Dear Christian friends:

There is one false god that most people worship. Also many church members worship that god. True, they come to church and pray to the Tribune God when pastor leads them, but deep in their heart they love and serve another god.

In our text Jesus calls this god "Money." Now money itself is not a bad thing, but if we love and trust in money as we should love and trust in God, then money becomes our god. The Bible says, "Love for money is the root of all evil."

In our text Jesus warns us about having money for our god. He shows that

I. If we let money be our god then we lose the true God. That's very foolish.

Jesus says, "No body can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be true to the one and despise the other. You can't can't serve God and money."

If we love money, we will not love God. If we depend on money and trust in money for food, clothes, house and pleasure, we will not trust God for that. We will not pray to God for that or thank Him for our food, clothes, house and other things we need. Do you trust in money or God? Do you pray daily to God and ask Him for food and drink, clothes and government? Do you thank Him for these blessings? Do you pray before and after eating? If you do not pray before and after eating perhaps you trust in money and not God.

That is strong temptation for all of us to trust in money and worry, worry about bills, and money. That's why the founders of our country engraved on our coins the words "In God We Trust" (Show coin and point to those words) Our fathers who established our nation want to remind us every time we spend some money, not money, but God gives you these things. Thank God for what you are buying.

If you fail to thank God and trust in Him, you lose Him and you have another god, a false god, that is very foolish, not wise.

II. It is also foolish to love money because there are more important things in life than money, food and clothes. Jesus asks, "Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? (v. 25) Don't worry and say, "What will we eat or drink or wear. And in verses 31-33 Jesus says, "First, be eager to have God as your King and have His righteousness."

People who do not believe in God worry much about money and how they can get more and more. They don't worry and wonder if they are pleasing God and serving Him. They want beautiful clothes, new cars, fine homes, but they are cold hearted, greedy and proud. In their heart they do not love God and their neighbors. They live to eat and to show off their beautiful things. They are not kind or humble and refuse to help someone in trouble or need. They have beautiful clothes, but not a beautiful heart or spirit. When they work they don't care if they do good work that helps their employer's business, they only work to get their pay check. If they are employers, they don't care if they make a good product, they only want to make something cheap, so they can earn a quick or big profit. They don't care to pay employees a good wage.

It is much better to have a beautiful heart that a beautiful face or clothes. It is much better to have a beautiful spirit and do kind and good works than to have a rich, beautiful house. It is foolish to love money because than we lose a good heart and kind spirit which is more important.

III. Perhaps you ask, "Can I be rich and still love God?" Yes, you can it is not a sin to have much money, nice clothes or a beautiful home. Often God gives riches to those who love Him and serve Him. I know some very rich people who are fine Christians and use their money to serve God. In the Bible we read about many rich men who loved and served God. They did not trust in it; they trusted in God, and always tried to do His will.

This Jesus shows here in our text, too. "Don't worry then and say, "What will we eat? or what will we drink? or what will we wear? The people of the world run after these things. Your Father in heaven knows you need them all. First be eager to have God as your King and His righteousness, and you'll get all these other things too."

Hear again what Jesus says in verses 26-30 (Read them!) So we are very foolish to love and trust in money. Money itself can't give us food or clothes. Only God can give us these things. Money can't hear and answer our prayers. If we love God and serve Him, He will worry about us and keep us. He will give us all that we need to support ourselves and our family, and often He gives us much more than we need.

We have a mighty, wise, and rich God, Lord and ruler of heaven and earth. Be wise; trust Him, love and serve Him. You will not be disappointed; He will not fail you. He will keep all His promises to you and finally give you everlasting life in heaven. Through Jesus He has forgiven all your sins. He frees you to serve Him.

Don't be foolish like many people in the world who give up God and hurry for money and all the things they can buy with it. They will be sorry one day when they see their mistake. They served money which really cannot help or save them. It only makes them slaves. They are never satisfied always wanting more and more. Finally they must die and all their money and things cannot help or save them. They will see that they have surrendered their soul to Satan, very foolish.

Let's surrender our souls to God and serve Him.

Amen.