The Right Master

Happy Sunday. Years ago, when I was a student at Southern Seminary, I was in the office of the dean of students to visit a friend. When I walked in, a student was yelling and using four-letter words. They walked out, and I stood there wi eyed. The dean looked at me and said, "David, you learn a lot about people when you deal with their money."

She was right. Money can be a touchy subject. Jesus talked a lot about money. Sadly, many of his words have been twisted and misquoted. Have you heard that Jesus said money is the root of all evil? Money is the root of all evil. That's not true.

Jesus said in 1 Timothy 6:10, "The love of money is the root of all evil." Money is amoral; it's neither good nor bad. It depends what you do with it. One illustration that I like is given by Dave Ramsey. He says money is like a brick. It can be used for good or bad.

You can use a brick to kill someone, or can you can use a brick, or a lot of bricks, to build a hospital. It's goodness or Badness is up to the user. Money is the same way. It's up to the user, isn't it?

Today we've made it to Matthew 6:24. Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." Now, I suppose all of us have known people that serve money. Those people do not need to automatically be confused with the rich.

There are poor people who neglect God and chase money, just as there are rich people who chase God and not money. Jesus is talking again about priorities. You can only serve one. This is a matter of who or what controls your heart. The issue is not really what you have; the issue is what has you.

Charles Spurgeon said this. He said, "God and the world will never agree, and however much we may attempt it, we shall never be able to serve both. You can live for this world, or you can live for the next, but to live equally for both is impossible." He was right.

One story that I think sheds light on this is from Exodus 32. Moses is on Mount Si receiving the Ten Commandments from God, while the people of Israel are left with a substitute teacher. Do you remember, as a kid, how you acted differently when your regular teacher was out and away? Let me read from Exodus 32.

"When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron and said to him, 'Come, make gods for us who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' So Aaron said to them, 'Take off the gold rings that are on that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.' So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. He took these from them and formed them in a mold and cast an image of a calf, and the people said, 'These are your Gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.'"

People will worship just about anything, won't they? Then and now. We were created to worship. We were created to have a master of our hearts and of our souls. Over the years, there have been many poor substitutes.

One of the devil's biggest weapons, I believe, is distraction. He may even use good things to try and get God off the Throne of our hearts. Jesus warns us there can't be two masters. If you're watching this, it's likely that your heart's in the right place, but always be on guard, and always be thankful that you know the truth.

Pray with me. Father, you've told us that we shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free, and my, how that is true. Help us to love you more than anything else, and thank you for everything else that you have showered upon us. Help us to be good stewards of what you have given in us, but let us realize whose it is, and thank you for giving it to us.

Let us always keep it in the right perspective. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. God bless. Thanks for joining me today.