The Treasure of Giving
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Introduction to series – See kindle introduction[1]
Illustration - Parable of the man who found the treasure in the field
A first-century Hebrew walks alone on a hot afternoon, staff in hand. His shoulders are stooped, his tunic stained with sweat. But he doesn’t stop to rest. He has pressing business in the city. He veers off the road into a field, seeking a shortcut. The owner won’t mind—travelers are permitted this courtesy. The field is uneven. To keep his balance he thrusts his staff into the dirt. Thunk. The staff strikes something hard. He stops, wipes his brow, and pokes again. Thunk. Something’s under there, and it’s not a rock. The weary traveler’s curiosity wins out. He jabs at the ground. Something reflects a sliver of sunlight. He drops to his knees and starts digging.
Five minutes later, he’s uncovered a case fringed in gold. By the looks of it, it’s been there for decades. Hands shaking and heart racing, he pries off the lock and opens the lid. Gold coins! Jewelry! Precious stones! A treasure more valuable than anything he’s ever imagined. Some wealthy man must have buried the treasure and died suddenly, its secret location dying with him. There’s no homestead nearby. Surely the current landowner has no clue this ancient treasure is here. The traveler buries the chest and marks the spot. He turns to head home—only now he’s not plodding. He’s skipping like a child and smiling broadly. What a find! Unbelievable! I’ve got to have that treasure! But I can’t just take it. By law, whoever buys a field assumes ownership of all that’s in it. But how can I afford to buy it? I’ll sell my farm…and crops…all my tools…my prize oxen. Yes, if I sell everything, that should be enough! From the moment of his discovery, the traveler’s life changes. The treasure captures his imagination. It’s his reference point, his new center of gravity. The traveler takes every new step with this treasure in mind. He experiences a radical paradigm shift. - Alcorn, Randy. The Treasure Principle, Revised and Updated (pp. 1-2). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
The Money Connection
The parable of the Hidden Treasure is one of many passages that teach about money. In fact, did you know the 15% of Jesus’ teachings is about money? That is significant! He taught more about money than the topics of Heaven and Hell combined!
There must be a good reason for this. And there is! It’s not just about the money – it’s about the condition of one’s heart. As we go through this series you will see how his teaching on money are directly connected to the gospel itself.
We cannot separate our faith and our money!
Before we get into our main text this morning, I want you to see the answers that John the Baptist gave when he was questioned about proving one’s repentance. Look at John’s response in Luke 3 with me and you will notice that he gives three answers…
1. Everyone should share clothes and food with the poor (v. 11).
2. Tax collectors shouldn’t pocket extra money (v. 13).
3. Soldiers should be content with their wages and not extort money (v. 14).
All three of John’s answers had to do with money – they weren’t asking about money!!
But John understood this principle.
How we handle our money and possessions is directly linked to our spiritual lives!
Think about Zacchaeus as another proof! Jesus sought him out in the sycamore tree. They went to Zacchaeus’ home, he was radically transformed because of Jesus’ interaction with him. How we know he was transformed? Through his repentance. What did his repentance look like? Take a look – it’s quite convicting.
And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”
Let me give you one more example found in Luke 12:20
But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’
What did Jesus call this man that stored up all he had to the place that he had to build bigger barns?
A fool! Wow! Jesus would definitely be canceled today!
This was proof of this man’s spiritual condition! Not Good!
Remember, how we handle our money and material possessions are directly linked to our spiritual lives.
This leads us to the thought and the main passage for today…
Do you remember the old saying,
“There are no U-Haul’s behind hearses.”
It is very true.
And yet we spend our lives in a joyless effort to accumulate stuff!
Do you want to have true joy in your life? Understand this truth…
Bottom Line – You Can’t Take It with You, But You Can Send It on Ahead!
Jesus says the same thing, but is a different way. Let’s take a look…
“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.
According to Jesus storing up treasures on this earth isn’t wrong, it stupid!
Why is it stupid? Because the treasures we store here on earth won’t last. They are temporary. They will prove to be worthless in the long wrong.
So, storing up treasures for yourself will prove to be no good for you in the long run!
