WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?

Jesus asked people to think seriously about what they value most.

He said:

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:”

(Matthew 6:19, KJV)

Then He said:

“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:”

(Matthew 6:20, KJV)

And then Jesus revealed why this matters:

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

(Matthew 6:21, KJV)

That raises a very personal question:

WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?

Jesus was not merely talking about money.

He was talking about:

WHAT WE VALUE.

↓

WHAT WE PURSUE.

↓

WHAT WE LIVE FOR.

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WHERE OUR HEART REALLY IS.

EARTHLY TREASURE DOES NOT LAST

Jesus described earthly treasure as something that can be:

CORRUPTED

↓

DESTROYED

↓

STOLEN

Everything we possess in this world is temporary.

Money can disappear.

Possessions can be lost.

Homes deteriorate.

Careers end.

Physical strength declines.

Recognition fades.

And eventually:

“…we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”

(1 Timothy 6:7, KJV)

We spend much of our lives acquiring things we cannot take with us.

That does not mean possessions are sinful.

It means possessions must never become our ultimate treasure.

JESUS SAID TO LAY UP TREASURE IN HEAVEN

Jesus did not merely warn us against earthly treasure.

He gave us something greater to pursue:

“LAY UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES IN HEAVEN.”

(Matthew 6:20, KJV)

Heavenly treasure cannot be destroyed by:

TIME

DECAY

THIEVES

ECONOMIC LOSS

or:

DEATH.

Peter described the Christian’s inheritance as:

“…an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,”

(1 Peter 1:4, KJV)

Notice:

INCORRUPTIBLE

↓

UNDEFILED

↓

FADETH NOT AWAY

↓

RESERVED IN HEAVEN

That is a treasure worth pursuing.

OUR HEART FOLLOWS OUR TREASURE

Jesus said:

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

(Matthew 6:21, KJV)

We sometimes think:

MY HEART DETERMINES WHAT I TREASURE.

But Jesus also shows us something else:

WHAT WE TREASURE REVEALS WHERE OUR HEART IS.

Look at what receives our:

TIME.

MONEY.

ENERGY.

ATTENTION.

SACRIFICE.

PLANNING.

CONCERN.

EXCITEMENT.

Those things often reveal what we truly value.

WHAT DO WE THINK ABOUT MOST?

Paul wrote:

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

(Colossians 3:2, KJV)

Notice the contrast:

THINGS ABOVE

versus:

THINGS ON THE EARTH.

Christians still live in this world.

We work.

We provide for our families.

We maintain homes.

We pay bills.

We plan.

We fulfill responsibilities.

But our deepest affection must reach beyond this world.

Paul explained why:

“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”

(Colossians 3:3, KJV)

The Christian’s life is centered in Christ.

MONEY CAN BECOME A SPIRITUAL DANGER

Paul did not say money itself is the root of all evil.

He wrote:

“For the love of money is the root of all evil…”

(1 Timothy 6:10, KJV)

Notice:

THE LOVE OF MONEY.

Money is a tool.

But when money becomes our treasure, it can become our master.

Jesus had already warned:

“Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

(Matthew 6:24, KJV)

The issue is not:

DO I HAVE MONEY?

The issue is:

DOES MONEY HAVE ME?

THE RICH YOUNG RULER HAD A TREASURE PROBLEM

A rich young ruler came to Jesus asking:

“…Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”

(Matthew 19:16, KJV)

He wanted eternal life.

But Jesus exposed what held first place in his heart.

Jesus told him:

“…go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.”

(Matthew 19:21, KJV)

What happened?

“But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”

(Matthew 19:22, KJV)

His possessions were not merely in his hands.

They had captured his heart.

When forced to choose between:

HIS TREASURE

and:

FOLLOWING CHRIST,

he walked away from Christ.

That is why the question:

WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?

is so important.

THE RICH FOOL PREPARED FOR EARTH BUT NOT ETERNITY

Jesus described another wealthy man whose land produced abundantly.

