Where Is Your Treasure?

WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?

(Based on a sermon by Jeff Walling preached at the Tulsa International Soul Winning Workshop in March of 2006))

A. (Show clip from the movie: National Treasure) Hollywood has made tons of MONEY on TREASURE HUNTING movies.

COMMENT:

Indiana Jones, Titanic, Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure, and dozens more—are all stories about FINDING HIDDEN TREASURE.

ILLUSTRATION:

In October 1947, there was a geologist by the name of Dr. John Williamson who was doing some work in the country of Tanzania. One day, he found himself driving in a deserted area, slipping and sliding along a rain-soaked road. Suddenly his four-wheel drive vehicle sank up to its axles in the mud and got stuck.

Pulling out his shovel, Dr. Williamson began the unpleasant task of digging out of a mud hole. He had been at it for a while when his shovel uncovered something strange. It was a pink-like stone of some sort. Being a geologist and naturally curious about rock formations, he picked it up and wiped away the mud. The more mud he removed, the more excited he became, and could hardly believe what he saw. When the stone was finally clean, Dr. Williamson was beside himself with joy. He had discovered a diamond.

Now, any diamond at all would be a surprise in that situation. But Dr. Williamson found what became known as the famous pink diamond of Tanzania worth MILLIONS of dollars. That stone today sits in the ROYAL SCEPTER of Great Britain, and Dr. Williamson is famous around the world for his find -- as accidental as it may have been.

B. Regardless of how PRECIOUS that DIAMOND is, as Christians we have a TREASURE that is far more VALUABLE.

MESSAGE:

I. TREASURE OF OUR HEART – Matthew 6:19-21 (READ) REPEAT v. 21

A. Jesus begins by talking about a LITERAL TREASURE—yours and my POSSESSIONS—and then SPIRITUALIZES it.

1. When Jesus exhorts us not to “store up” for ourselves “treasures upon earth”, He uses an

interesting play-on words in the Greek.

a. “Store up” translates the Greek word thesaurizo.

b. “Treasures” translates the Greek word thesauros.

COMMENT:

These two words come from a common term from which we get our English word THESAURUS. A thesaurus is a treasury of words. So we might translate this phrase as, “do not TREASURE up TREASURES for yourselves on earth.”

2. Jesus is not teaching against having a SAVINGS ACCOUNT—that would contradict other teachings of the Bible.

COMMENT:

However, He is saying that we should not put all of our TIME and ENERGY amassing possessions that are only TEMPORAL. If you are putting your HEART, SOUL, STRENGTH, and MIND into earthly TREASURES then you will LOSE everything, including your home in HEAVEN.

ILLUSTRATION:

There is an epitaph on a tombstone that reads: “What I SPENT, I LOST. What I SAVED, I LEFT. What I GAVE, I HAVE.” As we INVEST in the Kingdom of God, we assure for ourselves an ETERNAL REWARD.

B. I want to focus on what Jesus said in v. 21- “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Two truths I want you to consider:

1. We CHOOSE where we PLACE our TREASURE.

COMMENT:

This verse does not merely say, “You can find a person’s heart by finding his treasure.” I believe Jesus is saying that it is our CHOICE where we PLACE our TREASURE.

WALLET ILLUSTRATION:

In a very LITERAL sense, part of my EARTHLY TREASURE is setting here in my WALLET. In my WALLET I have a little bit of CASH. I have my DEBIT CARD that represents my CHECKING and SAVINGS accounts. My DRIVER’S LICENSE is in here. My INSURANCE CARDS are here. . . . I have my HOLLYWOOD VIDEO & TAN I.D. CARD.

HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE YOUR WALLET WITH YOU? . . . . WILL YOU PLEASE GET IT OUT? --JUST HOLD YOUR WALLET UP IN THE AIR FOR A MINUTE. (“WHAT’S IN YOUR WALLET?” – I’ve always wanted to say that.)

IN A MOMENT, I AM GOING TO ASK YOU TO TURN AND HAND YOUR WALLET TO THE PERSON BEHIND YOU.

ILLUSTRATION:

WHOA! WHOA! WHOA! WAIT A MINUTE! WHY ALL THE GROANS? Why does that thought immediately cause you to think, “I am so sure!” DO YOU NOT TRUST THE PERSON SITTING BEHIND YOU? “Of course, I trust them. But I’m not giving them my WALLET.”

FIND A PERSON TO GIVE MY WALLET TO: “NOW___________ DON’T BE LOOKING IN MY WALLET!” “____________, CAN YOU HOLD IT UP WHERE I CAN SEE IT?”

COMMENT:

What I have done—I have CHOSEN to MOVE my TREASURE. Now, although I’ve got more things to say, part of me can’t help but think . . . what is ______________ doing with my WALLET. (This brings me to the second TRUTH.)