today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Tell me where your treasure is and I'll tell you where your heart is. You may sing like an angel. You may preach like the prince of preachers. You may be serving the Lord, but how you handle your money reveals your heart.
Welcome to the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Money can be a sensitive subject. But did you know that how you handle your money can actually reveal much about your relationship with God? Today we're taking a biblical look at our money. And this will force us to look at our values and priorities as we continue our study of next steps in following Jesus.
So what does Jesus teach about money? To introduce today's message, here's Pastor John Monroe. Would you like more money? If so, how much more would you like? One of the anomalies of life is that even those who are millionaires still want more.
We never seem truly satisfied with the amount of our material resources. Today, in the series Next Steps in Following Jesus, we come to the very important subject of money. Don't make the mistake of thinking that money is evil. Our money, our resources are gifts from God. And how we handle our money is a very good barometer of where we are spiritually.
Those of us who are following Jesus have experienced the lavish grace of God.
So, Should we be generous to others? Listen now to the teaching of Jesus on this important subject of money. I was a very young attorney and Our firm were representing a a family Who were in great dispute over the division of their father's estate. He had died leaving a will. As we say in the legal profession, where there's a will, there's a relative, and the relatives were there.
And the brothers and sisters were fighting over this. And as a very young attorney, I was taken aback. that th th this family who were professing Christians could act In such a very bad way and such a selfish way. And I remember speaking to the senior Partner who was overseeing the transactions, and I was part of that team. And I said to him my disappointment with this family.
And I said to him, I said, Mr. Tate, they are believers in Jesus Christ. And uh he said to me Old man, he said, uh John, yeah, it is very, very sad. He said they will fight. about the division of the estate.
And say it's not about money, it's about the principle of the thing. But he said, they will never tell you what that principle is. But believe me, it's all about the money. What about you? How do you handle Your money.
I find out over the years that how we handle our money is a very significant indicator of where we are spiritually. And in this series, next steps in following Jesus, I thought it very important to speak. On the subject that impacts all of us, whether we are rich or poor, the subject of money. How much money would you like usually brings the response just a little bit. More.
Dealing with our money, handling our money, forces us to look at our values, our priorities, our loves. You may talk the talk, you may look the part, you may be regarded as an authentic follower of Jesus, but if you're not handling your money in a biblical way, you have a serious a serious spiritual problem. Let's stand and read the teaching of Jesus on this subject as it's found in Matthew chapter 6, verses 19 through 24. Read with me. from scripture.
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on 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 and steal. For where your treasure is, There your heart will be also.
The eye is the lamp of the body.
So if your eye is healthy, Your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness? No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, Or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and money. Please be seated. And if you have your Bible, turn with me in the first Gospel. In the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew. And we're looking at Matthew chapter 6 in these very convicting verses, part of the teaching of our Lord in verses 19 through 24.
And Jesus is teaching in verses 19 and 20 that only treasure in heaven lasts. He makes it clear that all of us are laying up treasure. If you look at verses 19 and 20, you will see that Jesus is saying: you're either laying up treasure for yourself on earth. or laying up for yourselves Treasure in heaven. What is it?
How would you answer that question? You're laying up treasure in heaven. Or are you just laying up treasure? on earth. The force of the teaching of Jesus Not only in this passage, but throughout the Gospels, is not about the amount of our resources, but our motivation.
The question is: in life, what's driving you? What are your values? What are you trying to achieve? Why do you want more money? Why is money so important to you?
And as Jesus is saying, where is Your heart. I find it intriguing that immediately after this teaching, by Jesus on money that we've read. He teaches in verses 25 through 34 in Matthew chapter 6, he teaches about anxiety. Isn't it true? That one of the main causes of anxiety and worry in our lives is over money.
Husbands and wives. argue about Money. Attorneys end legal partnerships because they can't agree on the allocation of the profits. Employees think that the employer should be giving them more money. Employers think that employees are demanding too much money.
Politicians get into trouble over and over and over again over money. How are you handling it? According to Jesus, there's only Two kinds of treasure: those on earth and those in heaven.
So it is possible. In earthly terms, to be very successful, to be a multi-millionaire, to be admired by others, to be at the top of your profession or business, and have a lot of money, but as far as God is concerned, be utterly bankrupt. On the other hand, it is possible to have very little resources on earth. To be looked on others as a failure in earthly terms and yet have great treasure. In heaven.
Jesus told a story about this in Luke chapter 16. It's called a parable. Told this story. Luke in his gospel has a lot to say about money. In fact, the Bible, the Old Testament and the New Testament, has a lot to say about money.
And Jesus tells this story at the end of Luke chapter 16. He says, There's a rich man and a poor man. And both of them Die. And that's true. Whether you're rich or poor, one day you're going to die.
