A Heart for Christ & His Kingdom
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
John Wesley said, “I judge all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity.” Missionary C. T. Studd wrote, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.” - Alcorn, Randy.
Alcorn, Randy. The Treasure Principle, Revised and Updated: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving (p. 84). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Quote:
Christ has come, the Light of the world. Long ages may yet elapse before His beams have reduced the world to order and beauty, and clothed a purified humanity with light as with a garment. But He has come: the Revealer of the snares and chasms that lurk in darkness, the Rebuker of every evil thing that prowls by night, the Stiller of the storm-winds of passion; the Quickener of all that is wholesome, the Adorner of all that is beautiful, the Reconciler of contradictions, the Harmonizer of discords, the Healer of diseases, the Saviour from sin. He has come: the Torch of truth, the Anchor of hope, the Pillar of faith, the Rock for strength, the Refuge for security, the Fountain for refreshment, the Vine for gladness, the Rose for beauty, the Lamb for tenderness, the Friend for counsel, the Brother for love. Jesus Christ has trod the world. The trace of the Divine footsteps will never be obliterated. And the Divine footsteps were the footsteps of One who is Man. The example of Christ is such as men can follow. On! until mankind wears His image. On! towards yon summit on which stands, not an angel, not a disembodied spirit, not an abstract of ideal and unattainable virtues, but THE MAN JESUS CHRIST. —Peter Bayne: “The Testimony of Christ to Christianity.” - Baxter, J. Sidlow; Baxter, J. Sidlow. Baxter's Explore the Book (p. 1230). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Baxter, J. Sidlow; Baxter, J. Sidlow. Baxter's Explore the Book (p. 1230). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Alcorn, Randy. The Treasure Principle, Revised and Updated: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving (p. 84). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. for refreshment, the Vine for gladness, the Rose for beauty, the Lamb for tenderness, the Friend for counsel, the Brother for love. Jesus Christ has trod the world. The trace of the Divine footsteps will never be obliterated. And the Divine footsteps were the footsteps of One who is Man. The example of Christ is such as men can follow. On! until mankind wears His image. On! towards yon summit on which stands, not an angel, not a disembodied spirit, not an abstract of ideal and unattainable virtues, but THE MAN JESUS CHRIST. —Peter Bayne: “The Testimony of Christ to Christianity.” - Baxter, J. Sidlow; Baxter, J. Sidlow. Baxter's Explore the Book (p. 1230). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
What is the overall context?
What is the overall context?
Quote:
Christ has come, the Light of the world. Long ages may yet elapse before His beams have reduced the world to order and beauty, and clothed a purified humanity with light as with a garment. But He has come: the Revealer of the snares and chasms that lurk in darkness, the Rebuker of every evil thing that prowls by night, the Stiller of the storm-winds of passion; the Quickener of all that is wholesome, the Adorner of all that is beautiful, the Reconciler of contradictions, the Harmonizer of discords, the Healer of diseases, the Saviour from sin. He has come: the Torch of truth, the Anchor of hope, the Pillar of faith, the Rock for strength, the Refuge for security, the Fountain for refreshment, the Vine for gladness, the Rose for beauty, the Lamb for tenderness, the Friend for counsel, the Brother for love. Jesus Christ has trod the world. The trace of the Divine footsteps will never be obliterated. And the Divine footsteps were the footsteps of One who is Man. The example of Christ is such as men can follow. On! until mankind wears His image. On! towards yon summit on which stands, not an angel, not a disembodied spirit, not an abstract of ideal and unattainable virtues, but THE MAN JESUS CHRIST. —Peter Bayne: “The Testimony of Christ to Christianity.” - Baxter, J. Sidlow; Baxter, J. Sidlow. Baxter's Explore the Book (p. 1230). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. The overall context is that of Christ giving one of the most famous messages: the Sermon on the Mount. In the gospel according to Matthew Jesus Christ is presented as the King of the Jews. It is a gospel that accounts of the Kingdom of Heaven.
In we see that Jesus has launched his public ministry.
What are people in the Kingdom of Heaven like?
What do people in the Kingdom of Heaven long for?
What characterizes people of the Kingdom of Heaven?
