Introduction

(Read vv. 19–34) This passage is the next major section of the Sermon. Notice that Jesus’ primary concern is materialism. Verse 19 warns about earthly treasures, v. 24 warns about serving wealth, and vv. 25–34 challenge us not to worry about material things.

Therefore, Jesus strongly confronts the god of materialism. Does our country have a materialism problem? Absolutely. Does American Christianity have a materialism problem? Unfortunately, yes. We all naturally obsess over money and the stuff we buy with it. And even though we are so wealthy in comparison to much of the world, we probably worry about money and material concerns more than the poorest peoples on earth. So, this next section is quite relevant for our lives. I need it, and so do you.

Today, we will begin with vv. 19–24. This passage is built on Jesus’ conviction that materialism and godliness cannot coexist. Jesus says it bluntly in v. 24b. You must choose one or the other. Now, it’s easy to sit in church and say, “Of course I choose God!” But Jesus knows, and we all know that it’s not so easy in the real world. Therefore, the easiest way to look at this text is as if a worldly disciple, struggling with materialism asked Jesus, “Why must I serve Christ rather than materialism?” And Jesus responds with 3 answers. The first answer is…

I.  God’s rewards are eternal (vv. 19–21).

Notice that vv. 19–20 make a simple and yet deeply convicting contrast between living for this world and the next. First, Jesus commands us…

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth.” Let’s begin with what Jesus is not saying. He is not saying that you shouldn’t make money, because the Bible commands us to provide for our families (1 Tim 5:8), and it teaches that our income can be a valuable tool for meeting needs (Eph 4:28) and advancing the gospel (Phil 4:15–19).

We also know that Jesus is not forbidding saving for the future, because Proverbs 6:6–8 commend the ant for preparing for winter. And Jesus is not even condemning the enjoyment of material blessings. 1 Timothy 4:3–5 states, “God has created (his blessings) to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.”

God wants us to enjoy his blessings. For example, I heard a pastor say this week that the Bible says a lot more about feasting than it ever does about fasting. The OT is clear that feasting can be a wonderful expression of thanksgiving. So, there is nothing especially spiritual about limping around in worn out clothes eating beans and rice. God wants us to enjoy his gifts.

The issue is who am I worshipping? Do I worship the pleasure, or do I use the pleasure as inspiration to worship God?

Jesus expresses the same heart when he says, “Do not…” The issue is not that I have material things or that I enjoy them. No, the issue is where is my heart? Notice the close connection between my treasure and heart in v. 21.

So, v. 19 condemns giving my heart to earthly treasures. It condemns seeking my joy, contentment, and identity in the things of this world rather than the next. As I’ve said, it condemns materialism. We must not pursue joy in bank accounts, fancy cars and clothes, or extravagant pleasures.

Why not? Jesus says, because “Moth and rust…” The context for this warning is that ancient peoples often preserved their wealth through precious metals and extravagant clothing.

But if you had an elaborate garment, you didn’t wear it every day. Instead, people hid their expensive garments and precious metals. They might keep them locked up in a chest. Sometimes they would bury them in the ground, or they would even bury them in the walls of their houses.

But even the best security measures cannot cause earthly treasures to last forever. Moths have a way of getting into clothes and ruining them. And precious metals such as silver get corroded and tarnished. And the Greek term translated rust can also describe decay caused by insects, mice, mold, and other things.

So, Jesus points out that no matter how hard the Jews tried, they couldn’t fully protect their wealth from these things. And even if they did, a thief may break into their home, find their treasure, and steal it.

Yet we often invest very heavily in the treasures and the pleasures of this world. When a commercial says this outfit will give you identity, we believe it. When it says that a vacation will transform you, we buy it. We obsess over money, and we hoard every cent. Yet we are still plagued with discontentment, because we always want a little more or something a little nicer. We bow before the god of materialism.

But Jesus reminds us that none of it lasts. That thing you must have, might give you a moment of fun, but it won’t satisfy your heart. You might go on the greatest vacation ever, but you’ll still wake up after it’s done cranky and tired. You house, your clothes, your car will all wear out and fade. And who knows if your retirement account will hold its value or if you will live long enough and be healthy enough to enjoy it.

