WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.040 Thanks for checking out this podcast from Carterville Christian Church. 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:04.160 We're so glad you're here. 00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:09.679 Our hope is that through these messages you'll grow deeper in your faith and experience the life-changing hope of Jesus. 00:00:09.839 --> 00:00:12.240 Now let's jump into this week's teaching. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:14.320 Well, good morning, C3. 00:00:14.560 --> 00:00:16.239 Going to be with you this morning. 00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:18.000 I need to get this out of the way. 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:20.079 I'm wearing a boot this morning. 00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:29.280 Um, and this is just a painful reminder of humility, the lesson of humility that I'm that I'm still trying to learn at whatever, 36 years old. 00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:33.920 Thought I was 18 years old, so I decided to play barefoot soccer with our students at Move. 00:00:34.159 --> 00:00:37.359 Um, and then my foot collided with another person's foot. 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:40.000 And that 18-year-old girl was totally fine. 00:00:40.159 --> 00:00:41.439 She hopped up and was fine. 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:43.119 That added insult to injury. 00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:46.799 I was not fine, um, but hopefully won't be wearing this much longer. 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:51.679 But also, it's a lesson of humility to listen to your wife when she tells you to go to the doctor. 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:55.280 Um, after three weeks of hearing me complain, she just said, I made you an appointment. 00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:56.799 We're gonna go get that looked at. 00:00:56.960 --> 00:01:02.320 So, anyways, uh, we're jumping in this new series uh called Jesus the Financial Planner. 00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:05.599 And we're gonna be doing this over the next several weeks here for the month of August. 00:01:05.680 --> 00:01:09.120 We're gonna be looking at what Jesus has to say about our money. 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:23.439 And what would Jesus say, like if you pulled up and you were sitting across the table from him and you laid out your whole portfolio where you spend and where you save and what you're looking for in investments in the future, all that kind of stuff, what kind of advice would he give you? 00:01:23.680 --> 00:01:26.719 And the thing is, Jesus has a lot to say about money. 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:42.959 Actually, like some scholars, depending on how you look at it, depending on how you what you what you translate, if he's really talking about money in a couple different areas, it's anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of what of all of Jesus' words in in the four gospels are talking about money and generosity. 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:50.159 Actually, about 40%, roughly around 40% of his parables have to do with money or generosity. 00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:59.439 And actually, one one scholar said that it's actually, he did the math, and he said it's actually about one in every 10 verses in the entire New Testament talks about our money. 00:01:59.599 --> 00:02:06.719 And so the truth about this whole series is really kind of like if, hey, if Jesus is talking about this this much, then we should probably have a conversation about it. 00:02:06.879 --> 00:02:09.360 We should probably talk about this as a church. 00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:10.800 We should probably pay attention to it. 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:16.080 And we've been, you you've already read, you already read from Matthew chapter six, that's where we're gonna be the rest of our time this morning. 00:02:16.159 --> 00:02:19.840 So if you got your Bibles, open up to Matthew chapter six, that's where we're gonna find ourselves. 00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:22.319 We're gonna be walking through that here in just a little bit. 00:02:22.479 --> 00:02:24.400 But I love how one author said it. 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:31.199 As I was studying this week, he said this way he said, Everyone is religious because everyone has something of ultimate concern. 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:33.919 Everyone has something of ultimate concern. 00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:37.759 Put another way, everyone has something that they treasure. 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:55.120 And Jesus is fully aware of this in Matthew chapter six, as he teaches, as Sarah's already read, this is what it says: Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:59.199 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 00:02:59.919 --> 00:03:02.719 Now, there's a lot of things to say, but I want to just point this out. 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:04.960 Do you notice what Jesus doesn't do in this text? 00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:09.759 What Jesus doesn't do is he does not condemn laying up treasure. 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:11.039 Do you realize that? 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:14.319 Like he does not condemn storing up treasure for yourselves. 00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:15.599 Actually, he encourages it. 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:24.319 But what he's doing is he's warning us not to store up the kind of treasure that's just gonna fade away, that's ultimately not gonna be with you, that's not gonna stay with you. 00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:32.000 And like make sure you're storing up things that actually that actually matter, investing in stuff that actually matters and why actually there'll be some kind of a return on your investment. 00:03:32.319 --> 00:03:35.919 This sounds like pretty straightforward advice you would get from a financial planner. 00:03:36.159 --> 00:03:37.439 Hey, why are you investing? 00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:39.039 That that is a terrible investment. 