and increase.” This is what the Spirit of the Lord and Anointingwithin, and on our lives, is intended to “do.” Psalm 115:14-15 says:
The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth.
Every year, we should see not only our money increasing, but also our children’s money increasing; regardless of the political climate, fluctuations in the stock market, the national or local economy, and job market. Jerimiah 17: 7-8, it reads:
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD.For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
As born-again Christians, we are to trust in the Lord with all of our hearts and our hope (expectation) is to be in the Lord; and not in this world’s system. God in Christ Jesus is the one who has made all financial currency, and the Anointed King Jesus has Commandedus to “Occupy”until the His glorious return. (Luke 19:13) As such, as born-again Christians, we must walk in complete confidence that our wealth portfolios will experience great increase over a long-period of “Time,” because we are the blessed of the Lord. We should expect all of our material wealth and substance to increase because in “God We Trust!”
When Jesus said “Occupy until He comes.” This means we are to Trust in Him andinvest our money with intent of increase. Oh, somebody ought to say right now that its “My Time to start occupying (investing) until the Lord returns because I trust in God.”It’s “Time” to invest your coins and dollar bills, with the expectation of the money multiplying,and being used for Kingdom Priorities until Jesus Christ returns.Investing with confidence that in “God We Trust.” God is our source of the money, God is the one who will multiply it!
In the Parable of the Pounds and Parable of the Talents, recorded respectively at Luke 19:12-27 and Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus illustrates His expectation for those who would follow after Him to be good stewards over His Money. To ensure that they invest the Lord’s money and are profitable upon His return to earth. While these Parables are Future events related to the End-Times, they are teaching points for the Church and born-again believers to understand how Jesus views money and the seriousness of His Commandment to invest money and be profitable.
Just for the sake of “Time” remaining in this Session, we will examine the Parable of the Talents at Matthew 25. The Greek word for Talent is translated “talanton,” which denotes a large value of money. So this is not a Parable about stewardship of spiritual or natural talents/gifts. The Parable is about the handling of the Lord’s money over a lengthy period of “Time.”
According to the Dake Bible, the amount of one “talent” was equal to $29,085. Jesus told this Parable in private to His disciples. He said,
15 And unto one he gave five talents, ($145,425 to trade with) to another two ($58,170 to trade with), and to another one ($29,085 to trade with); to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.($290,850)
17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. ($116,340)
18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. (No return, $29,085)
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
In summary, in this Parable, Jesus is the wealthy man traveling into a far country who entrusts His wealth to three men.(His servants/disciples) These servants then became stewards of the Lord’s money. The amounts given to each man by earthly standards are large sums, and are given based on each steward’s ability to turn a profit. One received five talents. Another received two talents. A third steward received one talent.
The first two stewards understood the Spirit and letter of instructions and the character of their Lord. So they both used the resources by “trading” to gain a profit. Each of them made a 100-percent profit. However, the third steward allowed fear and mistrust of his Lord to motivate his inaction to invest the money.Upon receiving the Lord’s talent, the steward Procrastinated on whether to obey the instructions of the Lord. Instead of investing the money, note what he decided to do with it. He went and “buried”the money in the earth. He put the money to death! He wasted his “Time” allotted to build wealth.
Then when the Lord returned he “unapologetically”returned the original amountgiven to him, and made excuses for not obeying the Lord’s instruction and using his God-given ability to increase the talent. Jesus said to the unfaithful steward that at a minimum, he could have put the money in the bank to accrue interest. (V.25-26)
In the Parable, the profitable stewards are praised, given increased responsibilities in the new Kingdom, and invited to enter into the joy of their Lord. (Vs.20-23) Notice that Jesus said they had been “faithful over a few things.” Compared to heaven’s wealth, and the inheritances they would obtain, the large sum of money given to the stewards was just a “drop in the bucket.” While the untrusting steward is scolded, rejected, punished, and his talent taken from him, and given to the steward with 10 talents.
But, what I love most about this Parable, as well as the other Parable of the Pounds, is that the wealthy man (Jesus) upon His return, did not collect the money from the three stewards. He simply wanted to test how each steward would handle His money to bring about increase, and to bless them with even greater abundance to oversee in the new Kingdom!
In closing, the Parable of the Talents has universal application to all Mankind, and especially to born-again Christians. From the “Time” of the creation, Mankind has been entrusted with resources of “Time” and material wealth. Everything we have comes from God and belongs to Him. God holds us accountable for how we use those resources to increase in value. As born-again Christians, we have the most valuable spiritual resources of all: The Word of God, The Spirit of the Lord, and Anointing to be profitable unto every God-ordained work. The value of money placed in our stewardship is blessed; every piece of money is full of Jesus’ Anointing to multiply for future use, according to God’s Divine Purposes. The money is “Blessed,” so that we may be a blessing to others.
Let us no longer let Procrastination serve as the cause of coins and dollar bills in our homes and cars dying a slow death. This is wickedness in God’s sight. Do not be a hearer only of the Word preached to you today. But go and respond affirmatively to the Voice of the Spirit of the Lord, and gather together, and wrap up the coins and band the dollar bills together and put them to work for the Anointed King Jesus, through saving and investing until He returns. So that we might hear the Lord say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant,” you have been faithful in a few things, come and receive the glorious rewards of just stewardship over God’s wealth.
For though we are saved by grace through faith, and on our way to Heaven, we all must give an account of our stewardship of the Lord’s resources when we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote:
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (II Cor. 5:10)
King Solomon wrote these words to his son, (meaning his students) recorded at Proverbs 3:9-10 to:
Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
Honor God with your coins and let the Spirit of the Lord teach you how to invest them in fruitful places for future harvests; and your houses, wallets, bank accounts, and investment portfolios will be filled with plenty. Amen.
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