Money

Money:

Matthew 6: V19- V24

Treasures in Heaven

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,[c] your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,[d] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money

There are some scriptures in the bible which will make most of the Christians uncomfortable while reading them. Verse 24 is one of those.

why is it uncomfortable:
1) we want to serve God, 2) we want to serve money also
So this is the main problem for the christians.

Whenever bible talks about money it is crystal clear, it does not hide, it is radical.
lots of verses in bible:
keep yourselves from the love of money
love of money is the root of all evils.
verse 24 says you love God and hate money or love money and hate God.
when you are loving God, you are saying money i hate you
when you are loving money, you are saying God i hate you.
so it is very clear to your heart what you love and what you hate.

so how do we know that we try to serve both God and money.

some symptoms to know where your treasure is

a) Compromising

Balaam wants to serve God and also wants money.
Numbers 22:4-6
verse 9 , God said "dont go with them"
verse 16,17 - "trap of money comes consistently"
verse 19 - some where there is desire that God might change the plan
Revelation 2: 14 
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality

Whenever you compromise on Godliness for a worldly gain, then it is a clear symptom of serving both.
When you love money , it says you hate God.

b) Uneasiness in giving money is one good symptom of loving money
Ananis and sappira
Acts 5:2  - not a cheerful giver is one symptom.
you may give money, but is it cheerfully. or you are trying to just act.

1 timothy 6:10 says - Paul says, love of money is the root of all evils.

c) cheating people.

Proverbs 20:14 -  Have you ever tried to bargain by saying this is not worth not worth, but after going out you say i get a big deal..

Man tries to cheat in lot of ways, .. income tax, medical bills.

Getting away from love of money

1) Sharing - getting rid of Sense of possessing.
Deutronoomy 15:7
If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfistedtoward them.

Sense of posessing:  By 2015 i must buy this car, 
                                   i must by this house.
                                   i must buy this gold.
But the sense of possesing is dangerous
      Acts 4:32-25 - time and again people sold off what they have and brought it to peter.
                           - today just to give building fund, it is so difficult. how about giving everything.
       Acts 2:44,45 looking for people who are in need.
     
2) Contentment
         Hebrews 13:5
         Philipians 4:11-13 says Paul was content man.

3) Investment
Many people invest in stocks, share market, real estate.
suppose you buy a land in india, say for 5 lakhs, by 20 years it might become 2 cr or 3 crs.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.


4) Using money where you cannot be benifited
Luke 14:12-14
Luke 14:12-14 (NIV) "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous

Many times we think its impossible to get away from love of money.
but with God its possible ( Mark 10:31)
Mark 10: 21-27
Many times we think we are doing good in our godly lives , but is the heart dwelling on money.
What bible teaches ways to get away from love of money.

Finally
Ecc 5:10-15 (NIV) Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them? The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep. I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, or wealth lost through some misfortune... Naked a man comes from his mothers womb, and as he comes, so he departs...

Leaving a Godly legacy

2 Peter 1: 12 - 16 

12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.

Before these verses, Peter was talking about goodness, self control,godliness and love.
If you go to a believer who is already well established and say have self control, have godliness, you know you get bored of hearing the same thing again and again.

In this context he is saying these words which we read.
Lord Jesus revealed to Peter that his death is nearer. And Peter knowing that his death is nearer, started telling the Church - not about mysterious things, but about simple teachings again and again.
He desires to make sure that they follow this teaching even after he leaves.
He is making every effort to make sure they remember these things.
He wants to pass on a legacy.

Passing on legacy.

we all pass on legacy, whether we agree or not.
some pass on their legacy to their children, some to strangers, some to generaitons.
you may be thinking oh i am not that significant to talk about big words like legacy.
it doesn't matter how significant you are,how unknown or how famous you are, you will pass on legacy.
some way or other, somethings related to you will be talked about in next generation after you passon.
In this world, there are many who left legacies and people still talk about them.
whenever you talk about dance, people think about michael jackson.
whenever these is a discussion about freedom struggle - gandhi, mandela.
these people have left legacies in their own fields on the earthly matters.

