In 2008, financial statements have diminished tremendously. The value of assets has gone down in dollars that are now measured by trillions.

God’s financial statement is not about assets and liabilities but about giving. He measures our financial position not by how much money we have but how much we have left after we’ve given. His whole economic system is based on this fact that it’s His anyway, it is not ours to keep, but He loans it to us to be good stewards of His resources. Therefore, the financial statement is based on giving, not getting.

The world likes to applaud people who are called “go-getters.” God applauds people who are “go-givers.”

In Mark 12, Jesus tells about a poor widow who came up and placed just a penny in the offering plate. Jesus shocked everybody around him by saying that she had given more than anybody else. The disciples quickly let him know that he didn’t understand economics because there were a lot of folks who had given more than she had given. He quickly gave his view on economics by saying that she gave more because she gave all that she had to live on.

Giving for Jesus wasn’t so much the amount given, but the amount retained by the individual. The size of the gift is measured entirely different by God’s economics.

God’s economics were employed by the early church as is evident in Acts 4:33-35. It reminds us that apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus by their giving. He stated that there was not a needy person among them because everybody would bring what they had and help meet the needs of those who did not have.

One of the great men of Methodism was Bishop Arthur J. Moore. Once he was preaching and gave a call for a special offering for missions. When the collection plate was passed a little girl sitting on the front pew was greatly moved by his appeal and took off her necklace and her bracelet and put them in the offering plate.

After the service they found the necklace and the bracelet and Bishop Moore went over to the little girl and said that is a great act of love and he appreciated her commitment but said that she didn’t have to give her bracelet and necklace to the Bishop. The little girl looked up and said, “Bishop, I wasn’t giving it to you. I was giving it to God.” Bishop Arthur J. Moore took that bracelet and necklace and across South Georgia and raised enough money to build a hospital, a school and a church because one little girl gave to God.

Man’s financial statements change annually because they are based on a tangible amount of what a person is deemed to be worth. God’s financial statement have endured the test of thousands of years, and will be relevant forever because it is based not on what a person has left, but what a person has given.

There are two economic systems—the world’s economic system and God’s economics. You and I, have a choice.

Understanding God’s economics is so important because it is an indicator of our faith. Jesus said quite simply in Matthew 6, “Where you put your money is where you heart really is.” Show me your cancelled checks for 2008 and I will tell you what you really worship.

I genuinely hope that the world’s economic system does better in 2009—I know God’s economics will be right on target forever!

In the last half of 2008 the fluctuation has primarily been south.  Yields are extremely relative.  Back in 2007, folks were looking for yields in the 7% bracket.  Today people are scrambling to find yields in the 3% bracket.

Jesus teaches something entirely different about yields.

God’s economics concerning yields are emphasized in Matthew 25, when Jesus teaches about how God gives out resources.  What we do with those resources determines the yield.  One man was given five talents, and his yielded doubled.  Another was given two talents and his yield doubled.  The man who did nothing with the resources God gave him had not only a lack of yield, but also the scorn or his master.

All of us want to know about the yield on our investment.  As Jesus was entering the end of his earthly ministry, Peter was beginning to ask the question about the yield of his commitment.  In Matthew 19: 27, he poses the question to Jesus about how he would be rewarded?  He reminded Jesus that he had left everything and followed him.

Jesus teaches us God’s economics about yields.  He said anyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or fathers or mothers or children or farms for my sake shall receive many times as much, and shall inherit eternal life.

Wow—that is a yield many times as much as anything that we have invested.

A few years ago I met a man who had two brothers who were kin to him.  They had asked him to look after their finances.  They had been active in the church.  They had a great desire to give their money, to make an investment in order that ministers might be better trained in the areas of leadership and evangelism.

Initially it was thought that it would be just a few million dollars.  The money turned out to be close to triple digit millions.  Two of the areas where this money was invested were in a seminary in Birmingham now known as Beeson Seminary and a great program for ministers at Asbury Theological Seminary known as the Beeson Program.  Hundreds of pastors in the Beeson Program have come to Frazer as a part if their training.

The Beeson brothers did have quite a yield in the world economy on their investments.  There biggest yield is their investment in the lives of thousands of young people who are going to make a difference for Jesus Christ in the world.

What yield are you getting with your life?  I expect your worldly yield is down a lot—how about your spiritual yield?  Whatever little bit I have given, God will multiply through His Kingdom economics.

The principle of the yield in the world fluctuates—God’s economics of the yield has not changed in thousands of years, and will continue to yield exponentially forever.

It is obvious that human theories of economics have been faulty.  Maybe it is time that we look at God’s economics.  Let’s look at God’s economics concerning

PROFIT—COLLATERAL—INVESTMENTS—YIELDS—FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

INVESTMENTS
An important part of any economy is investments.  Folks would never have believed how much investments could diminish like we have experienced in the second half of 2008.

For many people investments have been tied to retirement, and now retirements are diminished or nonexistent.  As one person said, “My 401K is now a 101K.”

The problem with the world’s view of investments is that they are not secure.  There is no guarantee.  While investments will sometimes go up, they can sometimes go down, and sometimes out of sight.

Let’s look at what God’s economics teach us about investments.  In Matthew 6: 19-20, Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.”

Recently a man had a multi-million dollar art collection in his home, and his home burned and there is nothing left.  Many people had beautiful homes down on the gulf coast and hurricanes have played havoc with those investments.  Many folks have experienced “white collar thieves” who have broken into the investment world and stolen money.

