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Matthew 6:19-24 · Treasures in Heaven
The Treasure Principles
Matthew 6:19-24
Sermon
by Bill Bouknight
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The story is told of a man who, while walking on a beach, found a used magic lamp. He rubbed the lamp and the genie appeared, inviting him to make a wish. The man pondered for a moment and then had a great idea. He requested a copy of the stock page from the local newspaper, dated exactly one year into the future. With a puff of smoke, the genie disappeared and in his place was a copy of the stock page, dated exactly one year into the future. Gleefully, the man sat down to peruse his trophy. Now he could invest with certainty, knowing which stocks would rise. But then he happened to glance at what was on the back of the stock page. It was the obituary column. And guess whose name was at the top of the list. It was his own! Suddenly all those stock market gains seemed less important. Why? Because for the first time, this man had to look at life from an eternal perspective.

My purpose today is to help us look at life, especially money, affluence, and possessions, from an eternal perspective.

In America the love of affluence is almost in the water, inhaled in the air, absorbed into the skin. When we ask, “How much is John worth?” everyone assumes that we are talking about John’s financial worth. When you talk about “the bottom line,” everyone assumes that you’re talking dollars. But for a Christian, the bottom line is about eternal matters.

Jesus said quite a lot about money and possessions. In fact, 15 percent of everything Jesus said, as recorded in the four gospels, relates to this topic. He spoke more about this topic than about heaven and hell combined. (1)

Jesus’ statements about money and possessions are profoundly counter-cultural. Let’s look at three principles that Jesus proclaimed.

FIRST, GOD OWNS EVERYTHING AND WE ARE HIS MONEY-MANAGERS. That’s not the world’s view at all. The typical Memphian’s attitude is this—“It’s my money. I earned it. And I have the right to spend it however I choose.”

But listen to God’s word. First, from Psalm 24. “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” (Ps. 24:1) And this word from Deuteronomy: “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” (Deut. 8:17-18)

This means that we own nothing. All we have is a temporary lease on some material assets. The permanent owner is God Almighty. One day we will give an accounting to him of how you used every asset he allowed us to control.”

Just imagine that a father and mother and their teenaged son Walter are stopping by Chick-Fil-A for a quick meal. Walter is the only one to order French fries. Mom and Dad are trying to stay on diets. They sit down at a table, have a blessing, and begin to eat. Dad reaches over to take a couple of French fries, but his son protests. “No, Dad, those are mine.” It’s kind of absurd when you think about it. Dad paid for Walter’s meal but Walter referred to it as his own. That reminds me of how possessive we are sometimes about material possessions. But even our next breath is a gift from God’s hand. Since God owns everything and will one day call us to account for how we use his assets, it just makes sense to manage money God’s way.

Just imagine if I were to place $10,000 in the hands of my favorite stock broker and ask him to invest it for me. I would pay him a certain fee for his services. But he would never presume that my money belonged to him. He holds it in trust for me.

That should be our attitude toward all our material possessions. Never claim ownership of anything. It finally belongs to God. In effect, God says to us, “I’m going to loan you enough brains, enough health, enough energy, and enough material wealth to not only meet your needs but also satisfy some of your wants. It is my desire that you prosper. But you must never forget that you’re using my assets. Your first responsibility is to promote my Kingdom.”

Here is the second treasure principle: WE CAN SERVE GOD OR GREED, BUT NOT BOTH. But that’s not the world’s attitude. After pastoring church folks for over forty years, I really think that most church members do not subscribe to this treasure principle. Most church folks are hopeful that they can have both God and greed. That is, that they can love money and God simultaneously. Their attitude reminds me of a classic song from “My Fair Lady.” Do you remember Eliza’s father singing these words? “With a little bit of luck, with a little bit of luck, you can have it all and not get hooked!”

Jesus said a resounding “No” to this double-mindedness. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters…You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24)

Some church members are great pretenders. They give lip service to this creed: “In God we trust.” But their hearts trust more in the money on which that motto is printed.

Have you ever watched people wander around on a beach with a metal detector, looking for buried treasure? Their instrument may be useful in locating treasure but it is not nearly as accurate as the human heart. Your heart will tell you whether your treasure is stashed in heaven or on earth. Here is a clue. If the idea of investing the first 10 percent of your income in the Kingdom of God causes you to shudder, you probably love possessions more than you trust God. If your ultimate trust is not in God, you will never have enough money to feel secure, not even if you’re as rich as Bill Gates.

Here are some questions that may reveal where our treasure is. If you answer “yes,” money may be your master.

• Did I pick my career primarily on the basis of how much it paid?

• Is making more money a primary goal of my life?

• Do I react to requests for money with indignation or anger?

• On my tax forms, have I ever deducted a personal item as a business expense? (2)

The great Christian psychiatrist Karl Menninger told about a wealthy client who came

to him for therapy. This man earned over a million per year but was still miserable and had attempted suicide. Dr. Menninger suggested that he set up a foundation in the name of his late father to endow good causes across the country. The man said, “That’s a great idea, and I would enjoy that. Let me think about it.” But he never did it. His greed and insecurities would not let him give any of that money. A few years later he died, still miserable. (3)

Be honest with yourself. Which one has the controlling interest in your heart -God or greed?

