Matthew 6:19-24 Malawi
Notes
Transcript
Matthew 6:19-24
INTRODUCTION
Malawi does not have a history of lots of war. But war is always happening in this world.
Physical and spiritual
A war to decide what controls your life.
Jesus warns against being controlled by the world.
Dave Ramsey– Money is fun. If you have some.
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,
23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Results of Earthly Treasurers
Results of Earthly Treasurers
Disappointment (19-20)
Disappointment (19-20)
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
“Lay up”= hoarding- not to be used.
Wealth belongs to God.
Problem is not wealth
Problem is worship of wealth.
1 Tim. 6:17, (written to wealthy) “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.”
Proverbs 14:23, “In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty.”
Proverbs 24:3-4, “Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.”
Moth/ rust/ thieves– all show temporary status.
Moth= clothes- where wealth was held.
Rust= “to eat”- grain- where wealth was held. (Exp. Farmer who built bigger barns).
Thieves= “those who dig”- money- buried to protect wealth.
ILL– I know disappointment from theft- 11 bicycles in 11 years.
APP
Money always disappoints- can never get enough.
ILL– story of man who owns thousands of acres of land.
“How much is enough”
“one more acre”
1 Tim. 6:6-86 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
Heavenly treasure= absolute security
Corruption (21-23)
Corruption (21-23)
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,
23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
Corrupt Nature– darkness from within corrupts whole person.
Heart (21)
Heart 1st then action.
What is the most valuable thing in your life?
The answer is what motivates your life.
It is where your heart is.
If God is not most valuable- you are motivated by sin.
Family is great but cannot be above God.
Eye (22-23)
Eye is where light comes in.
Eye is referring to heart.
What we allow in is what we understand.
Darkness or light.
ILL– Blind person does not understand light.
Hard heart to spiritual things does not understand God.
APP
Inward corruption leads to outward corruption.
ILL– Annas and Caiaphus
High Priests during days of Christ.
Became wealthy from concessions in Temple.
Jesus twice cleansed His Father’s house from these.
Their inward corruption lead to an outward corruption.
What is on the inside is what will come out.
Idolatry (24)
Idolatry (24)
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
If you are worshiping things you cannot be worshiping God.
You have to choose your loyalty
ILL– The Patriot
Mel Gibson tried to stay neutral in middle of War of Independence.
Impossible to stay neutral in middle of war.
We are at war- Eph. 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
You must choose which side.
What/ who are you worshiping?
Results of Spiritual Wealth
Results of Spiritual Wealth
Eternity (20)
Eternity (20)
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Every choice of life-- does the activity lead to greater earthly reward of greater eternal reward.
Mark 8:34-38 34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Luke 12:13-2113 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Wisdom (22-23)
Wisdom (22-23)
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,
23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
They eye is a lamp that reveals the quality of a person's life.
Good eye= loyal devotion
bad eye= moral corruption.
Wisdom to see things the way God sees them.
How will you interpret data?
Use it to disprove God or prove God.
Wisdom is knowing how to use the information given to make the right decision and uncover truth.
Interpreting with the right world view.
Allegiance (24)
Allegiance (24)
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Salvation is choosing Christ as your only Master.
God does not want to be one of many gods in your life.
He wants to be the only God in your life.
Luke 9:23-24 23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
Luke 14:25-33 25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
Hated= do not love as much as another. (Gen 29- reference to Jacob and Leah and Rachel- Leah he hated)
CONCLUSION
Are you trying to serve 2 masters?
Are you ready to make Jesus the one true master?