Matthew 6:19-20¹

Introduction

Money in the Bank

Money in the bank. That has such a nice, safe, secure sound, doesn’t it?

Money in the bank—as opposed to money under the mattress—money in the bank is much better. Money in the bank means it’s safe and secure. Someone can’t just find it and take it. Well, OK, maybe they can.

But money in the bank—as opposed to not having money at all—money in the bank is better. If you have money in the bank, then you know that you’re going to be all right. But if you don’t have money in the bank, then you’re probably worried. You look at those numbers at the end of your check book register and that tells you what your life is going to be like this month. And money in the bank tells you that you’re going to be OK. Maybe.

But money in the bank—as opposed to just the promise of money, like an IOU, or a contract that says you’re going to get paid someday—money in the bank is a lot better. You might even have “a sure thing”, but it ain’t really sure until the check clears and then it’s “money in the bank”. Money in the bank means we’ve got it for sure. It’s definitely ours.

Unless of course, the bank fails. Remember the last time that happened? Probably not, unless you’re about 75 or so and you lived through the Great Depression. But now we have FDIC: insurance by the federal government that guarantees our banks won’t ever fail. Our money in the bank is safe. That is, of course, unless the federal government fails. But that could never happen.

And then something comes along like the attack on the World Trade Center three years ago yesterday. Hundreds of lives were lost and that single event rocked our economy to its core. Our government didn’t go under. But, as terrible as 911 was to our country, it was just a minor tragedy compared to the catastrophes that have taken place in history, the disasters that are suffered in other parts of our world, and the potential calamities that could happen in our country’s future.

Setting aside for just a minute the horrible loss of life that happens in every disaster, imagine what it would do to our economy if we had a 911-type attack every month and earthquakes or powerful hurricanes like Ivan every month, or a powerful epidemic like AIDS that we couldn’t control. Imagine what would happen if the financial losses to the insurance companies, and hospitals, and banks, and emergency response organizations and industries were so great that they couldn’t handle it and the government had to step in to keep them from failing just like they did with some of the airlines after 911? Just how much could the government bear? At some point, it would run out of money. Some would say it already has. And then all the government can do is spend money and promise to pay it back in the future.

If you think about it, isn’t that all that money is anyway? Isn’t it just a little piece of green paper that represents a proportionate promise to fulfill your needs and desires in the future? And that promise is only as stable as the one who makes the promise—the federal government. Nothing against America, but just how stable is that?

Money in the bank isn’t sounding nearly as safe and secure as it used to. It doesn’t seem certain at all.

You know what? That is exactly what the Bible says about money—whether it’s in the bank or under your mattress or in your wallet or in your dreams. Money can’t be trusted.

The Kingdom Handbook

This year, we’ve been studying Matthew 5-7, a section that Bible teachers call “The Sermon on the Mount”. But we’ve been calling it, “The Kingdom Handbook” because it’s something that Jesus taught to everyone who wanted to follow him and be part of his kingdom. In the Kingdom Handbook, Jesus teaches us about life, about how it works, and about what really matters. And today we come to the section where he talks about money and what it has to do with how we live our lives as followers of Jesus.

Series: Finding Security in a Shaky Economy

Today we begin a new four-part series about finding financial security.

And, as we have seen through the last three or four years, financial security can be very elusive when the economy is hitting the skids. But the Bible says that even in a shaky economy, we can find security. How? That’s what we’re going to be talking about over the next four weeks as we examine what Jesus says in the second half of Matthew chapter 6.

We’re going to talk about four biblical principles that lead to security in a shaky economy.

1. Choose the Right Bank

Today we start with the first. Jesus says that if you want to find financial security, then it’s important that you choose the right bank.

Just what does that mean? He isn’t talking about the difference between parking your money at Citibank and investing in Prudential. Jesus teaches us that there are basically only two places where you can invest your capital—two places where you can try to build security for the future.

And you have a choice.

The World Bank

The first choice is “The World Bank”. By that, I mean all the financial institutions, all the corporations, all the investment opportunities and all the assets that belong to this world. The World Bank includes everything that we can see and touch and use. It includes everything you own and every penny you have in every account you hold. The World Bank is all the “stuff” that belongs to this world—everything that belongs to this lifetime.

Jesus says something very simple, but very profound, about the World Bank.

In the World Bank, your deposits disappear.

All your assets, all your holdings…evaporate. And eventually they vanish into thin air. Everything…in the World Bank. Here’s what Jesus says,

[Matthew 6:19] (NIV) Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

The way this sentence is written in Greek, it literally means, “Stop! Stop hoarding treasures here on earth.” Stop making deposits to the World Bank. Those deposits are not guaranteed. No matter what you do, they cannot be protected or preserved.

We all know the ravages of time on our assets. Markets fall, the stock exchange drops. Keep the money in your sock drawer and inflation slowly steals away its value. The IRS wants a piece. The banks want a piece. It costs money to acquire money, it costs money to own money and it even costs money to spend money. Mistakes cost money. And bad luck. And then, whatever money you have left, everyone wants it. Some people will try to steal it. Some people will try to trick you out of it. Some people will just bombard you with advertising or solicitations until you finally surrender it. But however it happens, the money disappears.

