Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:1-4

If you think about it, our whole lives, from the time we are born, we focus on making a living in this world. That’s why we go to school. That’s why we learn a particular trade or skill. That’s why we choose a career. It’s all because we need to make a living to live in this world. It’s simple. If you don’t work, you don’t get paid. If you don’t get paid, you can’t eat or live in a house. We are trained from an early age to make choices and seek paths that will lead to wealth. We aspire to achieve a certain standard of living. We’re considered failures if we make less and judged according to salaries.

For Christians, this issue of making a living or material wealth is something we can’t ignore. But if you look at many Christians, it’s everything. Is someone in trouble or filled with anxiety? It’s not because of a crisis in faith- it’s usually a financial crisis. They’ve lost their jobs. Or their business is in trouble. It has to do with money.
Money. Money. Money.
You can disguise it in many ways, but when you get right down to it, it’s money that makes you happy. It’s money that you want. Money is the be-all and end-all.

Now, as Christians, of course, we need money. We need to make a living, but we need to get this straight. Whether you study, learn a skill, open a business, or get a job, it should not be to make a living. Money and material wealth should never be the driving force for how you live and what you do. Some of us say, “Let me make it first before I go to church” or “Let me focus on my job before I focus on God.” It doesn’t work like that. It’s an absolute. Do not work or learn a skill to make a living. Making money should never be a goal or a motivating force. God makes this abundantly clear.

Then, as Christians are we supposed to ignore money and suffer in destitution? No. The devil tempts Jesus who has fasted for forty days to turn stones into bread. Because you are hungry, turn stone to bread. Because you need to make a living, get a job. Because you need to make a living, learn a skill. But Jesus says, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.” This is the key. We live through every word that comes out of the mouth of God. Think about this. It’s counterintuitive to everything we’ve learned. Everything we do, we do because of God, not to make a good living.

Our motivating factor is not “How do I make a living or how do I make money?” We obey God. If God tells us to study, we study. If God tells us to learn a skill, we learn a skill. If God tells us to open a business, we open a business. The reason for the things we do to make a living is not to make a living: it’s because we’re following God’s commands. We leave the rest of it, whether we make money or not, in God’s hands. If we live according to every word that comes out of God’s mouth, it might appear to be financial suicide. We could lose everything. If making money was our sole purpose, we would ignore God’s voice. But we listen to God and do as He says and in terms of making a living, we let the chips fall where they may!

Examine your life. What is your purpose for working at your job? What is your purpose for opening that business or learning that trade? Is it to make a living? If it is, repent. From now on, pray to God saying, “Lord, from this moment on, I will not go where money tells me to go. I will move according to every word coming out of God’s mouth.” If you obey God, you might suffer some financial losses. People might think you’re crazy. But be steadfast. Do not worry because you will yield crops “a hundred times as great.” God will take care of you! Have faith in Him!

Click for Korean sermon https://soundcloud.com/yhpaik/1986-9-3-long-mixdown