Saturday August 20, 2011

Read Mark 12:28-34

 

1. Serve God, Not Money

We must choose where our ultimate loyalty will lie; Jesus' contrast between earthly and heavenly treasures and masters is too sharp to allow compromise. "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (Luke 16:13). Haddon Robinson put the issue in these terms: Either we serve God and use money or we serve money and use God. Yet, few Christians deliberately dedicate their lives to materialism. Wealth is deceitful, Jesus told us, and its bondage is subtle. Like the flypaper and the fly, the fly lands on the sticky substance thinking "my flypaper" only to discover that the flypaper says "my fly."

 

Our wealth depends not so much on what we have, but on what we can do without.  We can cling so hard to possessions that they won't let us go.  One of the qualifications for both elders and deacons is that they be "free from the love of money" and not "fond of sordid gain" (1 Timothy 3:3, 8). God wants us to love people and use things. Too often we use people and love things. We do not own the things we cannot give away--they own us.

 

2. Pursue the Things that Last

Material wealth is transitory (Psalm 49:16-20; Proverbs 11:4; 27:24; James 1:10-11).  Biblical wisdom tells us to use our earthly time to build heavenly treasure.  Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:19-21; cf. Luke 12:34).

 

Because "the world is passing away, and also its lusts" (1 John 2:17), it is foolish to spend our lives chasing after material things. Why, then, do so many of us get wrapped up in this pursuit?

 

John White in his book, The Golden Cow gives the answer: It is want of faith that makes us opt for earthly rather than heavenly treasure. If we really believed in celestial treasures, who among us would be so stupid as to buy gold? We just do not believe. Heaven is a dream, a religious fantasy which we affirm because we are orthodox. If people believed in heaven, they would spend their time preparing for permanent residence there. But nobody does.

 

The true yardstick of success is not worldly possessions or position but faithful servant-hood of God and men. Thus Paul tells Timothy to instruct the rich "to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed" (1 Timothy 6:18-19).

 

3.  Contentment

According to Scripture, true wealth is not a matter of money, but of contentment with God's provision for our needs. Contentment and joy stem from a relationship with God; no amount of money can produce them (Proverbs 10:22; 15:16).

 

God controls our circumstances (1 Samuel 2:6-9; Psalm 139:1-16), and He has promised to provide for the needs of His spiritual children. The Lord tells us to ask Him for our daily provision (Matthew 6:11) and assures us that He will supply our food, clothing, and shelter (Matthew 6:25-34; cf. Psalm 33:18-19; 37:25; Luke 12:29-31; 2 Corinthians 9:8). Even during times of severe financial difficulties He will not abandon us, but will use the situation to draw us nearer to Jesus (Romans 8:28-29).

 

"And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians. 4:19). This is a promise that Christians can count on; our security is in Him, not in money. The problem is that we often confuse our needs with our wants. This leads to the "if only" trap: "If only I had ___________," (e.g., a new car, a bigger house, a better job, etc.) "then I would be content." We may even spiritualize it by thinking that greater prosperity would enhance our ministry. This is the seed of coveting, and coveting is the opposite of contentment. "Let your character be free from the love of money, being

content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you'" (Hebrews 13:5; Acts 20:33). God does not promise to fulfil our wants, and if we insist on them, we will never be satisfied with what we have (see Eccles. 5:10-11); things will become necessary to our happiness.

 

Instead of setting our hearts on wealth, we must learn the secret of being thankful in the state we are in:  Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:11-13).

As Paul told Timothy, "if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content" (1 Timothy 6:6, 8). Our calling is to be faithful stewards. God can give wealth or take it away whenever He wants, but we must praise Him and be thankful whether He blesses us materially or not (James 1:9-10). Desires need not be sinful unless they cause us to lose our gratitude for what we have (Colossians 2:7; 3:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:18).

As you think through today’s reading which bits are true/not true of your life? What do you need to change?

 

 

Prayer:

> Pray for the upcoming Extreme afternoon that there will enough volunteers to make the afternoon run smoothly.

> Pray that there will be new children in attendance and pray that the returning children are willing to learn more about the Lord.

> Pray for the parents of the children that they will also have the opportunity to learn more about God and that they will feel welcome and encouraged to attend the normal church services.