This verse mentions specifically that the things we treasure here on earth are subject to moth and rust and thieves. The word translated “rust” is literally “eating”. All the assets of the world get consumed and eaten away. They corrode, mildew, disintegrate, break down, and fall apart. Everything we own. Everything we’ve ever bought. It all crumbles toward chaos. This principle is so well known that scientists actually have a law of thermodynamics to describe it. They call it entropy. Everything in the universe moves towards disorder.

We’ve all seen entropy at work. A car is always better, shinier, brighter, faster, more efficient and nicer-smelling when you first buy it, right? As time goes on, does your car get cleaner? Does it smell better, look better or operate better as it gets older? No. As soon as you drive that thing off the lot, you couldn’t sell it for what it cost you, because already it’s started to lose value. Already your deposit in the World Bank has started to disappear.

When your kids play with your computer or fiddle with your stereo or “borrow” your tools, do they unintentionally fix them? “Oops, uh, sorry, Dad. I was using your, uh, thing, and I, uh, accidentally improved it. It’s actually better know than before I borrowed it.” Is that what happens at your house? It doesn’t work that way at mine. The deposits in the World Bank tend to disappear.

Every homeowner knows what entropy is all about. You buy a house and suddenly it takes time and money and attention just to keep the walls from falling down around you. Let’s take a minute to watch Tom Hanks discover entropy. In this clip from The Money Pit, he and Shelly Long have just purchased a beautiful country home for $400,000.

Folks, that’s entropy. By their very nature, all assets in the World Bank disappear. By its very nature, money disappears. That’s the whole idea of the World Bank. Its assets are temporary, transient, unstable and unreliable. It cannot be trusted. It is not secure. And so we cannot find financial security by making deposits in the World Bank.

There is no investment, no occupation, no strategy, no portfolio in this world that you can rely on. It is all unpredictable and insecure.

We think that for the last few years we’ve been living in a shaky economy. You know what? The truth is that we always live in a shaky economy. It’s just that sometimes we notice it and sometimes we don’t.

So, Jesus says, “Stop making deposits in the World Bank.”

That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t own anything or that you shouldn’t have a savings account or an insurance policy or an investment. We cannot live without money and without assets. As the great theologian, Jimmy Stewart once said about money, “It sure comes in handy around here, Bub!” 2 Corinthians 12:14 teaches that parents should save up for their children. 1 Timothy 5:8 says, that “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Notice that Jesus doesn’t condemn storing things in general, but storing them for yourselves. We cannot live without money. We cannot live without stuff.

What this does mean is that all these things in the World Bank—the money, the assets, the savings, the investments—they are all only temporary. You have to use them, but you don’t have to trust them. They may be able to meet some of our needs, in the short run but they cannot provide security. The World Bank may claim to offer that service, but it just can’t produce any lasting results. So don’t believe the hype. Don’t trust the World Bank to give you security.

That’s why Paul says in

1 Timothy 6:17 (NIV) Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain.

The deposits in the World Bank disappear right before our eyes,
just as we go about living our life.

But as unreliable as these assets are in present, the future is even more disastrous.

One day, everybody dies. And, as we all know, you can’t take any of this stuff with you. There’s no trailer hitch on a hearse. The Bible says in

Psalm 49:16-17 (New Living Translation) Don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich, and their homes become ever more splendid. …

For when they die, they carry nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.

And even whatever we leave behind for our children or our great-great grandchildren—even that is destined to become completely worthless.

One day, everything—everything on earth is going to burn.

2 Peter 3:10-12 (Contemporary English Version) The day of the Lord’s return will surprise us like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a loud noise, and the heat will melt the whole universe.

Then the earth and everything on it will go up in flames. Everything will be destroyed. On that day the heavens will be destroyed by fire, and everything else will melt in the heat.

That is the destiny of the World Bank. It’s all going to burn. We might need to keep our account there open, while we’re still alive and need to use money and own stuff and even save for the future. But Jesus says that we should never forget that it’s all temporary. It’s all short-term. It’s unstable, unpredictable and unreliable. So don’t trust it. You cannot find security by making deposits to the World Bank.

Spiritual Trust and Savings

1. Fortunately, there is another option. You have another choice, another bank where you can make deposits that will not disappear.

A place where you can build a portfolio that will last forever and survive every disaster and every eventuality. That place is the Bank of Heaven, Spiritual Trust & Savings. And

At Spiritual Trust & Savings,
your deposits are guaranteed. …forever

Jesus says, don’t store up treasures for yourselves on earth,

[Matthew 6:20] (NIV) But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

We have another option besides the World Bank. Instead of accumulating more and more here on earth, we can forward assets to our future address.

We can make some deposits now in a heavenly account that are not subject to the ravages of taxes or entropy or disaster or misfortune. And when we die, and we arrive in heaven, our treasures will be there waiting for us, never diminishing, never stolen, never lost, never corrupted.

How do we make deposits to that account in Spiritual Trust & Savings? Here’s how you can tell. Think about the things that last forever. Those are the things that you can deposit in Spiritual Trust & Savings.

