Reevaluating Treasures: Freedom from Money's Grip

Summary

In today's reflection on the Sermon on the Mount, we delve into Jesus' teachings on money and possessions, as found in Matthew 6. Jesus challenges us to reconsider where we place our treasures, urging us to store up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. This passage highlights the profound connection between our hearts and our treasures, emphasizing that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. Jesus warns against the power of money, illustrating how it can blind us spiritually and distort our perception of reality. He uses the metaphor of the eye as the lamp of the body, suggesting that if our eyes are good, our whole body will be full of light, but if they are bad, our body will be full of darkness. This metaphor serves as a caution against the blinding nature of greed and materialism.

Jesus further explains that no one can serve two masters; we cannot serve both God and money. This teaching invites us to examine our priorities and the extent to which money controls our lives. Jesus reassures us not to worry about our basic needs, reminding us of God's provision for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. He calls us to seek first His kingdom and righteousness, promising that all these things will be given to us as well.

The sermon also explores the reasons why money holds such power over us. For many, money represents significance and security. It can become a source of identity and control, leading us to place our trust in it rather than in God. Jesus challenges us to break free from this power by making Him our ultimate treasure. Unlike earthly treasures that demand our sacrifice, Jesus is the treasure who sacrificed Himself for us. By treasuring Jesus, we find freedom from the grip of money and are empowered to live generously.

Key Takeaways:

- The Blinding Nature of Greed: Greed and materialism have a unique ability to blind us spiritually, distorting our perception of reality. Unlike other sins, greed often goes unnoticed because it hides itself, making us believe it doesn't apply to us. This blindness can lead us to make choices based on material gain rather than true fulfillment. [06:27]

- The Power of Money: Money has the power to control us by becoming our source of significance and security. It can lead us to place our identity and trust in it, rather than in God. Jesus warns that money cannot add a single hour to our lives, highlighting the futility of relying on it for control. [20:54]

- Breaking Free from Money's Grip: To break free from the power of money, we must make Jesus our ultimate treasure. Unlike earthly treasures that demand our sacrifice, Jesus is the treasure who sacrificed Himself for us. By treasuring Jesus, we find freedom from the grip of money and are empowered to live generously. [26:25]

- Generosity as a Sign of Freedom: A key indicator that money no longer has power over us is our willingness to be generous. When we treasure Jesus, we develop a generous eye, always looking for opportunities to give. This generosity reflects the sacrificial love of Christ and impacts our communities positively. [31:23]

- Living Out the Cross Economically: As Christians, we are called to live out the cross of Jesus Christ not only in our relationships but also economically. This means giving sacrificially, allowing our generosity to impact our lifestyle. The cross is the standard, and our giving should reflect the sacrificial love of Christ. [32:14]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:09] - Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
[00:27] - Treasures on Earth vs. Treasures in Heaven
[00:53] - Serving Two Masters
[01:19] - God's Provision and Worry
[02:12] - The Power of Money
[03:08] - The Eye as the Lamp of the Body
[04:41] - The Blinding Nature of Greed
[06:27] - Greed's Hidden Influence
[08:45] - Materialism's Impact on Choices
[12:22] - Accountability and Community
[16:38] - Why Money Holds Power
[18:09] - Money as Significance and Security
[23:30] - Breaking Money's Power
[26:25] - Treasuring Jesus
[31:23] - Generosity as Freedom
[34:11] - Living Out the Cross Economically
[35:11] - Conclusion and Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Matthew 6:19-34

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Observation Questions:

1. What does Jesus mean when He says, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"? How does this relate to the concept of storing treasures in heaven versus on earth? [00:27]

2. How does Jesus use the metaphor of the eye as the lamp of the body to illustrate the impact of greed and materialism on our spiritual perception? [03:08]

3. What examples does Jesus give to reassure us not to worry about our basic needs? How do these examples demonstrate God's provision? [01:19]

