Treasures ~ 20200517 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

05/17 Obey Jesus: Beware What You Love - Treasures; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20200517_treasures.mp3

Jesus commissioned his followers to make disciples who make disciples who obey everything Jesus commanded. We are looking at some of the things Jesus commanded, so we can obey him, and teach others that we disciple to obey Jesus in everything.

One thing Jesus talked about frequently, maybe more than any other thing, was treasure. He warned us about what we treasure. Jesus commanded us in regard to what we treasure, to take care, to be on our guard.

Beware on Guard against Covetousness

Luke 12:13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Take care and be on your guard against all covetousness. Jesus warns us to be on our guard, because this one is sneaky. We may think we’re fine, that it’s not an issue, but this is one that sneaks up on you. Be on your guard. Covetousness. Greed. Wanting more, wanting something you don’t have. Your life doesn’t consist of your substance, of what you have.

We know this. Stuff doesn’t make us happy. Possessions don’t ultimately satisfy. But how often do we see something and think “I wish… If only… Things would be much easier if… Life would be better if…” He warns, ‘take care, and be on your guard.’

Be Rich Toward God

Luke 12:16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’

This sounds a lot like what we call here in America ‘retirement’. This is not to say that it is evil to wisely invest and prepare for the future. That is good and wise. But this person is hoarding all that he can to pursue a life of pleasure and ease and consumption.

Luke 12:20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

God says that it is foolish to pursue your own pleasure in this life. This life won’t last. We have no guarantee. He says the one who fails to be rich toward God is a fool.

What does it mean to be rich toward God? If we keep reading,

Do Not Be Anxious but Generous

Luke 12:22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

What are you anxious about? What are you worrying about? What are you focusing on? Seek his kingdom. It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Seek to advance his kingdom by bringing others into the kingdom. Be generous to the needy. Jesus said that to give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, welcome to the stranger, clothing to the naked, to visit the sick and imprisoned is to do it to him (Mt.25:34-39). To be rich toward God is to seek his kingdom, to be generous and use what he gives us to bless others.

Pursue treasure in heaven. Because your heart will follow your treasure. What you treasure is what you think about, what you worry about. If you want your heart to be more fully devoted to God, then invest your resources with him.

Treasure in Heaven

This raises a question. What does it mean to have treasure in heaven? Does this mean that if we sell what we have and give to the poor, that we are filling some treasure chest in heaven with gold? Does having treasure in heaven mean that we are making deposits into some eternal bank account so that when we get to heaven we will have greater resources, greater access to pleasures, a larger mansion, a more opulent lifestyle than others in heaven? Is this saying that by denying ourselves now, we are pursuing our own greater pleasure later?

If by pursuing our own greater pleasure, we are thinking in terms of gratifying our own fleshly desires and having more stuff than others in heaven, then no, I don’t believe that is what Jesus is talking about.

But we are told in the Psalms that “in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps.16:11). By denying our own fleshly desires now to pursue God and his kingdom, we are pursuing our own greater pleasure, because we acknowledge that the greatest imaginable human pleasure is enjoying our relationship with our Creator and Redeemer. By investing in what pleases God, by using our resources in ways that bless others rather than pursuing our own temporal pleasure, we are saying that our heart and our treasure is in the Lord, in pursuing his pleasure. The deepest satisfaction in human relationship is found not in using others to pursue our own pleasures, but rather in using our resources to pursue the pleasure of the one we love. So in our relationship with God; we find satisfaction in pursuing his pleasure. We are storing up unfailing treasures in heaven by treasuring our relationship with him above all.

The Lost Son

In Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables about a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son, teaching that there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. In the parable of the lost (or prodigal) son,

Luke 15:11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.

An inheritance wasn’t to be given until after the death of the father. This younger son was saying he wished his father was dead and all he was interested in was the money. And he took the money and ran. He indulged himself in everything he hoped would make him happy, and ended up empty and broken.

Luke 15:17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’

He came to himself. In his emptiness he realized the value of the relationship he had squandered. ‘And he arose and came to his father.’ His father ran and embraced him, received him back as his son, clothed him, and called for a feast.

