One week ago I talked to us about tithing. Some of you thought it was about time. Others squirmed. It depended on whether or not you are a giver.
One of the supreme facts about Jesus Christ we often overlook is that He did not come to impose a burden on anyone. In fact He came to lift our burdens.
He is not a cosmic kill-joy or a resident policeman who raps our fingers when we appear to be enjoying ourselves. Jesus has no desire to take away the joy of life.
Jesus himself said that He came that we may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10). He even began His Sermon on the Mount with the word, “Blessed,” and used it to begin 9 straight sentences. Blessed simply means “happy.” (poor in spirit; mourn; meek; hunger for righteousness; merciful; pure in heart)
The full life, the joyous life, the blessed life comes to those who have enthroned Christ in their hearts. Jesus knew that in order to enjoy this full life we have to know how to handle money and material things, because they are always trying to control us.
If you squirmed last week perhaps it’s because of your priorities.
Why did Jesus put such an emphasis on money and possessions? Because there’s a fundamental connection between our spiritual lives and how we think about and handle money and what money buys. Let me demonstrate:
In Luke 3 John the Baptist is preaching to crowds of people who’ve gathered to hear him and be baptized. He calls them a “brood of vipers” and insists that they must repent. Three different groups ask him what they should do to show repentance.
John gives three answers: To the first group, share your food and clothes with the poor (v. 11). The tax collectors should stop pocketing extra money (v. 13). And the soldiers should be content with their wages and not extort money (v. 14).
Each answer relates to money and possessions, and related to where they lived. But they didn’t ask him about that! They asked him what they had to do to demonstrate their spiritual transformation.
John the Baptist was saying that spiritual transformation will be seen in how you handle your money and possessions. God is saying to us that our approach to money and possessions isn’t just important—it’s absolutely central to our spiritual lives.
We see this also when Zacchaeus said to Jesus, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” (Lk. 19:8)
Jesus’ response? “Today salvation has come to this house.” (v. 9) Zacchaeus’s radical new response to money proved that his heart had been transformed.
The new converts in Jerusalem in Acts 2 and 4 eagerly sold their possessions to give to the needy. Their hearts had been transformed.
In contrast is the rich man who spent all his wealth on himself. He planned to tear down his barns and build larger ones, storing up for himself so he could retire and take life easy.
But God called the man a fool, and said that very night his life would be demanded of him (Lk. 12:20). You know what the greatest proof of his spiritual condition was? He was rich toward himself but not rich toward God.
And of course there’s the rich young man who asked Jesus how to gain eternal life. Jesus told him, Matthew 19:21 21“If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
The young man was obsessed with earthly treasures. But Jesus was calling him to something higher—heavenly treasures. This is what Jesus calls us to also.
Some of us are so invested in the stock market, our savings, and our things that we too seem to be obsessed with earthly treasures. So, from Jesus himself, here is the best investment advice you will ever receive:
Matthew 6:19 - 21 (NASB) 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; 21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
There comes a time when a follower of Christ must ask, “How do I feel about things?” If I really love Christ, how do I feel about my car? If Christ is truly my Master, how do I treat my money?
These are not questions with easy and glib answers. For one thing, we know we are made in God’s image—that’s our spiritual nature. But we are also made of dirt to live on earth—that’s our material nature. So how do we reconcile the spiritual and material?
Follow along as a first century Hebrew walks alone on a hot afternoon, with staff in hand. His sandals are covered with dirt, his tunic stained with sweat. But he doesn’t stop to rest because he has pressing business in the city.
He takes a shortcut through a field, knowing travelers are allowed this courtesy by owners. The field is uneven so he thrusts his staff into the dirt to balance as he walks.
Suddenly, thunk. The staff hits something hard. He stops, wipes his brow, and pokes again. Thunk. Something’s under there and it’s not a rock. He knows he needs to get going. There’s pressing business to take care of, but curiosity won’t let him.
He drops to his knees and starts digging. In a few minutes he uncovers a case covered in dirt. It looks like it’s been there for years. Heart racing, he pries off the rusty lock and opens the lid.
Gold coins! Jewelry! Precious stones of every color! A treasure more valuable than anything he’s ever imagined. Hand’s shaking he inspects the coins. Some had been issued by Rome over 70 years ago. Some wealthy man must have buried the case, and died suddenly, the secret of its location dying with him.