For example, people last forever. Time and effort and assets that go into helping people become followers of Jesus and into building those people up—that is an investment in eternity. Sharing your faith with a friend, supporting a missionary, giving a believer dinner to encourage him—all those are deposits into your account at Spiritual Trust & Savings. Sometimes it may seem like you wasted your time, because people did not respond, or because you couldn’t see a difference in their lives. But time spent as an investment in eternity is never a waste.

The character qualities that you develop will last forever. Time and effort and assets that go into becoming more like Christ and into helping you and helping others to grow spiritually—that is an investment in eternity. So supporting your church and other ministries, investing in Bible Study books and tools, using your time to develop patience and love—all those are deposits into your account at Spiritual Trust & Savings.

God’s Kingdom will last forever. So time and effort and assets that go into promoting, advancing and serving God’s Kingdom—that is an investment in eternity. So praising God, worship, prayer, giving, fasting, obeying God’s instructions, losing money because you were following the teachings of the Bible—all those are deposits into your account at Spiritual Trust & Savings.

Love lasts forever. So time and effort and assets that are used to express real love to God and to people—that is an investment in eternity. So acts of kindness, mercy, and generosity—all those are deposits into your account at Spiritual Trust & Savings.

And all those deposits are guaranteed to last forever.

The Bible says in

1 Peter 1:4 (New Living Translation) God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.

The assets that we sock away in heaven cannot be lost. That’s why it’s so important that we keep our eye on that bank account and set our priority to make deposits in that account.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (New Century Version) We set our eyes not on what we see but on what we cannot see. What we see will last only a short time, but what we cannot see will last forever.

For every asset we control—whether it’s time, talent or money—we have a choice of where it will be deposited. We cannot avoid using some of it just to live life, but what really matters is what will last forever.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (NIV) Each one should be careful how he builds. … [13] fire will test the quality of each man's work. [14] If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. [15] If it is burned up, he will suffer loss.

The amazing thing to realize is that we can transfer our balance from one account to another. We can actually take cold, hard, temporary, unreliable cash and turn it into something that will last forever. Think of it as a type of currency exchange. Here’s how Jesus described it:

Luke 16:9 (New Living Translation) Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven.

The “friends” he’s talking about are people that come into a relationship Jesus because you spent some of your worldly assets helping them to get to know Him. You successfully transferred your assets from one account to another. You exchanged currency.

What’s the Balance in Your Accounts?

We have a choice. We all have something to put in the bank. The question is, which bank will you choose to hold your assets.

Deposits to the World Bank are disappearing and one day they will be completely gone. Deposits to Spiritual Trust & Savings will last forever. The path to financial security lies in choosing the right bank whenever we’re making deposits.

Each one of us has an account at each of these institutions. Have you looked at your passbook recently? What’s the balance in your accounts?

This is a constant process.

My Dad came from a fairly wealthy family. He inherited some pretty good money from his parents. He went to medical school and became a surgeon, capable of pulling down a great salary. He invested his inheritance in real estate, building offices, motels, and even a hospital.

But when I was 18, ready to go to college, the oldest of seven children bound for college over the coming seven years, my Dad declared bankruptcy. My Dad was honest and a hard worker. It wasn’t what he deserved. It was entropy. Deposits in the World Bank are unstable and unreliable. They cannot be trusted. They disappear.

Additional Scripture Reading

1 Timothy 6:7 (NIV) For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

1 Timothy 6:18-19 (NIV) Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. [19] In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Proverbs 11:4 (NIV) Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

¹ Copyright © 2004 by Lewis B. Bell III. This is the edited manuscript of Lesson 1 in the Kingdom Economy series delivered by Chip Bell at Fellowship Bible Church Arapaho in Dallas, TX on September 12, 2004. Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with credit.

Matthew 6:25-32¹

Introduction

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of having an expense account, then you know what “per diem” means. It’s a Latin phrase that means “by the day” and it refers to a daily payment or allowance. In other words, let’s say you’re traveling on a business trip and your boss allows you a certain amount of money each day to pay for your room, your car and your meals. That’s a per diem. When you go on a business trip, your boss usually doesn’t give you enough money to take care of you and your family for the rest of your life. He only gives you enough to take care of your needs day by day—per diem.

There’s a spiritual lesson somewhere in that phrase. Because that’s the way God treats us. That’s the way God expects us to live: per diem—day by day. He promises to cover our daily needs—no more, no less. And that truth can be either freeing or it can be frustrating. It all depends on how much you trust the boss.

Series: Finding Security in a Shaky Economy

This year we’ve been studying Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount. And right now we’re in the middle of a series about how to find security in a shaky economy.

We all know that the economy has been slow, unpredictable and unstable in the last few years. But as we’ve seen, the truth is that the economy is always shaky. It’s just that sometimes we’re aware of how unreliable it is and sometimes we’re lulled into a false sense of security.