4. According to the sermon, why is it significant that Jesus says we cannot serve both God and money? What does this imply about our priorities? [00:53]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the metaphor of the eye being the lamp of the body help us understand the spiritual blindness caused by greed? In what ways might this blindness manifest in our daily lives? [04:41]

2. Why does Jesus emphasize the futility of worrying about material needs? How does this teaching challenge our modern-day concerns about financial security? [01:58]

3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that money can become a source of identity and control? How does this align with Jesus' warning about serving two masters? [20:54]

4. How does the sermon describe the process of breaking free from the power of money by making Jesus our ultimate treasure? What does this transformation look like in practical terms? [26:25]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your current financial priorities. Are there areas where you might be storing up treasures on earth rather than in heaven? How can you begin to shift your focus? [00:27]

2. Consider a recent decision you made that was influenced by financial concerns. How might your choice have been different if you were fully trusting in God's provision? [01:19]

3. Identify a specific way in which you can practice generosity this week. How can this act of giving reflect the sacrificial love of Christ in your community? [31:23]

4. Think about a time when you felt anxious about money. How can Jesus' teaching on not worrying about tomorrow help you find peace in similar situations? [01:58]

5. Evaluate your relationship with money. Do you see it as a source of significance or security? How can you begin to make Jesus your ultimate treasure instead? [20:54]

6. How can you incorporate the principle of living out the cross economically into your daily life? What specific changes might this require in your spending habits? [32:14]

7. Reflect on your interactions with both wealthy and less fortunate individuals. How can the gospel help you love and respect people regardless of their economic status? [29:46]

Devotional

Day 1: The Blinding Nature of Greed
Greed and materialism have a unique ability to blind us spiritually, distorting our perception of reality. Unlike other sins, greed often goes unnoticed because it hides itself, making us believe it doesn't apply to us. This blindness can lead us to make choices based on material gain rather than true fulfillment. Jesus uses the metaphor of the eye as the lamp of the body to illustrate this point. If our eyes are good, our whole body will be full of light, but if they are bad, our body will be full of darkness. This serves as a caution against the blinding nature of greed and materialism, urging us to examine our hearts and the true motivations behind our actions. [06:27]

"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, 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. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" (Matthew 6:22-23, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life might greed be subtly influencing your decisions? How can you invite God to illuminate these areas with His truth today?

Day 2: The Power of Money
Money has the power to control us by becoming our source of significance and security. It can lead us to place our identity and trust in it, rather than in God. Jesus warns that money cannot add a single hour to our lives, highlighting the futility of relying on it for control. This teaching invites us to examine our priorities and the extent to which money controls our lives. Jesus reassures us not to worry about our basic needs, reminding us of God's provision for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. He calls us to seek first His kingdom and righteousness, promising that all these things will be given to us as well. [20:54]

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" (Hebrews 13:5, ESV)

Reflection: What is one way you can shift your trust from money to God today? Consider a specific area where you can practice contentment and reliance on God's provision.

Day 3: Breaking Free from Money's Grip
To break free from the power of money, we must make Jesus our ultimate treasure. Unlike earthly treasures that demand our sacrifice, Jesus is the treasure who sacrificed Himself for us. By treasuring Jesus, we find freedom from the grip of money and are empowered to live generously. This freedom allows us to live with open hands, ready to give and serve others without the fear of lack. Jesus invites us to experience the joy and fulfillment that comes from making Him our ultimate treasure, rather than the fleeting satisfaction of material wealth. [26:25]

"Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven." (Proverbs 23:4-5, ESV)

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to make Jesus your ultimate treasure? How can this shift in focus impact your daily decisions and interactions with others?

Day 4: Generosity as a Sign of Freedom
A key indicator that money no longer has power over us is our willingness to be generous. When we treasure Jesus, we develop a generous eye, always looking for opportunities to give. This generosity reflects the sacrificial love of Christ and impacts our communities positively. It is a sign that we are living in the freedom that comes from trusting God rather than money. Generosity becomes a natural outflow of a heart that is aligned with God's purposes and desires to bless others. [31:23]

"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed." (Proverbs 19:17, ESV)

Reflection: Identify one person or cause you can be generous towards this week. How can your generosity reflect the love and freedom you have found in Christ?

