The Bible Meets Life

Transcription

1 The Point Possessions don t last. Your relationship with God does. The Passage Matthew 6:19-24 The Bible Meets Life We are physical beings, and we live in a physical world. It s natural, then, that we fill our lives with physical objects. We seek to possess things, but those things have a way of possessing us. Jesus calls us to seek a different type of treasure: treasures that last beyond this physical life. When we focus on God and follow Him, we find and invest in far greater treasures. The Setting As Jesus continued to instruct His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount, He introduced them to a difficult challenge they would face. As they served Him, they would be tempted to give priority attention to their possessions. Overcoming such a powerful temptation would require them to be disciplined so they would not turn their possessions into idols. Instead, they would use their possessions so they could serve Him well as citizens of the kingdom of God. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 37

2 What does the Bible say? Matthew 6:19-24 (HCSB) Treasures (v. 19) This term references wealth considered so precious we want to store it up and keep for ourselves. Lamp of the body (v. 22) Taken literally, this refers to a portable lamp that would give enough light to help a person find his or her way in the darkness. 19 Don t collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don t break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 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! 24 No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money. 38 SESSION 3

3 THE POINT Possessions don t last. Your relationship with God does. GET INTO THE STUDY ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): Make a list of several familiar advertising slogans, then make copies of this list. Divide your group into subgroups of 3-4 people each and direct them to work together to identify the companies or products that use each slogan. After a few minutes, share the answers and find out how well each team did. Discuss how marketing isn t evil, but it can make us want what we don t have and that can lead to discontentment. 10 minutes TIP: Enlist group members to lead various parts of your time together and to help plan fellowships. Young adults are looking for opportunities to serve. Notes DISCUSS: Invite your group members to discuss Question 1 on page 29 of the Personal Study Guide (PSG): What do you consider to be your most valuable possessions? Allow time for each person to respond. SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGE 30): As the saying goes, You can t take it with you. But some people certainly have tried. Take Billy Standley. When he died at age 82, he was buried on his 1967 Harley Davidson Electra Glide cruiser. He had worked for years fabricating his massive casket of cement, wood, and Plexiglas so everyone could see his last ride. As the funeral proceeded to the cemetery, onlookers could see Billy Standley on his bike surrounded by his trophies. He was determined to try and take it with him. 1 SAY: Possessions aren t necessarily bad until they drive a wedge between us and God. That may explain why Jesus spoke more about money than almost any other topic. GUIDE: Call the group s attention to The Point on page 30 of the PSG: Possessions don t last. Your relationship with God does. PRAY: Transition into the Bible study by praying for your group. Ask for God s help to view your possessions as He sees them: blessings to be used for His kingdom. Cut apart Pack Item #3 and have it ready to distribute to your group. PLAYLIST PICK: Everything and Nothing Less by Chris McClarney BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 39

4 10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Matthew 6:19-21 Notes 19 Don t collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don t break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Matthew 6: SAY: How we handle our money shows who and what has control over our hearts and minds. SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGE 32): Jesus said when we value eternal things, we gain something that cannot be damaged or destroyed and we make an eternal investment. When we use our resources and possessions for kingdom purposes, we store up treasures in heaven (v. 20). As we consider our possessions, it s important to remember: We don t own anything; we merely manage what God has blessed us with. We should view the possessions God has given us as tools to use for His kingdom. We make a better investment an eternal investment when we use these possessions for God s kingdom work. ALTERNATE QUESTION: How do we go about collecting treasures in heaven? DISCUSS: Question 2 on page 32 of the PSG: How does our culture reflect the truth of Jesus statement in verse 21? SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGE 32): One way we invest in God s kingdom is through giving a tithe at church. A tithe is 10 percent of our money and resources given to God (Malachi 3:10). While some view tithing as strictly an Old Testament law, and not applicable to us today, it s a good starting point for giving. It s true that we now live under grace, but grace always goes beyond the letter of the law. Tithing helps us acknowledge that everything ultimately belongs to God. TRANSITION: Next, Jesus moved beyond discussing the treasures we tend to collect to the motivation behind them our perspective. 40 SESSION 3

