Manner of Mammon Matthew 6:19-34

Today we get to talk about money. You know, my favorite topic. Wink. Now, I don’t want to give the same general dismissive about how money can be used for good, there are some good rich people, etc. Lets just read what jesus teaches, and let that be our guide.

A common scripture we’ll look at in the examination of this section is 1 Timothy 6:10 “ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Money lets not fool ourselves, drives men, women, families, cities, nations, the globe to perform so many acts of evil, for just a little bit more of it.

Jesus speaks almost as much about money as he does about hell. With Hell, He’s trying to keep us out of it, with Money, same purpose.

I don’t want to give the same general dismissive about how money can be used for good, there are some good rich people, etc. Lets just read what jesus teaches, and let His words be our guide.

In v24 Jesus uses the word mammōna, wealth; riches; money. Similar to how we would say, “Moola”. Some i’m gonna take the word and use it for our section titles - lol.

Heart of Mammon 19-21, Serving Mammon 22-24, Tomorrows’ Mammon 25-34

Heart of Mammon 19-21

Matthew 6:19–21 “ “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures (thesaurous - treasury at palace/safe at home) 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.”

do not lay or store or build wealth for worldly increase. Many have home safes, floor safes, wall safes, hidden, etc. but thieves always seem to make it in. there is an addage that says if someone wants to steal from you, eventually they will. Safety, security on this earth are an illusion.

some say the sermon on the mount was just for the jews. Some say it was just for the Christians. But we need to realize that Jesus is stating a universal truth, that a man who knows God needs to be different in how he looks at his wealth. This isn't always just about bills but also possessions, etc.

This doesn't seem to be about just being rich, but what you do with it. What you’re doing it for or working toward. Look the context says its what we work for is not an earthly thing to many in the culture of 1st century jerusalem rich equaled blessed. So for them (and many today) the pursuit of money is equal to worshipping God.

Turn with me: Ecclesiastes 2:1–11 “ I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” 3 I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives. 4 I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. 5 I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. 7 I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds. 9 So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor. 11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.” Eventually the preacher would declare, Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 “ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.” Why do we work? To pay the bills we say. To get that new car, to get the big screen, it but the end of it is to look to Christ.

Build your treasure in heaven. How do we do that?

The NLT reads from Luke 16:9 “ Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.”

the idea is that we work for differing goals, to spend our finances on things that have eternal benefit. 1 Timothy 6:6 “ Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” helping others, giving to the poor, ministering to your fellowship.

It shows your heart. If our treasure is built on Christ, thats where your heart will be.

Serving Mammon 22-24

Matthew 6:22–24 “ “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (mammona wealth/riches).”

“Look where you are going, not where you came from.” My drivers ed teacher used to say. His point in telling us that was to keep us from getting him killed he said, not impart some wisdom to us.

When you're looking at what is right, when your heart is focused on Jesus - then your whole body is full of light.

When your focus is on darkness, everything is darkness. So many people are fooled by their outlook/look at life.

Serving two masters - And where the heart goes, the rest follows. You can give your heart to men/women, it can be abused, with mammon, it will enslave you. But with the Lord is a enslavement to love and eternal care.

Tomorrows Mammonn 25-34

Matthew 6:25–26 “ “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

Isn’t life more than food/clothes? Turn Php4, the question and comparison is that God’s provision is always there for us Paul shared in Philippians 4:10–13 “ But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Why would we trust God with our salvation but not with how we live totally for Him? Being unfaithful int these things could be considered sin.

The question is Are you not of more value than a bird? Matthew 10:30–31 “ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

I know that some of you don’t necessarily think a great deal of yourselves. We often forget the

Matthew 6:27–32 “ Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”

I cannot truly make myself taller, shorter. I have found success getting wider. He isn’t talking about sanctification here. This really is a practical thought of what it means to look a see that God is in your life in every way. Trusting God in Spirit and in truth. Believing that we can live contentedly because he will provide.

Because we know without doubt of His provision, we know that we simply are stewards, in service to our Lord. To our savior. To our heavenly father. YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER. MY HEAVENLY FATHER.

The father has given many means of us to increase here, to affect those around us, to lift up and not tear down.

Matthew 6:33–34 “ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Truly a great and important scripture to memorize, is v33/34.

Proverbs 2:1–6 “ My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, 2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; 3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, 4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;”

What does all this mean? I think we see the practical example of what Jesus is speaking of here in

Revelation 3:14–22 “ “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold (collosae 6miles) nor hot (heirapolis calcified, medicinal healing). I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. (too far from source) 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— (banking center, rich city, produced black wool, medical school) 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire (depend on Jesus), that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed (pure righteousness of Christ we cant do), that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see (was blind now see, doctors cant fix spiritual blindness). 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. (wouldn't tell ya if didn't care) 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. (get close to me) 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ””

So what are we depending on? Are we in a constant state of compromise because we depend on work/money? Because we don’t recognize its His? Do we come to him, seeking how we are dressed i.e. live? We trust Him with eternity but not with our lives?