00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:40.240 You're throwing away your money. 00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:41.280 Why would you do that? 00:03:41.439 --> 00:03:44.479 Why would you continue following this path? 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:46.719 This is, you're gonna run out of money really quick. 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:49.599 You're gonna be retired for about a year, and then you're gonna run out of money. 00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:52.240 That's what's gonna happen if you if you continue this thing. 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:55.199 Why would you invest in things that won't last at all? 00:03:55.360 --> 00:03:58.800 And yet, Jesus makes an interesting statement in verse 21. 00:03:58.879 --> 00:04:03.360 I don't know if you see it, and this is kind of where I want to hunker down here for this morning. 00:04:03.599 --> 00:04:07.520 He says, For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be. 00:04:07.919 --> 00:04:11.759 And this is like this has been his MO in the Sermon on the Mount. 00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:18.800 This is the probably the most famous sermon that Jesus ever preaches is Matthew, is recorded right here in Matthew chapter 5, 6, and 7. 00:04:18.959 --> 00:04:25.120 And what's happening here is Jesus is saying, I've not come to abolish the law, but I've come to fulfill the law. 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:34.959 And then he goes into this list of old laws and he says, Hey, you've heard that it was said to the people long ago, you shall not murder, and that's probably still still a good thing to do, right? 00:04:35.040 --> 00:04:37.199 You probably shouldn't go go kill your neighbor. 00:04:37.519 --> 00:04:43.680 But anyone, I tell you, anyone who is angry with a brother or sister has already committed murder in their heart. 00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:47.439 And you've heard that it was said to the people long ago, you shall not commit adultery. 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:53.439 But I tell you, anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:59.519 And this is the whole point of what he's trying to get at with this whole Sermon on the Mount is hey, there's a deeper issue. 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:03.600 The Lord wants our heart, not just our outward actions. 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:06.959 Like he wants a deeper level of commitment from us. 00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:11.600 And so it makes sense that he says this about our treasures as well. 00:05:11.759 --> 00:05:19.120 Now, I don't know about you, um, but what this means for all of us is that it doesn't exclude any of us. 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:28.480 When Jesus takes this money thing and makes it about our heart, when he takes this treasure thing and makes it about our heart, it means that we're all in the bullseye of this teaching. 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:29.600 That's what it means. 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:31.839 It's it's applicable to every single one of us. 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:38.319 And I don't know where you stand as you, as Sarah, you know, said, we're gonna start this new series called Jesus the Financial Planner. 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:42.000 And as I get up and say that's what we're gonna do, and and I don't know what goes through your mind. 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:45.680 For some of you, I I know some of you are thinking, oh, here we go again. 00:05:45.759 --> 00:05:50.800 Like this is all the church wants to talk about, you know, like they just want to, they just want my money, that's all they want. 00:05:50.959 --> 00:05:52.879 And and you, when's this series end? 00:05:53.120 --> 00:05:53.439 August? 00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:55.600 All right, we'll be back in September, you know, that kind of a thing. 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:58.000 Like maybe that's what you're thinking, if you're honest with yourself. 00:05:58.160 --> 00:06:01.360 And I heard one uh professor at Ozark say this a long time ago. 00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:05.759 He said, when we when we ask the question, what does money have to do with theology? 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:10.000 What we hope the what we hope the answer is uh not that much. 00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:17.199 Like we would rather God not really be interested in our money, in our possessions, in our things. 00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:20.160 We would rather our faith not have anything to do with our money. 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:24.480 I think we would rather God not care about how generous we are with what we have freely been given. 00:06:24.720 --> 00:06:29.120 And maybe that's where you are, you're just kind of like frustrated that we're gonna be talking about this for the next several weeks. 00:06:29.360 --> 00:06:36.800 Maybe if you're honest with yourself, uh, like you might honestly just kind of, there's some of us in this room that might be on the edge of your seat a little bit. 00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:42.399 Because if you're honest with yourself, money is money is what consumes your mind. 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:45.519 Like it's it seems to be all you think about. 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:50.319 Like you're constantly worrying about it, constantly like it's consuming your thoughts and attention. 00:06:50.480 --> 00:06:53.120 It's definitely what you fight about the most with your spouse. 00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:55.120 Like maybe, maybe that's what it is for you. 00:06:55.199 --> 00:07:05.759 It's what you keep striving for, keep pursuing, and and deep down what you feel like if I had just a little bit more, if I had enough, it would fix all of my problems that I have that I'm facing right now. 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:13.839 So you look for that promotion, that new job, a better home, a nicer car, a better interest rate, a better return on the investment, a raise, a more robust bank account. 