The Gospel of Generosity — Discerning What Real Treasure Is

Text: Matthew 25:14-30; Matthew 6:19-21; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

Theme: The desire for acquiring more can sometimes blind us from what we already possess.

In his commentary on Matthew, Warren Wiersbe tells an interesting story about William Randolph Hearst. In 1887 Hearst inherited the San Francisco Examiner from his father, and by 1920 Hearst had become a media titan, owning twenty-eight newspapers across the country, read by over twenty-million people. When he was alive he was one of the wealthiest men in America. One of his passions in life was his art collection. One day Hearst read of a series of painting by one of the great Dutch Masters, and was determined to add them to his own extensive collection. He instructed his art agent to scour the galleries of the world to find them. He was determined to have at any price. After many months of painstaking search, the agent reported that he had indeed found the pieces of art Hearst so desperately wanted. To Hearst’s amazement his agent told him he already owned the art work, and had for many years. It was stored in one of his warehouses. Hearst had so much treasure stored up that he didn’t even know what belonged to him and what didn’t.

Though not to the extent of William Randolph Hearst, many professing Christians are just like him. They are so busy collecting the treasures of earth that they can’t even keep track of everything they own. They forget that there is a more valuable treasure worth accumulating.

Let me ask you a question this morning, “What kind of treasure are you accumulating for yourself in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Is it Treasure or Trash? That’s a question, I dare say, most believers do not think about these days.

I. OUR FOOLHARDINESS IN ACCUMULATING EARTHLY TREASURES

1. throughout the New Testament Jesus encourages His disciples to make wise investments

ILLUS. Several of our Lord’s parables are stories about a master who gives various sums of money to several different servants to keep in his absence. The servants who invest the wealth entrusted to them and earn a profit are commended. But there is always that one servant who foolishly hides his share and thus earns no wealth for his master. That servant is always condemned.

2. what’s the point of such parables?

a. the key phrase in the story is always, For the kingdom of heaven is like ...

b. Jesus is about to teach His disciples a spiritual truth through an earthly illustration

1) does God expect us to make wise and appropriate investments with the material resources He provides for us?

2) of course He does, but that’s not the point of the parable

3. Jesus is trying to teach his disciples that we need to make wise spiritual investments with our lives because some day we will have to give an account of how we invested our lives for the things of God

4. let me ask the question again: What kind of treasure are you accumulating for yourself in the Kingdom of Heaven?

a. is it treasure or trash?

A. THE NEGATIVE INJUNCTION — DON’T MAKE BAD INVESTMENTS

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19, NIV)

1. Jesus expressly commands His disciples not to store up earthly treasures

a. the force of the verb Jesus uses means that we are not to have a day-by-day preoccupation that heaps up or hordes material wealth and possessions

“Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10, NIV)

b. lets be honest, a lot of people in our society — including many professing Christians — have a preoccupation with wealth, and things, and possessions ... we love our stuff

ILLUS. Jeanne E. Arnold, is an archaeologist who teaches in the anthropology department at the University of California, Los Angeles. A few years ago, she and some fellow researchers visited the homes of 32 typical American families. They wanted to look at how people interacted with their environments, at how they used space. They also wanted to look at how dual-income, middle-class families related to their material possessions. They systematically documented the stuff people own, where they keep it, and how they use it. Their conclusion was that “contemporary U.S. households have more possessions per household than any society in global history.” Our homes are cluttered with stuff.

ILLUS. One writer calls it the Stuff Paradox. Most American know they have too much stuff, but go merely along collecting ever more stuff. The bottom line is that not only do Americans have a TON of stuff, but that they feel they have an inadequate amount of stuff.

c. the culture at large needs to be asking some serious questions ...

1) why does America have 3% of the world’s children, but 40% of the world’s toys?

2) why are new houses in America often built with 5 walk-in closets?

3) why do we have 5 televisions in a house with 4 people?

4) why is the amount of storage space in a house paramount to whether or not someone will buy it?

5) why do one-in-ten American households need to rent a self-storage unit?

2. material things are not bad in themselves

a. they become bad when our relationship with our stuff becomes more important than our relationship with our Savior

3. here’s the issue ... many of God’s people are making poor spiritual investments in the Kingdom of Heaven because they are too preoccupied with treasure on earth

a. are we so concerned with filling our earthly coffers with treasure, that we are filling our heavenly coffers with trash

b. the question is, are you one of those folks?

4. when Jesus teaches about heavenly treasure he begins with a negative injunction — “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth ...”

a. there is a part of our human nature that is insecure about the future and always seeks a hedge against tomorrow

b. we’re not quite sure about the faithfulness of God to provide and so we seek to cover ourselves by "storing up" wealth and material possessions just in case that rainy day ever comes

B. EARTHLY TREASURE IS A GOOD SERVANT, BUT A DANGEROUS MASTER

1. according to Jesus there are two problems with worldly treasure

a. 1st, it is transient — that is it doesn’t last

1) it’s here today and gone tomorrow

a) the bread becomes moldy

b) the cloths wear out

c) the car begins to rust out

d) the fields become weed-infested

e) the roof begins to leak

2) Jesus says that “moth and rust destroy,”

b. 2nd, earthly treasure can be pilfered or stolen or confiscated

1) Jesus reminds us of “thieves” who “break in and steal.”