Some one said "The life that you live is the legacy that you leave"

Jonathan Edwards
       Loved the Lord
       Made sure his children went to church even when they did not want to go
       1877 - 929 desc
       430 - ministers
       86- profes
       13 - univ presodent
       75- authors
         5- congree
         2- state
         2- state govers
      1 became vice president
       tremondous contribution to society
      not liable to government

Max Dukes
       Didnot believe in the Lord Jesus
      Did not allow his children to goto church even when they wanted to attend
     1877 - 1026 desc
     300 - prison avg 13 years
    190 - public prostitues
    680 - admiitted alcoholics
    27 - murderers
    by 1877 - 1.25 million dollars cost to government
none made contribution to society


So we are all responsible on what we pass on.In a relay race, we pass on the stick to the next runner.
Almost all of the people sitting here are quiet established in Word. But what are we passing on to others make big influence and leaves a legacy.

Greatest legacy is of our Lord
Romans 10:9 - 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved

The work that Lord Jesus did on the earth, left a great a legacy.
you know whoever confesses and believes in him will be saved for eternity.
He endured a humiliation through out his life time.
Jesus was humiliated throughout his lifetime, starting from his own family,leaders,teachers,romans, and his own friends. His situations were difficult. He has to go through death. But His obedience to the calling of His Father left a legacy for generations.
Many people left great legacy in the world, but there is none like our Lord. Any person in this world can leave legacy for only present and future generations, but what Lord Jesus done had left legacy for not only present  and future, but also past generations.
There is none like Him. Even after 2 thousand years if a person comes and accepts the Lord , that person is saved for eternity.

Hezekiah's legacy. 2 kings 20- 12-21

Hezekiah was given extra 15 years of life. and at the end he says what is it for me.

Instead of being thankful, he did not care about his future generations.

Hezekiah's inheritance is from David. But he forgot about what his ancestors passed on and he did not care for future generations.
look in the 15 years that God had given him, he produced Mannessah.

Remember how many servants of God sacrificed their lives for our lives.

William Carey and many other missionaries.
Are we like Hezekiah saying its not happening to me, i am saved, not concerning about others.
Have concern about everyone whom you come in contact with.
My friend wherever he goes, and whomever he gets in contact with , he will share the gospel.

Noah's legacy

Genesis 6:5-8
5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Do you think you are so insignificant that you can not have legacy.
After Jesus, if there is one man who had biggest legacies, it is Noah.
Just because of him, the whole world, humans, all creatures are living.


How to leave a good legacy.

1) Revealing the Father
                                 John 17:6 - Jesus revealed who the Father is .
The world is in need of people who reflect who the real God is.
Jesus did it in His time, Apostles have done it in their times. Many servants of God did in their time.
But Now it is our turn to show the world who the Father in Heaven is, who the real God is.
Reveal the Father to who the Father has given you.

     
The key for this is Listening to God.


2) Genuine concern for others 
           1 kings 2:1
                         even on death bed, passed on Gods legacy.
                         be strong and keep the word.
                        even unbeliever can say be strong.only godly man can say...follow God.
            Philippians 2:20 - genuine concern for others
            2 Timothy 1:3 - pray for each other
                                    Jesus is example - day and night interceeding for us.

3) Focused life.  Matthew 24:44
Jesus always focused on the hour that is coming. he mentioned many times.
he kept teaching his disciples that an hour is coming. He had focus about that hour always.

         As a christian, we need to have a focussed life on God and his Kingdom.
         For some believers, Christianity is a routine stuff.
         come to church on sunday, sing 4 or 5 songs, say hi to everyone, and go.

        but they lose focus as soon as they go out into the world.

 Sussane wesley had focus on teaching their kids  godly lives. Her husband was a pastor and was busy, but it was Sussane who revlead who God is to their children and see how John and Charles Wesley have become.

        Deuteronomy 6:6-9
         Speak to your children about God all times.

          The greatest legacy parents can pass to children is to love God than all ministries.
            your obedience to faith impacts others to live for God.
             It is not our glory , but the Glory of God reflected through us.

For one mans disobedience, curse came upon generations
For one man obedience, life came to millions.

Hebrews 11: V32 says
32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword;whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.37 They were put to death by stoning;[e] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

For all these saints, The world is not worthy for the people of God. they are longing for eternal life with God.
and God is not ashamed to be called as thier God because they did not live for world.

May the Spirit of God help us to live a life that leaves a legacy for future generations, a legacy not for people to talk about us, but a legacy for the Glory of God.
Amen.