Where Is Your Treasure?

19 “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 moth and rust do not destroy,

and where thieves do not break in and steal.

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

I. INVESTMENTS ON EARTH ARE NEVER SECURE

The PROHIBITION: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth.”

Jesus does not prohibit treasures but He DOES prohibit his people storing up on

earth treasures that are ONLY for themselves.

EARTHLY TREASURES: “to treasure up treasures.” – don’t stockpile.

Stockpiled luxury we amass for our own selves and beyond what we can possibly use.

The Lord is not saying we shouldn’t possess anything. He never condemns possessions.

I Timothy 6:l7b — “…God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.”

The EXPLANATION: “where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and

steal.” Every earthly treasure is TRANSIENT (perishes – wears out – loses value)

The DECEPTION: You deceive yourself if you think possessions endure.

The POINT: If you hoard it, you can lose it because it is unsafe & insecure.

The QUALIFICATION: Jesus expects us to save in a prudent way (Proverbs 21:20).

It is not wrong to accumulate money and invest in divine causes and concerns.

Your security, however, must never lie in any earthly treasure.

II. YOU CAN HAVE INVESTMENTS IN HEAVEN THAT ARE SECURE

The REALITY: You CAN have a treasure in Heaven – the appropriate place of storage.

The COMMAND: POSITIVELY Jesus instructs you to build up treasures in Heaven.

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven

The ATTITUDE: an ATTITUDE toward possessing and accumulating treasures.

The METHOD: You deposit your treasure in Heaven by:

A - The right use of your possessions on earth - things of good and eternal significance

B - The development of Christlike Character: -Growth in the Knowledge of Christ;

The PERSPECTIVE: a matter of maintaining an eternal perspective

III. YOUR HEART FOLLOWS YOUR TREASURE

The REASON: The reason for putting your treasure into God’s work has to do with the

location of your heart. “For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.”

It is God’s Will that your heart be in heaven.

The Biblical “heart“: the center of your personality / intellect / emotion and will.

The things we most highly treasure occupy the “heart” and thus control direction and

values: investment of your life; motives; attitudes; thought patterns.

-Where is the concentration and the preoccupation of your life?

-What particular object do you spend most of your thinking, planning, and energy on?

Chances are, you are like most people and spend your time thinking about some “thing”.

Those who set their minds on things above discover that their deeds follow them.

Questions for your Heart

It is characteristic of a true believer that his treasure is in heaven. Take this time to

examine your life before God.

• Where is your heart? Is the concentration and preoccupation of your life consumed with

things you own, or is it consumed with the things of God?

• How do you spend the majority of your time? Do you need to spend more of your time

concentrating on heavenly things?

• Do you selfishly accumulate things for yourself or do you use what God has given to

bring Him glory by ministering to the needs of those around you? His church?

• How do you respond when something in your possession is stolen? Do you react

strongly against the person who stole it, or do you think of it as something that belongs to

God and that it is His to do with as He wills?

• Does the location of your treasure manifest that you are indeed a believer, or does it

manifest that you are just like others who belong to the world?

Ask God to reveal your true heart to you. If changes are necessary in your life, ask God to

help you to turn from your pride and humbly submit to His will.

Remember, it is not a question of whether you can, but whether you will.

CONCLUSION:

Seek first the Kingdom of God – seek treasures there – place your heart there –

…And ALL these things will be added unto you.

When you put your money in the work of God, you will be captured by the things of God.

May God give us wisdom in this and all our endeavors that we be found faithful and good

stewards of his unspeakable blessings.

Tags: Heart, Stewardship, Values, Where is Your Treasure

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 at 8:44 am and is filed under Accountability, Business, Faith, Grace, Leadership, Love, Money, Poverty, Prayer, Scripture, Servanthood, Stewardship, Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.