The True Discipleship Broadcast-1983-03 True Discipleship — William MacDonald

Matthew chapter 6 verses 19 through 34, and I think I'll read the passage Again, because that will give us a review. Matthew chapter 6 verse 19. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust.

Destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven Where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is There your heart will be also.

The lamp of the body is the eye if therefore your eye is good your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness.

How great is that darkness? No, man can serve two masters for either He will hate the one and love the other or else. He will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Therefore I say to you do not worry about your life what you will eat or what you will drink nor about your body what? You will put on is not life more than food and the body more than clothing. Look at the birds of the air for they neither show nor reap nor gather into barns yet Your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature. So why do you worry about clothing. Consider the lilies of the field how they grow they neither toil nor spin.

Yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothed the grass of the field which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven. Will he not much more clothed you?

Oh you of little faith therefore do not worry saying what shall we eat or What shall we drink or what shall we wear for after all these things the Gentiles seek? For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, but tomorrow will worry about its own things sufficient for the day.

Is its own trouble. What this passage teaches is that you and I should work hard. For our current needs and the needs of our family we have one. Put everything above that in the work of the Lord and Trust God for the future.

You see that's where the life of faith comes in trusting God. We all say well we live we walk by faith and not by sight. But I want to tell you if you can see it in a bank balance. You're not walking by faith.

Actually, if you just come to the Word of God and accept it literally. There's a terrific joy in it a perfect release of the spirit. It's really wonderful. When God performs that miracle in your life and releases the tension of the grasping hand.

Instinctively we feel that fulfillment lies in accumulation. Jesus says it lies in renunciation. I Can honestly tell you I've never enjoyed any money. I had in a savings bank account. But I've enjoyed it fabulously when I saw it go to work for the Lord.

When I saw it invested in soul I really enjoyed it then. Do not lay up for yourself. Say what our treasures on earth. Everybody has to decide in his own mind what this is really saying. What the Lord is really saying here is.

Don't be providing for your long-term. Distant future. Let me just say here. He's not talking about current needs in this passage of Scripture. Not talking about current needs. And I think I can show that to you before we finish.

He's talking about Bill McDonald thinking. Okay, bill now you can travel around among the assemblies and they minister to you and you're taking care. Well, what's going to happen to you when you're 85 and you're arthritic and you're rheumatic and you have a few other physical ailments.

And you're not able to move around. Who's going to take care of you then. Better start laying aside money. That's what he's talking about. I'd better start laying aside money for that dim indistinct future and he says don't do it and Before we get through I think I can explain to you why we shouldn't do it.

He's not talking about current needs. He's not talking about providing for your needs and the needs of your family today. So there you have it moth one nervous breakdown. Rust and nervous breakdown. That's the corrosion of metal and Thieves break in and steal.

How do you lay up treasure in heaven? By sending it on before. By investing in the things of God. By investing in the things of eternity. Possibly be tremendously poor on earth and tremendously rich in heaven.

Have tremendous treasures in heaven. As a sister here in the Oakland area and She has lived a life of sacrificial service for the Lord. She has supported missionaries more than people would ever know or ever believe.

And one day. She said to me I wouldn't. I Wouldn't swap my mail for anybody in the world. Meaning the letters she gets from missionaries telling you know of how gifts got there at the right time and in the right amount.

And how it was really ordained of the Lord that she should give it at that time. She said I wouldn't swap my mail for anybody else in the world. Her treasures are in heaven. She doesn't have very much on this earth.

There's another woman. She can't talk. She's got a stroke. She's completely incapacitated and when she was still. Well, I said she said to me one day the dentist tells me I should have Work done on my teeth, and she was an old woman then and I said you're gonna have it done.

She said I'm not going to put gold in my teeth to have it covered by a few shovelfuls of earth. She had a different way of investing her money. Now these people teach you tremendous lessons don't they.

And she has nothing today. But God has taken care of her she's never lacked she put it to work for the Lord while she could. It says for where your treasure is there will your heart be also. This is a tremendous insight.

When your treasure is there will your heart be also? If your treasure is on earth your hearts on earth if your treasures in heaven your hearts in heaven. That's really rather searching to me. I'm not sure that I want my heart to be in a safe deposit box at Wells Fargo.

You know, but that's what it says if that's where my treasure is. That's where my heart is and it's really true and our speech really is an indication of that what we talk about. The things we value it comes out in our speech.

Wonderful to meet somebody who's already living in heaven because all his treasure is there. Now you'd think when you come to verse 22 that Jesus has changed the subject wouldn't you start talking about the eye and about a lamp?

And all right, but it's the same subject. There's no change in thought at all. This is one of the intriguing Delights and studying the Word of God to see the continuity the flow of thought even when it seems to be disrupted.

