A. Introduction
1. This week's sermon constitutes Part One of the two-part study which will conclude our summer series. Were I to give these two messages a single name, I might call them "The Demand for Decision." In truth, however, that title should fit any sermon preached from this pulpit. Unless we come to church each week to be entertained, or just to kill a couple of hours, we should count on being confronted by our Lord with a life-changing decision as the Word is presented and received in the power of the Holy Spirit
Hebrews 4:12-13 [ NIV ]
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing is all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
2. It is safe to assume that every one of us gathered here this morning desires to please God. True, we may be most concerned with doing nothing that might make Him really angry with us, but, in general terms, we wish to live lives that honour Him. For this reason we arrange the activities of our lives -- more or less -- in such a way to conform to His commandments. We do honestly try to obey God most of the time, and certainly in the "important" areas -- the really serious things.
a. Of course, it equally safe to assume that, each week, some folks come and sit in these seats while living lives in absolute rebellion against God. I'm not taking about non-believers; such is to be expected from them. I refer instead to confessing Christians who are actively and openly engaged in deliberate sin and who, having quenched the Holy Spirit's convicting power, brazenly invite the terrible judgment of God for their bold effrontery. Now, before you start looking around the room for that person, understand that, on any given Sunday morning, I may be talking about you! (I am most certainly, all too often, taking about me!)
b. Let us just admit, each of us, that we often come before the presence of the holy, sovereign God of the universe with dirty hands, and that each of us needs to be cleansed of our unrighteousness by that same holy, merciful God, who has promised to forgive us purely and completely on the merits of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. But let us also acknowledge Christ's claim of lordship in our lives, and let us agree that His Word confronts us with our need to change, our calling to be made more and ever more conformed to the "fullness of the measure of the stature of Christ."
3. In acknowledging God's Demand for Decision from us, we must first remember that a genuine, spiritual change in one's life does not begin with religious activity. In last week's study our Lord declared that the acts of almsgiving, prayer and fasting are without value unless exercised from a pure h __ __ __ __. One's a __ __ __ __ __ __ __ determines the sincerity, the effectiveness, and the eternal quality of one's actions.
4. And one's attitude, we will learn this morning, depends upon one's perspective: one's sense of life's proportions at any given time and place.
a. At least three factors affect my perspective:
(1) my e __ __ __ __ __ __ __;
(2) where I am s __ __ __ __ __ __ __; and, very often,
(3) what it is that I e __ __ __ __ __ to see.
b. There are situations and choices in my life which can l __ __ __ __ my vision.
Jeremiah 17:5-6 [ NIV ]
This is what the Lord says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends upon flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives."
c. And there are situations and choices in my life which can e __ __ __ __ __ __ my vision.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 [ NIV ]
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
5. Our subject this morning will be "vision problems:'
a. problems of spiritual b __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __;
b. problems of spiritual m __ __ __ __ __; and
c. problems of spiritual c __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
B. Text: MATTHEW 6:19-23 [ NIV ]
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"
1. First let us deal with the two chief misconceptions about what the Bible says our Lord taught regarding riches. Nowhere in Scripture does our Lord glorify poverty, and nowhere in Scripture does He condemn the legitimate accumulation of money or material goods. But Jesus warned His disciples of the danger associated with material wealth: its power to e __ __ __ __ __ __ __ us to the point of distorting our life's perspective.
a. The accumulation of material goods and riches often leads to:
(1) s __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ instead of stewardship;
(2) h __ __ __ __ __ __ __ instead of s __ __ __ __ __ __;
(3) p __ __ __ __ stemming from wrong-headed ideas of the "signs" of God's "blessings;"
(4) j __ __ __ __ __ __ __; and, finally,
(5) c __ __ __ __ __ __.
