Matthew 6:19-24

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! ²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Jesus, James half-brother also talked about our struggle with money in the most famous sermon of all time, the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5-7, Jesus dealt with money matters because money matters. This is what I like to call the sermon on the amount, where Jesus challenges us with the question, “Where is your treasure?” and helps us find the answer by giving four tests.

1. The Durability Test.

The first test is found in verses 19-20 and asks the question, “How long will it last?” Verse 19 is a negative command: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” Where verse 20 is the positive: “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” Jesus talks about treasures because while not everyone may have a lot of money, we all have things that we treasure. Our treasure could be a possession like a car, clothes, or even a position that we hold or seek after. Jesus is not saying that it is wrong to have treasures, He is telling us that our focus should be on laying up treasures in heaven, not on earth. The first life-skill that Jesus wants us to develop is to stop living just for today. This command is in the present tense. It literally means to “stop storing up.” Jesus knows that our natural, inborn desire is to accumulate things. That doesn’t mean possessions, or property are a problem. The key lies in the little phrase, “for yourselves.” Jesus is forbidding the selfish, self-centered accumulating of goods as the major end of life. Satisfaction is not found in stuff but in serving the Savior. Two things happen to the things we own. First, they decay. In ancient times, wealth was often measured by what you wore, and moths could chew holes in people’s precious possessions. Also rust could corrode and consume. Not only would possessions decay but second, they could disappear. Stuff could be stolen. Jesus is teaching us that earthly wealth is not secure. It either decays or disappears, earthly treasures do not stand the test of time. Job 27:16, 20 provides a vivid description of this process: “Though he heaps up silver like dust and clothes like piles of clay…he lays down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone.” While earthly treasures are short lived eternal treasures are secure. 1 Peter 1:4 says: “And into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you.” Treasures that we send on ahead are mothproof, rustproof, and burglarproof. The issue is not whether we will store up wealth, that’s a given. The question is where we will do our banking. Are you making short term investments that are insecure or long-term ones that God guarantees? Which leads us to the question: How do we make deposits on earth that yield dividends in heaven? The only way is to invest our time, talents, and treasures in that which lasts for eternity. And only two things will stand the test of time. Scripture and souls, God’s Word and people. Stuff will decay and disappear, that’s the way God set it up. 1 John 2:17: “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” When we give of our resources and riches to people in need, we are making a difference. Today many of us have a messed-up mentality when it comes to money. We see it as ours instead of God’s, and so we start looking at it through the lens of self instead of stewardship. Why do we need a proper mentality when it comes to money, because nothing muddies up ministry quicker than a messed up money mentality. When the church closes its doors to the hurting what message does it communicate, not the message of the cross which is a message of mercy. How open are the doors of your heart, many of us are living miserable lives because when it comes to money they are locked. The ultimate investment you can make is to give so that people hear the Word of God. As Jim Eliot said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Jim was killed sharing his faith on the mission field. James reminds us that not only are our treasures limited but so is our time here on earth. We are managers of God’s money for a brief moment in time. Are you investing in the temporary or the eternal? The second test is the:

2. Heart Test.

The second test asks the question, “Where are you investing your time and money?” and is found in verse 21: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Jesus teaches us a powerful truth, that your heart follows your money. Most of us tend to think that our money follows our heart, but our heart always follows our treasure. Whatever you invest your time and money in will become very important to you. Too many of us spend all that we have on the things of this world and then we wonder why we have trouble concentrating on the things of God. Our money has kept our heart tethered to the world instead of tied to the Word. Many of us think we own our possessions but because we have allowed our heart to be tied to our treasures our possessions own us. Your heart will be wrapped up in what you treasure. So let me ask you, does your life revolve around the Lord or around your riches?

James 1:9-11

“Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. ¹⁰ And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. ¹¹ The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.”

So far in our series “The Litmus Test for Life” in the book of James we have seen the identity test, where are we placing our identity, second we have seen the treasures in testing, what is our attitude toward tests. Now we come to the testing of our treasure as we come to “The Poverty and Prosperity Test.” Why does James now take a time out to talk about our treasures, at first glance this may seem to be disconnected from his main teaching on trials. But it is connected and his teaching here is critical because when we go through tests and trials we are tempted to try relying on our riches. Which is a problem for poor people because they have very little to lean on. But it is also a problem for rich people because they have resources and can start relying on their riches instead of the Redeemer. Today we will be looking at a proper perspective on possessions and where we place our trust in trying times. This topic of treasures is a tough and often touchy one especially in the American church. What’s sad to me is that we can talk about some tough topics like, trusting God in tough times, the seriousness of sin, how to win when we are wounded through the power of forgiveness but when we talk about money there are many who get upset and become defensive.  James starts this treasure test with a powerful proposition, when it comes to money, treasure has more to do with our attitude than our assets. Where we want to focus on the amount, how much we have, James focuses on the attitude, our view. Why because your view determines your value. So, let me ask you what is your view of money and where do you place your value? James reminds us that it’s not about the amount it’s about the Almighty. The goal is not the gold its giving God the glory. Both the poor and the prosperous are charged with giving God the glory. James reminds us to boast about God’s work not our wealth. If we are not careful our lives will be consumed with either complaining about our poor condition or bragging about our bank accounts. While they may seem to be very different responses the focus of both is on self. If we are not careful, we will get caught up in promoting our problems or promoting our possessions instead of promoting God. We were created to worship, to put the spotlight on Christ not the circumstances. So, what are you bragging about today, are you making it about, worship, whining or wealth? Second James reminds us that God cares more about our position than our possessions and he reminds us that our position is not based on our possessions. Which runs completely contrary to our culture and the system of the world. In the world possessions determine position, but in God’s kingdom position is based on attitude not assets. It’s based on a humble heart not on a haunty one. One of the problems with this passage in the American church is that rarely are the poor James refers to represented, for the most part we are the prosperous not the poor. Most of the people that see themselves as poor in this passage are viewing that from a prosperity perspective based on an American standard not a worldwide one. Most of us don’t have a money problem we have a management problem, because we are making money about me not about the Messiah. As a result, our financial focused is firmly fixed on getting rather than giving, self instead of serving. Many of us are working jobs we hate because our primary focus is finances. If you want to find worth in our work, start viewing it as a calling, not just a career. A career can become the altar on which we sacrifice our lives in the pursuit of money and possessions. A calling involves recognizing that we are co-workers with God in accomplishing His purposes by being content, by working in order to have so that our needs can be met, and by working in order to give so that God can meet the needs of others through us. Now my goal is to help you see who is the master of your money, what is our position when it comes to possessions? And where do I turn and put my trust in trying times? Many of us view the topic of money as secular but if you look to scripture you will discover that it’s not just physical but spiritual. Which means money is a theological topic and today people have at least three different theological perspectives.

1. Poverty Theology. This imbalanced view teaches that we should have a disdain for possessions. That poverty equals piety

2. Prosperity Theology. This teaching wrongly assumes that prosperity is the reward of the righteous. This cause and effect relationship implies that if God is happy with you, He will bless you financially.

3. Proper Theology. The proper way to view our possessions is that they are a trust given by God that we are responsible to manage. Everything belongs to Him and we are to serve as stewards regardless of whether we have a lot or a little. When it comes to money what matters is how we manage it. It all belongs to God and when we practice the joy of biblical stewardship, we give back to God what has always been His.

So what about you do you have a proper theology or a polluted one when it comes to money?