Kingdom Treasure

Matthew 6:19-24

Good morning, church.

We are back in our Sermon on the Mount series. Last week was such a special Sunday as Bob shared his testimony and his vision for our Student Ministry—and by God’s grace we unanimously voted him in as our Student Minister.

I’m genuinely excited for Bob, his wife Becky, and their son Wes to lock arms with us in the work of the ministry here at Cedar Bay. God is doing something good.

and I’m thankful for the unity among the our body of believers. We voted 4 times in a week and each time it was unanimous.

Thats a God things right there.

Florida fans were divided if the coach with the worst winning percentage since World War 2 should be fired or not.

Seemed like a no brainer to me but They still lost to Georgia so what do I know?

But I’m truly thankful that we are of one mind and one spirit as we continue to advance in this revitalization process.

Every ministry, every event, every effort we make at Cedar Bay has to point in one direction: the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

If what we’re doing doesn’t advance the Great Commission, the mission of Jesus forward- go therefore and make disciples, then we’re just busy, not fruitful.

The goal isn’t to build our church brand, it’s to build His Kingdom.

And if we aren’t doing that—if we’re not advancing the Kingdom—then we’re just spinning our wheels.

We can have full calendars, packed events, and great ideas, but if they don’t point people to Jesus, they’re just noise.

Let’s not confuse or conflate the truth: Church activity isn’t the same as Kingdom impact.

I don’t want us to be a busy church; I want us to be a biblical church—a church that moves at the pace of God’s purpose, not our preferences.

And as we approach a new year—somehow already, time flys—it’s time for us to start having open and honest conversations about how our ministries are operating. Are they bearing fruit? Are they making disciples? Are they advancing the mission? Those are the kinds of questions healthy churches ask.

That’s part of what our Prayer Triplets are praying over right now. We’re asking God to give us clarity, courage, and conviction—to show us where we need to strengthen what’s working, and maybe even prune what isn’t. Because the goal isn’t to protect our traditions; it’s to fulfill our commission. We want every part of Cedar Bay to move together with one heartbeat—to know God’s Word, live God’s way, and advance God’s mission.

That’s what unity looks like. Not just being on the same page organizationally—but being aligned spiritually around one goal: to make disciples who make disciples.

Now, if you have your Bibles, go ahead and make your way to Matthew chapter 6—we’ll be in verses 19 through 24 in just a moment.

Before we dive in, I’ve got to tell you a quick story from this week’s trick-or-treating. Judah went out dressed as the famous treasure hunter himself—Indiana Jones. He had the hat, the whip, the satchel—the whole deal. Blair got in on it too, dressing up as Marion from Raiders of the Lost Ark. And me? I went full old-school as Indiana Sr. from The Last Crusade. So there we were—the whole Jones family out on the hunt for candy treasure.

And as Judah ran from house to house, he kept saying, “Dad, I’m gonna find the big treasure!” And it hit me—this is exactly what Jesus is talking about here in Matthew 6. Every one of us is searching for treasure. The question isn’t are you chasing treasure—it’s which treasure are you chasing?

Because Jesus draws a clear line between the kind that fades and the kind that lasts forever.

See, Jesus ends this section with a bold statement: “You cannot serve God and money.”

Now, think about that for a second. Of all the things He could have said, He chose money. He didn’t say, “You cannot serve God and pleasure,” or “You cannot serve God and popularity,” or even “You cannot serve God and politics.” He said money—because money has a way of revealing who or what we really trust. It’s a mirror to the heart.

But let’s be honest—He could have inserted just about anything into that blank. “You cannot serve God and comfort.” “You cannot serve God and control.” Or for a lot of churches today, maybe this one stings a little—“You cannot serve God and tradition.”

As we move forward and advance the Kingdom of God here at Cedar Bay, those are some of the things we may have to push against. Because sometimes it’s not sin that slows us down—it’s sentiment. The “way we used to do it” might have been a good thing… but what if God’s trying to do a better thing? What if He’s calling us to trust Him enough to step out of what’s familiar so we can step into what’s fruitful?

That’s where faith comes in. Do we follow God, or do we follow our traditions?

Look, I thank God for the felt boards, the choir robes, and the Sunday bulletins printed on those pink and blue sheets of paper back in the ’80s and ’90s. Those were great tools for their time. But that doesn’t mean they’re the most effective ways to reach this generation. The message never changes—but the method might.

