Living in the Zone - Week 2 MESSAGE TEXT

Money Matters 2 – Living in the Zone – 25 Feb 2007 - Jacob's Well – Greg Meyer

Welcome back to Money Matters here at Jacob’s Well. Don’t you love talking about money? I know you’re thinking, “I love having it more…” Don’t blame you. A lot of us feel that way. But the truth is, and we know it, that the amount of money we have isn’t the only, and not even the biggest problem with our money. But it is the one we most often turn to. Zig Ziegler the bizarre motivational speaker, entrepreneur wanted us to have some perspective and said, “Money isn’t everything, but it’s right up there with oxygen.” I can personally relate to Henry Youngman who said, “I have all the money I need, if I die by 4:00 tomorrow.” You may not be quite as intense as Robert Orbin who admitted, “Every morning I get up and I check Fortune’s richest Americans. If I’m not on the list I go to work that day.”

The fact is that if you have a lot of money, money is important. If you are like me and you don’t have a lot of money, money is important. And as we will be talking about today, there is a direct connection between my spiritual health, the intimacy of my connection with God, and my relationship with money. The same is true for you.

Yeah, money. Cold, hard cash. Owning, Having, Buying, KaChing and Bling Bling. It has us by the necks. Catch this music video…

[Segment of Music Video – Chain Hang Low?]

Okay, before we get going let’s all do a little financial analysis. This is simple, you don’t need your 1040 for this. Over the past 365 days, in the last year, have you gained ground financially? I don’t mean are you making more money. I mean have you reduced your debt? Put more money into savings, towards retirement? Gotten a better handle on your budget and your spending patterns? Take out your $20 bill that’s in the Sunday Paper – yeah, it’s a fake one again this week, sorry – the back of it is your journal again. If you are gaining ground draw an arrow pointing up to signify this. Teenagers, you can do this too regarding your general spending and how your savings account is doing. Some of you are looking at me like, “huh?” If you don’t have one that would probably not be an Up Arrow...

If you aren’t gaining ground. If your unsecured debt has increased, you still don’t know where all your money goes and you have less in savings than a year ago. Maybe some unforeseen car expenses or medical bills that blew you out of the water. It that is your story, then put an arrow pointing down on the back of your Twenty. You are losing ground.

If the person sitting next to you is the problem with your money, then draw an arrow pointing at him or her. It’s that person’s fault!

The truth is that for many of us, we don’t know whether to put an up or a down arrow. We’re not sure if we are gaining or losing ground. That’s because we think and worry about our money all the time, but we don’t do much about it. We’ve got stacks of records, a few failed starts at financial management programs on our computers and sometimes we even think that if we don’t open a bill, we didn’t really get it yet. Do you ever do that? I have… Guess what… it doesn’t work.

Money can be such a blessing, but it can be so troubling too. It stops being a tool for a blessed life and we become its slave, living to serve it. That is not good.

The place where it is a blessing is in the Zone. You know the Zone, the sweet spot. I mentioned it last week and a couple people got back to me telling me that they were either in, or out, of it, and they understood what it was all about. Being in the Zone isn’t the kind of life you read about in People magazine. It isn’t the rich and glamorous life. In fact, like I already said, it isn’t about how much money we have. Take out your Message Outline and read the definition of the Zone that is on the back of it with me.

‘Living in the Zone’ means living in a relationship with our money that allows us and the world to be blessed by it.

When we are in the Zone, life is good. Let me give you a couple images of it. Here is the first one. These are my images, okay? Have I mentioned to you that I like sailing before? Yeah, I thought so. Anyway, this is what the Zone feels like for me. Peaceful. Beautiful. Smooth. Many things working together tightly and flawlessly. Silently sailing with a nice, warm wind through calm waters, into the sunset like that (notice the glass of Cabernet Sauvignon that barely made it into the shot…) that is what the Zone feels like.

Now you might say, “Sure, that is the Zone, but that is exceptional and wonderfully comfortable and nice. Sometimes life isn’t like that. If that is the Zone it isn’t only peaceful, it is luxurious.” Okay, good point. Let me show another picture of the Zone for me. This is the BWCA. Breakfast time. This is a sweet spot for me too. But not the lap of luxury. Canoe paddle for turning pancakes, a stove that gives you a back ache to bend over and work on. A boulder for a counter, and a matching one under my sleeping pad the night before. Mosquitoes for music and company… and I was as happy as could be.