Is God against us storing up treasures for yourself? Does he just want us to stoically, joylessly live the life that He has given us? No!
He wants you to change your perspective on money and stuff. And I guarantee you, if you do, your life will change in dramatic ways you never dreamed possible. You will be bursting with joy and purpose! Don’t you want that? Absolutely you do!
God isn’t against you storing up treasures for yourself. In fact, He commands that you do just that!
The question isn’t whether you should store up treasure for yourself, the questing is where are you to store this treasure?
In verse 20, the Lord is clear, we are to store up treasures for ourselves in Heaven!
Why? Because it is the smart thing to do! It’s a brilliant and wise investment strategy! It is safe, secure, will never be destroyed and will bring about rich and eternal dividends.
So, Christians need to stop storing up our treasures in the wrong place and start storing them in the right place – Heaven!!
“We don’t renounce treasures, we relocate treasures!” – Alcorn
God really does want us to want treasures. He really wants us to store them up. Why? Because it is for our good! If they are placed in the right place.
But isn’t it selfish if we benefit from our giving? Good question!
However, God tells us in His Word over and over to do things for other people or for Him that benefit us as well! The very act of obedience is for our benefit.
“If you obey me, I will bless you…” Deut. 11:27
Remember, “You can’t take it with you, but you can send it on ahead!”
I mean, let’s be honest. We all know as Christians that we can’t take it with us!
At least we should! And the old saying, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” isn’t true at all.
Those toys will all rust and decay and find their final resting place in the landfill!
When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.
The harsh reality regarding all the stuff you own (house, cars, clothes, electronics, 401K’s, etc.) is either going to leave you or you will leave it! This is the way that our world works!
THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE!
Think of all that you own today – It will be gone one day and useless to you! ALL OF IT!
Civil War Currency
Imagine yourself near the end of the Civil War. You’re a Northerner, stranded in the South by the war. You plan to move home when the war is over. While in the South, you’ve accumulated lots of Confederate currency. Suppose you know for a fact that the North is going to win the war soon. What will you do with your Confederate money? If you’re smart, you’ll immediately cash in your excess Confederate currency for US currency—the only money that will have value after the war. You’ll keep only enough Confederate currency to meet your short-term needs.
Guess what? We are living in a country where the money and possessions we have will become worthless! And it is just a matter of time before this becomes reality.
It is time for us American Christians to take an eternal perspective toward our treasures on this earth. Those things we spend so much time and energy chasing after.
Let’s take these resources and use them to do what Jesus is talking about in verses 19-20.
We don’t want to spend our lives storing up a bunch of confederate currency which proves to be worthless. No way!
Use what you need to use. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
However! YOU ONLY NEED SO MUCH OF IT!
Take what you don’t need and invest it in something that will last forever and pay amazing dividends. What is that something? Heaven! God’s Kingdom!
Can I give you a full-proof financial insider trading tip? Check out what 2 Peter has to say…
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
So, what is going to happen to this world? It’s going to burn! This world where all the diamonds, gold, silver, the trillions and trillions from the economies around the world will one day burn up. That prized collection you have. That beautiful home you desire. That cool car you drive. It will one day be a heap of ash! It’s all going to go!
Prince Corporation – …“Guys, we are making plastic car parts and one day they are all going to burn!”
Let me be clear. Earthly treasures are NOT evil! But, they are SECONDARY, not PRIMARY!
The things we possess, the popularity we enjoy with others, the power we might have because of our station and position – they are not necessarily bad – but we have to be cautious with them. Why? Because they can easily morph into idols that we worship!
Have you ever heard of Borden of Yale?
forward by Kenneth Taylor
Born into a wealthy American family, William Borden attended Princeton Seminary and graduated from Yale. Despite an upper-class upbringing, his travels around the world challenged him to the needs of the heathen world for Jesus Christ, and he purposed to make his choices count toward that goal.
As Borden trained for a life of service to the Kansu people of China, his heart and labor went out in very practical ways to the widows, orphans and cripples in the back streets of Chicago. A quiet yet powerful man, he diligently sought to win other young college men for Christ and His service.