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:19.040 And sometimes we sit on the edge of our seat looking for the quick fix to our money issue. 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:21.199 And maybe that's where you find yourself today. 00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:28.959 It's just an issue, it's an object of stress for you in your relationships, in your daily life. 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:36.560 Or maybe you're sitting here this morning and you're honest with yourself and you're just kind of like like trying to evaluate, you're like, I honestly, money's not an issue. 00:07:36.879 --> 00:07:39.360 Like, money's not something that I struggle with. 00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:43.839 My like, yeah, the treasure, yeah, I'm not storing up treasures on on earth. 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:53.199 But what's interesting about Jesus' statement here is when Jesus speaks of money, he almost always goes to a deeper level than surface level. 00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:54.959 He almost always goes deeper. 00:07:55.120 --> 00:08:05.360 An issue that isn't fixed overnight, an issue that's not fixed by trying to do it on our own or working harder or investing smarter, when Jesus speaks of money, he's talking about our hearts. 00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:11.279 And here's the thing: we are notoriously bad at evaluating what's off with our hearts. 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:13.439 We're we're pretty bad at it. 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:20.720 You know, like sometimes we can't see it, sometimes we're blind to what's actually deep within us, deep within the recesses of us. 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:35.120 And can I just encourage you, if this is you today, if you're if you're approaching this and you're like, I don't know if this has anything to do with me, I mean, can I just encourage you to just kind of level with me today and just say, yeah, money could be an issue for me. 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:40.159 If you can say that this morning, then then I think you'll you'll get something from this text. 00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:46.879 Money could be an issue for me, because here's what I know to be true our treasure problems are really heart problems. 00:08:47.679 --> 00:08:48.960 It's really heart problems. 00:08:49.600 --> 00:09:01.440 And as we're gonna we're gonna continue walking through Jesus' words here in Matthew chapter six, and what I think Jesus is doing as he continues teaching through Matthew chapter six is he's getting to the root issue of our treasure problems. 00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:10.799 Like if we have this idol of money, then it shows up and it's actually just showing, it's a sign, it's a symptom of something deeper that's going on within us. 00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:12.240 And so here's what I think he's doing. 00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:15.360 Right, he continues, and I think root issue number one is vision. 00:09:15.519 --> 00:09:17.200 That's what I think Jesus is getting at. 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:22.159 Like if if we if our treasure problems are heart problems, maybe the heart problem is a vision problem. 00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:25.279 This is what he says in verse 22 the eye is the lamp of the body. 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:28.080 So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:30.639 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:35.120 If then the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness? 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:37.039 Now, this text seems weird. 00:09:37.200 --> 00:09:43.679 Like it seems like this does not make any sense when it comes to generosity or money or our possessions, but I think it really does. 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:49.759 And Jesus is trying to help us understand our treasure problem might actually be, might actually start with our vision. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:52.240 Uh this is several years ago now. 00:09:52.320 --> 00:09:55.279 My wife and I went to have our eyes examed. 00:09:55.519 --> 00:10:05.840 I think after a while, you know, my wife realized I was squinting at things all the time, you know, whether that's driving at night or like just looking, just watching the TV, I was always squinting at things. 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:08.480 So she was like, hey, we're gonna go do this together, you know? 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:28.559 So we go in and and go to the eye doctor together and they do the you know run-of-the-mill test, you know, that you put your eyes up to something, the puff of air goes to see how quick your like reaction is, and then then they test the dilation of your eyes, and then they they they do the the classic, you know, put read the lowest line that you can read, you know, put your eye in here, read the lowest line that you can read, right? 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:30.639 And my wife goes first, right? 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:40.000 I'm sitting in the exam room, my wife goes first, and this eye doctor is just like ooing and awing on my wife's um like how great her eyesight is, you know. 00:10:40.159 --> 00:10:46.480 Oh, eagle eye over here, you know, you got better than 2020 vision, you know, like puffing her up, all this kind of stuff. 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:50.879 And I'm sitting over there just like stewing, like I'm competitive by nature, you know? 00:10:51.039 --> 00:10:52.879 And I'm like, now she's not gonna show me up. 00:10:52.960 --> 00:10:55.519 I'm gonna blow her out of the water when I get in that chair, you know what I'm saying? 00:10:55.600 --> 00:11:04.399 So I get up there and he says, All right, read the lowest, lowest line, and I go like two lines below it, just taking guesses at the blurry things underneath. 00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:06.080 And he's like, All right, flips to the next one. 00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:11.600 I'm still trying to read the things that are super blurry to me, like trying to one up my wife as best as I can, right? 