So I rode my bicycle for a year in 2010 from Canada to Columbia. And as part of that journey, I discovered that basically a billion people in the world didn't have access to clean drinking water. So I began this journey and did some higher level education and then on a series of trips with my friends in the last six years. That's all led us to this spot now we've become very interested in small scale decentralized desalinization projects. It's really a future. Hi everyone.
Thank you so much for being with us for today's speech talk. I want to help you understand every word of God that's in the word of God. God has done so many wonderful things to me, speaks so many wonderful things to me. I hope you'll discover that as we look at God's word every day in our speech talks. Now, our objective is simple. It's disciples making disciples who plant churches that plant churches. We need a grassroots movement of Jesus everywhere.
Now Matthew 6, 14 through 15, it says, but if you forgive men your trespasses, God will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will God forgive your trespasses. Now, if you forgive men, there are trespasses. Your heavenly father will forgive you. Now, forgiveness is required for those who have been forgiven. We are not given the luxury of holding on to bitterness towards other people.
John Stott wrote, once our eyes have been open to see the enormity of our offense against God, the injuries which others have done to us appear by comparison, extremely trifling. On the other hand, if we have an exaggerated view of the offenses of others, it proves we've minimized our own. Jesus has much to say about forgiveness all over the gospels. Now here, the emphasis is on the imperative of forgiveness, on the fact that it is not an option.
Now, verses 16 through 18, moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites with the sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear to be men fasting. Surely I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that you do not appear to be fasting. And your father who is in your secret place will reward you openly.
Now, when you fast, Jesus spoke to these fundamental practices of spiritual life in his kingdom, giving, praying, and now fasting. Now, clearly, Jesus assumed that his followers would fast. Now, the Old Testament commanded fasting on the day of atonement, Leviticus 16 and 23 and in Numbers 29. Now, during the exile, the Jewish people expanded the practice of fasting in Zechariah 7 and 8. Now, fasting is something good that was corrupted by the hypocrisy of the religious people of Jesus' day.
Our corrupt natures can corrupt something good into something bad. A modern example of a good thing gone bad is the manner of dressing nice, like when people go to church. And there's nothing wrong with this in and of itself. It can even be good as an expression of reverence. Yet it can be used to compete with others or to draw attention to yourself. Something good can become bad. It has to do with motive and intent.
Spurgeon said fasting took a leading place in devotion under the law, and it might profitably be more practiced even now under the gospel. The Puritans called it a soul-fattening fast when they first came to America. Now, when we fast, we're not to be like the hypocrites. The hypocritical scribes and Pharisees wanted to make sure that everybody knew that they were fasting. They'd have a sad countenance, and they'd disfigure their face, and they would talk about how hungry they were.
Now, the Pharisees typically fasted twice a week, according to tradition, on Mondays and Thursdays, actually. Now, assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. When hypocrites receive the admiration of men for these spiritual efforts, they've received all the reward that they're ever going to get. D. Martin Lloyd-Jones said, the real problem with the hypocrite is self-interest, ultimately our only reason for pleasing men around us is that we may be pleased. It's a good word for today.
Now, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that you do not appear as men to be fasting, Jesus instructed us to take care of ourselves as usual to make the fast something of a secret before God.
Now, verses 19 through 21, do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth. Now, the ancient Greek more literally says, do not treasure for yourselves treasures on earth.
The idea is that earthly treasure is temporary and fading away where moth and rust destroy. Where thieves break in and steal, but heavenly treasure is secure. The issue isn't that earthly treasures are intrinsically bad, but they do no ultimate value either. If this is the case, then it's wrong for the disciples to dedicate his life to continually expanding his earthly treasures.
Now, to lay up for yourselves treasures on earth is also to doom ourselves to a life of frustration and emptiness regarding material things, the secret of happiness is not more, it's more contentment. In a 1990 survey, how much money would people need for the American dream, people thought that if they needed $25,000, then it was $54,000, then it was $100,000. It never ends.
The key to wanting more isn't wanting more, it's wanting less, it's being content, it's wanting more contentment, more is less. It's an upside down value. Timothy says, now, godliness with contentment is great gain, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. In contrast, heavenly treasures are everlasting and incorruptible.
Treasures in heaven give enjoyment now, the contentment and sense of wellbeing that comes from being a giver, but the ultimate enjoyment comes on the other side of eternity. Now, it's been widely observed that a moving truck full of possessions never follows a car going to a funeral. We can't take things to the grave with us. We leave it all behind. Even though gold is a precious thing on earth, God uses it to pave the streets of heaven.
Jesus once told a parable that his troubled son in Luke 16, he spoke of a dishonest manager who was about to be called to account. Knowing he would be fired, he began to settle accounts with his master's debtors at terms favorable to the debtors so they would treat him kindly when the master fired him. The master ended up complimenting the manager for his shrewd tactics, presumably before he fired him. This dishonest manager was praiseworthy for two reasons.
