Our Motivation For Giving-Matthew 6:19-21

Key Elements

In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus addressed the motivation for a follower of Him behind giving and revealed that the core factor is where they are “storing up” their treasures-heaven or earth.

Main idea of the text: An honest look at our hearts and lives, as followers of Jesus, will reveal our motivation for giving.

I want my audience to look at their lives and determine whether they are investing in the here and now or the eternal.

Intro

Valentine’s Day is coming up this Wednesday, February 14th. And if I just reminded you then the good news is that you still have time to order or purchase a gift for your significant other. The truth is this, Valentine’s Day is one of those days that people either really love or really hate despite what your current relationship status might be. It’s a day that can be fun and seen as worth celebrating or it can be a day that is stressful because you want to get it right. Restaurants are always extremely crowded on that day so it can be a challenge to figure out how to be creative when it comes to a memorable time with your person. It’s definitely a day that can bring us many different emotions. One of mine and Kristi’s most memorable Valentine’s Days was when we first got married (talk about going to the fancy restaurant and then going to Johnny Rockets for cheeseburgers) My motive for going there was to impress my wife. Whatever your motivation for celebrating Valentine’s Day, just know that it’s worth celebrating.

Now, whether it’s Valentine’s Day or really anything else in life, we all have underlying motives that exist for why we do the things we do. These are the core reasons that motivate what we do in our lives. Whether it’s things we do for others or things we do for ourselves, there are underlying motives that exist that fuel the reasons that we do what we do. And the tendency we have as human beings in general is to question those motives in other people. When people do things for us, it may not be the first reaction but somewhere along the way the thought probably creeps into our minds “I wonder why they did that?” That’s a natural reaction or thought especially if we’ve experienced hurt in our past at some point in time.

But today as we continue our Gift of Giving series, Jesus calls us to do something a little different. Instead of questioning and wondering about the motives of others, He calls us to look at the motives of our own hearts specifically in the area of giving. Jesus really wants us to ask ourselves as His disciples, “What’s my motivation for giving?” And as we’ll see in Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus addresses the topic of motivation in the hearts of His followers when it comes to giving and He reveals that the core factor that proves the true motives of a person particularly in the area of giving is where they are “storing up” their treasures-heaven or earth.

And that’s really the focus of where we are going today, taking a deep dive into our own hearts to discover the motivation for our giving. Are we investing in the here and now or are we investing in the eternal?

Which leads us to the main idea of our text today: An honest look at our hearts and lives, as followers of Jesus, will always reveal our motivation for giving.

Just to be honest this morning, sermon series on the topic of giving are always difficult. They just are. There’s no way around that. They’re difficult for all of you sitting out there because, let’s face it, we are talking about our money and that’s a sensitive subject. We don’t want anyone telling us what we should be doing with our money. But it’s difficult for me from this point of view. Because my concern is that people will perceive this as the pastor coming down on them or sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. And that’s not the intention of this giving series at all. Our prayer and our hope is three fold: first, if you’re not a follower of Jesus, that you will see the need to surrender your heart and life to Jesus as Savior and Lord, that is our first hope; second, if you’re not currently tithing as a follower of Jesus and a member of this church, that you will begin to do that, and not out of guilt but because God, by His Holy Spirit, is showing you the benefit of that; and three, if you are currently tithing and giving as a follower of Jesus and a member of this church, that you will see some fresh, new revelations and truths from scripture about generosity and giving that you haven’t seen before (that’s where I’m at as your pastor, God is revealing to me new truths that He is making fresh in my heart about being obedient and giving to Him). And so, that is our hope. That is what we are praying for. And I really do believe as we step out on faith this year as a church but also as individuals in this area of giving and we take a next step in this area of our lives, we will be blown away at what God does in our lives and the lives of our families and in our church all for His glory. And so that’s why we want to talk about our motivation for giving today because when it really comes down to it whatever our heart is set on, whatever the focus of our heart may be, that will be our focus, that will be what we are locked in on, and that will ultimately provide the direction for our giving and our lives.

