June 6, 2004  •  Pastor Randy Smith

This week I had the blessed opportunity to speak with a woman in our church who has recently become a Christian. She mentioned to me the persecution she has been experiencing among her friends and family because of the changes the Spirit of God has produced in her thoughts and in her actions. Her new lifestyle has created a conflict between her and the world as the world notices the differences. Through this particular trial this woman is coming to realize that the values of the world and the values of the church are diametrically opposed. Naturally, we will follow one and hate the other.

Last week we began a four-week mini-series entitled, "The Joy of Giving." The world does not normally associate joy and giving in the same context. The world is self-orientated. The world associates joy with keeping. It sees money as an opportunity to further its own happiness, comfort and security. The church on the other hand is different. We find our needs for happiness, comfort and security met in God and therefore use our money as a means to bring these good desires to others through Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, God blesses us with money not so much to increase our standard of living, but rather to increase our standard of giving. Because God knows that the more we are able to give to His work, the greater we will be blessed in meeting the supreme needs of others. Was it not our Lord who said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Ac. 20:35)? Therefore we maximize our joy when we serve as conduits and not cul-de-sacs of God’s money.

Now this radical biblical principle is simply foolishness to the world. As I mentioned earlier, the principles of the world diametrically oppose the principles of the church. But for those of the church, those really gripped by the grace of God, this principle of stewardship is the avenue to true joy. To say otherwise contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture. For example, last week we learned how this financial principle resulted in the fulfillment of joy amongst the churches in Macedonia. Please turn with me by way of review to 2 Corinthians 8.

In verse one, Paul makes it clear from the get-go that commitment to God’s standard of giving was a product solely of God’s grace. God demonstrated His power in these believers’ lives by enabling them to go against their natural, worldly, fleshly inclinations.

The circumstances of the Macedonians’ givings are outlined in the succeeding verses. Verse 2 says their liberal giving was done in joy even though it overflowed from a situation of great affliction and deep poverty. Verse 3 says the church gave according to their ability and beyond their ability. Verse 3 also says Paul did not manipulate or coerce them to give, but rather the church gave freely of their own accord. As a matter of fact, verse 4 says the Macedonians begged Paul for the opportunity to participate in the offering. Verse 5 tells us that their giving was prompted by their desire to first give themselves to the Lord by the will of God. So from beginning to end (2 Cor. 8:1; 9:14), Paul makes it clear that their sacrifice could only be attributed to the work of God’s grace in their lives.

To emulate the Macedonian church would be ridiculed by the world. That should not surprise us. What should surprise us is when the Macedonian church is ridiculed by the church. I ask you Grace Tabernacle, did the Macedonians make a foolish mistake?

Do you feel a little trapped by that question? To answer "yes" clearly pits you against God’s Word. To answer "no" makes you examine your own attitudes toward giving.

I know you, beloved, that you want to obey God and further your joy. But I also know teaching like this regarding money is radical today, even in the church. Possibly your heart will better embrace this principle if I can show you from the Scriptures how this type of giving is to your advantage.

First of all, sacrificial giving brings great glory to God. 2 Corinthians 9:12-15, "For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"

When the church emulates the world, God receives no glory since there is no evidence of His ability to change a selfish heart. But when the church emulates Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 8:9) like the Macedonians, God’s grace that empowers us to prioritize no longer ourselves but His Son, is greatly placed on display for all to see and for all to thank Him and for all to praise Him.

Second, our greatest joy is achieved when we pursue God’s glory. We already mentioned their "abundance of joy" in 8:2, but allow me to show you two places that specifically disclose why the Macedonian’s giving was to their advantage (2 Cor. 8:10b). The first one is right in this text. 2 Corinthians 9:6 reads, "Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." Because of their liberal giving, the Macedonians could expect a bountiful harvest from the Lord (2 Cor. 9:10-11). And for the second one, I want you to turn to Philippians 4.

Philippi was one of the three known churches of Macedonia. They helped the Apostle Paul often in his missionary efforts. Philippians 4, verses 15 and 16, "You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs." Now here comes the advantage. Verse 17, "Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account." What does that mean?

