Sunday, November 19, 2017 Matthew 6:24 Theme: "STEWARDSHIP OF SERVICE-SERVING WITH ABSOLUTE LOYALTY" 1. Misplaced Value... 2. Double Vision... 3. Choices... When we take our baptismal vows we affirm that through baptism we are initiated into Christ's holy church... That we are incorporated into God's mighty acts of salvation... That we are given new birth through water and the spirit... And that these are God's gift, offered to us without price... We repent of our sins... Confess Jesus as Savior... Agree to put our whole trust in His grace... And promise to be faithful members... We accept God's freedom and power to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in various forms... We simply promise to SERVE God as our Lord... This is the loyalty we commit to at baptism, however, many time we grow old in the faith and forget our first love in Jesus... We know of members of our church who have been married for more than 58-60 years... They have been committed to their marital vows... **Even though I imagine there were difficult days... **I believe they remembered that they once declared their intentions in the presence of God to remain faithful and loyal to each other...
They promised to comfort, honor and keep each other in sickness and in health as long as they live... We commit to our families... We commit to community groups... And we commit to our jobs, and rightly so... But if we can commit and provide such undivided allegiance to family, friends, jobs, why can't we be loyal in our allegiance to the Lord... In this text, Jesus emphasizes absolute devotion and loyalty that we ought to follow... He contrasts the things of the world (money) and the things of God... 1. MISPLACED VALUES Christians today have misplaced values... This is true if we placed our attention on basic things like money, food and clothing over the kingdom of God... The goal is to have one Master... Material possessions are good things that God has provided for us... However, we are challenged not to be devoted and loyal to them... Rather, we should value divine things such as: God's Name... God's Kingdom... God's Will... 2. DOUBLE-VISION... Healthy vision is the result of having healthy eyes... Anyone with a double-vision is likely to have difficulty seeing... Jesus talks about healthy eyes in verses (22-23)...
Those who have healthy eyes are those whose allegiance to God is undivided... On the other hand, those with double-vision are those who have blurred vision and divided loyalty... As Christians, we are supposed to be the light of the world... ***But if we serve both God and engage in evil influences... ***If we value both earthly things and heavenly things... ***Then our behavior is similar to having a spiritual double-vision... We begin to see and serve two masters at the same time... God is the only Master... He deserves and commands our service... When we fail to abide by these commands the light in us goes dim and eventually our life gets dark... When this happens, we usually do not have anything genuine to offer... 3. CHOICES... The argument has been made... And so what is your choice... Money or God... Friends, money is not simply a medium of exchange... In many cultures, money gives status and security... Money makes us feel strong and important... Money makes us feel confident... Without money we feel insecure, insignificant, and vulnerable... So when Jesus says it s God or money, He really means one or the other and not both...
This saying presents us with a difficult choice... The two words used in verse (24), love and hate, address the idea of choice... Serving with absolute loyalty can be given to one master only... ***Whenever there is more than one master, we tend to favor one over the other... God is a jealous God... ***Total loyalty to God cannot be divided between Him and material possessions... ***When that happens we tend to split our loyalty... ***A master is an owner or a lord... That God claims total lordship over His own is obvious in this passage... Therefore, Jesus rightly proclaims, you cannot serve God and mammon (money)... Wholehearted devotion to God is required of all Christian... There are several concluding propositions in this text... 1. The human life is not self-sufficient... 2. We should find meaning of our lives outside ourselves... 3. Human life cannot avoid serving something that gives it meaning... 4. The choice is not whether we shall serve, but what or whom we shall serve... Therefore, we are confronted today with a radical challenge... Joshua makes it plain (24:15) "And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD..." Personally, serving God doesn't seem evil... For I know in whom I believe and in whom I trust...
My loyalty to God remains steadfast... If I have ten-thousand tongues I will praise the Lord... God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble... He will not leave me nor would He forsake me... Therefore, one thing I have desire of the LORD, that will I seek... That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life... To behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple... (Story) Game Shore Network... Who wants to be a millionaire... Three life-lines... Call a friend... 50/50... Ask the audience... Moderator usually ask the contestant: What is your final answer... Salvation story... So what is your final answer... God or money... Amen!