Sermon Central
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Sunday After Thanksgiving - Where Is Your Heart?
Contributed by William Akehurst on Nov 27, 2023 (message contributor)
Summary: We just celebrated Thanksgiving, and the very next day, people are fighting each other for the sales on Black Friday. What happened? Where is your heart? What treasures are you seeking? Where are you storing your treasure? What are you storing in heaven?
2023.11.26.Sermon Notes. Sunday after Thanksgiving – Where’s your heart?
William Akehurst, HSWC
BIG IDEA: We just celebrated Thanksgiving, and the very next day, people are fighting each other for the sales on Black Friday. What happened? Where is your heart? What treasures are you seeking? Where are you storing your treasure? What are you storing in heaven?
Scriptures: Matthew 6:19-21, 1 Timothy 6:6-10, Matthew 19:20-24, Luke 12:16-21, John 3:16, Philippians 3:18-21, Matthew 13:44, 2 Corinthians 9:7, Mark 12:41-44, 1 Corinthians 3:9-16,
1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Colossians 3:17, 1 Corinthians 1:31, Matthew 6:33, 1 Peter 1:3-5
LAY UP TREASURES IN HEAVEN
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
- WHERE YOU STORE YOUR TREASURE IS WHERE YOUR HEART IS.
BE CONTENT WITH WHAT YOU HAVE
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
MONEY OF ITSELF IS NOT EVIL, WE NEED IT TO BUY FOOD AND CLOTHING AND SHELTER, BUT WHEN IT GREED KICKS IN, THEN BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN.
WHERE IS THE HEART THAT IS CONSUMED BY WEALTH?
20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
THE SELFISH GREED FOR WEALTH
16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.
17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’
18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’
20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Illus.
A rich man died and his will said that he wanted to be buried with all his money.
The undertaker stuffed as much money as he could in the casket, but he couldn’t shut the lid. So, he removed all the money and put it in the bank and wrote the dead rich man a check and laid it in the casket.
How does one lay up treasures of heaven?
1. You must be a citizen of that country.
a. You must be born again of the kingdom of heaven.
b. A citizen of heaven, saved by grace through the shed blood of JESUS.
2. Be a joyful giver.
3. Use the Talents that GOD has given you.
a. Money
b. Hospitality
c. Compassion
d. Gifts that GOD has given you.
4. Glorify GOD in everything that you do.
5. Share Christ with others so that they would have a place reserved for them, stored up, in heaven.
YOU MUST BE A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Philippians 3:18-21 (NLT)
18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.
