Finance Lesson #02

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Syllabus

February 12, 2010

RETURN TO THE LIST OF LESSONS

Bible Perspectives
FINANCIAL TRUTHS FROM THE BIBLE
Lesson #02
THE FOUR CONCEPTS OF GOD’S RESPONSIBILITY

• Memory verse: Luk 16:11
• Review:
  • What were the three concepts of our previous lesson?
• Man’s perspective of God:
  • From the previous lesson we have begun to change our perspective of God. Man needs a correct perspective of God:
    • …to understand God’s economic system.
    • …to function correctly in God’s economic system.
  • The quality of man’s life is determined by his perspective of God.
    • For example, in our previous lesson we learned that everything belongs to God. He is the owner, the Lord.
      • With this perspective, Job could suffer the lack of wealth that he previously enjoyed.
        • The three reasons that God permits difficult economic circumstances in the life of the believer:
          • =1= To fulfill His plans.
          • =2= To develop character.
            • Read Rom 5:3,4
          • =3= To discipline His children.
            • Read Heb 12: 6, 10, 11
      • With this perspective, Moses could give up the riches of Egypt to follow God to the desert.
        • Read Luk 14:33
      • With this perspective, the Christian can go through any situation in life with the attitude of contentment.
• From these three concepts that we learned in our previous lesson, we can see that God has His part and that man has his part in God’s economic system.
  • When the believer understands which parts are the responsibilities of God and which parts are the responsibilities of man, he has contentment.
    • Read Phi 4:11-12
      • Financial contentment can be learned. This is a benefit of this class.

 

• The responsibility that God has and the part that God fulfills in His economic system:
• Concept #1

 

• God has responsibility for His property.
  • Because everything belongs to God, He has responsibility over all these things.
    • Therefore, with responsibility comes the authority of His position.
  • The believer must recognize this position that God has and His authority over everything.
    • In what ways can the believer recognize the responsibility of God’s ownership?
      • The believer must surrender to God the ownership of all his material possessions by means of prayer.
        • Read Luk 14:33
  • What are the consequences in the life of the believer that surrenders to God all his possessions?
    • Usually God tests the believer’s decision.
      • The most important thing to Abraham was his son.
        • How did God test Abraham?
          • Read Gen 22:2-12
      • Usually the believer must surrender his possessions frequently because we take our possessions off the altar and consider that they belong to us.
• Contemplation and discussion:
  • What unique thing has the highest importance in your life?
  • How will the believer take care of possessions when he knows that God is the owner?
  • Contentment is the result when the believer surrenders his possessions to God because God now has the responsibility of any bad thing that happens to those possessions.
    • When you don’t have contentment, what does this tell you about your relationship with God?

• Concept #2
• God has responsibility of control over everything.
• The Lord of all things controls all things, and in Him all things exist.
• Read Col 1:17 ( Isa 45:6-7)
• Read Rom 8:28-29

• It is important that the believer recognize that God uses His power to control the circumstances even though those circumstances can be good circumstances or bad circumstances.
• If God has control, why does God permit the bad circumstances in the life of the believer?

• The example is the life of Joseph.
  • Read Gen 45:5-8
  • Read Gen 50:20
• Contemplation and discussion:

• What are the results in the life of the Christian when the believer does not permit God to have control of the circumstances?
• If the circumstances in the life of the Christian are difficult, what does it say about the character of God in His relationship to the believer?

• Concept #3
• God has the responsibility of provision.
• Because the character of God is love, it is the desire of God to provide the benefits for His children.

• Read Mat 6:33
• Read 1Kin 17:4, 6
• Read Phi 4:19
• God is absolutely faithful to fulfill His responsibility to provide for our needs.

• However, what man does not know is the way of God’s provision.
  • Read 1Tim 6:8
    • Because God controls all things, He makes the final decision of how these basic needs are met.
    • Notice that God promises to provide for man’s needs.
      • What is the difference between a need and something that we desire?
• Contemplation:

• In what ways do you need to change your attitudes between needs and desires?
• In what ways do you need to change your attitudes when other believers receive more from God than what you receive?

• Concept #4
• God uses His authority and His sovereignty to dispense the wealth of the world to whomever He chooses and in whatever quantity that He desires.

• Read 1Chr 29:12,14
  • God has authority to remove what previously He gave.
    • Read Job 1:20-22
      • Is this concept of God just?
• Read Rom 2:11
  • How do you explain the inequality in the kingdom of God?
    • Read Psa 139:3, 4, 16
    • Read Mat 10:30
• Contemplation and discussion:
  • In what ways does the knowledge of the supreme sovereignty of God resolve this problem of inequality?

HOMEWORK
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• What changes have been made in your attitudes on account of the four concepts in this lesson in the following areas:
  • …your attitudes toward God.
  • …your attitudes toward the blessings that other believers receive.
  • …your attitudes toward money and possessions.

 

• Read Mat 11:28-30
• How does God promote contentment in the believer by means of His promises of provision, His authority of control, and His responsibility of ownership?

Memory verse: 1Cor 4:2