Kingdom dwellers ambition

Don’t short sight yourself, don’t look just at the here and now, look at the everlasting. Jesus makes a shift in our passage today from the private life “in the secret place” about giving, praying and fasting, to the public life what we do with money, possessions, food, drink and clothing.

Don’t practice righteousness to be seen by men (Mt6:1)

When you give, let your giving be in secret (Mt6:4)

When you pray, go to your inner room (Mt6:6)

Oh, don’t forget to forgive (Mt6:14)

Jesus is concerned about our religious life and our secular life, or may we say secular responsibilities as kingdom dwellers. For He knows, see’s all things (Mt6:4, 6, 18) and knows our needs (Mt6:32). We are to be different to have a different view than that of the secular world. Remember the thesis statement.

Matthew 5:20 NASB95

20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Previously Jesus had addressed the hypocrisy of the religious scribes and Pharisees now to the irreligious, nonreligious and the dangers of materialism for the kingdom dweller (vv.19-34)

Just a little more before getting to the passage today.

There are two:

Two treasures, on earth and in heaven (vv.19-21)

Two bodily conditions, light and darkness (vv.22-23)

Two masters, God and mammon (v.24)

Two preoccupations, our bodies and God’s kingdom (vv.25-34)

Two Treasures

Two treasures, earthly and heavenly. In a world that we are in but not a part of because we are kingdom dwellers it is a fine line so not to get snagged into the treasures of this world.

Matthew 6:19–20 NASB95

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;

Mt6:19-20

Matthew 6:21 NASB95

21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus commands regarding earthly treasures (Mt6:19); gives reason why (v.19)

They are temporary

They can cause covetousness and people come in and steal

Jesus commands what treasures we are to store up (Mt6:20)

They are eternal

They are imperishable

They are secure

Jesus warned about difficulty of entering the kingdom because of riches (Mt19:16-26)

This is the story of the rich young ruler who wanted to now how to obtain eternal life. Too long a passage for today, but look what Jesus told him.

Matthew 19:21 NASB95

21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

Difficulty does not mean impossible

MT19;21

Matthew 19:24 NASB95

24 “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Mt19:24-

Matthew 19:25 NASB95

25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?”

Matthew 19:26 NASB95

26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Now it is not wrong to possess things, it is wrong for things to posses us!. God has given us all things to enjoy (1Tim6:17)

Now it is not wrong to possess things, it is wrong for things to posses us!. God has

1 Timothy 6:17 NASB95

17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

Notice what Paul says here, the instructions of what to do with riches, the things of this world. - Don’t be conceited or put hope on them.

Paul warned too (1Tim6:9-10)

1 Timothy 6:9–10 NASB95

9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Important, let me read (v.10) again for many misquote this verse and then only use a part of it more often than not (reread v.10 again) point out root of all sorts of evil (being greed, covetousness, idolatry) things that can take you away from your faith and cause you many griefs.

If not careful wealth, riches can become our “god” now you may say “no not me” well we need to be careful what we think here. Do we give from our abundance, surplus or from our first fruits? If you look at your budget where does offering come in? Is it on the top? We are to give to give as we have purposed in our heart, not begrudgingly but with a joyful heart. The question comes on where is God in your heart, is He top priority? If not then we can be suffering from covetousness and that is a form of idolatry.

Paul called a covetous person an Idolater (Eph5:5)

Ephesians 5:5 NASB95

5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Notice what the result is? No inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Paul calls for the kingdom dweller to put to death covetousness (Col3:5)

Colossians 3:5 ESV

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

So, sorry if hard to hear some of these things thus far, let us take some time and examine the teaching of Jesus on mastering mammon.

Lay up heavenly treasure

Why in heaven and not on earth? For where our treasure is, there your heart will be also, so, we need to lay up treasures in heaven. May we also look at some simple scriptural tools in doing such.

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Why in heaven? (Mt6:20; 1Pt1:3-5)

Why not on earth (Mt6:19)

Enslavement (Mt6:19-21) mind (Mt6:22-23) and the will (Mt6:24)

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Why in heaven? (Mt6:20; 1Pt1:3-5)

Enslavement of heart (Mt6:19-21) mind (Mt6:22-23) and the will (Mt6:24)

Matthew 6:20 NASB95

20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;

Storing up our treasures in heaven

neither moth nor rust destroy

Thieves do not break in or steal

Material things are perishable and are subject to being stolen.

why in Heaven? look at this one too

1 Peter 1:3 NASB95

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 Peter 1:3–4 NASB95

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

1Pt1:

1 Peter 1:4–5 NASB95

4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

So our treasures are imperishable

So our treasures are securely guarded

Why in heaven? (Mt6:20; 1Pt1:3-5)

Why not on earth (Mt6:19)

Mt6:19

Matthew 6:19 NASB95

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

Enslavement of heart (Mt6:19-21) mind (Mt6:22-23) and the will (Mt6:24)

Moth rust destroy

Thieves can break in and steal.

May we now look at this other item before moving on:

Why in heaven? (Mt6:20; 1Pt1:3-5)

Why not on earth (Mt6:19)

Enslavement: of heart (Mt6:19-21) mind (Mt6:22-23) and the will (Mt6:24)

Enslavement of the heart: Materialism puts earthly gain above heavenly investments. Now the materials of this world can be used by God when we don’t gather them for ourselves and store them up for ourselves. Don’t have spiritual poverty because of material things.