The Bible teaches that there is a way to find true financial security even in the midst of our shaky economy. But it’s a different path than one might expect. Here’s what we’ve discovered so far:

1. Choose the Right Bank.

First, it’s important to choose the right bank. Jesus says we can either keep our treasures here on earth, where they slowly disappear and eventually burn up in a great fire at the end of the world, or we can deposit our resources in heaven where they will last forever. We can use our earthly resources to invest in things that will last forever: loving people and helping them find and follow Jesus, developing the character of Christ in our lives, promoting and building God’s kingdom. Treasures on earth or treasures in heaven: we have a choice.

2. Stick with long-term investments.

Second, stick with long-term investments. Jesus says, everyone has to make that choice between earth and heaven. Everyone needs to use money, but if you try to find your security in money, then it’s impossible to find your security in God. You must choose between them. Otherwise it will compromise your values, distort your spiritual perception and corrupt your behavior. You can be loyal to only one or the other.

Now, if you’re with me so far, then you might be persuaded that we need to focus our attention on getting ready for heaven. That’s more important than building up investments to provide for our future here on earth. But the natural question that comes next is, “If we invest our major resources in heaven, then how are we going to take care of ourselves before we get there? I’m planning on living a few more years and I want to know how I’m going to pay the bills.”

Great question! In fact, that brings us to the third biblical principle for finding security in a shaky economy.

3. Count on social security.

Jesus tells us to count on social security. Now I want you to be really careful here, because I’m not talking about trusting the Social Security Administration of our federal government. From everything I hear, it’s dubious if Social Security is going to be able to take care of me whenever I’m ready to retire. And it seems impossible to count on the solvency of the Social Security system if you’re currently 24 or 25 years old.

What I’m talking about is trusting in God’s system of social security. Because God has promised to take care of what we need each day. He’s promised to meet our daily needs. He’s promised us a per diem. And because it’s God that made the promise, we can count on the social security system of His kingdom.

Don’t Worry About “the Essentials” (25)

food and clothing

This is exactly what Jesus is talking about in Matthew 6:25. Trust me. Have confidence in what God has promised. If you’re counting on me, then you don’t need to worry about making ends meet. You don’t need to worry about the essentials like food and clothing. God’s got it covered. Here’s what he says:

Matthew 6:25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.

Notice he mentions two things. We can trust God to protect our lives and we can trust God to protect our bodies. To protect our lives we need food and drink. To protect our bodies we need clothes. And Jesus says don’t worry about either one of these. In fact, the way he says it in Greek actually means, “stop worrying about these things.”

Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?

The argument here is that God is that one that gave us life. God is the one who created our bodies. So if he loved us enough to give us lives and give us bodies, then he will also give us what we need to sustain and protect our lives and our bodies. In other words, God’s gifts—our lives and our bodies—come with an extended service agreement—maintenance included. We didn’t get our lives or our bodies by worrying. Why do we think that worrying will somehow help us to sustain our lives and our bodies? God gave us both and God will provide for both.

That’s one reason why we don’t need to worry about the essentials. Because God can and will take care of what we need.

There’s also a scientific reason why we can trust in God to provide for our needs. That is, we can observe in nature that providing for needs is just part of how God runs this place.

In the next verse, Jesus turns to an example from nature:

God feeds the birds (26)

and you are more valuable.

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Jesus and his followers were outside when he spoke these words. I bet there were birds singing in the trees and flying around their heads. He probably turned and pointed to the birds flying around and said, “Where do you suppose they ate lunch?” You don’t see birds out planting crops or riding little tractors. You don’t see little bird grocery stores or fast food drive through windows. They don’t have little bird bank accounts or little bird 401K’s. Yet somehow they manage to eat everyday.

The implication is obvious. People are more valuable than birds. So if God somehow manages to feed the birds, don’t you think he can manage to feed us, too?

This verse is not saying that we shouldn’t work or shouldn’t save. It’s saying that since God provides even for birds who don’t work and save, won’t he provide for us too? The Bible teaches us that we should work and it is prudent to think ahead and save. But in all our working and saving, we need to remember that our security comes from the fact that God loves us, that we are valuable to him and that he will always take care of what we need. The birds don’t worry about it. Why should we?

Here’s another example of how pointless it is to worry.

Worry can’t lengthen your life (27)

Matthew 6:27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

If you have an older translation of the Bible, your version might show that Jesus is using a metaphor here. Literally he says that worry can’t add a single cubit to your life. A cubit is about the length of your arm from your elbow to your hand. Jesus is using this metaphorically about the length of your life, just like we might say that someone’s fiftieth birthday is a milestone in their life. Basically, the meaning is captured by the NIV here: worry can’t add a single hour to your life. In fact, the truth is, worry might actually shorten your life. But it won’t prolong it.

Once again, the argument hinges on God. Who is it that controls the length of your life? Psalm 139:16 says, “All the days ordained for me were written in [God’s] book before one of them came to be.”

The length of our lives depends on God. The only option we have is to trust him that he will take us at the right time. So why not trust that he will also provide for us until that time comes?

In the next verse, Jesus gives another example from nature:

God clothes the flowers (28-30)

and you last longer.

Matthew 6:28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.

Again, Jesus probably pointed around him to the beautiful wild flowers and said, “Where do you suppose these flowers get their beautiful costumes?” It isn’t by working hard.

