WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?
(Based on a sermon by Jeff Walling preached at the Tulsa International Soul Winning Workshop in March of 2006))
A. (Show clip from the movie: National Treasure) Hollywood has made tons of MONEY on TREASURE HUNTING movies.
COMMENT:
Indiana Jones, Titanic, Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure, and dozens more—are all stories about FINDING HIDDEN TREASURE.
ILLUSTRATION:
In October 1947, there was a geologist by the name of Dr. John Williamson who was doing some work in the country of Tanzania. One day, he found himself driving in a deserted area, slipping and sliding along a rain-soaked road. Suddenly his four-wheel drive vehicle sank up to its axles in the mud and got stuck.
Pulling out his shovel, Dr. Williamson began the unpleasant task of digging out of a mud hole. He had been at it for a while when his shovel uncovered something strange. It was a pink-like stone of some sort. Being a geologist and naturally curious about rock formations, he picked it up and wiped away the mud. The more mud he removed, the more excited he became, and could hardly believe what he saw. When the stone was finally clean, Dr. Williamson was beside himself with joy. He had discovered a diamond.
Now, any diamond at all would be a surprise in that situation. But Dr. Williamson found what became known as the famous pink diamond of Tanzania worth MILLIONS of dollars. That stone today sits in the ROYAL SCEPTER of Great Britain, and Dr. Williamson is famous around the world for his find -- as accidental as it may have been.
B. Regardless of how PRECIOUS that DIAMOND is, as Christians we have a TREASURE that is far more VALUABLE.
MESSAGE:
I. TREASURE OF OUR HEART – Matthew 6:19-21 (READ) REPEAT v. 21
A. Jesus begins by talking about a LITERAL TREASURE—yours and my POSSESSIONS—and then SPIRITUALIZES it.
1. When Jesus exhorts us not to “store up” for ourselves “treasures upon earth”, He uses an
interesting play-on words in the Greek.
a. “Store up” translates the Greek word thesaurizo.
b. “Treasures” translates the Greek word thesauros.
COMMENT:
These two words come from a common term from which we get our English word THESAURUS. A thesaurus is a treasury of words. So we might translate this phrase as, “do not TREASURE up TREASURES for yourselves on earth.”
2. Jesus is not teaching against having a SAVINGS ACCOUNT—that would contradict other teachings of the Bible.
COMMENT:
However, He is saying that we should not put all of our TIME and ENERGY amassing possessions that are only TEMPORAL. If you are putting your HEART, SOUL, STRENGTH, and MIND into earthly TREASURES then you will LOSE everything, including your home in HEAVEN.
ILLUSTRATION:
There is an epitaph on a tombstone that reads: “What I SPENT, I LOST. What I SAVED, I LEFT. What I GAVE, I HAVE.” As we INVEST in the Kingdom of God, we assure for ourselves an ETERNAL REWARD.
B. I want to focus on what Jesus said in v. 21- “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Two truths I want you to consider:
1. We CHOOSE where we PLACE our TREASURE.
COMMENT:
This verse does not merely say, “You can find a person’s heart by finding his treasure.” I believe Jesus is saying that it is our CHOICE where we PLACE our TREASURE.
WALLET ILLUSTRATION:
In a very LITERAL sense, part of my EARTHLY TREASURE is setting here in my WALLET. In my WALLET I have a little bit of CASH. I have my DEBIT CARD that represents my CHECKING and SAVINGS accounts. My DRIVER’S LICENSE is in here. My INSURANCE CARDS are here. . . . I have my HOLLYWOOD VIDEO & TAN I.D. CARD.
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE YOUR WALLET WITH YOU? . . . . WILL YOU PLEASE GET IT OUT? --JUST HOLD YOUR WALLET UP IN THE AIR FOR A MINUTE. (“WHAT’S IN YOUR WALLET?” – I’ve always wanted to say that.)
IN A MOMENT, I AM GOING TO ASK YOU TO TURN AND HAND YOUR WALLET TO THE PERSON BEHIND YOU.