It is so important that we see material things for what they really are—passing pleasures that never deliver all they promise. Therefore, we must obey Jesus’ second command in v. 20…

“Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” The idea is pretty simple. Jesus commands us to invest our lives in pursuits that honor the Lord and will win his approval and his reward when we stand before him at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

How do you do that? Primarily, invest your money in things that honor the Lord. For example, give generously to those who are in need. Be rich in good deeds, because Christian love uniquely displays the love of Christ.

And invest in the work of the Great Commission. The gospel needs and gospel opportunities around us in the High Desert are incredible. Yes, a lot of people are moving away, but a lot of people are coming in. We have an incredible mission field in our backyard.

And the gospel opportunities around the world are amazing. It was fascinating to hear Dan Eads talk about the various needy parts of the world they are considering. We are working on getting a couple to Life Point sometime this winter who is preparing to take the gospel to Vietnam. How cool is that?

And Jesus says that when you invest your money and by extension your heart, your time, and other resources in doing good deeds and Great Commission work, you are making the most secure investment possible.

Aren’t you thankful there are no moths, mice, or cockroaches in heaven? We won’t have to worry about rust, mildew, or mold either. And Jesus is a far better security system than money could ever buy. No thief can steal your heavenly inheritance. It is absolutely secure.

The choice is obvious. An investment in glory will always yield better and most lasting gains than any investment on earth. Therefore, don’t waste your life chasing your best life now. No, see with eyes of faith like Abraham, who “was looking for the city which has foundations whose architect and builder is God” (Heb 11:10). Store up treasures in heaven.

But maybe you hear all of this, and you want to obey Jesus, but you are at a loss about how to transform your vision from sight to faith. How could I ever escape the grip of materialism? Notice that Jesus gives some practical help in v. 21.

Your treasure shapes your heart. Notice that the logic of this verse is the opposite of what we normally expect. We would expect Jesus to say, “Where your heart is, there your treasure will be also.” It’s certainly true that your heart shapes your treasure.

But v. 21 also says that your treasure shapes your heart. In other words, you become passionate about the things that you invest in. We know this. If you put a lot of time into a hobby—you read about it, talk about it, and spend time doing it—you will become passionate about it.

Pastoral leadership books talk about this all the time. People become passionate about their church when they become invested in ministry. It happens at work. You care about projects that you have spent a lot of time developing.

This principle is so important to spiritual growth because sometimes we think that my passions just are what they are. I don’t really have any control over them, and I can’t really develop them. But that’s simply not true. Jesus says that if you choose to invest your energy in things of eternal significance, you can turn your heart toward eternal values. You can shape your passions.

I love that because we like to think we are victims of our emotions. “I can’t help it that I’m not excited about God or the ministry of the church.” Or we blame God and our circumstances for our lack of eternal passions.

But most of the time I am my biggest problem. Jesus urges us to choose to throw ourselves into laying up eternal treasures, and he says that your heart will follow. And vv. 19–21 say that ultimately, God’s reward will too.

The 1^st reason I must serve Christ rather than materialism is that God’s rewards are eternal. The 2^nd reason is…

II.  Your heart shapes all of life (vv. 22–23).

The meaning of this illustration is not as immediately clear as the previous one. Obviously, your eyes show your body where to go and where danger is. If you can’t see, your whole body is in danger.

But it’s not immediately clear what the spiritual significance of the illustration is. As well, commentators are divided on the meaning of the term the NASB translates “clear” in v. 22. Others translate it as good or healthy. The question is whether it describes clear vision vs. blindness or if it means spiritually healthy vs. evil.

I believe that the best way to understand these verses is to see the concept of eyesight in vv. 22–23 as building directly off the significance of the heart in v. 21. Therefore, the eyes in vv. 22–23 are a picture of the heart.

Therefore, the point of v. 22 is that just as clear vision provides good direction for the entire body, so a spiritually healthy heart provides good direction for the entire life. In contrast, v. 23 warns that just as physical blindness leaves the entire body in danger, so an evil heart leads the spiritual life into dangerous places.

The point is similar to Proverbs 4:23, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” Everything begins with the heart and flows from the heart. You might be able to put on a plastic, hypocritical front for a time, but your heart will ultimately determine the course of your life.

