Money Talks! – The Value of Money with P. Chibuzo Nwankpo
This evening, we’re just gonna have a simple discussion on money. We will talk about several perspectives and by the grace of God, our hearts will apply to wisdom.
First thing, when we see or hear a topic like this, there’s something on everybody’s mind when they come for series or sessions like this.
The thought is, “How do I make money?” , so you come expecting the silver bullet on how to hammer but when you leave, it’s like you’re still asking the same question.
Proverbs 8:18-21; This speaks of the character of wisdom. The first two verses are a bit contradictory. When you think of riches, what comes to mind?
If it says my fruit is better than gold, it means the fruit is not gold. It’s something more.
When we begin to talk about money, the subject of wisdom becomes very critical.
The fruit of wisdom is better than money. There’s something better than money which we should be looking for.
There are three kinds or categories of people when it comes to material wealth. Or better yet, there are three ways to source for wealth.
1. You can steal and keep it for yourself.
2. You can work hard to get it and keep it for yourself.
3. You can work hard to get in order to give.
These are the levels where everyone falls into.
In a congregation, if you conducted a sample, how many people will you find in each category? More likely the second.
I coined a principle known as the Principle of one unit. This refers to the way you calculate with one unit to see your potential profit before you start to scale the numbers.
Does money have value?
How valuable is your money in the discussion of a house or fuel if there’s only one house or there’s only 100 litres of fuel in the whole city?
Money has no value. Money is a measure of value.
What happens is when you have money, what comes to your mind is who to give money to or where to expend it. Do you have money and you’re not thinking of how to spend it?
You’re constantly looking for who to give it to in exchange for value. So money is always chasing value. Money has no value in itself.
If you see anyone chasing money and trying to make money, I can tell you for free that such a person cannot be rich or wealthy.
Money is like a shadow.
Money was an invention. What happened before then? How were human beings surviving? They were creating and exchanging value with things.
When we begin to think from this perspective, it’s easier for us to apply our hearts to wisdom when it comes to the subject of money.
1 Timothy 6:6-12,17-19; This scripture puts the new covenant perspective of money, wealth and riches.
First, you own nothing. God owns it all. You must put your mind that you don’t own anything, the clothes, your money, possessions are not your own.
Because the desire and mindset to own is where we begin to tread the danger of the love of money being the root of evil.
Once you have the foundation that all you have is the Lord’s, when it’s time to apply yourself, you no longer have an entitlement or selfish mentality and so you know that you have no right to keep it when there’s an opportunity to give it.
I came across a statement by John Piper.
“God has made us to be conduits of His grace. The danger is in thinking that the conduit should be lined with gold. It shouldn’t. Copper will do….And in the very process of that giving, enjoy the greatest blessings”
We know and have heard of the perspective of a channel also being wet because water is passing through, but the perspective of the new covenant is that as a channel, even if 1 billion dollars passes through me, the idea is that I mustn’t be lined with gold to be able to channel 1 billion dollars.
The danger is such a thin line that you can skip into. Where you have ownership mentality that you now start keeping more than you should keep.
The riches that God pours to us, where our greatest joy is, is not in enjoying that wealth, it is in fulfilling it and seeing needs met, as a part to the work of God being fulfilled.
Because we are channels.
If the earth is the Lord’s and we have been translated to His kingdom and we have come into a joint inheritance, it means everything that the Lord has is your own.
So you are having a party or a wedding celebration in your house, and you have kids who are probably serving, does your kid now sit waiting to be served or go to where they are serving to hustle for food?
The kid either doesn’t understand sonship or is irresponsible.
We are of the kingdom of God and a good father will not call a party and after the party, his children will be hungry. But a reasonable son that knows he cannot be hungry, will not go to hustle and hoard food when it’s being served in case the food finishes.
We have a father. He has called a feast in this world. We are of His family. He’s told us to go share His blessing and grace but a lot of people are hoarding and keeping it to themselves because they do not understand their sonship.