b. "God has declared that all things He has made are good ( Genesis 1:31 ). God knows that we need certain things in order to live ( Matthew 6:32 ). In fact, He has given us "all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17 ). It is not wrong to possess things, but it is wrong for things to possess us. The sin of idolatry is as dangerous as the sin of hypocrisy!" - Warren W. Wiersbe: Be Loyal
c. "What Jesus forbids His followers is the selfish accumulation of goods; extravagant and luxurious living; the hardheartedness which does not feel the colossal need of the world's under-privileged people; the foolish fantasy that a person's life consists in the abundance of his possessions; and the materialism which tethers our hearts to the earth. For the Sermon on the Mount repeatedly refers to 'the heart,' and here Jesus declares that our heart always follows our treasure, whether down to earth or up to heaven." - John R.W. Stott: The Message of the Sermon on the Mount
d. ref: Matthew 13:22
Mark 10:17-27
Luke 12:13-21
2. Jesus uses three familiar images in v.19-21 as He exhorts His disciples to " s __ __ __ __ u __" treasures in heaven instead of on earth.
a. The primary "public" declaration of one's wealth was fine c __ __ __ __ __ __ __. Splendid and custom-tailored garments, made of the finest imported fabrics and elaborately festooned with brightly coloured designs, served for some folks in Bible times the same purpose that super-expensive "vanity" automobiles serve for some today. Is it sinful to own such a car? Certainly not. But if I attach any type of importance to my car which leads to pride of ownership, I have, as Dr. Stott stated, further "tethered" myself to the material world. Some of us are seriously tied down, aren't we? The image of Marley's ghost, weighed down with shackles made of the purses and money boxes he had so "treasured" as a mortal, rightly comes to mind!
Jesus reminds His disciples that even the most expensive garment can be rendered worthless by nothing more than a common m __ __ __!
b. And the most expensive car or the finest beach house money can buy not only decline in value from the instant they are purchased, but they also d __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ physically with the passing of time.
(1) The KJV "rust" -- a translation first rendered by William Tyndale in his English Bible -- is taken from the generic Greek term brosis ("eating" or "eating away"), which could be applied to that wealthy possession of many who were considered rich in Jesus' day: stored grain.
(2) This could apply also to anything in our lives which can be "eaten" away by other voracious "vermin" like inflation, fashion, devaluation, or a volatile stock market.
c. Christ's reference to thieves' "breaking in" is taken from the Greek verb which means literally "digging through." Most homes in Bible lands were made of nothing more than baked clay, and the floors were the earth itself. It was quite simple for a thief to dig through or under such a house and make off with whatever was of value.
In our own day, it is the fine houses that hold the promise of riches inside which are most often the target of burglars; it is the luxury automobiles which are stolen or car-jacked; and, in our schools, it is the latest trendy jacket or shoes which disappear from lockers or are taken under threat of violence from our children.
d. "Gathering earthly treasures is not a great enough cause by which to structure a philosophy of life. Earthly treasures offer no long-range security, for moths destroy, deterioration ruins, and thieves break through the walls and steal. Rather, the treasures of the eternal life are the securities that remain. Such "treasures in heaven," as Jesus called them, were understood in His day to be matters of character. They are the development of a godly personality, of minds that can enjoy the great thoughts of God and His creation, of hearts that transcend selfishness by loving. Such treasures have heavenly meaning and will abide forever." - Myron S. Augsburger: Matthew (Volume 1, The Communicator's Commentary )
e. "Jesus never said that this world was unimportant; but He said and implied over and over again that its importance is not in itself, but in that to which it leads. This world is not the end of life, it is a stage on the way; and therefore a man should never lose his heart to this world and to the things of this world. His eyes ought to be for ever fixed on the goal beyond." - William Barclay: The Gospel of Matthew
3. In v.22-23 Jesus utilizes the e __ __ as the symbol for one's h __ __ __ __. He turns from a consideration of the durability of two kinds of "treasure" to the comparative benefits which can be derived from two kinds of "eye" conditions.
a. The understanding of the eye as the "light of the body" is an old one. To "set the heart" or to "fix the eye" on something is to do more than to "wish" for it. It is to deeply long for it and to pitch one's life toward it. David's celebration of God's law in Psalm 119 overflows with such strong desire.
(1) Psalm 119:10 [ NKJV ]
With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
(2) Psalm 119:18-19 [ NKJV ]
Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law. I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me.
(3) Psalm 119:112 [ NKJV ]
I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, to the very end.
(4) Psalm 119:123-124 [ NKJV ]
My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation And Your righteous word. Deal with Your servant according to your mercy, And teach me Your statutes.
(5) Psalm 119:148 [ NKJV ]
My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word.