00:11:11.759 --> 00:11:18.879 And we finally get done, and I step back, and I think the doctor can tell that I'm just like, I'm not hiding my pride at all at this point. 00:11:19.039 --> 00:11:20.879 Like, I'm just like, yeah, I just crushed that. 00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:23.679 I know I crushed that, you know, high exam right there. 00:11:23.919 --> 00:11:26.399 And he just goes, you know, put your eyes back in there. 00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:28.399 You want to see how well your wife can see? 00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:31.759 And I said, sure, like it can't be that much, you know, whatever. 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:34.639 Like, I mean, she probably is way blurrier than I am. 00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:35.279 I don't know, you know. 00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:40.240 I so I put my eyes up there, and he goes, All right, this is what you can see clearly, and I was like, Yeah. 00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:44.159 And then he goes, click, click, click, click, click, click. 00:11:44.399 --> 00:11:51.279 And with each click, it got more and more blurry until at the end it was just one big blob of blur on the screen, right? 00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:54.720 And I was, you know, I was definitely humbled in that moment, right? 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:57.200 Um, yeah, it was a lesson I needed to learn. 00:11:57.360 --> 00:12:00.240 Here's the thing that I think Jesus is telling us. 00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:10.159 When your treasure is found in the things of this world that ultimately fade, like your vision slowly starts to fade away as well. 00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:12.399 Like, slowly but surely. 00:12:12.480 --> 00:12:15.360 It's not all at once, but slowly, maybe just one click at a time. 00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:18.480 Like you can't see what you're supposed to see. 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:25.519 You can't see the Lord rightly, and you can't see this world rightly, whenever your treasure is in things of this world. 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:28.000 Like that's that's what I think he's getting at. 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:36.720 Like just one click at a time, our view of God, our view of the world just starts to be twisted, and before we know it, our vision is just one giant blurry blob. 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:38.240 Like that's what we see. 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:39.440 And this is what I think. 00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:42.320 The secret is in the word that Jesus uses in this text. 00:12:42.399 --> 00:12:52.960 You see the word that Jesus uses in this text for good and healthy when he's talking about your eye is a word that is used meaning single-mindedness or undivided loyalty. 00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:57.600 It could also be translated as translated to other parts in the Bible as generous. 00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:03.519 So it's like Jesus is saying, if your eye is generous, your whole body will be full of light. 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:07.919 But if it's stingy, man, then your whole body will be full of darkness. 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:15.919 Like keep in mind, this makes sense in the ultimate umbrella of what Jesus is talking about, as he's talking about what kind of treasure we're investing in. 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:19.519 Our vision may be distracted or twisted. 00:13:19.600 --> 00:13:40.240 And so rather than seeing the Lord as one who is worthy of our praise and as his world as a gift that he's given for us to steward, so that he may receive glory and honor, we instead start seeing ourselves as our own master, and we start seeing this world around us as just a bunch of different things that we've accrued for ourselves to use to our own advantage. 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:42.480 Our vision just slowly gets twisted. 00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:46.159 Jesus is saying, Hey, your treasure problem may be a vision problem. 00:13:46.559 --> 00:13:47.679 So what do we do? 00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:49.360 Well, it's pretty simple. 00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:50.799 It's just adjust your vision. 00:13:51.039 --> 00:13:51.840 That's what it is. 00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:53.919 Like change what you're focused on. 00:13:54.080 --> 00:14:05.919 It's interesting, Jesus uses eyes here in this metaphor when he's talking about, because oftentimes in scripture there's like these things that are almost used simultaneously, like in place of each other. 00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:09.759 Fix your eyes and set your minds and set your hearts. 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:12.320 They're almost used interchangeably in scripture. 00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:16.480 So when we fix our eyes on something, we're also setting our hearts on it as well. 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:19.200 And vision determines direction. 00:14:19.679 --> 00:14:23.519 Like, so it's true that what we focus on is what we move toward. 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:35.519 That's why the writer of Hebrews says, therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let's throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let's run with perseverance the race that's marked out for us. 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:46.879 Let's fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning at shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:53.919 Consider him, look to him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:58.080 I think the question we need to ask ourselves this morning is where is your vision? 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:00.000 Like, what are you looking to? 00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:04.639 The writer of Hebrews is saying, fix your eyes on Jesus. 00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:11.120 Don't turn your attention to anything else to fulfill you when it is only God who can fulfill you. 00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:14.320 Like, don't give anything else that seat. 