What Is Your Treasure.

KJ Washington

[0:06] Good morning everybody. It’s good to see everyone. My name is KJ and I serve on [0:10] staff here at Village Church and I look forward to us being able to continue our [0:15] sermon series in the book of Matthew where we’ll be looking at the text [0:20] Matthew 6 verses 19 through 24. So if you have your Bibles turn there with me [0:25] Matthew chapter 6 verse 19 through 24. Over this past week I was doing a [0:31] little research and I was looking up the question what defines success for

[0:38] Americans and as I was doing that research people were talking about [0:42] there being a big shift within the American mindset for success. For these [0:47] people they would say prior to this this new age that we’re kind of in the last [0:51] three to four years there has been on the markers of fame, fortune, and kind of [0:58] financial satisfaction being the markers for success for Americans. But over the [1:03] course of the past four years people are saying there’s been a shift. The way

[1:07] that younger families are saying it now or even particularly the millennial [1:11] generation is they’re saying success is defined by happiness. And so for them in [1:18] this what people are saying is that only thing I need right now in my life [1:21] is just to be happy. You know that’s why Pharrell had a popular song everybody [1:27] loves this right we just want to be happy. But this is the point for people [1:35] in their pursuit of happiness is undergirded by the reality of actually

[1:39] going after fame, fortune, talents, pleasures. Because in a lot of ways we [1:45] try to qualify what we think is successful by those categories. It was [1:52] interesting I just want to toss out a few numbers to you here because these [1:56] people that are looking for happiness said that they want happiness by making [2:01] it. This is what they mean by making it. They say that for them to make it they [2:06] need a house that is over $400,000 worth in value. They say that they need a car

[2:12] that is worth around $41,000 in value and to make it they say they need at [2:18] least an income of $147,000 to have made it. It sounds like a lot of high [2:26] numbers correct? And so as we hear that though I think it’s interesting because [2:29] it’s indicative of us. Because we never find enough satisfaction in where God [2:34] has us at right now in this season. You’ve experienced it before you. You [2:38] have the job you’ve wanted the promotion and you’ve wanted more. You

[2:43] maybe haven’t said those numbers but you probably would be a little bit more [2:45] happier in your mind if you had those numbers. It’s just interesting to see [2:50] what is at the heart of the American faculties for how we see the world and [2:55] what defines success for us. But it’s interesting here because in our passage [2:59] this morning Jesus is going to confront the reality of this idea about what we [3:05] believe is going to define us. See Jesus is okay with us actually having things.

[3:12] Jesus is okay with you actually even having treasures. But he actually cares [3:17] about the content of those treasures and what you’re actually giving yourself to. [3:22] Also he’s caring about where are you actually placing [3:25] those treasures? Where are you going in your life? So friends I want to pose the [3:31] question for you this morning. What is your treasure? What is your treasure? [3:36] Maybe you fit into this categorization that most of America would fall into where

[3:40] they say we’re going after these things. Maybe you haven’t said those exact [3:44] numbers and it doesn’t have to just be monetarily noted. But it could just be [3:49] something you’re going after your life like notoriety, popularity, fame, whatever [3:54] it is. And that doesn’t have to be on a national level. That could only be in a [3:57] local level as well. You just want to be known for something. I believe that Jesus [4:02] in this text is going to deal with this idea for us and get to the heart of the

[4:06] issue. Let’s read Matthew chapter 6 verses 19 through 24 together this morning. [4:13] The passage reads as this. It says,

[4:27] or in where thieves do not break in and still. For where your treasure is, there [4:33] your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body, so if your eye is [4:39] healthy your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad your whole [4:43] body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great [4:47] is the darkness? No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one [4:53] and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You

[4:57] cannot serve God and money. Most people will look at those three sections in [5:04] particular that I read and say there’s some differences between those that [5:07] maybe Jesus is not talking about the same thing in that moment. But there’s a [5:13] hinge verse for us in this text and that’s verse 21. He says, for where your [5:18] treasure is, there your heart will be also. There’s a connection for the the [5:24] heart to the eye and as well to your heart to what you enslave yourself to.

