2 Corinthians 9:6 "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully."

I struggle to define Financial Freedom. In the best definition that God has given me, it has three facets:
a freedom to give biblically
 a belief that all of assets belong totally to God
 trusting that God will provide for all our needs that require finances

Give biblically. "he which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully."

Here in these verses, Paul turns his attention to some positive instruction and encouragement regarding giving, is using agricultural terminology to make his point. In agricultural terms, Christians are to 'sow bountifully'.

You will see that this is about attitude and not necessarily about amount. This is NOT an instruction to give simply so that you can receive. Bountifully means 'with blessing' or 'so that blessings might accrue', and also suggested here 'freely'. I believe that financial freedom and this concept of sowing bountifully 'with blessing' or 'freely' are inseparably linked. It does not suggest ''indiscriminate giving'; it does denote 'unrestrained giving'. I have put poison granules on fire ant hills this year more than any other time in my life. When I go out with a five-pound sack of poison granules and shake them out over and around the hill, I need to let enough flow out of the sack to gently and evenly cover the area around the hill. If I do it right I won't disturb the ants and cause them to flee, and if I don't pour out enough the poison will do the job. Sometimes my grip is so tight that the flow is choked off, and every now and then I lose my grip and the granules pour out and waste all over the place. Then ants are disturbed and flee the hill only to reappear a few feet away in a day or two. The secret is to let the granules flow freely but not indiscriminately. This is the concept that Paul is teaching us here about giving. Sewing bountifully or giving freely is an integral part of financial freedom. Giving according to biblical principles will be done with sense of freedom and not restraint. When I was saved at the age of 25, my wife and I were starting our family, she had quit working when our first child came, and we were adjusting to living on my income. At work I told people about getting saved and the conversation turned to what was right formula for Christians to determine their giving. Several different ideas were stated there over the coffeepot. One of the first things that I wanted to do to please God was to give according to His plan. I called the preacher over to the house to talk about it and he showed many of the scriptures that I am sharing with you. We began to tithe immediately. He has been faithful to bless us. I had no regrets about the tithing. I had freedom that if God said to do it, He would take care of the results, and He has!

I have been dieting and during this struggle to have discipline over my appetite, I have found it helpful to pray each day asking God for Spirit powered self-control to eat the right foods in the right amounts at the right time. When I apply this type prayer to seeking God's help to be financially free in Jesus, I pray to have the Spirit power to give the right amount, at the right time, in the right place with the right attitude. Hallelujah.

Give Biblically! Then.

Acknowledge God's Ownership. 1 Chronicles 29:11 'Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou are exalted as head above all.'

Psalms 24:1'The earth is the Lord and the fullness thereof. The world and all that dwell therein.'

In researching for this sermon, I read a book that listed reasons that Christians weren't good stewards. One of them was that they had not been taught. It is our desire at Biblical Principles, Inc. to supplement and assist pastors by teaching principles from God's Word.

I read a survey this week that said that today's population prefers a 'pick & choose' belief system. Barna made the survey and Al Mohler did the analysis. Given our materialistic, consumer oriented society I believe that the principle of acknowledging God's ownership is not one that most people, including many Christians, would choose.

I struggle with this making acknowledging God's ownership a lifestyle, habitually thinking of possessions as God's, totally and completely has been and continues to be difficult for me. I am told that we develop our habits by repetition of thoughts, words, or acts. If we think in terms of things belonging to God frequently then we will develop that lifestyle. My wife went to a church choir supper and took a family heirloom bowl. That bowl belonged to her grandmother and a lady that was helping clean up cracked it. Jo saw from a distance who did it and when it happened, but the lady thinking no one had seen her shoved it into the bag to be carried home and acted like nothing had happened. Jo fumed about the situation for a little while when she got home, then made this announcement. I know how to handle this, that is God's bowl and that lady is accountable to God for what she has done so I am going to forget what I saw and let God handle it. I commended her for dealing with the matter in a biblical way and decided that right then was the perfect time to tell her that I had put a dent in God's truck, a secret that I had been concealing for a few days.

