Serving Two masters
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Good Morning, My name is Josiah Wilson if you do not know who I am. I am the Youth Minister here at HCC, I also help with office administration as well. We get to discover the the scriptures and what it has to say about God together this morning. I promise I wont keep you long. Only an hour. Im just kidding its well known when the Youth Minister preaches its shorter so hey we all get an early lunch. Lets pray and get into the word together today.
We have been learning about the Sermon on the Mount. The premise or main idea of the sermon on the mount is Jesus is telling people this is how to be the Kingdom of God and at the end Now go be the kingdom of God. Each lesson, Each piece of scripture has to deal with how to be the kingdom of God.
The Sermon on the Mount also has themes expressed through many stories or lessons through out it. Such as the part concerning prayer, fasting, almsgiving. All have one theme one main idea discussed through three different stories or lessons that Jesus is trying to instill into his people.
Today will be mainly dealing with Mat. 6:24 discussing what it means to serve two masters. we will also talk about Matt. 6:22-23; 19-21 as well.
These three stories of Treasures, the sound eye, and Serving two masters all have one theme discussed in three different ways.
Let me Read Matt. 6:24 I will be reading out of the NRSV. So if what I am reading sounds different its because I am using a different translation. If you want to know why I am using this translation lets talk after service about it.
“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
What does it mean to Serve? The internet in all of it wisdom is to “perform duties to someone”. That sounds helpful in a sense. If I open a door for you when you are walking into a building I perform a duty for you. I have served you. That seems to be right. Another example, lets say we have a meal in the fellowship hall and stand up and take your empty plate for you and threw it away. Most would say I served you. I would say that’s a great way of thinking to serve one another in the church. Here let me serve you by getting coffee or moving seats, or greeting you at the door. But is that what Jesus is saying when he talks about “No one can serve two masters”? Maybe a different definition would be helpful.
A Theological dictionary would define it as “a slave to something or be in bondage to”. That clears something up. If I am a slave to a master or in bondage to a master. There is something different then just performing a duty for them. Paul uses this language a lot: Here are some verses from Paul
“For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God” 1 Th 1:9. “So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.” Ro 7:25. “since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ.” Col 3:24. These are just a couple moments Paul uses this language.
The inner nerd and seminarian in me has to point out the Greek for like two seconds the world serve here is δουλευω This can be translated as serve or slave. which is different then Paul calls himself a servant of Christ Jesus in the beginning of his letters. That word is a noun.
nouns are words that name persons, places, or things, and often serve as the subject or object of a verb. Verbs are words used to indicate actions, states, or relations between things.
That helps us understand what Jesus is saying. This has to deal with our actions, and our actions come from our heart. For our hearts control our actions and our character. So lets reread the passage with that in mind.
“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
No one can be a slave to two masters or no one can be in bondage to two masters what does mean exactly for us. I want to talk about that part after we answer the question on Why does Jesus choose to use the world wealth here. It is because two passages back with treasures.
Let me read to you Matthew 6:19-21
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. There it is Jesus is pointing out this heart question. store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. not here on earth. Focus on God. Put your eyes to him, toward heaven. toward the kingdom of God. Where ever we store our treasure is where our heart is. You could write a sermon about that all by itself. Surely the next set of versus don’t have anything to deal with the heart.
Lets find out
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
That seems a little harder to pin point the same heart question. The eye is the lamp of the body. I don’t know about you but I feel like I have heard that before. Possibly Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
if your eye is healthy your whole body will be full of light. If our eyes our focused on God then our bodies our full of light. When our eyes are not focused on god our bodies will be full of darkness. If the Eye guides the body on a path of Light or darkness it seems to be hinting at something as well. The question is what are all three talking about in this passage.
Going back to our main passage for today serving two masters. The main Idea that the scripture is trying to point out to all of us.
GOD WANTS US TO BE LOYAL.
God wants us to be loyal to him and his kingdom. If we are taking the premise that the point of the sermon on the mount is instruction on how to be the Kingdom of God. Loyalty to the Kingdom is being part of the Kingdom. You cannot be in bondage to two masters. Your attention is split to two different masters, your motives are spilt, your are distracted, and even worse your heart is not where needs to be focused. This is dangerous.
