TREASURES - THE MASTER TEST

TEXT: Matthew 6:19, 24 (CSB) –  “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

We said yesterday that Jesus gives us four tests to apply to our Treasures in the Sermon on the Mount. The first asks the question, “How long will it last?”, or the Durability Test. Then we considered the second test that asks the question, “Where are you investing your time and money?” We can call this the Heart Test. Next, we asked the third question - “Where is your focus?” and today we will consider the fourth and final test focuses on our will and asks the question: “Whom do you serve?”

To “serve” means that we’ve made a choice and engaged our wills. (Say that with me)

If we’re not careful, we can be deluded by thinking material things will last forever. Our emotions can then affect our minds, which in turn can cause our wills to be in the grip of money with a capital “M” and that can mean misery.

The word Jesus uses here for money is the word, “Mammon,” which is a proper noun, or a name. Jesus viewed Money as a rival for preeminence.

We must realize that attachment to money leads to a detachment from God. The Bible is absolutely clear about the venomous nature of money. It fights for supremacy in our lives and it has many of the characteristics of deity. It promises security, freedom, and power. (In reality, only God can give these.)

To be a committed Christ-follower is not merely a matter of the emotions but also of our minds and wills. To love God requires service and even sacrifice. This type of allegiance cannot be rendered to two parties. Whatever we devote ourselves to becomes our God. (Re-read that statement). The tension that many of us experience when we try to love both God and money will sooner or later begin to show where our real loyalty lies.

Only one master will win out.

Money is not just a neutral medium of exchange, but a “power” with a life of its own which seeks to control, and even consume us. The goal of this Money Master is the total domination of our value system, without us even being aware of it.

If we are serving the Money Master, Jesus says we will be unable to fully serve God. He doesn’t say, “you better not” or “it would be unwise to serve both,” He says, “you cannot serve both God and money.” As such, how we handle our money has a lot to do with how serious we are about obeying God.

His words are unsettling. If we love money, we will end up hating God. If we are devoted to the pursuit of possessions and the making of money, we will find ourselves despising the things of God.

I suspect that most of you reading this do not want to hate God. In fact, you’re here because you want to learn how you can get to know Him better.

So, let me put it right on the table. We will never be able to fully love God if we are in love with money and all that money can buy. Jesus put it simply, loving God and loving money are mutually exclusive.

Friends, let me encourage you to take this four-part test on a regular basis.

1.     The Durability Test. How long will my things last? Are they temporary or will they last forever in heaven?

2.     The Heart Test. Where am I investing my time and money? What excites me the most, earth or heaven? Which place makes my heart beat faster?

3.     The Mind Test. Where do I focus my goals? Am I committed to materialism or spirituality? Do I operate according to God’s priorities, or my own?

4.     The Master Test. Is Jesus my master or is something, or someone, else? Will I serve money on earth and allow it to be my god, or will I serve God in heaven with my treasures, which are really His in the first place?

Let me conclude with a story I once read ( I do not remember where) – ponder and meditate upon how this might apply to you.

A rich man died and went to heaven. As he went through the Pearly Gates, Peter came to greet him and said, “Welcome to heaven. Let me show you where you’ll be staying.” That suited the rich man just fine because as he looked around, he saw mansions stretching out in every direction. They were beautiful! They appeared to be constructed of gold and silver and precious gems.

As Peter and the rich man began to walk along the streets of gold, they came to an ornate home. As they paused to gaze at it, the rich man said, “Who gets to stay here?” Saint Peter replied, “That’s for your janitor. He was a godly man who loved Jesus and served Him all his life. This is his reward.”

They continued to stroll past other mansions, until they stopped in front of an extremely large one that seemed to be made of emeralds and rubies. The rich man asked Peter, “Is this mine?” Peter answered, “No, this one belongs to your maid. On the little bit of money you paid her, she raised six children and gave to her church every week.”

They continued to walk and came to a different section of homes. Only these houses weren’t as nice. As they walked up a small hill, they stopped in front of a shack made of tar paper and used sheet metal. The front door was cut out of an old refrigerator box. It was held together with baling wire and twine.

After pausing for a moment, the rich man asked, “And whose is that?” Peter responded, “Why, it’s yours!” The rich man couldn’t believe it. There must be some mistake. Peter bowed his head and said, “No, there’s been no mistake -- we did the best with what you sent ahead!”