Command and Character of Christ Lay Up Treasures Thriftiness vs. Extravagance

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1 Command 13 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven ; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Mt 6:19-24) Command in Bibilical Context Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. (money, riches, wealth) (Mt 6:19 24) Command Interpreation Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, Do Not Do not let the material things of this world be your focus or Stop letting the material things of this world be your focus. But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, don t be absorbed with possessions.those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away. (1 Cor 7:29 31) Lay up (thēsaurizō) and treasures (thēsauros) = Thesaurus, a treasury of words. 1

2 Translation - do not treasure up treasures. This means that we should not stockpile, hoard, or gather things that we do not use. Jesus said, Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own. Then he told them a story: A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, What should I do? I don t have room for all my crops. Then he said, I know! I ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I ll sit back and say to myself, My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry! But God said to him, You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for? Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God. (Lk 12:15 21) Jesus is not telling us to get rid of everything we own and become poor. Jesus only told one person, the rich young ruler to sell all his possessions and give to the poor Mt 19:21 This man s love for his possessions was keeping him from knowing Jesus Christ as Lord. Being rich wasn t the problem. Putting his riches above God was the problem. This rich young ruler claimed to obey all of God s commands but his problem was with the very first command, o I am the LORD your God You must not have any other god but me. (Exs 20:2 3, ) In both the Old and New Testament, there is nothing wrong with having possessions. (i.e. money, savings, land, animals, houses, clothing, etc) God commandments not to steal and covet shows us that possessions are good to have; however, we should not steal or covet what others have. 2

3 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life. (1 Tim 6:17 19) Paul s warning is for rich people not to look down on others and not to trust in their money. Giving is a way to store up treasure in heaven. Hard work and sound business practices are encouraged in the Bible. (Mt. 25:27) Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. (Pv 6:6 8) Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty! (Pv 14:23) A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables. (Pv 24:3 4) Those unwilling to work will not get to eat. (2 Thes 3:10) It s a challenge for many of us to give to the church, provide for our families, and to save for the future. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth. The warning in this verse is about being selfish with what we have. When we accumulate possessions just for ourselves with no intention of helping others in need, we must BEWARE. 3

4 First of all, a person that does not like to give should carefully examine if he is a believer. Secondly, if we are believers, we disobey God and forfeit treasures in heaven if we choice not to give. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy. Today wealthy people often attend official events wearing jewelry that cost millions of dollars and clothes that cost in the thousands. In ancient times, wealth was often measured by the amount and type of clothes a person owned. Rich people sometimes had golden threads woven into their clothing. The most expensive clothes were made of wool, which the moth loved to eat. Wealth was also measure in grain. Rich farmer said, I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods (Lk 12:18). Rust - Brōsis - an eating, corrosion - in reference to grain - eaten by rats, mice, worms, and insects. Moth usually eat clothes that are not used, rust usually destroys things that are not used. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. During the time of Jesus, people would often hide their valuables in the ground beneath or near their house. 4

5 The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. (Mt 13:44) The term thieves break in - dig through; - digging through the mud walls of a house or digging up the dirt in a field. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal Everything that we have can be used to further God s Kingdom. One day we will give an account to God of what we did with our resources. (Mt 25:14 30.) When our time, energy, and possessions are used to serve others and to further God s Kingdom, they built up treasures in heaven where neither moth, rust, nor thieves can destroy. These treasure remain forever. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Jesus is not saying that you should start to give so your heart is right. Jesus is saying, where is your money now, what are you doing with your time now, where are your gifts and talents being used now. That s where your heart is now. After Pentecost, thousands of people became Christians very quickly. The church was faced with a big challenge to help those in need. All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals, and to prayer. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. (Acts 2:42 45) They didn t give away everything they had. Instead they shared everything they had. 5

6 Honor the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine (Prov. 3:9 10). Jesus said, Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return (Luke 6:38). Paul assures us that he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully (2 Cor. 9:6). A person s treasure and heart will either both be on earthly things or they will both be on heavenly things. It is impossible to have one on earth and the other one in heaven (Jas 4:4), Both your treasure and your heart are in heaven or your treasure and your heart are on earthly things. They cannot be divided. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. 1. Our treasure is either on earth on in heaven 2. Our spiritual life is either full of light or of darkness 3. Our Master /Lord is either God or mammon (possessions, earthly goods). The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! The eye here is an illustration of the heart; therefore, we can superimpose the word heart for eye. 6

7 The lamp of the body is the HEART; if therefore your HEART is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your HEART is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. The physical eye is the only way we see physical light and it s how we have physical vision. The spiritual eye is the heart. It is how we see God s truth, love, peace and every spiritual blessings God gives. if therefore your HEART is clear, your whole body will be full of light. Clear Haplous - means single -a heart that is generous and has a singleminded devotion. One of the great teachers and evangelists John Charles Ryle explains this very well, Singleness of purpose is one great secret of spiritual prosperity. If our eyes do not see distinctly, we cannot walk without stumbling and falling. If we attempt to work for two different masters, we are sure to give satisfaction to neither. It is just the same with respect to our souls. We cannot serve Christ and the world at the same time. It is vain to attempt it. The thing cannot be done. The ark and Dagon will never stand together. God must be king over our hearts. His law, His will, His precepts must receive our first attention. Then, and not until then, everything in our inward man will fall into its right place. Unless our hearts are so ordered, everything will be in confusion. "Your whole body will be full of darkness." If our heart is generous (clear), our whole spiritual life will be full of light, full of spiritual understanding; however, if our heart is not generous, no light will enter, the whole body will be full of darkness, everything spiritual will be confusing. Your heart is like a window, when it is clear, light will shine into every area of your life; but, if it is dirty or bad, light cannot enter. The heart that IS NOT devoted to God, is selfish and stingy. 7

8 If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! This person thinks they have a relationship with God but that light or understanding is darkness. How great is the darkness! It s self-deception, it s self-righteousness. What you do with your resources (money, time, energies) is a barometer that shows your spiritual condition. No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot have your treasure both in heaven and on earth. You cannot have both light and darkness. You cannot serve two masters. Choose today whom you will serve. (Joshua 24:14) Masters Kurios - Lord, One in Charge, one in control. Don t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rm 6:16 23) You cannot serve God and mammon. Our master is either God or mammon (possessions, earthly goods). God says walk by faith. God says be humble. God says, set your hearts on things above. God calls us to light. God says look towards things to come that eternal. Mammon says walk by sight. Mammon says be proud. Mammon says set it on things below. Mammon leaves us in darkness. Mammon says look at thing seen and temporal. 8

9 Command Application 1. Give first and trust that God will provide all of your needs. God doesn t give the money first He gives the command first. Without Faith, it is impossible to please God Heb 12:6 Some say, I m not going to give because I don t have it. God says, Give and I promise you will have it. Do you trust me? What we give to God reaps treasure for eternity The greatest treasure in the word is people Jesus gave all he had on the cross for you and me. Laying up treasure in heaven means using your resources to get people there. o Give to the Church o Buy and give Bibles o Serve in a Ministry o PARTNER with Jesus Christ 2. Set your heart and mind on the things above. a. If your treasure is in heaven, you will focus on heaven. b. If your treasure is in the bank, you will focus on the bank, the economy. c. In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle. (Pv 23:5); however, d. The people who are saved or blessed because of what you give or do will someday greet you in heaven. 3. Chose this day whom your will serve. Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.And if you be unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:14 15, RSV) 9

10 4. Give God the glory. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. (1 Tim 6:7) Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven ; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Mt 6:19-24) 10