[5:29] And that Jesus is trying to deal with each one of those categories in your [5:33] life all the same time. This leads us to point number one this morning. What you [5:39] treasure reveals the state of your heart. What you treasure reveals the state of [5:45] your heart. As I’ve mentioned, Jesus here just doesn’t want to deal with the [5:54] He wants to do something inside of you that’s going to change you and move you [5:58] as you seek to hopefully live for him in his glory. See, he wants us to abandon

[6:05] the faculties of our hearts that we’re giving ourselves to and to move [6:10] ourselves to be more and more committed to embracing him for who he is in the [6:15] mission that he has us on. So what Jesus understands is this. He understands your [6:22] temptation to gravitate towards the treasures of this world. He knows you [6:27] better than you know yourself. For some of you, you might be thinking right now, [6:30] well, that’s not me. I don’t even have that much stuff. But you want it. The

[6:37] temptation is in your heart to want more. And Jesus is saying, I get that. I [6:42] understand that. So this is all for us this morning. Doesn’t matter if you’ve [6:47] been a Christian for two years or 10 years. It doesn’t matter right now if [6:50] you maybe are a skeptic of Christianity and you’re wondering why people actually [6:54] give themselves to following Jesus. Jesus in this text wants to reckon with [6:59] our lives because he’s calling us to something greater. Yes, there’s a cost to

[7:06] it. Yeah, you may be the pleasures of this world cannot be sufficient for you, [7:10] but there’s such a gain and reward that we can have with Jesus in heaven and [7:15] being with him as we embrace what he has for us. This leads us to verse 19 here. [7:23] He says,

[7:25] And he qualifies that by saying, look, these things can rust. They can corrode. [7:31] Mouth can get on them. It can mess it up. But also somebody can come in and they [7:36] can steal it from you. So don’t give yourselves up to that, but lay up for [7:42] yourselves treasures in heaven. What Jesus is saying here is that stop doing it. [7:49] Stop. He understands your drift. He understands the temptation. But what [7:53] he’s calling you to is for you to be radically obedient to Jesus in such a way

[7:57] that you’re actually confronting the sins in your life. You’re actually [8:01] confronting the temptations in your heart to want more. Friends, you’re [8:05] You’re actually wired to want more.

[8:09] But are you going to deal with it? [8:11] He’s saying, stop, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. And for some of us, [8:17] we can’t even see the difference right now.

[8:21] Matthew chapter 13 verse 44 says this, [8:25] The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in the field, which a man found [8:30] and covered up. Then in his joy, he goes and sells all that he has and he buys [8:37] that field. The man, once he realized where the hidden treasure was at in the [8:43] kingdom of God, he was willing to give himself to it fully. He said, this is [8:48] what I want. Forget everything else. Forget the treasures. Forget the riches.

[8:52] I want what is found in God. [8:56] And in this moment, as Jesus is addressing the people before him, he even [9:01] has the pharisaical leaders in his mind. The people in this time period that [9:05] were Pharisees, they would try to measure themselves by how much they [9:09] gained and how much they stored up. It’s similar for them like the prosperity [9:13] gospel where they believe when they had much when they stored up much, they had

[9:16] more in light of God’s eyes. They believe that they were more spiritual than [9:21] others. By the way, that’s a false gospel. Don’t believe it. The point is this, [9:25] is that they believe when they stored up much that God found more satisfaction [9:31] in them.

[9:34] And so Jesus is confronting this and he’s saying, look, I know you want to [9:39] believe that you can have an abundance of wealth in the trinkets of this world so [9:43] that you can have true wealth in God. But the only way for you to have an abundance [9:47] of wealth is through the riches found in the grace of the cross. That’s the [9:53] only way it’s possible. So even though we’re tempted to keep running towards [9:56] these things, what Jesus is saying is that that satisfaction is only going to

[10:00] be found in me. I’m the only one who can provide this for you. Now hear what I’m [10:05] not saying. I don’t want you to do this. So think about this. I don’t want you to [10:09] hear what I’m not saying. What is this what I want?

