The Lure of a Lesser Loyalty, Part 3

Sometimes our failures make us feel defeated today from Chuck Swindoll what you were raised with character. People are not is never too late to start doing what's right to begin to build a life of character right here in the roots of the Scriptures are options remain open go anywhere you want, I'll tell you the secret is making the right choices in life. The songwriter admits Lord I'm prone to wander prone to leave the God I love those lyrics resonate with most of us because we to feel the same gravitational devotion to God is overpowered by simple distractions today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll help us confront our nation to want case you missed any part of yesterday's message will begin with helpful highlights teaching from Matthew chapter 6 Chuck titled the study. The lure of a lesser loyalty begins with a warning do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth. In verse 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, as a contrast. There's a difference between possessions on earth and positions that are in heaven, and the contrast is even seen in how they can be destroyed or preserved treasures on earth, or where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But when you have treasures in heaven. None of the three occurs, there are no malts. There is no rust there will be no themes so that contrast stands in verse 22. The eye is the lamp of the body of your eye is clear. Let's one thing to look at the contrast if your eye is bad.

That's the next verse, verse 22, clear eyes full of light. A bad eyes, full of darkness is warning his followers about being caught up in the lesser loyalty. In this case the last word of the passage verse 24 is well possessions stop tangible things we can purchase and own and must maintain now understand the difference.

Some people read these words and and they warned about Jesus prohibiting against having any possessions. Nowhere in the Bible or we forbidden from owning something, Jesus is teaching the Bible again and again encourages wise planning and being careful with possessions. He's not even a warning against enjoying possessions. My mind flashes to first Timothy chapter 6 verse 17 where the apostle writes that God is given us all things richly to enjoy enjoy what she warning against. He's denouncing the accumulation of more and more and more stuff he's warning against selfishness sees he's concerned about an extravagant lifestyle that keeps you from being generous and unselfish.

In fact he's warning some of you today. Truth be told, you find yourself making more than you've ever made able to buy what your parents could never have bought living in a hole nicer than you ever grew up in nothing wrong with any of that until, or if those things begin to grip and hold onto you and turn you into tightfisted, selfish, uncaring, individual who doesn't know the meaning of the word enough Jesus warning is to those who don't know to say that's enough. Are you satisfied with where you are.

It's called contentment. One of the greatest joys of life is to live a contented life. It may be with little maybe with more it may be with much your content.

It doesn't own you. You use it you share it, and when it's appropriate you give it. Jesus is saying don't store it up.

Don't cling to.

But remember, was valuable.

Verse 21, where your treasure is, there your heart is so where's your heart you know what's interesting, I can't answer for you. I can even tell by looking.

If I were around you for a while I might be able to discern a little bit. But honestly, only you know for your heart's, which gives me a good moment to pause for some application here a few questions just to help you probe and let the word of God. Dig deeply. Are you living your life unselfishly do you demonstrate generosity and care when you have an opportunity to do so. Have you determined what is enough for you. Are you allowing things to lure you from what is invaluable. You can't put a price tag on things that are really valuable and yet always guard against greed. Only you could know if your heart is greedy Jesus teaching is designed to help us analyze that and what were on the subject. Look at 20 to the eyes. The lamp of the body. See, it's from the ID that you're able to view life and if the eye is clear your whole body is full of light. If you're seeing things as they really are. Which means you place just as much emphasis on the invisible is the visible and you acknowledge the presence of that which cannot be purchased but is a treasure your eyes clear your eyes bad, then everything is full of darkness and agreed as the dark blind we can be a look at the last verse. No one that includes you. That includes me.

It means no one, not a person alive on the planet. No one can serve two masters. And then there's a contrast you the you will hate one woman love the other car you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be owned by 21 and want to warn you in case you have gotten a little bit disillusioned.

Wealth is a wicked master nothing wrong with wealth. Some of the greatest people in the Bible were wealthy. Job is one no one better known on the in the community, or perhaps in the whole region and probably no one with greater wealth and more animals and more land had more servants than anyone.

He's never criticized for that is called a righteous man.

