Where is Your Treasure? 1. How many of you have ever played the board game, Monopoly? Maybe it would be easier to ask, who has never played it? It is the most popular game on the planet, having sold over 275 million games. It holds some interesting statistics as well: Its available in 43 languages and in 1978 was sold in a chocolate version by Neiman Marcus. The longest MONOPOLY game in history lasted for 70 straight days. That s why I don t play it any more. It takes too long! a. And why is it so popular? Because it represents the means by which the world measures success. What you have determines how worthy you are. i. The world says, The greater your net worth, the greater your self worth. We compare ourselves to others by what we have and what we posses. ii. The political pundits capitalize on this by getting voters to focus on what they don t have and what others have instead. Envy, greed, materialism. That is the way of the world. b. But here is the funny thing. The game Monopoly actually runs counter to the teachings of Jesus. Everything about the game is about accumulating wealth, dominating others, and financially ruining your opponents! i. Isn t it strange how the world indoctrinates (disciples) our children in its ways? Through a game! c. A very popular show was on a few years ago was called who wants to be a millionaire? The premise of this game show was to answer correctly a series of questions, each of which was worth about double what the previous question would be; the penalty of making a wrong answer would be to forfeit all that you had accumulated previously. But the question may be better phrased, how badly do you want to be a millionaire? i. What would you do, how would you compromise to become comfortably wealthy? As if wealth can really guarantee comfort: It brings with it worries, concerns, management, maintenance of what we accumulate. 1. Joke: All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy." (Spike Milligan) 2. Insight: I have found one thing that has accompanied the collection of stuff it always costs me more to keep the stuff. ii. Donald Trump said The point is that you can t be too greedy. d. There is a story about a man who built bigger barns for himself so that he could rest and take it easy. It concludes with this quote from Luke 12:20-21 "God said to him, You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich towards God." 1. Jesus condemned the wealthy man, NOT because he was wealthy (there are many wealthy people in Scripture), but because he wasn t rich toward God. e. Two thirds of the parables that Christ used in teaching deal specifically with finances. i. Christ never said money or material things were problems. He said that they were symptoms of the real problems. ii. He constantly warned us to guard our hearts against greed, covetousness, ego, and pride, because those are the tools that Satan uses to control and manipulate this world. iii. Christ warned us a great deal more about materialism than He did any other sin. And He said to them, Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions (Luke 12:15)
2. Jesus tells us that He has a different way of measuring success. Let s read it in two different accounts, each of which give a slightly different slant to the passage: a. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. (Mt 6:19-24) i. b. "But (always) seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. 33 "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. 34 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Mark 12:31-34) 3. These passages tells us several things about wealth: a. Earthly treasures are fleeting and temporary Possessions accumulated will eventually rust, and wear out. Moths will eat nice clothes. And thieves can steal what you own. Nothing you have will last forever. i. In fact, you may remember a saying I have shared over the years with you: Only two things last forever, the souls of men and the word of God. ii. It would seem that the best investment strategy would be to put our time, treasure and talent into those things that last forever! b. We can send our wealth to heaven ahead of us Jesu.s tells us that we can store up for yourselves treasure in heaven. Being rich toward God is what Jesus urged us to become. That means, to have God be your treasure, and let the wealth He gives you to be a tool to advance His kingdom. i. Think about some people in the bible who were rich in this world yet rich toward God: 1. Abraham was crazy wealthy for his time, with flocks and herds that took over so much land that his nephew Lot had to move 50 miles away to make room. Despite his wealth, Abraham was called the Father of many Nations, and the Patriarch of Israel. 2. David was wealthy but you wouldn t know it: But you can read how much he set aside from his own treasury for the building of the Temple in the book of Chronicles. Despite his wealth, David is called a man after God s own heart. 3. David s son Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom and all of the kings of the earth. People came from far off kingdoms to see his glory. 4. These rich folks weren t condemned because they were rich toward God: They sent their wealth to heaven by trusting in God instead of their own fortunes and possessions. ii. Sending our wealth to heaven requires a life dependent upon God and not on our own possessions, what we have, or what we own, or what we can do to make wealth. c. Our hearts are anchored (attached) to what we value most - Jesus tells us that where our treasure is, there your heart will be also. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. i. Kardia: heart (greek). The seat of our being and affections. It is the REAL you. ii. If you want to know what your treasure IS, look at how you react when it is taken away from you.