[10:13] I want you to realize that God cares for you and he wants you to care well for [10:17] your family. He wants you to have things that are going to take care of your [10:21] family, even good things. It’s okay that you have a car. It’s okay that you have a [10:25] home. I’m not trying to persuade you of a property gospel here. But what he’s [10:30] wanting you to do is to take inventory of your heart and to consider yourself [10:34] in. Are you actually really being greedy with what you want and what you have?

[10:38] There’s a difference. And then this is the thing what he’s saying is like in [10:41] his riches he knows that he’s going to bless people with things but this is the [10:45] thing they have to steward it well for God’s glory. So if you are somebody [10:51] who’s been blessed with much how are you stewarding that for the glory of God? Is [10:55] it in such a way that you’re laying up your treasures here on earth or you’re [10:58] laying up your treasures for yourself in heaven? Some of you might be saying well

[11:04] okay, that’s not me because I don’t even have much. Look at your talents. Look at [11:09] other things. Consider how you’re stewarding those areas of your life. And [11:15] Jesus understands that you are going to be wooed. You’re going to be tempted to [11:19] give yourself to so many different things. He understands your heart. So what [11:24] does Jesus mean by treasure here in this text? A treasure can be anything that you [11:29] irreplaceable value on for the purpose of satisfaction. See we’re all looking

[11:36] for satisfaction. Some of us are just looking forward in the wrong places and [11:41] Jesus wants you to have satisfaction. He wants you to be happy and it’s [11:45] interesting because in this text Jesus uses some very vague language for the [11:49] treasures. Some commentators like to point us more towards things like [11:55] clothing and metals but I think there’s some vagueness here for a purpose [11:59] because what Jesus is trying to do is is that he’s saying that look there’s

[12:03] things in your life all of you that you treasure and none of you are alleviated [12:08] from this call to be willing to give up those things at the altar of God for the [12:11] sake of following him. But you have to be willing to lay those before God and to [12:17] allow him to work and to move in your life. But in terms of clothing and [12:22] metals, yes Jesus is dealing with our love of Nike. He is dealing with our [12:27] obsession of Hondas and Fords and he is trying to enlighten us on our pleasures

[12:33] in finding more and more self storage units because they’re everywhere. But [12:38] that’s indicative of our hearts. Why? Because we want more things. We want more [12:43] treasures that we can store up. And Jesus is saying if your hopes found there that’s [12:49] not enough. That’s not going to take you where you think you want to go in your [12:53] life. That’s gonna lead you to a bad place. Our treasure for many of us has [13:01] been found in money, possessions, fame, happiness and success. But I want to

[13:06] propose a new one to you right now that I think the becoming generations are [13:09] actually being confronted with even more. And it’s a sense of individuality that [13:14] leads to fluidity and flexibility. It’s for that pursuit of happiness but you [13:19] want to be fluid and not committed to anything. Part of their treasure is, and [13:23] I’m even speaking to the millennial generation a lot of ways, is the [13:25] treasure to just want to be free flowing. To be nomadic in nature. And that

[13:32] becomes a treasure because there’s nothing that can bound you down. But [13:35] guess what? The kingdom of heaven binds you to something and it’s Jesus. But this [13:40] is the point. Even if those other things are your treasures that I’ve mentioned, [13:43] you’re still bound to the kingdom of Jesus over those things. And it centers [13:50] you, it positions you in a space for God’s glory. But are we willing to [13:56] reorient ourselves to God in this way to live for his pleasure and live for his

[14:00] glory? Are you willing to allow God to evaluate your heart in this way? Are you [14:06] going to cling to the treasures in your treasure chest? Are you going to be [14:11] willing to give them up? I was thinking earlier on about my laptop that I have. [14:17] Recently I’m looking at, well recently I just purchased a new laptop so I was [14:21] thinking about getting one and I was thinking about it for a moment and I was [14:24] like, you know what? I’m an Apple fan by the way. If you are not an Apple fan,

