GOD OR MONEY

Good morning and welcome to CCC. What a wonderful day it is today. What a wonderful week we had, feels like summer showed up quickly and early!!!!!!!!

Today is a big day for many as graduation parties start today as well as Senior Sermon tonight. One step closer to next Sunday and graduation.

I am so excited for our graduates but with that transition means change.

Melody has been, is, and always will be my best friend on this earth and right behind her is Logan.

I have been struggling with this idea that I won’t see him day in and day out.

Again I am so excited to see him go to college and continue to grow into a Godly young man but I love him and will miss him.

Tears have been shed and will be shed some more, not tears of sorrow but joy and appreciation for the relationship that God has developed between Logan and I.

I have prayed and prayed for a sensitive heart and for God to soften my heart. There was a day when I would not allow myself to feel feelings. I am not going to lie, I felt a lot of emotions this week and I am sure will again next week and for sure in the fall.

We are called to love others as Jesus loves us and with that comes emotions.

That is okay when we do not allow ourselves to be controlled by our emotions.

But make no mistake you will feel emotions on this earth.

Again I am sad but so thankful for everything God has done and is doing and will do in Logan’s life. I am also so very excited to see how God grows our relationship as it changes and as Logan continues to grow into a Godly young man.

Let’s Pray

START OBS

This morning we are going to jump back into our Sermon on the Mount: Are you in or out sermon series.

I am not going to lie some toes will be stomped on today. Not because I love to stomp on toes but because we are going to deal with God’s truth and really look at where we stand in relation to God’s truth.

I have been challenged by so many of the truths we have covered in this series and this one is no exception.

In fact I fasted on Wednesday in preparation for this message today because I felt God laying that on my heart as today’s truth cuts to the heart of relationship with Christ.

This truth is vital to serving Jesus.

This truth is vital to being a true Christian.

I anticipate some being upset by today's message, again not intentional but people are people and conviction can drive people to react or act out against the one who the perceive as delivering the conviction in this case me but they miss the point.

I have never convicted anyone.....I proclaim God’s Word and the Holy Spirit does the convicting

I have heard lots of things since becoming a pastor and one of those things is that pastors have no business preaching about money and politics.

I would argue that is one of the reasons we are in the mess we are in is because the church has gone silent on money and politics.

If you are a true Christian and in God’s Word politics is easy, do they agree with the Word of God or not. If they don’t I can’t support them.

God is very clear about money and Jesus spoke about money often

it is almost like He knew us.

Almost like He was fully God but yet fully human so He fully understands us

Since He was a perfect human He understands us better than we understand ourselves.

Let’s Look at His words

Matthew 6:19-24

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““Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness! “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

The first thing I want to look at in relation to this scripture is this:

WHO DO YOU SERVE?

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I want to start by asking you a question.

I have also put this question on the notes hand out as I want you to wrestle with this question all week long

What is your goal?

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Is it a full retirement account.

A full bank account.

Generational wealth for your family on earth

or Full heavenly account and generational spiritual wealth for your family.

What is your goal?

As I said I want you to wrestle with this question and I pray that for many the answer to that question starts to change as a result of God’s Word presented here today.

Many of you can’t go a single day without checking your bank account or stock info or your portfolio,

you monitor and make adjustments and deposits into your accounts here on earth

but you rarely make deposits in heaven but then you explode and get angry at God when you need to make a withdraw from that spiritual wealth but the account is empty.

Even worse many just go through life like Eeyore. That’s too bad. Wish things were different. You have been away from God for so long that you are numb to everything

Both of these reactions, ways of life, perspectives whatever you want to call them happen

because you go weeks or months without entering the secret place to meet Jesus.

Many of those same people have a very hard time making it to Sunday morning church and you can forget about Wednesday evenings, way too many things happening during the week to seek God and study His Word and have iron sharpening iron that happens when true believers sit down with God’s Word.

My job, my hobby, my rest. my whatever is way more important than that Bible study.

I want to stop and say this here again......this is not a pastor trying to guilt people into the church so he can count numbers.

God created us for community.

The enemy loves to destroy you and God’s community with isolationism.

