Legacy: Treasure Hunt

September 19th, 2021: Riverside & Lookout

We quickly become interested in that which we invest in.

Story: Gym Membership

Story 2: Retirement

Passage: Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Pray:

Background:

The text today comes from a much larger message that Jesus preached early in His ministry called “The Sermon On The Mount”. Jesus traveled all around Galilee preaching the good news of the Kingdom and healing the sick. The news spread and a great crowd began to follow Him. When He saw the crowds He went up a mountain, sat down, and began to teach. This is the longest of all the teachings of Jesus and it includes the Beatitudes, The Lord's Prayer, and the foundational tenets of Christian discipleship. We’re picking up in the middle of His teaching as He leans in to money and our possessions.

Title: Treasure Hunt

Story 3: David “Candyman” Klein & Andrew Maas

“Whatever it is, we’ll be happy with it,” Maas told the Tribune. “It’s money we didn’t have. But the excitement and adventure was the real reward. The money is the gravy on top.”

Generosity is not a destination, but a journey. An exciting journey that we get to experience as we walk in obedience to God’s call on our lives! And in the end, it’s not just “gravy on top”, we discover more of God’s grace in our lives and His purpose for us on earth!

Main Points:

1. Money’s home address is your greatest desire
   1. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

   2. Where your heart goes, money flows. Where money reigns, desire flames.

      1. Ikon Pass: It seems like everyone loves skiing and snowboarding in Colorado. It’s that deep love to shred that keeps people purchasing the Ikon or Epic pass year after year! It’s obviously an investment… a huge investment into your desires. But how many of you have said “I need to go at least 5 times to get my money's worth.” :) It’s the investment that also helps fuel your desire! Because you’ve put your money in it, you are forced to prioritize that which you’ve invested in.

         1. So it’s not always one or the other, but both desire and money work on the same team! 2. It is not always one after the other, but they both live in the same place. 3. I’ve always believed that it’s possible to have your heart in something and not invest your money in it, but the Bible clearly teaches something much different.
            3. Illust: Married, but not investing

      2. I’ve talked to many married men that simply do not date their spouse. They give somewhat “valid” excuses that it’s just a busy season, or that they don’t have the resources now, but if we aren’t investing in our spouse, is our heart really in it?

      3. I’m not talking about a weekly steak dinner with a dozen fresh roses and a horse drawn carriage through the city. I’m talking about generosity towards your significant other. Your lifelong friend. Your lover. :) C’mon… let’s get to investing!

      4. “Your heart isn’t in it, until your treasure is attached to it.” - Rich Wilkerson Jr.

         4. Let’s go on a treasure hunt!

      5. Illust: How we spend our money

         1. The BIG Three (62-70% of our income)

            1. Housing (+ utilities)
            2. Food (eating out, groceries, drinks, etc.)
            3. Transportation (car & gas) 2. Personal Care (insurance, clothing, etc.) 3. Debt (student loans, credit cards, etc.) 4. Investments (retirement, 401k, investment properties) 5. Entertainment (hobbies, ski passes, mountain biking, etc.) 6. Kingdom (charities & tithing) 2. “He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.” - Luke 12:15 3. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 4. Question: If you had to give a response, where would you say your treasure resides?
               5. Temporal Investment or Eternal Investment

      6. Storing up treasures in heaven is not limited to tithing, but it’s accomplished when we use all that we have for the glory of God.

      7. You put a lot of attention and energy where your resources go.

         1. 22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
         2. The “good eye” and “bad eye” are expressions for singular or undivided focus. Greek word haplous = “single, undivided, which there is nothing complicated or confused”.
         3. In Jewish writings a good eye represented a generous attitude and a bad eye a stingy attitude. The bad eye produces moral blindness and it diminishes the ability to see and pursue purpose and meaning.
         4. Focus Test: Which occupies your thoughts, time, and efforts more? Money or God?
         5. I have yet to meet someone Spiritually mature that doesn’t tithe and generously give. You may be growing in maturity, but if you have a divided heart your growth will be hindered.

      8. Question: Where do you seek wisdom? You may not always know, but I do not encourage you to seek wisdom or mentorship from someone who has a “bad eye”. Their allegiance will not always be in the best interest of the Kingdom of God, but of the kingdom of you.

         6. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

      9. I’m actually doing something good here! I’m planning for my future, I’m saving for a house, I’m paying down debt! Can’t you see that I’m not being greedy or selfish?!

      10. What happens to our soul when we actually believe that which is helping us and bringing us life and a better future is actually the things driving us deeper into darkness? Saving and paying down debt are good things. They become darkness only when they take the place of trusting God.
      11. Greed and Generosity can actually take on similar forms, the difference is the source that we are trying to advance and glorify.

      12. The problem isn’t making money, but being mastered by it.

          1. 24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

      13. The word “Serve” here means “to be enslaved to”.

      14. Question: Are you enslaved to your money?
      15. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10
      16. Materialism can enslave the heart (6:19-21), the mind (6:22-23), and the will (6:24).

      17. He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” - Matthew 22:37

          2. Instructions to the rich

      18. Money is not evil. God is not against money and people having great wealth.

      19. “It’s not a matter of whether or not you have money, but whether or not that money has you.”
      20. “It’s not wrong to have possessions, but it’s wrong when those possessions have you!”
      21. “Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share,19 storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of what is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:17-19

      22. Illust: Open hands, closed fist

          3. Surplus or Sacrifice

      23. The widow’s offering

      24. Mark 12:41-44

          4. Giving to God, or giving BACK to God

      25. We don’t give to receive. We give to advance.

      26. How we say it matters, because it helps shape our perspective on our resources
      27. There is an obvious crossroad and God is calling us to choose, God or Money.
      28. We can’t isolate “my money” and “God’s money”. When we give BACK to God, we give Him everything! We trust Him with everything!
      29. ALL our treasure becomes His. All our wealth is from Him and for Him! Giving to the local church is a part of that, but it goes much further in God’s economy.
      30. “We may not worship money, but we do worship with our money.” - Darrin Patrick
      31. Turn your worry to worship
          1. 25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
          2. Money has the greatest potential to cause anxiety, fear, and contention. Have you ever experienced this in your life? This is why Jesus continues in His teachings to talk a lot about anxiety and worry.
          3. Money doesn’t create the problem, it magnifies it. If you were greedy when you were poor and craved more money, now add wealth and guess what, still greedy and still craving more money.

Closing:

Walking Points:

1. Make a commitment…

   1. That you will serve God, not money.

   2. Make some adjustments…

   3. With how you manage your resources.

   4. 1% challenge. Move to reoccurring.

   5. Make an investment…

   6. In advancing the Kingdom and mission of God.