ILLUSTRATION:
WHOA! WHOA! WHOA! WAIT A MINUTE! WHY ALL THE GROANS? Why does that thought immediately cause you to think, “I am so sure!” DO YOU NOT TRUST THE PERSON SITTING BEHIND YOU? “Of course, I trust them. But I’m not giving them my WALLET.”
FIND A PERSON TO GIVE MY WALLET TO: “NOW___________ DON’T BE LOOKING IN MY WALLET!” “____________, CAN YOU HOLD IT UP WHERE I CAN SEE IT?”
COMMENT:
What I have done—I have CHOSEN to MOVE my TREASURE. Now, although I’ve got more things to say, part of me can’t help but think . . . what is ______________ doing with my WALLET. (This brings me to the second TRUTH.)
2. Our HEART will follow our TREASURE.
a. Over the years I have known people who have come to God from all WALKS of LIFE.
COMMENT:
I have seen people make some DRASTIC changes from a life totally CONTROLLED by SIN — ALCOHOL, DRUGS, SEX, PORNOGRAPHY, MATERIALISM—and become STRONG, FAITHFUL Christians. All because they moved their TREASURE from the WORLD and put it in the HANDS of the LIVING GOD. And when that HAPPENED, their HEART followed their TREASURE.
ILLUSTRATION:
OKAY, ______________ ARM IS GETTING A LITTLE TIRED. AND HE’S WONDERING IF IT WOULD ALRIGHT TO PUT MY WALLET IN HIS LAP. AND I HAVE TO DECIDE. IF I CAN’T SEE IT, WILL IT BE SAFE? -- “GO AHEAD AND HOLD IT IN YOUR LAP, _____________.”
b. This is what God is WAITING for.
ILLUSTRATION:
This is the difference from merely ATTENDING church and GIVING your HEART to God. It’s TRUSTING God with your TREASURE even though you may not always SEE what He’s doing with it.
It’s putting your LIFE into His HANDS to do with you whatever He SEES FIT. It’s SERVING His church when you’d rather be doing something else. It’s
saying “NO” to your FRIENDS when it’s not always POPULAR to do so. It’s GIVING first to the CHURCH even when you could use the MONEY for something else. It’s being FAITHFUL to Him even when you are told you have TERMINAL CANCER.
COMMENT:
I am going to DETERMINE that God is going to be the number one PRIORITY in my life, and to get there I am going to PUT my TREASURE there.
II. THE HIDDEN TREASURE – Matthew 13:44 (READ)
A. During Jesus’ time, burying your VALUABLES in the ground was a very common PRACTICE.
1. Today we keep money in BANKS or SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES.
ILLUSTRATION:
But, back in those days, there were no BANKS for the common people. Only wealthy folks had access to banks, which in those days were not very safe places to keep your money anyway.
So if someone was fortunate enough to possess some money and other valuables, he would often BURY it for SAFE KEEPING. Just like the “one talent man did with the money that his Master gave him”- Mathew 25:18.
2. Over the years, the ground of Palestine became a veritable TREASURE HOUSE.
COMMENT:
When the owner of a buried treasure DIED or was FORCEFULLY DRIVEN from the land (like during the Babylonian exile), his TREASURE would be LOST forever unless someone DISCOVERED it.
So, in those days, it wasn’t UNCOMMON at all for a person who was PLOWING or DIGGING in a field to ACCIDENTALLY come across a TREASURE. And under Jewish Rabbinical Law that states, “If a man finds scattered fruit or money, it belongs to the finder”, the man had LEGAL RIGHT to the TREASURE. In fact, he could have just taken it, but instead he sells all that he has and buys the FIELD.
B. What is this TREASURE?
1. When Jesus said, “the kingdom of heaven is like a hidden treasure”, He is referring to KINGDOM LIVING not heaven itself.
COMMENT:
KINGDOM LIVING is giving our LIFE to Christ and LIVING for Him. It’s “seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).