Here is the third treasure principle: WHEN OUR HEARTS BELONG TO CHRIST, THE MORE WE GIVE, THE HAPPIER WE ARE. But that’s not the way the world thinks. The world’s attitude is this—every dollar I give away makes me poorer. I hate to part with my money.

Patrick Morley, author, businessman, president of a charitable organization, has dealt with wealthy business people for decades. His insight in a condensed version goes something like this—“The greater proportion of a person’s income that he gives, the happier he is. Happiness is not what you keep. That’s a deception. It’s what you give.” St. Paul helped us understand why a giver feels joy. He wrote, “God loves a cheerful giver.” (II Cor. 9:7) When you bring God pleasure, he sends some of it back to the giver.

This principle is tried and true as long as one’s attitude is one of gratitude. But if one’s attitude is wrong, it does not apply. If one gives only out of grim duty, then the happiness of giving vanishes.

The old TV personality Art Linkletter once asked a little girl named Debbie, “What is salt?” Debbie answered, “Salt is what spoils the potatoes when you leave it out.” (4)

Great giving is motivated by a great attitude, something like this—“Lord, when I consider all you have done and are doing in my life, indeed every time I catch a glimpse of the cross, then my 10 percent of income is so small and inadequate as a way of saying ‘Thank you.’ I will keep trying to find other ways to express my gratitude.”

I’m thinking of a young man in Christ Church. He and his wife love the Lord and are tithers. He figures his tithe based on the previous year’s tax return. He pledges 10 percent of what he earned the previous year. God has blessed them with an increase each year. Therefore, about half-way through a typical year, he gets in touch with me, saying, “Pastor, we’ve been blessed again this year. My pledge has been completed, but I’m still earning income. Where can I invest this overage to get maximum benefit for the Kingdom?” You cannot imagine the comfort that message gives to a pastor. I consult confidentially with several of our church leaders and then give him some suggestions. One day he said this to me, “Pastor, my giving is more fun than my spending!” Jesus said it would be that way. Jesus said, “It is more blessed (or joyful) to give than to receive.”

By the way, have you ever considered what will be your last opportunity to declare your gratitude to God? Actually, that moment will come after you die. It will be the day when your last will and testament is read. A Christian’s will ought to have a preamble that goes something like this -“My greatest discovery in life has been Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. He has been the Lord of my life and is my hope for eternity.”

Just think of the impact of those words on your grieving family and friends! Then somewhere in that will the Christian should express his gratitude by leaving some part of his estate to the ongoing work of the Lord’s church. Make sure that your last will and testament gives glory to God.

This morning I have challenged us to claim three biblical treasure principles. All three are directly contrary to the world’s way of thinking. These three are printed in our bulletin. Let’s say them together out loud.

• God owns everything and we are his money-managers.

• We can serve God or greed, but not both.

• When our hearts belong to Christ, the more we give, the happier we are!

You church members should have received by mail a commitment card for the year 2007. Extra commitment cards can be found in the pew racks or on the seats. We ask you to prayerfully fill out those cards this week and come to worship next weekend prepared to place them on the chancel rail in an act of dedication.

Let me close with one of my favorite Charles Allen stories. You may remember that the late Charles Allen was one of the great Methodist preachers of the 20th Century. He grew up in the Loudsville community of White County, Georgia. His family had very little money, but they didn’t need much in those days. One Christmas Eve when Charles was about seven years old, his father invited him to ride with him in a horse-drawn wagon to the town of Cleveland to buy supplies. Just before they got to town Mr. Allen gave Charles a dime, the first dime the boy had ever had. His father told him he could spend it any way he liked. Now back in those days, almost 100 years ago, a dime would really walk and talk. And it would buy lots of things. Charles shopped long and hard in Cleveland. He could buy any number of toys, or lots of red-striped candy, or a big red tablecloth with the Constitution of the United States printed on it. Charles saw oranges that day for the first time. He could have bought several of them for a dime. Well, time was running out. Charles was supposed to meet his father at a particular time to go home. So, he made his decision, bought the item, put the package in his pocket, and ran to the wagon.

On the way home, his father asked him what he had bought. Charles reached into his pocket, pulled out the package, and handed it to his father. He said, “Open it.” The package contained a huge red handkerchief. Charles said, “Dad, I bought you a Christmas present.”

When Charles Allen shared that story, he added these words, “Over the years I have made lots of money through book sales, and I have bought and given lots of presents. But I don’t think any gift-giving has ever brought me as much joy as using my first dime to buy a present for my father who had given me the dime in the first place.”

When we consider that God owns everything and has loaned us so much, what a shame it would be if we missed the chance of giving our first and best to the One who has given his all for us!

(1) Alcorn, Randy, The Treasure Principle, (Multnomah Publishers: Sisters, OR, 2001), p. 9.

(2) Doudera, Ralph, Wealth Conundrum, (Signature Editions: Sugar Hill, GA, 2005), p. 25.

(3) Menninger, Karl, Whatever Became of Sin?, (Hawthorn: New York, 1973), p. 153.

(4) Moore, James W., Jesus’ Parables of Life, (Dimensions for Living: Nashville, 2005), p. 20.

ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Collected Sermons, by Bill Bouknight