The Treasure Test

The Treasure Test

There’s a story of a brand-new recruit at boot camp learning to march for the first time. The drill sergeant’s calling out the cadence: “Left... left... left, right, left!”

After a few days of training, the recruit shows up one morning wearing only his left boot — and only a sock on his right foot. The sergeant stops and barks, “Private! Where’s your other boot?” The recruit stands tall and says, “Sir! I figured since we mostly march on the left, I’d just focus on what matters!”

It’s a silly story — but how often do we do the same thing in life? We emphasize one side and ignore the other. We treat life as if only the spiritual matters — or only the physical does — and forget that God created us with both.

In our next two messages, we’ll consider how our physical resources — our time, money, possessions — relate to our spiritual lives. Today, we begin by asking a simple but important question: What do I treasure?

Matthew 6:19–24 ESV

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.

Store Up the Right Treasure

The Nature of the Two Treasures

Jesus calls every disciple to evaluate the type of treasure they are storing up. The phrase “laying up” means to set aside something valuable for future use — saving it and giving it personal value. And according to Jesus, there are only two categories of treasure we can pursue.

The first is earthly treasure — things that have primary value in this life. These treasures are fragile and can lose their worth. Often, their value is based on how much others want them: “How much are you willing to pay for it?”

The second is heavenly treasure — things that may involve physical action or possession, but are aimed at God's kingdom and purposes. Their value is defined not by markets, trends, or popularity — but by God Himself. These treasures are eternal and secure. Because of their heavenly orientation, they are not susceptible to decay, theft, or loss.

The Heart Behind the Treasure

Jesus continues by revealing that our treasure is always connected to our heart. In Scripture, the “heart” isn’t just where we feel — it’s where we decide. It is the center of our will, our values, and our affections. We don’t treasure things by accident. The heart will always treasure something.

So here’s the question: What is treasured in your heart?

When we examine the heart of a disciple, what should we see? Jesus exhorts us to store up the things and activities that are centered on Him — things used for His glory and aligned with God’s will.

Treasuring Time: A Call to Real-Life Evaluation

This teaching isn’t just theoretical — Jesus spoke these words so we would live differently. So let’s bring it down to real life.

1. The Treasure of Success and Stuff Most people, if given the choice, would choose to be rich rather than poor. And we all probably have one more thing we wouldn’t mind owning — maybe one more tool, car, collectible, or device. But we often assume the people with the most wealth are the happiest. That’s not true. I’ve met people with plenty of finances but no peace in their lives or families.

2. The Treasure of Fame and Approval Then there’s the pull of popularity. Some of the most well-known celebrities are also the most broken and isolated. Even comedians — people who make others laugh — can be carrying deep pain inside.

It’s not wrong to have things or to succeed. If you’re wealthy, praise God. If you're known for your excellence at work, sports, or art — praise God. But here’s the test: Am I willing to let go of it or set it aside for the sake of the kingdom of God?

Jesus gave us a powerful picture of this in

Matthew 13:45–46 ESV

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Earthly treasure isn’t evil — but when we make it the satisfaction of our heart, it becomes a false god. And that’s a sign of a heart in need of repentance.

See with the Right Vision

I enjoy photography, and I used to teach a beginner’s class. One of the first things I would explain is how a camera is designed to mimic the human eye. Light enters through the lens; the shutter opens and closes, allowing that light to hit a sensor, which captures and translates the image.

One of the most important parts of any camera is the lens. If the lens is dirty, cracked, or out of focus, even the brightest light can’t produce a clear picture. The same light hits the sensor, but the result is distorted. The lens must be clear and properly aligned to give a true image.

Jesus shares a parallel of the importance of the eye, which represents our spiritual perception. The eye is the opening where light enters, and the body responds to what it sees.

Two Kinds of Eyes

Just as there are two kinds of treasure, Jesus presents two kinds of vision: the healthy eye and the bad eye. Both eyes receive light, but only one functions like a lamp, illuminating the body with direction and purpose. The other is blind to truth, and the darkness that follows is not neutral — it’s dangerous.

When the eye is healthy, it welcomes God’s truth and orients life around it. According to Jesus, this kind of vision results in a well-ordered life with kingdom priorities. But when the eye is bad, the whole person stumbles through life spiritually blinded.