Day 5: Living Out the Cross Economically
As Christians, we are called to live out the cross of Jesus Christ not only in our relationships but also economically. This means giving sacrificially, allowing our generosity to impact our lifestyle. The cross is the standard, and our giving should reflect the sacrificial love of Christ. By living out the cross economically, we demonstrate our commitment to God's kingdom values and our trust in His provision. This lifestyle of sacrificial giving challenges us to prioritize God's purposes over our own comfort and security. [32:14]

"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7, ESV)

Reflection: How can you incorporate sacrificial giving into your financial decisions this month? What changes might you need to make to align your economic life with the values of the cross?

Quotes

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 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. [00:38:12]

Greed and materialism materialism is an inordinate desire or dependence on money and material things an inordinate an inordinate desire or dependence on money and material things the materialism uh has the peculiar uh effect of blinding you spiritually of distorting the way you see things of of uh it has a power over the way you see everything now what do I mean by that all right well let's let's let me give you some examples first of all for example materialism has the power to Blind you to materialism. [00:48:36]

Jesus did not say to anybody watch out you might be committing adultery I mean if you're committing adultery you know you're committing adultery you don't say oh you're not my wife I mean it doesn't happen you know but Jesus has to say watch out you might be greedy you see because greed hides itself it blinds you in a way that adultery doesn't really I mean you know if you're committing adultery over the years as a pastor I've had people come in to talk to me about sins to confess sins that come in and say I want to talk to you about a real problem I'm having something wrong I haven't confessed as other people but you're you're a pastor priest Rabbi type and I'll tell you about it and and they do they they come and they'll talk about anger and they'll talk about bitterness and they'll talk about lust and they'll talk about pride and they'll talk about everything but I don't think I ever remember anybody coming to me ever to confess the sin of greed. [00:55:05]

Money has the power to keep you from asking questions about how you spend your money and how you make your money money has the power to keep you from asking questions about how you spend it how you make it the hard questions now why why does money have that power if that's how it has it has I mean that's the power of greed the power of greed is to not ask the power of greed is to not think the power of greed is to say well it's not true of me we live in the most wealthy Society in the history of the world especially in the last five 10 years there's never been but we right now at least 70% of the wealth in the whole world is essentially in the hands of about 5% of the people which is pretty much America and we're professionals and if you're professional in this room that means you're in the top 20% of that 5% there's never been a group of people as wealthy as we are. [01:38:55]

Money serves the way in which you actually uh the place where your your heart really rests is revealed by money so what it means is money is a way of getting significance for many of us for so many people I'm not saying it's everybody in this room on this one because this changes but Jesus says for example one of the reasons why we spend so we need so much money one of the reasons why we spend it on ourselves one of the reasons we don't give it away like we should is because money is our significance uh it it shows us for example that the fact that we're able to live in a certain place the the fact that we're able to eat certain places the fact that we're in certain Social Circles the fact that we can dress in certain way makes us feel we're important and you know it's true we have a tendency to do this uh the higher up economically we get we don't just look at other people who are below us economically and say oh you're below me economically we say you're below me you don't see that happening to yourself I mean you don't have to be very well off middle class people in general feel superior to the poor we do oh we give money and we we're sorry for the poor we may pity the poor but we feel Superior to them. [01:49:59]