Jesus is the lamp of the body is the eye if your eye is good. Your whole body will be full of life first of all from the physical standpoint the eye is The means by which light get in to your body. Now, I don't understand the mechanics of it but in some marvelous way the light comes through the lens and there must be a projection this machine back here and a and a Screen because the image has to be projected somewhere.

Well, I can't explain that but I know that it's true That the lamp of the body is the eye. He said if your eye is good that means on the physical plane if your eyes healthy Your whole being will be flooded with illumination.

In other words, you won't go stumbling along and falling into every ditch that comes along. You'll see where you're going on the physical plane, but the spiritual application is If your eye is good, that is if your eyes healthy if you're Laying up treasures in heaven not on earth Your whole body will be flooded with illumination.

You'll never lack the guidance of God. I believe that too. I Believe there are dividends that you clip When you lay up treasures in heaven not on earth. And one of the dividends is clarity of guidance and another is illumination in the Word of God.

I believe people who follow The Word of God literally like this see more in the Bible than other people do. I believe there are Passages in the Bible that can be blank to me if I'm refusing to obey the Word of God in these things.

Amazing, isn't it? What a teacher the Lord Jesus was what a master he was a teacher. If your eye is good, that is if your eyes help the healthy eye is The eye that's not Looking for security in this world, but seeking to lay up treasures in heaven.

And he said if that's your case Your body will be full of light that means your life Will be full of light. Spiritually, but he says if your eye is bad of the physical level that means if your eye is diseased or it's blind Says your whole body will be full of darkness.

Well, we know that so physically if you're blind you don't see but spiritually it means If I'm trying to live for two worlds if I'm trying to lay up treasures on earth and treasures in heaven at the same time.

That's a bad eye. It's an eye that doesn't Take literally the words of the Lord Jesus. It's a diseased eye and he says if your eye is bad Your whole body will be full of darkness. Well, I believe that I there is such a thing as spiritual darkness.

I go to the Word of God and It doesn't speak to me. I Pray the skies of breath. I can't seem to get clear guidance from the Lord. There's something in the way. Well, he says if your eyes bad, that's just what will happen.

And he says if the light that's in you is darkness. How great is that darkness and that says to me that if I if the Lord Jesus has spoken to me about this laying up treasures on earth. And I know that's what he said.

But I refuse it and I think well, you've got to be prudent. You've got to use common sense. Everybody's doing it and I have all these reasons why Jesus words don't mean what they say. How great is that dark?

He says that the darkness of a person who's known the light and rejected it is worse than a person Who's never known it? Do you believe that? Light rejected is light denied and It happened in the case of Israel.

Didn't it the judicial hardening that came upon the nation of Israel that happens with us as Christians. Too important thing in spiritual things is not your intelligence quotient. It's your obedience quotient that determines how Fast you'll grow and how well you'll do in the things of God.

Your obedience quotient how whether you have a heart to obey the Word of God. But I think the last part of verse 23 says that if I if God has given me light on this and I do not walk in that light. Then a greater darkness will Enveloped me and I've seen that I know a man and I visited him let's say 20 years ago and He's laying up treasures and there's no question about it.

Mr.. Goldbuck's he had some kind of spiritual lingo that he reeled off to me at that time. Something ostensibly he had just got fresh from the Word of God. I Met him 20 years later, and you know what he said exactly the same thing.

There had been no Progression there's been no growth in his life spiritually was still reeling off the same lingo. He had 20 years before I Think the light that was in him was darkness and how great is that darkness.

I hope that doesn't happen to us. I think that's a pathetic thing. Okay, verse 24 you think Jesus has surely changed the subject now talking about masses. No he hasn't. It's just like a diamond that he turns around and you see the truth from a different aspect or in a different prism.

There's no no one can serve two masters either. He will hate the one and love the other else. He will be loyal to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and mammon. And of course that's absolutely true.

It's true in a natural sense that some of you have worked in offices. It's not a good thing for instance to have a secretary working for two bosses. Is it bad thing? There has to be somebody in charge.

Because at five o 'clock those two men might want a letter out and they both might want it out immediately. And who's he going to do it for? He's got a pick. It's a case of divided loyalty and Jesus said that's true with people you can't live for money and wealth and material things and for Jesus at the same time.

You got to make a choice. He won't stand. For divided loyalty, I really appreciate your message today, and I know that this is a very controversial subject that you're dealing with.

Now I've been with you long enough to know that you cannot bring this subject up without stepping on some toes and I've heard a number of objections or Honest questions that people have in regard to this whole area of faith in God and not trusting in riches.

And it seems to me that it would be a profitable time to take some time right now to answer some of these questions. Now you mentioned that we cannot serve God and mammon or money. I Know that some are thinking well Why work at all I?

Should just sit around and read the Bible and trust God for my needs. What do you think about this whole area?

So I can see how you would um might draw that conclusion, but then you turn over to first and Second Thessalonians, you know and you read if any man won't work He won't eat. And the whole emphasis of the Word of God is that we should be earnest and diligent in our daily Work.

