Treasure Principles
Eyes on Eternity
What are you looking at? What is your focus on in life? When you walk down a nature path into the deep wood you see the trees, the forest, or maybe the one who created it all.
Living by Faith
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
Hebrews 11:1-2
The ancients are those who have lived for God in the past. Men and women like Abel, Abraham, Sarah, Enoch, and all those who are listed here as well as untold masses of other men and women of faith.
They lived by faith and were SURE of what we hope for. They were CERTAIN of what we do not see.
What were they sure of? What was a certainty in their hearts and minds? Keep reading…
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Hebrews 11:3
I’ve read and studied much that has attempted to explain the origins of life, the beginnings of the universe and the existence of all things – and every answer leaves a question. Where did it come from? How did it happen this way?
The only answer is by faith… by faith we believe there is a creator God or by faith we believe that there is not a creator God and it’s all a matter of a huge amount of matter, random chance, and eon’s of time.
I cannot explain the origins of God but I also cannot explain the origins of matter without God.
I am forced to decide – did matter create intelligence or did intelligence create matter.
By faith the ancients believed in a God that formed the universe by the command of his words.
4 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
Hebrews 11:4
Faith is not simply a matter of belief. Faith is foundational bedrock upon which a person builds his life. On the footings of faith we place our priorities, our purposes, and our daily activities.
It was because of Abel’s faith that he offered up an offering that was the best and first of his possessions.
5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away…
For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:5-6
Faith is about life – not death. God is about life – not death. We look at death as the natural order of things. If you saw the movie xxx it was built upon a faith in the circle of life in which death was a natural part. This is not what faith in God is about. Death in God’s order of things is the unnatural piece.
7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family…
By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
Hebrews 11:7
Faith is not neutral and nice. If the presence of delivers us then the absence of faith condemns us. Faith separates life from death and frankly that’s not easy.
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going…
9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Hebrews 11:8-10
Faith requires action even when you don’t know where it may lead you. Actually faith is as much about the journey as it is about the destination.
11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because hea considered him faithful who had made the promise…
12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
Hebrews 11:11-12
Faith is not just about the person with the faith – it’s validity comes from the one who is the object of our faith. In other words, faith works because our faith is in someone who is faithful. A promise is only as good as the person who makes it – and God is faithful to us – we just don’t see it all of the time.
"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth."
Hebrews 11:13
These lived by faith – they were sure of what we hope for. They were certain of what we do not see.
Surety and certainty – these are the lynchpins of faith which create a sense of security in the midst of the most uncertain of worlds.
Living by Sight
We are pilgrims and wanderers on this earth.
There are many roadblocks to faith; unbelief; insecurity; Pride; idolatry; hunger for power; hunger for control; pressure to conform to the ways of our world.
The greatest deterrent to faith living is the illusion that this earth is our home. And that is just what it is - an illusion - a cruel, deceptive, fleeting, and deluding illusion. Paul speaks about this in Philippians 3:18
"For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame.
Philippians 3:18-19
The end is the grave and nothing more. I heard a woman on the radio describe what she said to her daughter when asked about death. Her response to what happens: “decomposition”. A bird died in her drive way so they went out every day and looked at the bird and what happened to it over time. This was her answer to the question. What happens after death.
I don’t know about you but that answer leaves me feeling pretty hollow and empty – for the little girl and for this woman who’s destiny is decomposition. That’s all she can hope for. I ache for these people
Living by Sight
"For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame.
Philippians 3:18-19
They live for the moment and nothing more. What pleases me – now. Two parts to this idea – one is that it is self oriented. The other is that it is focused completely on the immediate and present. Pure existentialism. Now is all I have so now is all I live for.
Living by Sight
"For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame.
Philippians 3:18-19
This is it! This life and nothing more. All I can do is revel in what there is – good, bad, indifferent, mud, blood, and beer.
The picture that comes to my mind when I read this is of a drunken cowboy covered with dirt, staggering down the street, shooting his pistols into the air and yelling yippee cayee! He’s like the fly in the vinegar jar that thinks it is the sweetest place in the world – because he’s never been anywhere else.
This too gives me much sadness. I look at these people as the lost children of God who have lost faith and lost touch – and don’t even know it. They are living as enemies of the cross of Christ – not that they are opposed to the cross but that their backs are too the cross and they don’t even see the Jesus who died to make a way home for them.
People of faith live differently – they have a clear understanding of this life which can be summed up in two Key principles about their treasure.
Remember treasure is simply a way to store up life. We trade our time, our knowledge, our skills, and our abilities for little pieces of paper, a number in an account at a bank, certificates of stock in a corporation, a title asserting ownership of an automobile, or a deed claiming custody of a home.
It would do us well to remember that…
Key #2: Heaven, not earth, is my Home
Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Philippians 3:20-21
Look at it this way. If you were caught in a hurricane (like some were last year) and had to move to a trailer for several months while you were waiting for your home to be rebuilt would you fill it with expensive furniture and wall hangings? Would you repaint the walls and settle in as this space is your home? Would you put on an addition and dig a basement? Of course not.