[14:28] y’all haters, it’s okay. Team Apple. But I’m an Apple fan so I was like, man I’m [14:33] looking at getting a new MacBook. I was like, man they have hustled me. They got me. [14:37] Because they know this thing’s gonna break on me and they got the consumer in [14:40] because I came back for another one. But this is the point though. My laptop will [14:45] rust and break. It was created. It was built for that purpose and this is the [14:49] thing in our lives we’re building our lives for these things that are going to

[14:52] rust and corrode and they’re not meant to last us for the long haul. See when [14:57] they made the laptop they built it to break and some of us are building our [15:01] lives on things that are built to break. Even better, they can come in and take it [15:05] from you. You work all hard. You buy something and then they steal it. Man, [15:12] why are we building our lives on these things? That’s what we need to consider. [15:18] We need to consider that these things are not going to bring us the happiness

[15:21] that we think that they’re going to bring us. You might be able to look into [15:24] your house and you see everything that you have and it hasn’t changed the status [15:27] of your heart at all. You’re still wanting more. You just have to have that [15:31] next addition to your smart home and so your home’s smarter. Or you just have to [15:35] have a nicer driveway or you look at your neighbors they did something to [15:38] your house like I have to have that too. Or maybe you’re talking to your friends

[15:42] and they’re like well I’m going to do this we’re gonna buy this room going [15:45] this vacation. Oh I just have to have that. Friends that’s all a part of your [15:50] temptation to want more. But for what? It’s not bringing you that that hope and [15:57] joy that you’ve been looking for. Only the spiritual treasures that we can have [16:02] in Jesus will do that. See we need to remember that heavenly treasures will [16:07] not rust or corrode but they will have spiritual longevity. We need to remember

[16:12] that heavenly treasures cannot be physically harmed or abused because of [16:16] its spiritual investment. And so we need to focus ourselves towards being [16:21] committed to growing in our faith towards helping other people grow in [16:25] their faith and so that they can move forward as they seek to follow Jesus. We [16:31] need to invest in the environment so that God is placed before us and lay up [16:35] our treasures actually in heaven. We actually have to live the way that God

[16:41] is calling us to live. But are you willing to give up what it tastes? Because [16:46] it means you might not get that new TV. You might not get that that new house. [16:52] Might not get that new car. Might not get that job promotion. Are you willing to [16:59] take it if he wants to? See it’s not about what we gain here but it’s about [17:03] what is being sown eternally. Is that at the forefront of your life? Friends I [17:10] want you to be able to examine your treasure chest and say, Father I want

[17:13] you to move in this. I want you to do something here in me. I want my treasure [17:17] to be found with you. I don’t want you to try to make room and create some [17:22] compartments there. I can keep some of these treasures here and then Jesus [17:25] here too. No, he wants all of you. He wants to redefine the way that you pursue [17:32] treasures. He wants you to think about the spiritual investments that you can [17:35] make in your life. But for the only way for that to happen is if you actually

[17:39] have a healthy vision for your life. Because that’s what’s hindering some of [17:43] us right now. You don’t have the right vision to actually treasure the right [17:46] things. At least is the point number two this morning. Your vision of treasure [17:54] directs your faith. Let’s look at verses 22 through 23. Here Jesus brings up this [18:00] imagery of the eye and he makes this connection to the heart’s [18:04] affections with the eyes because the eyes kind of dictate what the body does

[18:08] in a lot of ways. It guides you. It casts vision for you for what you’re seeing. And [18:14] Jesus brings this up because he understands that sometimes our vision [18:16] can be off. Which impacts the way that we are actually healthy or unhealthy. So [18:22] Jesus wants to deal with this here for us. This type of language is used in the [18:27] Old Testament. Here in Proverbs 15 verse 30 it says this, the light of eyes rejoices [18:32] the heart and the good news refreshes the bones. And so as Jesus talking about