You all know these kinds of experiences. Living in the Zone where we are blessed by our wealth isn’t being surrounded in luxury, but it might feel like it to the person. Why? Because when you are in the Zone you are tuned into different aspects of the experience.

Paul, one of the earliest teachers of the faith shortly after the time of Jesus wrote this letter to Timothy, a young apprentice of his. And in his instructions he talks about a right relationship with money. Read this with me.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

Take out your outline again, and circle the word “RICH.” Here is something we all need to wrap our heads around. By the world’s standards we are all rich. You may be up to your eyeballs in debt and not be able to afford an old car. But if you have a place to sleep tonight, and the vast majority of us qualify for that, and you have an idea where your next meal is coming from. Then you are rich. That lets you know that Paul is writing to all of us, not just to someone who makes a lot more money than you do. Paul goes on to tell us that OUR wealth isn’t our salvation, our wealth is uncertain. But God does give us something we can count on. “God…richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”

Now circle or underline the two words “our enjoyment.” God’s idea of blessing you isn’t making you appreciate a Spartan, vow-of-poverty lifestyle. Some may be called to that, but it isn’t what God expects. God’s idea is that your life should be cared for materially in such a way that you can enjoy it.

There are preachers out there that say if you aren’t wealthy, you clearly aren’t blessed by God. That’s wrong. But if you do have money, it also doesn’t mean you are disobedient, that you aren’t blessed by God. There is no virtue in poverty. God is happy for you to have money, God just doesn’t want your money to have you. Okay?!

Here’s why. Read the second half of the passage with me. 1 Tim 6.17-19 NIV

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Circle three more phrases. “Rich in good deeds,” “be generous” and “willing to share.” God is happy to have us be rich, but not because God wants to indulge our greediness, but because God can both help us enjoy life and use us as powerful givers. That way we “can take hold of the life that is truly life.” Underline that phrase. That ‘life that is truly life’ is living… guess where? No, not Edina, not Laguna Beach. In the Zone, that’s right!

You see, there are two worlds. FIRST, there is the world out of the Zone. I like to call that The world of “IT’S MINE.” In that world our wealth isn’t for good deeds, being generous and sharing, it’s for ME! You may have heard that Jesus once said,

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into heaven.” Matthew 19.24

It isn’t because it is wrong to be rich, but because when we are rich in worldly terms we have a great temptation to turn toward the land of “It’s Mine” where we think we can take care of ourselves and leave God out of the picture all together.

When we live in the world of ”It’s Mine” we don’t experience ultimate luxury like we think we can; that’s the illusion. Instead we experience the insecurity of ENOUGH, SCARCITY and LEFTOVERS.

Those are the next fill-ins.

· ENOUGH is what we want, and there never is enough.

· SCARCITY is how we experience the world. A limited place with scarce resources that we need to compete for.

· LEFT OVERS are what we give. Because we never have enough and things are scarce in our world.

A resident of the world of “It’s Mine” is OUT OF THE ZONE. I’m sure you’ve experienced the frustration of living there. I think we all have.

The second is the world of “IT’S GOD’S.” When we live there we are clear that everything we have originated from God and belongs to God - even if we have the deed, keys, mortgage or account number for it - and we are clear that we are the managers of some of God’s wealth.

Here in the Land of “It’s God’s” we experience

SUFFICIENCY, ABUNDANCE, and FIRST FRUITS.

· SUFFICIENCY is what we seek,

· ABUNDANCE is how we perceive the world. A place with untold potential, gifts that can be given a million times over.

· FIRST FRUITS are what we give. Gladly sharing from the top because we are eager to see others blessed and secure that we will be sufficient in God’s abundant world.

Folks, this really is a choice! You can’t live in both worlds because they are fundamentally different. Like Jesus said,

“You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6.4

You can’t. Each requires a relationship with you that doesn’t leave room for the other. You must serve one and make the other serve you. And your life in the never-quite-satisfied world of “It’s Mine” is so different than living in the Zone, in the sweet spot of God’s plans for you, that the choice should be clear.

We are going to take a break in a minute and the band is going to play a song that speaks right to this point. But before we do there is one more truth about our money that we all need to know. And that is that Your money will TEST you. It will try to take God’s place in your life.

What do I mean by that? You maybe don’t fall down and worship your money, and, hey, you’re here on Sunday aren’t you… Doesn’t that prove that you’ve got the God-thing straight? But the truth is that if you are like me, because I battle this all the time still, you spend more time thinking about money and trying to have it in your life than you do God. You make more decisions because of what money says, than because of what God says. You let your money restrict how you respond to God, rather than let God decide how you will respond to the money in your life.

