Since Matthew 6:1-18 showed the hypocrisy of the Pharisees' religion, it follows that wherever you have hypocritical religion you will have greed. So, our Lord deals with their view of wealth and money. Wherever you find a false teacher, invariably you will find that he is in it for the money. That is why the Bible says that we are not to discharge our ministry for the sake of filthy lucre (I Pet. 5:2). The Bible characterizes hypocritical religion in two ways: it is greedy of money, and it is immoral in its lusts. Those two things follow in the course of false religions and false religious leaders.
The Pharisees were ...... -- using their religious position to fill their pockets. Twice Jesus had to take a whip and cleanse the temple (Jn. 2:13-17; 21:12- 13). Their system was one that filled their greed. They were using their religious position to get rich. There is nothing more foul smelling to the nostrils of God than hypocrisy and greed. I daresay there are people in our own country (some even well-known on television) who are doing exactly the same thing. Wherever there is religious hypocrisy, inevitably there is the problem of greed.
To the Pharisees, being rich was a sign of holiness. In other words, "I'm rich because I'm so righteous that God is blessing me." When the Lord said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Mt. 19:24), that was absolutely and utterly shocking. To the Pharisees, riches were the stamp of divine approval on one's life because God gave riches to those who were righteous. To say that a rich man could no more enter the kingdom than a camel could go through the eye of a needle was really a shocking statement because they equated money with the blessing of God. So they greedily gathered money, and the richer they became the more they pretended to the people that they were spiritual. Overcoming Materialism Treasure in Heaven--Part 1 by John MacArthur
"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. Mat 6:19-24
Related Posts:
I Have Enough
Our Greatest Reward
Be Faithful to The Gospel of Jesus Christ: No Prosperity “gospel”, No False “christ”
Distinguish Between the Gospel and False Gospels
Knowing God, Knowing God's Word, Believing God's Truth, Serving God, Pointing People to God
Showing posts with label worldliness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label worldliness. Show all posts
Friday, October 23, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
I Have Enough

It is a sad thing when a man is godly, and yet does not say, "I have enough." The apostle does not say that contentment in itself is great gain, but he says, "Godliness with contentment is great gain" 1 Tim 6:6; so that it is not the contentment without the godliness that is the gain; and, on the other hand, any form of godliness that does not bring contentment with it, should be gravely questioned. A godly man, who does not yield ready assent to all God's will, ought to pray to be made a godlier man. ..............
When God's will and our will are contrary to one another, we may be sure that there is something amiss with us. We are never right till God's will becomes our will, and we can honestly say, "The will of the Lord be done." Therefore it is a sad thing when a Christian man cannot say, "I have enough;" but it is a very sweet thing when he can truthfully say it. Then does he really enjoy life,-when he thanks God for what he is, and for what he is not,-when he thanks God for health, and also for sickness,-when he thanks God for gains, and also for losses,-when he sings a song in the night, as the nightingale does, as well as a song in the day, as the lark does. He proves then that he does not follow God for what he gets out of Him, as stray dogs will follow a man in the street who feeds them; but that he follows God out of sincere love to Him, because God is his Master, and he belongs to Him. It is true blessedness, a little heaven begun below, when the Christian, looking all round, can say of all temporal things, "I have enough."
I Have Enough by C.H. Spurgeon SERMON TEXT: Gen 33:9,11 "Esau said, I have enough ... Jacob said, I have enough." - Gen 33:9,11.
Labels:
C H Spurgeon,
Contentment,
Godliness,
Prosperity Gospel,
worldliness
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Our Greatest Reward
Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places. Hab 3:17-19Lean on the all sufficient Creator, we can always trust Him.
In poverty or in riches, God promises to supply our every need.
In sickness or in health, remember God is always good.
Lets thirst and hunger after the Giver, not his earthly gifts.
Lets our rejoicing be in the Giver, not His worldly gifts.
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all,
How will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
In worshiping God, remember He is our greatest reward.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)