THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. Matt. 5, 6, 7 (37)

January 5, 2019

2-10-18

Key: SCHAFF: “When the Lord open his mouth, we should open our ears and hearts” 

HEAVENLY FOCUS AS OPPOSED TO WORLDLY MINDEDNESS continues Matt. 6:19-24… 5

“Three reasons have been given in Matt. 6:19-24 why we should be exclusively devoted to God. (1) The things of the world are so perishable. (2) If our minds are directed at the same time towards earthly and heavenly things, our view becomes distracted, confused and darkened. (3) It is impossible to be God’s servants and the servants of mammon.” Broadus, John A. Whatever efforts we make to obtain earthly wealth must be in entire subordination to the service of God, and, in fact, a part of the service: he alone must be the Master. “Everyone has his ruling passion. That of the Christian must be the love of his Master and Redeemer.” Porteus.

  1. “You cannot serve God and mammon” continues –mammon- wealth, riches. “Mammon” and “Caesar’s” are demonic principalities which controls money. Deut. 32:37-38.
  2. Compare serving Jehovah and Baal in 1Kg. 18:21′ Whenever trying to do both, a man is, in fact, only serving Mammon-not serving God, and not in the highest sense benefiting himself. “Christianity or salvation in Christ and service to Christ must be everything, or it is nothing” 2Cor. 5:14-16. “To prize wealth, and at the same time largely acquire wisdom, is impossible.”- Plato “For the same man to be a lover of riches and a lover of God is impossible”- Luther. “The servant of Mammon estimates persons and things according to their money value, he regards loss of money as the highest loss, gain of money as the highest gain, and money as the highest aim of life” –Achelis 
  3. Your life must go out with your money. Mk. 12:43-44, 2Cor. 8:5. “You and not yours”- 2Cor. 12:14. “Unless your life goes with your money it cannot be released from the kingdom of Satan and transferred to the kingdom of God. The spiritual values of your work for God will largely depend on whether or not the money you handle has been delivered from the world system” – Watchman-Nee.
  4. God will work through your finances. He will use money:
    1. To strengthen your trust in Him. Matt. 6:23-24, 19-21, Phil. 4:10, 18.
    2. To develop your trust-worthiness. Lk. 16:11, 2Kg. 4:8-17
    3. To prove His love for you. Matt. 7:11, Mal. 3:10
    4. To provide direction for our lives. Gal. 6:6-10.
    5. To unite you with other Christians through shared blessings. 2Cor. 8:14-15.