Who Do You Love? Are You For Sure?

You cannot serve God and money.

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 6

Most of Jesus’ audience probably was very poor, and with poverty comes a concern for the material aspects of life. Jesus addresses these earthly concerns in the next section (

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

The problem is not money, but the divided loyalties hat result from the pursuit of money. For the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Those who serve God faithfully can trust Him to meet your material needs. Two reasons not to worry about food and clothing: God already knows what you need, God already has what you need.

When we make God a priority we can trust him to meet our needs. Don’t add more worries to your day by worrying about tomorrow. Tomorrow is not even here yet.

Our choices and actions are shaped by the things we cherish the most.

Chapter 6 is a continuation of the sermon on the mount. Jesus teaches the disciples that fasting, giving, and praying for attention is not what true christians do. Everything done privately (our prayers, our giving, and our fasting) gets rewarded publicly. Matthew writes from eyewitness accounts of being with Jesus. He is a Jewish tax collector for the Roman Government. He was very wealthy as a tax collector, not exactly liked but wealthy non the less. Matthew and Luke both write about the same thing. Luke a physican the bible doesn’t declare Lukes financial status but the both write the same message with different surrounding text. The message “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to th eone and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Money.

This morning we will look at 6 truths:

Truth #1 Everything we own belongs to GOD

Truth #2 There is nothing wrong with have abundance, whether you have a lot or a little, how we prioritize it matters.

Truth #3 God uses money to test us, the enemy uses money to tempt us

Truth #4 When we are faithful, we show God we are trustworthy

Truth #5 Seek Him first, and all the things we need will be provided

Truth #6 We can’t purchase our salvation, Jesus did it. The least we can do is show appreciation. Keep God 1st, and let Him manage our life.

Truth #1: Everything we own belongs to God.

The very first commandment in the old testament is thou shall have no other gods before God. In today’s passage both Matthew and Luke remind us that either God occupies the primary position in your life or he doesn’t. Plane and simple. God want to be first in our lives. He is the reason we are living breathing and have our very being. God loves us and his love endures forever. We ought to give God thanks because He is good. David says he is the God of all the gods. His love for us last forever, give thanks to the Lord of lords his loyal love last forever. He deserves all of our love and adoration. This verse does not mean we cannot serve God if we have money. There will at some point be one or the other calling you and you may not be able to answer. When God calls we want to be ready!!! Ready to go! ready to serve! Ready to visit, ready to give. What ever he wants we want to be ready. When money is our God there’s gonna be some conflict. That’s not to say that we have to be in financial lack to be available to serve God. In this congregation we are at all different financial levels. God can use you in the kingdom no matter what your economic status. Work don’t care who does it long as it gets done. A dish don’t care who washes it, a floor don’t care who sweeps it, a Sunday School needs a teacher, you just need the gift of teaching. A singer you just need the gift of singing, and a preacher you just need the gift of preaching. JUST POINT THEM TO JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!

Truth #2: It’s nothing wrong with having excess, Whether you have a little or a lot, it’s about how you prioritize, your time, money, and talents. 1 Timothy 6:10 says “The Love of money is the root of all evil.” The love of money can cause families to fallout and stop talking to each other, the love of money can make you do some things you ought not do. Whether the lack of money and the need for more, or the abundance of it with a prideful spirit. Ojay’s must have read 1 Timothy 6:10 their lyrics where right from the book. The LOVE of MONEY. Don’t let money change you. The bible is full of examples of people that had money but money didn’t change them, the bible has stories of people that had little and they were faithful over the little they had. The widows 2 mite, she gave all she had even all her life’s earnings. Jesus said her giving was more than all the rich had given because her’s was her very last. That was an act of faith. My giving might not look like your giving and your giving won’t look like mines. It’s all about how we prioritize our giving, ask God, Lord what would you have me give. Giving ought to be private. Jesus said don’t let your right hand see what your left hand gives. Don’t sound the trumpet when you give. Just give and watch God multiply. Give and it will be given to you good measure pressed down, shaken together and running over will men give unto your lap. When God blesses you you don’t have to worry, because The blessings of the Lord maketh rich and added no sorrow to it. When we are faithfully over a unrighteous mammon, God can trust us with true riches.

Truth #3: God uses money to test us, the enemy uses money to tempt us

In Luke 16 Jesus tells the parable of the shrewd business man

Jesus is no longer addressing the scribes (teachers of the law) and Pharisees as in the previous chapter (15:2–3). However, they apparently are still listening to Him (15:14). Jesus knows how to read the room, he knows he’s in the presence of some real money lovers. This message is just as much for the Scribes and Pharisees as it is for Jesus disciples. Life is not about fashion, food, and money. Look at the wild flowers in the field and the birds in the air, even Solomon in all his riches were dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers!! The birds don’t even store food, yet they never go hungry.

The earth is the Lords and the fullness therein. (1 Corinthians 10:26)

a manager Refers to someone who oversees his master’s property and finances, often a slave born in the master’s house.

was squandering his possessions Either foolishly mismanaging his master’s money or spending it extravagantly; both would be grounds for termination. The Greek verb used here, diaskorpizō, often translated as “to squander,” also appears in 15:13 to describe the activities of the lost son.

 John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Lk 16:1.

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 6

Most of Jesus’ audience probably was very poor, and with poverty comes a concern for the material aspects of life. Jesus addresses these earthly concerns in the next section (

Truth #4: When we are faithful, we show God we are trustworthy

Truth #5: Seek Him first, and all the things we need will be provided

Truth #6: We can’t purchase our salvation, Jesus did it. The least we can do is show appreciation. Keep God 1st, and let Him manage our life.