Return on Investment Matthew 6:19-24 Work that Matters Pastor Troy Dobbs Grace Church Eden Prairie October 16, 2016 One huge blessing of working is and (let s just say it) is making money. And that s not a bad thing! One huge challenge in having money is making sure money doesn t have you! Money can trip us up in a hurry! The greatest struggle in our walk with Christ (may be) the temptation to rely on our money more than our Savior! And Jesus (obviously) knows that He knows our bent towards idolatry and our proneness to live as if NOW is all there is! i And so He says to us (in Matthew 6:19-24): 1
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. 22 The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. ii OUTLINES When it comes to MONEY Jesus urges His people to iii : 1) Evaluate their Investment Strategies. iv Notice He begins with a VIGOROUS DON T He says; 2
19 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. v Now verse 19 is as counter-cultural a message as you ll ever hear! DON T STORE UP Today the mantra is: HE WHO DIES WITH THE MOST TOYS WINS! Storing Up is advocated and celebrated But Jesus says: DON T GO THERE! Don t go there because it s a VULNERABLE investment strategy! Vulnerable to: Moths Rust Thieves vi If I were to contemporize the aforementioned I would say everything we have is under vulnerable to: 3
Moths Rust Thieves AND Recessions and Depressions Ponzi Schemes and Bank Fraud Depreciation and Stock Market Fluctuation vii And so the Greek text literally says, Do not have this habit of treasuring your treasures! Now (obviously), people then and now struggle in maintaining a balanced biblical perspective on stuff. I mean it is in our fallen nature to hoard and stockpile not be open-handed and generous I don t know if you remember this or not but in 2009, A&E had a show called Hoarders that chronicled the lives of serial hoarders. These people loved stuff so much that many lost their minds / marriages / children / careers. 4
The show revealed how hoarding hurt people / families. Which is precisely what Jesus is getting at here. Hoarding does not get you ahead! Now, contextually you need to understand that in Christ s day people were traders who took great pride in their stuff and although they didn t have a lot what they did have they treasured and then stored! Which is the reason Jesus takes the time to explain why (storing up treasures on earth) is a lousy investment strategy. Jesus points out that our earthly treasures are under the constant threat of being ravaged destroyed or stolen. Textually speaking Moths represent nature s corrosions eating away our earthly wealth 5
Rust represents time s corrosions eating away our earthly wealth (We Minnesotans know about rust, don t we?) And thieves represent humanity s corruption stealing our earthly wealth viii Interestingly, the Greeks used to call thieves mud-diggers. Because houses in the 1 st century were sun-dried mud-brick houses (which meant) thieves could very easily chip away and steal the treasure you treasured. So, Jesus uses some very basic logic to undergird His point Why on earth would you stockpile your treasure in a locale that is not safe/sound? It is the paradox of insecure security Consequently all three of these compounded (moths, rust, and thieves) underscore the slipperiness and indiscretion of a life marked by hoarding/stockpiling. 6
So Jesus interjects as radical an idea as there is in the NT He says as you evaluate your investment strategies Make sure the life to come impacts / informs the life you re in (v.20) Make sure eternal life intersects with your everyday life v. 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ix Unfortunately, our theology of eternity is pretty benign. For us, heaven is way later & far removed from and irrelevant to the routines of everyday life. I mean the Kingdom of Heaven is so out there for most Christ followers that it never shapes or changes or challenges the way we think live or spend our cash. 7
And Jesus knowing that propensity in us says to us: do not store up treasures on earth because there s a BETTER WAY / BETTER PLACE TO INVEST YOUR TREASURES! x v. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven! Now what is treasure in Heaven What does that mean? In a broad sense we could say Our treasure in Heaven is Jesus Christ more than anything else, or A life that will never end, or a Love that will never cease But let s talk specifically here because in our context Jesus is talking about o Money o Stuff o Wealth 8
And although He is not implying that the aforementioned are inherently bad He is saying that the biblical response of a Christ follower means we are to release and distribute and share our money and wealth as opposed to hoarding it and stockpiling it for OURSELVES. So what does it mean then to store treasure in Heaven? It means when we use our wealth to further the work of Christ then we are investing for ourselves HEAVENLY assets that are completely free from destruction rust or theft. Thus, in that sense Heavenly security is the only absolute security it s the only investment we can make free from vulnerability. Heaven is the only place where you can INVEST and then rest and not worry about rust, theft or recession! xi 9