The poor man goes to paradise. The rich man Because Tahiti. And in Hades, Jesus says, the rich man comes out with this rather unusual request. He wants the poor man Lazarus Jesus says to dip The end Of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame. Don't you find that interesting?
This rich man during his life never helped the poor man, had no compassion to him at all, but now in Hades, he wants the help of the poor man. Ah, but it's too late. Jesus makes that very clear. There's no crossing over between Hades and Paradise, between heaven and hell. Too late.
Here's this rich man. During his life, He had not lifted We could say one little finger. to help the poor man. Not even giving him the crumbs that fell from his table. That's a lack of compassion, isn't it?
He knows the poor man's name. He knows the poor man's at his gate. He knows his name is Lazarus. Jesus doesn't tell us the name of the rich man, but he tells us the name of the poor man. And this rich man, while having great resources on earth, Living a life of extravagance and perhaps admired by others.
When it comes to the end, when he goes from time into eternity, it is found to be totally, spiritually bankrupt. The poor man. Lazarus. while having virtually nothing in material terms had laid up him for himself treasures in heaven. I find that very convicting.
I find it rather alarming, as it were, don't you? I have to ask myself Where are my treasures? Am I laying up treasures on earth? Is my focus on my comfort? Or is my focus on God?
Notice what Jesus says in verse 19. Did you read it? Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.
Now before we go any further, we must understand something. There's something that is sometimes not clarified.
Nowhere, nowhere in the Old Testament or the New Testament does the Bible condemn money in and of itself. To the contrary, Both the Old Testament and the New Testament encourage us to work hard. Oh, that's a new concept to someone, isn't it? Yes. Scripture encourages you to work hard so that you will have material resources.
So that you can take care of your family and also that you'll be able to give those in Nate. God has blessed you. You work. You have resources not just for yourself. Not to be consumed in a self-indulgent, extravagant way, but so that you can reach out to those who have need.
Whether it's an orphan.
Well, there's a foster child. Whither is a widow. Where there's a homeless person. Whether it's an immigrant just coming to this country and wondering if they're going to survive. Reaching out.
to someone in need. That scripture makes that very, very clear. And the lazy person. The undisciplined person is condemned in scripture.
So let me say this if you're in your 20s You don't work? You don't study. You're still living in your Parents' basement, as it were, and your greatest joy is playing video games. Listen to me. We've got a whole generation growing up, don't we?
Not very much committed to work. Not very committed to discipline. I don't care the culture. I don't care what society calls about them. Listen to scripture.
Proverbs 28, 19, Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread. But he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of Poverty. Don't weep, don't complain. If you don't have money, if you're not prepared to work. One of my father's favorite verses that he loved to quote to my brothers and myself is found in 2 Thessalonians 3, verse 10, where Paul says, if a man doesn't work, He shouldn't eat.
My dad would say to us that the meal table as we'd fight over that last piece of cake. You like to eat, but I'm not so sure if you like to work. There's a good principle there. Paul is saying. You need to work.
So that you can eat, so you can take care of yourself, not only of yourself. But so that God in His grace would bless you.
So that you would be a source of blessing to others.
So, God wants you to have money. God wants you to have money. God wants you to have resources. God wants you to save some money. Here's the point.
In Matthew 6, verse 19, the words for yourself are critical. You see, if I pursue money, If I work hard simply for myself, And I've put myself at the center of my world. I'm violating the warning that Jesus is giving. I have known many people who get a lot of enjoyment. out of looking at their investment portfolio.
Getting a list of all of their possessions. Taking great pride in what they have accomplished. Their treasure on earth gives them security, it gives them a sense of pride, it gives them a sense of superiority over others. They can live now very well for the rest of their life. They've worked hard and they've made all of this money, but it's all about them.
On the other hand, There are people who don't save their money so much. They span, span, spanned. on themselves. Selfish, Self-indulgent. spending their money in ex in extravagant ways.
Some save, save, save and become misers.
Some spend, spend, spend, and become spendthrifts, but in both cases, they have a wrong view of money. They have made money an idol. And fundamental to loving God is that our love for God is to be number one. God will have no rivals. Reread the first two.
commandments. And Jesus is teaching something that we know, don't we? That treasures on earth don't last. Here he says, moth and rust destroy. Thieves break in and steal, verse 19.
Things on this earth are subject to devaluation, decay, theft, deterioration, the collapse of the economy, the volatility of the stock market, your employment. One day you may think you're rich. And you can lose a vast fortune the next. You can think your job is secure. And you can go into to into work tomorrow morning and to be told that there's been a realignment, the company's been taking over, you've got a new boss, and thank you very much for your 25-year service, but you're no longer.
Needed. You know that, don't you? There's no security. In this earth? Paul speaks of those who spend their days in wealth and in a moment go down to the grave.