Matthew 6:29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

Solomon was one of the wealthiest men that ever lived. Certainly he was on the list of best-dressed ancient Israelites. But wild flowers are even more beautiful, even though they’re basically just decorative grass.

Matthew 6:30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

We planted some flowers this year and you know what I’ve been learning? They’re pansies. I don’t mean pansies as in the type of flower. I mean that the most beautiful colorful flowers are fragile, they’re wimpy. Trees are sturdy. You can climb them, swing in them, and build houses in them. They can bear an amazing amount of weight. Even bushes are a least strong enough to make it through the winter. But flowers are temporary. They blossom, then they die. You on the other hand—you’re going to last forever. So if God clothes something so temporary with such beautiful clothing, won’t he make sure that at least you have what you need to wear? So you don’t need to worry about it.

“O you of little faith” is a gentle admonition. “Hey, micro-faith!” Jesus is trying to say, I think in a light-hearted way, “Is that all the confidence you have in me? Don’t you trust me more than that?” That’s really the point of these verses. If you’re worried, it shows that you’re having a problem with faith. You’re having difficulty trusting in God’s abilities.

On three other occasions Jesus uses this expression of his followers.

• The first time, the disciples are out on a lake in a small boat, caught in a violent storm. Waves are crashing over the side. Jesus is asleep in the boat, but they wake him up because they’re afraid they’re going to die. Jesus says, “You of little faith. Why are you so afraid?” And he orders the wind and the waves to be still. Mat 8:26
• Another time, the disciples are in the boat alone, but they see Jesus walking toward them across the surface of the water. Peter steps out of the boat and starts walking toward Jesus, but the wind frightens him and he starts sinking. Jesus takes him by the hand and asks,
  “You of little faith. Why did you doubt?” Mat 14:31
• The third time they’re also in a boat. Jesus makes some comment using yeast as a spiritual metaphor. But the disciples think he’s criticizing them for not bringing any bread on the trip. Even though, on two separate occasions, they had seen Jesus feed thousands of people with only a few loaves of bread, they start blaming each other for not packing the groceries. And Jesus says, “You of little faith. Don’t you understand? Don’t you remember?” Mat 16:8

Worry is the opposite of faith, that is, trust or confidence in God’s abilities. In each of these cases, the disciples forgot what God was capable of doing. They forgot he is the almighty commander and creator. And whenever you worry, it means that you don’t think God is up to handling your problems and your needs.

But if you trust God, then you don’t have occasion to worry.

So, Don’t Worry About It (31-32)

Matthew 6:31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

Matthew 6:32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

The word translated “pagans” here is actually the word for Gentiles.

It’s referring to people who do not know God and do not have a relationship with him. What this is saying is that worry is appropriate only for those who don’t understand anything about God.

If you do know God and you know anything about him at all, then you know that he already knows what you need and that he can and will take care of you. So don’t worry about it! Trust God. Count on him. Count on the social security of his kingdom.

Philippians 4:19 (NIV) God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

If this verse is true, then it means two things:

1. I will have whatever I need. and

2. If I don’t have something, then it’s probably something I don’t need.

A lot of times when we’re worried, it’s because we want more than what God has provided. He takes care of today, so we worry about tomorrow. He takes care of our needs, but we worry about our desires.

But the Bible calls us to live a life that is confident that God will provide and satisfied with what God provides.

Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

1 Timothy 6:8 (NIV) If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

Paul even learned that he could be satisfied with what God provided even when it wasn’t all that much.

Philippians 4:12 (NIV) I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

The secret to contentment that he’s talking about here is trust or confidence in God. If we really believe that God will supply us with everything that we need, then instead of worrying, we relax and we take life as it comes.

1 Timothy 6:17 (NIV) Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

What are you worried about?

Other Reading:

Philippians 4:6 (NIV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Job 31:24-28 (NIV) "If I have put my trust in gold or said … 'You are my security,' [25] if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained, … [28] then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Matthew 7:1-6¹

Introduction

Series: Living With Difficult People

Not everyone is easy to live with. If any of you have children, if any of you have ever been married, if any of you have had a roommate, if any of you have brothers and sisters, then you know what I mean.

Not everyone is easy to live with.

I brought an example with me this morning. I’d like you to consider the case of a salesman on the road, trying to get home to his wife for Thanksgiving. But his flight is re-routed and grounded, so he’s forced to share the last available hotel room with a stranger—another traveling salesman—and he discovers the problem of living with difficult people.

[show clip from “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles”]

Today we’re beginning a new series on “Living With Difficult People”. As it turns out, because I live with my wife, Julie, I know a lot about living with difficult people…because she has told me everything that she’s learned about it from living so long with me!

If anybody would know about living with difficult people, though, it would have to be Jesus. When you’re perfect, let’s face it, living with anyone else would be difficult. So, as you might imagine, Jesus had something to say about how to live with difficult people. His words on the subject are found in Matthew 7. It’s part of the Sermon on the Mount that we’ve been studying all year.

Over the next three weeks, we’re going to look at three biblical principles—three secrets for successfully living with difficult people. And since none of us is perfect, let’s face it, all of us are difficult to live with. So, hopefully, this is some truth that you’ll be able to use in your life right away. Today, we begin with the first principle:

Guarding my Thoughts.