Enter in the Sermon on the Mount:
These three groupings seem to run in tens. The Sermon on the Mount (v.-vii.) consists of ten principal components. - Baxter, J. Sidlow; Baxter, J. Sidlow. Baxter's Explore the Book (p. 1233). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Baxter, J. Sidlow; Baxter, J. Sidlow. Baxter's Explore the Book (p. 1233). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
People of the kingdom are people who invest for the kingdom!
People of the kingdom are people who are wholeheartedly devoted to the kingdom!
People of the kingdom are people who store up treasure in heaven!
Proposition: Please do not only see this as something you are commanded to do but see it as evidence of your subjugation in the kingdom. Do you have a heart for Christ & His Kingdom?
Proposition: Please do not only see this as something you are commanded to do but see it as evidence of your subjugation in the kingdom. Do you have a heart for Christ & His Kingdom?
What are treasures?
What are treasures?
Good Quote/Exposition:
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke 3) Slavery (6:24)
Jesus now explains that behind the choice between two treasures (where we lay them up) and two visions (where we fix our eyes) there lies the still more basic choice between two masters (whom we are going to serve)” (Stott, p. 158).
Treasures are those things that people value the most. It is that for which an individual would give everything for.
The Treasure of the recognition of men (v. 1 - 5, 16)
The Treasure of Sonship, Prayer, Forgiveness (6:4, 9, 12)
The Greek word translated “treasures” or “riches” in normally means “accumulated wealth in the form of money, jewels, or other valuables.” - Alcorn, Randy
Note the immediate context: , .
Alcorn, Randy. The Treasure Principle, Revised and Updated: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving (p. 15). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
So Jesus is specifically teaching about financial means or wealth, but what do kingdom subjects do with wealth?
What am I commanded to do with treasures?
What am I commanded to do with treasures?
“Lay” - to store up or save up for future use.
The subject of Christ’s kingdom is one who stores up means for a future reward. This implies several things:
It implies that there is a greater value placed on the future that impacts our decisions in the present.
It also is about a more protected investment.
Storing up earthly treasures isn’t simply wrong. It’s just plain stupid. - Alcorn, Randy. The Treasure Principle
“Rust” (brōsis) refers not only to the corrosion of metals but to the destruction effected by rats, mildew, and the like. Older commentaries often picture a farm being devoured by mice and other vermin. - Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 177). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 177). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
Quote:
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke 1) Treasure (6:19–21)
This verse does not prohibit “being provident (making sensible provision for the future) but being covetous (like misers who hoard and materialists who always want more)” (Stott, p. 155).
The compassionate use of material resources:
Craig Blomberg states in the New American Commentary on Matthew, “In this context…storing up treasures focuses particularly on the compassionate use of material resources to meet others’ physical and spiritual needs, in keeping with the priorities of God’s kingdom.”
Forbids Materialism that tethers our hearts to the earth!
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Matthew d. Possessions, 6:19–24
Jesus demands that his followers be wholehearted; it is important that they should not set their minds on anything earthly; he forbids what Stott calls “the materialism which tethers our hearts to the earth” (Stott, p. 155).
Our material investment shows what we treasure, but it also leads us to guide what we treasure.
Why can’t I do this with my treasures?
What we do with our money doesn’t simply indicate where our hearts are. According to Jesus, it determines where our hearts go. - Alcorn, Randy. The Treasure Principle
Together, they confirm that storing up treasures in Heaven means giving generously to kingdom causes and receiving God’s rewards for doing so. - Alcorn, Randy. The Treasure Principle
Do you have a heart for Christ & His Kingdom?
Do you have a heart for Christ & His Kingdom?
Possibly, you are seeing this as impossible to understand. Maybe you’re asking...
Why can’t I do this with my treasures?
Why can’t I do this with my treasures?
The Unbeliever -
There is in the first place those who are not truly part of Christ’s kingdom. They have never been born again. As a result , there is no way for them to have a pure motive when giving of their treasures. After all, it is about our attitudes towards the treasures we have.
Though this individual may be able to give practically to churches and non-profit organizations, they are limited in that they receive no eternal reward other than condemnation.
