INTRODUCTION
In the 1960’s there was a very popular game show on television... entitled “Let’s Make A Deal!”, with Monty Hall the idea for the show involved contestants trying to win what was behind one of three doors. Typically there was a really nice prize (ie. a car; vacation) behind one of the doors and a not-so-nice prize (ie. a goat; a stick of butter) behind the other two. After selecting a door, Monty would then proceed to open one of the doors and the contestant would either jump for joy or walk off the stage with a poker face. This game involved a lot of expectation from both the contestants and the audience. That was a game show, whether or not you win or lose—it was just a game. What about real life?
SATAN OFFERS YOU A DEAL...
In our everyday life Satan loves to play a game with you too, however the stakes are much higher. He will offer you immediate pleasures and rewards. In this game of his, he will offer to you the lusts of the flesh (immorality), the lusts of the eyes (materialism), and the pride of life (self-glorification). He requires virtually no effort or self-discipline on your part, he looks you in the face and tells you, “If it feels good, do it!” and “If it looks good, take it!” and “If it sounds good, go for it!” one of Satan’s tricks is to paint a fantastic picture of what your life could be like if you make a deal with him. He offers you a spiritual scratch off lottery ticket, and urges you to scratch the ticket and see what you get. The Bible refers to this deal as “the passing pleasures of sin” - cf. He 11:25. This is what the devil has to offer all wrapped up in a great big bow.
He offers you sin, sin, and more sin! And make no mistake, sin is truly pleasurable or people would not be so addicted to it. But when Satan makes these offers to you he neglects to tell you that the pleasure you will receive is only temporary, and the addiction derived from the sin is permanent. He exaggerates the pleasures of sin while minimizing the true nature and outcome of sin. He is a master marketing agent; he knows just how to package sin in order to make it look more appealing so our first reaction is to look; to admire; to want; and to take. Satan offers a fake sense of enjoyment and accomplishent—what he offers can be compared to a bad hangover.
Some of you might be able to remember, those days when you used party, party, party, but when the morning came it was “whoa as me” and “I’ll never touch another drink for the rest my life”. Someone else had to tell you that you had a good time last night because you can’t remember what happened last night. The morning after you had a terrible hangover. But when the headache faded away it was back to business as usual. Well what the devil is actually offering (but he won’t tell you) is a permanent headache, a permanent hangover. And so he constantly whispers to those foolish enough to listen, “Let’s make a deal”.
WHERE ARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Let me ask you, what do you think about? Are your thoughts on earth or on heaven? Is your mind on earthly things or on God? Well, what are you seeking? Are you seeking the things of earth or the things of heaven? Where is your heart? Unless you live there, I pray you didn’t leave in San Francisco. Is your heart focused on earth or focused on heaven?
In America today, we can see that there are many people entrapped with the love of money, possessions, and material things. In capitalism money is tied to success of almost everything.
Financial problems ruin personal relationships, marriages, and cause problems bringing up a family. Due to America’s love of money, the Bible doesn’t say money is the root of all evil — rather, it is the love of money that it warns against. The corporate giants are all too aware of this love affair wth money.
This is why now days you can now purchase smart phones, tablets and televisions. This is why you can purchase a vehicle that can park its own self because the devil deals with supply and demand. Sadly, there are many people, smart people, who have centered their entire life around their homes, furnishings, cars, lands, buildings, and last but not least stocks and the stock market.
Their goal is to acquire security and wealth, but what they do not realize and the devil doesn’t want them to know is there is absolutely nothing on this earth that is truly secure and lasting. Everything including our own bodies is aging, decaying, and just wasting away. It is all corruptible and temporal. But the devil still whispers, “Let’s make a deal”.
WHY SOME TAKE HIS OFFER
In America, and all over the world for that matter, there are millions upon millions of people, smart people, accepting his offer. Why? It is extremely easy to covet earthly things rather than heavenly things. Earthly things can be seen and handled, earthly things are present, ever before us, and if you have the financial means you can have it right now! If you have good credit it’s yours already! Did you ever stop to think that this nation we live in is based primary on instant gratification. We become so busy until we pass up our mission on our way to mission. Because we want results the demand for instant results is seeping into every corner of our lives, and not just virtually.