You would only spend what you need on your temporary home and you’d be putting all your energy into getting your real home ready for you to move into it.
I have two daughters who married. Getting ready for the wedding was quite stressful. We spent months planning, organizing, shopping (I say "we" as in Donna and the daughters - I pretty much kept my head down and tried to stay ahead of the spending curve.) Everything for months was focused on the day that was to come. This was the big event. The wedding day was what really counted – nothing else.
Well, it’s just like that for those who walk in faith. Every day of our lives is getting ready for a wedding. The groom is the man from Nazareth named Jesus. He’s gone on ahead to get the new house ready while we are preparing ourselves for the wedding day.
Listen to me, Everything we send on ahead will be there for us when we get there. It’s our gift to him but in his generosity he is storing it there for us.
And some day it will be the day. Everything will stop. All activity will cease as the groom comes to take his bride home. Just because we’ve never been to this home doesn’t meant it isn’t real. In fact, it is very real and it is our home.
Where we live today is where we are but not where we are meant to live forever. Keep your eyes focused on eternity for it is here that we find our greatest reward.
The Difference between King Tut and Moses.
Both were raised as privileged sons of the pharaoh. King Tut was 17 years old when he died and his tomb was filled with literally tons of gold.
Moses on the other hand died when he was 120 years old. He spent 40 years in Egypt as a ruler. He spent 40 years in the desert as a shepherd. He spent 40 years as a servant of the Almighty leading his people through the wilderness. Why did he do this thing? Hebrews gives up the answer. You’ll find it in Hebrews 11:24 – just a bit further in the faith chapter…
By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.
“…He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”
Hebrews 11:24-26
He was looking ahead to his reward! That brings me to the third key…
Key #3: Live for the line not for the dot
I’m going to step outside for a minute – you watch the screen – I want to show you something
Video of my red truck
Have you seen the bumpersticker - "The one who dies with the most toys wins" Actually, I think it has morphed... now it’s the one with the most remote controls - I have seven!
Think in terms of the dot and the line. The dot is life on earth. It’s a quick and short ride and then it is over. We are living in the dot.
The line is my time with God for all of timelessness (eternity).
Possession Obsession
PBS television program several years ago described "Affluenza" as the modern day plague of materialism. The program claimed:
The average American shops six hours a week while spending 40 minutes playing with the children.
By age 20, we’ve seen one million commercials.
Recently, more Americans declared bankruptcy than graduated from college.
In 90 percent of divorce cases, arguments about money played a pominent role.
The program didn’t argue against materialism on the basis of morality but pragmatism.
Listen to some wealthy people:
"The care of $200 million is enough to kill anyone. There is no pleasure in it." W.H. Vanderbilt
Possession Obsession
"I am the most miserable man on earth."
John Jacob Astor
Possession Obsession
"I have made many millions, but they have brought me no happiness."
John D. Rockefeller
Possession Obsession
"Millionaires seldom smile."
Andrew Carnegie
Possession Obsession
"I was happier when doing a mechanic’s job."
Henry Ford
Possession Obsession
"It’s all relative. I sit down and say, ’I’ve got $10 billion, but Bill Gates has $100 billion; I feel like a complete failure in life"
Ted Turner
Hugh Maclellan Jr. tells of running into an acquaintance who looked troubled at the airport. When he asked what was the matter the man said, "I thought I was finally going to have a weekend to myself. But now I have to go supervise repairs on my house in Florida." Dejected, he sat waiting to take off on his private jet.
Here is a man with everything you can think of and he couldn’t even enjoy a weekend because he was enslaved by his possessions.
Nothing makes a journey more difficult than a heavy backpack filled with nice but unnecessary things.
Pilgrims travel light. Get it? Grasp the stuff in your life loosely in the present and look with the power of hope to the endless future.
Living in the Future Tense
There is tremendous energy in the present power of a future hope.
Because Abraham looked for a city, he was content to live in a tent (Heb. 11:13–16).
Because Moses looked for the rewards of heaven, he was willing to forsake the treasures of earth (Heb. 11:24–26).
Because of the “joy that was set before Him” (Heb. 12:2), Jesus was willing to endure the cross.
The spiritually minded believer does not live for the things of this world; he anticipates the blessings of the world to come.
This does not mean that he ignores or neglects his daily obligations; but it does mean that what he does today is governed by what Christ will do in the future.
Paul mentions particularly that the believer will receive a glorified body, like the body of Christ. Today we live in a “body of humiliation” (which is the meaning of the word translated “vile” in Phil. 3:21); but when we see Christ, we will receive a body of glory. It will happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye! (1 Cor. 15:42–53)
At that moment, all the things of this world will be worthless to us—just as they ought to be, relatively, today!
If we are living in the future tense, then we will be exercising the spiritual mind and living for the things that really matter.