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:17.039 Don't give anything else that title of treasure. 00:15:17.200 --> 00:15:22.240 Like in comparison, he he throws everything, blows everything else out of the water. 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:24.559 He's the only one who is truly important. 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:34.879 And the devil will want to use whatever he can, try to bring in whatever he can to distract you from looking at Jesus, from fixing your eyes on him. 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:40.080 Maybe today is a day, if you're just being honest with yourself and saying, yeah, this could be a problem. 00:15:40.240 --> 00:15:42.639 Maybe you're thinking, yeah, it's a vision problem. 00:15:42.799 --> 00:15:44.639 I've got my eyes on the wrong thing. 00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:48.480 And maybe the prayer of repentance today is just in Psalm 119. 00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:53.840 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things and give me life in your ways. 00:15:54.399 --> 00:15:57.679 See, our treasure problem might may be a vision problem. 00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:02.960 But our treasure problem could also, as Jesus continues, it could be an issue of devotion. 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:04.879 That's what he says in verse 24. 00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:05.360 Look at this. 00:16:05.519 --> 00:16:07.200 No one can serve two masters. 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:12.799 Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. 00:16:13.039 --> 00:16:15.919 You cannot serve God and money. 00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:16.799 It's interesting. 00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:24.240 This word that's used, uh that's translated here for money is like taken from the Aramaic word, mammon, M-A-M-M-O-N. 00:16:24.639 --> 00:16:25.519 Okay, mammon. 00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:28.960 And what what's interesting, it includes all of one's possessions, not just money. 00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:33.919 And what's interesting about this word is that it didn't start with like a negative connotation to it. 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:38.639 It was actually like meant whenever somebody would entrust something to somebody else. 00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:39.919 That's that's how it was used. 00:16:40.080 --> 00:16:46.159 So I'm gonna entrust this deposit to a banker to guard something for me, to guard something that's valuable for me. 00:16:46.320 --> 00:16:46.480 Right? 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:58.159 And what it did over time, what it what it ended up being, it it morphed into something, rather than something that you entrusted to somebody to keep safe, and it morphed into something that you placed your trust in. 00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:03.600 And that's whenever Mammon got a capital M at the beginning of it. 00:17:03.840 --> 00:17:07.119 And it turned into no less than an idol by itself. 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:11.599 And here's the thing, this is this is what we're talking about, is idolatry here. 00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:14.640 And Tim Keller, I love how Tim Keller defines idolatry. 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:18.960 He says it's whenever we take a good thing and it becomes a God thing in our lives. 00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:28.400 Whenever we take one of the one of the blessings that our God has given us, and then we elevate it to the status of God Himself, it has become an idol in our lives. 00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:30.880 And this is what this is what Jesus is getting at. 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:33.119 You cannot serve God and money. 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:34.880 You cannot serve God and mammon. 00:17:35.200 --> 00:17:41.359 It's interesting because, you know, in our day and age, you know, anybody, uh everybody can work multiple part-time jobs if they want to. 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:43.519 You can serve multiple masters, you know. 00:17:43.599 --> 00:17:46.400 I can be working part-time here, part-time part-time there, right? 00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:48.160 We can we can serve multiple masters. 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:50.960 That was not the case when we're talking about Jesus' day. 00:17:51.119 --> 00:17:57.440 Like no one could serve two masters because it it assumed undivided loyalty and allegiance. 00:17:57.599 --> 00:17:59.839 Like no one could serve two masters. 00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:05.039 And Jesus says, You will either hate the one or love the other, be devoted to the one or despise the other. 00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:08.880 And these are not necessarily literal, they're comparative. 00:18:09.279 --> 00:18:14.480 Because what he's getting at is, hey, one of the two is going to take priority over the other. 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:19.839 Like eventually, the rubber's gonna meet the road, and you're gonna have to choose between one. 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:26.880 And so many times I think sometimes in our in our culture specifically, we we think we can have the best of both worlds. 00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:35.119 We can still like hoard things and and store up treasure for ourselves here, and also have God as our treasure as well. 00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:38.400 And what Jesus is saying is it's impossible. 00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:42.480 You cannot do this, you cannot serve both God and money. 00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:55.039 Eventually, both of those masters will demand your attention and your true devotion and your allegiance, and the one that you choose will determine who your actual master is in that moment. 00:18:55.519 --> 00:18:57.519 Like you won't be able to choose both. 00:18:57.680 --> 00:19:00.960 I was convicted by this quote that I read while studying. 