Message

So, this morning we want to look at two implications on our lives when it comes to our motivation for giving and then we want to talk about some principles that guide us as we give:

1. Our motivation for giving is indicated by where we “store up” our treasures-heaven or earth. (vs. 19-20)

So, let’s set the scene here for our text this morning. Our scripture, Matthew 6:19-21, is found in one of if not the most famous sermon Jesus ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7. And we walked through this sermon in a series a couple of years ago. It’s full of practical truths for our daily lives as followers of Jesus. To sum it up, Jesus in those three chapters of Matthew lays out for us how to live our lives as followers of Jesus that are “set apart” from the culture around us. And so, as Jesus begins to near this part of the Sermon on the Mount, He has zeroed in for a moment on the subject of motives. He begins at the beginning of chapter 6 by talking about some very common religious practices of the day for the Jewish people and Jesus doesn’t sugar coat any of it but basically looks right at the Scribes and Pharisees and calls them out in front of the people. He accuses them of taking something that God had given them in the Law of Moses and making it a religious act and using it to draw attention to themselves. Jesus says this, “it’s not that your actions are wrong, the problem is with your hearts and the motivation of your heart that is fueling your actions.” Jesus addresses giving, He addresses prayer, He addresses fasting and in the process of those first eighteen verses, His whole focus is the reason for doing all of that, the motives behind the actions. And then, He comes to our text today in vs. 19-20 and He sums it all up for us. He says....

So, let’s pause for a moment because there are two words that we need to define and make clear that are going to shed some light for us about what Jesus is trying to communicate here: The first word or phrase is “store up” which in the Greek means “to amass in reserve or to hoard for future use.” The second word we need to define is “treasures” which in the Greek means “valuable things or the place where valuable things are kept.” This word can mean the actual things being stored or it can mean the treasure room where the valuable things are stored.

So, in these verses, what Jesus is telling us is this “First, the goal of our lives and the pursuit of our lives should not be to amass or hoard or store us for us earthly things-money, toys, saving accounts. That we need to be very cautious about putting all of our hope and all of our security in these earthly things that we can gather up here and now. That our value and our identity cannot be placed on those things. Second, He is saying that there is something of eternal worth that we do need to be placing our hope in. That there are heavenly things, Godly things that we do need to be investing in and finding our worth and value in. And those are the things that we need to be working to amass.” -John Stott

Why? Because all of those earthly things will not last, they are temporary. If the goal of our lives is to gain as much stuff on this earth that we possibly can, then nothing is on our side. Eventually, Jesus tells us that it will rust, it will disintegrate, or it will become someone else’s. And that doesn’t just pertain to earthly physical stuff, it can also be status or position and even relationships. All of those things will eventually fade. If these things, these earthly things, are what matters to us the most, if they are what we give ourselves to more than anything else, then they are our “treasures.” And if we are living focused on earthly treasures then we are living dangerously.

But Jesus also gives us an alternative. Just as earthly treasures are temporary, the eternal things of life are eternal-they last beyond this life. When Jesus says “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,” He’s saying the things we should be investing our lives in and pouring ourselves into as followers of Him, are things that will last for eternity.

So, when it comes to giving and our motivation for giving, that will be indicated by where we are “storing up our treasure,” by where we are pouring ourselves into. And if God has blessed us financially, which He has all of us to a certain extent compared to the rest of the world, then we should be using what has been entrusted to us to further the gospel in the lives of others. We should be focused on the development of the character of Jesus Christ in others and ourselves, making disciples of Jesus who make disciples. And we should be actively pursuing sharing the gospel in our daily spheres of life so that others are transformed and changed forever. All of these are things that will last beyond this life. These things are what Jesus is talking about that can’t be stolen and that won’t fade or rust or disintegrate because they are eternal.

You see, the truth is this, we have two choices when it comes to our treasures, we can hoard them here on earth and watch them waste away or we can give them away and see an eventual eternal reward. The choice is up to us but the choice has to be made. And whether we would admit to the choice we are making or not, our lives actually do reveal the choice we’ve made.