[18:38] the eye is the lamp, it lights the way. He’s like look it does have this purpose [18:44] but it’s so easy for you to not use it for its intended purpose. For it to be

[18:51] in the original language as we look at the Old Testament when they talked [18:54] about the light of the eyes they talked about it meaning a sense of happiness. So [18:59] for you to actually have true happiness to have the light of the eyes is for you [19:03] to have the right perspective of God and who he is and what he wants to do in your [19:07] life. This is the good news. Jesus wants you to be happy. He wants you to enjoy [19:13] life. But he wants you to enjoy it in a true and authentic way that can only be

[19:18] found in you treasuring him. And that’s the difference for us is because we think [19:24] that everything else is gonna bring us to happiness and in those moments [19:27] sometimes we’re tempted to believe that Jesus does not have our happiness in [19:30] mind. We believe that he’s against us when we don’t get that promotion, when we [19:34] don’t get that house, when we don’t build that relationship. We think he’s against [19:39] us but no he wants you to have true treasure that’s only found in him. So

[19:46] friends, how are you gonna respond? How are you gonna think about this? How are [19:50] you gonna allow your vision to be changed? I wear contacts and glasses and [19:56] so I know this illustration a little bit. When I don’t have the right contact [19:59] lenses in, when my prescription needs to be changed or I’m not wearing my glasses [20:04] things look pretty fuzzy for me. You know I can’t see things the way that I need [20:09] to see them and I might misrepresent something. That’s the reason why people

[20:12] wear glasses need to wear them when they drive because you can really mess up [20:16] some things. And so the purpose is this is that your vision can be off and it [20:23] can impact the health of your entire body. For some of you you’ve been walking [20:27] down life and you’ve been wondering why you’ve been doing so many different [20:31] things. You’ve been making the wrong decisions. It’s because your visions have [20:33] been off. You’ve been building your life for all these things and they haven’t

[20:39] brought you the comfort that you’ve always wanted. It’s probably because your [20:45] vision is off. See it’s interesting here because I think Jesus uses the eye as a [20:51] sense of a litmus test. The same way a doctor runs his checks on the patient [20:55] here in this text he’s saying look the eye is indicative of a lot of things [20:58] here. How you’re seeing the world. So let’s evaluate that and what Jesus is [21:05] doing here in this text is that he’s debunking the reality of your temptation

[21:09] to say well my heart’s in the right place. That’s your temptation. Your [21:15] heart’s in the right place. I want all these things but you know my heart’s [21:16] really for Jesus right. Yeah I’m building up my warehouse. I’m filling [21:20] filling it up with everything. Your visions off but my heart is there. [21:26] You know friends be honest with yourself. Your vision is what you’re really going [21:30] after. You should be honest and say no no my heart probably isn’t in the right

[21:33] place because they’re attached based on verse 21. You can’t separate the two. If [21:38] you want healthiness you need to have the right vision so your body can be [21:42] healthy. Also I want to note here that when Jesus used the word health here [21:48] this word connotates a single mindedness. So for you to be healthy for your vision [21:55] to be healthy you can have a multifaceted perspective of the world. You [21:59] cannot be incorporating a secular worldview the same worldview as your

[22:04] co-workers and the people around you your neighbors and say well I’m trying [22:07] to follow Jesus and I want this worldview too. No for you to be healthy you need [22:11] to have a single minded vision but it’s funny though because all of us want to [22:16] be healthy but we sometimes don’t want to have that that mindset that’s going [22:19] to take us so that we are healthy. Gotta have that single-minded vision so that [22:24] you could be healthy. Jesus is trying to deal with your whole body. He cares about

[22:28] all of you. He wants your whole life to be healthy as you seek to live for his [22:32] glory and not your own. So as Jesus moves us to have the right vision we need to [22:38] understand what this means for us. This means that we might have to to give us [22:42] some things we’ve been committed to. We might need to to correct our lenses. We [22:47] might need to understand that we’ve been blind to what is good in God’s eyes. We [22:51] need to confront the realities of our lives and we need to actually take