Here’s the cold, hard fact about this. God didn’t make money your #1 test, you did! You did it by allowing it to be one of the biggest, if not the biggest obstacle to a deep and trusting relationship with God. And you know, deep down, that you need to pass this test or your money will separate you from God forever.

Here is a verse to memorize if you haven’t already,

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12.34

Say that with me. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Memorize that one. Don’t kid yourself and say you love God with your whole heart, soul, strength and mind if your treasure can be measured in dollars. People are smart enough to pick up on the insincerity of that, God certainly can. Check yourself with that verse from time to time.

Here is another verse you have probably heard before,

“The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” 1 Timothy 6.10

Note, it doesn’t say, MONEY is the root of evil. No, money isn’t evil. Money is powerful. God entrusts it to us for great things to be done with it and much enjoyment to be found in it. It is the LOVE of money that is the problem. You see if I love money it will lead me and I’ll spend (literally) my life serving it. But if I lead my money it will serve me. How do I lead my money? It goes back to living in the Zone, realizing that God owns it and I get to be in charge of it, manage it, then I have the ability to lead money and it will serve me. And ultimately it isn’t serving me, it is serving God because that is what happens in the Zone.

Okay, enough right now… let’s take a break. Pull out your $20 while the band is coming out. Here is what I want you to think about during this song. Three simple questions that you can put a simple “yes” or “no” to. I want you to write something though. This is your covenant. Your contract with God. God has you thinking about these things for a reason. God wants to know you better and God has invested some pretty big things in your life and is dying – in fact, did die in Jesus Christ – for you to put them to work. God wants you in the Zone.

Here are the questions to ask yourself:

1. Am I living in the zone of God’s blessing right now? Is my life about sufficiency, abundance and first fruits?
2. Do I want to live there? In the zone?
3. Will I ask God to help me get or stay there? If so, ask now while the band plays.

SONG – YOU ALONE ARE WORTHY OF MY HEART

We are talking about living in the zone. That may sound like a pretty different idea. But it isn’t really. It goes back to the ancient writings of God’s people in the Old Testament of the Bible. There the word for the Zone is… anybody know it? That’s right, Shalom. You’ve heard shalom used. It’s a Hebrew word usually used to mean peace, but it is a much bigger idea than that. Shalom is peace experienced in all areas of life and community. It is an overall sense of well-being. It is a state, it is living in the Zone.

Folks, if you aren’t in the Zone, don’t beat yourself up over it, just move towards it! It’s tough. I may sound like I talk about this with authority, but believe me, this is stuff I battle too and not always very successfully. Like pretty much all of the areas of faith, you don’t make up your mind and voila! it’s taken care of for the rest of your life. These are things that we have to make decisions and build habits and accountability around day in and day out.

Now, if your interested in shalom, in living in the Zone, it is helpful to know that there are forces that try to sweep you OUT OF the Zone. Out of the land of “It’s God’s.“

1. The first is PRIDE. That’s a fill-in on your outline. Remember the reading at the top of your outline? Command those who are rich not to be arrogant. Not to be full of pride. Why? Pride tells us that it is all us. You maybe have your relationship with God in pretty good shape, but then people start complimenting you on things. Someone tells you you’ve got a nice house or a good car. You dress well and your friends admire you. You are in the groove at work and people are saying, “You’re the man!” “You’re the girl!” And you want to take credit. “That’s right, I’m good! You should look up to me.” And when we do that, our pride slides God out of ownership. It makes us something we’re not and it keeps God from working through us. Pride sweeps us out of the Zone.

2. Another is GUILT. It may surprise you that guilt takes us away from God, but it is true. When we feel guilty for having what God has entrusted to us, and we diminish it, then we aren’t investing it – it doesn’t bless others. We mistakenly think that nothing about us is good, or that if anything points at us we should deny that. After all, that is being proud. People compliment you for your skill as a teacher, a speaker, a leader, a tradesman, a store manager, or for something beautiful you have made and you say, “It’s nothing.” It’s not nothing! It is a gift of God that you are to use for the glory of God! It isn’t wrong that you have money, gifts or abilities that others don’t have. God didn’t make us all the same, but God did invest in each of us, including you, in ways that are remarkable. Being proud of what God is doing in your life is different than being proud of yourself, because it points back to God. Don’t let guilt hide your blessings.

