Commands of Christ - 21c

Wednesday, April 13, 2022 The Commands of Christ-21

A Christian's Priorities

Last week we began to think about this passage:

Read: Matthew 6:19-24

Matthew 6:19–24 NASB95

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, 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 that is 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 one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Get It

*How can we "store up . . . treasures in heaven"? What can we store?

Now on earth, heavenly treasures might include:

Character account — becoming more like Jesus.

Read Page 70 highlighted area

Godly or Biblical Knowledge/Wisdom

Proverbs 4:5–9 (NASB95) Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 “Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you. 7 “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding. 8 “Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her. 9 “She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty.”

2 Timothy 2:15 (NASB95) Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

Doing “good” works

Hebrews 6:10 (NASB95) For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.

Matthew 19:17 (NLT) “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”

Matthew 10:40–42 (NLT) “Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me. 41 If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God, you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs. 42 And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”

John 15:1–8 (NASB95) “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NASB95) Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

So, I can do anything? Anything?

Colossians 3:23–25 (NASB95) Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. 25 For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.

Packing and shipping for heaven”

Barbara Z. went to a baby shower in Idaho. She sent the gifts ahead by UPS (hard to carry on a plane).

What might we “send ahead?”

Ray Boltz song (since disgraced) - Thank you for giving to the Lord

I dreamed I went to heaven And you were there with me We walked upon the streets of gold Beside the crystal sea We heard the angels singing Then someone called your name You turned and saw this young man And he was smiling as he came And he said friend you may not know me now And then he said but wait You used to teach my Sunday School When I was only eight And every week you would say a prayer Before the class would start And one day when you said that prayer I asked Jesus in my heart

Then another man stood before you And said remember the time A missionary came to your church And his pictures made you cry You didn't have much money But you gave it anyway Jesus took the gift you gave And that's why I'm here today

One by one they came Far as the eyes could see Each life somehow touched By your generosity Little things that you had done Sacrifices made Unnoticed on the earth In heaven now proclaimed

(Crown of) Righteousness

2 Timothy 4:8 (NASB95) in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

(Crown of) Life

James 1:12 (NASB95) Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Praise & Worship

Psalm 22:3 (NLT) Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

John 4:23–24 (NASB95) “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Revelation 5:11–14 (NASB95) Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” 13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” 14 And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

Godly conversations:

Malachi 3:16–18 (NLT) Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name. 17 “They will be my people,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. 18 Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”

Prayers

Psalm 56:8 (NASB95) You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?

Psalm 39:12 (NASB95) “Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears; For I am a stranger with You, A sojourner like all my fathers.

Revelation 5:8 (NASB95) When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Revelation 8:3–5 (NASB95) Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

How can we determine where our treasure is (and thus where our hearts are)?

What sort of things do you think about most?

Where does your mind naturally gravitate to in those moments just before you go to bed?

How clear is your spiritual vision right now?

What masters most often fight for your allegiance?

In what ways do you serve money?

*In what ways can you master your money?

Apply It

*How could you make an investment in eternity today?

What (Do you have?) committed Christian friends could help you evaluate your use of money in the next month?

Adult Questions for LESSONMaker.

LifeGuide Topical Bible Studies - Sermon on the Mount.