The man said:

“I will pull down my barns, and build greater…”

(Luke 12:18, KJV)

Then:

“Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”

(Luke 12:19, KJV)

He had planned carefully for his earthly future.

But God said:

“Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee…”

(Luke 12:20, KJV)

Jesus concluded:

“So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

(Luke 12:21, KJV)

Notice the contrast:

RICH FOR HIMSELF

but:

NOT RICH TOWARD GOD.

He had accumulated earthly treasure.

But when eternity came, he was spiritually poor.

WE CAN BE RICH TOWARD GOD

Paul instructed Christians who possessed material wealth:

“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God…”

(1 Timothy 6:17, KJV)

Notice:

DO NOT TRUST

↓

UNCERTAIN RICHES

BUT:

TRUST

↓

THE LIVING GOD.

Then Paul told them:

“That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;”

(1 Timothy 6:18, KJV)

And what would that accomplish?

“Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

(1 Timothy 6:19, KJV)

God does not condemn possessing resources.

He teaches us how to use them.

DO GOOD.

↓

BE RICH IN GOOD WORKS.

↓

BE GENEROUS.

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TRUST GOD.

↓

PREPARE FOR ETERNITY.

WHAT ARE WE BUILDING OUR LIFE AROUND?

Consider how easily life can become centered upon:

MAKING MORE MONEY.

BUYING A BETTER HOUSE.

GETTING A NEWER VEHICLE.

ADVANCING A CAREER.

ACCUMULATING POSSESSIONS.

PLANNING RETIREMENT.

TRAVELING.

ENTERTAINMENT.

COMFORT.

None of those things is automatically sinful.

But all of them are temporary.

The danger comes when temporary things consume the life God gave us to prepare for eternity.

Jesus asked:

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

(Matthew 16:26, KJV)

Think about that.

GAIN:

THE WHOLE WORLD

but:

LOSE:

YOUR OWN SOUL.

What profit would remain?

NONE.

THE BIBLICAL PATTERN

EARTHLY TREASURE IS TEMPORARY

Matthew 6:19

↓

HEAVENLY TREASURE ENDURES

Matthew 6:20

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OUR TREASURE REVEALS OUR HEART

Matthew 6:21

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WE CANNOT SERVE GOD AND MAMMON

Matthew 6:24

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SET OUR AFFECTION ON THINGS ABOVE

Colossians 3:2

↓

TRUST THE LIVING GOD, NOT UNCERTAIN RICHES

1 Timothy 6:17

↓

BE RICH IN GOOD WORKS

1 Timothy 6:18

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LAY UP A FOUNDATION FOR THE TIME TO COME

1 Timothy 6:19

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PREPARE FOR ETERNITY

THAT IS THE PATTERN.

The question is not:

DO I OWN THINGS?

The question is:

DO THINGS OWN MY HEART?

The question is not:

DO I HAVE MONEY?

The question is:

WHAT DO I LOVE?

The question is not:

AM I PREPARING FOR MY FUTURE ON EARTH?

We should also ask:

AM I PREPARING FOR ETERNITY?

One day every earthly possession will belong to someone else.

Every dollar will remain behind.

Every house will belong to another.

Every accomplishment will become history.

But our soul will continue.

That is why Jesus said:

“LAY UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES IN HEAVEN.”

Don’t accept this conclusion merely because it is written here.

Open your Bible.

Read Matthew 6.

Read Matthew 16.

Read Matthew 19.

Read Luke 12.

Read Colossians 3.

Read 1 Timothy 6.

Read 1 Peter 1.

Compare Scripture with Scripture.

Then ask:

WHERE IS MY TREASURE?

WHAT DOES MY LIFE SHOW THAT I VALUE MOST?

AM I RICH TOWARD GOD?

Jesus said:

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

(Matthew 6:21, KJV)

TREASURE IN HEAVEN.

↓

HEART SET ON THINGS ABOVE.

↓

TRUST IN THE LIVING GOD.

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RICH IN GOOD WORKS.

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PREPARED FOR ETERNITY.

ALLOW SCRIPTURE TO INTERPRET SCRIPTURE.