Choosing Creator over Creation

Matthew 6:19-24

St. John’s United Church of Christ
Greeley, Colorado
November 23, 2025
Rev. Juvenal Cervantes

Today, we present our pledge cards for the 2025 mission and ministry budget. I have been thinking about the “Why.” It is important to reflect on why we do the things that we do, especially in God’s kingdom.

We know that the Scriptures encourage us to honor the Lord with our wealth. God wants us to bring an offering before the Lord so there is food in His temple. The apostle Paul wrote, “Each of you give as you have purposed in your heart, not begrudgingly, because God loves a cheerful giver.”

He further states, “Plan your giving so that when I come to you, you are prepared to give an offering.”

It is wise to plan our giving, weekly and beyond. Several years ago, an anonymous individual gave $100,000 to St. John’s- this was a wonderful blessing that allowed us to re-pave our parking lot- total cost was $120,000. A few weeks ago, I received an email from a family member of one of our church members who went ahead of us. I was told the family put St. John’s in their will and that St. John’s would receive a part of their estate. Talk about planned giving! What a great example of building a treasure in heaven!

The words of Jesus in Matthew 6 are clear and to the point: We keep only that which we give to God, and we cannot serve both God and money.

Last week, we talked about the first idea. Today, why can we not serve God and money? Matthew 6:21-24 gives us the answer.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

“No one can serve two masters, for 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 God and money.

We must choose which will be our master, for one always is. And that one will shape our life purpose and mold our soul.

How we use our money reveals our true values: “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (v. 21). But money also creates our values. How we spend our money shows and shapes who we are.

We will live either for the Creator or his creation. We will define success either by pleasing him or pleasing the world; accumulating reward in heaven or possessions on earth; acclaim in eternity or popularity today. We cannot have both.

But some try, as Jesus makes clear. He calls the eye the “lamp of the body.” He says it must be “good,” translating the word for “single.” If your eye gives your body a single image, you are “full of light”—you can see where you’re going.

But if your eye is “bad,” meaning diseased or unhealthy, it gives your body blurred or double vision. Then you are “full of darkness”—you cannot see where you’re going.

You can only have one life purpose. To live for two is to have spiritual double vision, a blurred soul. It cannot be done.

Jesus is blunt: “No man can serve two masters.” “Serve” translates “slave.” You are owned by one or the other. Either God or Money. You must choose. You cannot serve them both.

There is an Oriental saying: “No man can carry two melons in his hand.”

Plato was right: “To prize wealth, and at the same time acquire wisdom, is impossible; for a man necessarily disregards the one or the other.”

Do you or I cheat our competition for earthly wealth, or honor them for heavenly reward? Do you or I lie and gain the account, or tell the truth and gain heaven’s blessing? Do I exaggerate in this sermon to impress you, or speak only the truth to impress God? Every day, in every way, we must decide.

Peter Marshall said the measure of life is not its duration but its donation. Do you agree?

Billy Graham said, “Our lives should resemble a channel, not a reservoir. A reservoir stores up water. A channel is constantly flowing. God wants us to be a channel of blessing to others. When we are, it is we who receive the greatest blessing of all.”

Conclusion

British statesman, Benjamin Disraeli: “The secret of success is constancy to purpose.” What is yours? The Creator or his creation? Treasure on earth or in heaven? Will you trust God with your tithe, your offerings, your benevolence, your resources? Or will you not?

Poet and hymnwriter, William Cowper: “The only true happiness comes from squandering ourselves for a purpose.” The Lord’s Table shows us God’s. He gave his best, his only Son, to purchase our eternal life, our soul’s salvation. Now he asks us to trust him with the money he has entrusted to our care. He finances his Kingdom on earth through the faithful sacrifice of his people. And he blesses such sacrifice with an even greater reward. But we must trust him. We must trust the One who loved us enough to die for us.

You may have read that H & R Block offered walk-in customers a chance to win a $1 million drawing. Glen and Gloria Sims of Sewell, New Jersey, won the drawing. But they refused to believe it when a Block representative called them with the good news. After several more contacts by both mail and phone, the Simses still thought it was all just a scam, and hung up the phone or trashed the mail notices.

Some weeks later, the company called one more time to let the Simses know the deadline for accepting their million-dollar prize was nearing and that the story about their refusal to accept the prize would appear soon on NBC’s “Today” show. At that point, Glen Sims decided to investigate. A few days later he appeared on “Today” to tell America that he and his wife had finally claimed their million dollars.

The greatest gift in all the universe awaits those who will choose the Creator over his creation. The decision is yours.