Moreover, and this is an EYE-POPPING and JAW-DROPPING) principle: THE FINAL VALUE of our NET WORTH DOESN T DEPEND ON HOW MUCH WE HAVE BUT ON WHERE IT IS STORED. xii The Bible flips the script from: HOW MUCH DO YOU HAVE to WHERE IS IT STORED? So, when we become Kingdom givers (not stockpilers) of our earthly assets they become Heavenly investments for us! In that way: the one who gives to the Kingdom of God / to Christ s church is always wealthier than the one who simply accumulates stuff on earth no matter how much the accumulator accumulates. So here s the $100,00 question: What on earth would prevent God s people from embracing this investment strategy? xiii 10
ANSWER: A weak vision of eternity. xiv Randy Alcorn in his book, The Treasure Principle, said: I am convinced that the greatest deterrent to giving is the illusion that earth is our home. xv Please hear me YOU ARE NOT HOME YET! Earth is an apartment we rent while waiting on our eternal home to be finished! Now I am not saying, don t plan for retirement. I am saying let the actuality of heaven govern your retirement strategies on earth. I am not saying, don t build or buy a new home 11
I am saying let the actuality of heaven govern your real estate spending strategies on earth. I am not saying, don t ever leave the state of Minnesota I am saying let the actuality of heaven govern your vacation spending strategies on earth. I am not saying, don t make a lot of money I am saying let the actuality of heaven govern your giving strategies on earth. Bottom line: We should NEVER treat Eden Prairie as permanent and eternal life as irrelevant! So make sure - make sure make sure: The life to come impacts the life you re in OR YOU WILL FALL PREY TO LOUSY INVESTMENT STRATEGIES that will haunt you later. 12
Secondly, when it comes to money Jesus urges his people to: 2) Evaluate their devotion and allegiances. xvi v. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. xvii Verse 21 Spotlights the fact that we are all prone to become obsessed with what we possess. Moreover, have you noticed the more expensive the treasure the more obsessive the behavior? xviii Let me illustrate If hail the size of softballs began to pelt Eden Prairie (during this worship service) the people driving the Corvettes would be in a bigger hurry to get to the parking lot than the people driving the Chevettes. And I am not saying it s wrong to drive either. It is just a universal fact of life that Timex wearers aren t as uptight as Rolex wearers 13
Right if I am at the gym with my $20,000 Rolex in the locker my heart is not going to be in my workout it ll be back at the locker. But if I leave my $8.00 Timex in the locker I don t even have to lock it and I can get to work sweating off my UNI-AB Additionally, verse 21 reveals that money is like a magnet. Wherever we put it, it tends to pull our hearts. So when I give money to God, it is like a magnet that pulls me closer to Him. xix Now I want to be clear here, God doesn t need your money He is not broke. We ve said this before: Giving is not something God wants FROM you it s something He wants FOR you 14
He wants your heart because wherever your treasure is, there s where your heart is going to be! Thus, Jesus is saying: Don t treasure your treasures: Because they are under the constant threat of destruction. Because it is a short-sighted way to invest. Because they will pull your heart away from God. xx Notwithstanding, please notice that Jesus goal here is not to remove our drive or ambition (not at all) Jesus is simply trying to get us to redirect our efforts/ambitions towards lasting secure eternal Christ-centered causes Jesus has no problem with storing up He is just trying to HELP us do it in a way that COUNTS and in a place where it ll LAST. xxi How good is that! Furthermore (in my interpretive estimation) vv. 22-23 is a continuation of the same concept in v. 21. xxii 15
vv. 22-23 22 The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! xxiii Now, up until this point Jesus has been talking about our heart and that giving really is not a money issue but a heart issue. So here in vv. 22-23 the eye becomes the illustration of the heart. Let me explain if the eye is filled with light that equates to an ability to understand and perceive spiritual realities. However, if your eye is dark and black and there s no light coming in, that means there will be a lack of spiritual understanding and perception. And that is the way it is with the heart. If your heart is turned toward God it enlightens your understanding of spiritual 16
realities and enables you to be a contributor to the Kingdom of God. Conversely, if your heart is turned toward your stuff and not your Savior then the blinds are closed on your spiritual understanding and perception. And when that happens you ll get focused solely on here and have a stunted-myopic earthbound vision for your money and investments. xxiv And Jesus characterizes that by saying: How great is that darkness! (v. 23) How dark is that heart!? I mean, think how sad it is for a Christian bound for Heaven with a heart that can t perceive eternal realities and therefore making no significant difference with his / her resources. Tragic! Thus when it comes to MONEY: Check your investment strategies Make sure the next life impacts this life 17