He never lost sight of what's valuable when you make wealth your master. You will soon be lured to that loyalty little change you be different become greedy, you become competitive envious.

Don't think you have to be wealthy to be envious it works for any strata economically. But when you and I allow the truth to guide us by that, I would say the teachings of Jesus. He helps us take control of our lives. I remember meeting a young man whom I'd known for some time he had finished his schooling at a very prestigious university. In fact, you finish law school and was right on the verge of a bid past the bar, we run the verge of a career in law pulled him aside and called his name and I said to him when he planted it with all this great training. He said without hesitation didn't know was going asking that his answer was incredible. Well he said I want to be a man of integrity who practices law with excellent good is that character first career second, you see many of you were not raised like that.

I mean this in the right since I feel sorry for everyone of you who wasn't raised by parents of character. It was our privilege is Cynthia and I were little children growing up under the tutelage of parents who were far from perfect, far from but they were people of character. They live through world wars had been humbled by the loss of loved ones broken. Many of them in our neighborhood with hardly enough to get by and when the war ended, we notice that they weren't proud they were grateful I was raised with that is no place for pride. Life isn't about you son is about your God. You fitted to his plan is what made me so impressed with the young man's answer.

By the way. Commencement comes every year the perfect time for evaluation. This is an especially soul-searching time. If you have earned a degree that will soon move you into a lucrative career. Careful nothing wrong with that. Absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Just guard your heart. Be careful about where your treasure and remember to make more than you need to give it away is to share. I think that man is a perfect example what that's all about two things I say in closing, and they both have to do with the security of living our lives in light of truth whether you were raised with character people or not you can always never too late to start doing what's right, you can begin to build a life of character right here in the roots of the Scriptures. First, our options remain open.

You go anywhere you want, but I'll tell you the secret is making the right choices in life. You have options just like those next to you have options and you can choose whichever way you choose to go but I will tell you there is a price to pay if you choose wrongly make the right choices to good time for me to add that temptation has no age limit, maybe walking with God and age 60 or 70 doesn't mean you're going to be walking with them. It's an 80 it has no age limit. Sobering isn't it. You don't reach the place where you no longer can be lured to that lesser loyalty. Others may not even know it.

After all, your rage, you would even think that your being. Lord I remember reading about Dr. Dr. will hold. He was at the time president of Moody Bible Institute.

He was speaking to the student body surrounded by the youth of his day in an insured with them and experience he had had with the the aging James M. Gray former Prince Pres. of the school.

He and Dr. Gray got together and and will and he had shared things from similar backgrounds and finally, before they left. Houghton said that Dr. Gray made the comment. I like to pray before we depart from each other.

Houghton said he was shocked to hear his dignified colleagues say in his prayer. Oh God, don't let me become a wicked old man, it's a great prayer. Oh God, don't let me become a wicked grandfather or great-grandfather. No one is immune to erosion is the second thought. Our focus stays clear when were living like this, but the secret we keep serving the right master keep serving the right master. I urge you to evaluate the one you're following when you're patterning your life after so easy to slip and slide. It happened to Robert Robinson or 250 years ago Robinson was born in England, mother died when he was very young.

Our father died when he was very young and his mother felt that he should learn a trade. So she sent them off to London where you fell in with some guys that were good for him and began to move down the wrong track.

Unlike he had been reared disturbed over his doing that he heard that George Whitfield was in the city and was preaching and he wanted his buddies to go with him that night to listen to Whitfield as a pre-they did want to go so he went alone.

He heard the truth of the gospel turned his life over to Christ.

As a matter of fact, the when into ministry and by the age of 25 he was a pastor of a church in Cambridge that grew and gained a reputation for being a lighthouse. However, somewhere along the line he began to drift and even though Robinson had been used to preach strong sermons, even even compose some music. He was now following the lure of a lesser loyalty Richard Sumi in his book shoes for the road, tells of an event in Robinson's life.

It came about in the old coaching days. A lady is seated at the stage on the stagecoach next to Robinson.

She's reading a little book with evident enjoyment one page of that volume held special appeal to her. She consulted from time to time and sometime read it aloud. Turning to her fellow passenger, not knowing him a stranger to her.