Enslavement of the mind:

Matthew 6:22–23 NASB95

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Enslavement of the mind; God uses the eye to represent the attitudes of the mind which directly impact our heart, right? So when we covet the things of this world our eyes are focused on the temporal not the eternal. We cannot look at two things at once, so we need to either look to the light or the darkness. Don’t allow yourself to be enslaved in the mind.

Enslavement of the will:

Matthew 6:24 NASB95

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

we cannot serve two masters. Either Jesus Christ is our Lord (master) or money (mammon) is our Lord. It is a matter of will. God has given us free will that can lead us to freedom or slavary. Riches can take us back into a bondage we were set free from.

Here is freebie scripture not on your outline.

1 Timothy 6:9 NASB95

9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.

Don’t be enslaved not get caught tin the snare that leads to ruin and destruction. Now God does grant riches, and we are to use them for His glory, and when we do we are blessed as well as the riches are a blessing too.

Where your treasure is, so is your heart

Devaluation: Covetousness will not only cheapen our riches, but it will also cheapen us. We cannot rely on material riches for they can give a false sense of security.

Matthew 6:21 NASB95

21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

If your treasure is in earth we have already discussed that these things are temporal and will fade away, rust away, can be stolen

Treasures in heaven we will not suffer great disappointments, for they are incorruptible, undefiled and do not fade away.

Treasures in heaven are secure they are reserved for you in heaven (v.20)

You have better treasures in heaven (Heb10:32-34)

Hebrews 10:32 ESV

32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings,

Hebrews 10:33 ESV

33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.

Hebrews 10:34 ESV

34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.

While these verses are not perfect for they were for the former Hebrew Christians, we do wee we have a better possession and an abiding one in heaven.

Store up treasures by storing up His Word (Mt7:24-27)

Matthew 7:24 NASB95

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Matthew 7:25–26 NASB95

25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

Matthew 7:27 NASB95

27 “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

Matthew 5:27 NASB95

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’;

Having treasures in heaven can help you weather the storms of this world now when we apply God’s word, when we are built on His foundation.

How to lay up treasures in heaven

The how too section is where the rubber meets the road and the instructions here are simple.

First, you need to be a Christian (Col1:13-14); where we are transferred and also made joint heirs with Christ (Rom8:16-17) and given every spiritual blessing (Eph1:3)

Colossians 1:13–14 NASB95

13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

transferred and made joint heirs

Romans 8:16–17 NASB95

16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Rom8:16-17

and given every spiritual blessings

Ephesians 1:3 NASB95

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

Notice where the blessings are, in the heavenlies! where you are storing up your treasures.

Second, use what you have been blessed with to bless others (; ; )

Look what Jesus instructions were to the rich young ruler? Who would be blessed by him doing what Jesus asked?

Matthew 19:21 NASB95

21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

Keep your eye good (Mk22-23; Eph

Both the ruler for he would be storing treasures in heaven and the poor in which he sold possessions for.

Again, let me emphasis, possessions are not bad. God blesses us with them, we need to be careful not to allow the possessions to posses us.

Look what Paul said to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:17–18 NASB95

17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,

1 Timothy 6:19 NASB95

19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

Keep a good eye

A metaphor and and explanation to bridge us to the master.

Matthew 6:22–23 NASB95

Jesus metaphor likens

Body to the soul, the inner man

Eye represents the intents of heart, the gaze of the soul.

Good: in the Greek meaning simple, single, uncomplicated

Bad: in the Greek meaning wicked, evil

Be sure your eye is filled with light and not darkness (Eph5:8-10)

Serve the right master

Ephesians 5:8–10 NASB95

8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

We were darkness, we walked in darkness then we let the Light in and we became light of the Lord. May our kingdom ambition be to be the Lord’s light in the kingdom and to the world that we may lead them to the kingdom by serving the right master

Serve the right master

We are going to serve a master, but what master matters and has eternal kingdom consequences, be it good or bad.

Matthew 6:24 NASB95

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Master: Superior to others; has power, authority, knowledge; Sovereign, Lord; in this verse, Greek word “Kurios” meaning supreme (in authority) Lord.

Master: Cannot serve or please two masters at same time (see Exo34:14)

Exodus 34:14 NASB95

14 —for you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God—

God is a jealous God (expand on this 1-2 minutes only)

If one holds true that makes the other hold true too, that

Don’t let mammon (covetousness) be your master (Eph5:5; Col3:5)

Ephesians 5:5 NASB95

5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

So choose to worship God or be an idolater.

When wealth, riches that are stored up here for self becomes your priority it becomes a ‘god”

so the choice comes are we going to worship the True God or be an idolater and follow a false god that will fade away, moth and rust can eat away at and are temporal?

Choose God by seeking God (Mt6:33)

Matthew 6:33 NASB95

33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

We choose to seek God, to follow Jesus instructions, when we do this God becomes our Master, one with supreme authority over our life

Since we cannot serve two masters if we are seeking God and His righteousness, then that eliminates the other.

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