Luke 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. 25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

This parable is actually about two lost sons. The younger son was obviously lost; he rejected his father and wasted his inheritance, and he was found, was dead and is alive.

The older son was also lost, but in a more respectable way. He was the faithful son who never disobeyed. He too was after the inheritance, but to get it he was following the rules and patiently waiting. But he also failed to value his relationship with his father, rather he reveals that his desire was a feast where he could celebrate with his friends. Now that his brother had wasted his portion of the inheritance, anything the father gave to his younger son would cut in to the older son’s inheritance. He referred to his relationship with his father as a servant, not a son, and he further distances himself from the family by referring to his brother as ‘this son of yours’. He refuses to enter into the family celebration, but remains outside, angry. His younger brother’s return revealed the true condition of his heart. “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness.”

You Cannot Serve God and Money

In Luke 16, Jesus tells a parable of a dishonest manager who abused his position to forgive debts and make friends to secure his own future. Although he was dishonest, his master commended him for his shrewdness. Rather than using people to make money, Jesus says we should make use of money to make friends. The money will fail but friends will last. We are to imitate his shrewdness but not his dishonesty. Jesus says:

Luke 16:10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Be on your guard against all covetousness. What do you love?

Rich Man Lost; Drop Your Baggage and Follow Me

In Luke 18, a rich young man runs up to Jesus and falls before him.

Luke 18:18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” 21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.”

Jesus points this man to the commandments. And this man claimed to have kept them all. But Jesus mentioned only commands from what is known as the second table; commands that have to do with our relationship with our fellow man. He didn’t mention the first table, that we are to have no other Gods, that we are to worship and serve no idols, that our love for neighbor is to flow out of our primary love for God himself. Outwardly, this man felt he was doing well. So Jesus pushes on his heart.

Luke 18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Is Jesus demanding that we all must sell everything and take a vow of poverty in order to follow him? No, he is wisely sensitive to this man’s unique heart problem, and puts his finger on it in a way that shows this man clearly what is keeping him from the kingdom. Jesus is wisely answering this man’s question. What must I do to inherit eternal life? God must be your greatest treasure. You must be willing to trade in every worldly treasure for the greater Treasure. Jesus is inviting him, ‘drop your baggage that is holding you back so that you are free to come, follow me.’ You cannot serve two masters.

Impossible With Man

Luke 18:23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”

You see how we desperately need to take care and be on guard against all covetousness? It is eternally dangerous. This man came running up to Jesus, falling down before him, eager to do whatever it takes to have eternal life. But Jesus showed him that he loved his stuff more than he loved God, and he went away sad, unwilling to let it all go and follow Jesus.

How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God. It is just as impossible as stuffing a big hairy camel through the eye of a sewing needle! The people ask ‘is that a one hump camel or a two hump camel?’ No, they recognize the utter impossibility and despair ‘who then can be saved?’ If those who have power and access can’t get in, then nobody can!’

Jesus doesn’t correct them, and say ‘don’t worry, it will be much easier for you who are poor and have little, to enter.’ You see, when Jesus put his finger on the heart of this rich young man, and pointed out that he loves something more than God, he put his finger on the hearts of us all. We can’t. It is impossible for us to love God more than anything else. We can’t obey Jesus. It is impossible. Absolutely.

Luke 18:27 But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

You are right. Salvation is impossible. It is impossible for anyone to treasure God more than anything else. No one seeks for God, no not one (Rom.3:11). God alone is mighty to save. God must overcome our impossibility and by his own Holy Spirit create a new heart and new life with new desires and new affections in us. It is impossible for us to obey Jesus. It is impossible for us to do what he commands. “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (Jn.3:3).

Rich Man Saved

The next chapter, Luke 19, we see the impossible happen as Jesus enters a rich man’s life.

Luke 19:1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”

This was an impossibly rich man, and so an impossibly lost man according to Jesus in chapter 18, but Jesus came to seek and to save him. ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God.’

Luke 19:6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Jesus did an impossible miracle that day, probably more impossible than making the blind see or the lame walk. Jesus enabled a rich man to treasure him more than his possessions, to drop his baggage and follow him joyfully.

What about you? What do you treasure? “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness.”

***

Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org