If we cling so tightly to our preferences that we can’t move when God says move, then we’ve traded the mission for nostalgia. And Jesus is clear: you can’t serve two masters. You’ll either follow God forward, or you’ll stay stuck in what used to be.

And that’s exactly what Jesus is getting at in this passage. He’s calling His followers to examine what—or who—has their heart.

You’ll remember that He is preaching mainly to His disciples and the crowd was just a secondary audience.

He’s showing us that our treasure, our focus, and our loyalty all tell the truth about our faith.

So let’s hear it straight from His Word this morning. If you’ve got your Bible open, follow along with me in Matthew 6:19–24

Matthew 6:19–24 ESV

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 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! “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.

That is the Word of the Lord. Praise be to God.

Let’s pray together.

Father, we come before You this morning grateful for Your Word. It cuts through the noise, it exposes our hearts, and it calls us to something deeper. Lord, we don’t want to just hear these verses and move on unchanged. We want to live them.

So today, would You reveal to us where our treasure really is? Show us the areas where we’ve stored up the wrong things—where we’ve chased comfort instead of Your Kingdom, where we’ve trusted our way more than Yours. God, fix our eyes on what’s eternal. Make us a people whose hearts beat for heaven’s treasure, not earth’s applause.

And as we open Your Word together, Holy Spirit, would You lead us? Reveal Your truth. Convict where we’ve grown comfortable. And remind us that the only treasure worth giving our lives for—is You.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Point 1: The Treasure Test — What Has Your Heart?

Jesus starts this section by giving two commands that sound simple on the surface but hit deep when you sit with them:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth… but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” (vv. 19–20)

This is common way Jesus would teach His disciples—He doesn’t just tell you what to do; He exposes why you do it.

The words “lay up” mean to stockpile or to hoard—to stack up something for safekeeping. In other words, He’s not talking about having things; He’s talking about being owned by things. The issue isn’t possessions—it’s priorities.

There’s nothing wrong with having stuff. Scripture never condemns ownership; it warns against idolatry. God isn’t against you having a house, a truck, or the latest iPhone—He’s against those things having you.

The problem comes when we start believing that stuff can fully and completely satisfy us. That’s when, as Matt Chandler says, we find ourselves driving around the cul-de-sac of stupidity. Not because the stuff is dumb—but because we are. We think, “If I just get that new house, that new car, that new phone—then I’ll finally be content.”

And for about six months, it feels like we are. Until the new car starts smelling like the old car—because it smells like you.

Then what happens? We want a new new car. The cycle starts all over again.

But it’s not just stuff. Sometimes it’s status.

We think, “If I just land that new job, if I just get that promotion, if I can just climb one more rung up the ladder—then I’ll finally feel secure, respected, complete.” And it might feel that way for a while. You get the title, the raise, the office—and it’s good… until it’s not. Then the excitement fades, the workload grows, and you’re already eyeing the next promotion, the next opportunity, the next thing that promises fulfillment.

It doesn’t make sense, but we keep doing it. We keep chasing temporary things, hoping they’ll fill an eternal hole. But here’s the truth: only Jesus can fully and completely satisfy the human heart.

Stuff can bless you for a moment. Status can impress people for a season. But only Christ can sustain you for eternity.

and understand- In the first century, wealth wasn’t stored in bank accounts, stocks, and 401ks—it was stored in fabric, grain, and precious metals.

That’s why Jesus says, “where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal.” Moths could eat through your fine clothes.

Rust—literally “eating”—could corrode your coins. And thieves could dig through the mud walls of your home and take what you’d hidden.

In other words, every treasure on earth has an expiration date. It can be eaten, rusted, or stolen.

But heavenly treasure? That never fades. It’s secure because it’s stored in the one place no moth can reach and no thief can touch—in the hands of God Himself. He’s saying: Invest your life in what will outlive you.

Then He lands the punchline in verse 21:

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

Notice the order. He doesn’t say, “Where your heart is, your treasure will follow.” He says the opposite—your heart follows your treasure. Whatever you consistently invest in—time, money, energy, affection—your heart will drift in that direction.