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:14.400 See, we pious, he said, we piously affirm that we have chosen to serve God and not mammon, not money, but in our daily life, it is mammon that sets our priorities and determines our choices. 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:33.759 I read a story about John Wesley who went to visit this plantation of this big, this huge plantation, this plantation owner, they got on horseback and they started going around and seeing everything, and they, you know, ride acres upon acres upon acres of this plantation, and they're going, they only saw a fraction of it, didn't even see half of it, just saw a little bit of it. 00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:39.440 And after hours of touring this plantation, they come back, and the plantation owner was was eager, and he said, Mr. 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:41.039 Wesley, what do you think? 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:45.599 And Wesley replied, I think you're gonna have a hard time leaving all of this. 00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:51.119 Question, do you have something like that in your life? 00:19:52.240 --> 00:20:01.839 Something like that in your life, like we all we all do, something that we value so much that it's gonna, you're gonna have a harder time parting with it than you would like to admit. 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:08.079 Like the the mammon in your life has has got a capital M on it now. 00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:12.799 And what Jesus is saying, hey, you you can't you can't serve two masters. 00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:18.240 And honestly, like our heart issue may be an maybe an issue of devotion. 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:20.319 And so what do we do? 00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:25.599 We we change our devotion, like we reorient this devotion. 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:34.880 I've said it before here, but Chad Ragsdow said it this way he said, Hey, don't see your money as an object of worship, something to be lifted high on on the altar of what you worship. 00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:39.440 Instead, see it as an opportunity to worship, the one who has provided all of that. 00:20:39.680 --> 00:20:46.400 Because everything that I do with my money, everything we do with our money is a reflection of who our real master is. 00:20:46.799 --> 00:20:56.880 Everything we do, every investment that we make, every time that we give, every time that we care for somebody in need, like it's all it is a reflection of who our true master is. 00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:10.640 I read a story about uh a slave in Maryland, his name was Jacob, and he had a cruel and um just like terrible man who was his master named Saunders. 00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:16.799 Jacob was a devout believer, and so he had he had made it his his ambition every day. 00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:21.680 He would he would stop what he was doing three times a day and he would kneel down and pray. 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:27.200 And so he would kneel down and pray, and then one day Saunders was always always agitated by this. 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:35.519 And Saunders came up and one day held a gun to Jacob's head as he knelt praying in his field and demanded that he get up. 00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:47.359 And Jacob quietly finished his prayer, and then he rose to his feet and he he invited Saunders to pull the trigger and he said, Your loss will be my gain. 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:53.759 You see, I have two masters, Master Jesus in heaven and Master Saunders on earth, and I have a soul and I have a body. 00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:58.960 My body belongs to Master Saunders, my soul belongs to Jesus. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:06.799 And he's it what happened now actually was that his his master Saunders stopped messing with him. 00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:11.759 He was so taken back, so shaken by Jacob's lack of fear that he never touched him again. 00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:17.839 And while Jacob said that he had two masters, I think it was pretty clear that he only had one. 00:22:19.279 --> 00:22:20.799 And this is what Jesus is getting at. 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:24.400 Hey, you cannot serve two masters. 00:22:25.359 --> 00:22:34.559 Like eventually the rubber's gonna meet the road, and you're gonna have to give your undivided loyal loyalty and allegiance to one who is who is your master. 00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:47.039 And maybe today is the day, like so many times I think in our culture we feel like we can give a little here and a little there and a little there and a little here, and we can have multiple, multiple masters that we're serving. 00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:50.319 And we kind of delegate our devotion around. 00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:54.640 And what Jesus is getting at is hey, this that's not that's not in the game plan. 00:22:54.880 --> 00:22:55.920 That's not possible. 00:22:56.319 --> 00:22:57.839 Either it's all or nothing. 00:22:58.160 --> 00:23:06.640 Like you give, give everything, and maybe today is the day that you give your complete devotion to the Lord and let Him be your treasure above all else. 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:10.160 See, our treasure problem might be it might be a devotion problem. 00:23:11.119 --> 00:23:18.000 But it could also be I think I think the last one that Jesus says here is that our our treasure problem could be an issue of control. 00:23:18.640 --> 00:23:20.000 It could be an issue of control. 00:23:20.400 --> 00:23:25.759 This is what he says in this pretty famous chunk of scripture right here in Matthew chapter 6, verses 25 to 34. 00:23:25.839 --> 00:23:26.480 This is what it says. 00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:32.640 Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body what you will put on. 00:23:32.799 --> 00:23:36.079 Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:38.000 Look at the birds of the air. 00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:42.319 They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. 