There's nothing that belongs to us, it all belongs to God. He gives the privilege of being a steward. If you count the things that God has given you as yours, then you are like a child who has a toy and another child or the parent who gave it takes it away, you will scream, mine, mine, mine. Whether money, clothes, house, location or anything, God owns it all. It is up to you to acknowledge that truth. I started out with this message with this point as Transfer Ownership to God, but the Spirit said that it is no transfer, I already own it, you don't transfer, , you acknowledge, like David did in 1 Chronicles, obediently. Man may reshape things but the basics and all they become belong to Him. He made it all. John 1:1-3 ' In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without him was not anything made.' Acknowledging God's ownership is another integral part of financial freedom. Give Biblically, Acknowledge God's Ownership. Then,

Trust God for Provision
 2 Corinthians 9:7&8 'Every man as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.'

We have repeated that being a sound steward was much about attitude and not all about amount. Now in 2 Corinthians V 7 & 8, Paul is telling the Corinthian Christians HOW to give, not HOW MUCH to give, He told them that back in chapter 8. Tithing with a bad attitude about it is not how you touch God's heart.

Some people misunderstand this scripture to think that whatever amount you give is okay as long as you are cheerful about it. A cheerful heart is not a substitute for an obedient heart. Our hearts should be both cheerful and obedient, because we give the right amount with the right motive. I have been dieting, and I have prayed for the Holy Spirit power to eat the right foods in the right amount at the right time. I believe that it would be scriptural to pray for the obedient spirit to give the right amount at the right place with the right attitude. But the point here is teach you to always trust God for all things. What does this scripture say that God is able to do if we give the right amount, at the right time, with the right attitude? Read Scripture Again.

Now let's see what Jesus says on the subject.

Luke 6:38 'Give and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom. For with the same measure that you mete withal it shall be measured unto you again.'

Have you heard the poem, 'I'm drinking from my saucer'?

DRINKING FROM MY SAUCER
Author Unknown

I've never made a fortune and it's probably too late now;

But I don't worry about that much, I'm happy anyhow.

And as I go along life's way I'm reaping better than I sow;

I'm drinking from my saucer 'Cause my cup has overflowed.

Haven't got a lot of riches and sometimes the going's tough,

But I've got loving ones around me and that makes me rich enough.

I thank God for his blessings and the mercies he's bestowed;

I'm drinking from my saucer 'cause my cup has overflowed.

O, remember times when things went wrong My faith wore somewhat thin;

But all at once the dark clouds broke and sun peeped through again.

So Lord, help me not to gripe about the tough rows that I've hoed;

I'm drinking from my saucer 'Cause my cup has overflowed.

If God gives me strength and courage When the way grows steep and rough,

I'll not ask for other blessings I'm already blessed enough.

And may I never be too busy to help others bear their loads;

Then I'll keep drinking from my saucer 'Cause my cup has overflowed

There is a formula for being able to drink from your saucer. Jesus had a lot to say about money as we have seen today. This is because money is very important, and touches every life, and is subject to misuse and can be a tool for satan's work. The principle here is that we can't outgive the Lord. We have acknowledged that all our substance belongs to God, but as we give to Him, He is generous as He returns to us again. God entrusts more wealth to those whom He knows will be sound steward of His blessings. He will cause others to bless his children who are obedient to him. This scripture says 'shall men give unto you'. When Jo and I went about buying our first house, shortly after I was saved, we made a lot of mistakes. GIVE TESTIMONY ABOUT HOUSE

Proverbs 11:24, 'There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth: and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.' Here again is the concept, give and be blessed, or hoard and miss the blessing.

Financial Freedom is not all about amount but also about attitude.

Give Biblically, Right Amount, Right Time, Right Place, Right Attitude,
Acknowledge God's Ownership
Trust God for Provision, then enjoy Christian Financial Freedom