Wayne Watts in his book on giving puts it rather bluntly. He says, “If you really want to know where your heart is on giving, look back over your bank account for the last three years and see where your money has gone.”

So, if our motivation for giving is a selfish motivation. If it is to draw attention to ourselves. If it is so people will look at us to see how holy we think we are then we are storing up treasures here on earth and earlier in vs. 2, Jesus says “they have their reward in full.” The accolades we receive and the attention from people is our reward. Enjoy that because that is all we will receive. And that is something that will eventually fade and waste away. It will be left behind in eternity. But if our motivation for giving is focused beyond this life. If we are investing in the eternal and spending our lives focused on the spreading of the gospel and we give to that end, then we are storing up treasures in heaven. And Jesus says there is an eternal reward for that investment that will never fade and cannot be touched by the things of this world.

Our motivation for giving is indicated by where we “store up” our treasures-heaven or earth.

Which leads us to the second implication on our lives when it comes to our motivation for giving...

2. Our motivation for giving indicates the decision we have made and determines the affection of our hearts. (vs. 21)

Jesus continues in vs. 21 and He says...

So, it makes sense to give, it makes sense to invest in the eternal; and the reason Jesus says is “that it will last.” But we also choose to invest in the eternal and we give to things that will last beyond this life because it determines the affection of our hearts. Jesus says that “Where we place our treasure, where we place our priority and value-on the things of earth or the things of heaven-that will determine what our heart is chasing after. And it also reveals the choice we’ve made to invest in earthly or heavenly things.” Where we decide to store up our treasures and what we decide we are going to spend our lives pursuing, will be what drives us-the earthly or the eternal. I don’t believe that Jesus is condemning us having stuff or purchasing new stuff. What He’s saying to us is that when the pursuit of earthly things and the hoarding of earthly things has become where we find our worth and the focus of our lives, then that indicates the choice we’ve made concerning the earthly or the eternal and we need to be careful because it’s an indication that the affection of our hearts has been overtaken by the temporary things of this life.

So, let’s talk for a minute about how we know that the affection of our hearts has been overtaken by the eternal. How do we know that we have chosen to invest in the things that last beyond this life? The first way we can tell is that we know this is not our home. This is something, as followers of Jesus, that we constantly have to remember. The Bible calls us “strangers and aliens” in this life.

I love how one theologian puts it for us, “This is the great fact of which we must never lose sight. We are walking through this world under the eye of God, in the direction of God, and towards our everlasting hope.”

And when that is at the forefront of our minds constantly as followers of Jesus, then we will see everything we have as something that is on loan from God. And that is something that we have constantly been talking about in this series on giving. And that is the second way we know that the affection of our hearts has been overtaken by the eternal. We are not owners of anything but we are stewards entrusted by God. And it ties into what we talked about last week, we live openhanded lives knowing that we own nothing but everything is a gracious gift from our Heavenly Father.

And the result of those two things being present in our lives will be that we constantly ask ourselves “How can I use everything that I’ve been given in my life for the glory of God? How can I give back what God has entrusted to me?” Our choice to use everything we’ve been given for God’s glory is the indicator of the decision that we’ve already made. And it also proves that the affection of our hearts is set on Jesus and the eternal.

Something else to note is this that whatever choice we make, treasures in heaven and treasures on earth will both demand our total devotion. Our choice leads us to the master we serve. And that is indicated by what Jesus says in vs. 24...

Here Jesus is laying all on the line for those who are following Him. He says that it is impossible to live with divided loyalty between the things of this world and the things of heaven. We have to choose one or the other and what it comes down to is this that a life lived in service to money or the gaining of wealth cannot simultaneously be lived in service and devotion to God.

The word used here for “serve” is the Greek word meaning “to be enslaved to.” The word used for “master” is from the Greek word meaning “absolute ownership.” The raw truth of what Jesus is saying here is that where we choose to “store up” our treasures-on earth or in heaven-where we choose to place our hearts’ affection-on the temporary or the eternal-will eventually demand total devotion from us.

