We are spending this month talking about our relationship with our money with the hope of discovering joy through simplicity and generosity.  So far, not much joy.  Two weeks ago I told you that you were rich and last week Lindsay, our resident prophet, revealed some of the manifestations of greed and indifference.  Both Lindsay and I pointed out that this scripture is in no way condemning the rich.  Affluence is not a sin, but it does present some unique opportunities for sin.  Paul did not want his protégé to go down that road.  So he pointed to another path, a better path, a path that does lead to the discovery of joy through simplicity and generosity.  This morning we get to gaze down that path.  It is a path that is well marked, well mapped, and well monitored.  Just watch the road.
 

The Better Path is Well-Marked

Have you ever been on a poorly marked road and suffered from a slight case of anxiety that you could be on the wrong road? I have.  Have you ever been driving along, making good time, when you see a car with lights on top, resting on the side of the road, and you ask the passenger in the car what the speed limit is and neither of you remembers seeing a sign?  I have.  In fact, I am on probation right now, because I received a speeding ticket on Texas Avenue between Southwest Parkway and FM 2818.  The officer pulled me over and asked me, “Do you know what the speed limit is?” and I said, “No.”  Then he asked me if I knew how fast I was going and I said, “No.”  Then he asked me for my driver’s licence.  I am guessing that with my first two responses he did not even want to ask me, “Do you know your name?”  Even when the road is well marked we have to pay attention to the signs.

Paul announced the signs to his young friend.  After pointing out the pitfalls of some people actually wandering from the faith and piercing themselves with many pains on the wrong path, he wrote, “But as for you, man of God, shun all this”.  The word shun is most frequently translated “run away” or “flee”.  Instead, he was to pursue another path marked with righteousness (this is justice, being aware of and responding to atrocities such as those exposed in the “Call & Response” film showing this Friday in our Great Hall), godliness (life lived out of reverence for God), faith (trust in God’s design for your life), love (an active spirit of consideration toward others), endurance (tenacity to stay the course through all the temptations that a desire for money can produce), and gentleness (compassion towards others).  Just like a well-marked road, the driver must look outside the vehicle to fulfill these.  We have to look outside of ourselves.

In regards to our money Adam Hamilton pointed out two big things that can prevent us from seeing this well-marked path.  Impulse buying and eating out.  These are two money drains that deplete our resources if we are heading toward a financial crisis and distract our resources from doing some of the good that could be done.  Hamilton wrote, “Every dollar we choose to waste is a dollar that could be used for something more meaningful”  By the way, if you have not received a copy of this book, please do me the favor of stopping by the Involve Table right after worship and pick up your copy.  If you want to pay for it, drop $10 in the basket by the books.  If you don’t have the money or want to wait and see if it is worth $10, that’s fine.  There is no obligation to pay.  This book is too important for that to be a barrier. 

One caution before leaving this well-marked aspect of our path.  These discussions about faithful living and your relationship with money are for you.  They are not being presented to equip you with righteous indignation towards those that you see in the McDonalds Drive Thru or pulling up to Christopher’s World Grille.  Hamilton pointed out in his book, “When it comes to material possessions and money, we are not in a position to pass judgment on others.  We simply do not know how much they make and how much they give away.  We do not know their hearts.” Just watch the road, but don’t appoint yourself as the sheriff of the world.
 

The Better Path is Well-Mapped

Maps have come a long way in the last few years.  Many cars do not have glove compartments stuffed with tattered maps that have been folded in 50 different ways.  They have been replaced by computer printouts and Global Positioning System Devices.  One thing that hasn’t changed is the only way for these to be useful navigational tools is that the user has to know the destination.  I have one of these GPS devices and the only problem I have is that I need to know where I’m going before I can find out where to turn next.  This passage makes it clear that the destination is eternal life.  Timothy is told to fight the good fight of faith (many commentators believe that the phrase is actually referencing Olympic competition).  The eternal life to which Timothy was called is then the victor’s crown, the gold medal of competition.  The Winter Olympics have just begun this week and it is always amazing to me how hard these athletes have trained, not just for the past four years, but most of their young lives for that moment when they can stand on the podium and receive that for which they have taken hold.  Days, months, and years were arranged with this one goal in mind.  Timothy is told to never lose sight of his goal – eternal life.

That’s why in your worship guide on page 7, is a worksheet for you to reflect this week on your life purpose and related goals.  To accomplish your financial goals, you received the, “Six Key Financial Principles.” 