5 THE POINT Possessions don t last. Your relationship with God does. Matthew 6:19-21 Commentary Invest in eternal treasures. Verse 19: Jesus taught about the need to invest in heavenly treasure. He showed the monumental difference between treasures on earth and treasures in heaven, and warned against collecting treasures on earth. In encouraging followers not to collect treasures on earth, Jesus didn t imply we should not have any interest in resources. Serving Him requires resources. When resources become treasures, however, something harmful happens in us. Instead of managing resources He gives us so we can serve Him, we find ourselves hoarding them as treasures that in some ways become like idols for us. Jesus emphasized that treasures on earth don t last very long. In His day, people treasured fine fabrics, precious metals, and food. Each of those treasures had an enemy. A tiny moth could destroy the most expensive piece of fine fabric. Similarly, rust could gradually gnaw away most precious metals. In the original language, the word for rust carried the idea of eating or consuming. Rust, vermin, or mildew could eat away at the precious items stored away as a treasure. Food didn t fare any better. Wherever food could be stored, thieves could be found. Verse 20: Instead, Jesus instructed kingdom citizens to collect heavenly treasure. When we do, we ll find we won t ever run the risk of having it disappear. Treasures in heaven are immune from the damage caused by moths, rust, thieves, or any other enemy. They will last a long time. In fact, they will last for eternity. This brings up an important question. What kind of treasure belongs in heaven? Only people will go from earth to heaven. When we treasure our opportunities to grow toward maturity in Christ, we take to heaven a life of devotion to Him. His love in us that we treasure in our walk with Him will last through eternity too. And we cannot forget the treasure of His love shared through us. People who receive the gift of eternal life because we have shared the treasure of the gospel will be in heaven as well. Verse 21: Jesus hinted at the next question as we take inventory of our treasures. How can we know what we sincerely treasure? Answering that question can be difficult. Jesus made our dilemma somewhat easier by reminding us that what we genuinely treasure we ll see in our hearts. In the Bible, the heart is considered the center of the personality. Emotions, motivations, and affections emanate from the heart. Thus, looking into our hearts can give us the right starting place for determining our treasures. What brings out our passions, makes us take the paths we choose, and causes us to love with all our hearts? We can see what our hearts are set on and determine whether we re eagerly collecting heavenly treasure or earthly treasure. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 41

6 10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Matthew 6:22-23 Notes 22 The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 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! READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Matthew 6: ALTERNATE QUESTION: Why is it important to take Jesus teachings on money and possessions to heart during your young adult years? DISCUSS: Question 3 on page 33 of the PSG: How do these verses contribute to Jesus teaching about possessions? SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGE 33): We are drawn to what we focus on. In these verses, Jesus spoke of the good eye, borrowing from the Jewish idea that a good eye represented a generous attitude. By contrast, a bad eye was stingy and selffocused. Jesus was calling for a clear perspective on Him and the His kingdom and a willingness to see beyond ourselves. SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGE 33): So, how do you maintain a clear focus, so that your eye is good and your whole body will be full of light (v. 22)? Try these: Fix your eyes daily on Christ (Hebrews 12:2). Renew your mind daily through the Word (Romans 12:1-2). Confess any selfish pursuits, interests, or goals that cloud your vision (Psalm 119:36-37). Pray and ask for godly Christ-centered vision (Matthew 7:7). Invest in others and build up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20-21). TRANSITION: In the next verses, Jesus didn t mince words when He highlighted the danger that exists when we treasure things more than we treasure God. 42 SESSION 3

7 THE POINT Possessions don t last. Your relationship with God does. Matthew 6:22-23 Commentary Keep a clear focus. Verse 22: Jesus turned attention from the heart to the eye. However, His shift in imagery didn t change the point of His instruction the need to make Him and His kingdom one s priority. Shifting attention to the eye helped them understand the value of seeing possessions in a way that would honor Him. In the Old Testament, the eye was a word picture as well as a literal reality. It helped to express their need to concentrate on what mattered most a close relationship with Him. People who wanted to please Him would ask for His strength to center their attention on His Word (Psalm 119:18). By keeping their eyes fixed solely on Him, they would have the right perspective on the world and how to live in it. Jesus took the word picture one step further. He urged disciples to think about the eye as a lamp that allows light inside the body so they could see clearly. By the same token, the spiritual eye allows spiritual light in for a clear perspective on Him and His directions. The picture of the eye as a lamp depicts Jesus important lesson. How we perceive the world around us affects how we react to whatever comes our way. The brighter the lamp, the better our perception of the world around us. In turn, we will have the insight we need to make wise decisions and take positive steps in a direction that will glorify Him. That s why He taught that a disciple s eye needed to be good. In other words, it needed to be single-focused. The light would be able to make its way into their lives only through an eye focused exclusively on God. Verse 23: By contrast, greediness would reflect the sad fact that light still had not invaded their inner darkness. They had not allowed the lamp of His presence to shine into their lives. If the eye didn t allow light in, He considered the eye to be bad. Instead of being enlightened, a person would be engulfed by spiritual darkness. By bringing up a bad eye and blindness that results from darkness, Jesus taught what happens when we take our eyes away from Him and focus on self-serving priorities. We run the risk of making our priorities into idols that can lead us to make poor choices. While the tendency to take our eyes off Jesus can have a disastrous effect on our choices, Jesus pointed to another, more devastating, outcome deceiving ourselves into believing we are walking in the brightest light possible. Such self-deception results in the worst version of spiritual darkness. That happens when we try to keep one eye on Jesus and the other eye on our possessions. When such devastating spiritual darkness engulfs us, we make foolish decisions about kingdom priorities. We choose not to make sacrificial commitments to legitimate support of global mission causes because we consider the venture a waste of our money. Or we refuse to share with people in need because we ve determined they should suffer the consequences for poor choices they have made. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 43

