THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
THE FOCUS OF THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST
Matthew 6:22–24 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
INTRODUCTION: LAST WEEK WE LOOKED AT THE FIRST PART OF THIS SECTION OF THE LORD’S PRAYER. THIS WEEK, IN OUR TIME TOGETHER, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO WHAT WE BEGAN LAST WEEK AND THEN MOVE A LITTLE FURTHER ALONG.
I. LAST WEEK REVIEW
a. PRIORITY WITH OUR TREASURE
i. THIE IS A FIRST BASE ISSUE – IF WE DO NOT GET THE ISSUE OF PRIORITY RIGHT WITH OUR TREASURE WE CANNOT HOPE TO MOVE FORWARD IN THIS AREA OF TREASURE
ii. THE ISSUE IS WHAT IS OUR RELATIONSHIP TO OUR TREASURE
b. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TREASURE WHAT DO WE MEAN
i. TREASURE IS WEALTH
ii. WEALTH IS NOT CONDEMNED IN THE BIBLE
iii. THE WISE USE OF WEALTH IS COMMENDED IN THE WORD OF GOD
c. DEFINING TREASURE
i. SOMETHING PRECIUS
ii. MORE THAN MONEY OR MATERIAL POSSESSIONS
iii. WHAT WE FIXATE ON
1. STRIVE TO ATTAIN
2. DREAD LOSING
3. BLESSED IF WE HAVE IT
4. MISERABLE IF WE DON’T
d. WHERE WE STORE OUR TREASURE IS IMPORTANT
i. DOWN HERE, IT RUSTS, DECAYS AND LOSES ITS LUSTER LEADING TO SEEKING NEW TREASURE
ii. WE CAN STORE OUR TREASURE IN HEAVEN
1. STARTS WITH AN ATTITUDE CHANGE – WHY DO I HAVE WHAT I HAVE? TO HOARD OR USE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD
e. OUR HEART WILL SHADOW OUR TREASURE
II. FOCUSING OUR VISION
a. WHAT WE CHOOSE TO SET OUR SIGHT ON IS EITHER GOOD OR BAD
b. THIS IS REALLY A SIMPLE ILLUSTRATION
i. WINDOWS BY THEIR NATURE LET LIGHT IN – THAT IS THEIR JOB
ii. THE COLOR AND THE STATE OF THE WINDOW DETERMINE HOW, HOW MUCH , AND WHAT TYPE OF LIGHT GETS THROUGH
iii. IF A WINDOW IS CLEAR, CLEAN AND UNDISTORTED THEN THE LIGHT WILL COM THROUGH AND FLOOD THE ROOM.
iv. IF THE WINDOW IS COLORED. DISTORTED, FROSTED OR COLORED, THE AMOUNT, AND KIND OF LIGHT ARE AFFECTED!
c. THE LIGHT THAT GETS IN HAS A POSITIVE OF NEGATIVE AFFECT ON US.
d. WHEN WE PUT THESE VERSES IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR PREVIOUS MESSAGE
i. CHRIST IS SPEAKING ABOUT HOW WE EVALUATE OUR TREASURE
e. PROPER SPIRITUAL VISION REQUIRES US TO SEE CLEARLY WHAT GOD WANTS US TO DO, AND SEE THE WORLD FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW
i. DO WE SEE A DARK WORLD
ii. DO WE SEE THE WRONG MASTER
iii. DO WE SEE OUR WORLD THROUGH THE LENS OF GOD OR THE LENS OF MAMMON
THE ROOT QUEST IS WHETHER OUR EYE ARE ON GOD OR NOT. WHAT OUR EYE SEES, OUR HEART EMBRACES
IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, THE “EYE” DENOTED THE DIRECTION OF A PERSON’S LIFE. JUST AS OUR TEXT LAST WEEK ENCOURAGED US TO LOOK AT OUR PRIORITIES, SO THIS WEEK WE ARE ENCOURAGED TO DIRECT OUR PRIORITIES TOWARDS GOD.
III. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE OUR EYE ON JESUS
a. YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THE TEXT SAYS EYE, NOT EYES!
b. IN REALITY OUR FREEDOM OF CHOICE IS LIMITED TO ONE FUNDAMENTAL DECISION.
i. WHO IS OUR MASTER
ii. EVERYTHING ELSE IS A CONSEQUENCE OF OUR CHOICE
c. GOD WANTS OUR HEART
i. OUR HEART CONTROLS OUR ACTIONS
ii. WHEN GOD HAS OUR HEART, OUR ACTIONS ARE CONTROLLED BY HIM
d. GOOD AND BAD, LIGHT AND DARKNESS, GOD OR MAMMON
i. WE ARE ALWAYS LEFT WITH A CHOICE
e. IF GOD HAS OUR HEART THEN OUR TREASURE IS OUR SERVANT, NOT OUR VISION
i. WE LOOK TO GOD REGARDING HOW WE USE THE TREASURE HE HAS GIVEN US
ii. IF OUR HEART DOES NOT BELONG TO GOD, TAND OUR TREASURE IS OUR VISION, WE ARE LOOKING TO WHAT WE HAVE TO SATISFY US INSTEAD OF GOD
f. JESUS GIVES US TWO WAYS OF SEEING
i. A SINGLE EYE SEES THINGS PROPERLY, EVALUATES THINGS PROPERLY, AND PUTS FAR GREATER VALUE ON THE TREASURE OF HEAVEN THAN THE TREASURE OF EARTH
ii. THE EVIL OR DARK EYE DRAWS THE OPPOSITE CONCLUSION; SEEING GREATER VALUE IN WHAT THEY HAVE ON EARTH AND LITTLE VALUE TO WHAT THEY HAVE IN HEAVEN.