This morning, in the time that remains before we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, I wish to present to you one of the greatest blessings of giving to the Lord’s work found in all of the Bible. God promises us when we give away our earthly treasures according to His will (i.e. giving to the church, supporting missionaries, feeding and clothing the poor, etc), He will bless us with heavenly treasures to be enjoyed for an eternity. I am not saying that our eternal rewards take precedence over God’s glory. What I am saying is when we seek God’s glory with our earthly treasures, He promises to reward us in greater measure with spiritual treasures forever reserved in heaven. This morning I want to show you that such a wonderful concept is not my invention, but rather the clear teaching of Jesus Christ.

1. THE FOOLISH INVESTMENT

Let’s begin with "The Foolish Investment." Please turn with me if you would to Matthew 6. In Matthew 6, verse 19, Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal."

In this verse Jesus is not condemning all earthly possessions. The Scriptures encourage us to provide for our families (1 Tim. 5:8), save for the future (Gen. 41:33-36; Pr. 6:6-8) and enjoy that which God has given us (1 Tim. 6:17). As a matter of fact, only one time in the Scriptures do we hear of Jesus asking a person to give away all that he owns. "Jesus said to (the rich young ruler), ‘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’" (Mt. 19:21). But even in that case, the problem was not with the individual’s wealth, but rather his idolatrous attitude toward it.

In verse 19, Jesus is not condemning the possession of earthly treasures. Rather, like He did with the rich young ruler, He is asking us to evaluate our heart attitude toward these possessions. Literally, verse 19 (if we capture the Greek play on words) could read, "Do not treasure (thesaurizo) for yourselves treasures (thesauros) on earth!" Do we love money? Are we covetous? Are we hoarding? Are we selfish? Have we misplaced our values? Do we honor God first with our treasures? And based on the context, do we really desire to see our treasures produce our greatest gain?

What happens to our earthly treasures? Look at the remainder of verse 19. Treasures on earth are to be avoided because "moth and rust destroy and…thieves break in and steal." Time forbids me from elaboration, but I believe the point that Jesus is making is very simple. Our treasures on earth are only temporary!

This past week I wanted to take my children to a junkyard. I wanted them to see the final resting place for all the things we once cherished in our lives. Randy Alcorn in his short book that has greatly impacted my life, said, "Sooner or later, everything we own ends up (there). Christmas and birthday presents. Cars, boats, and hot tubs. Clothes, stereos, and barbecues. The treasures our children quarreled about, friendships were lost over, honesty was sacrificed for, and marriages broke up over" (Alcorn, The Treasure Principle, p. 47).

Every treasure we posses on this earth is temporary. Either we lose the treasures while we live as Jesus stated or we lose them when we die. 1 Timothy 6:7, "For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either." As John Piper likes to say, "There are no U-Hauls behind hearses" (Piper, Desiring God, p. 161). "He left…all of it" was the reply of John D. Rockefeller’s accountant when someone asked him how much the dead billionaire left behind.

A few years back Julie and I began investing a small amount each month in the market. At first we were doing very well and then I noticed about three years ago that our money was significantly reduced. As a matter of fact (like many of you can attest) our totals were much less than when we started! I don’t know much about finances, but even I knew something was wrong with that!

Well, you can bet that that precipitated a phone call to my investor. His response to me was, Randy, it doesn’t matter where you are right now. What matters is where you money is thirty years from now when you retire. Regarding investments, you need to look ahead!

Jesus is saying the same thing. Get your eyes off of the temporary. Look to the future. Invest in the years that are really "golden." Ask yourself, where do I want my treasures one hundred years from now? One thousand years from now? Ten billion years from now? Trust the investment strategies of Jesus Christ. Seek your greatest gain and make the wisest investment.

Randy Alcorn said, "When Jesus warns us not to store up treasures on earth, it's not just because wealth might be lost; it's because wealth will always be lost. Either it leaves us while we live, or we leave it when we die. No exceptions….Realizing its value is temporary should radically affect our investment strategy…. According to Jesus, storing up earthly treasures isn't simply wrong. It's just plain stupid" (p. 13-14).