00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:44.720 Are you not of more value than they? 00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:48.960 And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his span of life? 00:23:49.119 --> 00:23:50.799 And why are you anxious about clothing? 00:23:50.960 --> 00:23:54.799 Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they neither toil nor spin. 00:23:54.880 --> 00:24:00.000 Yet I tell you, even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. 00:24:00.240 --> 00:24:07.440 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 00:24:07.759 --> 00:24:12.160 Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear? 00:24:12.319 --> 00:24:17.039 For the Gentiles seek after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 00:24:17.519 --> 00:24:22.559 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:26.799 Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:30.240 Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:34.240 There's a ton that I can say about this passage. 00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:43.359 What's really interesting to me, what sticks out the most, I think, to me, is that this is the only time in the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus uses the word anxious or or worry. 00:24:44.160 --> 00:24:52.559 This is the only time that that Jesus mentions this, and it's directly correlated, related to our possessions, to actually the kind of possessions that we need. 00:24:53.119 --> 00:24:57.119 Like he says, like food and water and clothing. 00:24:57.440 --> 00:24:58.960 That's what he's getting at here. 00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:00.160 It's interesting. 00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:06.960 The American Psychological Association did a study a couple years ago to find out the most common stressors of different age brackets. 00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:19.759 Like the most common stressors, and what they found is that all of the age brackets, 18 to 34, 35 to 44, 45 to 64, and 65 plus, they all had the same stressors. 00:25:21.039 --> 00:25:22.559 Money and the economy. 00:25:23.839 --> 00:25:25.359 And like those are the top stressors. 00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:26.720 And it's not surprising to us. 00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:31.119 I mean, I think if we took a poll in here, it'd probably come come up with the same results. 00:25:31.599 --> 00:25:37.119 That the res like the top stressors for many of us are money or the economy. 00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:41.440 But what if the deeper issue was more than just money? 00:25:42.319 --> 00:25:49.039 Like, what if money was just an idol that's showing itself on the surface and and pointing to something that's that's deeper? 00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:54.400 See, Tim Keller points out how we often are superficial when it comes to identifying our idols. 00:25:54.640 --> 00:26:01.200 Like there's often something much deeper, and specifically our money and possessions can easily just be a surface idol of something deeper going on. 00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:06.079 And I think that's what Jesus is going getting at as he uses this word anxiety in our text. 00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:13.359 There's a deeper issue going on because we get anxious about money because ultimately we want control over our lives. 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:20.319 So we stress out and worry about the things that we have and worry about how we're gonna get more. 00:26:20.559 --> 00:26:30.799 We stress about stress about making more and getting more and spending more so that we can control certain outcomes in our lives, so we can live in a certain place, so we can experience certain things. 00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:45.599 Or maybe it's the other side of the spectrum, and we we don't spend anything at all because we're just gonna hoard everything that we have and hold it close to our chest so that we can have some semblance of control over our own lives here. 00:26:46.559 --> 00:26:56.240 And in doing so, what we're actually doing is we're we're turning to our money, our possessions, our treasure, to hopefully bring us some sense of security and control. 00:26:57.119 --> 00:27:03.200 There's a quote that I read this week while studying that was both interesting and convicting for me, is what it said. 00:27:03.519 --> 00:27:11.759 Wealth can isolate us from the challenges that others face, and money can create opportunities for those who possess it that are unavailable to those without it. 00:27:12.319 --> 00:27:17.920 And then they said, in other words, money is a very appealing alternative to trusting God. 00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:21.039 Did you hear that? 00:27:22.880 --> 00:27:26.559 Money is a very appealing alternative to trusting God. 00:27:27.440 --> 00:27:43.599 And here's the thing, I think I think the reason behind Jesus saying do not be anxious in our text is because he's helped trying to help us realize hey, your anxiety is revealing a deeper level of lack of trust in God to provide what you need. 00:27:44.240 --> 00:27:46.240 Like it's ultimately that's what it's doing. 00:27:46.480 --> 00:27:56.880 It's showing you, if you're anxious about these things, it's showing you like you don't really trust that God has you in mind or that He really is able to provide for you. 00:27:57.039 --> 00:27:58.000 So what do we do? 00:27:58.480 --> 00:28:00.480 That we we release our control. 00:28:01.279 --> 00:28:02.559 We release our control. 00:28:02.799 --> 00:28:09.359 And some of us here need to realize that we have like too tight of a grip on the things of this world. 00:28:09.759 --> 00:28:20.880 We have too tight of a grip on the things of this world, and what actually is happening, and you don't realize it, is that the things of this world have too tight of a grip on you and they're strangling you and forcing you into submission. 00:28:20.960 --> 00:28:31.599 Now, quick note about this: there's nothing in Jesus' words in this verse, in these verses 25 to 34, nothing in these words that excludes the importance of thoughtful planning, okay? 00:28:31.839 --> 00:28:38.000 Like there's there's nothing in these in these words that say, so you know, just just trust, everything will be fine. 00:28:38.079 --> 00:28:40.880 You don't need to worry about anything or or do anything. 