(6) Psalm 119:105 [ NKJV ]
Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
b. In keeping with the "window" imagery, it is obvious to all that more light will be let through a "clear" window than a "darkened" one. So it is, says our Lord, for the "eyes" of our hearts. The contrasts He uses in v.23 are seen differently in different Bible translations.
(1) KJV: s __ __ __ __ __ vs. e __ __ __
(2) NIV: g __ __ __ vs. b __ __
(3) RSV: s __ __ __ __ vs. n __ __ s __ __ __ __
(4) NASB: c __ __ __ __ vs. b __ __
(5) NEB: s __ __ __ __ vs. b __ __
(6) TLB: p __ __ __ vs. c __ __ __ __ __ __
c. "It is all a question of vision. If we have physical vision, we can see what we are doing and where we are going. So too if we have spiritual vision, if our spiritual perspective is correctly adjusted, then our life is filled with purpose and drive. But if our vision becomes clouded by the false gods of materialism, and we lose our sense of values, then our whole life is in darkness and we cannot see where we are going." - Stott: Op. cit.
d. The last part of v.23 is logical: In t __ __ __ __ blindness the d __ __ __ __ __ __ __ is complete. Whether I am physically blind or my vision completely blocked by a blindfold, I can see nothing.
C. APPLICATION
1. Many of us are plagued with spiritual vision problems. All are debilitating; one is fatal if not corrected. None can be cured without strong medicine, yet, as we mature, we can "grow out" of some of them. Spiritual vision problems are of three distinct varieties:
a. Spiritual b __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
(1) The "natural" type of this vision problem, if not corrected, is the fatal one. It is nothing short of terminal "heart blindness."
ref: Ephesians 4:17-18
1 Corinthians 2:9
(2) The cure: Spiritual s __ __ __ __, received through f __ __ __ __ in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. It is given to the believer by a spiritual "operation": the c __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of the heart by the Holy Spirit.
ref: 1 Corinthians 2:10-12, 15-16
Colossians 2:6-12
b. Spiritual m __ __ __ __ __
(1) A.k.a. "n __ __ __ - sightedness," this vision problem is the inability to see things that are far off, or not being able to see beyond the "here and now."
(2) ref: 2 Peter 1:5-9; Mark 8:1-21 ( Try also reading TLB paraphrase of this passage. )
c. Spiritual c __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
(1) "b __ __ __ __ s __ __ __ __" in our spiritual vision
(2) Chief cause: our personal e __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
(3) Related problems:
- "u __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __" prayers
- missing opportunities to m __ __ __ __ __ __ __
- the inability to "f __ __ __" God's will for one's life
(4) ref: 1 Kings 18:41-45
2. Ephesians 5:17-19a [ NIV ]
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.
3. The cure, beloved is exercising our spiritual vision. Our eyes must be spiritually focused on spiritual things. It takes commitment and discipline. It requires, above all, truly trusting God when our "eyes" tell us otherwise -- yet another act of faith required of the faithful who would live the by-faith Christian life. "Blessed are your eyes," Jesus told His disciples, "For they see."
D I S C U S S I O N G U I D E
1. Read Matthew 6:19-21.
a. List three ways by which a Christian might "lay up treasures in heaven."
b. How can you know when your heart regarding earthly "treasure" is in the wrong place? _______
c. Some Christians, in light of this passage, would regard the purchase of life insurance and the maintaining of a savings account as "laying up" earthly treasures. How do you see this?
d. Should Christians seek some sort of "lifestyle limit?" How much material wealth is too much for a Christian? Use Scripture to defend your answers.
2. Read Ephesians 4:17-18.
a. What is the cause of the "futile" thinking of non-believers?
b. What might cause even believers to become "futile" in their thinking?
3. What factors in your life cause you to "see the bright side" of everything, to be honestly optimistic in your outlook? ( Be honest! ) Try to list at least three examples.
4. Now name three truths for the Christian which should cause him or her to keep a "clear" eye on the highs and lows of real life.
5. Read Ephesians 5:15-17 and 2 Peter 3:10-14.
a. For the Christian, what constitutes "walking circumspectly" ( "looking around" )?
b. How should a Christian's "knowing the end of the story" affect the way he or she:
(1) Spends money
(2) "Furthers" a career
(3) Views marriage
(4) Serves in the local church
