The Truth About Treasure - Matthew 6:19-24

When you placed your faith in Jesus Christ. Were you expecting your life to be smooth sailing.

The average Christian beloved is tempted to think that if they were really committed their lives to God, their lives would settle down Eminem. The path they were on smooth out there surprised when my becoming a Christian and committing their lives to Jesus Christ.

Things get stirred and they discover that Christianity is a marathon and not a 100 yard what your problems wealthier. Is that true is that something that Jesus taught. This is wisdom for the heart in our Bible teacher, Stephen Devi is the pastor of colonial Baptist Church in Cary, North Carolina today. Stephen begins a brand-new series entitled breaking up stony ground he's going to be exploring some deeply rooted issues of the heart beginning with today's lesson on wealth will be in Matthew chapter 6 the Stephen brings you this lesson entitled the truth about treasure. Spiritual growth takes a lot of attention, a lot of water from the word which the spirit of God uses.

There are areas of our life that respond quickly to the truth. There are other areas that are more difficult to cultivate and it doesn't take hardly anything for them to revert back to hard date, say in the soil once again affect over and over again the work of God's spirit has to rain down on that soil soften it. So there can be fresh and new growth.

The average Christian beloved is tempted to think that if they really committed their lives to God, their lives would settle down Eminem. The path they run on smooth out grass would always grow all the time there surprised when my becoming a Christian and committing their lives to Jesus Christ. Things get stirred up and they discover that Christianity is a marathon and not a 100 yard dash. Keep in mind the temptation of Jesus Christ in the wilderness by Satan came after he began his unique grace.

The battle began in earnest. The word for race here in Hebrews 12 one.

Run the race that is set before you comes from the Greek word at going from which we get our word agony agony. It refers to a struggle. This is the agonizing struggle that comes out of Paul's own testimony, he can't wait to completed at the end of his life. This is his personal battle with sin in his flesh from Romans chapter 7 where he admitted in a very personal and very transparent testimony that things he didn't want to do.

Did things he wanted to do. He often didn't do that. Paul is not condoning or excusing sin.

Don't misunderstand me. It grieved him greatly, deeply, but is expressing his personal battle with temptation and sin and at the end of any praises God that his security is not one through battle successes of his own, but through the blood of his successful Savior, who is redeemed him so that he can say that I thank God through Jesus Christ. Therefore chapter 8 verse one there is now no condemnation to them who are in the meantime, the racism battles the strap on your armor Ephesians chapter 6.

Be alert and vigilant first Peter five. The believer needs to sleep, as it were, with one eye open. What I want to do in the series of studies is identify over these nine weeks.

Some of the more common temptations temptations that seem to be some of some of Satan's favorites and and our own flesh that often trips things that revert us back to hard baked ground. If we give them any opportunity. Things move in and take over our house if we even let them have a seat on the front porch of our lives. The first subject I want to deal with in the series is something that we all have some of us have more of it than others, but most of us never come to the conclusion that we have enough in the word possessions, money, things stuff the temptation to treasure our treasures and automate to treasure those things that do not last and in the and may trip us up along the way.

By the way, I'm not talking about some subjective amount of money when too much is too much money isn't the problem, the love of money is that the Bible is plenty of examples of poor Christians who brought God's great glory, such as John the Baptist. Matthew three the widow who gave away everything that she had the temple offering Mark 12 and there are also examples of wealthy Christians were remarkably used by God like Lydia that we've been introduced to next after 16 Barnabas who was a wealthy land owner for them. Believers like Abraham and Job. The last thing you want to do in a conversation about materialism is assumed that you don't have a problem with it because your car isn't is new is somebody else's around here or your house is smaller than their OnePass recalled being in a meeting with 200 pastors and the speaker asked them the question, is it possible for a person to build a house so large that it's sinful in the eyes of God. Raise your hand if you think so and all 200 pastors raise their speaker then asked what can you tell me exactly what size what square footage warehouse become sinful living could hear a pin drop to one pastor in the back, chuckled and said easy when that house is bigger than my sinful this materialism isn't defined by comparing your life with somebody else. In fact, materialism is is more a matter of your heart and your wallet. It's it's a matter of the square footage of your home. Jesus Christ is going to cut to the core of this particular temptation which I fear wraps itself around the ankles of so many of us, or certainly it is prepared to do so. So let's listen in as he preaches his his own sermon.

Matthew's gospel is where I want to take you turn to chapter 6, chapter 6 and verse 19.

The major passage. Let's take a look at it with fresh eyes, as if we've never seen it before, Matthew chapter 6 verse 19.

Here's the prohibition, do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth stuff for just a moment I want you to miss his play on words. It's easy to miss in English. The verb to lay up in the noun treasure come from the same Greek term.

The noun form was used in the Lord's day to refer to a treasure chest. So there's a play on words. Here Jesus is his wooden leg literally saying treasure a treasure chest on earth. Why not Willie was on his very practical reminders of how fragile I kinda persnickety first.

