If Money Had Lips

TEXT: Luke 18:18-30, 19:1-10

INTRODUCTION: When we take a hard look at scripture and its teachings on money and possessions we will soon realize that it is an important subject to God. There are approximately 31,000 verses of scripture in the Bible and approximately 2,300 of them deals with money and possessions. Why is money and possessions and how we use them important to God? Lets look and see.

I. MONEY SPEAKS OF WHAT WE VALUE(LUKE 18:18-30)VALUE is defined as:The desirability or worth of a thing. In Matthew 6:21 Jesus tells us “where our treasure is there our heart will be also.” What He is simply saying is this; we treasure what we value and we value what we desire. When we look at the story of the rich ruler we see that he thought he valued eternal life but in reality his desire was for money and possessions. In this story Jesus is telling us several things:

1. God is seeking people who desire Him, who value Him above everything else in life.

2. The only way we can enter Gods kingdom is Jesus, therefore we must value, desire and treasure Him above all else.

3. We must reduce the value of the money god before we can increase the value of the true God.

4. We must dethrone all other gods before we can enthrone the one true God.

This brings us to a very important question: How can we know which god is on the throne of our life? Ask yourself, which god do I bow down to? To put it in simple terms, what do I do for money and possessions verses what I do for God. You see, the god we serve in this temporal world determines the god we have for eternity.

II. MONEY SPEAKS OF WHAT WE LACK (VS.22)What was it that this man lacked? In revue of the text we quickly see that what he lacked was a right sense of value. He valued most in his life what Luke 16:10-12 states as the least trust given to man; money and possessions. He valued his money and possessions above people and eternal life. Look at what he said, “I have kept all the commandment”. The reality was he had only kept those commandments which required nothing from him. This why Jesus said he still lacked, what he lacked was the one thing that is the direct result of being born again, the ability to “love others as oneself”. Because he held on to the least (money and possessions) he had denied the greatest (Jesus and others). Like many today he failed to see that Gods purpose in providing him with much was so he could us it not only for himself but also for the greater good of Gods kingdom and for others.

III. MONEY SPEAKS OF THE TRUE CONDITION OF OUR HEARTS. (LUKE 19:1-10) Not only does money speak of what we value, not only does money speak of what we lack; money also speaks of the true condition of our heart. Let’s look at the situation and those involved in Luke 19:1-10. Jesus was on His way to Jericho, the crowds followed when a blind man cries out to Him for his sight. Not only does Jesus heal his physical blindness. He also heals his spiritual blindness. As a result of his spiritual blindness being healed the scripture says “he immediately followed and glorified God”. Word of all this had gotten to town and Zaccheaus’s curiosity had apparently gotten the best of him, so he climbs a tree to “see who Jesus was”. Keep in mind who Zaccheaus was. He was a liar, a cheat, and a thief; viewed as a traitor to the Jewish faith, hated by all, and cut off from the opportunity to worship in the temple. Here he was in the top of a tree and to his amazement Jesus met him exactly where he was. Jesus went into Zaccheaus’s house and Zaccheaus came out a changed (saved) man. He went in as a liar, a cheat and a thief, not caring about anyone or anything but himself and his possessions and he came out a changed man with a heart for others and willing to make things right. Then in verse 9 Jesus makes a startling statement; He reveals that Zaccheaus’s willingness to repent and use his wealth for good and others was proof of the true condition of his heart.

CLOSE: In Luke 18 Jesus revealed that although it is hard for the rich to be saved it is not impossible. In a country like the United States where even the poorest of people are among the riches in the world that fact should give all reason for hope. Jesus came to seek and to save, therefore the question for you today is this; Am I saved or lost? Ask yourself, “If money had lips what story would it tell about me?”

C.S. Lewis once said “He who has God and everything has no more than he who has God alone.”