Jesus Christ says running after these things cannot add a minute an hour they can't add a minute to your life it's God who's in control of these things money is not going to turn you into God God money is not going to be able to get one little bit of control one of my professors uh Addison leech who was the second husband he died of Elizabeth Elliott Elizabeth Elliott who came here last week some of you saw met her went to her conference and she had uh two husbands die on her uh before she uh is now married the third time her second husband was a professor of mine and I heard him once tell this story and he said uh he he was he was thinking about this idea that money can be your security uh he had a couple of young women in his uh uh a couple young women that where he was a teacher at College became Christians in college and they came back uh to their parents and they said we've become Christians and we want to be missionaries and the parents you know said oh no missionaries and they said look each of them said now dear you've had a religious experience how wonderful but but you need some security before you go off to take your have your missionary experience which is fine if you want to that's fine but first we want you to have a master's degree we want you to have taken a job or two so you've got some records so you've got your career off the ground and we want you to have some money in the bank for some security and they came back to my Professor Dr leech and they said what do we say about that and Dr leech said oh here's what I would say to my your parents tell them we're on a little ball of rock spinning through space it's called Earth and uh you know who knows if we're going to run into something but even if we don't someday under each one of us is going to open a trapo and we're going to everybody's going to fall off I mean at the end of your life a trapo opens up underneath you and you fall off the little ball of rock and underneath will be the Everlasting Arms or nothing at all and you think a master's degree is going to give you some security see and that's what Jesus is saying right here he says he says the power of money is it seems like it can give you significance but actually when you make money your significance you become an arrogant person that nobody likes and you think money can give you some security but the fact is that money can't possibly stop all the things it can't stop death it can't stop tragedy it can't stop broken relationships it can't stop anything. [02:06:00]

