September 21 2025 —
Words can hurt. Many of God’s words hurt our pride. But that’s not bad—not if our pride is hurting us. Just as a skilled surgeon takes a deadly sharp scalpel and cuts through flesh and muscle in order to remove a cancerous tumor, so the sharp words of God are designed to cut out the cancer of sin so we can heal. After the surgery, God pours on the soothing, healing balm of the Gospel. God wounds so that He can heal us. Today, we hear His sharp words about the sin of worshiping money, so He can keep us in or lead us back to the saving faith in Him.
There are more than 2,300 Bible passages that speak about money. Why? Money is a master Satan frequently tempts us to serve. In fact, out of all the masters competing for our service besides God, money is probably at the top of the list. Money provides us with a false comfort and sense of security. Money serves as a source of pride.
This week, Jesus’ sharp words identify the impossibility of serving more than one master. More, Jesus teaches that if we dedicate our lives in service to money, money will always let us down. In contrast, God has proven that he is a master worth serving. When we serve God, money is put in its proper place. Instead of it being a master to serve, it becomes a tool in our service of our true Master.
Join us for our sermon on 1 Timothy 6:6–10,17–19
“Godliness with Contentment Is Great Gain”