Retailers are jumping into same-day delivery services. Smart phone apps eliminate the wait for a cab, a date, or a table at a hot restaurant. Movies and TV shows begin streaming in seconds. But experts caution that instant gratification comes at a price: it’s making us less patient.
It places us right where the devil wants us, he hopes that our impatience will grow into impatience with God. When we become impatient with God, we lose our faith and trust in Him and this is exactly what the devil wants. There are some very smart people in the world, but the devil is smarter, he can even fool the very elect of God.
As smart as some people may be, and they are smart. They went to college, earned a degree or two. They have letters in front and in back of their names. Because they are smart, they “pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps” or daddy and momma pulled them up with their bootstraps. They are smart, smart as can be—but. They are not smart enough to comprehend that there is a seed of corruption and destruction within this world. They are not smart enough to realize that everything is imperfectly born and formed; it ages, dies, deteriorates, decays, and wastes away. They learned a lot in those colleges and universities but somehow the professor overlooked the lesson plan he or she should have given them. And all the while, the devil still whispers, “Let’s make a deal”.
WHAT GOD OFFERS YOU
However, God offers us something as well. He will give you future pleasures and rewards. He offers an eternity of bliss, which is far exceeding the pleasures and rewards of this life. Unlike Satan, He requires much effort and sacrifice on your part, such as faithful service. Such as resisting temptation and enduring persecution. The Bible refers to this offer as “eternal life in Christ Jesus” - cf. Ro 6:23
For sure, the promises of Satan last only a lifetime (if that long) but the promises of God last for eternity - cf. (1 Ti 4:8; Mk 10:28-30). Yet many people literally “sell their souls” to accept the deal Satan offers! They really do store up their treasures here on earth rather than heaven. While the devil keeps whispering “Let’s make a deal” I hear the Lord talking to us as well, He is instructing us “to suffer affliction with the people of God (rather) than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” He wants us to evaluated the “deals”, and He wants us to make the right choice!
CONCLUSION
Jesus Christ does not stop us from seeking treasure, contrariwise, He guides us to search for real treasure. Heaven is worth more than all the wealth in the world. “What profit a man if he gained the whole world, yet loses his soul?” (Mk. 8: 36). Question, have you accepted the deal made by Satan? The path of least resistance, the immediate pleasures of this life? Before you say no, let me remind you, if you have yet to obey the gospel then you have inadvertently or otherwise taken up his offer. There are many well-meaning people (including Christians) who have accepted the offer of Satan over God’s offer!
My purpose has not been to bestow feelings of guilt, but to remind us...that each day we are making choices we are choosing to serve either Satan (i.e., Satan) or God. Our heart is precisely where our treasure is, there is no getting around this truth. A simple but true concept, if my treasure is on earth it stands to reason my heart is on earth. It is impossible for my treasure to be on earth and my heart to be in heaven. In fact, I will tell anyone that my real home is not here on earth—my real home is in heaven.
We need to follow Paul’s advice, “So fix your eyes not on what is seen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4: 18). Jesus Christ warns us that a choice has to made between two kinds of masters. In the words of Joshua, “…if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24: 15).
God promises us (without making a deal) several great things to the believer who serves Him. He will give us all the necessities of life, freedom from anxiety, joy and contentment, a full abundant and eternal life. Wealth is sought after, and it is sought by many. A man can be snatched away from this earth as quickly as the twinkling of an eye. And everything that he worked so hard for on this earth can be gone immediately. In Luke 12: 16 – 21 there is the familiar story of the man who wanted to build bigger barns in order to store all the things he so proudly acquired for himself—he felt that all he had left to do was just to eat, drink, and be merry. He felt that all he had earned was due to his hard work; he gave absolutely no glory to God the One who allowed him to have what he had.
So many times I see people today who are blessed with what is called “the finer things of life” and they never even acknowledge the existence of God—they have inadvertently made a deal with the devil and for some strange reason they think they will live on forever. I know, when we are blessed financially, we can easily become arrogant and think that we are blessed because we are smarter, better, or just work harder than anyone else. In fact, this is part of the package that the devil offers, the pride of life. There is nothing wrong with having things, in fact the Lord wants you to have an abundant life. He doesn’t mind the beautiful homes, cars, etc.
But just like what the old folks used to say, “Make sure you know what side your bread is buttered” and then realize that you didn’t make the bread or the butter least you should boast. Where is your treasure? I hope it is somewhere in heaven. Amen.
