Finding Your Niche
Sept. 7/8 2002
Intro:
Jesus said, "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.” (Matt 6:19-21)
Today I want to ask you this question: What do you do that will last for eternity?
1. Treasures on earth:
Jesus begins with a negative: “do not.” He tells us not to “store up” treasures here, on earth. And He gives a good reason: treasures here are temporary. They don’t last forever, they have no permanence, they are subject to theft and destruction. They will not last.
What are the “treasures on earth” that we are tempted to store up? Well let’s look in treasure chest #1… (remove $5 bill)
Obviously wealth is a big one. We live in a world where the accumulation of wealth and the things that wealth buys is the end goal of virtually everything. Bill Clinton famously said, “It’s the economy, stupid…”, and the popularity of the quote demonstrates how much this is a motivating factor in our lives. We look for security in a bank account, we measure our success and importance by the size of our paycheck, we depend on money to meet our needs.
And yet we know in our heads that it is temporary. We know that when we die, we won’t take any of it with us. Perhaps you’ve heard about the man who was very rich, and as he lay in bed one night an angel appeared to him and said, “your time is up. I’ve come to take you to heaven.” The rich man paused, and then begged to be allowed to bring some of his great wealth with him. The angel said no, but the man persisted and begged and pleaded until finally the angel gave in and said he could bring one suitcase only. So the man got up and thought for a while, calculated the relative value of all the things he could bring, and decided that the best value would be to fill his suitcase with gold bricks. He arrived at the gates of heaven, and St. Peter was a little surprised to see him arrive with a suitcase. The man explained how he had begged and begged and finally the angel gave in, and so Peter asked to see what was inside. The man proudfully opened the suitcase, Peter looked in, and then suddenly erupted in laughter. “What’s so funny?” the man asked, “do you know how much this suitcase is worth??” Peter, still laughing, replied, “well friend, if you want to bring a suitcase full of pavement into heaven, go right ahead!”
What in your life will last for eternity? It won’t be your money. What else is in here (remove photocopy of my M.Div).
Success? That is another treasure on earth. We want others to be impressed by our accomplishments. So we go to school and get degrees and that is what I have here in my hand. We pick jobs that we think we can do well in and succeed at. We spend countless hours investing all of our energies in a particular project or task with the hope that people will see our success and think highly of us. But that isn’t eternal either. At the end of it all, the only one whose opinion of us will count is that of God’s, not of man’s.
So success on earth won’t last for eternity either. Anything else in here (remove an Award Ribbon).
Ahh, an award ribbon. (describe…). Here is an award given to me by others. Recognition for something I achieved. My point here is not so much the action or the gift or the reward itself, but rather the motivation. When talking about giving in general, Jesus said, “Be careful not to do your ’acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” (Matt 6:1-2).
So Jesus is telling me that if my motivation for any gift or act of service or anything else is to “be honored by men,” that is not eternal. That is a treasure on earth; the reward is complete.
So recognition by others is another thing that will not last for eternity.
Now please do not mis-understand me. I am not saying that wealth and success and receiving an award ribbon are not valuable things. Of course we need money to provide for our needs, we need to work hard and feel some success at the things we do, and we all need the encouragement that comes from having someone recognize something we have done. If I understand Jesus correctly when He says “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,” the point is that we must not be controlled, fixated, driven, by those things. They cannot be our focus. I don’t think Jesus is saying to get rid of all of those things, but rather to put them in their proper perspective, and to recognize that they are temporary and therefore not worth us putting all of our efforts into.
In 1 Cor. 3:13, Paul tells us that our work will be tested by fire. So, as a little preview, I thought I’d see how well these treasures on earth might stand up. Here is my Award ribbon; let’s see how it does against Paul’s test… (light on fire…; while burning comment “it’s ok, I didn’t even know I had it till I discovered it in my box of “Steve’s mementos”). This here represents success: it is my Masters Degree. I did fairly well at this degree, had what I would consider a “successful” academic career. Let’s see how it does against Paul’s test: (light it on fire…; while burning comment “it’s ok, it’s a photocopy – I think I might still need the original for a few years”). Success isn’t going to last into eternity. What about wealth? Here is a $5; how will this do against Paul’s test: (light it on fire…; while burning comment “It’s ok – it is Niel’s $5”).
Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”
2. Treasures in heaven
Jesus continues and provides for us an alternative. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
Treasures in heaven. What are these? Let’s look in the other treasure chest…
A. Here is a note I received this week from a person in our church. (read part). We have helped this family a little bit financially, so all of you who have given to our church have a part of this also. This will last for eternity.
B. The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. This is a book that helped forge in my soul a heart for holiness. The impact it had on me will last for eternity.
C. Picture of Serve 98 team. This is a picture of the group of teens I took to Vancouver to work with the poor in 1998. I know the things they saw and experienced there will last for eternity.
D. My Bible. This represents my ongoing conversation with God, as He speaks to me through His Word and through prayer. Every moment I spend here will last into eternity.
E. One last thing – a toilet plunger. This represents all the selfless acts of service that all of you have done for God’s kingdom. In Jesus’ day, washing the feet of travelers was one of the worst jobs – I think today’s equivalent is cleaning toilets. Jesus washed feet to demonstrate service. These kinds of jobs – which no one ever notices or says “thank you” for, will last for eternity. All of the things you have done for God, however menial or gross or simple, will last for eternity.
But enough about me. What about you? What do you do that will last into eternity? (Wander out into the crowd, pick on a few individuals, highlight their spiritual gift and how it has been used for God’s kingdom; write in on a piece of paper and put it in the “Treasures in Heaven” treasure box.).