It has to do with the importance of guarding my thoughts.

One of the things that makes it difficult to live with difficult people is what we think about them. We think they’re difficult! And so it’s difficult to live with them. Jesus tells us that the first thing we can do to be successful in getting along with each other is to guard our thoughts. Specifically, we need to be careful about making judgments of other people.

Who are you to Judge?

Quick Judgment Invites More Judgment

Matthew 7:1-6 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. [2] For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Quick Judgment is Distorted

[3] Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

[4] How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

[5] You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Careful Judgment is Necessary

[6] Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.

Proverbs 9:7-8 Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. [8] Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.

Two Kinds of Judgment

1. Condemning Judgment vs. Discerning Judgment

2. Quick vs. Careful

3. Focused on Others’ Faults vs. Examining Self

4. Generalizations vs. Individual

5. Gossip / Assumptions / Appearances
vs. Benefit of the Doubt / Observations / Questions

6. Legalistic vs. Gracious

7. Motives vs. Actions

Conclusion

Condemning Judgment vs. Discerning Judgment

When we went through the 40 Days of Purpose, I noticed two kinds of responses. A few people went through the program asking, “What’s wrong with this book? What are the problems? What don’t I like about it?” Most people went through asking, “What can I learn from this book?”

When a new pastor or staff member comes to our church there are two kinds of responses. Some will look to discover what’s wrong with them. Others will look to discover how God has gifted them and what they contribute to our body.

When a new person walks in the door of our church, you can focus on what’s wrong with them or you can focus on what’s right with them.

When we implement a change in our ministry, there are two ways to respond. Some people make it their responsibility to identify what’s wrong with the plan. Others are excited to discover the new benefits and opportunities that change offers us as a church.

People who tend to find fault often act like they have helped everybody out by uncovering a faulty program, a faulty person, a faulty pastor, or a faulty plan. But you know what the truth is? You can always find something wrong with anything—any program, any person, any pastor, any plan. But if “finding out what’s wrong” is the focus of your approach, then you cheat yourself and everyone else out of the opportunity to learn and grow and benefit from what God has brought into your life or into your church.

Are you one that always tends to search for “what’s wrong with it?”

If you are, then stop it! Stop judging!

Thank God for people who can see the potential pitfalls in a plan. Discernment is a helpful skill and a positive contribution. Good judgment is a valuable quality. But some people miss the distinction between discernment and condemnation. They elevate fault finding to a ministry—as if they were doing the church a favor, or doing society a favor, or doing their spouse a favor—by making it their goal to find out what’s wrong.

It’s very legit to ask questions like, “Can we do this?” “Should we do it?” “How will we do it?” or “What problems need to be solved in order to do it?” But all that is different than searching for faults and focusing on weaknesses, intentionally championing problems instead of solutions. One is the gift of discernment, good judgment. The other is the bane of condemnation, the kind of judgment that Jesus says does not belong in the church and does not belong in our lives.

¹ Copyright © 2004 by Lewis B. Bell III. This is the edited manuscript of Lesson 1 in the Kingdom Relationships series delivered by Chip Bell at Fellowship Bible Church Arapaho in Dallas, TX on October 17, 2004. Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with credit.

Matthew 7:12¹

Introduction

As you probably remember, this Tuesday is Election Day. People all over the country will be going to the polls to select the next President of the United States.

Some will be voting for John Kerry, some for Ralph Nader, some for George Bush, and there will probably also be some write-in candidates. So with that in mind, I thought that it might be a good idea to review the

Top Signs Your Presidential Candidate May be Under-qualified

9. Promises to improve foreign relations with Hawaii.

8. Runs a series of attack ads against Martin Sheen's character on "The West Wing."

7. His #1 choice to work on his cabinet is "that Bob Villa guy."

6. Outstanding record as President of his lodge is nullified by the fact that no one really cares.

5. Anybody mentions Washington, he asks, "The state or the DC thingie?"

4. At the debates, he answers every question with a snarled, "You wanna wrestle?!?"

3. Vows to put an end to the war in Pokemon and free the Pikachu refugees once and for all.

2. Says the Pledge of Allegiance as quickly as possible, then shouts, "I win!"

1. On the very first question of the debate, he attempts to use a Lifeline.

We want to have our country in the hands of capable leadership, so remember to vote on Tuesday. Please.

OK, now that I’ve got that out of my system, in all seriousness, I’d like to encourage you to vote this Tuesday. The Bible says that God will place in the presidency the man He has chosen. Daniel 5:21 says, “The Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and he sets over them anyone he wishes.” However, in this country, God has also given us the privilege of participating in the process of choosing our leaders. In our country, we are not only citizens, we are also rulers. And, like all rulers, God wants us to acknowledge his sovereignty and to rule wisely and justly. So this Tuesday is your chance to rule well and you can do that by acknowledging His sovereignty over our election and by voting as God leads you.

With that in mind, I’d like us to take a moment to pray for our nation and for the outcome of the election this week.