Think about it this way: if I were to take Brother Elmer’s wallet and start walking around the parking lot, where do you think Brother Elmer is going to be watching? Wherever I am — because I’ve got his credit cards, his ID, his debit card, everything he needs.

He can’t buy his cabbage down at the grocery without it. That wallet owns a piece of his life for as long as it’s in my pocket.

Jesus flips the expected order on us.

We assume, “Where your heart is, your treasure will follow.”

But He says the opposite: your heart follows your treasure. If your treasure is in my hands — whether that’s cash, a title, a gadget, or reputation — your attention, your energy, your prayers, your hope, they’ll orbit whatever holds your treasure.

So when you see people frantically protecting their stuff, guarding their schedules, defending their traditions, it’s not just habit — it’s loyalty.

They’ve given weight and power to those things, and their heart has quietly moved to sit beside them. That’s why Jesus is so blunt: whatever you invest in gets to own you.

What you treasure most reveals what you trust most. And what you trust most determines what you love most.

So here’s the question we’ve got to ask ourselves—personally and as a church:

If someone were to get access to your bank account statements, what would they see?

Would it look like someone who follows Jesus, or would it look just like every other American in this country—more spent on comfort than on Kingdom?

We say we love God, but money tells the truth about what we actually worship.

We think more is mine, but the reality is none of it is truly ours. Every penny, every paycheck, every possession—it all comes from God.

And here’s the kicker: no one on the planet thinks they’re greedy. Not one person. You’ve never met someone who says, “You know what, I’m just really selfish with my money.”

We all assume we’re generous because we occasionally give something. But greed is sneaky—it hides under the mask of normal.

We aren’t called to be normal. Normal is in debt, and miserable.

That’s why Jesus talks about it so much. He knows money isn’t just a financial issue; it’s a faith issue.

The question isn’t “Do I have money?” but “Does money have me?”

If our spending looks no different from the world’s, maybe our heart’s being shaped more by the culture than by the Kingdom.

People generally fall into two categories when it comes to money — spenders and savers.

Who in here is a saver? Ya’ll were even relucatant to raise your hand, wanted to save some of that energy.

Who in here is a spender? My people.

And what’s funny is a saver and a spender will usually marry each other.

I’m a spender. B is a saver. I see something and think, “That looks awesome—we need it. and it’s typically not even for me. Its either for Blair or Judah.”

I spend on books, that I don’t have time to read, that I convince myself I will one day read it.

But she’ll look at the same thing and say, “Do we really need it?” And most of the time… she’s right.

But both groups have their own dangers, don’t they? Spenders can find their identity in what they have. Savers can find their security in what they keep. But either way, if we’re not careful, our focus can drift from trusting God to trusting stuff.

That’s why Jesus cuts straight to the heart here. He’s not just talking about budgets and balance sheets—He’s talking about belief.

Whether you’re a spender or a saver, if your confidence rests anywhere other than Christ, you’re storing up the wrong kind of treasure.

Because in the end, money will always promise what only Jesus can deliver—security, satisfaction, and significance. But He’s the only one who can truly provide all three.

So whether you’re a spender or a saver, the real question isn’t how you handle your money but who has your heart. Because money isn’t just a financial issue—it’s a faith issue.

And that’s not only true for individuals; it’s true for the church.

At Cedar Bay, that’s why we’re asking God to realign our ministries if its needed around what matters most.

We don’t want to be a church that just hosts events—we want to be a church that makes disciples. We don’t want to be known for what we have—we want to be known for who we serve.

and its awesome that we have seen all these updates around the church. In a few weeks, the church is going to have carpet and seats for the first time since the 70s.

Praise God for that but that’s not we want to be known for.

We desire to be known for our pursuit of the Lord.

When our treasure is in the Kingdom, our heart follows the King.

That’s what this season of revitalization is really about. It’s not about getting bigger; it’s about getting healthier. It’s about asking hard questions:

Are our ministries bearing fruit or just staying busy?

Are we investing in what reaches people for Christ or just maintaining what’s comfortable?

Are we building disciples or just managing programs?

Because if our treasure is in attendance numbers, budgets, or nostalgia, our heart will stay stuck right there.

But if our treasure is in seeing lives changed by Jesus, our heart will beat for what His heart beats for.

And that’s what we want—hearts that beat in rhythm with heaven. Ministries that measure success by obedience, not popularity. Leaders who pray, “God, let Your Kingdom come through us, not just to us.”

