Matthew 6:19-24

Righteous Treasures

Read…

1Tim. 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Pray

Intro

√ Righteous works ~ wealth

In our study last week we examined the unrighteous works of the Pharisees as it related to fasting.

We said that their fasting was fruitless because…

…they weren’t fasting to gain God’s attention and praise, rather, they were fasting to gain the attention and applause of Man.

The next area of unrighteousness that Jesus tackles is the Pharisee’s attitude and use of wealth (money).

They wrongly believed that the accumulation of wealth equated to righteousness…

…whereas Jesus tells us that one’s attitude toward wealth is the real barometer of righteousness!

So, whether a person is rich or poor doesn’t is really of no consequence to a right relationship with God…

…rather, it is how a person uses what they have that matters to God.

Ex. King David was wealthy and righteous, Joseph & Mary were poor and righteous!

Ap. Where’s your treasure being stored?

In our study this morning we’ll find that where the treasure of your heart is stored, is determined by your attitude toward wealth…

What you treasure with your eyes

Whom you treasure with your service

An important issue because we’ll discover that our attitude toward money will either…

Enslave or free us in this life

Impoverish or enrich us for eternity

So, let’s listen to what Jesus has to say about wealth (money).

Treasure of your heart (vs. 19-21)

Matt. 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;

Matt. 6:20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Matt. 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

√ Treasure of your heart

Keep in mind the context of the Lord’s comments.

He is addressing what the Pharisees do…

…with what He wants us to do.

The issue? Our attitude toward wealth.

The Pharisees believed and taught that God blessed the righteous with material wealth…

…and that poverty was a sign of God’s displeasure.

So, they focused their efforts upon accumulating more and more stuff so that they would appear to be “blessed” by God and thought of as righteous.

Ex. Evidenced by the ruins of Caiaphas’ home in Jerusalem – very posh!

How did they increase their wealth? At the expense of God’s people!

Ex. Money changers and the markets in the Temple courtyard

Matt. 21:12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

Matt. 21:13 And He said to them, “It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

The “you” of vs. 13 were the Pharisees (and other religious leaders)!

The Pharisees wouldn’t let the Jews pay their tithes, offerings, vows and the Temple tax with Roman money because it had an image of a man on it.

So, they exchanged the people’s money but charged a fee for doing so!

The priests wouldn’t accept the animals brought to the Temple for sacrifice.

Instead they sold sheep, doves and rams to the people at a mark up!

They were enriching themselves by taking advantage of God’s people who had come to worship!

Ap. Keep that attitude out of the Church!

I wish that we could say that those who claim the Name of Jesus don’t do the same thing…

…however, the truth is that unrighteous people crept into the young Church in Paul’s day to do the same things!

“(the) useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.”

1st Timothy 6:5

We don’t have to look far to see that those type of men are still with us today!

Ex. The so-called prosperity doctrine

It isn’t taught to bless you, it’s taught to fleece you! Look at their lavish lifestyles and you’ll see that they’re attitudes and teachings are just like the Pharisees were!

Ex. “Lotto tithing”!

So, Jesus tells us not to make the focus of our life the accumulation of the riches of this world.

√ Real treasure

Please understand that Jesus isn’t telling us that we can’t have nice things. Rather, he is telling us not to invest our lives in the pursuit of more stuff because it isn’t worth it!

Why not?

Because material wealth doesn’t last (rust and dust!)

Because material wealth isn’t secure (taken away)

Keep in mind that everything in our world is under the curse of corruption!

Nothing here will last. Science calls that entropy.

Nothing here is secure. Financial advisors calls that Enron.

So, why invest the limited time and talent that you have to acquire treasure that won’t last?

Great point!

Instead, Jesus calls us invest our lives, our time and talent, in the treasures of heaven that will last.

Everything there will last. God calls that eternity.

Everything there is secure. God calls that holiness.

So, the Lord tells us that we should use everything we have in this life for His glory so that we’ll have treasure that lasts and is secure.

Ap. Where’s the treasure of your heart?

Your attitude is simply the overflow of what’s in your heart. A quick look at…

Where you invest your wealth

How you invest your time and talent

…will tell us where your treasure (and hope) are!

So, make sure that the treasure of your heart is stored in heaven, not here on earth.

