"Treasures"

Call to Worship (Psalm 29)

(Ask the congregation to “speak up”!) The voice of the Lord flashes flames of fire. Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness! Worship the Lord in holy splendor. The Lord sits enthroned as sovereign forever. In God’s congregation, all say, “Glory!”

Opening Prayer (Isaiah 6, Psalm 29)

O Sovereign of the universe, we stand in your temple, proclaiming your splendor and majesty. You are the Holy One! You are full of glory! You speak, and the oaks whirl and the cedars fall! We stand in your presence in awe and humility. We stand in your presence with boldness and courage. We look and listen for your presence here today. Amen.

Invitation to the Offering (Romans 8)

Through the miracle of new life given to each of us, we have been adopted into the family of God. More than this, we are heirs to the blessings of God’s power, wisdom, and love. So let us share our bounty with others, that we may welcome more into our family. Let us give to our brothers and sisters, in the name of Jesus Christ, our eldest brother.

OPENING PRAYER:

God of majesty and power, how awesome you are to us! The mountains tremble, the seas roar at the sound of your name! Yet you have chosen to come to us in love and tenderness. You have called us to be people who will act in ways of peace and justice in your world. Open our hearts and our spirits, Lord, to hear your word, and having heard, to act in ministries of hope and peace for all your earth. These things we pray in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.

Matthew 6:19-21 (New International Version)

Treasures in Heaven 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Introduction: “treasures” In the ancient world wealth emanated from three sources: (1) clothing, (2) food stuffs and (3) precious metals or jewels. Each of these items may either be destroyed or stolen. Moths will attack clothing. Rust is from the root “to eat” or metaphorically “eat away” or “corrode” and was used of vermin eating food. Stealing referred to robbery of precious metals, jewels or the other two items. Basically this means that all of our worldly possessions are vulnerable. If one’s happiness depends on possessions, one could lose them at any moment. The false concept that security and happiness are found in physical things is stated in Luke 12:15.

Advertisers spend millions of dollars to entice us to think that if we buy more and more of their products, we will be happier, more fulfilled, more comfortable. How do you respond to the constant pressure to buy? Learn to tune out expensive enticements and concentrate instead on the truly good life-living in a relationship with God and doing his work.

Everyday life in the cities of the ancient world was far different than even the most difficult circumstances of urban life in the modern world. With limited water and means of sanitation, the incredible density of humans and animals is beyond our imagining.Tenement cubicles were smoky, dark, often damp, and always dirty. The smell of sweat, urine, feces, and decay permeated everything. Outside, on the street, it was little better—mud, open sewers, manure and crowds. In fact, human corpses—adult as well as infant—were sometimes just pushed into the street and abandoned.

Thesis: Jesus’ disciples will encounter a number of everyday concerns that have the potential to deter them from undivided loyalty to the kingdom and its righteousness. The first one he discusses is wealth.

The accumulation of wealth for its own sake is deceptive, because one can find in material treasure a false sense of security or an inaccurate assessment of one’s spirituality. So first Jesus says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth.” The term behind the negative imperative “do not store up” is thesaurizo, which is related to the noun “treasure” (thesauros). The wordplay can be rendered woodenly, “Do not treasure up for yourselves treasure on earth.” “Treasure”represents the accumulation of what is valuable.

But second those things that some people value are subject to the destructive effects of life in a fallen world, “where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” The moth was commonly recognized as a destroyer of the most basic materials of life. The finest garments could be destroyed by a little devouring insect. The term “rust” is a general term for “consuming,” which points not only to a destructive action on metals but also a deterioration of a more wide-ranging nature. It destroys a variety of materials—crops, vines, and even teeth. The most valuable possessions are subject to being consumed. The kind of “thief” Jesus has in mind here robs from the rich to serve himself. Moth, rust, and thieves represent those forces that cause earthly treasures to diminish in value and finally be destroyed.

Rather than collecting material valuables in this life, Jesus says third, “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” He does not identify these treasures, but the idea of storing up good works before God was prominent in Israel’s history. For example, “Lose your silver for the sake of a brother or a friend, and do not let it rust under a stone and be lost. Lay up your treasure according to the commandments of the Most High, and it will profit you more than gold” (Sir. 29:10–11 nrsv). Jesus may have in mind the “acts of righteousness” of the preceding section—giving to the poor, praying, and fasting—or any other valuable deeds that his disciples perform. Paul refers to the gold and silver of the Christian’s work for the kingdom that will be rewarded at the Day of Judgment (1 Cor. 3:12–15).

But the contrast of “treasures on earth” with “treasures in heaven” more importantly implies a contrast of values. Jesus goes beyond good works to focus on the heart, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The “heart” represents the core of a person’s being, the real inner person, the causative source of a person’s spiritual, emotional, and psychological life. What a person values is driven by the nature of a person’s heart (see 5:8, 28).

Jesus has already indicated that the heart is the source of our good or evil deeds (5:28; cf. 15:18–19). That thought carries here as well, but with the additional element that whatever the disciple has placed as his or her highest value is a gauge of the condition of the heart.4 The righteous value must be God himself. Rewards are important, but the greatest treasure in heaven is the Father. If Jesus’ disciples keep their hearts fully focused on the Father in heaven, then all other treasures of this world will pale in comparison. This will set a trajectory for healthy discipleship, including one’s priorities, motives, righteous deeds, ambitions, security, personal self-worth, and relationships.

In conclusion, Materialism is a rampant cancer that is now a worldwide temptation, which consequently produces untold worry in people as to how they will be able to maintain the kind of lifestyle they require.There are several reasons why people accumulate “treasure” on earth.

• Security. We want to know that we are taken care of, so what brings us the greatest security of life and soul is to have material security.

Personal worth, esteem, and value. Material possessions and wealth often indicate that people are successful in what they have done with their lives. We feel good about ourselves if we dress, drive, dine, and decorate well.

• Power. With wealth and material success, we believe that we can have and get and be what we want. Wealth gives us control over our own fate and over other people.

Independence. With wealth I can be my own “god” and not rely on anyone else.

Pleasure. With wealth we can indulge our every fantasy, whether it is the exotic vacation, the luxurious wedding, the finest dining, or the most decadent home.

The pursuit of material wealth is a feeble attempt to fill the dark void that can only be filled by a good eye fixed on Jesus as our sole Master and Provider. We will all do well to ask ourselves frequently, “What is the most valuable thing in my life?” And then we should evaluate where we have spent our time, what we have invested our life pursuing, and where we have spent our money. Good accounting—whether of time, relationships, or money—is a good gauge of our values.

BENEDICTION:

God of infinite patience, loving presence, and dazzling surprises, be with us as we leave this place today. Guide and guard our lives and bless our witness to your love. We go in peace seeking ministries of justice and hope. Now may“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”—Numbers 6:24–26 Amen.AMEN.