That’s the kind of church Cedar Bay is becoming.

Not a monument to what used to be, but a movement toward what God still wants to do.

I believe with my whole heart that God is not done with this, his church, and that the best years of this church will always be in front of us.

We just keep following Jesus and everything else will work itself out.

Because when our treasure is in the Kingdom, our heart follows the King—and when our heart follows the King, the Kingdom advances.

So here’s The Treasure Test:

Does what you’re living for outlast you?

When people look at your life, do they see someone storing up trophies on earth—or treasure in heaven?

Do they see someone chasing comfort—or carrying a cross?

Because Jesus says, “Where your treasure is… there your heart will be also.” And if our treasure is in the Kingdom, our heart follows the King.

That’s the kind of church we want to be. That’s the kind of disciple Jesus is shaping in you. Not chasing the next shiny thing, but anchored in the eternal One—Christ Himself.

Because when you give your treasure to Him, you get something far better in return—you get Him.

And here’s the thing—when it’s all said and done, there’s only one thing you can take to heaven with you: other people. You can’t take your house, your boat, your savings, your trophies, or your truck. All of that stays right here. But the souls you lead to Jesus? The people you invest in? The lives you pour the gospel into? They go with you.

I don’t know about you, but I want to have a bunch of people in heaven with me. I want my family, my coworkers, the students in our youth ministry, the kids in our classrooms, I want to see people in this community—I want to see them standing there, worshiping the same Savior who rescued me.

Those are the treasures that last. That’s the kind of treasure Jesus is talking about. And one day, when I see Him face-to-face, I want to be able to lay every one of those treasures down at the feet of King Jesus and say, “Lord, You’re worthy of it all.”

That’s why we do what we do. That’s why we serve, why we give, why we pray, why we advance. Because heaven’s going to be filled with people who were once lost—but someone cared enough to point them to the treasure that never fades.

Because heaven’s going to be filled with people who were once lost—but someone cared enough to point them to the treasure that never fades.

And listen, it’s not because we convinced them that Jesus is the only way. If I can convince someone into being a Christian, then someone else can come along later and convince them out of it.

This is about the power of the gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Our job is to faithfully present the gospel. It’s God’s job to penetrate the heart. We plant the seed, we water it, but only God can make it grow.

That’s what real treasure looks like—lives transformed by His presence. When the Spirit of God gets hold of a person’s heart, no argument, no culture shift, no temptation can talk them out of the truth of who Jesus is.

So we preach, we serve, we love, and we share—not to win debates, but to win souls. This is all about winning souls to Jesus and growing in our relationship with Him.

Only the Spirit can take a dead heart and make it alive in Christ and only people who know Jesus as Lord will tell others about him. Its pretty simple.

2nd truth- Point 2: The Vision Test — What Do You See?

Sometimes Jesus’ teachings aren’t easy to understand—and there’s nothing wrong with admitting that.

Jesus had a way of saying things that made people stop and think.

Sometimes He spoke in parables to stretch our hearts, not just our heads. And other times, it’s just that we’re reading His words two thousand years later in a completely different world.

I think verses 22–23 fall into that second category. The cultural gap can make it feel a little fuzzy at first.

But the truth Jesus is teaching here isn’t complicated—it’s a theme that runs all through Scripture. Light represents what’s good, and darkness represents what’s evil.

And the call for us is simple: walk in the light.

Pursue what’s good. Fix your eyes on what honors God, and don’t let the darkness of this world pull you off course.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 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!”

Jesus shifts from talking about treasure to talking about vision. Why? Because what you see determines what you seek. Your eyes set the direction of your life. Wherever your focus is fixed, your feet will follow.

So when Jesus talks about the eye being the lamp of the body, He’s saying this: when your focus is right, everything else lines up.

The light of your life—how you think, what you care about, what fires you up—flows from what your eyes are fixed on.

If your eye is healthy—if it’s focused on Christ—then your whole inner life is lit up with His truth.

The lights are on in your soul. The way you think, your interests, your passions, your attitudes, your affections—they’re all governed by your understanding of who Jesus is and what He’s done.

But don’t miss this—being “full of light” doesn’t mean being really smart. It’s not about having all the answers or being able to quote every Bible verse.