Treasure of your eyes (vs. 22-23)

Matt. 6:22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.

Matt. 6:23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

√ Treasure of your eyes

These two verses taken out of context can be a bit confusing.

Ex. Jesus is not talking about the spiritual “eye” of the Hindu faith!

Rather, note that the Lord’s commentary on the eye is sandwiched between two sections that talk about wealth!

Vs. 19-21 ~ where’s your treasure is (Heaven or Earth)

Vs. 24 ~ who you’re going to serve (God or Money)

Vs. 25-34 ~ who you’re going to trust (God or Wealth)

His point is that which you treasure with your eye…

…is that which you will treasure and pursue with your heart!

If you’re eye is full of light (looking unto Jesus), then you’re whole life will be dedicated to seeking after the Lord and the treasures of heaven.

If you’re eye is full of darkness (lust of the eyes), then you’re whole life will be dedicated to seeking after the treasures of this world.

Further, those who have an eye for darkness end up spiritually blind so that they cannot distinguish truth and lie.

“If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” ~ vs. 23

Ex. The Pharisees loved money more the God

Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Luke 16:14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.

Jesus was calling the Pharisees to abandon their false god, “mammon” (wealth)…

…to serve the true and living God who stood before them in the Person of the Son.

Ex. The rich young ruler

They rejected Jesus and embraced Mammon.

Why?

Because their eye was fixed on the things of this world instead of upon the things of heaven.

Ap. Beware of the trap of covetousness because it will blind you to the riches of God and lead to a broken heart and life.

Paul wrote in 1^st Tim. 6:9…

“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.”

On the other hand, real and lasting treasure is found when we set our eyes on the Lord and seek to serve Him with all that we have.

So remember, what you treasure with your eyes is that which you will treasure and pursue with your heart!

Treasure of your service (vs. 24)

Matt. 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

√ Treasure of your service

Jesus concludes this section by giving us a tool (or test) that will tell us where the treasure of our heart really is…

…it is the treasure of our service.

What is the test? Whom do we serve…

God or Money?

Note that Jesus tells us that we can only serve One Master…

Not two.

No exceptions.

Recognize that to believe otherwise is to contradict the Lord Who made us!

√ Two paths

Jesus reveals a very significant truth, that is, there are only two paths and they lead in opposite directions!

That is, if you pursue wealth as your god then you’ll end up serving Mammon and at the end of your days find you don’t have either your wealth or the Lord!

Ex. Pharaohs of Egypt

Buried with all their material possessions, but I guarantee you they didn’t take them with them! Instead their riches ended up stolen by thieves or displayed in museums.

If you pursue and serve Jesus, you may end up with great wealth to use for His Kingdom, but more importantly you’ll come to the end of your days and find an eternal inheritance greater than all the riches of this world!

Ex. Lazarus

Had no wealth on this side of eternity by found himself enjoying the eternal comfort and riches of God in Paradise.

Ap. Whom do you serve?

It’s very easy to discern. Make a chart and list what you do with your…

Time

Talent

Treasure

It will become clear very quickly whether you’re serving the Lord or, serving the false god of Mammon (materialism).

Time: Do you work so much that you’re not able to spend time with the Lord?

Ex. Billy Sunday walked away from a busy (and profitable) career in baseball to preach the Gospel.

Talent: Do you invest all of your talent into furthering your career or obtaining more money but rarely use that talent to bless the people of God?

Ex. David Livingstone used his skill as a doctor to bring the Gospel to Africa.

Treasure: Do you give of your treasure to the Lord with a glad heart, or a greedy heart?

Ex. R.G. Letourneau poured his finances into the Kingdom of God and was blessed so much that he was able to give 90% of his income to the Lord and live on 10%!

The point is that none of us can serve both God and Mammon.

That doesn’t mean that we’re all called to abandon our jobs…

…God used Mr. Letourneau in his business environment.

Rather, what the Lord is telling us is that only One King can rule in our heart…

God or Materialism – whom do you serve?

God will set you free to enjoy the things of this life, while those who pursue materialism will find themselves like the Pharisees enslaved by the things they seek after.

Close

√ Put your treasure where it will last!

Invest your life…

Time

Talent

Treasure

…in the things that will bring glory to God.

You won’t regret it – not in this life or eternity!