That work is a blessing from God and that he holds us responsible. To scratch around like that sparrow for the provision of our daily needs see the argument is from birds and flowers to human beings and God's tremendous care just because the logistics problem that God has.

The Pentagon thinks they have a logistics problem when an army moves that move moves out into battle. You know they have to keep the lines of communication supplies going. Think of God's problem with this world with all the birds.

The fish the men the animals the snakes the whole thing. And he provides for them, and I should worry. It provides for me, but he's given me hands. He's given me feet, and he expects me to use them for the provision of my daily needs.

But not to lay up a nest a nest egg for the future.

Well, I think there are various reasons why people set aside money as a nest egg. For instance there's the topic of health insurance. Oftentimes people are concerned that their health will wear out as they get older and They set aside money in case they do get sick.

What's your whole attitude towards?

Health insurance for yourself. I've just trusted God up until now about three or four years ago. I Started having a bleeding problem at night since the third night. It was so bad I knew my game was up that I had to do something about it, so I went to a doctor, and he said to me Do you have Medicare and I said I'm not old enough yet to have Medicare.

He said do you have health insurance, and I said no he said you better drop dead. Most comforting doctor I ever had. But the Lord provided and I Didn't even in that case. I didn't even have to go to the hospital because I didn't have all of that.

I didn't go to the hospital. When I get through my total bill was.

$250 which I didn't. Bill do you feel that if all the Christians put the money that they are now saving for the proverbial rainy day Into the work of the Lord that it would have an impact in world evangelism.

Well, just think what would happen. After all the Lord Jesus is concerned with world evangelism isn't he just think what would happen if the Christian Church today were to. Take Matthew 6 verses 19 through 34 and apply them literally.

But the world could be evangelized in our generation. No problem at all, but you see what we do is we take a passage of scripture like this and we say He couldn't mean that. He knows I have to live doesn't he.

Somebody said that to Spurgeon once I have to live don't I? Virgin said I don't grant that. We have to obey God. The Lord knew what he was talking about when he when he uttered these words. We think we know better and we are born men and died grocers.

That's a result, you know born men and died grocers. And we we scarcely rise above flesh and blood. And for all practical purposes there's very little difference between the average Christian and the average unsaved neighbor.

They're all living for the same thing. But that wasn't the way the Lord Jesus intended it to be.

Bill there's another question that I'm sure many of our listeners have and that's to do with the verse that's found in first Timothy chapter 5 and verse 8. It says if if anyone provide not for his own and especially those of his own house He has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel or an unbeliever.

In the context isn't it talking about bringing in your mother-in-law or something?

Well, I'm glad you brought that verse up. I think the context is more about widows in the assembly, isn't it? Yeah, well, I'm really awfully glad you brought that. Let's all turn to that because that verse had to come up sooner or later.

And I was waiting for it to come. Okay, a verse must be taken in its context. Go back to verse 3. Honor widows who are really widows. But if any widow has children or grandchildren. Let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents.

So this is good and acceptable before God. Now she who is really a widow and left alone trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives and these things command that they may be blameless.

Question. Is Paul talking about a pension fund for widows or is he talking about relieving their current necessities. Answer see the whole context. There is. Current necessities. They had a fund in the local church to take care of widows who were widows.

Indeed, and it was it was their present. It was their grocery bill a safe way today that the passage is talking about bill.

I know that that's just one of the verses that is used in this whole discussion on discipleship. I think there's another verse as well that people often bring up and that's in Philippians chapter 4 and verse 8.

Do you want to comment on that one?

Paul says I know how to be a base and I know how to abound and Here in the United States. We read that verse and we can see this abounding Christian with Vast estate and Two Cadillacs and all of the modern accoutrements and hot and cold folding doors and all the rest.

What they don't realize is that Paul was writing from prison and He said I know How to be a base and I know how to abound in prison. Well, that's a far cry from the materialism of the church in the 20th century.

Bill there's just one other verse I'd like to bring up before we end our broadcast today and that's found in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 14. 2nd Corinthians 12 14 Why don't you read it for us and then make comments on that?

Now for the third time I'm ready to come to you and I will not be burdensome to you for I do not seek yours. But you for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

They do you have it. Parents should spend their lives laying up for the children. First of all Paul is speaking in irony here. Secondly he's not talking about Parents laying up an inheritance for the children in the future.

He's talking about current. He's saying I'm not receiving fellowship from you Saints and current after all I'm your father and you're my children in the face and the parents take care of the children.

The words lay up for a little bit confusing there I confess. But the whole context has to do with Paul's Current needs and how they were to be met and he would not take fellowship from the church in current.

Well, that's all the time that we have left for questions today. I hope that my questions have answered some of the very questions that you had in your minds today. I want to thank you Bill for joining us for that question and answer period.