The traveler closes the lid, reburies the case, and marks the spot. He turns around and heads home, skipping like a little boy, smiling broadly. What a find! He’s got to have that treasure. But how? Then it hits him. He will sacrifice everything he owns for it.
He sells everything—house, land, tools, oxen—everything until he has enough to buy the land where the treasure is buried. From the time of his discovery his life changes. The treasure captures his imagination. It is the stuff of his dreams.
It is his new center of gravity. Everything he does from that point on is with that treasure in mind. (Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle, Multnomah Publishing, 2001, pp. 6-8).
This story is captured by Jesus in a single verse. Matthew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”
The point of this parable is that the kingdom of heaven is our true treasure, not the things of this earth. It is the kingdom of heaven that we should be most concerned about investing in. It is about the joy of finding great and eternal treasure that far surpasses the cost to obtain it.
It is the laying up of eternal treasure that we should be most concerned about. It is a vivid picture of the joy of surrendering lesser treasures to find greater ones. Think about this traveler for a moment.
Do you feel sorry for him? After all, discovering that treasure changed his life and cost him everything—his house, land, tools, even his oxen. What a great sacrifice on his part!
But don’t feel sorry for him. The sacrifices he made pales in comparison to his reward. The benefits far outweigh the costs. The traveler made short-term sacrifices to obtain a long-term reward.
“But,” you say, “It cost him everything he owned.” Yes, that’s true, and that’s the point, but it gained him everything that mattered. So what does this story have to do with us?
It’s an object lesson about heavenly treasure. We know, of course, that no matter how great the value of that earthly fortune, it would be worthless in eternity. In fact, it’s exactly the kind of treasure that people waste their lives pursuing.
Jesus is using something we can understand—earthly treasure—as an analogy about what we should value—eternal, heavenly treasure. But instead, all too often we value and place our trust in temporary, earthly treasure.
Jesus has given us the best investment advice ever. From that we can draw three Eternal investment principles, one from each verse. Look again at Matthew 6:19-21.
Think about what Jesus is saying when he says “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…” (v. 19). Well, why not? Because earthly treasures are bad? No. Because they won’t last!
When Jesus warns us not to store up treasures on earth it’s not because wealth might be lost; it’s because wealth will always be lost. Either it leaves us while we live, or we leave it when we die. There are no exceptions. That what can be lost is not really owned, is it? Jesus is emphasizing about our selfishness in misplaced values.
About the time a man or woman thinks “I’ve got it made,” time runs out on them. Earth’s treasures are always being eaten away by inflation, or depreciation, or stolen in many ways by many thieves.
Billionaire Ross Perot was quoted in Fortune magazine with this: “Guys, just remember, if you get real lucky, if you make a lot of money, if you go out and buy a lot of stuff—it’s going to break. You got your biggest, fanciest mansion in the world. It has air conditioning. It’s got a pool. Just think of all the pumps that are going to go out. Or go to a yacht basin any place in the world. Nobody is smiling, and I’ll tell you why. Something broke that morning. The generator’s out; the microwave oven doesn’t work. Things just don’t mean happiness!”
“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven….” (v. 20). Verse 24 makes it perfectly clear here that Jesus is talking about our money, about our wealth.
He is not talking about prayers you store up in heaven, or rewards for work you do. Here Jesus is plainly talking about money, and the opportunity we have to do good with it—to tithe to our church; to support ministries and missions that tell the true gospel.
To give special offerings supporting missionaries and sending mission teams and helping the needy and other good causes. These are how you use your wealth to store up treasure in heaven.
“…for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…”. (v. 21). Earthy treasure itself is not all that important. It is not good or bad in itself. It’s what it does to your heart that matters. This is why the love of money is called “a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Tim. 6:10).
It doesn’t matter whether you have a lot or nothing. It is the desire for more and more that corrupts the heart. What do your spending habits say about where your heart is? What do you really care about? At what level does your church or missions register compared to soft drinks?
The real danger is that your things may become your god. They can pull you down and change your life, making you selfish and self-centered. Remember the temporariness of the things you want, the things you think will satisfy and make you happy.
But when you invest in heaven, then your mind becomes fixed on the eternal and your heart is as God wants it. If you want true happiness and satisfaction, make your real investments in eternity.
A prayer of commitment: God, you are the owner in all matters of life. You have made me a partner in this ownership. You are concerned about me—all that I am and all that I do. You bless me to bless others with the good news of His Son Jesus. Thank you Lord. Here am I—all that I am and all that I have is yours.