JESUS' SERMON ON THE MOUNT SERMON SERIES23. Heavenly Treasure
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Psalm 49:16-20 16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; 17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him. 18 Though while he lives he blesses himself (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself), 19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see light. 20 A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, Is like the beasts that perish.
Matthew 6:19-24 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
What treasure is Jesus speaking about? Jesus is talking about several treasures actually. The first treasure He mentions is the one that most people are busy with. It is the treasures of this world.
Some people are wrapped up in houses and lands and cars and fashionable clothes and the latest computers and cell phones and high definition T.V's. It isn't enough to have a car. It must be a Mercedes or BMW or some car that gives status. Some people who are rich are absorbed with these things. Some others who don't have these things are always thinking about how to get them. They think they will be happy if they have them. Jesus is certainly speaking to people who are materialistic. Their material wealth will one day be valueless. All the money in the world will not gain them entrance to the kingdom of God for even one minute.
But most people hearing my voice are not so materialistic. You simply want to have a comfortable home. You want to have the things that make life comfortable. You aren't seeking status or extraordinary riches. There is no sin in desiring the simple comforts of life and providing for your family. The problem is that for many people these life comforts constitute the whole of their life. Their treasure, though modest, is in this world. They have no treasure in heaven at all. Their interests are all about this world. Their hearts are not toward heaven because they have no treasure there.
Enver always worked as an illegal construction worker on a cash basis. He didn't care for putting money into Social Security or a retirement program. But when he got hurt one day and could no longer work, he was helpless. When his retirement age came there was no one to turn to. He became a beggar in the street. He had not planned for the future. Everyone who neglects the spiritual preparation for the judgment is like Enver. In the day of God they are without a helper. They cannot enter the kingdom of God.
There is another wealth that Jesus is talking about. We see it in the following verses:
Matthew 16:26-27 "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
The eternal riches is eternal life. If you have all the money that you could possibly spend and you enjoyed a comfortable life here in this world yet if you did not inherit eternal life how good is that? One day we will be judged to see if we are worthy of eternal life. Who will be saved? Jesus has been explaining in the sermon on the mount what is necessary to enter the kingdom of God.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn because of sin because they shall be comforted. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God. Are you preparing for the kingdom of God or are you like Enver, vainly hoping that everything will somehow work out.
The kingdom of God is a real kingdom with wealth and riches. But the kingdom of God is first a spiritual kingdom of righteousness. It is a kingdom based on unselfish love. No one lacking this love can enter. How can you obtain righteousness and a character of unselfish love?
Matthew 13:44 44" Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Matthew 13:45-46 " Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 "who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
In the stories the buyer sells all that he has to get the valued treasure. What must you sell in order to enter the kingdom of heaven? What must trade to get the heavenly treasure? You must trade your life for it.
Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Make no mistake about it friend. Jesus is not saying that you need to polish up your life a little bit and learn good manners and then you will go to heaven. He is talking about 100% surrender to the will of God. Your old way of life must die. There must be a new principle acting in your life. You must deny self. Self is what must be sold and given away completely to enter the kingdom of God. It is such a radical life change that people will not recognize the new you. If you try to keep your old way of life you will certainly not enter the kingdom of God.
Many people try to keep their old life of selfish and sinful pleasures and go to heaven. They are baptized and become church members but their hearts are divided. They love God and they love the world. They give money to God and they give money to sinful and selfish pleasures. They carry the name of Jesus but they have no testimony to tell of God's power in their lives. They are alive to this world, but dead to God. They are seeking to save their life but they will lose it. Their eye is not single to the glory of God.
Matthew 6:22 "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24" No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
If your eye is good, you will see that it is Christ's character that is the pearl of great price. It is the treasure in the field. You cannot keep the love of self and have Christ's character. One has to be completely sold for the other. The love of self is spiritual blindness. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is the penalty for your sins. Do you see that or are you relying on your own good works to enter heaven? It is the Spirit of Christ who committed no sin who will change your life from one of selfishness to self-denying love. Do you see that or are you groping in darkness?
You cannot serve God and serve this world too. You need to make a choice and it is a choice of eternal life or eternal death. Your friends will laugh at you. They will turn their backs on you because you don't participate in their sinful ways. But when you suffer these things you are simply selling all that you have for the pearl of great price. You have treasure in heaven and your heart is there.
What are you waiting for? Do you think a better opportunity will come where you will be ready to die to this world and live for Christ? That day may never come. Today is the day of salvation. Now is the time to enter the kingdom of God. It will cost you your life as you know it but you will have eternal life.
It is the love of self that makes the decision difficult. Self is fighting to stay alive in you. Self is trying to rule in your life. You cannot serve self and God. It must be one or the other.
Eternal life is worth selling this life for. It is a good trade. The man sold all he had to obtain the treasure in the field because it was worth it.