2. no matter how long a person may live or how rich he may be, money cannot bring him happiness

ILLUS.. In his book For Better or For Worse, Walter Maier tells this story of a New York man who had won the lottery. A few years later he committed suicide. In his pockets were found two items: $30,000 in cash and a letter. The letter read in part: 'I have discovered during my life that piles of money do not bring happiness. I am taking my life because I can no longer stand the solitude and boredom. When I was an ordinary workman in New York, I was happy. Now that I possess millions, I am infinitely sad and prefer death.'"

3. the love of money, and anxiety over material things are attitudes which corrupt God's intended role for material possessions in our lives

a. maybe that’s why in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told his listeners:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:25–34, NIV84)

4. seeking security in possessions causes much of our frustration

a. only God provides the true security we all so desperately want

... Jesus Speaks of the Foolhardiness of Accumulating Earthly Treasures

II. OUR FAITHFULNESS IN ACCUMULATING HEAVENLY TREASURES

ILLUS. James C. Dobson has said “I will consider my earthly existence to have been wasted unless I can recall a loving family, a consistent investment in the lives of people, and an earnest attempt to serve the God who made me.”

1. I think these are some of the things Jesus was referring to when He talked about treasure in heaven

A. THE POSITIVE INJUNCTION — MAKE WISE INVESTMENTS

1. Jesus commanded His disciples not to store up or horde earthly treasure

2. at the same time, He commands us to store up or horde all the heavenly treasure we can

3. things like ...

a. eternal life

b. the Fruit of the Spirit

c. the joy of our salvation

d. the fellowship of the saints

e. sincere worship of the living God

f. service in the name of Jesus

g. walking in the truth of the Scriptures

h. ministry to the needy

i. witnessing to the lost

4. these investments — though they seem transient by the world’s standards — earn eternal dividends in God’s Kingdom

5. according to Paul the difference between earthly treasure and heavenly treasure is like the difference between hay, wood, and stubble and gold, silver, and precious stones

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” (1 Corinthians 3:11–15, NIV84)

6. Christians must never forget that we must give an accounting of our lives before God

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10, NIV)

a. this judgment has absolutely nothing to do with your salvation or eternal destiny

1) that issue was forever settled when you gave your heart and life to Jesus

b. but the Bible does teach that you must give an account to God for you conduct after you have been saved

B. YOUR REWARDS IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ARE DETERMINED BY WHAT KIND OF TREASURE YOU HOARDED IN LIFE

1. the judgment that awaits God’s is a judgment that concerns our rewards or loss of rewards in heaven

a. in 1 Cor. 3:10 the Apostle Paul writes: I have laid the foundation . . . But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. KJV

b. here is a solemn warning to believers to be careful about the treasure they cherish most

1) don’t you believe it, says Paul, when the Devil whispers that because you are saved by grace, you can be careless or indifferent or live as you please

2. there are two kinds of Christian who will stand before Christ

a. those who invested their lives in the things of God and earned heavenly treasure

1) these are the believers who live by the Word of God

2) they apply it to their daily lives, and grow in grace as they seek to edify themselves and fellow believers

b. on the other hand, there are those believers who invested in the possessions of this world and earned trash

1) these are the believers who lead shallow lives with a veneer of Christianity

2) they are more concerned with the things of the world then the things of God

c. in eternity the work of each will be evident

4. notice that both are building on the same foundation — Jesus Christ

a. the foundation is sure, the foundation is stable, the foundation supports whatever is built upon it

b. but notice the difference of what some build upon the foundation

c. it’s the difference between hay, wood, and stubble and gold, silver, and precious stones

ILLUS. Radio preacher Chuck Swindoll, tells the story of a wealthy Christian woman who died. When she reached heaven, was given a very plain home. She objected because it was nowhere near the spacious mansion she enjoyed while on earth. "Well," said St. Peter, "This is the house prepared for you and it’s the one you’ll have to live in for all eternity."

"Whose is that fine mansion across the way?" she asked.

"It belongs to your gardener," answered St. Peter.

"How is it that he has one so much better than mine?" the woman exclaimed.

St. Peter answered, “The houses here are prepared from the materials that are sent up. We do not choose them, you do that by your earthly faithfulness."

5. as believers we are all builders upon the one foundation, Jesus Christ

a. being on that foundation we are forever safe because the foundation is indestructible

b. but what we build upon the foundation must pass the test of God’s judgment and estimate

6. none of us like to consider the idea that we might suffer loss when we stand before God

“If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:15, KJV)

a. I confess, I do not know all that is implied in this verse

b. but one thing is clear, not all the treasure — or assumed treasure — we store up for ourselves in life will make it through God’s discerning judgment

1) true treasure — gold, silver, precious stones — will make it through

2) trash — hay, wood, stubble — will be completely consumed

c. it certainly will not be a pleasant experience to suffer loss

7. one of these days the Lord Jesus will come, and you will have to give an account of the opportunities you have had

a. what have you done with your talents, your time, and your material possessions?