It is putting Christ ABOVE EVERYTHING and EVERYONE else in our LIFE—above our FAMILIES, above our JOBS, above our MONEY and POSSESSIONS, above our WORLDLY PLEASURES, above SPORTS, above your GIRLFRIEND or BOYFRIEND, above OURSELVES—above ANYTHING or ANYONE that will RIVAL the LOVE we have for Christ.
2. This TREASURE is LIVING for Christ and His BRIDE—His CHURCH.
COMMENT:
If you’ve turned your life over to Christ in BAPTISM, the TREASURE is already yours. But, how VALUABLE is this TREASURE to you?
C. What are you doing with your TREASURE—what are you DOING for Christ and His church?
COMMENT:
Jesus said this TREASURE meant so much to the man who found it, that he “JOYFULLY sold everything that he OWNED to POSSESS it.” WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO?
1. Are you willing to DEVOTE your TIME?
COMMENT:
I know that our TIME is a precious COMMODITY, but the apostle Paul in two places urged us “to make the MOST of our TIME for God” – Ephesians 5:16 and Colossians 4:5.
ILLUSTRATION:
Have you noticed how we can always make TIME for things we want to DO? We can make time for RECREATION, we can make time for our FAVORITE SPORT’S EVENT, we can make time for our FAVORITE TELEVISION PROGRAM—we have no trouble making TIME for the things we want to DO.
But when it comes to making TIME for God, we just can’t seem to FIND the TIME. We don’t have time to READ our BIBLES, we don’t have time to PRAY, we don’t have time for a SMALL GROUP, we don’t have time for SUNDAY SCHOOL, we don’t have time to SERVE in a MINISTRY.
The truth is, WE CAN MAKE THE TIME! IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHERE OUR TREASURE IS.
2. Are you willing to USE your GIFTS and ABILITIES?
a. I Peter 4:10- “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
b. Church MINISTRIES often suffer because there’s not enough people to SERVE in them. Some say, "I don’t have the time?" Others say, "I’m just too busy with other projects at work and with the kids at school." Where is your treasure?
3. Are you willing to GIVE your MONEY?
a. Acts 20:35b- “Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive.”
COMMENT:
Only those who have their TREASURE in the HANDS of God understand that statement. We live in a “GIVE ME!”, “GIVE ME!” world. Many people are constantly TAKING, but not GIVING.
b. The MINISTRIES in which this church is INVOLVED cost MONEY.
COMMENT:
The YOUTH MINISTRY cost MONEY. The PROPERTIES MINISTRY (maintaining our BUILDINGS and GROUNDS) cost MONEY. The WORSHIP MINISTRY and its various COMPONENTS cost MONEY. Our MISSIONS MINISTRY cost MONEY. The EDUCATIONAL MINISTRY cost MONEY. The FELLOWSHIP MINISTRY cost MONEY. The SMALL GROUP MINISTRY cost MONEY. The BENEVOLENCE MINISTRY (CARING
for people’s NEEDS) cost MONEY.
Every MINISTRY this church is INVOLVED in that you and I ENJOY and greatly BENEFIT from, cost lots of MONEY. And if we want these MINISTRIES to CONTINUE, then
we have to FINANCIALLY SUPPORT this CHURCH and its MINISTRIES.
c. If you are a MEMBER of the Rossville Church of Christ, then you need to be GIVING GENEROUSLY to this church—if you’re not already. IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHERE OUR TREASURE IS.
CONCLUSION:
A. In closing, I want you to understand that we have a precious, invaluable TREASURE in Christ and His
church.
1. But often we SET that TREASURE aside for other TREASURE, and our HEART FOLLOWS.
COMMENT:
In so doing, our RELATIONSHIP with Christ suffers. Our SPIRITUALITY weakens. Our church INVOLVEMENT wanes. Our JOY diminishes.
2. It’s only when we CHOOSE to put our TREASURE back in God’s HANDS that LIFE makes SENSE.
B. When the TREASURE PRINCIPLE gets hold of my LIFE, I find it much easier to get my EYES on the TREASURE and off of the TRASH.
COMMENT:
If Christ and His CHURCH is not your TREASURE, then, friend, you are only wallowing in TRASH!
WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?