First, he knew he could be called to account for his life and he took it seriously. Second, he took advantage of his present position to arrange a comfortable future. And we can use our material resources right now for eternal good, even though we can't bring them with us. Like when we help people get water, food, and housing.
Now, our material treasures will not pass from this life to the next, but the good that has been done for the kingdom of God through the use of our treasures lasts for eternity. And the work of God done in us through faithful giving will last for eternity. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Jesus drew the conclusion that you can only have your treasure and your heart in one place. We can't store up treasure on earth and on heaven at the same time.
It is not so much the disciples' wealth that Jesus is concerned with as his loyalty. Now, Matthew 6 24 makes explicit that materialism is in direct conflict with loyalty to God. Now, verse 22 and 23, the lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness? Now, the lamp of the body is the eye.
Simply the idea is that the light comes into the body through the eye. If our eyes were blind, we would live in a dark world. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. The idea of having a good eye is either being generous or being single-minded. Both principles apply to the followers of Jesus' attitude towards material things. Now, being generous brings light to our lives. We are happier and more content when we have God's heart for generosity.
But if we're not generous, it's as if our whole body will be full of darkness. Our selfish miserly ways cast darkness over everything that we think or do. Being single-minded brings light into our lives. And while we're also happier and more content when we focus on the kingdom of God and His righteousness, knowing that all the material things will be added to us, Matthew 6.33. But when we're double-minded, it's as if our whole body is full of darkness.
We try to live for two masters at the same time, and it puts a dark shadow over everything in our life. God has so many things for us. Full of light or darkness, in any case, Jesus tells us that either our eye is directed at heavenly things, and therefore, or is directed at earthly things, or full of darkness. How great is that darkness? Building on the analogy of the eye, Jesus reminds us that if we are blind in our eyes, the whole body is blind.
The darkness is then great in our whole body in the same way our attitude towards material treasure will either bring great light or great darkness to our lives. Often, a materialistic, miserly, selfish person can justify their sin by saying, it's just one area of my life. But even as the darkness of the eye affects everything in the body, so a wrong attitude towards material things brings darkness to our whole being.
Verse 24, no one can serve two masters, for he will either hate the one or love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve a god in mammon or god of money. Now, having two masters is not like working two jobs. Jesus had the master and the slave relationship in mind, and no slave could serve two masters. Jesus states that serving two masters is a simple impossibility. If you think that you are successfully serving two masters, you're deceived.
It can't be done, as ancient Israel struggled with idolatry. They thought they could worship the Lord God and Baal. God constantly reminded them to worship Baal was to forsake the Lord. To be loyal to one is to despise the other. It can be simply said, don't serve your money, let your money serve the Lord, and it will serve you. You cannot serve god and mammon. There are different opinions regarding the origin of the term mammon or money. Some think it was the name of a pagan god.
Others think the name comes from a Hebrew person, not to trust or confide, because men are apt to trust in riches. The idea of money itself was morally neutral. The word was used in some ancient Jewish texts that showed this transitioning. Proverbs 3.9 says that we're supposed to honor God with our money. Deuteronomy 6.5, you shall love the Lord your God with all of your mammon.
Therefore, mammon itself represents material things we possess or want, and those things can be used for God's kingdom and glory or as idols. Certainly Jesus is talking about the heart here. Many people would say they love God, but their service of money shows that in fact they do not. How can we tell who or what we're serving? Well, one way is by remembering this principle.
You will sacrifice for your God if you will sacrifice for the sake of money, but you'll not sacrifice for the sake of Jesus. Don't deceive yourself. Money is your God. We must therefore remember that we don't have to be rich to serve mammon, money and material things. The poor can be just as greedy and covetous as the rich can be. It's not a rich and poor thing. Verse 25 says, therefore, I say to you, don't worry about your life, what you'll eat or drink or your body or what you'll put on.
Is your life not worth more than food and the body worth more than clothing? Don't worry about your life. We should not get tangled up worrying about the things of this world because our life is more important than those things. Now do not worry. There is a difference between a godly sense of responsibility and an ungodly, untrusting worry. However, an ungodly, untrusting sense of worry usually masquerades as responsibility.
We are to be concerned with the right things, the ultimate issues of life, and we then leave the management and the worry over material things with our heavenly Father. Is not life worth more than food? The worry Jesus spoke of debases us to a level of an animal who is merely concerned with physical needs. Your life is more and you have eternal matters to pursue while we're here on earth. Now verse 26 through 30, look at the birds of the air, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven.
Will he not much more clothe you? Thank you for your time. We would love to partner with you. Water is a global problem. It's gonna take as many partners as we can to help solve this problem. We'd love for you to partner with us. If you could go to our website at www.oceanwater.com. That's O-C-N-W-T-R.com. We'd love that. Thank you.