[22:55] inventory of what we’re actually doing Monday through Monday. It’s not just you [23:00] come into church on Sunday you’re like oh yeah I’m living for Jesus now but how [23:04] you’re stewarding what you have how you’re using that because it’s showing [23:08] the vision that you actually have. Is your vision for life clinging to material [23:14] possessions? Are you clinging to the cross of Christ? See what I want you to [23:19] know is this if this has been you if you’ve been building your life to make

[23:23] it here you’ve been given everything to that that’s what you’ve been taught since [23:27] you were born like you just got to make it here you got to find the pleasures I [23:30] want you to know that you can reorient your life today to be secure in the [23:38] vision has been dark the gospel has the ability to redeem your vision for life [23:43] your story is not over yet you can stop right now you can you can alter the way [23:48] that your family is moving there’s plenty of testimonies that people have

[23:52] made those types of decisions I want you to know that you don’t have to keep [23:57] running down this overwhelming disorienting track of feeling the weight [24:01] of just having to make it you felt that before having just to be somebody to be [24:08] known you don’t have to bear that weight anymore because that weight has [24:13] already been born on the cross because Jesus has paved the way for you you [24:18] don’t have to make it to be valued in God’s eyes but God already sees you as

[24:22] valued because you bear his image we can find rest in this for some of you this [24:31] means and probably for all of us this means that we have to give up some of [24:34] these good shrinkage that we we think we need we’ve moved our wants to needs [24:40] maybe for you this might mean that you you might need to reconsider your your [24:43] house maybe your future goals for your house maybe this might mean that you [24:49] don’t need all five cars that are in your garage or parked outside your house

[24:54] because you’re not even using them maybe this might mean that the career path [24:58] that you think that you need want and even entitled to might even grab at your [25:04] and stir your vision away from from Jesus but this is the thing you can give [25:10] up those things today but if your heart isn’t attached to the kingdom of God and [25:14] living for God’s kingdom nothing’s gonna change so this isn’t about behavior [25:19] modification just giving up riches plenty of people give up some of their

[25:23] riches they give up their possessions but it’s about is your heart being [25:27] changed is your vision being changed are you attaching yourself to God’s kingdom [25:31] and his purposes but that will only happen if you treasure Jesus over [25:36] everything that leads to point number three this morning treasure Jesus over [25:40] everything that’s what we need to do in verse 24 we see a dichotomy that we try [25:46] to make a reality in our lives we believe honestly sometimes that we can

[25:51] both worship God and money at the same time we don’t like to admit it but [25:58] theologically we know this is not true we know that we shouldn’t do this but [26:02] functionally we emulate a lifestyle that serves to Masters for some of us we just [26:07] can’t even realize when we’re actually falling into this trap because it starts [26:11] by us saying okay I want a job that’s a good thing you know you need to provide [26:14] for your family and you start becoming committed to that job and over time

[26:18] you’re like this isn’t enough I want more I need more fulfillment so you [26:23] you’re fighting for that promotion you get that promotion and a year later [26:26] like well this isn’t enough okay but after that though you’re able to buy [26:29] the house that you want you got the house oh man this isn’t my dream house I [26:35] got to get that dream house and so over time you’re thinking about this well I [26:39] just need enough space for my kids I need to create this environment oh oh

[26:43] well son you don’t have that that nice trinket that other kids have I got to [26:47] get it for you and so this is why I have to work harder this why I have to make [26:50] more money and over time you’re giving yourself more and more and more to [26:56] money and those treasures that you’re building in your life and towards the [27:01] end you’re like man I’ve built my whole life towards just making money getting [27:06] these trinkets and treasures and what do I have left and suddenly we don’t even