Series: Living With Difficult People

For the last couple of weeks, we’ve been talking about living with difficult people. And we all know that some people are more difficult to get along with than others:

[clip from “Planes, Trains…”, Owen]

See what I mean? Some people truly are more difficult to get along with than others. Jesus had something to say about living with difficult people. His words on the subject are found in Matthew 7, part of the Sermon on the Mount.

We’ve set aside three weeks to examine three biblical principles—three secrets for successfully living with difficult people. The first thing Jesus told us about getting along with each other is that we need to guard our thoughts.

1. Guarding My Thoughts.

It’s easy to judge each other hastily, to assign motives, and to focus on everything we don’t like about another person.

But when we judge hastily like that, the Bible says that we create an environment of unfair criticism and that we’re very likely to experience unfair criticism directed back at us. Sometimes we judge each other before we’ve had a chance to examine our own hearts and to deal with any sin in our life that could be warping our perception of other people’s faults. There is a place for making judgments—for discernment and discretion. That requires evaluating other people. But those judgments must be made carefully, looking at our own sin, giving other people the benefit of the doubt, asking questions, focusing on their actions, and exercising grace. The judging that is condemning, hasty, that makes generalizations about a whole group, that is based on gossip, assumptions or appearances, and that tries to divine someone’s motives or read their mind—those kinds of condemning judgments have no place in our relationships. And Jesus tells us to stop it. To get along with other people—even difficult people—we need to guard our thoughts and not allow ourselves to make inappropriate judgments.

2. Fulfilling My Desires.

Last week we talked about the second principle. We all have desires and sometimes when other people get in the way of our desires, we find it difficult to live with them. So in order to get along with each other, we need to give our desires to God. The Bible tells us to ask, seek, and knock. Pray. Tell God what you want and He will give it to you. But the Bible also tells us that God gives us good gifts. So what that means is that sometimes God will not answer our prayers the way we want Him to, because He wants to give us the very best—and very often that is not what we are asking Him for. So when we want something, instead of fighting with each other to fulfill our desires, we should simply ask God for what we want and then trust that He will do what is good. Other people, even difficult people, can’t stand in the way of God giving us what we should have and what He wants to give us.

Today we come to the third and final principle about getting along with difficult people.

3. Planning My Actions.

If we want to live in harmony with each other, then we need to plan our actions. We need to think carefully about how we should treat each other and we should make a plan for how we want to act towards each other. Basically, Jesus says, that when you sit down to write an action plan for dealing with difficult people, you really only need to ask yourself one simple question:

How Would YOU Like It?

In other words, if it was you and somebody else was writing up an action plan for how to treat you, what would you like? How would you like to be treated? What would you like other people to do for you? What would you prefer? The best way to get along with difficult people is to treat them just as you would like to be treated. How would you like it?

In verse 12, Jesus sums up all three principles here in just one simple phrase. In fact, he sums up everything he’s taught in this sermon in one simple phrase. In fact, he sums up everything God wants us to do in this one simple phrase. Almost everyone has heard this phrase—even people who have never once been to church. It’s a principle that has shaped human relationships for centuries. It is short and simple, but incredibly profound. We call it:

“The Golden Rule”

Matthew 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Similar sayings had actually been around for years before Jesus said this. But they were all stated negatively, like, “What is hateful to do—don’t do to someone else”. Jesus is the first one to say it positively. So it’s more than just refraining from doing something evil against someone else. It’s actually taking deliberate steps to do something positive to them.

You might have also heard this expression as, “Do to others before they do unto you.” And of course, that’s not what Jesus is saying here. But there’s another way this phrase is mistaken—which is a little more subtle. Jesus is also not saying that you should do something nice for others so that they will return the favor and do something nice back to you. In fact, the order of the words is actually different than it is in English: “What you want others to do to you, do that to them.”

So let’s take a look at each part of this verse and talk about what it means. The very first step in implementing this principle from Jesus is to

Think about what you would like.

Matthew 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

You must begin with self-examination. Don’t start with the other person. Start with yourself. What do you like? What would you like? I don’t mean “What do you want?” I mean, put your self in their shoes. If it was you in their position, then what would you want? How would you like it? That’s what you should plan to do for others.

Please notice something important here. This doesn’t mean that you become a doormat. It doesn’t mean that you cease to have an opinion and just do whatever everybody else wants you to do. For example, you’re not supposed to end up like this:

[clip from “Coming to America”, Whatever You Like!]

This “golden rule” doesn’t mean that you lose yourself in the desires of other people. In fact, look at the words closely. It actually means the opposite! First, get in touch with your own desires. Figure out what you would want and then make your plan according to your own wishes, your own desires, your own needs, your own longings, and your own hopes. If it was just the way you wanted it to be, what would it look like? You don’t lose yourself. You begin with yourself.

I find it really interesting that the Golden Rule begins with self. I think there’s a reason for that. God knows that the one thing that we are all really, really good at is watching out for ourselves. In fact, we’re born that way. We don’t need to read books or take classes or get personal coaching. We just naturally know how to take care of number one! And as we grow older, we become even more skilled at looking out for number one and identifying our own needs and desires.

So God gives us an assignment that we can all relate to. He starts off with a question that every one of us has a natural talent for answering: “What would you want? How would you like it? What would be your ideal scenario? What would be your perfect outcome?”