iii. What consumes your time? What gets your attention? What do you put your energies into? If it is a hobby, then that is your treasure? If it is your home, then guess what your treasure is. What starts out as a hobby (or even a job) can end up becoming one's master. What we believe is innocent diversion, becomes a power over us. 1. When people are interviewed after a natural disaster, such as in the flooding in Houston this week, there are commonly two reactions. One is a grateful couple hugging one another and expressing thanks that they have each other; telling the cameraman that things can always be replaced. The other extreme is the weeping individual who laments the loss of their possessions. My car is ruined! 2. I would hope that it wouldn t take a such serious catastrophe to reveal our hearts to us; but that we would honestly and humbly evaluate what our hearts are most attached to. I am afraid that I value my many of my material things more than I want to admit. d. What you spend your money on tells a lot about the attachments of your heart. i. I heard a pastor tell me that he could tell you more about a person s heart by looking in his checkbook than by talking with the person. ii. A person who spends all of his discretionary funds or racks up credit card debt on electronics, automobiles, shoes, clothing is inadvertently living out the reality that he loves those things most. iii. The person who gives sacrificially to charity or to their church is expressing the reality that God comes first in their life. e. You can t love both God and possessions. Jesus even goes to the extreme of saying "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate (miseo=hate, detest) the one and love (agapao)the other, or he will be devoted (Antechomai: to cleave to, hold against) to one and despise (Kataphroneo: have contempt for, despise, to have a negative opinion, negative feeling toward) the other. The context of this statement is that one will either Hate God and love his belongings, or he will be devoted to God and despise (love less) his belongings. (look up Greek!) i. A slave (cf. Luke 16:13) is not a master of his own life. He is another's possession, and therefore cannot serve two masters at the same time. The Greek word douleu (to serve) means serving with an exclusive loyalty, being completely at someone's disposal. That such service is a service of complete surrender Jesus makes still more clear through two contrasts (love - hate; hold to - despise), which must naturally not be explained as concerned with themselves, but with each other (cf. Luke 14:26 ff, John 12:25). ii. The slave of mammon will obey mammon while pretending to obey God. (RWP) Mammon was a word from the Aramaic that meant worldly system. iii. He will hold to one (enov antexetai). The word means to line up face to face (anti) with one man and so against the other (RWP) iv. You cannot serve (doulos: be a slave to) God and wealth. v. Jesus tells us that we cannot have two masters. We can only serve one master. Anything that comes between us and God is an idol. It may not start out that way, but as the attachments of our heart stick to that object, whether it be wealth, possessions, fame, glory, achievements just like slow setting epoxy, eventually we will find it takes the place of God in our lives. It becomes a god to us. And it crowds out the place of the One True God.
vi. God is the SOURCE of everything. Why would we want to make money our God? Well maybe it is because if WE can supply all of our own needs, what do we need God for? Our money takes God s place of being our Provider. vii. It is for this reason we are warned to guard our hearts 4. 33 "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven. a. One fast way to discover how much stuff owns you (not that you own) is deciding to either move or downsize. When you have to relocate, you quickly find out just how much stuff you have accumulated and how hard it is to let go of the stuff that won t fit in the truck or the new apartment or the retirement home. i. I was in a self admitted hoarder s home this week. There was the most innocuous junk piled everywhere. From children s toys to the boxes that the toys came in, to strange tvspecial buys still unopened in their boxes, to appliances stacked three high. Unwashed dishes were stacked on the counter because there was no room in the sink to wash them. When we talked about replacing her carpet, she admitted that she would have a lot to get rid of before the installers came. I am wondering if it will really happen! ii. We become attached to our stuff. iii. Eighty-million families in the United States would tell you that they are in financial trouble, after about 50 years of almost unparalleled prosperity. (Ron Blue & Co.) Why? Because we haven t made God first in our lives! We want stuff instead. iv. b. We as followers of Christ should be thinking proactively about what we possess. Look for ways to give it away, or to sell it and use the proceeds for Christ. i. This gives me an idea. Need a need to give to. Then host a church-wide yard sale of only good things (not junk) to let go of some of our stuff and to deposit that value into a heavenly account. Who wants to head it up? What need would we give to? (Hannah s Home, The homeless shelter in Painesville? Or to fund a ministry in a trailer park, ie buy and operate a trailer?). I would say, avoid dishes, appliances, and things that might be construed as junk. Need volunteers to man it and to clean it up afterwards. Would need a large dumpster to dispose of the stuff ($300 cost). Use this time as an opportunity to clean out our own attic at church? 5. I d like to close with the reading of God s word. His word says more than a 45 minute sermon ever could. Let His word speak to your heart and decide today where you are going have your treasury at: a. I Timothy 6:6-10 "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. b. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, 11-13 "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." c. Let us pray:
6. Facts about America s wealth a. Americans own approximately 40 percent of the world s wealth but comprise only 2.5 percent of the world s population. (Ron Blue & Co.) b. Forty percent of the wealth in America is held by 1 percent of the people. (Ron Blue & Co.) c. Eighty-million families in the United States would tell you that they are in financial trouble, after about 50 years of almost unparalleled prosperity. (Ron Blue & Co.) d. Incomes have gone up nine to 10 times in the last 20 years and giving has gone down about 50 percent. (Ron Blue & Co.) e. Christians worldwide make $5.9 trillion in annual income. One-sixth of that belongs to evangelical Christians. (ServLife International) f. Ninety-six percent of evangelical giving is given out of income and only 4 percent is given out of net worth. (Ron Blue & Co.) g. Jesus even told a rich young ruler to sell everything that he had, give it to the poor and follow Him. 1. Do I have to give away everything to follow Christ? Do I have to sell all that I have in order to please Him? h. i. You can t disciple a demon and you can t cast out the flesh. 7. Philippians 4:7-8 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things a. What you think about is what your heart attaches itself to. S Notes: A doctor called one of his patients into his office to deliver some very important news. "I have received the results of your tests and I have some bad news and some good news", said the doctor. The patient was quiet for a moment, sensing the severity of the announcement. "Let me have the good news first, doc", said the patient. The doctor took a deep breath and said, "You only have 24 hours to live." "Oh my goodness", shouted the patient, "If that s the good news what could the bad news possibly be?" The doctor replied, "I was supposed to tell you yesterday." Quote: Jim Elliott, a famous missionary once wrote, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." The depth of your personal commitment to Christ is directly proportional to the distance you park from the front door of the church