Jesus gave us some amazing instructions.
Matt. 6:19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Jesus goes on to tell us not to worry about a lot of things in this life, but that God will take care of us. Then he says:
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
How many people do you know who put God’s kingdom and righteousness above everything else in their lives? How many of you here do that? Not just on Sundays or at church functions like this but 24/7?
Listen to these words of the apostle Paul: Acts 20: 22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.
23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.
24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.
And to the Colossians he said: 1: 28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
When I was in high school, I was an idealist. For me, it was all or nothing about whatever I was into. I remember sitting in church and hearing sermons that either put me to sleep or scared me to death. But walking close to God was something I had a hard time grasping. You see, I thought that if you wanted to be close to God you had to be really good. God was sort of like Santa Clause, watching every move I made. Only God was much more dangerous, because he could see inside my head. He knew not only what I did, he knew what I wanted to do! My thoughts! There was no escape! And he demanded perfection! Not just a good job… the absolute best. I mean, didn’t Jesus say: Be ye perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect? And didn’t the apostle Paul say we present every man perfect? When I looked in the mirror and thought of perfection, it just wasn’t there. Wow! And with God, the stakes were incredibly high! It’s heaven or hell! There’s nothing in the middle. The words of Jesus and Paul echoed in my head. “Be ye perfect! We present everyone perfect!” Ouch!
How can you ever be good enough for someone like that!
Personally, I floundered a lot. I’d get in gear to be a good Christian on Sunday, especially after a really strong lesson on how hot hell is, I’d grab my boot straps and pull up as hard as I could. But by Monday afternoon in the guy’s locker room after P.E. period, Id hear the jokes and all the talk about the girls, and I would start to slip. Some of you here might be able to identify… I don’t know.
After a while I began to believe that you had to be an adult before you could really be a true Christian. I thought adults were probably finished with all the youthful temptations and could do what Jesus said with no problem. Adults actually could be perfect as the Father is perfect. What else did they have to deal with? Right?
Now some of you are way ahead of me already, aren’t you. Some of you know what my problem was. The truth is, my theology was incomplete! My idea of who God is and who I am before him were partly correct. But there is so much more about God I didn’t understand. I thought my salvation was mainly up to me. The way I understood things, God had sort of opened the door and left the instruction book, but from there on it was all up to me. Anyone here ever think like that?
I could tell you plenty of illustrations, but this one comes to mind, and I hope it will do.
I remember this one particular time when I was 16 and really trying hard to be a good Christian. Our preacher, Bro. Curtis Ivey, had taken notice of my efforts and wanted to help me along. He invited me to go with him to visit some folks in the hospital. We were on our way home when it happened. I was innocently looking out the window when right before my eyes, riding down the hill on a bicycle, wearing a bikini top and short, shorts was this beautiful young girl. I stared out the window and Bro. Curtis noticed what was going on. He said, “Eyes to the left!” Now listen to me… my eyes turned to the left, but inside I was still looking to the right! Does anyone here know what I’m talking about? That’s just one little incident to illustrate my point here.
I didn’t need instruction on the outside, I needed power on the inside. Do any of you ever feel that way?
I don’t remember the first time I discovered this, but what I am about to read to you has changed my life and helped me discover where my strength to live for God comes from.
It’s all over in the Bible, but about the best place to hear it is in the little book of Ephesians. Stay with me here... Ephesians is like a see-saw. The first half is all about what God did and does and will do. The second half is all about how we respond to God’s work. And get this: the power to do chapters 4-6 is found in chapters 1-3. In fact, the last section in chapter 3 is a prayer. Listen to it...
Eph.3: 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father,
15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Where is this power working? (Within us). Say this phrase with me, according to the power that is at work within us. What is this power? Verse 16: he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
Where is it working? Within us!
This passage is about power and love that surpasses knowledge. God’s power and the love of Christ in you and me who believe. Who do you believe in? Yourself? Your ability to be perfect? Your own strength? Your ability to be good and do everything God wants you to do?
If you are trusting in yourself, you’ve got a big problem. God’s word says you are dead in your trespasses and sins until he makes you alive in Christ. God’s word says, that it was while you and I were powerless, sinners, enemies of God… that is when he demonstrated his great love and gave Jesus to die on the cross for us. Not when you cleaned yourself up, but when you were filthy and dead in sin.
Here’s what happened. God, because He so loved you, sent Jesus here to this earth. Jesus was arrested, falsely accused, mocked, spit upon, beaten, scourged, and finally nailed hands and feet to the cross and hanged up there naked to die. And as he was hanging there in agony, God took all the sins you and I have ever committed and laid them on Him. Then God punished Jesus as if he had committed them all! Forgive us Lord! Hear his horrible cry! My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?! Jesus paid for my sins!
Can God be cursed by God? Can God die? Can God be forsaken by God? Can God die a sinners death?
In Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Word of God who was God, the answer is: Yes!
But why? Because God is love, and this was the only way God could save you and me from our sins.
And get this: Jesus didn’t just take away our sins and pay for them there, God also takes Jesus’ righteousness and credits it to everyone of us when we become Christians! That’s how you and I can be perfect. It’s when we are in Christ! We seek His righteousness, not ours. And God freely gives it to us in Christ. Are you in Christ?
I have learned that the law of Christ can direct me in where I should go, but it is the love of Christ that empowers me to go there. And it is being in Christ and he in me that makes me perfect before him. I don’t believe in me any more. I believe in Jesus. He’s my treasure in heaven. And that’s were my heart is. My whole goal and hope in life is to know Him more, seeking his face, his kingdom, his righteousness.