So, think about how this practically plays out in our lives. When we define success in our lives by earthly things and that is our pursuit and not by God delighting in us and adopting us as sons and daughters, then eventually those things will demand our total devotion. They’ll demand energy from us physically, emotionally, and financially. But when our treasure is in heaven, then God demands total devotion also but it’s different. There is no compromise, because it is impossible to “serve God and wealth.” But God leaves it up to us. And what happens is that when we choose to serve God and be totally devoted to Him, we realize very quickly that that is the much better choice. Because it’s in slavery to God that we find not an oppressive, demanding relationship but a freedom like we’ve never experienced before because we are investing in the eternal not the earthly.

An honest look at our lives will reveal if we are living according to Colossians 3:2

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Our motivation for giving indicates the decision we have made and determines the affection of our hearts.

So, there are some Principles that guide us as we give: (from The Gift of Giving by Wayne Watts)

a. Make Jesus Lord of all you have.

The Bible warns us that a person can start out well and end up poorly when it comes to their spiritual life, it can happen to all of us. A person can hear what God has to say about giving and start out motivated and with great intentions but then the worries of life happen and before long those things can choke out their spiritual commitment to giving. That’s why it’s important to keep at the forefront of our minds that God owns everything and to constantly surrender all we have to Him as Lord. And when we are tempted to take ownership of the things of this life, we stop and take our hands off, unclench our fists, and release it to God again.

b. Plan for a short life.

I know this sounds ominous and surprising but let me explain what he means. The person who plans to live each day to its fullest investing in the eternal lives wisely. They will not leave things undone because of procrastination but will seek to live one day at a time and get the most out of life. He’s not saying don’t plan for the future but he’s telling us to live each day to its fullest potential in obedience to our Heavenly Father not putting off what He is asking us to do now. It’s what the Bible calls “Redeeming the time” in Ephesians 5:16.

c. Plan ahead to give.

The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 that as followers of Jesus we should plan our giving ahead of time. As a follower of Jesus, tithing and giving should be a regular part of our budget and planned out like the rest of our monthly expenses.

d. Give to your church.

I know this one sounds almost self explanatory but this is exactly what God has called us to do when He commands us to tithe. Our investment in our church helps further the ministry and the Gospel to our community and beyond. It’s a partnership between us and the church as we reach more and more people with the Gospel. Wayne Watts says this “The test of your feeling about the effectiveness of your church can be measured by your confidence and joy in giving.”

e. Invest in people.

People were Jesus’ first concern. He gave Himself on the cross for people of every race and background. And we follow Jesus’ example as His followers by demonstrating the love of Jesus visibly and sharing the Gospel at every opportunity. Think about this, we would not be where we are today if someone had not invested in us and we are called to do the same.

f. Let God guide your financial decisions.

“A believer in Jesus, living under the control of the Holy Spirit, will find direction from God regarding all their giving-the amount of gifts and who should receive them.” To determine who we give to and how much begins with prayer. And as God speaks to us, He will guide us in the area of our giving. Sometimes we don’t know what to do or we make the wrong financial decisions because we never asked our Heavenly Father.

Conclusion

So, what’s our motivation for giving? Are we investing in the earthly or the eternal? Are we pouring our lives into things that will last beyond this life or are we spending our lives amassing things that will eventually fade away? Only we can answer that for ourselves. So, this morning, this our time to respond to whatever God has shown us and maybe its that we need to come and commit to spending the rest of our lives investing in the eternal. Maybe today you are investing and giving but this morning you realize it’s motivated by the wrong things and you realize the rewards you are seeking are earthly and temporary. Whatever, God is calling you to do today. Our prayer is that you would take your next step.

· Maybe today, you realize that God has called you to live your life for more than the here and now. You realize for the very first time that there is more beyond this life. And today you want to surrender your heart and life to Jesus for the very first time and begin to invest in the eternal. That your tired of pouring your life into things that won’t last and you want God to use your life to make an eternal difference.