MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

Sermon of the Week #200528-July 22, 2005

            I heard an elder one-time presiding at the receiving of the offering and he made the remark that the Lord never had much to say­ about money. So I decided to check out for myself just how much the

           Lord did say about money during His ministry on earth. A hasty reading of the gospel according to Matthew told me that the gospel record referred to money about thirty one times in that one book. I noted that Matthew only referred to baptism twelve times. He referred to prayer twenty one times and to faith and believe twenty two times. The following is a partial list of the areas where money is mentioned in the Lord's ministry on this planet.

THE WISE MEN

We don't have to read very far until we read the first mention of money in the second chapter, And when they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy and they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary His mother and they fell down and worshipped Him. And opening their treasures they gave unto Him gifts, gold and frankincense, and myrrh.

They came into the house. They did not come into the place of the manger. The shepherds had come and gone and now comes the wise men. By the time these wise men came the holy family had moved out to a house. They gave Him Gold. They did not bother with folding money they did not give Him change from their pocket. It was gold, solid gold. What gifts do you usually give a young child? Perhaps you give a pacifier, a rattler, and a teddy bear. This was not what the baby Jesus needed. They gave gold. Gold was what they needed because they were poor. When the infant Jesus was circumcised at eight days old, Mary and Joseph offered a turtle dove and two young pigeons. They wanted to bring a lamb, but were too poor to afford one, so the dove and pigeons was the prescribed offering of the poor.

This gold was a much-needed offering. They would need it to finance an upcoming trip to Egypt. This was not the only time the Lord as He lived in flesh would need financial help. Today the Church is called the body of Christ. Those who are wise today are aware that the Body of Christ needs their gifts of gold. I know I am frank, but if you have any sense, you know what I mean. And so the New Testament says much about, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY.

SERMON ON THE MOUNT

In Matthew the sixth chapter Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount said, "Lay up for yourselves treasure in Heaven." He further warned, "Be not anxious saying, 'what shall we eat or, what shall we drink or, wherewithal shall we be clothed?' Seek ye first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you."

            A list of the six things Americans worry about the most was published. The first thing Americans worry about most is money. The second is criticism, then loss of a loved one, sickness, old age, and last of all death. From this list it can be observed that Americans are more afraid of living than they are of dying.

            Said the robin to the sparrow, I should rally like to know-Why these anxious human beings rush about and worry so- Said the sparrow to the robin, I think that it must be- cause they have no heavenly Father such as watches you and me.    

Jesus gives us the best insurance policy of all. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all the needs will be supplied. Most folk fail to read the fine print in this contract. They need to put the Kingdom first—above sports, and everything else if there is anything else. And putting first also includes a life style approved by the word of God. It looks like the Lord has a lot to say about MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY.

THE EXPENSE OF FOLLOWING CHRIST

The next time we run into the money roadblock is in the eight‑chapter regarding the Gadarene Demoniac. When the Lord cast out the demons into the swine they ran down the steep into the sea and were drowned in the waters. They that fed them fled and told everything to the people in town and when they came out they besought Jesus to depart from their borders. What the Lord had done was wonderful but the price was too high. One farmer told me that a good rule of thumb for the value of a hog was one hundred dollars for a pig just big enough to take to the market. Using this minimum as a base you can see that two thousand hogs would be worth at least two hundred thousand dollars. This would be a big jolt to the local economy. What the Lord did was a wonderful thing for the community, but He was too expensive. Two hundred thousand dollars was too much to pay.

            The Lord is too expensive today. He costs too much. Someone has said if the Lord doesn't get your money the Devil will. Nothing is any more expensive than sin. How many dollars do you spend each week on cigarettes? If it were suggested that you give that amount to the Lord's work many would say we couldn’t afford it. If you don't give it to the Lord you will give it to the Devil. How much do you spend on booze each week? Suggest to someone that they give that amount to the Lord and a howl goes up.  If you don’t give it to the Lord you will give it to the Devil. How much money do you spend on lottery tickets? Suggest to someone that they give that amount to the Lord and a squall goes up to high heaven. If you don't give it to the Lord you will give it to the Devil. Jesus is expensive, but not as expensive as the Devil. Some might say, ”Well I spend hundreds of dollars on cigarettes and booze and I spend hundreds on lottery tickets and I am also a Christian.” That is what you think. When we read the gospel according to Matthew and that is only the first book of the New Testament it is abundantly clear that the Lord had a to say about, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY.

THE CALL OF MATTHEW

In the ninth chapter of this book of Matthew is the story of the call of Matthew to be an Apostle. As He passed by He saw a man called Matthew sitting at the place of toll and He said unto him, "Follow Me." He rose up and left all and followed Him. Many a servant of God has heard the same call of Matthew—the call to serve the Lord in a specialized sense. Matthew rose up and left all. He left a lucrative career to follow Jesus. He gave up his hope of a pension in the internal revenue. He left all and followed Jesus.

One man I know who had a good position in a factory was torn between the decisions, whether to give up his job and all the benefits and go full time in the pr6aching ministry. He told me he had an opportunity to go to a Church in Arkansas and asked if I thought he should go. I told him I could not tell him what to do and that I had often bitten off more than I could chew and had to back off. I reminded him that there is a fine line between faith and foolishness. He decided not to cut loose at that time, which at the moment was best decision. Then later another opportunity came and like Matthew he rose up and left all to follow Jesus and is a successful preacher of the word today.

Matthew took his ballpoint pen with him. The Lord would use him later to use his ability as a writer for the glory of God. If you are a plumber and want to serve the Lord as a preacher rise up and leave all, but take your monkey wrench with you. As a preacher in the Church of Christ, you will always find a few nuts that need to be tightened. If you are a carpenter go ahead rise up and leave all and follow Him and take your screw driver with you. In the Church of Christ you will always find someone with a few screws loose. I think that it is abundantly evident that the Lord has much to say in His word about, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY.

THE SENDING OUT OF THE TWELVE

          Money seemed to be involved when the Lord sent out the twelve two by two. He told them to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. If some of us had been in that group we would have said, Lord are you going to give us a company credit card to take care of our expenses?” There would be no credit card. He told them to travel light. Don't take an extra suit, or shoes, or money, just go. Maybe they took an overnight bag with a toothbrush, razor, shaving cream, and perhaps a deodorant stick. If they had said, "But Lord where will we get the money to do all this traveling?" Jesus had the answer. He said the laborer is worthy of his hire. If you do what I tell you, you will get paid.

            There is an inexorable law, that when you supply the needs of the community, the community will in turn supply your needs. The crying need of the world today is the faithful preaching of the gospel. If a preacher faithfully preaches the word of God, the Lord will see to it that those whose spiritual needs are being fulfilled, will fulfill the needs of the preacher.

As ye go‑preach! And whosoever will not hear your words, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for that city. As we read through the gospel according to Matthew it becomes more and more evident that the Lord has much to say about, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY.

THE VALUE OF A MAN

Then again look at the matter of money in the twelfth chapter regarding the value of a man. What man shall there be of you having one sheep and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath will not lay hold on it and lift it out? How much more then is a man of more value than a sheep? A man is of more value than a sheep physically. A prize dog, sheep, or horse may sell for thousands of dollars. Back in the thirties of the twentieth century the teacher of my high school biology class said that if all of the elements of the human body such as iron, copper etc. could be sold the human body would be worth about ninety-eight cents. But that is not the only way to look at a man’s value. A man can walk on two feet and tie his shoes. A sheep can't do that. A man is more valuable than a sheep intellectually. A man can invent a computer, and play checkers.

A deacon one time told me, and so it must be true; he said there was a dog that had been taught to play checkers. One man went in and played the dog. When the man came out someone said, how about that dog? Isn’t he smart? The man said, "That dog is not all that smart." I played him three games and beat him two out of three.

A man is more valuable than a sheep eternally. A man will live forever either in Heaven or Hell. Look at the missionary program of many Churches and it is evident that a many a church thinks those who have not been reached for Christ are not worth anything. Jesus had a lot to say about money during His sojourn on earth. MONEY,MONEY, MOMEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY.

