Treasure Map! - Matthew 6:19-21 - March 11, 2012
Series: Kingdom Life – A World Turned Upside Down #21
Possessions weigh me down in life;
I never feel quite free.
I wonder if I own my things,
Or if my things own me?
Now I don’t know who wrote those lines, but I think I understand the heart from which they were written – and maybe you do to! Truth is our lives are filled with an abundance of things – things big, things small and things in between. But those “things” we so enjoy come at a price, don’t they? In 2011 research showed that the debt-to-income ratio of the average Canadian family was 150%. And I want you to stop for a moment and consider what that means for you and me in practical terms. … What that means is that for every $1000.00 in after tax income that the average Canadian family earns, it owes $1500.00. (http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20110217/family-debt-110217/) That’s staggering and it means that many of us are not getting further ahead, but are in fact, falling further behind than ever before.
But the cost of our things is not just measured in dollar amounts. There is a hidden cost to the things we own as well. And that cost is measured in our attachment to, and our responsibility in, those things that we own. And that hidden cost means that at times, times like that unknown poet mentioned, that it feels like our possessions really possess us rather than the other way around. If, for example, you own your own house it demands your time, energy and resources, doesn’t it? Now don’t misunderstand me here – there’s nothing wrong with owning your own home – but a home can become a black hole which our time, energy and resources are poured into, never to be seen again. That which should be a blessing can become a consuming burden as you find yourself renovating, painting, shoveling snow in the winter, cutting the grass in the spring, and tending the garden in the summer, bringing in the harvest in the fall, replacing that which has broken down, and all the other things that usually come along with home ownership. Now you might take joy in these things, you might find great satisfaction in them even, but there is still the sense in which your time, your monies, and energy, are no longer wholly your own – the house – your possession – has a claim on it.
I suspect that if we took a moment to reflect on those things that lay claim to our time, our energy and our finances, we would discover to one degree or another, that our possessions do, in fact, possess us. And I imagine that the farmer in the parable that ______________ read for us a few moments ago had that truth brought home to him in a very real way when God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (Luke 12:15-21)
Here is a man who was a hard worker. We might even envy his work ethic and his success. We do it all the time in our society. We admire those who work diligently and find themselves getting ahead in life. Those, who, out of the abundance they have received, are able to surround themselves with the good things of life. That was this farmer. Scripture says he was already a rich man when his crops yielded yet another abundant harvest. Things were so good he was going to level his granaries and build even bigger ones to store, what he called in his own words, his “surplus grain.” He had far more than he needed and his ultimate goal was to get to the point where he could take life easy - eat, drink and be merry.
That’s the dream of so many people in our day and age, isn’t it? Maybe it’s even your dream! I have a good friend who is living that dream out today. He’s 40 years old and this past January he retired. He and his wife own a 5000 square foot house. The house is absolutely beautiful and the yard is magnificent. They have an outdoor pool the likes of which I have never seen before and the landscaping is amazing. And in a way, I’m happy for them. I don’t resent them their success at all - they’re living the life that so many people can only dream of.
But in my heart I tremble for them, because while they have stored up things for themselves, they are not rich towards God. And when I think upon that I begin to tremble for myself, and my own family, because I can see that there are times when I have stored up things for myself rather than choosing to be rich in the things of God. And then I tremble for our churches today because too often we substitute worldly success for the presence of the living God. We are frequently satisfied with the superficial trappings of religion rather than hungering after the deeper things of faith. We store up our treasures here on earth thinking we are the richer for it, not realizing until it is too late, just how empty those riches really are in the bigger scheme of things.
J.D. Rockefeller, Jr. was once one of the wealthiest men in North America. When he died someone, wanting to know what Rockefeller had been worth, asked his financial adviser, “How much did he leave?” To which the advisor answered, “Everything!” (As quoted by Jim Twambley, God’s Plan For Financial Freedom, www.sermoncentral.com) The same sentiment was expressed on a bumper sticker I once saw. It said, “He who dies with the most toys, still dies!” The man or woman who spends their life accumulating wealth and possessions for no higher purpose, then their own comfort and satisfaction, ultimately finds themselves the poorer for it. And we live in such a consumer driven, and pleasure oriented, instant gratification society, that that is a danger that every one of us faces.
Open your Bibles with me this morning to the 6th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 6, beginning in verse 19. We are continuing in our study of the Sermon on the Mount. In these past few weeks Jesus has given us a series of examples to help us understand what a life of faith pleasing to God looks like. And what we’ve discovered is that it is really the heart that is important. The heart that hungers after God, and that finds it’s motive for the things it does in God’s love and love for God, is the one that is rewarded by God. The hypocrites are the ones who do it in the name of God but who are really doing it for themselves so that others will notice or praise them or think well of them. Jesus says that they have received their reward in full. As difficult as some of those messages might have been for us to hear, today’s is going to be that much more so, because Jesus speaks straight to an area of life that so many struggle with today. So let’s begin reading in verse 19 …
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19–21, NIV)
You know, as a kid I enjoyed reading stories that revolved around buried treasure. Somewhere, usually on a deserted tropical island, someone had once buried a vast horde of riches. Those riches were up for grabs to anyone who could decipher the clues left behind on the treasure map. If you followed the markings on the map to the “X” that marked the hidden wonders, you would, without fail, discover your treasure.