A true son will derive joy from the fact that people are coming to share in and getting fulfilled. Not in his own satisfaction. That is the mindset.
Having this understanding is what makes the people that scripture refers to as laying up treasures.
In our perspective of working to give, there is a part we must understand. Paul spoke about this. As much as we trust in our understanding of the blessings of God and our sonship, it does not annul the place of hardwork for the purpose of meeting needs. We must do work.
The focus is to perfect your skill and understand how the economy works in order to meet your needs.
Entrepreneurship has been overflogged and used. In our world today, entrepreneurship is about systems. What creates value is system. What ever you’re doing, you must be thinking about how to create systems around it.
What makes Silicon valley what it is, is not the products but they’ve perfected the art of building systems in businesses.
If you are doing anything in our world today, know how to build sustainable systems. That’s how to make more money and make sustainable income.
That’s why we have the problem in Africa of cycles because there are no systems. A business starts and after a few years, we don’t hear about it.
The government doesn’t work because there are no systems or continuity. A leader starts but doesn’t finish, another leader comes into power and begins his own set of plans and programs and the cycle goes on and on.
Obama says Africa doesn’t lack great leaders but lacks great institutions.
Systems ensure exponential growth.
Anything you’re doing, in your work, you should be thinking of how to create a system and before you know it your business becomes a machine that generates value outside of you.
So we work to meet our needs and then to give. You don’t wait to make so much before you give. At every stage, you want to get quickly so you can give.
You want to build systems so you can make more to give more.
And don’t make your channels lined with gold.
Dr. Phil Ransom-Bello
I want us to realise that this TSP vision is not for them but for you. How do we know this? When you become a leading influence in your field.
How many of us can say boldly that we are a leading infuence in our field, globally?
I can summarise what P. Chibuzo has taught today in words;
Work. Value. Systems.
■Your work is the space where you’re meant to be.
■Value is created in the place of working. You cannot be in work actively and not gain value.
■You begin to build systems when you have become a person of value.
If we have not yet begun to create systems, then we haven’t become a leading influence.
Our mission is what we are about..if you walk in here, you’ll meet us doing what we are about, you’ll hear the gospel and be empowered but the vision? that’s where we are going. So we have a long way to go.
How many of us are into politics and governance? Until you become a leading influence in this nation or Africa or globally, you haven’t met the TSP vision.
By work and value and system creation, you have not met the vision.
If we put ourselves together, we can’t say we have met the vision.
Even I myself, as the pastor, am I leading influence?
If you’re going to fulfil the TSP vision, you must be at work. Find your space and become a global influence. Let global become your standard of measurement.
A vision requires the grace of God, hardwork and patience. I want to see people who will emerge globally and will rise to become leading influences in their space.
Let me bring this assurance to you.
Sons work but sons don’t toil. Whilst you work, God is going to back you up but you must be diligent to stay in your place of work.
The place where you walk is the beginning of wealth creation.
If you’re sleeping or you’ve been doing mediocre things, it’s time to wake up. Even the favour of God needs diligence to work it out. People can only rely on the favour that understands diligence. If you’re not diligent in your space, don’t talk about wealth creation.
We must be people of value. Money will find you. They will look for you because you have something to offer.
Everything can be sold globally.
You have to surf on the waves of trends. For those of you in fashion, don’t market suits, market ankara. Ride on the wave of Wakanda.
Become a person of value.
If you’re a person of value, you won’t need to say too much to announce what you do. The pregnant woman does not need to announce that she’s is carrying something and will deliver it.
So find a place and begin to brood and work there.
You can’t have ambiguous dreams without engaging your mind.
I hope you know by now that your work is not job.
Your job is what you’re paid to do.
Your work is what you’re called to do.
One of the major challenges is people don’t know how to translate their talents into business and a system that generates revenue.
Scripture talks about the master giving talents, some people multiplied and others didn’t.
