FAITHFUL TO CHRIST

Faithful to Christ Matthew 6 verses 19-24

If I were to suggest erecting a statue at the entrance to your church many, if not all, of you would object, and rightly so. I am sure you would quote to me the second commandment about not making graven images or bowing down to idols. Yet I cannot but wonder how many people, including professing Christians, have graven images in their lives which they bow down to each day.

Look at Matthew chapter 6 and verses 19-24. Matthew's gospel is the most Jewish of all the gospels. Matthew brings his blocks of teaching together in units of 5 or 7, a very typically Jewish way of teaching. The reading that we are looking at forms part of a larger body of teaching which is known as the Sermon on the Mount. I want specifically to concentrate on verse 24.

Verse 24 - in this verse Jesus explains that behind the choice between two treasures (verses 19-21) and two visions (verses 20-23) there lies the still more basic choice between two masters - whom are you going to serve (verse 24). To ask 'what is your treasure?' or 'What is your vision?' or 'Who is your master?' is in the mind of Christ to ask the same question. Our treasure, vision and master are one and the same. When you have chosen your treasure and your goals (vision) then these become your master. From that time on your choices are governed by your master. Remember that. None of us are truly free beyond the choice of our master.

Verses 19-21 - choice between two treasures. In verse 19 the present tense is used - stop storing up treasures - rather than do not store up. Jesus is saying that the time for a decisive break has come. In 1 Timothy 6 verse 10 Paul makes it clear that the love of wealth is a great evil. James (5 verses 2-3) tells us that for those who belong to Christ and are heirs of the eternal kingdom of God it is utter foolishness to hoard riches in the last days. However, it would be wrong to say that wealth in and of itself is evil. 1 Timothy 5 verse 8 requires for a man to provide for his family, in proverbs we are told to work and provide for the future (Prov. 6 vs 6-8) and we are encouraged to enjoy the good things that God the Creator has provided for us - 1 Timothy 4 vs 3-4). The focus here is on selfishness. Do you notice what the verse actually says - read verse 19 - lay up treasure for yourselves.

The emphasis in verses 20-21 is on where their heart is. Where is the treasure of your heart? The warning given to those who are following Christ is clear - do not put your treasure in clothing that can wear out, or in precious metals that will rust nor in treasure that can be stolen. Whatever controls your heart is your treasure. Whatever controls your heart is what you will be faithful to - Romans 6.16. Do you notice the clear distinction Christ makes here? Treasures on earth are temporary, corruptible and insecure but treasures in heaven are eternal, incorruptible and therefore secure. So where would the wise man place his treasure (heart)? Throughout the Sermon on the Mount Christ has spoken about the heart of man and here again he makes it plain that where your treasure is your heart will follow. So where is your heart this morning?

Eternal or heavenly treasure - it is not a system of gaining or storing up merit by good deeds. Heavenly treasure is a Christlike character, the fruit of the Spirit, evangelism, knowledge of God and His Word. No moth or rust can corrupt such things and no thief can steal them away.

Verses 22-23 Christ now raises the question of vision. The contrast here is between a blind person and a sighted person and between light and darkness in which they live. This speaks of the human condition before God. Christ points out that the man who can see walks in the light but the man who is blind walks around in darkness. The metaphor is simple enough to understand - both men walk around but only one is guided by the light. Christ wants his hearers, and us, to understand that just as the condition of your physical eye affects your whole body so your ambition, your goals, your treasure affects your whole life. Physical blindness leads to darkness - spiritual blindness leads to darkness. An ignoble and selfish ambition (through laying up treasure for yourself or self-centred vision) leads to spiritual darkness and plunges you into moral darkness. As surely as night follows day so does moral darkness follow and flow from spiritual darkness. It is all a question of vision.

If your spiritual vision is clouded by the false gods of materialism, ambition, sensuality and we lose our heart and vision for God, our values change, then our whole life is plunged into darkness and we cannot see where we are walking.

Verse 24 Christ then leads his hearers, and us, to the conclusion in verse 24. There is no other option available to mankind. Please note here that the imagery behind this verse is that of a slave owner, not an employer. A man could work for two employers, but since 'single ownership and fulltime service are of the essence of slavery' - only one man can a slave truly serve. Please understand that imagery this morning because it is of central and key importance if you are going to live faithfully to Christ. Christ says a man cannot serve two slave masters because a slave only truly belongs to one master. Now you might be uncomfortable with the imagery of slavery but it is actually the only true imagery of man - a man is a slave to the treasures of his heart and the vision (or goals) of his eyes. You don't believe me? Look around you in the world in which we live? Greed, ambition, lust, covetousness, anger, hate, and immorality of all kinds - would you say freedom of choice or slaves to the choices made, the masters chosen, the treasures stored and visions followed? The really sad thing is that often there is no difference between those claiming to follow Christ and those who make no such claims. You see too many Christians think of employer/employee relationship and not slave/master relationship when they hear such teaching of Jesus. You see attempts at divided loyalty betray, not partial commitment to discipleship, but deep-seated commitment to idolatry. Anyone who has divided his loyalty between God and mammon has already given his allegiance to mammon - remember that.

Jesus makes it clear in this verse - read the verse again. Notice 'no man can...you cannot' - there is no half-way house in these words. There is no room for compromise in these words of Christ. It is a straight forward choice for a man - God or mammon/idolatry. read from Isaiah 42 v 8 and 48 verse 11. Pretty clear isn't it? God will not share his glory with anyone or anything - hence the first commandment to have no other gods before God.

The choice is not just between comparative durability and comparative benefit but between comparative worth: the intrinsic worth of the One and the intrinsic worthlessness of the other.

we all need to examine our lives and ask ourselves: Where is my treasure stored? To what is my heart truly devoted? Where are my eyes fixed? What are the goals of my life? Verse 24 is a stark challenge to us in 2010 - you cannot belong to God and serve this world's riches and idols. Listen to what Paul says in Romans 6 verses 16 following. Building on this teaching of Christ Paul challenges every Christian believer to live out this truth - to be faithful to Christ in how we live because we are owned by him - bought with his blood. There is a decision to be made by you - who will be your master? Who will own your heart this morning? Who will direct your vision? Who ultimately will you follow?

I want to say that it is pretty clear from this verse that you cannot serve God on a Sunday and mammon from Monday morning. I want to say to you that 'mammon' is not just a financial thing in your life - it is whatever directs your eyes, grabs your heart, demands your attention and rules your life. You know this morning what that is. Let me say to you also that whatever it is, in and of itself, may not be a bad thing but if it comes before God in your life then it is a sinful idol and you need to repent of it because you cannot serve two masters. As Christ says you will love one and hate the other. You may be aware of the thing, the person, the ambition, the habit or hobby, whatever it is, that comes between you and Christ - bring it before Him and lay it before Him and commit your life afresh to serving Him faithfully.