The treasure of heaven is found in Jesus Christ. Eternal life is in Jesus Christ. I want to pray with you now before we sing our closing hymn that you will die to self right now and receive Jesus in your heart.
Matthew 6:19-24 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
What treasure is Jesus speaking about? Jesus is talking about several treasures actually. The first treasure He mentions is the one that most people are busy with. It is the treasures of this world.
Some people are wrapped up in houses and lands and cars and fashionable clothes and the latest computers and cell phones and high definition T.V's. It isn't enough to have a car. It must be a Mercedes or BMW or some car that gives status. Some people who are rich are absorbed with these things. Some others who don't have these things are always thinking about how to get them. They think they will be happy if they have them. Jesus is certainly speaking to people who are materialistic. Their material wealth will one day be valueless. All the money in the world will not gain them entrance to the kingdom of God for even one minute.
But most people hearing my voice are not so materialistic. You simply want to have a comfortable home. You want to have the things that make life comfortable. You aren't seeking status or extraordinary riches. There is no sin in desiring the simple comforts of life and providing for your family. The problem is that for many people these life comforts constitute the whole of their life. Their treasure, though modest, is in this world. They have no treasure in heaven at all. Their interests are all about this world. Their hearts are not toward heaven because they have no treasure there.
Enver always worked as an illegal construction worker on a cash basis. He didn't care for putting money into Social Security or a retirement program. But when he got hurt one day and could no longer work, he was helpless. When his retirement age came there was no one to turn to. He became a beggar in the street. He had not planned for the future. Everyone who neglects the spiritual preparation for the judgment is like Enver. In the day of God they are without a helper. They cannot enter the kingdom of God.
There is another wealth that Jesus is talking about. We see it in the following verses:
Matthew 16:26-27 "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
The eternal riches is eternal life. If you have all the money that you could possibly spend and you enjoyed a comfortable life here in this world yet if you did not inherit eternal life how good is that? One day we will be judged to see if we are worthy of eternal life. Who will be saved? Jesus has been explaining in the sermon on the mount what is necessary to enter the kingdom of God.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn because of sin because they shall be comforted. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God. Are you preparing for the kingdom of God or are you like Enver, vainly hoping that everything will somehow work out.
The kingdom of God is a real kingdom with wealth and riches. But the kingdom of God is first a spiritual kingdom of righteousness. It is a kingdom based on unselfish love. No one lacking this love can enter. How can you obtain righteousness and a character of unselfish love?
Matthew 13:44 44" Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Matthew 13:45-46 " Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 "who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
In the stories the buyer sells all that he has to get the valued treasure. What must you sell in order to enter the kingdom of heaven? What must trade to get the heavenly treasure? You must trade your life for it.
Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Make no mistake about it friend. Jesus is not saying that you need to polish up your life a little bit and learn good manners and then you will go to heaven. He is talking about 100% surrender to the will of God. Your old way of life must die. There must be a new principle acting in your life. You must deny self. Self is what must be sold and given away completely to enter the kingdom of God. It is such a radical life change that people will not recognize the new you. If you try to keep your old way of life you will certainly not enter the kingdom of God.
Many people try to keep their old life of selfish and sinful pleasures and go to heaven. They are baptized and become church members but their hearts are divided. They love God and they love the world. They give money to God and they give money to sinful and selfish pleasures. They carry the name of Jesus but they have no testimony to tell of God's power in their lives. They are alive to this world, but dead to God. They are seeking to save their life but they will lose it. Their eye is not single to the glory of God.
Matthew 6:22 "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24" No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
If your eye is good, you will see that it is Christ's character that is the pearl of great price. It is the treasure in the field. You cannot keep the love of self and have Christ's character. One has to be completely sold for the other. The love of self is spiritual blindness. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is the penalty for your sins. Do you see that or are you relying on your own good works to enter heaven? It is the Spirit of Christ who committed no sin who will change your life from one of selfishness to self-denying love. Do you see that or are you groping in darkness?
You cannot serve God and serve this world too. You need to make a choice and it is a choice of eternal life or eternal death. Your friends will laugh at you. They will turn their backs on you because you don't participate in their sinful ways. But when you suffer these things you are simply selling all that you have for the pearl of great price. You have treasure in heaven and your heart is there.
What are you waiting for? Do you think a better opportunity will come where you will be ready to die to this world and live for Christ? That day may never come. Today is the day of salvation. Now is the time to enter the kingdom of God. It will cost you your life as you know it but you will have eternal life.
It is the love of self that makes the decision difficult. Self is fighting to stay alive in you. Self is trying to rule in your life. You cannot serve self and God. It must be one or the other.
Eternal life is worth selling this life for. It is a good trade. The man sold all he had to obtain the treasure in the field because it was worth it.
The treasure of heaven is found in Jesus Christ. Eternal life is in Jesus Christ. I want to pray with you now before we sing our closing hymn that you will die to self right now and receive Jesus in your heart.