8 10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Matthew 6:24 Notes 24 No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Matthew 6:24. SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGE 35): As the old song says: You gotta serve somebody. Ultimately, we serve what we focus on each day. Most people live their lives as slaves to their own passions and desires, but both Paul and James identified themselves as slaves of Christ (Romans 1:1; James 1:1). This is ironic because no one is freer than a follower of Christ. In this amazing paradox, a life lived for self leads to slavery, but a life lived in service and surrender to Christ leads to freedom. ALTERNATE QUESTION: Why is it impossible to serve both God and money? DISCUSS: Question 4 on page 34 of the PSG: In what ways do we try to serve both God and money? (Note: This is a great place for you as a leader to share a personal experience. Your transparency will take the discussion to a deeper level and allow you group members to get to know you better.) DISCUSS: Question 5 on page 35 of the PSG: How can we work as a group to stay focused on the things that last? DO: Instruct group members to complete the activity on page 34 of the PSG on their own. If time permits, invite volunteers to share aloud their responses. What s Mine Is Yours: Consider three things you have that could be useful for God s kingdom. List them here along with how they can be used. Possession Example: My home Kingdom Purpose Offer to host a Bible study group ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): The song Everything and Nothing Less by Chris McClarney is a prayer of surrender. Text, , or share with your group members the link to the YouTube video published by ChrisMcClarneyVevo and invite them to listen to it in their personal prayer time sometime this week. 44 SESSION 3

9 THE POINT Possessions don t last. Your relationship with God does. Matthew 6:24 Commentary Stay totally committed to God. Verse 24: With this verse, we come face to face with a foundational decision every growing follower of Christ has to make about whom or what will control our lives. That s what Jesus wanted understood as He brought up slaves and masters. Slavery requires complete submission to one master alone. It s an all-encompassing lifestyle that consumes one completely. A slave lives and breathes in order to please a master who exercises complete, exclusive power over absolutely everything he or she does. As this verse shows us, Jesus expected His followers to take seriously His challenge about being a slave. Jesus didn t want His hearers deceiving themselves into thinking they could maintain divided loyalty. Without His warning, they could easily have told themselves they could serve two masters, just like some people tackle two jobs at one time. But being an employee is different from being a slave. An employer expects a certain amount of work for a stated level of pay. Once the work is done, the remainder of an employee s time each day can be spent as he or she sees fit. Quite by contrast, a master expects absolute and unqualified devotion from slaves. A slave who tries to live with competing loyalties will eventually cave in to the tension and surrender to one master and rebel against the other. Everyone will have to make a choice regarding whom or what they will serve. Divided loyalty is nothing more than a myth. A Christian who thinks and behaves otherwise will have a rude awakening about absolute devotion. In the instruction about possessions so far, Jesus had spoken about two kinds of treasure and two kinds of eyes. So we re not surprised that Jesus went on to speak of two kinds of slavery. Either a person will be a slave to God or a slave to money. We can t serve both at the same time. We become slaves to God when we give our lives to Him as new believers. He intends for us to devote ourselves to Him, following Him without reservation. As we grow as disciples, we learn how to use the resources He gives us so we can carry out His plan for us. We use our possessions as we obey Him. The more we know Him, the more we love Him and want to obey Him without question. But if we determine to be a slave to money, we can rest assured it will become the sole reason for our existence. As we serve money, we grow to understand how to collect more of it, store it up for ourselves, and keep away as many enemies of it as possible. In the process, we use everything, even God, in our effort to live out our obedience to it. We make decisions that ignore God in favor of our possessions. Eventually, we will find ourselves having a bad attitude toward God as our love for money becomes more obsessive. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 45

10 5 minutes LIVE IT OUT SAY: How will you choose to make eternal investments rather than temporary purchases? GUIDE: Lead group members to consider the responses to the Bible study listed on page 36 of the PSG. Memorize Psalm 37:25. Let this verse strengthen your faith and drive out fear, especially as it relates to your money. Evaluate your giving. If you don t yet tithe, take steps to increase your giving to your church until you reach that goal, even if it takes a year. If you already tithe, identify ways you can be generous beyond the first 10 percent. Take action. Choose to make an eternal investment as a group. For one week, invite each group member to give up a luxury he would normally spend money on. Then, collect this money and donate it to a person, organization, or ministry in need. Pray for God to use this gift for His glory. LEADER PACK: Distribute Pack Item #3, Psalm 37:25 Memory Verse Cards, and encourage your group members to commit this passage to memory. Wrap It Up SAY: Money. You can t take it with you, but you can use it to build up treasures in heaven. Employ your possessions for God s kingdom work and you ll have a front-row seat to watch Him work. Get expert insights on weekly studies through the Ministry Grid (MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesForLife). 46 SESSION 3