Treasure that is the Foundation

Jesus is our Treasure

What would you do with 1 million dollars?

See if I had a million dollars I would go and buy a Tesla, just cuz I want a tesla, like thats the dream.

Today it’s so easy to say man I want a lot of money, or I want to accomplish an astronomical goal.

Take our social media influencers, if you have a phone and social media you could probably name someone that appears on your feed that you have thought at least once: “I wish I had what they have”

It’s too easy to get our priorities mixed up where we say what if I did that or became that kind of person.

Really it all comes back to say “what if left this foundation and built something else”

Instead of the house of faith we have been talking about creating all month you build a sky scaper of wealth chasing or a mansion of popularity.

See Paul has one more peice of advice as we decide to make our faith our own and say that Jesus is our everything.

He writes to his mentee Timothy, telling him advice on the work that he is doing in ephesus.

Paul says this at the end of his letter in 1st timothy

1 Timothy 6:17–19 NIV

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

As we talk about a firm foundation this is vitally important.

There is something that we cannot control and that is the world around as, we are never able to control the things happening around us, we can try to our best extent but we will never perfect the ability to complete control life. There will be days where it feels like everything is out of control and so we must rather focus on our response to the situation.

See if we put our hope in Money, just like the people in ephesus, we will become arrogant and have a uncertain future, becuase money comes and goes and is the sand that we talked about so many times.

We cannot put our hopes into what we do, take that in these different ways

there is no hope in how much money we have

how many followers we acquire

how many friends we got

what we do to leave a legacy

Our only Hope is in Jesus Christ. Now some of those things that I just listed are two faced, actually if you look at them all they are two faced. Now I just said you do not need all those things, which is true, but Paul says if you have those things use them:

He tells Timothy who is the spiritual leader in there Church, but still a young person to lead the church to not be rich in money with no hope, but to use there money for the risen hope.

That they would use the things that the world has given them to bring hope to others.

So what does that mean for the 2023 teenage such as yourself?

Well we do not get to decide the hand that the world has dealt us, whatever has happened in your life so far has happened, there is no changing that. Maybe you have a good life already or maybe you do not.

However looking to change who you are in such a drastic way that you would leave Jesus and being a Christian to acheive it is not the awnser. Rather becoming more of who Jesus wants you to be with who you are now is exactly who he is calling you to be.

if you have lots of money, it’s not what you put your hope in, but it is what you can use to share your hope.

give to the church or help the poor and be like Jesus to others.

If you have lots of followers, your hope is not in keeping them or growing more but rather to share the gospel with them so they might also see the hope.

if you have lots of friends, your hope is not in having them or keeping them but rather that is your resource to give them hope and your ability to share that hope beside them to others.

if you have left a legacy already then it’s not your hope but a chance to say that Jesus is why you left that legacy.

Let me say this as he one thing I hope you take away from tonight:

Nothing is like Jesus, nothing will be like him, nobody can compete with him, if you have Jesus you have it all.

The whole point of Paul’s message is that the people who are rich would live this fuller life in Jesus by giving away their riches to help others and be more like Jesus

Becuase Paul is saying nothing is like Jesus, so why have money or fame or relationships or … because if we give up these thinks for him, in the sense of service or love or humility We would seek him more.

Let me tell you something I have been learning more this week:

We want to be people who seek Jesus In a intimate way, we want to get close and comfortable with who Jesus is, that we would be known by him and fully know him.

This passage talks just to that

So this week I want to invite you in to giving up the world and getting into Jesus.

Do this by:

buying someone else Lunch if yo have to money and they don’t

give your buddy a ride home instead of letting them take the bus Or walking

help you siblings with homework if you are older

help your siblings with chores if you are younger

spend time with your friends talking about hardships in their life

Those are some ways that can help you to be less like the world and more like Jesus

So this week I want to encourage you to seek Jesus more.

If you have 1 million dollars what Is one thing you would do?

How are we taught to be like the world?

How can you be less like the world and more like Jesus?

How can you be like Jesus for others this week? Think of something no matter how big or small - (For Leaders) Check up with them next week or through out the week if they did that thing.