The danger of serving two masters

Brethren, we are in the very end time, and the situation is getting worse, with everybody getting into the sin of idolatry. One thing or another has occupied the people’s hearts, which serves as their god or master.

Many people have given themselves to the love of the flesh, pursuit of money and material things. Selfishness and pride have taken over their reasoning from knowing what is due to the Creator. They go to burial, wedding, social rendezvous and other places, where they could be noticed and praised. Those things mentioned have now become their gods, while they have relegated the worship of true God to the lowest. And the Bible forewarned us to beware of serving two masters.

Mt 6:24 states, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

When we render service to two masters, the tendency is that we may develop more affinity for one than the other. If we share our service to God Almighty and things of this world, we will miss fellowship with God. And because of serving two masters at the same time, many are seduced and have become weak spiritually. Thus, they cannot pray and are not committed to the things of God. The things of the world have so influenced their mind that they no longer see the things of God and going to church as a major concern. If you are one of those that have this kind of thought, you must do something now before it is too late, and before you follow the footstep of Demas.

2Tim. 4: 10 says, “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

What took Demas away from Apostle Paul? It was the love of the world, which was why he turned his back against Apostle Paul and went his way. He loved the world, the money, wedding, burial, and parties. So, he pulled away. The love of the world took him away from work and service to God. The question now is: Are you like that?

In the days of Paul the Apostle, it was only one Demas that broke his heart, whereas, in our present time, we have uncountable Demas. Apostle Paul was able to contend with only one Demas among the multitude, but in the present time, we have many Demas. I don’t know how Apostle Paul would have lamented if he were to be alive. I don’t know how he would have felt in the presence of so many Demas. Christians who go to church only on Sundays and do not care about weekly activities are Demas in nature. They behave like they are doing the church a favour. They come late and expect to be praised for showing appearances.

Apostle Paul lamented that Demas had forsaken him, having loved the things of the World, and abandoned the work of the Lord. But how many Demas have turned their backs against the things of God in our present time?

How many Demas do not attend the weekly church activities? How many Demas have missed church service without remorse? Even you reading this message may be a Demas, because your main purpose of going to Church maybe to receive prayers and be blessed and not to worship the Lord. These kinds of people were brought to the Church by their problem cum sickness. They are not interested in what the sermon is all about but are rather waiting for the pastor’s prayers. You will see some of them after service besides the pastor’s office, still asking for prayers for their business, breakthroughs, children, family, visa, etc. These people are not in the church to worship God, but that God should bless them, and that is why they come late to church and without their Bible. That is not how to be a Christian. Those that were called Christians in Antioch were not looking for prayers; neither were they looking for their own gain, but were seriously into the business of God and thus, were identified by people as followers of Christ (Christians). Today, many things have taken the attention of Christians, which is why there are more pretenders than worshippers.

Brethren, those that are prepared to serve God and desire to be in Heaven, at last, will come to service on time and serve the Lord with all their hearts, in spirit, and in truth. But Demas will not comply. And you who are reading this text, who are you in the Lord? Are you among the Demas? I want you to examine your faith through the mirror of this message.

2Cor. 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye, not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

Self-examination is an excellent and important duty for every Christian and requires great diligence and faithfulness in its performance. It’s necessary, with regard to our comforts, grace, diligence, and duty because the heart is backward, for we are apt to be deceived and willing to be deceived. Many have been snared and perished by the negligence of duty. So, if upon examination, you found you are not diligent in God’s service; then you are one of the Demas.

If you are truly a good worshipper, you ought to be committed and attend all the weekly church activities on time and without condition. You must not miss any for all are important, and you will be there to worship God and God only.

Brethren, the love of this world has taken many away from true worship. No wonder Apostle Paul warned in 1Cor. 15:19 “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”

If you are in this world for what you shall gain, Apostle Paul said you are to be pitied. I pray this is not your portion. If Apostle Paul was to be in this world now, I wonder how he would have lamented over the present generation’s lazy attitude to worship. He will not only lament but will also cry for a great number of people in this generation, who are serving God only for the purpose of having money, prosperity, protection, etc.

Mt 6:24 –26 says, “No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money. 25Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Beloved, I admonish you not to worry about yourself, just serve God wholeheartedly. If you serve Him, He will take care of you. He is your Father, and if you could take care of your children, how much more God, Who is the embodiment of love, mercy, compassion, and righteousness? Why won’t He take care of you? If you worship Him as your God, do not care about any other need, for He will provide them. The fowls of the earth have nowhere to farm, but God feeds them. All the riches of Solomon could not equal the beauty of the lilies.

Matt. 6: 30-33 says, “Wherefore, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”

If you serve God only, He will take care of you. God cannot lie; He has told you what is required of you so that He will bless you. So, stop serving other masters, stop missing fellowship, stop giving much attention to the things of the world. They will seduce, destroy and take you out of faith and cause you to miss heaven. So, think about what it will profit you to gain the whole world and miss heaven. Let’s serve Him as God with all our hearts at all times. Let us not run the rat race with unbelievers. Let us serve God so that He will serve us. Stop worrying yourself; God knows you and your needs. He knows what you are passing through, and will take care of them. He created everything, including you and all those things you need.

Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein”
If you serve Him, He will take care of you. So, stop complaining, stop missing fellowship, stop running up and down like the children of the world. Stop those things distracting you from serving God, so that it shall be well with you.

Ex. 23:25-27 says, “And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. 26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfill. 27 I will send my fear before thee and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee”

When you serve the Lord, He will defend you, deliver you, take away sickness, barrenness, and trouble from you. He will take away rising and falling and all those enemies causing. So, let’s serve Him. Our Lord Jesus said I pleased the Father and because of that, He has not left me.

Jn 8:29 says, “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”

Jesus said He did always those things that pleased the Father and consequently, He has not abandoned Him. He came to do His Father’s Will, and in so doing, the Father has not ceased to please Him. Therefore, He is ever by Him with His approving smile, cheering words, and supporting arm.

Mt 11: 27 says, “ All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him”.

All things were given to Him. Why? Because He did the things that pleased the Father. If you will serve God with all your heart, honestly, you will never be in want of anything. So, stop giving excuses about why you should not pray, worship, attend fellowship, etc. Let’s not serve God and mammon. If you service the car that serves you, then God Who created you can service you, when you serve Him. So, stop serving two masters. To love and serve the world as our chief good cannot stand with the love and service, which we bear and owe to God our Maker.

1Tim 6:10 says, “For the love of money is the root of all evils, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Many people that love money and the world can do anything because it is the root of all evils. The Bible said those that coveted those things have erred from the faith, and have backslidden. When you see them, you may think they are enjoying. But no, they are not better than you, because the word of God cannot be broken. Once you move away from the faith, the person has pierced himself with sorrows. So, do not envy them; for things are not better for them. Grace has departed from them. Demons that were afraid of them before are now afflicting them daily. I pray this should not be your portion in Jesus name.