Today, as of 11 June 2006, what are your priorities in life?
What are the factors that compel you to decide what a priority in life should be?
Whatever they are, the thing about priorities is that they influence and shape our lives – a lot of these can be good, but if not kept in check they can end up dominating and ruling our lives too.

Our reading tonight gives us an insight into one of the most dominate factors known in the History of Man that influences our priorities in life. It is something that has caused many a person’s rise and fall from grace – it is one of the biggest contributors to the breakdown of marriages - it is something that can bring happiness and relief, as well as unhappiness and misery – it is something that is in your face every day, every where you go - it’s something that all of us, without exception have to decide how we will handle it and to what extent we allow it to influence our priorities in life.

Reading: Matthew 6: 19-24

What is the dominate issue in this passage?
Ans: Treasure – Material Possessions – Money

What is money?
It’s a commodity; It’s a form of currency that allows the value of one person’s work or product to be converted into a form that can literally be carried all around the world.

In Western Civilisation, what is money made of?
Paper and Metal

Money, like other commodities in life can be used for good or for bad
What are some of the positives that money can do in life?
Alleviate poverty – meeting physical needs
Happiness – able to travel/buy things
Live life

What are some of the negatives that result from the misuse and pursuit of money?
Destroy Marriages
Sacrificing time with family/friends
Affect ones health through unnecessary worry!
Enticement into the world of drugs
Child-slave labour (3rd world esp.)
Wars
Control of a person’s soul

Money can determine life or death for some. When exercised freely and with care, it can be a great blessing. But it can also bring death [story: L Cunningham p49] - one of the great evils that can result from the misuse of money.

Sometimes it is said that ‘Money is the root of evil’ – have any of you heard this said?
Actually, this is a Bible misquote, because what the Bible does say in 1 Tim 6:10 is that
‘For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.’

Is money in itself evil?
The Love of money – now we need to be clear on one thing, and that is money itself is not evil, because there’s nothing wrong with money. God uses money, as a practical tool to achieve much of his work here on earth – we use it to, to live. In fact, there are approximately 3225 references to money and financial matters in the Bible! What is evil is to love money – to place ones greatest value in money itself. Listen to this love-letter lament: (Barrel – p128)

The love of money can drive people to do all sorts of things. Ask yourself now ‘what role does money play in your life?’ Is it what you value above all else? Is it your master or your slave?

Turning back to our passage from Matthew 6, let’s find what we can learn from this:
In verse 19, what are we warned against?
Storing up earthly treasures
What can destroy our earthly treasures?
Moths, Rust, Thieves
What do Moths destroy?
Clothing etc (so easily perished)
What does Rust Destroy?
Precious metal/stones (lose their value)
What do thieves steal?
Anything they want!
Looking at verse 21, what more do we learn about our treasure?
It’s where our hearts can be found (our true heart’s desire)
What you really set your mind on, what you really value becomes your treasure, and this is what you’re living for.
If our hearts are focussed on money, can they also focus on God?
No – as verse 24 tells us: You cannot serve both God and money.
Is it all right for God to be second place in our lives?
No – he demands to be the centre of our lives – no other gods but me (10 commandments)
What we choose to fill our minds and hearts with will dominate our lives.

Reading: Luke 18: 18-25 ‘The Rich Ruler’
Here we have a man who we’re told was rich – not only was he rich, but he would have been considered to be ‘good’ – a good, ‘Christian person’ we would say today. Yet, even though he had obeyed the commandments and lived a ‘good life’ from the world’s perspective, there was still something wrong with his life.
What was wrong with his life?
He located his value in his riches – despite following God, his heart was more concerned with his riches. Over the centuries, verses in Scripture like this (also Acts 2:44) have proved to be extremely challenging in their practical application.

Do you think that Jesus calls all who follow him to a life of total, voluntary poverty – i.e. is it a universal calling?
No – some he will, some he won’t
Can anyone think of people that God has called to this life?
His disciples; the rich young man; Francis of Assisi, Mother Theresa etc
How would you feel if God called you to such a life? Could you give up all you have to follow Christ?

If God doesn’t call us to a life of poverty, what does He still call us to?
To set our priorities straight – Kingdom values - to put God first – to serve Him – to follow Him.
The truth is, disciples are marked out clearly by their attitude to money

How do we do this?
We are to love him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
One of the great riches of the Anglican liturgy is that this reminder is part of the HC service.
(p168CW
According to Matthew, what is the benefit for all who put their value and trust in God?
Treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20)

How can you live this out today?
Being generous with what God gives you – every single pound God puts into our hands – God wants us to bring it before Him, because what we do with it – how we use our money will reveal our true character.

When we see a need among us and know that we can help, we should act – because this is what loving our neighbour is all about. Through our actions, people can come to know God’s love.

What is important to grasp is that God calls each one of us to give as we are able to give – in other words, our response will differ to others. And, when we are obedient to God’s leading, then we will see the lives of those around us transformed – living to love God – that’s what it’s all about.

Christian fellowship is Christian caring, and Christian caring is Christian sharing.

A person is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has!

What do you really value – what is most important to you? What are your priorities?

Money can buy medicine, but it cannot buy health… (Delights p123)