3. One more, COMPARISON. This is huge. Comparison is the enemy of contentment. You may be perfectly happy with what God has entrusted you; you like your house, your car, your job – they are all fine. Kids aren’t bad. Kids, your parents aren’t too embarrassing. All is good… and then you meet the Jones. You see what God entrusted your friend and suddenly every thing that was good enough before doesn’t look good enough anymore. “God, why can’t I be a person that should have a jacuzzi?” We let comparison take our eyes off of what God is doing in our lives.

Now, not everything that everyone has was handed over by God. Just because someone else has a Porsche doesn’t mean that it was God’s will and plan for them to have a Porsche, just like it doesn’t hold water to assume that someone who has no car doesn’t have one because God didn’t give them one. The fact is that our living out of the Zone means that we’ve messed up God’s plans for us. But it isn’t our job to figure all that out, just to see what God has entrusted us with and to ask how we can manage it for God.

Fortunately there are forces that sweep you INTO the Zone too.

1. The first is graciousness. Learn to be GRACIOUS.

Here is something to know about being gracious. It is possible to Admire without the need to ACQUIRE. Got that? Graciousness is able to be happy for what someone else has for their sake.

The Bible says this,

Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. Philippians 4.11

When I learn to be content with what I have I can be gracious about what you have. Graciousness allows another person’s wealth to be between that person and God. It doesn’t try to judge it, envy it, just appreciates it. Folks, it is freeing when you can do that. And face it, don’t you want others to do that for you too? What your money or possessions mean in your life are between you and God. No one else can quite know or understand. Isn’t it freeing to know that in graciousness you don’t need to be scrutinized by everyone else, it is simply between you and God. Of course, there is still God. But then God knows your heart already anyway, you might as well be upfront with God.

2. The second is Develop an attitude of GRATITUDE.

Gratitude is looking at the good stuff that God has entrusted to you and saying, “Wow, way to go God! Now show me what you want me to do with all this. And you mean I get to enjoy and benefit from all this too?”

In Romans 12.15 Paul writes,

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Romans 12.15

Now, what does that have to do with gratitude? Well, we like to do just the opposite of that verse. We rejoice with those who weep, and we weep with those who rejoice. It’s like this. When someone else is celebrating because they got the promotion, we sit and stew. When someone else gets pulled over for speeding and we drive by and think, “Yes!” We find our satisfaction in other people’s failure, and take other’s blessings as slaps in our faces. That’s not the way God wants us to be. Be grateful for what God has given you. Be grateful along with others for what God is doing in their lives. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.

3. A final force that can sweep us in and hold us in the Zone is to learn the secret of GENEROSITY.

How do you learn to be generous? By being generous. You try it, learn it doesn’t hurt as much as you thought and you discover that having enough wasn’t quite as important as you thought. So you give generosity another try, maybe a bigger one! When you are generous you give God a chance to prove to you that the economy of the world of “It’s God’s” is better than the economy of the world of “It’s mine.”

The Bible says,

Just as you excel in everything…see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

2 Corinthians 8.7

Kris and I lived in very remote area of Papua New Guinea with our children for many years. One day a fire started in a building right next to our house where I had my office, a guest room and our pantry – we could only shop about every 6 weeks so we had to store a lot. It quickly consumed the building and threatened our house, so our Papua New Guinean neighbors emptied EVERYTHING out of our house and laid it all out in the yard. Want to feel naked? Have everything you own laid out in the open while the whole neighborhood stands there and looks.

Now you have to get the context. These people live in wood and grass huts. When they move they can carry everything they own in one trip and build a new house and move in within 3 days. And there we were. We didn’t know what sort of jealousy or resentment this was going to cause. You know what happened? They took up collections all around the region we lived in. These people who don’t have a monetary income gathered the coins and small bills they could because they didn’t need them. They could see we did, however, so they gave the money to us. Generous. Why? Because they didn’t rely on that money to care for them, and when there was a clear need for it, that is what it was used for. Wow. Taught us a few things. Generosity moves you in and keeps you in the Zone.

Folks, God wants to bless people, especially people in the Zone, because God knows if we are blessed then other things will be blessed through us. God knows that we will care for the Church, God’s greatest work in the world. Other people’s lives will be blessed. And we will be an example to others because of how we leverage, manage, our blessings for good, and they will be intrigued to follow.

Your wealth has no limit nor minimum. It is a matter of the heart. It is between you and God, between me and God. It’s living in the Zone.

Would you pray with me…