Some of the most miserable, confused people in the world know a lot about God and even claim to have a relationship with Him—but they don’t walk with Him. They’ve got information, but no illumination.

You know the type. They’ve been in church since Moses was in the nursery. They can quote Scripture, name every hymn by number, and correct you when you mispronounce Habakkuk. But there’s no joy.

They’ll sing songs of worship like they’re sucking on sour grapes—arms crossed, lips barely moving—because it’s not their favorite song. Or they’ll get mad because someone new sat in “their” seat—as if they bought that pew back in 1987 and it came with a deed. And when a new visitor walks through the door, instead of excitement, there’s suspicion.

That’s what it looks like to have knowledge without light. They know about God but don’t reflect God. They’ve studied His Word, but it hasn’t softened their heart.

You can know all the facts about the sun and still live in the dark if you never open the blinds.

And that’s where a lot of Christians get stuck—they’ve got head knowledge but no heart transformation.

Jerry Vines used to say- which by the way, i think I’ve used this quote enough so the next time I use it, I’ll just say- you’ve heard me say it before- lot of people are going to miss heaven by 18 inches. they got it here but don’t have it here.

Light doesn’t just come from studying—it comes from surrender.

It’s when the truth of who Jesus is actually shapes everything about you.

That’s when you’re full of light—when what you know about Christ starts shining through how you walk with Christ.

We can make do with a little knowledge, but we can’t make do with a little light.

You can have all the theology books in the world and still miss the presence of God if your heart’s not surrendered to Him.

Because being full of light isn’t about filling your head—it’s about fixing your heart.

Verse 23 paints the opposite picture of what Jesus just said in verse 22.

Instead of a healthy eye that lets light in, this is a bad eye—a blind eye—focused on all the wrong things.

Your eye is bad when your focus drifts toward what’s temporary, selfish, or sinful.

When you start chasing after what you can’t keep instead of what you can’t lose.

When your time, energy, and attention are all locked in on things that don’t really matter.

One of my former professors, Charles Quarles, put it like this: “When greed forces out any trace of inner good and only evil remains, the greedy person’s corruption is complete. No room remains for God or the pursuit of His Kingdom.”

That’s why Jesus says, “If the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness.”

That’s a scary thought—that you can think you’re living in the light when you’ve actually blinded yourself to the truth.

When your focus drifts from Jesus, your priorities get messed up. You start calling the wrong things “important” and missing what really matters.

You know exactly what I mean.

We can spend half a Saturday detailing a vehicle, but we can’t find ten minutes to open the Word.

We’ll study YouTube videos on how to fix your ride or build a smoker—but haven’t studied a single verse that could help us fix our attitude.

We’ll check our fantasy football lineup three times before lunch but can’t remember the last time we spent time in intentional prayer with God.

We’ll worry more about if some 18-22 year old kids are going to win a football game than our own family’s walk with God.

That’s what happens when the eye goes bad.

We start living for the temporary—bigger toys, newer tools, nicer stuff—and call it “blessing,” when really, it’s just distraction.

We tell ourselves we’re providing, we’re building, we’re planning for the future—but if we’re not careful, we’re just polishing brass on a sinking ship.

We can think we are raising our kids right because they’re A-B Honor Roll Students, never get in trouble, and are atheltic but what good is all of those things if they don’t know the Lord?

Pastor Voddie Baucham said “If you teach your children to keep their eyes on the ball but not on Christ, you may raise well-mannered pagans. They may make you proud on earth and break your heart in eternity.”

Pastor Paul Washer said- “You can’t train a child to be good without Christ. You can raise a polite little Pharisee who says ‘yes ma’am’ and ‘no sir,’ and still ends up in hell.”

AW Tozer said- “The devil is perfectly content with you being a good moral person—as long as you don’t come to Christ.”

Spurgeon said- “Morality may keep you out of jail, but it takes the blood of Jesus Christ to keep you out of hell.”

Hell will be filled with good people who never trusted Christ, and heaven will be filled with bad people who did.

Raising good moral kids is not the goal.

I tell my son my job is to raise a good godly man. If you aren’t pointing through your actions, words, and deeds, then you aren’t pointing your kid to Jesus.

You can send your kid to a Christian School but if all they see mom and dad do is what nonbelievers do then I got news for you— you’re paying for a good education. Not a Christian education.