She presume he was acquainted with the subject of religion.

She held the open page before him and pointed to the him she'd been reading and asked what he thought of it.

The stranger looked at the first few lines come, thou fount of every blessing to my heart to sing thy grace streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise in the stranger read no further turned away, endeavoring to engage the lady's attention and something else, but she was not to be denied venturing another appeal she told a man of the benefits she had received from the him and expressed her admiration for its message with that overcome beyond the power of controlling his feelings.

He burst into tears. Mme. said I'm the poor, unhappy man who wrote that him many years ago, I give a thousand worlds.

If I had them to enjoy the feeling I had back then, the same Robert Robinson who wrote the words prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love had in fact done just that. Also praise how great a debtor daily. I'm constrained to be let goodness like a fetter by my wandering heart to the great prayer, but only as effective as your choices.

That's why believe God brings us to moments like this for you have a chance to search your own soul and identify your master like a man who wrote iON life's way with an easy tread a travel for pleasures and comfort led until one day in a quiet place. I met the master face-to-face with station and rank and wealth for my goal much thought from a body but none from a sold I'd vowed to win this life's mad race when I met the master face-to-face. I built my castles and reared them high till the towers appears the blue of the sky I'd sworn to rule with an iron mace.

When I met my master face-to-face met him I knew him and I blushed to see that his eyes full of sorrow were fixed upon me. I faltered in I fell at his feet. That day while my castles melted and banished away melted and vanished. And then there place.

Nothing else stood but my master's face. My thoughts are not for the souls of man.

I've lost my life to find it again. Ever since that day in a quiet place. When I met the master face-to-face is my invitation for you today and I speak to you whose name I couldn't call, whose life I've never examined, but it's an open book before God is a great moment stop the allurement and to return to the master that with me. Would you close your eyes. Please. Where are you in this message and what part of the story you find yourself are you on the stagecoach. Having already drifted living in a way you know is wrong but not yet turned around, or maybe you're on the edge like Robert Robinson was at one point of his ministry toying with things that were well they were sinful. Simpson will keep you longer than you want to stay. Remember to cost you more than you want to pay to great moment for you to say Lord God here I am. You know me you know where a man you know the condition of my heart. You may say I'm coming back. Others of you may say I'm coming for the first time, but I'm coming. He's going to be my master I'm going to follow his lead. I invite him to own me.

We exist in this church to help people just like you will never judge you will never point a finger of accusation will accept you as you are will help you become what you've always wanted to be. It begins with the cross you turn your life over to Christ, but what you don't want to do is to walk out, leave everything the same God ordained that you hear these words today that you might make the right decision regarding tomorrow, now prone to wander, Lord, we feel it, prone to leave the God we love there is in the day when were safe from the adversaries dark is not a time when we're immune to the subtle silent magnet of erosion. I pray for those today teetering on the edge of the decision, they turn to you father with a come today to Christ made this decision be life changing for those who do in the name of the master. Pray even Jesus. Everyone's email is in prayer. Chuck Swindoll concludes his three-day study titled the lure of a lesser loyalty.

You're listening to Insight for living and learn more about this ministry for these messages, please visit us online@insightworld.org now today stern warning from Jesus about serving two masters certainly causes us to check our motives whenever we tended to split our affections between following God and chasing after financial gain. As we conclude today's program we thought you be encouraged to hear this firsthand story from one of your fellow listeners. It reinforces the impact of submitting ourselves to a simple faith as Jesus defined wherever that might lead us. We recently received a note that said, Chuck I been listening to Insight for living since I was around 12 years old that was 38 years ago. I cannot even begin to express how your ministry has impacted my life. I currently live in Kazakhstan working with single mothers, children with special needs at risk families and orphans seeking to build into their lives with his love and hope. Yesterday I was driving home and listening to my local home station which is actually the Internet. What a joy to be able to access your teaching from over 6000 miles and 11 time zones away. Thank you for influencing my life and being faithful to the solid teachings of Jesus and bringing his truth throughout the world. I likely would not be doing what I'm doing. Had it not been for the influence of insight for living God continue to richly bless your ministry here.

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