Developing an Eternal Portfolio
Matt. 6:19-21
Jan. 22, 2006 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor
Introduction:
When I was in college, most of the time I took as many classes, as many credit hours as they would let me take. I wanted to get through with school as soon as possible because I wanted to get on with life. My mother used to tell me, "your college years are part of life," and I used to answer, "No, they are just preparing me for what follows."
Some people forget that school is not the goal of life, and they become perpetual students, never finishing, never moving on, never using what they learn. Sadly, we often forget that life on earth is not our goal. This life, this world, is just school to prepare us for what follows.
In this passage Jesus says, "Don’t get wrapped up in your life here. This is not the end of it all. Store your treasures where they will do you some good."
"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 neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt 6:19-21 (NASB)
ETS: Jesus told His listeners that the condition of their hearts was gauged by where they placed their highest value.
ESS: The value we put on God sets the trajectory of our spiritual growth as Christians.
OBJ: I hope my listeners will decide to store up their treasures in heaven by committing to pleasing God in their lives.
PQ: What is the most valuable thing in your life?
TS: Let’s look at how vastly different the treasures are that Jesus mentioned in the Sermon on the Mount.
I The first treasure we can store up is treasure on earth. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
A Jesus forewarned His listeners about the disposable nature of earthly treasures.
a Jesus said that earthly treasure was fleeting
aa Moth: insects were seen as the destroyers of the most basic materials of life
bb Rust: not just metal, but also crops, vines, & fruits. Word picture is rats devouring a farm.
cc Thief: robbed, taken by someone else for themselves
b Jesus assured them that if they gathered things for themselves, they lose them...and also lose their hearts.
B Everything we can lay our hands on in this world is "shakable" & susceptible to decay.
a Stock markets crash, bodies fail, banks collapse, homes flood/burn, clothes are outgrown, dollar drops. Possessions are stolen or lose value.
b The only thing that is unshakable is our salvation through Jesus Christ.
aa This expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Heb 12:27 (NASB)
bb Stock market crashes, home burns, I lose everything I call mine...I’M STILL SAVED!
cc I lose my life by disease or accident-I’M STILL SAVED!
dd But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39 (NASB)
c My salvation is not shakable
C (IL) In 1928, a group of the world’s most successful financiers met at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago.
a The president of the world’s largest utility company (Charles Schwab), the greatest wheat speculator (Arthur Cutten), the president of the NYSE (Richard Whitney), a member of the President’s cabinet (Albert Fall), the greatest "bear" in W.S. (Jesse Livermore), the president of the Bank of International Settlements (Leon Fraser), the head of the world’s greatest monopoly (Ivar Druegar). The wealth exceeded that of the U.S. Treasury.
b Newspapers of the day heralded their success & encouraged young people to be like them.
c Fast forward 25 years....
• Charles Schwab lived on borrowed money the last 5 years of his life & died broke
• Arthur Cutten died abroad, insolvent
• Richard Whitney served time in Sing Sing Prison
• Albert Fall was pardoned from prison so he could die at home
• Livermore, Fraser, & Druegar all committed suicide
d "For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? Luke 9:25 (NASB)
TS: If we focus on earthly treasures it will rob us of kingdom priorities.
II The second treasure we can store up is treasure in heaven. "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal
A Jesus said whatever you lay up in heaven is secure against moth, rust, & theft. How?
a Take what you have & use it for the glory of God
b Change your standards for success (earthly/heavenly)
c Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Cor 3:12-15 (NASB)
And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, ’Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ " "Yes," says the Spirit, "so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them." Rev 14:13 (NASB)
aa What the believer did for the kingdom, went to the kingdom.
bb Paying it forward
d The joy of your heart is found where their treasure was.
B Storing treasures in heaven means we "seek first the kingdom of God & His righteousness."
a Money, stuff, our kingdom where our value lies...we’ll never be truly happy (not as Christians)
aa Things of this world can never really satisfy our need
bb Donald Trump (1989): "Whoever said money can’t buy happiness is apparently shopping at the wrong stores."
b The only place to find real happiness is in Christ.
aa Money can’t buy happiness because Jesus has already bought it all (He paid for it by the blood of the cross)
bb We can know real happiness ONLY when it comes from God (not in money, stuff, etc.)
C We may have as much of God as we will. Christ puts the key of the treasure-chamber into our hand, and bids us take all that we want. a If a man is admitted the vault of a bank and told to help himself, and comes out with one cent, whose fault is it that he is poor?"
b God is offering happiness through the Cross of Christ.
Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure.
Where your treasure is, there is your heart.Where you heart is, there is your happiness.
Conclusion:
ETS: Jesus told His listeners that the condition of their hearts was gauged by where they placed their highest value. The value we put on God sets the trajectory of our spiritual growth as Christians.
We’ve looked at different treasures that Jesus mentioned in the SOTM.
A Earth B Heaven
OBJ: I hope my listeners will decide to store up their treasures in heaven by committing to pleasing God in their lives.
1 There are some of you who have nothing but what may be shaken, and you will lose it all!
a Leave here mourning, or...
b Go to the cross, you can’t be shaken there! (Look up to the flowing of Christ’s blood, trust Him, nothing will ever shake you again).
2 Money can buy you a bed but not sleep; books but not brains; food but not appetite; finery but not beauty; a house but not a home; medicine but not health; luxuries but not culture; amusements but not happiness; religion but not salvation; a passport to everything but heaven.
PQ: What is the most valuable thing in your life?
3 There’s a story of a farmer who was taking a sackful of corn to sell in town. On the way there, he sees the king ride by in his fancy golden chariot. The farmer flagged him down and stopped him, and said, "Dear King! You give me so much through your benevolence and generosity! I wish there was something I could give you."
The King said, "Well, you can give me all your corn?"
"Oh, I can’t do that. I need to sell that in the market. But I can give you five kernels."
"Alright," said the King, "I’ll take five kernels from you as a gift."
The farmer gave the king five kernels and then finished his trip to town. When he got to the market and opened his sack, he found five of his kernels had turned to gold. And he wept, realizing that if he had given more, more would have been given to him in return.
