PODCAST- WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 3 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
CONTRAST IN STORING UP TREASURES IN HEAVEN VS STORING UP TREASURES ON EARTH
Treasure- wealth accumulated; a great quantity of any thing collected for future use.
the definition of “treasure” gives two insights …
A treasure is what is valued by an individual
a treasure can be what is currently valued by the person who is accumulating it. Money holds current value , therefore the obtaining of alot of money can become treasure.
2.A treasure is often accumulated over time
Webster’s definition speaks of having a great quantity of anything collected for future use. This speaks of time accumulating of a certain thing. Spending time, days, years , decades even...... to be able to one day use what i have accumulated.
i think of a retirement plan as a great picture of this. A person may spend 40 years working and putting money into a retirement plan with the hopes of one day not having to work and living off of what they saved…
the thought is that most of the time we are not making one decision that will determine OUR TREASURE. Most of the time it is a serious of decisions made, time after time, as with a savings account ..... that will ultimately lead to the fruit of what was stored.
TRANSITION
there are two places where we can store up treasures or invest into.... Heaven and earth
Heaven - The picture given is where moth/ rust cannot destroy, where thieves cannot steal. The thought is that the treasure stored in heaven is eternal or will last.
Earth - the picture given is where moth/ rust can destroy and where thieves can steal. The thought is that the treasures stored on earth are temporal and will fade away. These are ultimately of no value after we die.
The thought is that we can invest our time, our money, our efforts into many things even in this life.... But only certain things will be accounted with value .
Example.
WEIRD THINGS PEOPLE COLLECT
A North Carolina Dematologist collected 675 back scratchers from 71 countries
2. A woman from the UK has a collection of over 5,000 soap bars . She has been collecting them since 1991
3. One woman from Perks Island, Main..... Has collected 730 Umbrella cover sleeves
4. a couple has collected chicken related items which include, fridge magnets , chicken planters and chicken ornaments. They have 6,505 items.....
my mom had a collection of cow items when i was growing up. She had our whole kitchen full of cow stuff, had to be over a 100 items of cows.
the point being that not everything that you have a large quantity of will have value associated to it. The things that have monitary value to it, will be the things that are considered a treasure or of great value when it is accumulated.
TYPES OF TREASURES
EARTHLY TREASURE ( things people on earth can make their treasure )
Money
position
wisdom
education
pleasure
ability / talents
HEAVENLY TREASURES
service to God ( using my ability and gifts for his service )
service to God’s people ( using my ability and gifts for his people)
financially investing into God’s work
building Godly character
developing holiness / purity
QUESTION
WHAT DOES IT PRACTICALLY LOOK LIKE TO STORE UP TREASURES ON EARTH?
i think to address this we have to look at
1. What is an earthly treasure that people often pursue ?
money, position , pleasures, satisfaction, education, toys…etc..
practically speaking , it is the prioritizing of anything in our lives other than God. Often the things we pursue are not bad in and of themselves....... But when the pursuit of accumulating these things or achieving these things becomes my priority ...... then it has become my treasure and can become my God if not careful
Money
there are many people who make it their entire lives to pursue money and the making of money. This desire consumes them, it takes up all of their time.
Position
the same thing can be said of trying to obtain a certain position on a job . People will make it their live to move up the ladder, they will spend every moment they have to make it to the next position. When they have achieved that, they will pursue the next position.
Youth
for youth , the pursuit can be to become good at a sport. How many youth kids have we know who have made it their lives to play a certain sport. To make varsity, to make the championship , to make the travel ball team. And this becomes the priority in their lives..... these things are not bad .... but often times we have seen this take them away from church and church events…
but it is not just sports, it can be getting good grades or pursuing education. The having to get a better grade , or get into that college , or having to take certain classes often becomes priority and kids can often trade the things of God for the pursuit of these things.
you see this take place a lot with seniors who graduate. Four 6 years in JR high then High school their lives have revauled around church, retreats and youth events. Then they graduate. This is where young adults have a hard time. They are now having to learn to balance out their college classes, their jobs, their friends and their relationships..... and often times in the midst of all of this, the one thing that gets placed in the back burner is God and the things of God.
QUESTION
WHAT DOES IT PRACTICALLY LOOK LIKE TO STORE UP TREASURES IN HEAVEN
What are Heavenly treasures?
service to God, ministering to God, servicing God’s people, using my abilities, talents and resources for God’s glory
2. What does God Value AS Worth ?
LOVE
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
SERVICE TO GOD
Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
SERVICE TO GOD”S PEOPLE
For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
HELPING THE POOR
The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so.
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord,
And He will pay back what he has given.
SAVING SOULS
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And he who wins souls is wise.
DEVELOPING A GODLY CHARACTER
For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
REMAINING HOLY AND PURE
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Transition
If these are the things that God sees to hold value in the heavenly realm, than practically i should be about doing these things. Be about Loving people, be about serving God and His people.
a very practical way is ..... know what your gift and talents are that God has given you. .... and use these gifts to the best of your ability to bless others with it. This is as it relates with others.... but there is something to be said about my own personal life. There should be disciplines i am working on in my life to develope Godly character and purity
But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
QUESTION
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO STORE UP TREASURES IN HEAVEN VS EARTH ?
the importance is found in v.21. “where your treasure is , there your heart will be”
the connection between our heart and the treasure we pursue is the key. Our heart will always follow the things we are pursuing.
It is not that God doesn’t want us to have things here on earth.... but what he wants more than anything our hearts.
And if our hearts are connected to the things we pursue..... than there is a huge value on the things that we are pursuing. If i am pursuing the things of God, then it means my heart is given over to God . This is what he longs for.
the opposite is true that if i am pursing other things and they become my priority, it means that God is no longer my priority.
HAVE YOU EVER PERSONALLY EVER STRUGGLED WITH “STORING UP TREASURES ON EARTH” INSTEAD OF STORING UP TREASURES IN HEAVEN?
WHAT AREAS IN YOUR LIFE DID YOU SEE THIS IN ?
in worship. i played in a band from the time i was 20 til maybe 27. We played both worship and rock music. So we played at churches but also in clubs in hollywood.
i was for the most part the lead singer and the lead guitar player. There is this weird thing that takes place to a young person that starts to receive praise for what they are doing.
after a while you almost start to believe what everyone is saying about you… maybe i am good
towards the end of our band time, i started writing my own songs and putting together shows that i would be playing … my solo act. I had always been called to use my gifts as a worship leader .... yet i had lost that vision.
HOW DID YOU COME TO THE REALIZATION THAT THIS WAS HAPPENING?
the only show i played… no one came to it.
WHAT RESPONSE DID YOU TAKE TO FIGHT THE TENDANCY
i remember crying out to God and surrendering my call, my abilities and my life to God. To use what he has given me for His purposes.