The Example of the Dark Eyes of the Prosperity Teaching

Our relationship to possessions is one of the easiest ways our vision gets blurry. We see this today in the teaching of the false prosperity gospel.

The prosperity gospel falsely teaches that faith, positive confession, and financial giving guarantee physical health, material wealth, and personal success. This message distorts Scripture by turning God into a means to gain earthly riches, rather than seeing God as the ultimate treasure.

This teaching is appealing because it reclassifies earthly treasure as if it were heavenly. It turns faith into a transaction, where giving money to these teachers is seen as a way to unlock blessings of health and wealth.

The result is a dangerously distorted vision. It replaces the gospel of Christ with a gospel of self — a form of spiritual blindness that calls darkness light. It builds a personal kingdom instead of the kingdom of God.

Correcting Our Vision Starts with Understanding God’s Truth

Jesus wants His disciples to see clearly. He wants us to view life — including money, time, and goals — through the lens of eternity. A healthy eye receives the truth of God and brings light to everything it touches. A darkened eye, even when surrounded by opportunity and blessing, misses what matters most and will continue in darkness until submitted to God’s truth.

Serve the Right Master

The final phrase we’ll look at today is Jesus’ statement that “no one can serve two masters.”

We should not confuse Jesus’ use of the word master with our idea of a boss, manager, or employer — someone you work for during business hours. In Jesus’ world, a master implied ownership. A servant belonged to only one master. You couldn’t divide your loyalty, because your entire life was under the authority of the one who owned you.

This is where Jesus’ statement hits home. He says you will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and wealth. And He’s not exaggerating. He’s telling the truth about the condition of the human heart: we are not wired for divided allegiance.

I learned something about divided allegiance being here in GA for some time. People really like sports — especially college football. Since moving here, I kept seeing the letter A on hats, signs, and everywhere. But thanks to Hank I found out — one “A” is for the Atlanta Braves and another is for the University of Alabama.

While you can love the Letter A for the Braves (which is baseball), you can also love the Red Letter A for University of Alabama college football. But no man can root for two college football teams — for he will either love one and hate the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs.

Jesus is teaching us: You can’t wear two spiritual uniforms. You can’t live for God’s glory and also chase after earthly treasures. You will serve one — and in doing so, you will reject the other.

The call to discipleship is a call to exclusive devotion. That means our decisions, our goals, our time, our money, our priorities — all of it must come under the Lordship of Christ. And that’s not a burden. It’s freedom. When Jesus is Master, we are no longer slaves to things that erode and fade, things that moth and rust can destroy, things that people can steal.

The Treasure Test

Here is the reality of the heart and treasure: no matter how much or how little you have, you are always storing up treasure. Even the poor can be just as earthly-minded as the rich if their values are misplaced.

Let me talk about a resource we all equally share: time. We each have 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Time is a precious, God-given commodity.

Consider this: Over an 80-year life, the average person will spend nearly 27 years sleeping, 10 years working, and 7 years watching TV or scrolling a screen. In contrast, even a faithful churchgoer may spend only about 1.5 years in worship, prayer, and Bible study gatherings.

If time is a treasure, then you must ask: Am I investing it in what truly lasts?

How are you using your time to grow personally in your walk with God?

How are you guiding your family in the ways of the Lord?

How are you building up your spouse, praying for the lost, and sharing God’s truth with others?

Time spent doing these things has earthly value but becomes heavenly treasure when it is centered on God.

A Rich Young Ruler Who Said Yes

You may recall the sad story of the Rich Young Ruler — a man who could not surrender his wealth when Jesus asked him to sell all his goods, give to the poor, and follow the Savior.

But there is a modern example of a different ending.

You may recall the Rich Young Ruler, who walked away from Jesus because he wouldn’t give up his wealth.

But William Whiting Borden’s story is different. Though related to the Borden dairy family, his fortune came from his father’s mining and real estate success. By 21, he was a millionaire.

He graduated from Yale and Princeton Seminary, gave away his fortune, and committed his life to missions. He founded the Yale Hope Mission, supported Bible schools, and preached the gospel.

He died at 25 in Egypt before reaching China, where he planned to minister. Written in his Bible were these words:

“No reserves. No retreats. No regrets.”

Borden lived what the rich young ruler could not: a life fully surrendered to Christ. He didn’t walk away sorrowful. He walked away surrendered.