Men— pray over your wives. I don’t mean pray for them. I mean— go up to them— ask how can I pray for you— then pray for them.

Pray over your kids.

Admit to them when you are wrong and apologize.

Lifeway research did a study and that is the number 1 indicator if a child is going to continue in the faith in their adulthood. If parents, particularly fathers, admit to being wrong and apologizing.

Its time for us to correct our vision.

Focus on what truly matters.

3rd truth: The Loyalty Test — Who Do You Serve?

Look at verse 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.”

Jesus doesn’t stutter here. You can’t serve two masters. Notice He doesn’t say, you shouldn’t — He says you can’t. It’s impossible.

Because one of them will win your loyalty. One of them will drive your decisions. One of them will get your heart.

And what Jesus says here about money, it really applies to anything that competes with Him — money, control, comfort, success, status, reputation. It doesn’t matter what name you put in the blank — you cannot serve God and ___.

You can’t serve God and your career. You can’t serve God and your ego. You can’t serve God and your image. You can’t serve God and your comfort. One of them’s going to sit on the throne of your life — and there’s only room for one King.

and everything else but God is going to make an awful King in your life.

Maybe you think you should be the king of your own life. But let’s just be honest for a second—nobody lies to you more than you do. You’re the best salesman you’ve ever met. You can talk yourself into just about anything.

You’ll say, “I’ll just have one more cookie…” and 10 minutes later, you’re looking at an empty sleeve of Chips Ahoy wondering what happened.

You’ll say, “I’m just gonna scroll for a minute,” and suddenly it’s midnight and you’re watching videos of a guy building a cabin out of toothpicks in the woods for some reason.

You’ll say, “I’ll start eating better Monday.” You’ve been saying that every Monday since 2014.

We break promises to ourselves all the time. We tell ourselves, “I’ll get up early and read my Bible,” but that snooze button hits harder than the devil himself. We tell ourselves, “This time I’m gonna do better,” and then two days later we’re right back doing the same dumb thing.

And let’s be honest — when we make our own decisions, it usually doesn’t go that great. We think, “I got this,” and ten minutes later we’re standing in the wreckage thinking, “I did not, in fact, have this.”

That’s why Jesus says you can’t serve two masters. Because when you’re the one running the show, you end up driving your own life straight into a ditch and wondering why you’re stuck there.

The word “serve” that Jesus uses here doesn’t mean to casually help out—it means to be owned by. It’s the language of a servant completely devoted to their master. You’re a slave to it. And we are all slaves to something

So Jesus is saying, “You can’t have two owners.” You can’t have divided allegiance.

You can’t have one hand lifted in worship and the other clutching the throne of your own life.

And here’s the truth: every single one of us serves something. You might not call it that—but you do.

Every one of us lives our life answering to something or someone.

and we can think we’re good kings—but the truth is, we’re terrible ones.

Every time we sit on the throne, we make dumb decisions. We build little kingdoms that crumble every time the wind blows.

But when Jesus sits on the throne—when He’s the one we serve—everything starts to find its rightful place.

So the question isn’t “Will you serve?” —because you will. The question is “Who will you serve?”

And Jesus says, “You can’t serve two masters.” You can’t chase the world and claim to follow the Word. You can’t say “Lord, Lord” and still live like you’re king.

One of them’s going to win your heart. One of them’s going to get your loyalty.

And Jesus loves you enough to tell you the truth—if it’s not Him, you’re wasting your life serving something that will never satisfy you.

The only thing in this life that can fully and completely satisfy you is having a relationship with Christ and you can’t fully follow until you fully surrender to his Lordship.

Adrian Rogers used to say “He is either Lord of all or not at all.”

We can’t cling to the world and cling to the cross.

You can only be loyal to one.

let’s be honest — we’re loyal people. We’re loyal to our teams, loyal to our families, loyal to our work. We’ll wear the same ball cap till it’s falling apart, root for the same team even when they’re terrible, and stay at a job we don’t even like just to make sure the bills are paid. Loyalty isn’t the problem — where that loyalty goes is.

The problem comes when that loyalty gets misplaced — when we give our best energy, our best time, and our best focus to everything but God. We’ll grind ourselves to exhaustion for a paycheck, but treat our faith like a hobby. We’ll wake up early for work but hit snooze when it’s time to open the Word. We’ll sacrifice our health, our peace, and sometimes even our families chasing something that can’t love us back.