Folks, Jesus has given us a treasure map in these verses. But what we discover when we finally reach the “X” that marks the spot, we find not just the treasure we were hungering after, we find something infinitely more important, we discover our heart. And when the Bible talks about the heart it’s talking about that deep inner core that our thoughts, our decisions, our passions, our will and our beliefs flow from, and from which we live all the days of our lives. When you discover what your treasure is, you uncover that which drives, motivates and influences your life at it’s very core. And one of the questions we’re asking this morning is this: “Where, or what, is your treasure?” What drives your life? What influences the choices you make on a day to day basis? What gives your life meaning and purpose?
For some it is the material things of this world. They store up for themselves all the good things of life. They live well – often well beyond their means – and they surround themselves with those things that give their lives meaning. Sometime ago armed gunmen broke into a London bank and stole valuables worth more than seven million dollars. One lady lost jewelry that had been appraised at $500,000.00. When she was told it was gone she cried out and said, “Everything I had was in there. My whole life was in that box.” (Mark Brunner, www.sermoncentral.com, Illustrations, from Our Daily Bread) Friends, that’s a sad commentary on our values and priorities, but that’s how some people live their lives.
For others it’s all about status and appearance and the quest, many times, to appear to others as someone better than we really are. They hunger for the approval and respect and even the envy of others. This is what drives their lives and influences how they spend their time, money and energy. It reminds me of the story of the woman who decided to have her portrait painted. She told the artist, "Paint me with diamond rings, a diamond necklace, emerald bracelets, a ruby broach, and gold Rolex." "But you are not wearing any of those things," he replied. "I know," she said. "It’s in case I should die before my husband. I’m sure he will remarry right away, and I want his new wife to go crazy looking for the jewelry." (Thomas Black, www.sermoncentral.com, Illustrations) Some people invest their lives in keeping up appearances when the reality is far different.
Others spend their life running after pleasure and happiness and trying to find it in all the things of this world. They seek to satisfy the cravings of the soul, in the things of the flesh, or they try to dull the pain of life, with the drugs or alcohol, but rather than finding the release they hoped for, they find themselves in bondage to yet one more thing that takes possession of their lives.
We could go on but it’s enough to say that materialism – the quest to find identity, meaning and purpose in the things that we surround ourselves with – is ultimately empty. Look with me at verse 19. Jesus says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19, NIV) Literally the phrase, “Do not store up” is “Stop storing up for yourselves.” Stop what you are doing. Do not live this way. Do not run after the things of this world because they aren’t going to last.
Riches, in Jesus’ day, were counted in quality fabrics for clothing, in foodstuffs such as grain that you could store, and then in gold or other rich metals or jewels that retained their value with the passage of time. Jesus’ says, “That is what man values and what man clings to. But look how empty it all is. If that’s the highest goal of your life you stand to lose it all and to be left with nothing. Moths destroy the clothing, vermin eat up the grains, and thieves can break in and steal that which has value to you.”
Today His words might be a little different. He might tell us not to put our hopes in real estate, not to treasure our investments, and not to trust in our jobs. The real estate market can come tumbling down. Look at what’s happening further south. Hundreds of thousands of homes are being foreclosed on – and it’s not just the low income who are losing their homes - but now it’s the wealthy who are having to give up their dwellings and walk away. The stock market can crash and your investments can turn to nothing but worthless paper in the blink of an eye. Jobs too, are uncertain, and we are witnessing the effects of that around the world as well as economies crumble.
Friends, if money, wealth, and comfort are the ultimate goals of your life, there will be a price to pay. James 5 warns us with these words: “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.” (James 5:1–6, NIV)
If we are not careful, materialism will enslave the heart. “Many of you remember the final scene of Steven Spielberg’s movie Schindler’s List where Oscar Schindler, the Polish businessman, [and a member of the Nazi party] used a portion of his fortune to put the names of Jews on a work list that would keep them from going to concentration camps. Faces, - those who escaped certain death because of his action – as he looks into their faces he has a moment of clarity. He sees things as he’s never seen them before. He’s talking to his friend, and says, “If only there could have been more. If only I could have done more.”