Once you have that idea firmly in hand, now it’s time to move on to the next step:

Do that to others.

Matthew 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Whatever it is that you would want to see other people do for you if it was you in that situation or in that predicament or if it was you who had that need—that’s what Jesus wants you to do for them.

Start with yourself. Project yourself into the other person’s need. Ask yourself what it is you would want. And then do that for the other person.

See how deliberate that is? That’s why I say that if we want to get along with each other, we need to plan our actions. We need to think about how we should be treating each other. It isn’t just trying to keep from hurting each other or trying to avoid sinning against each other. What Jesus actually means is that we need to actively plan to treat each other great—just the way we would choose to be treated ourselves.

You know, that brings up one important exception to the Golden Rule. Here it is. Not everybody likes the same treatment. So as we’re thinking about how we would like to be treated, sometimes we have to make adjustments and ask ourselves, “If we were that other person, what would we want?”

E.g., kissing my father-in-law.

Julie and surprise parties, staying up late or getting up real early.

Maybe you’ve heard of the concept of “Love Language”. The idea is that everyone doesn’t share the same idea of what feels like a loving thing to do. So when we’re trying to “do unto others”, we also have to think about not just what we would want, but what we would want if we were them.

Well, really, that’s it. That’s the whole principle. That’s the phrase that sums up all of Jesus’ ethical teaching in a nutshell. This is the summary of the “kingdom righteousness” that Jesus tells us to pursue as a priority. In fact, Jesus says that this one principle actually is the law.

That is God’s law.

Matthew 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Literally, the phrase is, “this IS the Law and the Prophets”. The Law and the Prophets was an expression that meant the whole Old Testament—everything that God had taught them up to that point. Jesus says, that this “Golden Rule” is, or is a summary of, everything God wants us to do.

He’s probably thinking back to Lev 19:18 which says,

Leviticus 19:18 Love your neighbor as yourself.

Here in the Old Testament law was the seed of the Golden Rule. Notice that it has the same idea. You need to begin with loving yourself—something we all have at birth as a natural ability. Now treat your neighbor as well as you would treat yourself.

This brings up an important point, because although I believe we all are born with the natural ability to love ourselves, in some people that natural ability has been destroyed. Some people have been so hated or so abused or so mistreated that they don’t love themselves and don’t believe that anyone does love them or anyone could love them. When that happens, do you know what that means? It means that you will also have trouble loving other people.

There is a type of self-love which is inappropriate, arrogant, and self-centered. But God made us to be loved by him, to be loved by each other and to be loved by ourselves. There is also an appropriate type of self-love which recognizes that I am God’s beloved. I am his special creation. And if God loves me, then I must be lovable and it is appropriate to love myself and recognize that I am loved and lovely. That doesn’t mean that everything about me is lovely. It means that as someone made in God’s image and as someone who is the object of his love, I am valuable. If I don’t recognize that and appreciate that about myself, then I’m going to have a very difficult time recognizing that and appreciating that in other people.

If you’re going to love your neighbor as yourself, then you need to love yourself—or otherwise your neighbor’s not going to be very loved either.

If you are someone who finds it difficult or impossible to love yourself, then I’d like to encourage you to meditate on everything that Jesus has done for you. He loves you so much he gave his own life so that he could live with you forever. Think about the love that God demonstrated in planning you, making you, choosing you, chasing you, finding you, wooing you, winning you, forgiving you, guiding you, comforting you, helping you, protecting you, and providing for you. He loves you. And he wants you to love yourself so that you’re equipped to love others.

Let’s go back to this idea about the Golden Rule summarizing everything God wants for us in our relationships with each other. There was another time in Jesus’ life when someone asked him point blank what was the most important thing that God wanted us to do. Here’s what he said:

Matthew 22:35-40 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: [36] "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

[37] Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' [38] This is the first and greatest commandment.

[39] And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' [40] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Once again quoting from Leviticus 19, Jesus said that everything God had revealed to mankind hung from these two commands: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Do you think that this simple phrase might be important to God?

Paul describes the same thing in

Romans 13:8-10 He who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law. [9] The commandments…are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

[10] Love…is the fulfillment of the law.

Conclusion

How Would You Like It?

Do you want to know what God wants you to do with your life? or for that matter, what he wants you to do with this afternoon? Love your neighbor as yourself. That’s it. And that means you need to begin by thinking about how you would like to be treated and then finish by making a specific action plan to treat others the same way. If we want to get along with difficult people, then we need to plan our actions to reflect the way that we would want to be treated. Let me show you what I mean:

[clip from “Planes, Trains…”, Just come on in.]

[kids sing, “Treat others like you wanna be treated.”]

On the way out, we’d like to take an offering for our Love Fund which is used to help people that have significant financial needs. If you’d like to be a part of that, the ushers are going to be at the back door.

¹ Copyright © 2004 by Lewis B. Bell III. This is the edited manuscript of Lesson 3 in the Kingdom Relationships series delivered by Chip Bell at Fellowship Bible Church Arapaho in Dallas, TX on October 31, 2004. Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with credit.