Summary

In this concluding message of the Open Hands series, the sermon explores Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6:19-24 on the relationship between money, the heart, and our ultimate allegiance. Pastor Orrin explains that money is not evil but can be a tool God uses to test our character, and that faithful stewardship requires an ordered approach to our financial responsibilities. The key principle is that open hands are trusting, disciplined, and ordered, with generosity flowing from margin rather than guilt.

Key Points from the Sermon

• Money can be a tool God uses to test our hearts; how we think about and use money reveals whether we trust God or rely on ourselves (Matthew 6:21). Money can reveal who is truly master over our life.
• We are stewards, not owners; everything we have belongs to God and is entrusted to us to manage according to His priorities (Psalm 24:1)
• Jesus teaches that we cannot serve both God and money—they pull us in opposite directions and demand competing allegiances (Matthew 6:24)
• The ‘ordo amoris’ (order of loves) concept from Augustine provides a practical framework for organizing our financial responsibilities in concentric circles: God first, then family, local church, broader kingdom work, and charitable causes.
• Generosity must not violate stewardship; open hands are not undisciplined hands; budgeting, planned giving, and saving responsibly are spiritual disciplines (1 Timothy 5:8)
• Godliness with contentment is great gain; being frugal, disciplined, and exercising wise restraint are marks of faithful stewardship, not miserliness (1 Timothy 6:6)

Scripture Readings

Matthew 6:19-24 - Jesus’ core teaching on treasures, vision, and the impossibility of serving both God and money; the primary text for this study

1 Timothy 6:6-10 - Paul’s teaching on contentment and the danger of the love of money, which complements Jesus’ teaching on where we find our security

2 Corinthians 8:9 - Paul’s reminder that Jesus became poor so that by His poverty we may become rich in Christ, which is the basis for our ability to be generous.

Discussion Questions

Read Matthew 6:19-24.

1. What two kinds of treasure does Jesus describe, and what differences does He highlight between them? What does Jesus say is the relationship between our treasure and our heart (v. 21)?

Re-read Matthew 6:22-24.

2. Verses 22-23 about the ‘eye’ seem to interrupt Jesus’ teaching about money. Why do you think Jesus inserts this imagery between His teaching on treasure (vv. 19-21) and His statement about two masters (v. 24)? What does a ‘healthy eye’ versus a ‘bad eye’ have to do with how we view our resources?

Compare with 1 Timothy 6:6-10 and Psalm 24:1.

3. How do these passages deepen our understanding of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6? What does Paul mean by ‘godliness with contentment is great gain,’ and how does recognizing that ‘the earth is the Lord’s’ reshape how we think about what we possess? How should Proverbs 30:8-9 further inform how we consider this issue?

4. The sermon introduced the concept of ‘ordo amoris’(ordered loves) as a framework for financial priorities (God, family, local church, broader kingdom work, charitable causes). How does this hierarchy help you evaluate competing financial demands? Can you think of a time when you struggled to determine where a financial responsibility or request fit within these circles?

5. Jesus says in verse 24, ‘You cannot serve God and money.’ In what areas of your financial life do you feel the pull of money competing with your trust in God?

6. Pastor Orrin said, ‘Generosity is in the margin.’ What does that mean practically? How does the difference between giving out of faith versus giving out of guilt change both the act of giving and its effect on your heart? How should 1 Timothy 5:8 and 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 affect our consideration of this issue?

Grounded in the Gospel - 2 Corinthians 8:9

7. What are some examples of how Jesus became poor for our sake? What are some examples of how we are made rich in Him? In what ways does this provide the foundation for faithful stewardship?

Application

This Week’s Challenge: This week, sit down and write out your financial priorities using the ‘ordered loves’ framework: (1) giving to God, (2) providing for your family’s needs, (3) supporting your local church, (4) broader kingdom work, and (5) charitable causes. If you don’t have a budget, create a simple one. If you do, review it and ask: ‘Does the order of my spending reflect the order of my loves?’ Identify one concrete adjustment you can make—whether that’s setting up recurring giving, building an emergency fund, or cutting an unnecessary expense—and take that step before next Sunday.

Prayer Focus: Praise God for sending his Son to become poor for our sake. Confess areas where you may be serving the wrong master. Give thanks to God for the riches he has provided. Ask God to grant contentment with the gifts He has given you and discernment for stewarding those gifts properly.

Memory Verse

“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.” — Matthew 6:24

Resources

• God and Money by John Cortines and Gregory Baumer
• Neither Poverty Nor Riches by Craig Blomberg
• The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn