Some people in our society are functionally poor. They earn money. They don’t have any waste. And they still are one disaster away from ruin. The Health and Human Services have established certain guidelines.

2008 HHS Poverty Guidelines

The difficulty is that in the United States, basic living costs so much more than in other countries. If you are going to live in a home, the rent itself for a month would represent several months of total wages in some third world countries. So though we have much, the basic costs for food, clothing and shelter are high. And I would say that transportation is a necessity in our society. When Phil and I went to Philadelphia for a conference, it cost $17 to go from the airport to the train station. I asked myself, “How could anyone afford to go to work?”

Then we have what I am going to call the “situationally poor.” These are people who have enough money to pay basic needs, but have adopted a lifestyle that has put them into debt and into trouble. If they were willing to cut back, or if they had not made certain lifestyle choices, they would be doing financially ok. But a drive for things, a concern over living at a certain level, have put them behind not ahead.

Then we have what I will call the “comfortably well off.” These people pay their bills on time, have enough money and manage it well enough so that they do not have major problems. They delay gratification until they can afford something and are living comfortably on what they make.

No matter what financial bracket you place yourself into, Jesus is concerned about your heart, he is concerned about your priorities.

In Matthew 6:19-34, Jesus talks about money, he talks about priorities. Last week we spoke about the rich young ruler. He was a man who wanted money more than spiritual blessing. He wanted eternal life at no cost. When faced with the choice of obeying Jesus or keeping his money, he chose his money. What a sad state to cling to something that will be left behind at death, when he had the opportunities to have great treasures in heaven.

We find the teaching on that fleshed out here in Matthew 6 in the “do not’s” and the “do’s”.
The do not’s can be summed up this way:

Do not store up for ourselves treasures on earth. “19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Jesus practiced this in his life. He said, “20… “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Matthew 8:20, NIV. But Jesus was single. Paul said to those who are married, “32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs--how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world--how he can please his wife-- 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world--how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 7:32-35, NIV. We will get into this later, but we cannot store for ourselves treasures on earth, but we do have responsibilities to our families.

If we do, it is because of a bad heart.

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But 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!

The KJV of the Bible says that “If therefore, thine eye be single.” This is accurate but hard to understand. Does this mean I have only one eye? No, the inference is that my eye can see clearly. My eye will be focused. The opposite of this is a bad eye. A bad eye or an evil eye is one that doesn’t let light in. We think of cataracts. They cloud our vision. But Jesus is not speaking of the dimming of light, he is talking about someone who is blind. If your light is darkness, how great is the darkness.

Where is the darkness the greatest? Within us. In other words, in our heart. The spiritual light is dimmed and our heart is dark. As a result, we treasure in our heart the things of earth, not the things of God.

One writer said, “If we do not set our affections upon spiritual things, the time quickly comes when we can not see them “
A bad heart reveals itself in two ways:
First, a negative attitude towards God
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.

You will tell me, “I don’t despise God.” You may not. It may be that your treasure is in heaven. But if you are indifferent to the things that are important to God, then your lips may be worshipping God, but your actions are showing what you really think of Him. You see, this is Jesus speaking here. He is our Lord and Savior. He is telling us about our spiritual priorities. If we walk out of this building rejecting his teaching, we are despising God.

Second, worry
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

One message is given in this section. Don’t worry. Don’t worry about what? Don’t worry about your life or about your body.

How can we tell if we are worrying about our life? We are concerned about what we will eat or drink. We are concerned about our next meal. How do we know that we worry about our body? If we worry about where we are going to get clothes to wear.

This is not an American problem! I can’t remember when I was close enough to starving that I was afraid I was going to die. I can’t remember when I was so poor that I didn’t know where I was going to get any clothing. We are so blessed.

In spite of being so blessed, we still worry. Instead of worry about getting food, we worry about getting healthy food. Instead of worry about finding clothing, we worry if others will like what we wear. Our pantries are full and our closets are as well. And we are still consumed with our life and our body. What a drain worry is on our lives.

This is one area in which we cannot distinguish the church from general society. The Bible tells us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be ye transformed…” We are like the pagans who run after all these things that our heavenly Father knows we need.

Jesus says to us, Look at the birds. They don’t store up stuff. God gives them what they need. Look at the flowers. They are beautiful. God gives them the covering that they need. If God cares about the birds and flowers, how much more do you think he cares about you?

See the contrast in verse 32? Pagans run after food and clothing, God knows you need them. Why run after these things if a heavenly Father will provide what we really need?

The do’s can be summed up this way:
Store up heavenly treasure
Seek the kingdom of God
Seek righteousness

What you need will be given
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:19-34, NIV.

So what are the priorities? Our first priority should be our spiritual health. Our second priority should be everything else.

This is so important. If we are not spiritually right, then nothing else will be. If you have ever tried to make a wall straight, if it isn’t straight at the start, no problem. But the further one gets away from the start, the more problems they will have with the wall. If we don’t start the kingdom of heaven first, then we will be out of line down the road. But if we are seeking the will of God, if we seek righteousness, then the other things we need will be added to us.

Are we right with God? Are we living for him? He has called us to follow Jesus. Are we doing so?
He has placed us into his body, the church. He has given us gifts. He has told us to use them to build up one another? Are we doing so? He has placed us as ambassadors in this world. He has given us good news, that through Christ there is forgiveness of sin and eternal life. He wants us to spread the news. Are we doing so?

The purpose of the Palermo Christian Church is to glorify God through worship, evangelism and edification. Worship is putting God first in our lives. It is seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Evangelism is sharing the good news. Edification is our commitment to help one another and work together as Christians.

If that is our commitment, if that is our passion to seek the kingdom of God, then we bring our finances under the umbrella of the will of God. In other words, we use our money for what God wants.

In future weeks we will look at spending priorities in the early church. But for now, let me just ask if you have consciously studied the Bible or prayed to God about where your money should go? Is your giving in the will of God?

Do you worry about money? Are you worried about the winter? Jesus has spoken to you this morning. His eye is on the sparrow. He clothed the flowers. God will take care of you… if your priorities are right.