62. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - Why not Transfer Camps?

How does a good steward keep a balance between love for God and the necessity of money? It boils down to this simple command:

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

Like all things, money was created primarily for building the Kingdom of God. He planned, through the Holy Spirit, to control His Kingdom by directing His saints to function properly in their individual gifts. “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully,” (Romans 12:6-8).

If all Christians focused on their gift, obeyed God, and followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom would run without a hiccup. God would use those with the gift of giving to care for those doing other jobs. This doesn’t happen because Mammon, pride, and hunger for power have a firm hold on many of us.

Therefore, each Christian should ask himself: “How much time and money do I need for myself, and how much can I give away?” We spend too much time on ourselves and our need for pleasure, such as watching television. If even our family life takes too much time that belongs to Kingdom activities, it is not pleasing to God. (Luke 14:26)

Our lives should be in balance, but our basic purpose should be obeying the Lord rather than satisfying Mammon’s demands. Money and the things it can buy should be a means to an end but not the goal. Our goal should be to worship the Lord, preach the Gospel, help and encourage others, and teach God’s people. We should use our money to accomplish these goals. A pastor once said that if you give, you dishonour Mammon and honour God; but if you gather things, you honour Mammon and dishonour God.

God does not always work through money. He works primarily through provision, and this usually happens miraculously. For example, my car’s tyres have lasted longer than usual, and somehow we’ve paid the bills this month even though my budget showed that we would make only half the month. For years, the Lord has provided for us in His wonderful, exciting way. We often want to have the money in our pockets before we believe. We want to lean over the side of the boat to feel whether the water has hardened before we get out, but God wants us to step onto the water by faith. Sometimes we must spend or give away our money before the Lord provides more.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (Romans 12:1-5)

The passage about our gifts follows this. It says it all. I pray that the Holy Spirit will open our eyes so we see our own condition the way the Lord sees it, because I don’t find much of this attitude among Christians.

Whether we are rich, average, or poor, let us love and worship God by trusting Him, not Mammon, for our provision.

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