How do you make Jesus Christ your treasure only if you make him your treasure only if he is your heavenly treasure only if you treasure him will you actually be in a sense free from money now I'll explain what that means in a second but first how can you treasure Jesus think about what he did with his treasure he had the ultimate treasure he was the Lord he had the ultimate status and he also had the elate security he was the son of the father but when he came to Earth what happened to him on the cross he was utterly stripped when he was stripped naked of all of his belongings and all his possessions that was just a that was just an echo of the fact that he he was spiritually stripped he lost all of his treasure why he died for something now you only die for that which is your precious and what this means is Jesus Christ must have looked at us and must have said if I have them even going to hell will be worth it in Isaiah chapter 53 tells us by prophecy that when when he saw the results of his suffering he was satisfied now that you know it's in in 1 Peter 2:9 it says you are a chosen race he's talking to the Christians you are a holy nation you are a royal priesthood you are God's purchased possession that means you are his treasure unless you know that he was willing to lose all his treasure so that you could be his treasure unless you realize that he looked at you and he felt towards you like that that he felt if if I have them anything's worth nothing would be worth losing them anything would be worth saving them you know that he Treasures you you know he cares about you like that that and that alone will free you absolutely free you from money it'll free you from everything it won't just free you from money now here's what I mean by free you from money some of you here's the test here's one of the ways you know know that you have spiritual wealth how do you react to rich people I'll tell you how most of us do it many of you resent rich people you feel disdainful of them you say look at their money look at their homes look at all this stuff and you feel Superior to them and that shows that money still has power over you if you if you dislike uh rich people if you feel Superior to rich people that shows money still got power over you it shows a lack of spiritual wealth in you it shows actually a lack of humility and the gospel is you're a sinner see you haven't really received it however if you envy rich people if you can't believe that this person has let me come into this room and into this apartment look how neat this is this isn't this incredible on the see that also shows that money's got power over you the gospel is you're more sinful than you ever dared believe you're more loved than you ever dared hope the more sinful keeps you from feeling Superior to rich people the more loved keeps you from feeling inferior to rich people and therefore the gospel puts you in a place where you really don't care about money anymore and the best way to see that money no longer is any power over you is that you can love rich people secondly the way you can tell that uh money has no more power over you is that you also respect poor people that you looked at them and you respect them and you expect to learn from them and you don't look down your nose at them and boy That's mighty mighty mighty hard but by and large there's a tendency you know money still has power over us because we very often when we get around uh poor people uh we just really look down our nose at them you know you rub this is New York fortunately and in New York you actually actually do ride Subways with poor people you see poor people I mean you know the rest of the country we just keep we just get them away we just get them away we Zone them away in New York you can't Zone people away thank you that's great New York you're a little more in some ways New York is more like the the New Jerusalem a lot of people are going to hate the New Jerusalem because they hate New York there's not going to be any zoning there and uh and one of the things one of the good things is you do you are around poor people how do you respond to them one of the ways you can see that money has lost its power over you because of the Gospel of Jesus because you know that he treasure lost all of his treasure to make you his treasure that humbles you that melts you that lifts you up and one of the ways you'll know is that you don't you no longer you have you have no trouble loving rich people secondly you have no trouble loving poor people but the third the third sign that money no longer has power of your life is this you get really generous you know what's interesting verse 22 the eyes the lamp of the body if your eyes are good if your eyes are good that word actually is a double has a double meaning in Greek the word good also means generous and a Christian who's really been freed from money by finding Jesus as their treasure gets a generous eye you're always looking and always looking for opportunities you're looking at your friends you're looking at your neighbors you're looking at your church you're looking looking at the poor you're looking at your city and you're always looking for ways to give away you want to say well how much this is the last thing I'll say well you have to look at what Jesus did when Jesus treasured you he treasured you sacrificially now if you want to respond to Jesus that means that I have got to not just simply live out the cross of Jesus Christ in my relationships I've also got to live out the cross of Jesus Christ economically now follow me here you know most every Christian says oh I'm a Christian and therefore I need to uh Jesus died for me and he lived a sacrificial life for me and therefore I have to love others as Christ loved me fine that means you have got to give enough money away this year that it sacrifices your lifestyle if you if you give money but it doesn't really cut into the way in which you live it doesn't it doesn't sacrifice there's no cross in your economic life if if you don't give enough away enough money so that really makes a difference in how you live your life in your lifestyle then you then there's no cross and you're not really responding to Jesus as he's responded to you now for most of us I'll tell you this not for most people I shouldn't say of us for most people most places and most times in the world the tithe is the goal why because most places most times most people the Bible says give away 10% that's a good nice figure to think about in terms of your giving that's a good way to tell whether or not the gospel is working in your heart because if the gospel is working in your heart and you see what Jesus Christ has done for you 10% doesn't seem like much I mean after all what if Jesus had tithed his blood he' still be lost I mean Jesus went way past the tithe so the point is 10% doesn't seem like very much however for most people it does mean a sacrifice there'll be a cross in the 10% for most of us for most of us 10% is really going to really going to be it's going to be hard it's going to hurt but increasingly in America America there are people for whom 10% does not make a dent and you see the 10% is not the point the Bible when the Bible tells you how much should I be giving away the 10% is just a rule of thumb it's just a helping a good way to get started the cross is the standard the 10% is just sort of a an example for most of us but the cross is the standard is there a cross in your life in your economic life if Jesus is your treasure you'll love the rich if Jesus is your treasure you'll love the poor if Jesus is the treasure you will be giving your money away joyfully deliberately happily that's the reason why the early church was so successful we have an old letter from dagnus who told about the early Christians why they were so popular and why why they stunned people he says we share our table with all but we do not share our bed with all he said in other words the pagans are promiscuous with their body but very stingy with their money and Christians are very stingy with their body and Incredibly promiscuous with their money which kind of person benefited their neighborhood in other words would you want to live in a neighborhood I said this last week I think would you want to live in a neighborhood with a group of people who are stingy with their money and very promiscuous with their body what impact would that have on the neighborhood if you're a child where do you want to live do you want to live in a neighborhood of people like that or do you want to live in a neighborhood of people who who practice sexual integrity and financial promiscuity you a city filled with that kind of person is going to be a healthy City a neighborhood filled with that kind of person is going to be a healthy neighborhood there are tremendous public ramifications of The Sermon on the Mount let's live it let's pray our father I thank you for giving us this time to consider what it means to treasure up Treasures in Heaven we thank you that what your son did for us we thank you for all of that and we pray that you would help it become such a reality in our lives that money no longer has power over us the intimidation we feel around people who have more money or the or the uh uh the inferiority we feel or even the anger we feel or the superiority we feel oh Lord change that so that we are very different kinds of people we are unique people you've done it in the past the early church really understood this let it be true of us too we pray in Jesus name amen. [02:36:40]

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Transcript

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