2. THE WISE INVESTMENT

Well, if hoarding our treasures here on earth is a foolish investment, what is the wise investment? Once again Jesus is very clear. By way of contrast He parallels verse 19 in verse 20 when He says, "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal."

A Treasure that is Eternal

Throughout the New Testament Jesus speaks of treasures or rewards in heaven. Jesus encourages us when we receive persecution for being a Christian to "rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great" (Mt. 5:12). Jesus also warns us that we will lose our reward if we only love those who love us (Mt. 5:46) and if we only act righteously to be seen by people (Mt. 6:1). Secret prayer will be rewarded (Mt. 6:6) as will giving to help another disciple in need (Mt. 10:42). I already mentioned the rich young ruler who was told to sell all he had in exchange for "treasure in heaven" (Mt. 19:21; Lk. 18:22; cf. Lk. 12:33). As a matter of fact, Jesus called the wealthy man in Luke 12 who was only concerned about bigger barns and a life of ease, a fool (Lk. 12:20). In verse 21 He said, "So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

Often when I speak of eternal rewards, many Christians are either indifferent to the concept or offended by the suggestion. Saying you want no rewards for your spiritual services may sound very pious, but it’s not very biblical. Heavenly rewards are Jesus’ idea. As a matter of fact, in verse 20, He commands it!

And obedience to Christ’s command in the pursuit of heavenly treasures is not selfish; on the contrary, it’s considering the best for both God’s glory and the needs of others. Listen again to Alcorn. "Selfishness is when we pursue gain at the expense of others. But God doesn't have a limited number of treasures to distribute. When you store up treasures for yourself in heaven, it doesn't reduce the treasures available to others. In fact, it is by serving God and others that we store up heavenly treasures. Everyone gains; no one loses" (p. 15-16).

If I can deal specifically with the financial aspect of future rewards, Jesus is telling us that we can swap our earthly currency for heavenly currency. As our celestial Banker, we can give to Him that which is temporary and in return receive from Him that which is eternal. We have been given a choice. We can enjoy our treasures for a few more years on this planet or we can enjoy our treasures for an eternity securely reserved in heaven? Is the decision difficult? Should we not logically pursue that which will last forever? "Money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven" (Lk. 12:33)? "An inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you (1 Pet. 1:4)? Treasures, according to Matthew 6:20 that are moth-proof, rust-proof, burglar-proof, enduring forever?

Suppose you were a businessman working oversees for a few months and the Lord is blessing you with tremendous financial gains. Though you see many items that you would like to purchase, you know you are not permitted to bring any foreign goods back to the States. Would you fill your hotel room with expensive paintings and high-priced furniture for temporary enjoyment or would you wire the money on ahead so you can enjoy it for a longer duration when you return to your real home?

The same principle applies on the spiritual plane. You can’t take it with you, but you can send it on ahead!

A Heart that Follows

You see, the reason so many people have such a difficulty giving is because they think this earth is their home. The reason they have such a difficulty contemplating death is because each day brings them closer to losing their treasures.

However for the Christian, (Phil. 3:20) "our citizenship is in heaven." That’s why Paul said he’d "rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8). The writer to the Hebrews calls us "strangers and exiles on the earth" (Heb. 11:13). Peter calls us "aliens" (1 Pet. 1:1; 2:11).

Naturally, if we believe the clear teaching of the Scriptures on this subject, we’ll see ourselves as pilgrims only passing through a foreign land. We are not permanent residents, but pilgrims on a journey to a better land. We won’t get caught up in the treasures of this world, and we won’t weigh ourselves down with heavy backpacks! We need to "travel light," not burdening ourselves with an undue attachment to the material things of life.

The story is told about some Christians who were traveling in the Middle East. They heard about a wise, devout, beloved, old believer, so they went out of their way to visit him. When they finally found him, they discovered that he was living in a simple hut. All he had inside was a rough cot, a chair, a table, and a battered stove for heating and cooking. The visitors were shocked to see how few possessions the man had, and one of them blurted out, "Well, where is your furniture?" The aged saint replied by gently asking, "Where is yours?" The visitor, sputtering a little, responded, "Why, at home, of course. I don’t carry it with me, I’m traveling." "So am I," the godly Christian replied. "So am I" (D.C.E. Our Daily Bread, July 26, 1993).