Therefore, it is vitally important that I “Watch over (my) heart with all diligence.” I must guard it carefully. That’s so important, because I have heard many unbelievers but also believers make excuses about why they don’t have time for God or why they don’t come to church.

They have work excuses, family excuses, relational excuses, health excuses, and many other things. But when you boil it all down, they simply don’t value their heart. Understand that your heart and your family’s hearts are the most precious stewardship you have. Everything else pales in comparison.

So, Jesus urges you to guard your heart carefully. Make sure that it is healthy, and it is setting a good direction for all of life.

And how does this idea fit within the broader argument of our text? The answer is that v. 22 is saying that a spiritually healthy heart will be shaped by an eternal vision. It’s going to have a clear vision of what really matters. Therefore, it will prioritize laying up eternal treasures. The result will be a life of grace today and God’s blessings for all eternity.

In contrast, v. 23 warns that if my heart is a slave to materialism or, by extension, the worldly philosophy and values that we talked about last Sunday, it’s as if I am walking in darkness. I will tragically waste my life chasing earthly treasures that never last and never satisfy.

It’s tragic to watch people do this. They so desperately want joy, so they try this thing over here, but it disappoints. Then they try this other thing, and it fails to. They are like a blind squirrel constantly crashing into walls. And it all begins with a sick heart that bows at the altar of materialism rather than bowing at the feet of the Savior.

Guard your heart and shape your heart to love God and pursue his eternal reward. Serve Christ rather than materialism because your heart shapes all of life. The 3^rd reason you must serve Christ rather than materialism is…

III.  You cannot serve God and materialism (v. 24).

This verse is so helpful because we all like to believe the opposite is true. We want to serve God, but we also really want to serve money and the pleasures money buys. We want to straddle the fence.

The Contrast: But Jesus says as clearly as possible that straddling the fence is not possible. “You cannot serve two masters.” It’s significant that Jesus does not say you cannot have two employers because many people work two jobs. But a slave master has a very different level of authority from an employer. He owns his slave.

I doubt that any of us are surprised that Jesus would call God a master, but it may be a bit jarring to him warn that wealth can become a competing slave master. Yet we don’t have to look long to see that materialism often enslaves people. They don’t just want to be successful; they are obsessed with advancing so that they can have more and more. Even though they are miserable, and they are losing their family, they just keep chasing success.

Others are so obsessed with things that they can’t stop swiping the credit card. As a result, they are always stressed about money and debt, but they can’t stop spending. These and many others bow before the god of materialism.

And Jesus says that this god is so contrary to God’s rule that they cannot coexist. We already saw that a Christian lives for eternity. Our entire focus is to lay up eternal treasures that please the Lord. You can’t live for eternity and live for this earth. They are mutually exclusive. As Jesus says, “For either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.” You must choose.

The Significance: And I do think it needs to be mentioned that this choice is of eternal significance. Afterall, if Christ is in you, you cannot “hate” and “despise” God or fail to “serve” him. The rest of the NT bears that out.

So, if materialism rules your life, it doesn’t matter what you profess to believe, God is not your master. And if God is not your master, you are not his disciple. Do not fool yourself into believing you can serve at the feet of money, materialism, and human ambitions and still sneak your way into heaven.

You need to repent of your sin and turn to God! Do so understanding that he is a much better master than materialism could ever be, because he is also a loving Father who sent his Son to die for your sin. The world will chew you up and spit you out.

But God loves his children, he satisfies our hearts in a way that materialism never will, and his reward is eternal joy, not a passing pleasure. So, if you have never been saved, please bow before your Creator and be born again.

Of course, even after we are saved, materialism continues to tug on our hearts. We all know that the pull of our flesh toward this world can be incredibly strong.

Therefore, even after we are saved we must make millions of daily choices to serve God instead of wealth. We must choose to see God’s heavenly reward over and above the bombardment of the world.

And then we must choose to invest in heavenly treasures. By faith and in the strength of God’s grace, throw yourself into love and good deeds and into the work of the Great Commission. God will transform your heart, and you will accumulate an inheritance in glory beyond your wildest dream.

Conclusion

Will I bow at the feet of wealth or God? Will I serve this world or the next? The wise choice is clear. Replace materialism with the lordship of Christ.