His friend says, “There are 1100 people here. There are generations here because of what you have done.” But Schindler says, “It could have been more. That car – I could have sold it and it would have meant ten more people. Ten more people on that list. Ten more lives saved.” He ripped the swastika pin from his lapel and says, “This pin! It’s gold! That’s two people.” He had a moment of clarity when he realized the difference between what we value on this earth and what is valuable in eternity.” (Don Hawks, www.sermoncentral.com, Illustrations)
He saved many, but he realized, after it was too late, that he could have saved even more if materialism hadn’t enslaved his heart; if he hadn’t been holding so hard to the things of life that he missed the people who life was all about. This world’s treasures don’t last. That’s why Jesus warns us saying, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth … But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19–20, NIV)
You hear a lot about people investing in things these days. Jesus is talking about investing in eternity and in God’s kingdom. And that’s important because if that’s what we treasure, that’s where are our hearts are going to be as well. Remember this: your heart follows your treasure – not the other way around. So if your greatest craving, your deepest treasures, are wealth, or popularity, or possessions, or God, your heart will follow whatever your treasure happens to be. Your heart will seek out that which you treasure. Your treasure is a map to your heart. If your treasure is money, then you’ll seek out the things that will build wealth into your life. If your treasure is God, then you’ll hunger and thirst after those things that draw you closer to Him and which build into His kingdom.
There is an interesting passage of Scripture in the Old Testament which gives us insight into what Abraham and Lot treasured. They had been traveling together for a while and had been blessed by God. The land couldn’t really support the two of them and their families and all their livestock, so they agreed to go their separate ways. Abraham gives Lot the first choice of where to go. Lot looks around, and sees that the land in a certain direction is well watered and bountiful and beautiful beyond anything else he can see in any direction and so he tells Abraham that he will settle over their amongst those towns and those peoples who lived there.
Lot chose what appeared to be the richest and the best for himself. But his heart wasn’t hungering after the right things. Lot pitches his tent near a city named Sodom. A people who, the Bible tells us, “were wicked and sinning greatly against the Lord.” (Genesis 13:10-13) Sodom might have been a bountiful place, a good place even to raise his livestock, but he never stopped to consider whether it was a good place to raise a family or to seek the Lord. His heart followed his treasure, his heart followed the things he valued above all else. How many times do we do a similar thing? How often do we embrace an opportunity that might be good for us materially, but not so good spiritually? People get a job, move away, but how frequently do they consider the spiritual cost of moving? They’ve checked out all the job benefits and its perks, but have they checked out the churches? Are they hungering after the things of this world or of God. In contrast, Abraham’s heart was for the Lord. He waited upon God, trusted in the promises of God, and was rewarded by God in the process.
What are you running after in your life? If you’re married, I want you to go home and have that conversation with one another sometime during this week. Talk about those things, talk about your treasure, your heart, and what’s being lived out in your home. If you’re not married, then seek out a godly friend and have that conversation with them because each of us is building something with our lives. Scripture says, “each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.” (1 Corinthians 3:11–15, NIV) What’s going to be left when your work is tested?
Many years ago Ray Boltz came out with a song called “Thank You.” The lyrics go like this …
I dreamed I went to heaven / And you were there with me; / We walked upon the streets of gold / Beside the crystal sea. / We heard the angels singing / Then someone called your name. / We turned and saw a young man running / And he was smiling as he came.
And he said, "Friend you may not know me now." / And then he said, "But wait, / You used to teach my Sunday School / When I was only eight. / And every week you would say a prayer / Before the class would start. / And one day when you said that prayer, / I asked Jesus in my heart."
Thank you for giving to the Lord. / I am a life that was changed. / Thank you for giving to the Lord. / I am so glad you gave.
Then another man stood before you / And said, "Remember the time / A missionary came to your church / And his pictures made you cry. / You didn't have much money, / But you gave it anyway. / Jesus took the gift you gave / And that's why I'm here today."
One by one they came / Far as the eye could see. / Each life somehow touched / By your generosity. / Little things that you had done, / Sacrifices made, / Unnoticed on the earth / In heaven, now proclaimed.
And I know up in heaven / You're not supposed to cry / But I am almost sure / There were tears in your eyes. / As Jesus took your hand / And you stood before the Lord. / He said, "My child, look around you. / Great is your reward."
That song pictures so very well the heart of what Jesus is talking about when He speaks of storing up treasures in heaven. How do we do that? How do we invest in the eternal? How do we lay up those heavenly treasures that will not perish, spoil, nor fade?
Paul, writing to Timothy, gives him these instructions, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (1 Timothy 6:17–19, NIV)
And Peter writes, “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:8–9, NIV)
So start with God. Romans 12:1 - “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1, NIV) That’s the starting place, the driving force, the motivating factor – our response to God. So let God be that which you treasure, and hunger after, and which shapes your life.
Then be rich in good deeds, generous, willing to share, compassionate, loving and humble – not to impress man but to honor God – that’s that living sacrifice of worship we’re talking about. Use the resources God has blessed you with – time, talents, energy and so on – and invest them in things of the Lord. There’s nothing wrong with earthly treasures but use them for God’s glory and his purposes. Because friends, God has made you steward of not just your finances, but also of the hours of your day, and the passions of your heart. How will you use those things to honor Him? To bring glory to His name? How will you use them to show others God’s love? How will you use them to bless others?
Remember – your heart will follow your treasure. So what are you treasuring? What are you investing your life in? What’s your heart hungering after? And you’ll know you’re on the right track when you discover that the overwhelming desire of your heart is not for wealth, and comfort and luxury, nor to be constantly entertained, but rather for God Himself, His will, His kingdom, His works, His people.
Let’s pray …