[27:13] realize it but we’ve given ourselves to treasuring things on earth it’s easy to [27:19] fall into that temptation you guys have went and look for a house before you [27:24] start looking at a house and you go and you’re figuring out what you qualify [27:28] for mortgage wise and they tell you this this really astronomical price you’re [27:32] like oh I can do this I can afford this so maybe I should get this knowing that [27:38] for you to steward your finances well you probably shouldn’t move into that

[27:41] the high bracket but you’re like but I want it no no no I need it you find a [27:48] way to convince yourself but we do that with all these areas of our lives oh I [27:54] just have to go to the lake every weekend in the summer I just have to do [27:58] it oh we just have to go on four vacations this year because if not we’re [28:02] not living the good life oh but over time you will see that that’s showing [28:08] your heart where your hearts at because you’re laying up your treasures

[28:13] somewhere and again I’m not saying that you shouldn’t take a vacation not saying [28:17] that you shouldn’t enjoy things but you should really honestly take inventory of [28:22] how much it has captured all of you because friends you could easily be in [28:26] chains to money and your treasures and you don’t even realize it sometimes it [28:31] takes hopefully the Word of God just instructing us because Jesus is pretty [28:36] clear here you can’t love both you love one you despise the other because why

[28:41] because when God is at the center everything should fall into submission to [28:47] him it’s interesting here in this text that when Matthew pins these words he [28:52] doesn’t translate one word into the Greek there’s one word that he kind of [28:56] leaves within the ear make on translation from Jesus words because it [29:01] connotates something different he uses the word of mammon in this culture what [29:05] mammon meant to them was that mammon represented the god of money and so in a

[29:10] polytheistic society these people could easily try to give themselves to [29:14] multiple gods and what Jesus is saying here is that look you have a god you [29:18] don’t even realize it in its money you need to do something about this and [29:22] guess what you can’t serve both of us you can’t you have to make a decision [29:27] because in a world that is God is at the center of it because we believe in a [29:32] theistic world that God is at the center that everything in our lives need to

[29:36] fall into submission to God even your money your money doesn’t dictate you God [29:41] dictates how you use your money how you use your treasures the things that God [29:44] is giving you in this world are you willing to do that or are you just [29:49] about getting this paper in this world it’s just gonna burn away I want to [29:56] give a quick caveat moment here I want to encourage you guys some of you have [30:00] kids I want to encourage you to not help your kids build a life towards this

[30:06] ambition even serving in the youth ministry I have conversations all the [30:09] times easy for kids get caught up soon to get caught up in the reality of I [30:12] just have to make it don’t bring that upon them push them more to treasure in [30:19] Jesus than treasure and money in the treasures of this world because we [30:23] wonder why we’re going this direction but we’re raising up more people to be [30:26] consumers that just want this that’s for free you can take that and do what you

[30:30] wish there but my hope is this that you would heed those words don’t allow these [30:35] treasures to provide for you the comfort that you think you need but understand [30:40] first Timothy chapter 6 verse 9 through 10 says this but those who desire to be [30:46] rich fall into temptation into a snare and too many senseless and harmful [30:52] desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction for the love of money is a [30:57] root of all kinds of evil it is through this craving that some have wandered

[31:00] away from faith and pierced themselves from fangs come on think about that the [31:07] pursuit of money the goal just to achieve will lead us to a hollow [31:12] feeling in a meaningless life and some of us are on a highway there and we’re [31:18] moving fast and we’re giving ourselves to this but what we really need to [31:21] understand is that we need to devote ourselves not to these earthly riches [31:25] but to experience in the riches that are found in Christ so our love of God needs

[31:30] to overcome us it needs to move us away from these treasures and needs to free [31:35] us from the master of money we need to willfully submit to the master Jesus [31:40] and follow him clinging to him allowing him to guide us and to move us forward [31:47] let’s think about this practically for a second some of you are wondering well [31:51] how do I really know if I’m treasuring something more than than other things [31:56] well maybe look at your checkbook maybe balance it look at it I think about

