January 17, 2016 | Bob Bartlett
Passage: Matthew 6:19-24
Finances - The Great Divide
Matthew 6:19-24
“No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money.”
The Great Divide:
Vs 19-20: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
- There are two kinds of treasures – worldly or godly!
- Luke 16:11 “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?”
- God has always asked for supremacy in my life – my heart – my finances!
Vs 21: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
- There are two kinds of hearts – worldly or godly.
- Luke 6:45 “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.”
- The heart will always follow money!
Vs 22-23 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
- There are two kinds of paths – worldly or godly.
- Luke 16:10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
- We cannot be more than the sum of our hearts – secured or seduced! Pv 4:23
Vs 24: “No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money.”
- There are two kinds of masters – money or God.
- 1Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
- I think it’s worth the consideration: Malachi 3:8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings.”
The Great Solution
Give to God what God says I should give to Him.
- Matthew 23:23 “You give a tenth of your spices–mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law–justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”
The Great Motive
- Out of Reverence: Genesis 16:14 To honor God. Genesis 16:14
- Out of Obedience: Leviticus 27:30 To obey God. Leviticus 27:30
- Out of Faith: Malachi 3:10 To test God. Malachi 3:10
- Out of Love: Matthew 6:24 To love God. Matthew 6:24
- Give for the right reason(s)? I can’t think of a greater one – a better one – than Love!
“If He gave the very best for me, certainly I can give the very least to Him!”