The old hymn puts it like this...

Now if my home is not this fallen earth, one day to be destroyed by fire (as Peter says- 2 Pet. 3:7), and my eternal home is heaven, is it not logical to think that my heart should be in heaven as well?

I really dislike any time I am forced to travel outside of the state. Within a day, I tremendously miss my family. During my departure, my body may be in Texas or California or Pennsylvania, but my heart is in New Jersey. Why? Because that’s my home! And when I’m absent, I long to return to the place of my affections.

The same applies for the Christian. Was this not Paul’s admonition in Colossians 3 when he said, "Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth" (Col. 3:1-2)? As the popular saying goes, "Home is where the heart is."

Now if our home is in heaven and our heart is in heaven, is it not logical that our treasures should be in heaven as well? Could it be the reason that some have small heavenly portfolios is because their hearts are here on this earth? You see, if our hearts are really in heaven, our future home, our treasures will naturally follow!

Now some of you may be thinking, Pastor, I want to follow the teaching of Jesus and have eternal treasures in heaven, but my heart is still here for the things of this earth. How can I get my heart in heaven so my treasures will naturally follow?

Jesus answers that question for us in verse 21. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (cf. Lk. 12:34). In other words, if you want a greater heart for heaven, start investing in heavenly things! Yes, money keeps many hearts out of heaven (Mt. 19:24), but it can also be a help to put many hearts in heaven! Augustine said it well, "Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure; Where your treasure is, there is your heart; Where your heart is, there is your happiness." My heart will always go where I place my treasures! My most cherished treasures will control the direction and values of my heart.

If you were to place all that you own, every penny to your name, in a particular stock, say, Taylor Flooring (pretending they sold shares of the business), wouldn’t your life revolve around that investment? You’d closely monitor the stock reports. You’d patronize the business. You’d refer new cliental. You’d be concerned about the condition of the store and the health of its proprietors.

Now let’s say, you rather choose to invest all you have in God’s work. Do you think you’d have a different attitude toward fellow Christians? Do you think you’d be concerned about the expansion of God’s kingdom? Do you think you’d have a passion to feed the poor? Do you think you’d pray more often for that missionary? Do you think you’d devote more time to the church? Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

The church has been deceived too long by worldly instruction and we have been robbed of joy. We have been so deceived in believing that earthy treasures can bring happiness, satisfaction, comfort and security (see Solomon’s response: Ecc. 2:4-8, 18-19; 4:8). And that’s a big fat lie from the "god of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4), the "father of lies" (Jn. 8:44) himself. Permit me to allow the wealthiest contemporaries in the word to address this issue: "I have made many millions, but they have brought me no happiness"–John W. Rockefeller. "The care of $200,000,000 is enough to kill anyone. There is no pleasure in it"–W. H. Vanderbilt. "I’m the most miserable devil in the world." –Jay Gould (said during his final breath). "I was happier when doing a mechanic’s job"–Henry Ford. "Millionaires seldom smile"–Andrew Carnegie. "I am the most miserable man on earth"–John Jacob Astor.

George W. Truett, a well-known pastor, was invited to dinner in the home of a very wealthy man in Texas. After the meal, the host led him to a place where they could get a good view of the surrounding area. Pointing to the oil wells punctuating the landscape, he boasted, "Twenty-five years ago I had nothing. Now, as far as you can see, it’s all mine." Looking in the opposite direction at his sprawling fields of grain, he said, "That’s all mine." Turning east toward huge herds of cattle, he bragged, "They’re all mine." Then pointing to the west and a beautiful forest, he exclaimed, "That too is all mine." He paused, expecting Dr. Truett to compliment him on his great success. Truett, however, placing one hand on the man’s shoulder and pointing heavenward with the other, simply said, "How much do you have in that direction?" The man hung his head and confessed, "I never thought of that" (Our Daily Bread, October 24, 1992).

Be deceived no longer. We have all been blessed with many treasures. Jesus has laid before us a very simple decision. Do we want to enjoy our treasures now or do we want to enjoy them in eternity. May God grant you the faith to make the wise and logical decision to glorify Him and pursue your greatest gain!