00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:52.799 But he but there is something, the verb translated here for worry or anxious, it means to be apprehensive, have anxiety, to be anxious, to be unduly concerned, is what he's saying. 00:28:53.279 --> 00:29:06.960 Like, and here's the thing, if we are overly concerned about the material things that we need, it shows that we don't have, it shows that we have just a very small idea of who our God is and what he's capable of. 00:29:08.240 --> 00:29:15.920 I've been reminded of uh of a passage in Psalm chapter 37. 00:29:16.880 --> 00:29:24.720 Oftentimes, I don't think it's a coincidence, it's been like three or four different conversations I've had with people over the last six weeks. 00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:30.640 Psalm 37, the Psalm of David, and he says, I have been young and I have been old. 00:29:31.759 --> 00:29:34.559 And yet I've never seen the righteous forsaken. 00:29:35.759 --> 00:29:38.640 I've never seen his children begging for bread. 00:29:40.319 --> 00:29:46.559 Church, we have a small picture of our God if we think that he won't provide for us. 00:29:47.839 --> 00:29:49.279 See, here's the thing. 00:29:49.680 --> 00:29:51.759 You hear Jesus' words in this section? 00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:53.519 Do you hear how many times he says it? 00:29:53.599 --> 00:29:56.880 He says, Are you of not much more value than they? 00:29:57.759 --> 00:30:01.519 He says, Will he not much more clothe you, oh you of little faith? 00:30:01.680 --> 00:30:05.359 And he says, Your heavenly father knows that you need all these things. 00:30:05.519 --> 00:30:14.240 Like ultimately releasing control is an act of trust in the one who's actually in control and who actually can provide for you. 00:30:14.559 --> 00:30:16.160 Like giving it all to him. 00:30:16.400 --> 00:30:21.839 Maybe your treasure problem is a vision problem, maybe it's a devotion problem, maybe it's a control problem. 00:30:22.640 --> 00:30:35.279 Like you're stressed and worried and toiling and and trying to gather all that you can to give you some sense of security, and you just need to release it and let the Lord provide for you. 00:30:35.920 --> 00:30:37.519 See, here's the truth. 00:30:37.839 --> 00:30:43.759 Like deep, these all of these different idols are deep level heart idols. 00:30:44.160 --> 00:30:46.640 Like there's a deeper issue going on. 00:30:47.119 --> 00:30:56.000 And what we know to be true is that, hey, deep level idols of our heart, they cannot be uprooted by you and I just trying harder. 00:30:57.440 --> 00:31:03.519 Like this change in our heart can't be can't happen by just a concerted effort on our part. 00:31:03.759 --> 00:31:06.559 It can't happen by us just kind of coming to this resolve. 00:31:06.640 --> 00:31:12.480 I'm not gonna let this drive me anymore, or I'm not gonna let that call the shots, I'm gonna stop and I'm gonna change. 00:31:12.559 --> 00:31:21.119 No, our treasure problems are heart problems, and the only way a heart is changed is when it's surrendered to the one who can change it. 00:31:21.440 --> 00:31:32.799 When it is completely surrendered and laid before the God of all creation, who has the power to change our hearts, and when we believe in faith in the truth of the gospel of what he has done. 00:31:32.960 --> 00:31:35.680 That's the only way our hearts can be changed. 00:31:35.920 --> 00:31:43.200 It opens us up for the Lord having his way in us, and that seems to be what Jesus is getting at in Matthew chapter 6. 00:31:43.440 --> 00:31:45.200 Did you see it in verse 33? 00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:49.920 He says, Hey, listen, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. 00:31:50.160 --> 00:31:54.559 All these other things will be taken care of, all these other things will be added to you as well. 00:31:54.799 --> 00:31:57.680 You seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness. 00:31:57.920 --> 00:32:02.319 Let like look to the king as your treasure and seek his kingdom. 00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:04.000 Like, do you see the correlation? 00:32:04.240 --> 00:32:17.759 Adjust your vision so you can see the Lord rightly and see this world that he has created rightly, as a as a means of for you to steward for his glory, not for you just to use to your own advantage. 00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:24.880 And and man, change your devotion so you won't be like caught between a decision of Am I gonna serve money? 00:32:25.039 --> 00:32:28.319 Am I gonna serve this master of money, or am I gonna serve the Lord? 00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:35.039 Change your devotion and be all in undivided loyalty and complete allegiance to the one who is worthy of it. 00:32:35.200 --> 00:32:37.119 And hey, release your control. 00:32:38.480 --> 00:32:41.039 The Lord will provide for you. 00:32:41.359 --> 00:32:44.160 Like he's he's not going to abandon you. 00:32:44.400 --> 00:32:48.000 You can trust him, you can rely on him. 00:32:50.079 --> 00:32:54.000 We started by saying everyone's religious because everyone has something of ultimate concern. 00:32:54.240 --> 00:32:57.519 What is what's your ultimate concern? 00:32:58.480 --> 00:33:00.559 What occupies your imagination? 00:33:01.359 --> 00:33:02.880 What do you daydream about? 00:33:04.160 --> 00:33:05.839 What motivates your actions? 00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:16.640 Jesus warns us don't give, don't give the title of treasure to anything or anyone else that is unworthy of it. 00:33:16.960 --> 00:33:19.519 It only belongs to God Himself. 00:33:20.559 --> 00:33:22.319 May He be our treasure. 00:33:22.559 --> 00:33:30.559 Like the treasure that will not diminish, that will not fade, that will not be eaten away, is the King and His kingdom. 00:33:30.799 --> 00:33:32.319 This is what we invest in. 00:33:32.480 --> 00:33:34.400 Let him be your vision and your aim. 00:33:34.559 --> 00:33:36.799 Let him be the object of your devotion and your loyalty. 00:33:36.960 --> 00:33:41.599 Let him have control over your life where you can find rest in his provision. 00:33:41.839 --> 00:33:44.240 May your king be your treasure. 00:33:45.119 --> 00:33:50.079 And maybe this morning is the day you need to repent and come back to the Lord. 00:33:50.319 --> 00:33:55.680 Like if you're just honest with yourself, you're just like, yeah, my vision's been off. 00:33:57.119 --> 00:33:59.440