The Treasure of Faith

Introduction

Tell Story of My Tattoo

Tattoo means have faith but also means have confidence

Now to me back then I just thought faith meant like believing in God but never really understood what it meant until I was saved

Most people define faith as believing in something that is unseen

Some people would say faith is believing in something that is in no way provable, there is no evidence for God therefore you just simply have faith

Honestly, faith in biblical terms is simply just trust. A complete trust.

SOTM-Context

Complete Trust is the tell tale mark of a Christian.

So when Jesus calls us to faith he is calling us to have complete trust in God because we are to live with complete trust in our God.

It is through complete trust that we can live a righteous life for God. Notice I do not say “perfect” life but a righteous life when we trust in Jesus.

Now righteousness is a key theme of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus in this sermon is describing what people who have faith in Him would live like, how they would be characterized and how they would be known as a righteous people.

Tension-Will you trust the World or God?

Discuss growing up with money/without money

Santa Clarita is a blessing

All I wanted was to grow up and be a millionaire-never having to worry about bills, being able to afford whatever I want-Get a Career that makes a lot of money that is all I wanted

But I never desired to put in the work for that! Because where my heart was was in just having fun on the weekends, not doing well in school not trying to get a decent job to make a few dollars my heart wasn't in that dream I had.

But some people they do! They work super hard do all sorts of extra curricular activities just so they can live out that dream of making money, impressing everyone around them, trying to be better than everything for self-gain.

People will put their time into things that they think are valuable. Unfortunately, we tend to put our hearts/trust in these material things to make ourselves look good. And Jesus addresses this.

Matthew 6:19–21 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.

Matthew 6:19-

Dont put your heart into material things because it is vain

Heavenly things will last forever

He gives two examples of this

Example of the Eye

Example of Slavery

Matthew 6:22–24 ESV

“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.

The eye is the example of a singlmindedness

Th

Now here is the tension with this, how can you live for God without focusing on the material part of the world? Monastery living? Hermit life? What? It is impossible to not serve money it seems because we are so dependent upon it. But Jesus anticipates this and still wants your heart which is why he talks about the most arch enemy of complete trust in him.

Arch

Jesus Defeats Anxiety

Arch

The Archenemy of Trust is ANXIETY

If you have any kind of doubt or insecurity this will lead to anxiety without fail which therefore means you do not have complete trust.

Matthew 6:25

Matthew 6:25 ESV

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

I am not free from anxiety, honestly I feel like im one of the most anxious people. Though I think I am very calm about everything on the inside is a constant battle to stop worrying about money, to stop worrying about time. Honestly it doesnt even stop there because Ive seen God do amazing things in providing for me and yet sometimes I feel like I cant stop doubting or thinking I always need to do more.

But Jesus clearly states- do not be anxious. but he doesnt leave us there he explains why a Christian shouldnt be anxious even when He is solely serving God.

Evidence 1

Matthew 6:26–27 ESV

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Matthew 6:26-

Bird’s dont gather for food like humans do-Gathering abundance of food and growing it ourselves

Yet they are fed and survive

Movements want to say animals are just as valuable as us but to Jesus that isnt the case!

If Jesus sustains all of the living animals on the earth, why wouldnt he sustain you?

Evidence 2

Matthew 6:28–30 ESV

And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Matthew 6:28-

Talk about back to school shopping

What’s the purpose of it?- Impressing him/her, trying to be part of a particular group of people? Want to show off to your peers?

Talk about Solomon

Dead Grass used for Fuel

O you of little faith?-Man that is such a hard statement because I am sure we all have been here. We can get so caught up in trying to make ourselves look so good that we get worried about being unimpressive which just shows us where our hearts are. But here is the encouraging part.

Matthew 6:31–34 ESV

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 6:

The Gentiles desired these things for selfish gain. To make themselves look better so dont be like them.

But God knows that you need things- you need money to buy food and to enjoy the things that God gives you. 1 Timothy speaks a few times regarding enjoying the things that God has given you.

Ultimately you are to desire the Kingdom of God and everything you need will be given to you. This is why you can completely trust in God because this is His promise to you.

Application Steps

Be in Communion with God and Remember his promises

Reflect on His Blessings-remember the time where God had provided for me in school

Find Contentment in Christ