Sermon Tone Analysis

From private life to public life

Don’t short sight yourself, don’t look just at the here and now, look at the everlasting.

Jesus makes a shift in our passage today from the private life “in the secret place” about giving, praying and fasting, to the public life what we do with money, possessions, food, drink and clothing.

Don’t practice righteousness to be seen by men (Mt6:1)

When you give, let your giving be in secret (Mt6:4)

When you pray, go to your inner room (Mt6:6)

Oh, don’t forget to forgive (Mt6:14)

Jesus is concerned about our religious life and our secular life, or may we say secular responsibilities as kingdom dwellers.

For He knows, see’s all things (Mt6:4, 6, 18) and knows our needs (Mt6:32).

We are to be different to have a different view than that of the secular world.

Remember the thesis statement.

Previously Jesus had addressed the hypocrisy of the religious scribes and Pharisees now to the irreligious, nonreligious and the dangers of materialism for the kingdom dweller (vv.19-34)

Just a little more before getting to the passage today.

There are two:

Two treasures, on earth and in heaven (vv.19-21)

Two bodily conditions, light and darkness (vv.22-23)

Two masters, God and mammon (v.24)

Two preoccupations, our bodies and God’s kingdom (vv.25-34)

Two Treasures

Two treasures, earthly and heavenly.

In a world that we are in but not a part of because we are kingdom dwellers it is a fine line so not to get snagged into the treasures of this world.

Mt6:19-20

Jesus commands regarding earthly treasures (Mt6:19); gives reason why (v.19)

They are temporary

They can cause covetousness and people come in and steal

Jesus commands what treasures we are to store up (Mt6:20)

They are eternal

They are imperishable

They are secure

Jesus warned about difficulty of entering the kingdom because of riches (Mt19:16-26)

This is the story of the rich young ruler who wanted to now how to obtain eternal life.

Too long a passage for today, but look what Jesus told him.

Difficulty does not mean impossible

MT19;21

Mt19:24-

Mt

Now it is not wrong to possess things, it is wrong for things to posses us!.

God has given us all things to enjoy (1Tim6:17)

Now it is not wrong to possess things, it is wrong for things to posses us!.

God has

Notice what Paul says here, the instructions of what to do with riches, the things of this world.

- Don’t be conceited or put hope on them.

Paul warned too (1Tim6:9-10)

Important, let me read (v.10) again for many misquote this verse and then only use a part of it more often than not (reread v.10 again) point out root of all sorts of evil (being greed, covetousness, idolatry) things that can take you away from your faith and cause you many griefs.

If not careful wealth, riches can become our “god” now you may say “no not me” well we need to be careful what we think here.

Do we give from our abundance, surplus or from our first fruits?

If you look at your budget where does offering come in?

Is it on the top?

We are to give to give as we have purposed in our heart, not begrudgingly but with a joyful heart.

The question comes on where is God in your heart, is He top priority?

If not then we can be suffering from covetousness and that is a form of idolatry.

Paul called a covetous person an Idolater (Eph5:5)

Notice what the result is?

No inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Paul calls for the kingdom dweller to put to death covetousness (Col3:5)

So, sorry if hard to hear some of these things thus far, let us take some time and examine the teaching of Jesus on mastering mammon.

Lay up heavenly treasure

Why in heaven and not on earth?

For where our treasure is, there your heart will be also, so, we need to lay up treasures in heaven.

May we also look at some simple scriptural tools in doing such.

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Why in heaven?

(Mt6:20; 1Pt1:3-5)

Why not on earth (Mt6:19)

Enslavement (Mt6:19-21) mind (Mt6:22-23) and the will (Mt6:24)

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Why in heaven?

(Mt6:20; 1Pt1:3-5)

Enslavement of heart (Mt6:19-21) mind (Mt6:22-23) and the will (Mt6:24)

Storing up our treasures in heaven

neither moth nor rust destroy

Thieves do not break in or steal

Material things are perishable and are subject to being stolen.

why in Heaven?

look at this one too

1Pt1:

1

So our treasures are imperishable

So our treasures are securely guarded

Why in heaven?

(Mt6:20; 1Pt1:3-5)

Why not on earth (Mt6:19)

Mt6:19

Enslavement of heart (Mt6:19-21) mind (Mt6:22-23) and the will (Mt6:24)

Moth rust destroy

Thieves can break in and steal.

May we now look at this other item before moving on:

Why in heaven?

(Mt6:20; 1Pt1:3-5)

Why not on earth (Mt6:19)

Enslavement: of heart (Mt6:19-21) mind (Mt6:22-23) and the will (Mt6:24)

Enslavement of the heart: Materialism puts earthly gain above heavenly investments.

Now the materials of this world can be used by God when we don’t gather them for ourselves and store them up for ourselves.

Don’t have spiritual poverty because of material things.

Enslavement of the mind:

Enslavement of the mind; God uses the eye to represent the attitudes of the mind which directly impact our heart, right?

So when we covet the things of this world our eyes are focused on the temporal not the eternal.

We cannot look at two things at once, so we need to either look to the light or the darkness.

Don’t allow yourself to be enslaved in the mind.

Enslavement of the will:

we cannot serve two masters.

Either Jesus Christ is our Lord (master) or money (mammon) is our Lord.

It is a matter of will.