Matthew Sermon 22
Where is your Treasure?
What is that one thing?
· That one thing you can’t live without??
· What is it that you work so hard for?
· What treasures are you storing here on earth??
· Do you know you're rich for even having to stop and think?
· We all do it, some more than others.
· We hoard, we stash, we Covet.
· We see ads, and we need it.
· I’m not talking about things you use everyday, I am talking about things that distract you from doing God's work.
· That makes you say, "I have to work Sunday."
· "I can't help with that at church because I have to do this."
Matthew 6:19–20 (NLT)
19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal."
· How many of you have a shed full of stuff??
· A garage??
· Closets??
· House cluttered?? So we buy what?? A bigger house!!
Do you even know what all you have??
· If I ask you to list everything in every closet, shed, garage, drawer, could you??
· How much of it rusted, broke, wore out, or just under used??
What about other things we store on earth??
· Power
· Position
· We are so tied to the world we want to stay here, and not look forward to the day we enter glory!
I am not saying we don’t need to secure our valuables, or not be good stewards with what God has given us! But most of us have too much stuff! And it is keeping us from being all God is calling us to be!
· If I ask you to move tomorrow, who could just pack up and go??
· Leave it all behind??
· That’s the question.
So, we all have this desire to have things, and we need to work toward it, so what do we do?? We learn to store treasures in the right place, in heaven!!
· No moths
· No rust
· Nothing breaks
· Nothing goes bad
· Nothing gets stolen there, it’s yours just waiting on you!!
So, what happens when we stand before Jesus?
· We know we don’t have sin to deal with, so what happens at the Judgment seat??
· We find out what we have in heaven, and you start collecting it here!!
· The only thing forgotten is sin, so what will Jesus say about your life??
· What credit have you stored in heaven??
· Do you have any, or is it always about your wants and your desires in the here and now??
So, what can we store??
· Holiness of character.
o We aren’t perfect, but we should be working on it.
· Obedience to all of God’s commandments.
o Are you praying daily?
o In God’s word daily?
o Repenting daily?
· Souls won for Christ.
o Are you actively looking for folks in your life to share the gospel with?
o Who have you invited to church lately?
· And disciples nurtured in the faith.
o Are you in a small group?
o Are you serving?
o Are you doing your part in the body?
o Are you mentoring anyone??
The focus now is on the compassionate use of your material resources to meet others’ physical and spiritual needs, in keeping with the priorities of God’s kingdom!!
It is like having two bank accounts: one below, like ours in Valley State Bank, and one above—call it the Bank of Heaven. Some live for what they possess below, as in the parable of the rich fool.
(Luke 12:18–21) He said, “I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones. . . . And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God”. Such a person has no treasure in heaven.
In a word: Some live for what they possess below; some live for what they put on deposit in the Bank of Heaven. The issue is, what is more important to you?
The “EYES” have it!!
Matthew 6:22–23 (NLT)
22 “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light.
23 But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!"
How’s your vision?
· Do you see clear?
· Do you have some blind spots?
· Are there things you don’t see so well??
·
How do we get Clear “Spiritual” Vision?
· By focusing on what is important to God.
· By staying in God’s word.
· By surrounding ourselves with God's people.
How do we cloud our Spiritual Vision?
· Focusing inward.
· Looking at what the world offers.
· Keeping an eye on our stuff, and not God's will!
The meat of the matter!
Matthew 6:24 (NLT)
24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
· You are a slave.
· You have a master.
· Who will it be??
· I know most of you are trying to play both sides of the fence.
· But you are going to have to pick, your stuff, your pride, this world...
· Or your savior!! Who has proven Himself by dying on a cross for you, for taking away your sins, and securing you a seat in heaven when you hated Him!
You see it's simple, back to rewards, when and where do you want it?
· Is this world really all you have dreams for?? Is that horse, that trailer, that truck, that gun that you push Jesus aside for really worth it??
· I am not saying you can’t have nice stuff, but when it gets in the way of the kingdom and your role in it, then it’s an issue!
· Just like drugs or porn or whatever else you’re pointing your nose up at!!
Closing
Matthew 6:21 (NLT)
21"Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."
So guess what we are back to, a heart issue! The heart is the essence of your being, it is what drives you!
· Your heart is the essence of your personality.
· Your heart is the essence of your how your mind thinks.
· Your heart is the essence of your faith.
· Your heart is the essence of your feelings.
· Your heart is the essence of your conscience.
Your heart drives how you think and react, what you see as right and wrong.
Maybe it's time for a heart exam!
The location of your treasures reveals where your heart is. I challenge you, look around, take a peek in that checkbook, look in those closets, look at those credit card statements, loan balances and garages, and see where your treasures are stored.
You’re going to find out a lot about where your walk with Jesus is.
1. You find that you're storing treasures in Heaven when:
a. You find that a lot of what you’re doing is pleasing God, and carrying out His mission.
b. You keep moving forward, finding your identity more and more in Jesus, and you keep serving!
2. You find that your treasures are in the world, and there you find a Y in the road:
a. You can repent, and move forward seeking wisdom, and learning to be more like Jesus, or you can turn away and continue to seek your rewards here, but before you do that, consider this!
Where your heart is at the time of the Second Coming—or your death—will determine whether you have a reward in heaven. How do I know that you ask?
1 Corinthians 4:5 (NIV)
5 "Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God."
It is the heart that will be judged. The basis of the Final Judgment will be the location of your treasure at the time you are called to give an account.
Romans 2:16 (NIV)
16 "This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares."
The heart is all that matters when you sit before Jesus!
Revelation 2:23 (NIV)
23 "I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am He who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds."
Where is your heart? Only you and Jesus know. If you died today, is your treasure here or heaven??
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