Beating the Fear of Economic Collapse!

The title of my lesson this morning is “Beating the Fear of an Economic Collapse!”  The question for the Christian is how do we do this without going crazy weird.  There are many important things to understand from the Scripture that will help us to faithfully and thoughtfully respond to future economic challenges.  The alternative is to wait and do nothing and then react with unreasoning panic and selfishness.  First, we must genuinely believe that God is sovereign and if we are faithful He will provide for our needs.  Second, we must learn to be frugal now, being wise in our use of money and other resources as the Scriptures direct.  Third, we must be prudent and thoughtfully prepare by wisely purchasing and storing non perishable food stuffs and other items necessary for the uninterrupted, continued service in sharing the gospel of Christ.  But most importantly we must learn three critically important truths about our lives as Christians that will help us grow our usefulness to the Master in challenging economic times.  First we must be liberal in our giving.  We  must trust the LORD and His wisdom in giving liberally to meet the needs of the saints.  Jesus and the Apostle Paul speak to this important point for building a close knit family of believers who are able to continue to spread the good news in the most difficult economic times.  Second, we must learn true contentment with what we have, giving thanks to our heavenly Father for His loving provision for each day.  As the Scriptures teach, we “we brought nothing into this world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.”  We must remember though, we will be able to take people with us, friends and loved ones, who have received Christ Jesus as Lord and obeyed the gospel of Christ.   Finally, we must learn the lessons of being a caring and sharing member of the body of Christ, the church.  The first century church, as described in the book of Acts chapters two and four, gives us two excellent examples of the love and concern Christians have for one another during challenging economic times.