Two Treasures And Two Visions Series

Godly Ambitions and Goals: Two Treasures and Two Visions

Matthew 6:19-24

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount provides for us a beautiful picture of the Kingdom of God and those who have been called to become citizens of this Kingdom. We have been studying the Righteousness of God that is revealed from Heaven; it is received and experienced by Kingdom recipients in Christ. We have found that the Law of Christ ACTUALLY is MORE DEMANDING than realized: The Law of Christ is fulfilled, not only in external behavior, but in obedience to God FROM THE HEART. The Law of Christ is established in our hearts through the faith and the LOVE OF God IN Christ: When God’s Spirit comes into our HEARTS (a supernatural act of God) it effects change in our LIVES.

TWO TREASURES

In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus speaks about two different types of treasures, the first is verse 19: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in (dig through) and steal.”

The first treasure that Jesus mentions is EARTHLY treasure, which basically, we deal with every day of our lives, in some way, shape or form. We all have an earthly place to live, a place to lay our heads at night. We have cars and trucks to meet transportation needs. Earthly TREASURES all deteriorate over time. Bread molds, clothing wears out and many times becomes moth ridden; barns rot and eventually fall down, cars, furniture, houses all wear out and jewelry and money can be stolen. None of those things ever got continually BETTER over time, did they? “Rust” does not only refer to ordinary corrosion but to every material that is subject to wear, decay or loss. Anything that can “wear out” or decrease is NOT a SECURE investment: The Stock Market can fluctuates, homes values fluctuate and so Earthly treasures only have transient value. They have temporary value, so DO NOT CONTINUALLY be investing in them.

We all have some “forms” of Earthly WEALTH, and so all wealth is NOT BAD, but worldly-mindedness is sin. God gives us jobs as a means to live and supply for our families. We can enjoy God’s provision for us in material things. We can (try and) save for the future, but we have to be very careful that our focus on the earthly things does not become our “LOVE”. There are certainly examples of wealthy people in the Bible who used their riches for God’s glory without allowing their riches to put them in spiritual danger, but wealth certainly can become a “trap” to enslave people.

Jesus gives us another side of the proverbial coin in verse 20-21: "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal. The other choice of treasure is Heavenly TREASURE. Jesus gives a stark contrast: DON’T store up earthly treasure BUT DO store up Heavenly Treasures which are moth-proof, rust-proof, and burglar proof. They are God-centered treasures which will never lose their luster because YOU are God’s treasure.

Listen to some of those irremovable treasures. Psalm 89:33: "But I will NOT break off My lovingkindness from him, Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness.” And Psalm138:8: “The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting ; Do not forsake the works of Your hands” God’s faithfulness will never fade.

John 3: 16 speaks of a life that will never end: Whosever believes in Him shall have everlasting life. John 6:37 &39: "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.” It is a gift that will never be lost.

God’s love is a chain that will never be broken: Rom. 8:29-30: For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren ;30 and these whom He predestined, He also called ; and these whom He called, He also justified ; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” And a love from which we shall never be separated: “(Nothing) will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

A calling that cannot be revoked, a foundation that will never be destroyed, an inheritance that will never be spent: “an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:4-5) These types of treasures are stored in Heaven and in the Heart. These treasures are characteristic of the Kingdom of God: We know them in part now, we have just a foretaste, but we know that in the future we will know them in their fullness and we will also know our Great God in His fullness. These treasures pay eternal dividends because they ARE from our Eternal God.