If satan can keep a Christian out of the church then that Christian is not very dangerous to him because as much as that Christian claims he or she can grow on their own they will never grow on their own like they would grow in community.

it is in fact the Holy Spirit who teaches scripture so one can learn on their own but again not like they will grow when surrounded by other like minded bible believing and bible living Christians

It breaks my heart when you miss church because you miss out on fellowship.

You MISS the MESSAGE that GOD had for YOU that morning.

You miss Jesus!!!!!!

This is a heart issue. You are seeking the world instead of seeking Jesus. You can call it what you want but that is the truth of the matter.

I am no talking about being gone occasionally for vacation or a special event which happens from time to time

Many say that is when they miss for vacations or special events and before you know it you haven’t been in church for a month or maybe you make one Sunday a month.

Jesus was beaten for YOU. Jesus climbed up on a cross for YOU. Jesus died for YOU.

You don’t come to church to gain salvation but because of salvation! You don’t come to church to gain but to worship because you realize the price Jesus paid for YOU!!!!!!!!

Make church,

Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings non-negotiable to you.

Make an excuse to be here instead of excuses not to be here

There are many scriptures that apply here to our text in Matthew and in fact I have given you homework this week on your notes sheet. If you didn’t get one before service please get one after, if we need to print more we will be happy to do that.

Go through the scriptures we cover this morning as well as the homework scriptures this week in your secret place time.

Hebrews 13:5

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“Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.”

What if you were to hire an outside agency to come in and do a time audit on your life?

When they compared the time you spend working to make money.

Time spend looking at your money, bank accounts, stock market etc.

Time you spend thinking about how to make more money, what to do with the money you make, retirement etc

What if they looked at that time and compared it with

The time you spend in the secret place

Time you spend in prayer

Time you spend in church

Time you spend in Bible studies

Time you spend in conversation about God and His Word

Time you spend evangelizing, preaching the gospel

What would they find?

What would be found is where your heart is,

what you love.

You spend time on the things you love

You know that is true, if you want your marriage to prosper you spend time with your spouse.

If you want to influence and teach your kids you spend time with them

If you want that promotion at work you spend time to show you are the one

If you want a better golf game you spend time there

The list goes on and on and on

You do that naturally but when it comes time for God it is something that most don’t have time for.......you are placing your love in the wrong things.

God tells us why we must love Him and not money

Be satisfied with what you have.

Stop chasing things and start chasing Jesus

Be satisfied with what you have because “I will never leave you or abandon you”

This scripture truly cuts the the heart of the matter. Who do you trust......money......or God.

Where you turn shows where you trust is placed

God has got you…let God be enough!!!!!

Doesn’t matter if you have more money and wealth than all of the billionaires on earth combined.

It won’t help you get into heaven....in fact it will make it harder.

Your hope must be in Jesus

Your hope must be in God

Set your hope on them and not wealth.

A great way to find out where your true hope lies is where do you turn or go when things fall apart.

Do you run to God in prayer and petition or do you turn to things of the world?

Do you truly rely upon God or wealth?

You are judged and known by your fruits

You do not do good works to get saved but you do good works because you are saved

Are you rich in good works....by the way sitting here this morning or listening to this sermon online is not a good work

Good works are acts of service,

acts of giving,

using your talents to serve God and grow His kingdom

This could be anything from mowing the grass to going into the mission field and everything in between

We had a group of people using their talents yesterday to make the outside of this church look amazing. To those where were here yesterday THANK YOU!!!!

Since that is the case are your fruits worldly or spiritual?

This includes time

This includes money

This includes your talents

Invest in God and His people

Invest in serving the lost and growing the saved

Invest your time in growing from milk to meat

Invest in God’s church.

The earthly church is full of humans and flawed people so of course there will be plenty of flaws.

The earthly church is also full of those who love the Lord and look to live life with other Christians.

The earthly church is also looking to spread the Gospel so the lost may be found.

Invest in the earthly church and be a part of the solution not the problem!

Let’s look at more of Jesus’ words

Matthew 25:14-30

14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent, depending on each one’s ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately 16 the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. 17 In the same way the man with two earned two more. 18 But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I’ve earned five more talents.’

21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’

22 “The man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I’ve earned two more talents.’