Lets use money for this example as Jesus is using. If your heart is split between the kingdom of God and wealth. There is no doubt that money can be powerful. Greed is a powerful force in this world. We all want money. We all need money. Is it not a need in today’s world. It is and I will not deny that thought. Here is where Money can be a negative powerful force. Lets say you go grocery shopping and see a man outside the store with a sign saying please help. But because we are greedy people and we like our money, because we have a big purchase coming up, we really want that one item that just went on sale, I am building up my own storehouses. The way of the world would say do not give him any money what you want is more important. The way of the Kingdom would say something different. As we already study with the passage of almsgiving God, The kingdom wants us to take care of the poor and unfortunate. If our hearts are not loyal to the kingdom and teachings of Christ and we choose the way of the world something is wrong.
If our loyalties aren’t with the kingdom or God, they are with the world. That is wrong. You will either love one and hate the other. Your body will either be full of light or darkness, your treasures will either be stored up in heaven or the world. This is the main point Jesus is trying to pass along to his people. You cannot serve two masters.
You will be devoted to one and despise the other. You will either be devoted to God or the world. There is no middle ground. If we have commited to live by the kingdom, the authority of the Bible then we must remain loyal to the Kingdom. Where ever your heart is pointed at is where you will go. If your heart is pointed toward The world you will follow the world. If your heart is pointed to God you will follow God. You cannot serve two masters.
you cannot serve God and wealth. You cannot serve God and sex. You cannot serve God and yourself. You cannot serve God and power. You cannot serve God and the world. Our loyalty shows our heart placement. What does it look like to be loyal. That changes for every person. I do not know what you are struggling with today. what sin is crouching at our door steps, ready to attack all of us in different ways. I do not know your struggles, I do not know how God is transforming you. You personally have to be self aware and look inside your heart for sin that is infecting your heart. God also gave us community to talk about these problems and struggles.
I can only tell you why I am loyal to God. I am loyal to God because he loves me. I have always struggled with being loved or feeling like I am loved. Maybe its because I was cheated on before, Maybe because I was bullied Severely. Maybe because I do not know how to love myself. God has shown me time and time again that I loved by him I am valued by him.
I am loyal to God because I trust him. I trust him to guide me when I am caught in a web of confusion or hate. When I was about 19 years old I moved out of parents house and I was going school. I needed to pay rent, I needed to pay for school, I need to pay for food, I needed to pay for soap. I had no money to pay anyone. I was lost confused. Could not get a job. I was hopeless. I was waiting for money from another source due to scholarships was not getting it. I was three months behind on rent. Couldn’t pay for my car. One night I invited my friend over to watch the John wick movies. After those we were both hungry so I decided to cook the last of my food. While eating we were trying to decide what to watch for some reason as 19yr olds decided to watch veggie-tales. The whole movie was trusting in God providence. Has anyone felt so called out by God before. I mean Im sitting on the couch and going like what the heck God why you gotta call me out. After my friend left I prayed. I was like God “please help me” I don’t know what to do. I went to bed shortly after. When I woke up I was hungry knowing I ate my food for the morning. I check my bank account to see if I can get anything. I look at it all the money I needed was there. I had enough for rent/back pay, for my car. insurance, food, school, everything and more.
I am loyal to God because when I was looking for hope at the bottom of the whiskey bottle. All i found was darkness. but when I turned my heart to God I discovered hope. Everything I need in life. I am loyal to God because when I was kicked out of my first college for a 1.27GPA God showed me where I needed to go and ended up at MCC and graduating with 3.8GPA God can transform your life when you are loyal to him and his kingdom. When we were baptised it was an invitation into Gods kingdom and its way of life. Will you follow it? When you follow Gods kingdom you will quickly discover what his Kingdom is all about.
His kingdom is love, joy and peace. We are building his kingdom here in Johnson City. We can either follow his kingdom or the world. we can serve one another in love or hate one another. Serving God can look like a lot of things. We are starting new volunteer positions soon. You can serve with the kids, worship, greeting, and so much more. You can Serve God by the way you treat someone, the way you love someone. You can serve God by reading your Bible, studying it discovering who God is. I do not know what it looks like for you to serve God only you do. Pray about it, talk about it, and seek him about it. He will always love you and take care of you.
Lets Pray.