Anytime we put our investments in a worldly commodity, it is always subject to thieves, moths, rust, natural disasters, and white collar ingenuity.

Jesus’ economics about investments are very simple.  He says, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moths or rust destroys nor thieves break in or steal.”

God’s economics deals with this life and for eternity.  If we lay up our treasures in heaven, we have invested our time and energy and resources wisely here, He also says that there will be many rewards in heaven.

The problem with earthly investments is that they end when our heart beats the last time.  I have never had a funeral where a people hooked up a U-Haul to carry along some of their investments into the hereafter.

God’s economic system is entirely different.  If our investments are in heaven, we get to enjoy them forever and ever and ever and ever.  In Luke 12: 33, Jesus indicates that the best investment is giving.  He says you can then have a purse, which does not wear out.  He refers to it as unfailing treasure in heaven where no thief nor moth nor anything else can get to it.

God’s economics about investments hasn’t failed in thousands of years, and will be here for all eternity.  He is the only one offering a no risk-high yield investment.  You and I make the choice for our investments.

The world’s economics have gotten into trouble because collateral has been taken lightly. We are seeing what happens when money is loaned to people who do not have proper collateral. The subprime loans, mortgage lending, creative financing, etc. have helped cause the bottom to drop out of our economy.

God’s economics teaches us that with God you don’t have to put up anything. All you have to do is to confess what God wants you to do, then do it. The only collateral used in God’s economics is what I say and what I do.

Read Matthew 21: 28-31. Jesus told a parable about a man who had two sons. He asked both of them to go to work in his business. One of them said, “Sure dad, I would be glad to go to work. I look forward to working in your business.” But he decided not to go. The second one had a different attitude. He said, “Dad, I don’t care about working for you today,” but later he changed his mind and went to work.

Jesus then challenged the crowd by asking the question, “Which of those sons did what his father expected, the one who said he would do it, but did not, or the one who at first declined, but then followed through and performed?” Collateral in God’s economics is commitment with integrity. It is obedience. It is not just talking, but walking.

Malachi makes this very clear in Malachi 3, when he raises the question about robbing God. The people insist they had not robbed God. Malachi makes it clear that their command was to bring the tithe into the storehouse and the people of Israel had not done this. He even invites the nation to test His economic policy.

As always, God offers a second chance. He does this through Malachi when he invites them to do what he has told them and then gives them a promise that He will open up the windows of heaven and pour blessing like they have never known. That is God’s economics.

In the 1830’s, John D. Rockefeller was born in New York. He became interested in crude oil production. In 1878, he formed the Standard Oil Company.

He became the largest producer of crude oil in the United States, then ventured out into other things. He was a very successful businessman.

When he retired in 1911 he was worth $1 billion. When asked about his secret of success Rockefeller said, “When I was a child I was taught that everything I had was a gift from God. God gave me talent in order to use it, but it is to be returned to Him, so I started returning 10% of everything that He allowed me to make. I have always done that.”

When Rockefeller retired over half of what he earned had been given away. Someone commented, “It is easy to tithe if you have a billion dollars.”

A lot of people reading this would say that you would do it if you had billion dollars. Mr. Rockefeller replied by saying, “I started out making $1.50 a week. The first $1.50 I got I gave a tenth to my church.” He said, “If I had not started tithing on $1.50 a week, I would not be able to tithe on a billion dollars today.”

Understanding collateral is essential to understanding God’s economics. It is not anything tangible that you put up—it is a commitment to be faithful and obedient.

God’s view on collateral has worked for thousands of years and will continue to work forever. “Creative financing” will always have a hole in it and will never substitute for “commitment and integrity.”

It is obvious that human theories of economics have been faulty.  Maybe it is time that we look at God’s economics.  Let’s look at God’s economics concerning
PROFIT—COLLATERAL—INVESTMENTS—YIELDS—FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

PROFIT
Every company is interested in the bottom line.  If a company doesn’t show a profit, it doesn’t stay around very long.  The real focus of man’s economics is on profit.

Luke 12 shows how God’s economics looks at profit.  Jesus told about a man who was a very successful farmer.  When he gathered his crop, his barns were not sufficient enough to hold all of the crops.  His reasoning was “This is what I will do.  I will tear down my barns and build larger ones and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  I will say to my soul, ‘Soul you have many goods laid up for many years to come.  Take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.’”  Notice how many times the pronoun “my” is used.

The man felt like his success in view of the profit was the process of building bigger barns.  God’s economics had a different view.  God came to him and said, “You fool!  This night your soul is required of you and now who will own what you have prepared?”  Jesus drives home the message by saying, “So is a man who lays up treasures for himself and is not rich towards God.”

Jesus echoes this same thought in Matthew 16: 26, when he says, “What profit does a man have if he gains the whole world but forfeits his own soul?”

Profit in God’s economics is not the accumulation of things—it is the quality of life that results from a relationship to God through Jesus Christ.

Continuing in Luke 12, Jesus goes on to talk about how we don’t have to worry about things to eat, drink, wear, etc.  He simply says that if we seek first His Kingdom anything we need will be given.  That is God’s economics.  That is different.

The world’s view of a profit is summed up in the popular statement, “He who dies with the most toys wins.”  While it is a popular and practiced mindset, it is opposite of what God’s economics teach us.

While man’s economics are under great scrutiny at this time, and nobody knows where our current economic system will carry us, God’s economics have been around for thousands of years and will be here till the end of time!!

Our choice is whether to follow God’s economics or man’s.  Profit is not bottom line numbers but a top priority commitment to God’s Kingdom.