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Chapter: 12.04
(Section 12: If You had $100 Billion)
Copyright © Michael Bronson 1997, 1999, and 2000
BibleHelp.org
Summary
In the previous chapters we saw what produces lasting eternal fruit and saw how money fits into the scheme of things. Now its your turn to figure out how you would use $100 billion to bring Christ to a lost world.
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The state lottery systems have produced an interesting phenomenon. Many of the people who have become millionaires from lotto winnings have ended up filing for bankruptcy. Although they were given the unique opportunity of having additional resources, many were careless and overextended themselves.
While it is true most of us do not have millions of dollars to squander, most of us are squandering the other resources we have. As mentioned in previous chapters, money should not be considered more or less important than our other resources (abilities, time, opportunities, etc.). If we don’t use these resources efficiently, we will be depriving ourselves the opportunity of being used powerfully by the Spirit of God.
To help you properly utilize your resources, you need to bring your goals and objectives into focus. Once you align your priorities with God’s, you will no longer feel like you are floating aimlessly from day to day, but rather, you will feel direction and purpose. Most important, you’ll realize the resources you currently possess are more important than having great wealth, and as a result, you will have a greater eternal impact on those around you.
Ask yourself the question, "If I had $100 billion to bring Christ to a lost world, how would I utilize these resources?" There are three main phases in this exercise. First, you must determine the needs of the world. Second, you must determine solutions to meet these needs. Third, you must find appropriate ways to finance these solutions.
I would like to point out this spiritual exercise will probably take several weeks or months. It took me several years to work through. This is the only chapter which specifically requires you to write down your thoughts. Don’t spend much time answering the questions the first time you read this chapter. Finish reading the book, then return to this chapter to fill out the worksheets.
Phase 1: Determining the Needs
The first step in evaluating the needs of the world is for you to determine who you feel are "lost" and going to Hell. Throughout the world, there are people with various degrees of understanding of the gospel message. Listed below are six groups of people who have not accepted Christ as their personal savior. You are to answer if you feel the Bible teaches the following people are going to hell? In front of each item, put "yes," "no" or "don’t know."
_____1. People who have heard a clear and complete presentation of the Gospel message.
_____2. People who have heard a clear and complete presentation to the Gospel message, but have been turned off to Christianity because a hypocritical Christian has deeply hurt them.
_____3. People who have heard a clear and complete presentation to the gospel message, but some tragic event has left them bitter and angry with God.
_____4. People who have heard only a portion of the gospel message. (Their understanding of the gospel, although it may be great, is not sufficient enough for them to make Christ their personal savior. Some of these people may even attend "church," but the church teaches a salvation message contrary to what the Bible teaches. This would include 1 or 2 billion people in U.S. and Europe.)
_____5. People who have heard of the words "Jesus" and "Christianity." (They may even have heard that a person named Jesus "died on a cross," but that is the extent of their knowledge. They know Christianity is a religion based on a person who died 2,000 years ago, but they could not explain its plan of salvation. This would include the 2 billion people in religions like Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.)
_____6. People who have never heard of Jesus. (There are at least 3,000 language groups whose members fall into this category.)
Now that you have answered the above questions, you need to supply Biblical references that support your conclusions. It is important you are able to substantiate your beliefs with the Bible. As with any important doctrine, you must be able to supply multiple references as opposed to a single obscure verse.
Group 1: ____________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
Group 2: _____________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Group 3: _____________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Group 4: _____________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Group 5: ______________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Group 6: ______________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Based on your answers above, make a rough estimate of how many people you think are lost and going to Hell. ______________________________________________________
The groups you have identified as going to Hell are the groups you must target with evangelical efforts. The next thing you must do is identify the different styles of ministries. For example, there are prison ministries, nursing home ministries, children ministries and handicapped ministries. On a piece of paper, fill in 30 different styles of ministries.
1. ____________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________
~30. __________________________________________
The above exercise should help you realize the need for diversity. The "one solution fits all" approach will not work. Everyone has different personal needs. Although they have the same spiritual need, you must first win their heart and trust before you can win their soul.
The next thing you should do is itemize the actual projects you would like to undertake if you had $100 billion. You need to list at least 50 different projects. To come up with this list, it will be helpful to get on the mailing lists of a variety of Christian organizations and missions. Subscribing to different Christian magazines may provide you with some additional fresh ideas.
1. _____________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________
~ 50. __________________________________________
Phase 2: Finding Solutions for these Needs
Once you have identified the projects you would like to undertake, you should research solutions to these needs. Just because you have money does not mean you have a practical and workable solution. This will probably be the most difficult part of the spiritual exercise. A great deal of thought and research will be needed to come up with viable solutions. On the following page, I have created a sample worksheet. Photocopy this page so you can have a sheet for each of your 50 projects.
Worksheet for Meeting Specific Spiritual Needs
A. Specify the need you would like to see met.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
B. Specify the solutions to meet this need.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
C. Itemize the needed materials.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
D. List the number of Christian workers which will be needed.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
E. Estimate the total costs.
Staffing: ________________________
Materials: __________________________
F. Estimate the number of months or years it will take to meet the need.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
G. How would you raise interest to recruit Christian workers?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
H. How would you raise prayer support for this project?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
I. List three people you have asked to faithfully pray for this need
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Phase III: Meeting the need
Now that you’ve identified the needs and solutions, you must now find a way to use your resources to finance the solutions. You will probably need to create an organization to oversee the various projects and to ensure they are progressing on schedule. You will also need to set up multiple safeguards to protect the money from misuse and embezzlement.
Would you put the money into "trusts" to insulate and protect the money from greedy lawyers and their lawsuits? Would you have multiple independent accounting firms audit your records to reduce the potential of vicious rumors and scandals? Since you wouldn’t spend $100 billion all at once, in what type of investments would you put the rest of the money?
In reality, of course, you don’t have this type of money. However, you can have an active part in the projects you have identified. First, there probably are some projects that you can offer financial help. There may even be projects where you can help out on a part-time or full-time basis.
Second, you can spend your time and energy trying to raise up interest in these projects with other Christians. Through your efforts, you may be able to raise the needed finances, Christian workers, and prayer support.
Third, you can take your worksheets and put them in a binder. This will become your "World Evangelism Prayer List." Every day pray for a couple sheets in this book. As you pray for a need, you can be specific about the money, staffing and other material needs.
World evangelism takes place when Christians grow where they are planted. This is the reason this spiritual exercise is so important for the lay Christians. If lay Christians taps into the true power of God and utilize the resources they currently have, they will have a tremendous eternal impact on the world.
One final thought. The possibility of your coming across $100 billion is virtually zero. However, there is a possibility (although still quite small) you might come across $10-30 million. This could be a result of an inheritance from an unknown relative or winning a sweepstakes from Publisher’s Clearing House.
If you wanted to use this $10- 30 million to bring Christ to a lost world, what would you do? If you give this question much thought, you will find your strategy will be quite a bit different than if you had $100 billion. The number of projects you can be involved with will be greatly reduced. Most likely, you will focus most of your attention on the projects which are closest to your heart. Although I am not going to provide a worksheet for this scenario, do give it some thought.
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