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Do you serve a Master?

Is there a neutral ground? (Mark the correct answer)

First, we look to Joshua 24:14-15 (GNB) “Now then,” Joshua continued, “honor the LORD and serve him sincerely and faithfully. Get rid of the gods which your ancestors used to worship in Mesopotamia and in Egypt, and serve only the LORD.

Q1 – What do the underlined words mean to us? “Get rid of the gods which your ancestors used to worship in Mesopotamia and in Egypt, and serve only the LORD.”

a/ We can serve ancestral and various gods.     b/ God only accepts exclusive service.

(Vs.15)  If you are not willing to serve him, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your ancestors worshiped in Mesopotamia or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living. As for my family and me, we will serve the LORD.”

Q2 – What do the underlined words mean? “If you are not willing to serve him, decide today whom you will serve…”

a/ We can be God’s followers without serving Him.     b/ If we choose to follow God we must serve Him.

Now let’s hear the words of Jesus, about trying to stay on NEUTRAL GROUND.

– See the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 6:19-24…

Matthew 6:19-20… (GNB) “Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal.  (20)  Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal.

Q3 – Choose what you think are worldly riches from this list:

O – expensive jewelry.     O – a collection of fine automobiles.     O – pride in your position of authority.

O – freedom to quit working and holiday forever.     O – lots of money.     O – a desire to know God better.

Q4 – To contrast the worldly riches, select what you think are Godly riches from this list:

O – trusting God to decide your future.     O – expensive jewelry.     O – a clear conscience.

O – comfort in times of struggle.     O – a lack of fear.     O – a desire to know God better.

Matthew 6:21… For your heart will always be where your riches are.

Q5 — What does the heart (here meaning our desires) have to do with our riches?

a/ What we try to accumulate in life will follow our desires.

b/ Not a thing! I can easily give up everything I have worked hard to attain.

Matthew 6:22-23… “The eyes are like a lamp for the body. If your eyes are sound, your whole body will be full of light;  (23)  but if your eyes are no good, your body will be in darkness. So if the light in you is darkness, how terribly dark it will be!

Q6 – What do our eyes have to do with where our ‘heart’ is?

a/ We’ll follow God’s lead if we desire to see Him.    b/ Our nature is to seek after selfish desires.    c/ Both a & b

Matthew 6:24… “You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

— Here Jesus used the example of money-making, however, this principle applies to all worldly desires.

Q7 – Have we chosen to follow false gods? – We should be careful about what we desire out of life… (KK)

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