[32:00] what you’re writing your checks to think about your your banking account what you [32:04] keep purchasing all the time that you just have to need more of so to get your [32:09] fix for you that that could be food I like food I like eat now it’s easy [32:13] temptation like well let’s go get a nice meal oh that’s a luxury that might be [32:18] your treasure maybe it might be for you electronics you just want the newest and [32:22] the latest thing so anytime that comes out you’ll do whatever it takes just to

[32:25] get it maybe it’s just money in general for you maybe it’s what I mentioned [32:33] earlier your vacation you live for that you thrive for that the next thing you [32:39] know is that you find yourself giving yourself more and more to those things [32:42] than you are the kingdom of God that Jesus here is calling us to actually be [32:47] a generous people with our talents and our resources and so it shouldn’t be [32:51] that we’re more generous to those things than the God’s kingdom so even if you’re

[32:56] looking at your you’re giving to the mission of God even tangibly if you [33:01] giving to the mission of Jesus this is you if you spend more giving yourself to [33:09] everything else and not Jesus friends look at the mirror but this is hard for [33:14] us because we have to understand that we clean to these things so tight we want [33:20] it but Jesus saying oh yeah hard abandon like we were singing earlier do you [33:30] really believe that if somebody came in and stole everything out of your house

[33:34] would you be okay will God still be good oh if your house had to be foreclosed on [33:41] would you still be okay is money your master friends where your treasure is [33:51] your heart will be also don’t place your hope there friends as we [34:00] transition into a time of communion I want to consider a few things I want us [34:07] to consider our lives and if we actually treasure Jesus over everything for you [34:13] it might be that you’ve been building your life towards all these other

[34:17] treasures and you know it’s not getting you anywhere your job hasn’t given you [34:21] the fulfillment you think you need your family maybe hasn’t given you the [34:25] fulfillment you think you need your house whatever place your treasure there [34:31] I want you this morning to say Jesus I want to give this all to you that these [34:36] shrinkage of this world don’t matter there are means to an end they don’t [34:42] they’re not as weighted as much as investing in your kingdom but Lord I

[34:46] want to use these for your kingdom so if that means I have to start giving up [34:50] this week I want to to the point where you have conversations with people so [34:57] so as you come to the table today remember that what Jesus has accomplished [35:02] for you was to redeem you from your sin but to make a payment on your behalf you [35:08] don’t have the payment anymore to have to you don’t need the payment to make it [35:11] that’s what I’m saying think about that you don’t have to fess up to the

[35:15] standards of this world and say I have to do as much as I can just to be [35:20] noteworthy to be considered good before other people but you can rest in Jesus [35:25] work it’s not about what you have it’s about who you are and what he’s done for [35:31] you on the cross and he wants you to treasure him in heaven are you willing [35:36] to do that are you willing to give up stuff we all have things because we all [35:40] drift in this direction but maybe you’re somebody in here this morning that

[35:45] you’re not a follower of Jesus maybe you’ve you’ve heard these words about [35:48] what it looks like to to treasure Jesus you like I want that I want to encourage [35:53] you to give up the things the world and say that Jesus is enough for you and [35:57] to trust that he actually can redeem me from your sins and he can give you a [36:00] good life he can give you true happiness because guess what I’ve seen people [36:04] have been able to walk from that liberated who have given themselves so

[36:08] many different things no there’s freedom there’s hope there’s happiness in Jesus [36:13] he’s provided a way for you so I want you to trust that I want to encourage [36:16] you to go out into the four-year and have a conversation with somebody about [36:19] what it looks like to follow Jesus it’s gonna be hard at times you’re gonna [36:23] drift back into some of these treasures but Jesus is still doing a redemptive [36:27] work in your life if you’re a follower of Jesus so you can go have that

[36:31] conversation and hope for followers of Jesus this morning I want to encourage [36:35] you to come to the table boasting Jesus not in what you have because it can all [36:39] burn and fall away but boasting what he’s accomplished for you on the cross come [36:42] to the table this morning follow Jesus if you’re not a follower go have a [36:46] conversation