Make sure you understand that the heart of the issue is that the heart is the issue! Which is precisely what v24 says: v. 24 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. xxv In this passage to warn about money Jesus uses the predicament of a servant who works for two different owners! The servant is placed in a terrible bind when one owner commands one thing and the other owner something else. The result will be that the servant will be more faithful to one owner than the other. And Jesus is saying in the same way God and money are two totally different taskmasters, and we can no more serve both than follow a road that forks. 18
Consequently, Jesus insists that loyalty to God must be undivided. AND I WOULD JUST REMIND YOU THAT MONEY IS A LOUSY, UNRELIABLE GOD WHO DID NOT DIE ON THE CROSS FOR YOUR SINS xxvi Money can do a lot of things for you but it cannot save you and land you in Heaven! So today (really) is a call to declare your allegiance to Christ alone financially! Because you cannot have it both ways. You cannot say you love God and remain stingy with your wealth. You cannot worship two gods at one time you will always be more faithful to one than the other. And mark it down: JESUS has a different call on and vision for your life than MONEY does. Let me explain why: Jesus commands you to walk by faith. 19
- Money says walk by sight. Jesus calls you to be humble. - Money pushes you to be proud. Jesus says set your affections on things above. - Money says set your affections on things below. Jesus says Earth is not your home. - Money says this is it go for it. xxvii John Calvin said this Where riches hold the domain of the heart, God has lost His authority. And God demands undivided loyalty! Tragically I see this all the time: The pull of sin tempts us to live as if EARTH is our Home which skews the way we invest our resources. 20
As well, the pull of sin drags us into unnecessary battles with God over whether or not we can take Him at His Word regarding our finances. So today I want you to know Jesus is always good on His word - His investment advice is infinitely more SURE than Warren Buffet and Bill Gates. - And if either ONE of them gave you an inside piece of investment advice you would immediately put it into play - You would immediately listen to their advice And there is NO comparison to who JESUS is and to what Jesus knows. ABSOLUTLEY NONE AT ALL So work hard like Jesus is your boss. Work in a way that adorns the Gospel. Work in a way that models for your kids how to work. And work to make money and then use that money to make a difference for the cause of Jesus! 21
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i Jesus knows our bent towards idolatry and our proneness to live as if THIS is all there is ii Matthew 6:19-24 iii When it comes to MONEY Jesus urges His people to: iv 1) Evaluate their Investment Strategies. v Matthew 6:19 vi EVERYTHING we have is vulnerable to: Moths Rust Thieves vii If I were to contemporize Matthew 6:19 I would say everything we have is under siege to: AND Moths Rust Thieves Recessions and Depressions Ponzi Schemes and Bank Fraud Depreciation and Stock Market Fluctuation viii Moths represent nature s corrosions eating away our earthly wealth Rust represents time s corrosions eating away our earthly wealth (We Minnesotans know about rust, don t we?) And thieves represent humanity s corruption stealing our earthly wealth ix Verse 20 x do not store up treasures on earth because there s a better way / better place to invest your treasures! xi Heaven is the only place where you can INVEST and then rest and not worry about rust or recession! xii THE FINAL VALUE of our NET WORTH DOESN T DEPEND ON HOW MUCH WE HAVE BUT ON WHERE IT IS STORED. xiii What on earth would prevent God s people from embracing this investment strategy? xiv Answer: A weak vision of eternity. xv Randy Alcorn in his book, The Treasure Principle, said: I am convinced that the greatest deterrent to giving is the illusion that earth is our home. xvi 2) Evaluate their devotion and allegiances. xvii Verse 21 xviii I mean, have you noticed the more expensive the treasure the more obsessive the behavior? xix So when I give money to God, it is like a magnet that pulls me closer to Him. xx Thus, Jesus is saying: Don t treasure your treasures: Because they are under the constant threat of destruction. Because it is a short-sighted way to invest. Because they will pull your heart away from God. 23
xxi Jesus has no problem with storing up He is just trying to HELP us do it in a way that COUNTS and in a place where it ll LAST. xxii Furthermore (in my interpretive estimation) vv. 22-23 is a continuation of the same concept in v. 21. xxiii V22-23 xxiv And when that happens you ll get focused solely on here and have a stuntedmyopic earth-bound vision for your money and investments. xxv V24 xxvi AND I WOULD JUST REMIND YOU THAT MONEY IS A LOUSY, UNRELIABLE GOD WHO DID NOT DIE ON THE CROSS FOR YOUR SINS xxvii Jesus commands you to walk by faith. - Money says walk by sight. Jesus calls you to be humble. - Money pushes you to be proud. Jesus says set your affections on things above. - Money says set your affections on things below. Jesus says Earth is not your home. - Money says this is it go for it. 24