He reminds his audience in verse 19 of the power of a little moth to destroy somebody's lifesaving moth can come in and eats either the way you see the culture of Jesus Christ clothing was currency wealthy people often had golden threads woven into their clothing both to display their wealth and actually to store it. That was an account of their so to speak, going to the Old Testament and we find Sampson the Old Testament prophet paying a debt to the Philistines, and he paid it with clothing garments in the Lord's day were often handed down as an inheritance for us today.

The last thing you want to hand me downs, but in the Lord's day. That was an inheritance. Wealthy people would keep their clothing locked away for fear of being ruined by the elements, and so Jesus is just delivering this very practical warning.

If your security is in cotton cloth gold thread.

All it takes is a hungry little moth and you've lost your inherited is in all. Secondly, refers to the danger of rust here, where moth and rust destroy many of you have moved here from the north so you know what rust can do to an automobile. We don't have too much to the trouble around here that we don't even have really much salt laid down when it storms if you're new around here. You'll notice that when get eyes that what they do is they they put sand on on bridges. What that does is it just makes a grating noise as you slide off the road.

We don't have too much trouble thrust my first car was a Plymouth Florida.

Remember those glory rhymes with Ferrari but that's as close as again like I googled it this week is came to my mind and I try to find a picture of it and couldn't find a picture of any but discovered that in 1960 or 1976. It it one car of the year and I was thinking why.

By the time I married my bride. We headed off for several years of seminary first in Michigan. We have rust holes in the back over the back wheels big enough you could put your fist through those rust holes. The running board underneath the car was so rusted out that whenever it rained that the carpet on the floor board would just become drainage as it absorbed the water from the road underneath during those Michigan winters.

They lasted 11 1/2 months floorboard on the passenger side front would literally turn into a cake of ice about an inch thick and Marcy would sit in the middle and put her feet up on the home there in the floorboard to keep her feet dry. She obviously married for love when my car guarantees.

We knew that Russ Jesus uses here for rust has a different connotation.

The word is a process which literally refers to eating the way which rust more than likely it's a parallel thought to the Lord's reference to the mall, only this time he's thinking of different animals. More than likely he's referring to the rodents that would eat away at grain there stored up in granaries or barns.

This problem was a major threat to the livelihood of the Lord's generation. In fact, in other parts of our world third world countries.

It is still extremely difficult to keep it from mice and rats locusts infected in India today.

They estimate that as much as 50% of their annual grain supply is eaten by Roden the New Testament when Jesus says this is is instantly tracking with him because they knew the threat of rodents could sweep and literally consume their wealth because for many of them their bank account was in the barn so they're following along to get his point. Please, and finish.

He points out another threat notice. Thirdly, the latter part of verse 19 says, and there are also thieves who break in and steal another words if if all you want to do was fill up your your treasure chest. Be prepared to lose it all.

Some guy comes in and puts on his shoulder and walks out. It's gone. Mice are your only problem people are the verb. The Lord uses here translated to break in can literally be rendered to dig in order to dig through in the Middle East during the days of Christ and still in places around the world. The walls of their little homes were made of nothing more than baked clay burglars got into the house by literally digging through the wall.

If you buried your valuables in the floor of the thieves would dig around a little bit to find it literally were thieves dig in, dig through and steal away. Read some time ago about the discovery of a homeowner in the Middle East town of Esch, the Moa, the discovery included 62 pounds of exquisite handcrafted silver jewelry dating 1500 years back. Imagine worth tens of thousands of dollars.

They were found in clay jars buried 2 feet underneath the main floor of the home that had been a homesite for 1500 years. Can you imagine all of those homeowners not knowing as they walked over that dirt floor that 18 inches below was exquisite silver jewelry had no idea they were walking on buried treasure.

I can't help but think about the guy that buried it did no good. He probably feared losing the Lord. He's saying you know if that's if that's your security if that's sure hope all it takes is a little small for a mouse or thief and it's called so look at verse 20 is the encouragement to lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, not moth problems up there.

There aren't mice. I don't know. There may be mice, but there trained I guess thieves certainly aren't there to break in and steal business security issue in heaven. Nothing wears out nothing rusts out.

Nothing gets stolen of the Lord adds to the statement. One of those verdict oriented principles where he wants us to kind of pause do a little evaluation been driving us to this point.

Verse 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also give this issue of materialism and the pursuit for more, and the longing for more, and the longing to keep it insecure our lives because of it isn't really a matter of how much of God or how much it's worth to the issue of how much does it matter to us and what is it say about our greater treasure in life. What is it say about our heart where your treasure is, that's where your heart really is, for the Lord is saying wherever your treasure is, you'll find your heart. There, in real terms.

That's what you really care about time somebody will say to me you know my heart is really interested in missions all really great.

They were volunteered in some ministry locally. Some outreach well now, I haven't ever been on a missions trip now.