The first thing listed there is, “Put God first in your living and your giving.”  Your goal in life is never to accumulate the most stuff, but to participate in the eternal life to which God has called you.  The Bible often talks about giving back to God first: offering the first fruits of the fields and flocks, setting aside money at the first of the week, giving God the tithe (a tenth of the income) first.  I think the reason that this is first is that it demonstrates trust in God.  That the God who has given us this, will be faithful in providing us with daily bread.  When asked why they give proportionally, Guy Pry wrote, “It was a new freedom for us to discover years ago that when we paid our tithe first, there was always enough money left to cover our needs.”  When developing a financial plan for your life, put God first in your living and your giving.

Secondly, develop a budget based on what you really spend and keep track of it.  Most of us are amazed at this time of year when we begin to prepare our taxes and see how much money has passed through our hands unaccounted for.  Take the time to look through the past three months of checking account and credit card activity and establish a realistic plan.  On page 8 in your worship guide is a worksheet that can assist you in establishing a budget.

Thirdly, simplify your lifestyle.  Once it is clear how much you make and how much you spend, make sure that column B is less than column A.  Most of us are very fortunate in that getting giving, spending, and saving in the right proportion takes only minor changes in our lifestyle – eating out less, stopping or at least slowing down on impulsive purchases.

Fourthly, make sure there is an emergency fund available.  This should be in place before you implement a plan to eliminate debt or build savings.  Otherwise, you will be quickly thrown off track.  The experts suggest starting with $1,000 to deal with life that happens and later build that to three months income.  For now, make sure you have $1,000 ready to access in case of emergency, but be careful what you call an emergency.

Fifthly, get rid of credit card debt.  Some of us cannot do this all that quickly.  That’s OK.  It is not a sprint, but without a plan that we are following, we will never get there.  Dave Ramsey suggests a debt snowball where you pay off the lowest balance and then the next lowest, until they are all paid off.  He also mentions that we tend to spend quite a bit less when we use cash.  This may be the reason the credit card companies don’t mind giving away points and merchants are willing to pay that charge that they are assessed on every credit card transaction.

Sixthly, practice long term saving and investing habits.  Adam Hamilton identified three types of savings – emergency savings covered earlier, savings for wants and needs (cars, televisions, computer, clothes, etc.), and saving for retirement.  Notice this is not the first principle.  We don’t save to save.  That’s called hoarding.  We save to support our purpose in life that is far higher than accumulating the most stuff.

These six principles help to guide us on the well-mapped path that we are encouraged to take.  In the movie “Planes and Trains and Automobiles” there is a scene in which John Candy and Steve Martin wind up going east bound on a west bound interstate.  The driver and passenger in another car, try to tell them by yelling, “You’re going the wrong way!”  Martin and Candy look at each other and say, “How would he know where we’re going?”  Of course, it is about that time that they see two semi-trucks coming right at them. There is an easy way to tell if you are going the wrong way.  If your consumer debt is higher this year than it was last year – you’re going the wrong way.  If you are not giving back to God proportionally – you are going the wrong way.  The path is well-mapped.  Just watch the road.
 

The Better Path is Well-Monitored

Timothy was reminded that he had made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.  That’s a curious phrase.  It’s a phrase that says in a matter of fact way that people are watching you.  One of the commentators of the 5-hour opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics said that he was amazed that these athletes would risk failure in front of so many witnesses.  Believe me, it doesn’t take competing in the Olympics to sense that there are many witnesses.  People are watching you as you live your life.  Maybe there are one or two persons who are waiting for you to fail, but most people are looking for a life that will inspire them.

Bill Hybels the pastor of Willow Creek Church in the Chicago area, addressed tens of thousands of pastors a couple of years ago and challenged us, “Whatever you do, inspire me!” 

When people unite with this church it is our custom to have them stand here and make a good confession in the presence of many witnesses.  I asked them about their relationship with Christ and I ask them if they will be loyal to this church and support it with their prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.  They all say, “I will.” Then we, as the witnesses, join them by declaring that we renew our vow to support this church in the same way.  People are watching you; not to judge you, but to be inspired by you. 

This community has been inspired by your response to the crisis in Haiti. You have done more in the last eight days on three portable medical clinics than anyone thought possible.  You have chosen the better path.

When it comes to you and your money, choose the better path.  It is a path that is well-marked with six guiding qualities – righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.  It is a path that is well-mapped with our destination already determined – eternal life.  These six key principles help guide us on that path financially – tithing, budgeting, simplifying, preparing for emergencies, eliminating debt, and saving for future needs.  It is a path that is well monitored – people are watching you.  Inspire them with God honoring living.  This is the better path.  Just watch the road.  Amen.