1) have you given your talents to Him, or have you used them only for self and your God-given abilities for personal gain?

2) have you given of your time in prayer and testimony, and in witnessing or has your time been spent gratifying the flesh and seeking the pleasure of life?

3) have you used your ability to make money to further the Gospel, and support the Lord’s church, or have you spent it in your search for pleasure, comforts, luxuries, or the gratification of seeing your possessions multiply?

III. APPLICATION FROM MATTHEW 6:19-21

A. OUR ACTIONS REVEAL WHICH TREASURE IS MORE IMPORTANT TO US

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21, NIV)

1. every once in a while it does the believer good to take an attitude check toward our earthly treasures

a. some of you are saying to yourself, “Aw, preacher, I don’t have a problem with material possessions. I handle my wealth. It doesn’t handle me.”

b. oh yeah? What if Jesus asked you to give all you had to the poor and then to follow Him

1) He did it once ya know

c. how would you react if everything you owned were all taken away in a moment because of a storm or a disaster?

2. Christians must never forget that attachment to earthly treasure often leads to detachment from God

a. what treasure are you more concerned with collecting?

ILLUS. In 1922, Helen Lemmel, a British hymn writer, penned a poem originally titled The Heaven Vision. We Know it better as Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. Listen to the first stanza ...

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full into his wonderful face

And the things of the world will grow strangely dim,

In the light of his glory and grace.

3. Our Actions Reveal Which Treasure Is More Important to

B. MAKE JESUS’ IMPERATIVES YOUR IMPERATIVES

1. in this passage Jesus gives his listeners three imperative, that is three commands regarding treasure

2. 1st, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (vs. 20) and “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,” (vs. 19)

a. Jesus is telling his disciples that one of the marks of a Christian is that the believer’s eyes are on heaven and we measures all our behavior by what effect it will have in heaven, and on our eternal life

b. and something else is clear: laying up treasures in heaven and laying up treasures on earth are not good bedfellows

1) you have to choose between them

2) you can’t say, “Well how about both?”

a) that’s the point of 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.”

ILLUS. Randy Alcorn, in that little book, The Treasure Principle, says, “I’m convinced that the greatest deterrent to giving is this: the illusion that earth is our home”

3. 2nd, “Do not be anxious,”

a. this imperative is found three times in the passage — vs. 25: “Do not be anxious about your life” ... vs. 31: “Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’” ... vs. 34: “Do not be anxious about tomorrow”

b. well that’s easier said then done, isn’t it?

ILLUS. Polls show that Americans are an anxious people, and growing more so despite a booming economy and living in one of the most politically stable nations in the world. There are three area of life that seem to cause constant concern, and anxiety: Health (68%), keeping their family safe (68%), and finance (67%).

c. for followers of Christ, one way we deal with our anxiety over earthly treasure is by being generous with our treasure — it’s not to be accumulated or hoarded

4. 3rd, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” found in vs. 33

a. we need to develop a joyful pursuit of God and his righteousness as the treasure most important to us

“ “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted ...” (Luke 12:32–33, NIV84)

b. in Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus tells us that God is completely in control of the natural world ... he feeds the birds of the air ... and we’re much more valuable to Him then they are

1) and if this is true —and it is — then we should value the things of God much more than the things of Earth

5. Make Jesus' Imperatives Your Imperatives

C. BIBLICAL GENEROSITY WOULD RELEASE AN AVALANCHE OF MERCY, MISSIONS AND MINISTRY

ILLUS. Why is this important? What business is it of God’s how much treasure you accumulate in this world? God makes everything about our lives His business. He does so because he know what will make our lives flourish. Jesus said more about money, and giving and generosity then he did about heaven or hell.

A report released just a few weeks ago provides the latest giving trends among Christians. It tells us that the active church goer gives an average 2.5% of their income ($817) per year to their local church. Twenty-five percent of born-again Christians gave no money to their local church. Tithers make up only about 12% of any congregation.

Imagine with me for a moment if American Christians gave a minimum of 10%. Relevant Magazine calculated there would be an additional $165 billion (on top of the $100 billion already given) for our churches to use and distribute for kingdom purposes.

Missiologists tell us that

$25 billion and 5 years would relieve global hunger, starvation, provide clean water and deaths from preventable diseases.

$12 billion would eliminate illiteracy in 5 years.

$15 billion would solve the world’s water and sanitation issues.

$10.8 billion would free 27 million people living in slavery.

That still leaves $100 billion for other things.

1. if we as a church — indeed if the entire Christian movement — were gripped by the radical life and open-handed liberality that Jesus taught, and if we tasted the freedom from fear and greed that Jesus bought with his own blood, what an avalanche of mercy and missions and ministry would be released among the Body of Christ

2. but that will only happen when we understand that the accumulation of heavenly treasure is way more important than the accumulation of earthly treasure

What kind of inheritance are you accumulating for yourself in the Kingdom of Heaven? Is it Treasure or Trash?