Grant Avenue Baptist Church
2215 Grant Avenue
Redondo Beach, CA 90278
(310) 376-7890
Matthew 6:19-34
VERSES 19-21
WHAT NOT TO DO!
“Do Not Store Up” could also be translated “stop storing up.” In other words, Christ was calling for a decisive break with the tradition of the Pharisees. For the Pharisees, what they had defined who they were. In the Jewish tradition if you were able to pile up wealth it meant that God was supposedly blessing you and providing for you. We meet people today who believe the same thing. But remember, in the sermon on the mount Jesus is challenging the teaching and traditions of the Pharisees and demonstrating that His followers would need to have a changed heart.
We often do not think of fine clothing as treasure. Of course, most of the men in our church have never had a designer label suit in our life. However, in the ancient world folks usually had very few articles of clothing. Did you ever notice what got Achan in trouble at Jericho. He didn’t just take money, he took a fine Babylonian garment. Elisha’s servant, Gahazi, didn’t just ask for money from Namaan, but he asked for several suits of fine clothing. Why was fine clothing considered treasure? Because it gave an outward appearance of wealth! Clothing as treasure is important in the context of this chapter because we are told not to do things (fast, pray, give) for the purpose of impressing others with our spirituality.
WHAT TO DO!
We are commanded to start storing up treasures in Heaven. How is that accomplished? First, invest in that which is eternal. Invest in God’s kingdom work. Trees don’t go to heaven. Dogs don’t go to heaven. Horses don’t go to heaven. PEOPLE go to Heaven. Therefore, the greatest investment you can make is in people.
First, invest in yourself. Treasure godly characteristics such as honesty, love, holiness, integrity.
Second, invest in the church: time, money, and effort. The goals of the church are to reach people for Christ and to grow people in Christ. If you are involved in reaching people and helping them grow in Christ then you are investing in that which is eternal.
TWO IMPORTANT REASONS WHY
That which is no eternal is subject to decay, corruption, and destruction. The word which is used to translate as “rust” is the Greek word brosis which means to be eaten away. Everything on earth is subject to decay. If you take coins and clothing and lock them in a trunk and hide them in your attic- when you come back in twenty years the clothes will smell, the threads are likely to be rotten, and the coins will have started to tarnish. Twenty years is no time at all.
Not to mention the concept of thieves who will steal from you. The Greek word that we see translated as break literally means to dig through. In ancient times, the homes were made of mud-brick walls and sneak thieves would dig through the walls in order to gain access without being seen or heard.
I saw a news story this week about a jewelry store burglary. The owners of the store never imagined that someone would break into an empty store next door and then dig through the walls into their store. They thought the alarms on the doors and windows would be adequate to prevent theft. I’ve heard it said that you cannot stop thieves, you just slow them down.
Everything we invest in that which is not eternal will decay or be taken from us.
The second reason is more important. Jesus points out that we need to understand that which we value is an indication of where our heart is at. If we are truly focused on God and His value system, things are not “treasured” but are just things.
I want you to stop and think for a moment about your most valued possession. It may be something you keep in a locked box. It might be something you use everyday. If your focus in life is keeping that item, remember that you can’t take it with you anyway. There are no Ferraris in heaven, much less Mustangs and Mercedes. That precious bit of jewelry won’t make it either.
I want to offer a simple warning here. I’m not suggesting that we are not to have those things, but that instead our attitude towards those things needs to be watched over. If obtaining things is our focus then we aren’t focused on what God is concerned with—PEOPLE!
The things that occupy the center of our heart are the most highly treasured and become the focus of our daily activity, personality, emotions, etc.
VERSES 22-24
Do you remember the children’s song- Be careful little eyes what you see? What you see CAN affect what the heart feels! It can affect what you think!
Some years ago—someone circulated a nasty letter about me. When I found out about it some offered to read it to me and I chose not to hear it. The next day, another person felt I would benefit by reading it. I chose not to see it. I knew that if I read it that I would become angry and bitter. Therefore, I avoided it by refusing to know the content of the negative material. It would have become the focus of my life during that period and I was trying to keep my eyes on Jesus.
If you let THINGS become your focus, then you have allowed materialism to enter your life. Jesus’ emphasis is be careful what you look it… and how you look at it. You have the choice of what to let into your heart.
Jesus then makes a powerful statement. He indicates that things will try to rule over you. Can things really take over your life? In the parable of the fool and his barns the man’s entire focus became having more and more and it consumed him. In the parable of the great banquet, some of those who gave their excuses used things (a new yoke of oxen, a plot of land) as an excuse for not coming to the banquet. There will be people who go to Hell because they choose to live life as if it was a quest for things. I also believe that there are believers who attempt to straddle the fence and try to serve both God and material things.
You cannot be a servant of Christ if you are serving material possessions.
VERSES 25-32
STOP WORRYING!
Jesus specifies that we are not to worry about our physical needs. He gives several examples of God’s provision. He mentions the birds. They don’t sit around worrying about what they are going to eat, yet God meets their needs. He mentions the flowers in the field and how God makes them beautiful.
To Worry is let your mind become occupied with doubt that God can and will provide. It is one of the tunes the devil plays. I like the Spanish word for worry is “preoccuparse” Notice that is sounds like the English word “preoccupied?” If you are preoccupied with concern over food and clothing then you will miss what God may be calling you to do.
The pagans chase after things, but God provides for His own.
Look at the reasons we are not to worry:
1) Worry is ineffective- we can’t add height or longevity.
2) Worry is not part of the natural order of things. The birds and flowers don’t worry.
3) We are valuable to God.
Verses 33-34
The focus of the believer must always be to establish seeking God’s will first.
Did you notice that rather than pursuing food and clothing- we are to be actively seeking God’s kingdom AND His righteousness. To the believer, God’s kingdom and His righteousness are like food and clothing. We clothe ourselves in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and began to work in the kingdom.
