Money Matters IV: Kingdom Investment

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Matthew 6:19–34 (ESV) — 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 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! 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. 25 “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? 26 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? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 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? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Critical Questions:

What are treasures in Heaven? This is our critical question for this morning.

How do you store them there? —— What are eternal investments?

Jesus has been speaking on the themes of idolatry and hypocrisy in this sermon on the mount, and He speaks of money issues in Matthew over 100 times.

Money and stuff and treasures may act as the largest competitors against our allegiance to God (Blomberg)

If your treasure is where your heart is, as Jesus says, then it’s not only the treasures of earth that become moth-eaten and rusty, but also our very hearts that become eaten away and rusted over. (Image from George MacDonald sermon)

Treasures are our motivators — The closer you get to your treasure the happier you will be in the more at peace will be in the further away you are from the treasure more anxious and sad and frustrated he will be.

It’s not uncommon for someone to steal in order to get their treasure. It’s not uncommon for someone to lie to get to their treasure.

It’s not uncommon that people try to buy their treasures at great cost (college admission scandal).

It’s not uncommon that we daydream about what we could have - toys, instagram, campers, houses, cars, vacations, gadgets, etc.

And it’s not uncommon that although we should provide for our families, we spend way too much of our lives grinding away at work in an effort to maintain our treasures or in the pursuit of other treasures. It’s not uncommon that we are so busy that the only mission we are on is our own and we have no time or energy or thought to God’s.

A little test: Do you have more than you need, or could you use just a bit more?

Jesus is warning us against the false comfort/false god/false savior of Accumulation

Treasures in Heaven: Time, energy, and resources for the advancement of Gods kingdom

Warnings and Examples:

Achan (Joshua 7)

Hophni and Phinehas (1 Sam 4)

Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5)

Judas (Mt. 27:3)

Demas (2 Tim. 4:10)

The Pharisees “who were lovers of money” (Lk. 16:14)

Introductory Verses — A Brief Survey:

1 Timothy 6:17–19 (ESV) — 17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Treasure in Heaven:

Humility vs. Haughtiness

Doing good

Rich in good works

Generous - ready to share

1 Timothy 6:6–12 (ESV) — 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Love of money is the root of all kinds of evil

Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness

Luke 12:15–21 (ESV) — 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Are we rich toward God?

Many of us, if we were to work our day jobs to the degree that we work for the Lord, would be fired immediately for laziness.

Genesis 6:5 (ESV) — 5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Man’s heart, the very instrument that Jesus is warning us about, was set on darkness.

Luke 12:32–34 (ESV) — 32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Don’t be afraid to sell. Don’t be afraid to cast yourself on the Lord. If your right arm causes you to sin, cut it off.

Provide yourself with moneybags that don’t grow old.

Kingdom Investment —

When we give to the Lord He gives back 100 fold.

Abraham and Isaac - Abraham says ‘not my will, but yours’ and raises the knife. God blesses Abraham with offspring that outnumber the grains of sand in the sea.

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Lends to the Lord, and the Lord repays.

2 Corinthians 9:6–11 (ESV) — 6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

Luke 6:38 (ESV) — 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

An Illustration of What Kingdom Investment Does

Consider following Jesus’ argument from our text last week. I have never noticed before that Jesus’ teaching about anxiety from the Sermon on The Mount is a continuation of His warning against the love of money. Let’s look at the implications

Therefore, (Mt. 6:25) This therefore is a bridge between vv.19-24 & 25-34

Matthew 6:25–34 (ESV) — 25 “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? 26 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? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 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? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Therefore — laying up treasures in Heaven, laying aside our treasures on earth takes away our anxieties, exalts the source of our hope, namely Jesus.

Anxiety is a good indicator and warning light on the dashboard that should say YOUR TREASURES ARE IN TROUBLE.

Anxiety comes from our treasures being jeopardized. Will we have enough to eat, or entertain us, or secure us?

Gentiles, non-believers, live like this — not so the Christian.

A Greater Treasure

You can’t just try to think less about the world or love the world less, you must be filled with something else and set your gaze in a new direction. Set your mind on things above.

Mark 8:33

33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Romans 8:5

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

Philippians 3:19

19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

Colossians 3:2

2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Guilt-motivated giving will go just far enough to make the guilt go away, which usually runs about $20. Gratitude-motivated giving runs for a lifetime, and seeks nothing other than to spread the grace and goodness of God. [Wilson]

We worship what we value. We buy or sell based on value/worth.

What value do we assign to Christ and His kingdom have?

What worth is the cross?

What worth is our savior?

What worth is the mission?

Mission: God’s kingdom, where we place our investment, is to come here. It is to do earthly good.

1 Timothy 6:17–19 (ESV) — 17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Confession of Sin

We have often chosen to place our treasures in the wrong bank.

Assurance of Pardon

Ephesians 3:7–12 (ESV) — 7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

Communion