Jesus’ Example of Earthly Treasure

Matt 6:24

Matthew 6:

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters, for 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 God and money.

 

I Tim 6:

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

 

  1. You Cannot Serve Two Masters

 

  1. This is obvious and hidden

We know it is true, but still try…

Romans 7: The things I want to do I do not do, the things I do I do not want to do. Wretched man that I am, who will set me free?

Romans 8: No condemnation. The Holy Spirit is our guide. Discipline is a tool for maturity (it reveals our heart). The Holy Spirit helps us pray and and act for good. God will cause all things to work together for good. This is proved by Him sending Christ. Nothing can separate us from the God who loves us.

Romans 12:1, 2

Therefore, present yourselves to God as a living sacrifice. And do not be conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

A person might say that they love their spouse (if they consider that love is a feeling) but act in very unloving ways.

 

We cannot stand to think that we don’t know how to love, that we love ourselves more than our spouses etc. And yet I know respectable people who have cheated on their spouse. I know respectable people who are abusive to their spouse. How is this possible? We lie to ourselves. We try and serve two masters. And we create great trouble! And we may not even know what the master is that we are serving. But I assure you that it will be a master related to pleasure, pride or greed!

 

  1. There are reasons that we do what we do

If it is unclear, then we are trying to serve two masters. In other words, if you consider your motivation for whatever you are      doing, the direct reason for it should be something related to   God’s will. Ephesians 2:10 God has prepared good works for us        in advance. Think of that as a template, rather than a list.

This is also what James means when he says we can be double    minded. We have to be firmly committed to obedience to what God will give us as wisdom before He gives it or else we will not       be stable.

When we don’t like our motivations or are overrun by them, then         we are trying to serve two masters. This is the result of a cloudy       eye. We don’t see ourselves clearly.

 

 

  1. The Example of God and Money as Masters
  2. A master directs our lives

How does God direct our lives? Through His Word and by the         instruction of the Holy Spirit. So, we have a new job to consider. What is the first thing that we ask?

What does God want from me at work where I am?

What does God want from me at work where I might go?

Or:

How much does the job pay? How much do I need in                           order to live well? What kind of car do I need? How nice a                    house do I need to live it? We make lots of decisions, and                    frankly, I am not interested in judging your life decisions.                    But I do want to caution you about your heart. You cannot                         serve two masters.

I Tim 6:

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

 

  1. Money as a master is a trap!

        There are many verses in the Bible that indicate that God will bless His people. And a part of this blessing is financial. But God does not promise us a life that is devoid of trouble! There is also trouble to be had. Why? Because we live in a world that is still under the effects of sin! What should we do?

We should trust God to be our provider!

And we should trust that He is providing for us right now today!

And we should make sure that gaining money does not rise above the level of priority that it should have!

And we should realize that this is a real danger to our lives!              

 

  1. Do you want to get rich?

        Be careful how you define riches!

        Be careful how you define greatness! (The last shall be first   and the great will be servant of all!)

In as much as you have done it to the least of these brothers of   mine, you have done it to me.

        Be careful how you define life!

        John 5: 39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory from people. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.       

 

The truth is, if we want to get rich, then we are storing up treasures on earth.

The truth is, if we want to get rich, we will be trapped by our hearts that will never be satisfied by riches.

The truth is that all of our financial greatness (and we are incredibly wealthy) is wasted when it becomes the goal of our working lives.

A business has to make money to survive, but only a business that provides great service, meets needs, demonstrates care for the customer and employees will thrive. Those are the greater goals. And when money becomes the ultimate goal, the other greater goals suffer.

We live in a world where people will buy a business, run it to maximize profit in the short term, then sell the business for profit. And everyone’s life is worse off for it.

 

If God has given you much, much will be required of you!

Luke 12:

Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

And we live in an incredibly wealthy place and time.

       

III. True Riches are Available to All!

  1. Anyone can store up treasures in heaven

When our lives are focused around God’s plans and purposes       then we enter into greater things than we have just in ourselves!

How can it seem we are gaining when we are giving? Well, can it feel like what you have owns you? Yes, that is what we need to avoid. Our desires can own us. What did God say to Cain?

Genesis 4:7 And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

 

  1. Godliness with contentment is what you want

What is godliness? It is the form of life that God has made you for. There is a way of living that fits you specifically. And that way of living is based upon living like Jesus Christ. We are priests of God. We are servants of God. We are givers like God is a giver. We have gifts of the Holy Spirit given to us by God and we have the fruit of the Holy Spirit as our birthright. But, if we do not pursue Godliness with contentment, then our hearts will not be full of the Spirit. We will lack self-control, patience, peace, joy and love. We will fail to be gentle and good.

 

I have never met anyone in life who trusted God with their life and was disappointed in what God had done in them and for them. But I have known many people who are disappointed with their lives.

 

What is contentment? It is being satisfied with what God has given to us. How do we gain contentment?

 

  1. Get Contentment

               

  1. Be a giver. Fight against the power of discontent in you by giving away your money. It is more blessed to give than to receive! Use your money as a tool for righteousness!

 

  1. Ask before you commit. Don’t buy something because you want it. Ask God first. Is this what He wants for His                     resources that He has provided for you? Do not listen to    advertisers! Why do we drive the cars that we drive?

 

  1. Celebrate what others have. Be happy for them. Do not seek to take away from their joy, their resources etc.

 

  1. Celebrate what you have.

        Set a baseline of giving. Giving a percentage. A Biblical                        standard often mentioned is the tithe, but it is a                                  complicated thing to mete out. And then give joyfully to                       meet the call of God in service to Him.

 

First bonus check at Stoby’s, I gave it to this church. $4,000 or    so.