And Jesus is standing there saying, “You can’t serve two masters. One’s going to win.”

Because every time you get paid, every time you plan your week, every time you make a decision about how you spend your time or money — you’re choosing a master. You’re either saying, “I serve the Lord,” or “I serve myself.”

You can’t have one foot in the Kingdom and one foot in the world. That’s spiritual split ends — and it’ll tear you apart from the inside out.

And I know what some of you are thinking: “But Pastor, I’ve got responsibilities. I’ve got people counting on me.” Absolutely — God calls you to work hard and provide. But He never called you to worship your work. It’s one thing to work for your family — it’s another thing to make your family an excuse for why you don’t walk with God.

See, it’s not that we don’t have time for God — it’s that we’ve filled our time with everything else.

Stop making excuses. Pick a side.

Thats essentially what Joshua told the Iraelites to do right before he dies.

And what did Joshua say? as for me and my house— we will serve the Lord.

Thats the side i’m picking. As for me and my house— we will serve the Lord.

We can’t live in both worlds, you lose footing in both.

You want to play both teams, this is what will happen— You’ll end up too “churchy” for the world and too worldly for the church. and You won’t have peace in either place.

It’ll be like trying to drive two trucks at the same time — one going north, one going south. You can grab both steering wheels for a minute, but eventually you'll have to let go of one.

And the truth is — one of them’s going to win. So choose wisely who you serve. Because one master will drain you, and the other will sustain you.

One demands everything and gives nothing back. The other gave everything to give you life.

As for me, I don’t want to waste my life serving something that can’t love me back. I want to serve the One who laid His life down for me.

That’s the call Jesus is giving us — not to serve out of guilt, but to serve out of gratitude. To stop living for the temporary and start living for what’s eternal.

Let me start wrapping this up—

every one of us in this room is serving something. We’ve talked a lot today about treasure, vision, and loyalty — about who really sits on the throne of our hearts.

And maybe as we’ve walked through these passages, the Holy Spirit’s been doing what He does best — quietly tugging on your heart.

Maybe He’s been showing you that your treasure’s drifted. Maybe your focus has gotten cloudy. Maybe your loyalty has been divided — you’ve been trying to serve two masters, and you feel that tug-of-war inside.

The good news is — God’s not waiting to scold you. He’s waiting to restore you. He’s not after your perfection — He’s after your heart. And right now, He’s inviting you to lay everything down and simply say, “Lord, I want my treasure, my focus, and my loyalty to be Yours again.”

In a moment, we’re going to sing “Your Will Be Done.” And as we do, I want you to make that more than a song — make it your prayer. For some of you, that may mean praying where you are. For others, it may mean coming to this altar to pray.

Or to come up and become a member of this church and lock arms with us as we push agains the darkness of this world.

For someone else, it may mean giving your life to Christ for the very first time — saying, “Jesus, I’m done running my life my way. I want to follow You. and understand you don’t have to understand fully to fully surrender.

Whatever it looks like for you, this is your moment to surrender. To stop chasing what fades and start seeking what lasts. To open your hands and tell God, “Your will be done — in my life, in my home, in my heart.”

So as we sing, don’t just stand there and let the words roll by. Let this be your moment of obedience. If you need prayer, come. If you need forgiveness, come. If you just need to kneel before the Lord and get real with Him again, come.

Let’s be a church — and a people — who mean it when we sing, “Your will be done.”

Father, we thank You for Your Word today. We thank You that You love us enough to confront us, to correct us, and to call us back to You.

Lord, every one of us in this room has chased things that don’t last. We’ve stored up treasures that fade, fixed our eyes on the wrong things, and tried to serve two masters. But this morning, we’re saying, no more. We want our hearts to be fully Yours.

God, realign our treasure. Refocus our vision. Renew our loyalty. Help us to be a church that seeks first Your Kingdom and Your righteousness. And as we sing this next song, Your Will Be Done, let it not just be lyrics on a screen — let it be the cry of our hearts.

May Your will be done. Not our will. Not our plans. Not our preferences. But Yours alone.

We love You, Lord. And we ask all this in your name. The name above every name. Jesus. Amen.