The Believer -
Then, in the second place, there are those who cannot give this way because they have believed the very subtle lie that they can serve two different kings at the same time. .
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
What has Christ done that enables me to faithfully steward treasures?
What has Christ done that enables me to faithfully steward treasures?
Command (v. 25 - 32): Don’t be anxious about temporary needs
Alt. Command: (v. 33): Seek the kingdom as first priority. AND GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS. What is God’s righteousness. There are two aspects:
(1) There is a “right standing before God” - ; contrast
(2) There is the practice of right living that flows out of that right standing before God
Alcorn, Randy. The Treasure Principle, Revised and Updated: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving (p. 8). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. \
Storing up earthly treasures isn’t simply wrong. It’s just plain stupid. - Alcorn, Randy. The Treasure Principle
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Matthew e. Anxiety and Trust, 6:25–34
This will include the “right standing” before God that comes about as the result of Christ’s saving work and also the right conduct that befits the servant of God. But we should be on our guard against understanding the text in purely ethical terms: Jesus does not say “your righteousness,” or “to be as righteous as you can,” or anything of the sort. It is God’s righteousness that disciples must seek. Then, Jesus says, all these things will be given you, where these things are the things the Gentiles worry about. They will come to the trusting disciple, so there is no need for anxiety. The word rendered given is more literally “added”: the things in question will be added to what the disciple already has.
All of this is “God’s righteousness”
All of this is “God’s righteousness”
A person, Jesus, is our first treasure. - Alcorn, Randy. The Treasure Principle
Alcorn, Randy. The Treasure Principle, Revised and Updated: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving (p. 10). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
We thus conclude that God’s righteousness has been mediated to us through the Person of Jesus Christ so that we would be brought into right relationship with God and so that we could reflect this right relationship by how we invest all the material blessings that our King has entrusted to us.
Application:
You see, the reason we have a tendency towards money is because we place faith in what money can do over faith in what the Lord has done and will do.
When you are truly secure in the righteousness that you have in Christ, you don’t need to find security in money.
When you are truly secure in the righteousness that you have in Christ, you don’t need to find security in the affirmation of men.
When you are truly secure in the righteousness that you have in Christ, you TREASURE Jesus above all and your treasures are invested for Jesus above all.
Questions:
* Is it wrong to write the church into your will?
* Is there something strange with exceeding 10% of your gross income in giving?
* Is there really something wrong with spending money on investing in people?
* Is it strange for a believer to write out his support for the Lord’s work first?
Illustration:
The Signature of Faith
In one large, prestigious church during our ministry the pastors buried 135 people, some of them extremely wealthy. Yet, to my knowledge, only fourteen left that church any of their worldly possessions. No one is ready to die until he or she has made a Christian will. Of course, it does not insure eternal life, but it does register faith in the future.
Jones, G. C. (1986). 1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching (p. 336). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Conclusion:
So in asking, “Do you have a heart for Jesus Christ and His Kingdom?” we must ask whether you have been truly changed by the sacrificial investment of Jesus Christ. Has His righteousness really brought you into right relationship with God?
If so, do you material investments show that the Kingdom is a priority? Your investments show what is the priority and your investments have a way of knitting your heart to the place of investment.
Quote by CS LEWIS
1001 Illustrations that Connect Illustration 171: More than We Can Spare
MORE THAN WE CAN SPARE
Topics: Generosity; Giving; Money; Sacrifice
References: Matthew 19:23–24; 2 Corinthians 8:1–7; 9:6–15
I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditures excludes them.
—C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (Macmillan, 1952)
Alcorn, Randy. The Treasure Principle, Revised and Updated: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving (p. 20). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Craig Blomberg states in the New American Commentary on Matthew, “In this context…storing up treasures focuses particularly on the compassionate use of material resources to meet others’ physical and spiritual needs, in keeping with the priorities of God’s kingdom.”
Alcorn, Randy. The Treasure Principle, Revised and Updated: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving (p. 21). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
What we do with our money doesn’t simply indicate where our hearts are. According to Jesus, it determines where our hearts go. - Alcorn, Randy. The Treasure Principle
Alcorn, Randy. The Treasure Principle, Revised and Updated: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving (p. 46). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.