His arrival in Egypt in 1913 was tragically marked by his contracting cerebral meningitis. His untimely death at the age of 25 was covered by nearly every newspaper in the United States as a testimony for Christ. Though "a waste" in the world's terms, both his life and his death have been a testimony and a challenge even beyond his own generation to "keep eternity's values in view."
The personal story of one whose unselfish life gives new meaning to Christian service!
His grave today is virtually hidden and not very impressive. However, he inspired many missionaries to go and share the gospel of Jesus.
However, King Tut’s tomb, also in Egypt – the Egyptian National Museum – is quite different.
King Tut was buried with tons of gold treasures. Ironically King Tut didn’t take the gold treasures with him.
William Borden, on the other hand sent his treasures on ahead.
King Tut was buried with the idea that the pharaohs would take the treasures with them in the afterlife. But of course the treasures are still sitting there in the museum, not with King Tut. By the way, King tut is no longer a king.
But Jesus is! He is the King of kings!! And still alive at this very moment!
John D. Rockefeller was one of the wealthiest men who ever lived. After he died, someone asked his accountant, “How much money did John leave?” The reply was classic: “He left…all of it.”
Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.
Okay, let’s get practical.
Treasures in Heaven – What is that?
1. Supporting your local Gospel centered church (2 Cor 9:6-8; 1 Cor 16:2)
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 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.
2. Helping the poor, the needy and the downtrodden (Matt 25:31-46)
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
3. Missions and Mission organizations (Matt 28:19-20)
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
4. Worthy Para-church organizations
When we give to these endeavors, we are not acting like King Tut.
We are actually liquidating our assets in a sense by giving them to Kingdom building causes which in turn are storing up for us treasure in Heaven! And God is delighted when we do this!!
Why? Because is shows our faith!
We are not acting like Tut, but instead we are acting like William Borden who sent his treasure on ahead of him. And guess what. That which we entrust to God is in good hands. It is safe in His care and will be waiting for us when we arrive.
This is amazing and should bring us great happiness!
It’s not wrong to be happy, by the way! All people seek happiness and they do it all the time. All the greats make claim to this reality.
Augustin, Aquinas, Pascal, Spurgeon, the Puritans, Jonathan Edward. They all said this in different ways. The bible even tells us ways to be happy (Psalm 1)
We don’t need to feel bad about pursuing happiness. However, we do need to pursue the right kind of happiness. Happiness that is pleasing to God. Happiness that honors Christ.
Do you remember Ebenezer Scrooge from Dickens story, A Christmas Carol?
He went from a miserable miser to a cheerful giver!
This is our glorious task in this life. To stop being miserably miserly only thinking of ourselves. Lavishing our earthly treasures on ourselves. And to start looking at our money differently.
Here is the secret. It’s not your money. It’s God’s money. And you are His money manager.
When you come to terms with this you will start to look at the resources at your disposal with a whole new perspective. A perspective that will radically change your world and will give you GREAT JOY as you invest in HIS KINGDOM, not YOURS!
There is great joy in giving when you have the right perspective.
How do you get your heart to that place. Well, the next few sermons are going to help with that.
But to get started, Ask God to open your eyes and heart to what God says in His word…
Ask God to help you see His perspective on money and your role with is. After all, 15% of all of Jesus’ teaching was about money! More than Heaven and Hell combined. This tell me it is important to the Lord. Pray to him and ask him for a godly perspective.
The reality for the born again believer who is growing in Christ is that they find joy in not getting, but giving away the resources that God has entrusted them with.
How do you used your money? Where does your treasure lay?
Remember, you can’t take it with you, but you can send it on ahead!
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. JIM ELLIOT
Connection Group Reflection Questions
1. What do these verses teach me about our character?
2. What do these verses teach me about God and his character?
3. Because these words are from God, they are TRUTH! What truth is he asking me to believe?
4. What do I need to do to obey him?
5. With whom can I share these truths?
[1] Alcorn, Randy. The Treasure Principle, Revised and Updated (p. 3). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.