msg for 12/6/09. Preached @ Christian Gathering Church
“Where your treasure is, there your treasure will be also .”Matt 6:21 & Luke 12:34:
- What do you treasure?
- my mom calling about stew last night
Our TRUE TREASURE will cause us to:
- Buy the things we buy
- Sell the things we sell (garage sales / ebay)
- find ways to live in closer proximity to it
- re-evaluate & re-assess your life in various stages
- motivated to acquire it
- create new friendships & possibly dissolve old ones
- neglect everything else because of it
- be consumed by it
- my reasons for exercise in past & lack of now has to do with what I treasure
CHOOSING Material / Temporal OVER Spiritual / Eternal
“an evil man produces evil things from his storeroom of evil.” Matt 12:35/Luke 6:45
- man does, in fact, even treasure things that are evil & adverse to God.
“…to one burdened with grief…whose existence is bitter, who wait for death…and search for it more than for hidden treasure,” Job 3:20-21
“All who make idols are nothing, and what they treasure does not profit…” Isa 44:9
“…A rich man’s land was very productive. He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have any where to store my crops? I will do this…I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. Then I’ll say to myself, you have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared-whose will they be?’ That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.’” Luke 12:16-21
- We even treasure how we store our treasure
- purses / bank accts / investments / babies room / serving your favorite dish IN your favorite dish / colleges & universities / relationships / titles we carry
- having “things” is not sin. The truth is this is the fate of all material possessions. If your “faith” is in such things, you will be sorely depressed, because this is its fate. If not, you will not be consumed while the things themselves are.
CHOOSING Spiritual / Eternal OVER Material / Temporal
“A good man produces good things from his storehouse of good,” Matt 12:35/Luke 6:45
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a filed, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.” Matt 13:44
- to truly treasure something, you must also treasure what it takes to get it.
- “Prize” w/ “Process” /// “Means” to an “End”
- Treasure is that which may devalue your quality of life if it’s taken away & add value when it is acquired
{regarding understanding} “…seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure, then you will understand…” Prov 2:1-5
- “though it cost you all you have, get understanding”
- Explain the idea behind the COST aspect of the “Cause, Cost & Response” series that your doing w/ the teens
“But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them.” Luke 2:19, 51
- We treasure other peoples opinions about our treasure
“You lack one thing: Go sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” {Matt adds, “if you want to be perfect”} Matt 19:21/Mark 10:21/Luke 18:22
- Simply knowing what is supposed to be treasured is not enough.
- it must be accompanied by your motive, will & application
- Jesus was saying, “treasure me”
- interesting that “perfection” or “completeness” comes from treasuring Him
- You can tell what the Apostles & couriers of God’s Word treasured through their writings.
- “Slumber of Christianity” Ted Dekker
- Peter spoke of “[obtaining] an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you”
- He realized the value in this treasure when he saw that the prophets of old were curious of it, and even the angels themselves.
- Jude “felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”
- Luke said that “it seemed fitting for [him]…, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order…”
- John told us that “these things have been written so that you may believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”
- Paul said, “this life which I now live in the flesh, I live unto the Son of God who loved me & gave Himself for me”
- “Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us.” 2Cor 4:7
WHAT GOD TREASURES:
- The entirety of Scripture resides upon how much God truly treasures us:
- “What is man…
- “He lives to make intercession for us…
- “He knows our coming & going
- “in the image of God He created man…”
- “He sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts…”
- “friend that sticks close than a brother"
- “Since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise…”
- “I know the plans that I have for you…”
- “Those whom He foreknew, He also predestined”
- “For God so loved the world…”
- “He came so that we might have life and life more abundantly”
- “We are fearfully and wonderfully made”
- “I knit you together in your mother’s womb”
- “We’re the sheep of His pasture”
- “We’re His prized possession”
“Where your treasure is, there your treasure will be also .”Matt 6:21 &Luke 12:34
2Pet 2:19b: “… since people are enslaved to whatever defeats them.”
- Your treasure is whatever defeats your will to do anything else
- “Jesus, defeat my will”… “not my will, but yours be done”
- Paul spoke of Himself as a “bondservant” and a “slave” of Jesus Christ
- You are a slave to your treasure, because wherever your treasure is, there your heart will be also
- “You’ve stolen my heart yes you have” song
- In order for us to truly treasure Christ, we must allow Him to defeat our will.
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