THE MESSAGE TO EACH: “THANK YOU, THAT WILL LAST FOR ETERNITY.”
“Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.”
I attended a conference in mid-Aug, and the main speaker (Bill Hybels) told this story: “I was orienting a group of new staff people at my church, when one of them asked from the back, ‘Do you ever feel guilty about asking already busy people to do things in church?’ The question made Hybels mad. He replied, “Guilty?? Do I feel GUILTY asking busy people to serve God? Let me tell you this: We have a church full of people who hold a variety of jobs. Some stand at a drill press all day long. Some sell things, some are policemen or stock brokers or doctors. But almost all of them have come to the realization that the things they do all day long do not meet their deep need for significance. Even the ones that like their vocation, that are challenged by it and successful in it, recognize that deep down, it doesn’t meet their need to be significant. And it won’t last for eternity. So what I do is invite people and help them find their place of service in God’s Kingdom. I help them discover where God has uniquely gifted them and called them to serve in a way that makes a difference for eternity, then I put them in a place where they can do exactly that. Do I feel guilty about that?? Not for one second. This will last for eternity.”
Where do you make a difference for eternity? Where are your treasures?
Invest your life in service to God. Use the gifts He has given you to serve His Kingdom, and lay up for yourself treasures in heaven. Many of you are using those already. Some don’t know what those gifts are, and we have an opportunity starting next week to help you figure those out (which we’ll describe later downstairs). Others know but for some reason aren’t using those gifts. I urge you to look at these two treasure chests, and every night before bed ask yourself, what did you put in each? Where did your efforts go?
3. Where your treasure is…
Jesus’ final words in this statement bring it right home. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” And Jesus wants our hearts to be on Him. He wants our hearts here, in the “treasures in heaven” pile. Not just for the sake of others who need to experience God working in their lives through the exercise of our gifts. Not even just for the sake of God’s Kingdom, the activities of which He has entrusted and gifted us for. But for our own sake as well. You want to grow? Do you desire to know God more deeply and experience more of Him in your life? Do you want to live on the wild, exciting edge of God’s very purpose for all of humanity? Then serve Him. Discover and develop and use the gifts He has given you and you will see Him work and move in power, you’ll see your world transformed, you’ll see yourself grow in depth and joy and excitement.
David Livingstone was one of the great pioneer missionaries of church history who served in Africa. When he died, his body was buried in England where he was born. But his heart was buried in the Africa he loved. At the foot of a tall tree in a small African village the natives dug a hole and placed in it the heart of this man who they loved and respected.
Where is your heart? It is with your treasure. Store up for yourself treasures in heaven.
Challenge:
I believe we all need to feel like we are part of something bigger than ourselves – something grand and important and significant. That is what I am inviting you to be a part of today. Let me talk about this along the lines of our vision statement:
1. Becoming a Hospital: this is a vision of evangelism – sharing what Jesus has done for us, being a witness for Christ in ways that draw people into God’s Kingdom. For eternity. That is a big thing! That is an amazing thing that God has entrusted us with by the power of His Spirit. THIS is making a difference for eternity – a difference that results in individuals spending eternity in heaven rather than eternity in hell. God invites you to partner with Him in this endeavor. I invite you to discover your gifts and how you can use them to help people come to wholeness in Christ.
2. Becoming a Greenhouse: this is a vision of discipleship – helping people grow and become fruitful in their Christian life. It is about nurture and care and teaching and mentoring and bearing the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience,… And it is about transplanting back into the world so that the evidence of our Christlike character becomes known to all and points them to Jesus. And that makes a difference for eternity. God invites you to partner with Him in this ministry.
3. Becoming a Festival: this is a vision of worship – of honoring God and enabling us to express our response to God for all that He is, has done, and is doing. The excitement of this is that true worship changes us, it makes us more like God, it grows God’s heart and passion for holiness and for love within us, which then spills over into others, and it lasts into eternity. God invites you to celebrate Him, and to partner with Him in leading others to worship. This makes a difference for eternity.
I don’t want you to witness for Christ to a non-Christian friend or relative because you feel you have to, I want you to share Christ because you see that God placed you in that exact relationship at that exact time to have a significant impact for God’s Kingdom and be a part of that person’s coming to health and wholeness in Christ. I don’t want you to volunteer to teach grade 3-4 Sunday school because “no one else has volunteered to,” I want you to see that planting and nurturing seeds of faith in children will impact the way they view the world and the way they will respond to God and to others. It will shape their character. I don’t want you to sing or play an instrument because Niels called and begged, I want you to see that you are escorting people into the living, terrifying presence of the Living God of the Universe through worship in ways that will encourage and challenge and mold them into Christlikeness.
When we truly realize what it is that we are a part of as God’s children, suddenly a whole lot of things seem really unimportant. If we are focused on helping people find eternal life, if we are focused on nurturing fragile faith and holding someone’s hand as they journey towards fruitfulness, if we are focused on entering the very throne room of the Almighty God of the Universe through worship, then suddenly it really doesn’t matter that the grass is a little long, the floor unswept, that a teen wore a t-shirt instead of a tie, that Steve preached too long and the service got out 5 minutes late, that we only sang one hymn or we sang all hymns. When we are focused on what we are a part of as God’s children, we see those types of things in their proper perspective.
And that is the challenge I want to leave with you today. To be a part of the excitement of being significant in God’s Kingdom. To focus on serving Him, obeying Him, living for Him as one of His children.
One last verse of Scripture to close: Matthew 9:37-38. “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” That is my closing prayer.