I haven't done that either of you dedicated money to missionaries. Are you supporting a family on your own.

Are you giving to the budget of your church fellowship that supports missionaries will know I don't look thought I giving a week or are two weeks or a month or year to some other culture to impacted for Christ. No within your heart is not really there, you're fooling yourself because there's no investing their what my heart is really concerned about reaching the next generation. My heart is so concerned about young people really great thought about volunteering as a youth leader now.

No I don't think so well about volunteering the children's department as a teacher, it would do not know what I working a lot on Sunday evenings in and hearing kids recite verses back to not having done that will have you ever volunteered to be a Bible study leader offer young people know the college ministry known… Either even volunteered in the nursery. No within your not interested in the next generation because there's no investment time. Listen to what your heart is really saying interest always follows investment. In fact I could turn around investment proves interest and I hope my girlfriend would say yes when I proposed.

I put every penny I had into that little engagement ring. I thought if I proposed and she hesitated, maybe that ring would distract her and she'd say yes before she knew she was the I put everything I had illustrated another way I don't get the newspaper… Two on my driveway now one's really soggy days of rain.

I'm hoping it'll be a clue to the guy dropping them there that I don't read when I'm at Smithfield's or Chick-fil-A having devotion or discipling somebody you have a good sometimes pick up the newspaper to skim a light there's one section of the newspaper that I never even glanced it's the Wall Street section, declaring what stocks are up what stocks are down. I could tell you all day long that I'm interested in IBM.

I got friends who work there. So you know I'm concern for the growth of IBM stock in the well-being of the stockholders I really care about that that company, succeeding just my heart.what's the proof I've never bought one share of IBM stock investment proves genuine interest now fine if I sunk my life savings into IBM stock. I mean, I took all $852 my savings account and I bought IBM psych. I've no idea how much it would cost some of even vested. You really do care how much is a share of IBM stock cost hundred $93. Is it up today or it's up today is a good day isn't well I guess you will know on Sunday but you know hundred. I'm so glad you came to show us a materialistic person in real life is not true. Investing in stock doesn't mean that but let me tell you it's a wonderful ploy somebody who has bought it knows how much it's worth your interested art because you've invested in the Jesus is saying that by the way, Jesus gets on to people who take their money and do nothing with it. You remember that one servant of his was so Friday.

He dug a hole and put it in the ground and the Lord said, look, at least you could've earned interest invested doesn't show materialism trying to be your friend.

Okay, let me give you some practical questions though they can evaluate just how much danger we might be in. Ask yourself these questions ready first. Do I spend more time thinking about what money could do in my life versus what I want God to do in my life is another do I consistently pay my bills, but sporadically give to the Lord is another. Do I compromise my convictions to avoid any kind of financial loss is another. Do I have financial goals but if you ask me I don't have any spiritual goal.

Do I invest time and energy in work and family and recreation.

But make no investment of time and energy in serving my family in the body of right is another one am I suddenly interested in charitable giving. In December, or do I do what I did in July is another if I receive a year-end bonus or salary increase will it raise my standard of living, or will it raise my level of giving is another question, is my online banking program designed to make monthly deposit but nothing is planned for ministry. I'll do that whenever I feel like there's another one. When's the last time I've given away something I would've preferred to keep his another what's my attitude or response when I see a homeless person begging on the street.

Another if I ever help the widow or an orphan with tangible gifts of time or energy, or money is another is a charitable gift designed into my will or does all of my estate pass on to my heirs this and I have pastor now for 28 years and to this day no one is ever left this church, and there will that I wasn't sure about it and might not even find out if it happened so I called our finance director and asked him not asking for names, but has anybody ever left colonial in their will. That is me. People have been given from their parents or their grandparents estate but he said no, no one is actually ever put colonial in their will for a direct contribution now. If you have him tell me I don't want to be tempted to pray to you dies first, keep it a secret is not telling telling two more questions will be done one more well tomorrow. Do I think more about my retirement then I do the Lord's return. Last question, do I dream more about my retirement home that I do my heavenly home in the father's house whether there isn't anything that'll break up the stony ground of materialism that wraps itself around her feet keeps us focused on things here rather than things that last forever. Nothing will break up that stony ground developing a generous spirit toward everybody but yourself, hold things loosely give something away. Make plans that will out because he invested he has given his life to us. He has prepared a home in the place for us. We did this in parent in its solution to giveaways to become well to share is to keep what matter most. I hope this time in God's word gave you rash in new perspective. Today God is already instilled in many of you a very generous spirit because it's your generosity that makes our ministry possible. So thank you very much. This is wisdom for the heart. With today's lesson. Stephen Devi began a series entitled breaking up stony ground in the days ahead will be exploring destructive thought patterns that can take root in our hearts and rob us of joy. But if you ever miss a lesson you can hear it on our smart phone, so be sure and install that and join us tomorrow for more wisdom