IV. THE BENEFIT OF A SINGLE EYE
a. NO MATTER HOW MANY GOOD THINGS WE DO, IF JESUS DOES NOT HAVE OUR HEART – IF OUR FOCUS AND DESIRE ARE NOT ON HIM, HE DOES NOT HAVE US
b. THE LORD ADDRESSED THIS PROBLEM IN Matthew 15:8 ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
SATAN IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO TRIP US UP. One of the reasons a tribe of lions on an African plain will walk along the herds of animals is to keep the herds moving. When the animals are grazing and still, it is difficult to see those animals that are weak or injured. When the herds are running, it is much easier to see the lame, the sick, or the young which are prime targets for attack.
SATAN IS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO GET OUR EYE OFF OF GOD – OUR FOCUS OFF OF JESUS. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WE BECOME SUSCEPTIBLE TO HIS ATTACK.
c. WHEN OUR EYE IS SINGLE – OUR FOCUS IS CLEAR, THEN WE CAN DO WHAT PLEASES HIM
HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THIS ABOUT A GOOD PAIR OF BINOCULARS? ONE OF THE LENSES HAS A MEANS OF FOCUS. NORMALLY IT IS THE LEFT LENS. HERE IS THE REASON – WE ARE TO TAKE THE BINOCULARS AND BRING THE RIGHT EYE INTO FOCUS USING THE CENTER ADJUSTMENT AND THEN USE THE DIAL ON THE LENS TO BRING THE LEFT LENS INTO FOCUS WITH THE RIGHT LENS. OTHERWISE, WHAT WE SEE IS DISTORTED.
i. “SINGLENESS” IS SEEN AND REPRESENTS SOMETHING THAT IS GOOD
1. Colossians 3:22—Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
2. Ephesians 6:5—Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
3. Acts 2:46—And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
d. IF GOD HAS OUR HEART AND OUR SINGLENESS, WE CAN ONLY SEE THINGS ONE WAY
i. WE SEE PEOPLE THE WAY GOD WANTS US TO SEE THEM
ii. WE ARE ABLE TO DISCERN GOOD FROM EVIL. ALL HAT GLITTERS AND CATCHES THE EYE IS NOT GOLD
V. WHY IS HAVING A SINGLE FOCUS SO IMPORTANT?
a. BEING DOUBLE IN THE BIBLE IS ASSOCIATED WITH SOMETHING THAT IS IMPURE, DEFECTIVE, FALSE, AND CORRUPT. WE MIGHT EVEN SAY IT IS OUT OF FOCUS WITH GOD
i. James 1:8—A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
ii. James 4:8—Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
iii. 1 Timothy 3:8—Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
iv. Psalm 12:2—They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
b. WHEN WE ARE NOT SEEING SINGLE AND WE ARE SEEING DOUBLE
i. WE ARE NOT SEEING CLEARLY
ii. WE ARE NOT FOCUSED ON GOD
iii. OUR THOUGHTS, HEARTS, AND WORDS ARE AT RISK OF DRAWING US AWAY FROM GOD
VI. THE THOUGHTS OF CHRIST ON SERVICE
a. YOU CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS
i. CAN’T GO TWO WAYS
ii. CAN’T BE FOR AND AGAINST THE SAME THING AT THE SAME TIME
b. TRYING TO SERVE TWO AT THE SAME TIME CONFUSES LOVE AND LOYALTY
i. CAN’T LOVE ONE AN STILL BE LOYAL TO THE OTHER
c. FINAL CONCLUSION IS THAT WE CANNOT LOVE BOTH GOD AND OUR EARTHLY TREASURE
i. WE CANNOT BE WORLDLY AND SPIRITUAL AT THE SAME TIME
ii. WE CANNOT BE POPULAR WITH THE UNGODLY AND WITH GOD AT THE SAME TIME
iii. WE CANNOT HAVE AFFECTION FOR EARTHLY THINGS AND HAVE AFFECTION FOR HEAVENLY MATTERS
SO ASK YOURSELF TODAY:
WHERE IS YOUR FOCUS? ON GOD, SOMETHING ELSE, OR ARE YOU STRADDLING THE FENCE?
WHO IS YOUR MASTER TODAY? JUST AS A MASTER HAS TOTAL CONTROL OVER THE SLAVE, GOD WANTS TOTAL CONTROL OF US
IS THE TREASURE GOD HAS GIVEN YOU YOUR SERVANT FOR HIS USE, OR YOUR VISION FOR YOUR LIFE?
