Today, on our way to passion week, we continue in our 4-part teaching series called “The Tough Sayings of Jesus.”

Throughout this series we want to navigate our way through some of Jesus’ most challenging declarations- yes, the uncomfortable ones too. Jesus wasn’t trying to create likes and follows on his social media account when he said controversial or uncomfortable things. He was communicating truth, guidance and direction for his followers.

Our goal is not to somehow transform these texts into something easier to swallow. They were challenging 2000 years ago when Jesus said them, and they will always be that way, long after this series.

Today we focus on "You Can’t Serve God and Money".

-As much as we want to be generous and be a blessing to others, many of us have have this other part of us that is so afraid of 'not having enough.'
-For many of us, that fear is real. There is this creeping anxiety: I’m not enough, there won’t be enough.
-That is where greed is born. Beneath the surface, in the places of our lives where others may never see, it keeps us from being generous.

-Jesus is making an important connection - a connection between your stuff and your heart.
-Our heart, our passion, our focus, and our pursuit is directly linked to what we treasure.
-The reason Jesus tells us we cannot serve two masters – God and money – is that we are liable to fall into the trap of thinking that we can.

Jesus said you cannot serve God and serve money.

It begs the question: what does it look like to serve money?

“A ruthless self–seeking and an arrogant assumption that others and things exist for one’s own benefit.” John Ritenbaugh

"An accursed love of having which will pursue its own interests with complete disregard for the rights of others, and even for the considerations of common humanity.” William Barclay

"He is not poor who doesn’t have much, but who wants much". Tomas Fuller

One specific way we guard against greed in our hearts and our minds is by being generous.

There is not a better way to counter-act the attachment to material things than to give what we have away.

Specifically, when I give to the Lord, I am making three important statements.
1. A statement of gratitude
Greed focuses on what I don't have, what I lack, or what I still need. But generosity is a statement of gratitude to God for all I do have and all He has provided.
2. Statement of priority
My giving is an indication of what I value. When I give, I am making a commitment that God is the priority. He is Lord!
3. Statement of faith
When I give, I am making a declaration of faith: Lord I trust in you, and not in my stuff.

Verses for further study/reflection:
Proverbs 28:25
Hebrews 13:5
Proverbs 15:27
1 John 2:16
Luke 12:13-15