23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’

24 “The man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a harsh man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

26 “His master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy servant! If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, 27 then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and I would have received my money back with interest when I returned.

28 “ ‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 30 And throw this good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Which servant are you?

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I want to also make something clear none of us, the created, are the master.

Which servant are you?

The one who went to work?

What does go to work look like in this context?

Looking to grow the Kingdom by living, speaking and preaching the gospel

Looking to grow oneself by being devoted to the study of God’s Word and prayer and being among believers

Looking to grow others be being in fellowship and serving inside and outside the church

Or are you the one who hid the talent in the ground?

What does that look like?

focusing on earthly things

focusing on growing your money

finding new ways to make money

growing your portfolio

refusing to use your time and money and talents for God

isolating yourself and not being in church and bible studies

I want you to understand something the difference here is eternal

Those who went to work heard Well done share your Master’s joy and the other had everything taken from him and thrown into hell.

James 4:4

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“You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God.”

What drives you?

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building YOUR kingdom or building GOD’S Kingdom

I want you to get real with God.

Ask God to search your hearts...

don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can search your own heart…

you will fail…

those are not my words but God’s Words

Jeremiah 17:9-10

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“The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it? I, the Lord, examine the mind, I test the heart to give to each according to his way, according to what his actions deserve.”

you have to stop searching your heart and start surrendering to God to allow Him to search your heart

You have to seek his searching and testing of your heart then respond accordingly

Your heart will lie to you. That is why you must be in scripture

That is why you must stand only on scripture

James 4:4 speaks to the eye. Is your eye full of light, Jesus, or darkness world. What are the things you are looking to and for in this world?

Are you looking for the things of God for the things of you? Are you looking to build God’s Kingdom or your Kingdom?

Who do you trust? God or money.

God or money

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I love you all.

All of you here in attendance and all of those watching online or will see and hear this message later on youtube.

I love you all.

Some are mad, that preacher he is out of bounds. He is talking about money.

I love you and I am praying for you because instead of seeing that the conviction you are feeling is from God to get you to move and respond you are seeing it as me being mean to you or picking on you or making you feel bad

God loves you more than I do and He wants you to love Him above all things including money

If money is off limits to you and none of God’s or the churches business.

If in your opinion it is not my place to preach on God’s Word when it comes to all things including money then it is not God and the church and this pastor that is out of line but it is YOU who is out of line because you are not in line with the Word of God.

This is a heart issue. Where you treasure is there is your heart. I want to close with this scripture

Mark 10:17-27

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17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not defraud; honor your father and mother.”,

20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.”

21 Looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 But he was dismayed by this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.

23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”

24 The disciples were astonished at his words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 They were even more astonished, saying to one another, “Then who can be saved?”

27 Looking at them, Jesus said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God.”

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If God said sell everything and follow me would you sell or walk away?

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The young ruler walked away from Jesus because he loved money.

God or money? This is a question you MUST answer. Your eternity depends upon it. Those are not my words those are God’s Words which we have looked at here this morning.

Many today in our society will choose to walk away from Jesus because of their love of money

Some may be sitting right here among us....watching our livestream or watching on youtube later this week.....they may love money more than Jesus and walk away.

Some refuse to accept Jesus because they love

money

drugs

sex

power

cars

hobbies

accounts

the list goes on and on and on but they love that stuff more than Jesus and therefore are going to go to hell when they die

There are those who have grown up in the church.....those who claim to be saved....those who look to the world that they are Christians…go to church.....give a tithe…help those around them....but they also are headed to hell because despite the good they do they love money more than Jesus

I couldn’t sleep at night if I would know this truth of God and not proclaim this truth because eternities hang in the balance....heaven or hell

If you get mad at me but choose Jesus praise God.

God is so very clear you cannot serve both God and money.

As this song plays get with God, if He is convicting you to give this to Him come.

If He is calling you into a relationship with Jesus for the very first time come.

Seek, listen, and respond!

HOMEWORK VERSES:

Proverbs 23:4-5

Matthew 19:16-22

Luke 12:31-34

Matthew 4:16-17

Proverbs 11:1-4

Proverbs 11:7

Proverbs 11:28

I Timothy 6:17-19