THE JUDGMENT DAY

         Think how about the Judgment Day? Notice that statement in the sixteenth chapter when the Lord said, For what shall a man be profited if he shall gain the whole world and forfeit his soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul.

             The soul of one man is more valuable than the whole world and everything in it. It is amazing how many people never give any thought to eternity. Most folk live like big fat healthy animals headed for the slaughterhouse. Perhaps most think that eternity­ all right to think about if you are a preacher or a God fearing little old lady. This is a good way to look at it, if it could be proven that preachers and God fearing little old ladies were the only people who will ever die. However the mortality rate of the human race is very discouraging. If you read the mortality table of the insurance companies you will learn that for every one hundred people you meet, it is a proven fact that one hundred of them will die. So this question of Jesus applies to everyone. What shall a man be profited if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Ladies and Gentlemen, the Lord has much to say in the gospel according to Matthew about, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY.

THE RICH YOUNG RULER

           Let’s look at the man who is called the rich young ruler in the nineteenth chapter. He said, “Master what good thing must I do to inherit eternal life?” The Lord told him to go and sell all that he had and come follow Him. Jesus sometimes discouraged some people from following Him. One man said, “Lord I will follow Thee whithersoever thou goest.” Jesus discouraged him. He said the foxes have holes the birds of the heaven have nests, but the son of Man hath to lay His head. In this case the Apostles were almost salivating.

           Lord this is a real catch. Land him and we will have no money problems again. Jesus discouraged him, “Go sell everything and then follow Me.” In the case of Zacchaeus later on, Zacchaeus told Jesus that he would give fifty percent. Jesus said, “I’ll take it.” How come the Lord accepted fifty per cent from one man and demanded one hundred percent from the other. It was because the rich young ruler did not have any money. He had no money. The money had him. MONEY MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY.

THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS

At the resurrection of Jesus is one of the most powerful lessons on the hold that money can hold over a person. The Guard that was set by Pilate to guard the tomb of Jesus went away and told the chief priests what had happened. What a story they had to tell. While they did not see the risen Christ they did see an angel. These macho Roman guards fell before him as dead men. The tomb was empty. Here is the greatest story of all time and they never told it. The chief priests offered them much money to stonewall the story. The inspired record says, ”THEY TOOK THE MONEY and did as they were taught.” They told a story but not the truth. They said, “The disciples came and stole Him away while we slept.” People will say and do anything if the price is right.

T        This is the story of many a preacher today. He may know the truth and as a young man entering into the Masters service have a desire to tell it. But something happens. He goes to a Church and they hire him. Hire him is a good term, he is what the Lord called a hireling. The Church offers him what is called a package. The package includes health insurance. It includes car allowance. It includes housing allowance and other benefits and a few perks to go along it.

           Now the plot thickens. One preacher says that in his Church he has some liberals and some conservatives. He says I must preach in such a way to please both sides. Actually that is impossible. So what happens? He looks at his package and sees his health insurance going down the drain, also his perks and decides it is best to keep a low profile on matters of doctrine. Such matters, as the plan of salvation must not be emphasized. He knows there are many folk who do not believe that the terms given by Peter on the day of Pentecost the very day the Church began are valid. With his eye on the package and the perks he tells the truth up to the point where it might offend and like the Roman guard, HE TAKES THE MONEY.

By the way, why is it that in most Churches you never hear the terms of pardon as given in the New Testament? Jesus said, "He that believeth and is immersed shall be saved." Peter said, "Repent and be immersed everyone of you (not some of you) in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Why is it that you don't hear it? The answer is really quite simple. And they took the MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY.

Carve your name high o’er the shifting sands, where the shifting sands defy decay.

The only thing you'll ever hold in your cold dead hand,

Is what you have given away.

Build your pyramids skyward and stand, gazed at by millions, real culture.

The only thing you'll ever hold in your cold dead hand,

Is what you have given away.

Count your wide conquest over sea and land, heap up the gold, hoard as you may.

The only thing you'll ever hold in your cold dead hand,

Is what you have given away.

Culture gold fame ah so grand, king of the world's mart for a day.

The only thing you'll ever hold in your cold dead hand, is what you have given away.