You ever play Monopoly? Rule one, bye, bye, bye. That's what I did. And I'm playing Monopoly. I bought as much as I could.
I never cared for the railways, but other than that, I bought a lot of property. I like buying these little red things, and I loved that hotel. And I loved it when someone came on it. and I could get all that money. Bye, bye, bye.
Rule one. Rule two? When the game is over, everything goes back in the box. That's life, isn't it? Work, work, work, work, work, save, save, save, save.
Life is over. Everything back in the box. I've been to a lot of funerals. I've been a lot of deathbeds. And no one No one takes one penny.
into eternity. Paul says that in 1 Timothy 6. He says, We come in naked. When you were born, you were naked. You brought nothing in.
And when you die, you will take nothing with you. Remember that. All of wealth. One day will disappear. It will be removed from you.
And even during this lifetime, What we thought was security in our investments, in our job, in ourselves, and that business that you worked so hard for, all of that can rapidly disappear. Who knows what will happen? Jesus says now. It's foolish then. to lay up for yourselves treasures on earth.
It's foolish to be so focussed on this earth. that you're poor towards God. What am I to do, verse 20? But lay up for yourselves Treasure in heaven. This is so direct, isn't it?
It makes us squirm a little bit. At least it makes me squirm a little bit because. There's only the two options. Lay up for yourself treasure in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. This treasure will last.
There is treasure in heaven. Which is truly gilded securities, 100% Secure. Any banker here can give you that sure investment? What happens when you say you You speak to your investment advisor. He or she always cautions, doesn't there?
This is what we think. Who knows what will happen? a year from now to the stock market. Who knows what will happen to the economy six months from now? Ah, but heaven, here's the point: heaven is immune from economic depression.
It's immune from unemployment, and stock market failures, and loss of employment, and theft, and deterioration, and decay. Peter writes in 1 Peter 1: He says, You've got an inheritance which is imperishable. Don't you love this? It's imperishable, undefiled, and unfading in heaven, kept. In heaven For you.
Through faith in Jesus Christ. as my saviour. I have received the gift of eternal life. And that inheritance is imperishable. You worried?
about the future of America. Does anyone really know what's going to happen to our world? No one really knows. They can guess. The pundits, the experts, the economic Indicators, no one knows, but this we do know.
That if your trust is in God, If your trust is in Jesus Christ, you have an inheritance which is imperishable, is undefiled, and it will never fade away. Therefore, If that's true and it is, doesn't it make sense? to lay up for yourself treasure. In heaven. And then Jesus says in verses 21 through 24: have only one love.
Verse 21, where your treasure is There your heart will be also. What you love, you think about. What you love, you talk about. You find your heart going there, isn't that the case? Verse 24: No one can serve two masters.
Either he'll hate the one and love the other, or he'll be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot. Notice the strong. The strong statement, you cannot, it's impossible. To serve God.
And money. You can serve two masters. You can love God and love money at the same time. It's impossible. You can't have divided loyalties.
Don't say you love God if you love money is the point. When the Lord was teaching this in Luke chapter 16 in the parallel account, Luke says. that the Pharisees ridiculed him. They laughed at him. when he said this.
Oh, not only were they religious, they were astute business people. In fact, the scriptures tell us that rather than helping orphans and rather than taking care, Of widows, they exploited them and they made money on the back of the widows. And so these were wealthy and they laughed. They thought, yes, we can handle this. We love God and we love money.
What does this person, this carpenter, know about business? What does he know about investments? But Jesus says they were lovers. Of money. This is the verdict featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe.
There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us. From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever. but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God. To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World. Through this special resource, John shares his personal testimony, along with a careful examination of Scripture, to offer us clarity on matters of eternity.
Get your copy today by visiting our website at theverdict.org. While you're there, consider making an investment in this Bible teaching ministry. Whether it's $5, $50, or more, your gift today helps cover the cost of sharing these gospel messages to listeners around the world. And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to the Verdict Podcast, featuring John's weekly podcast exclusive called Avizandam. It's available wherever you get your podcasts, or simply go to our website.
Again, that's theverdict.org. The verdict is a ministry of Calvary Church in South Charlotte. We're located on the corner of Highway 51 and Ray Road. If you've been looking for a church home or a community to help you grow in your walk with Christ, We invite you to join us for our Sunday services. For more details about Calvary and our service times, visit theverdict.org.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? How would you say you're handling your money? Are you someone who is contented or Are you a covetous person? I'm sure you found this message very convicting, as I did. This is very practical, isn't it?
Make sure you're laying up treasure in heaven. That treasure will last. You came naked into this world and you will leave naked.
So make sure you aren't spending all your time pursuing that which ultimately is meaningless.
Next time on the broadcast, we will continue on this very important subject of money. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
