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Do not lay up for yourselves 
treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves 
break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures 
in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves 
do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there 
your heart will be also. The lamp of the body is the eye. 
If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full 
of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be 
full of darkness. If, therefore, the light that 
is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness? No one can 
serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love 
the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise 
the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore, I say to you, do not 
worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink. 
nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more 
than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of 
the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds 
them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you, by worrying, 
can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? 
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil 
nor spin, and yet I say to you that even Solomon, in all his 
glory, was not arrayed like one of these. Now, if God so clothes 
the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown 
into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little 
faith? Therefore, do not worry, saying, 
What shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear? For after all these things, the 
Gentiles see. For your heavenly father knows 
that you need all these things, but seek first the kingdom of 
God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added 
to you. Therefore, do not worry about 
tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient 
for the day is its own trouble. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
father, we thank you for your Holy Scripture, we thank you 
for this teaching this doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ. We 
pray even now you would give us ears to hear and hearts to 
receive your truth. We pray that in preparation you 
would cleanse us from all of our sin and our unrighteousness. 
We thank you, God, that our acceptance with you is through our Lord 
Jesus, through his active and passive obedience on behalf of 
all those whom the father had given him. We thank you, our 
God, for the for the cleansing blood of Christ that washes us 
from all sin. We pray that that would even 
be the case now. Wash us afresh and cause us, 
Lord, to have that ability to receive the things that you have 
for us today. We ask that you would be pleased 
to glorify your name in our midst. We ask that you would be pleased 
to strengthen and edify your people. And we ask that you would 
be pleased, God, to save those who do not know you. We pray 
that the Spirit would work conviction in the heart and show the absolute 
necessity for Jesus Christ. We pray that today men, women, 
boys and girls would believe on him and be saved. And we ask 
through Christ our Lord. Amen. As I said, the Lord Christ 
deals with religious duty or religious observances in chapter 
6, verses 1 to 18. In the remainder of the chapter, 
his stress is predominantly the same. In other words, what he 
is saying in terms of religious duty, don't do these things simply 
to be seen by men, but rather do them in the presence of God. 
Look for the favor of God. And in Chapter 6, 19 and following, 
he is saying the same thing with reference to our earthly life. 
Don't do it for yourself. Don't do it because of the things 
you gain or gather, but rather do it with an eye to the glory 
of God, the honor and the praise of our father. And there are 
three broad categories or sections here in verses 19 to 34. We'll just take up the pursuit 
of heavenly treasure this morning in verses 19 to 21. But just to kind of give you 
an overview as to how Christ addresses this particular theme, 
he sets first three fourth Three metaphors which highlight the 
necessity of loyalty to the kingdom of God. Three metaphors that 
highlight the necessity of loyalty to the kingdom of God. He speaks 
of two treasures. He speaks of two eyes and he 
speaks of two masters. And then he applies that principle 
to everyday life. He shows us how we are to be 
loyal to God with reference to our daily needs. We're not to 
be given to worry and carnal anxiety and a fretful spirit. He's not saying don't work. He's 
not saying lay on the couch. He's not saying just expect a 
handout from the government. But rather what he is saying 
is live life under the very presence of God himself. Not fretting, 
not worrying in the sense that you are going to drive yourself 
mad. But rather, and then he ends 
with this final principle, seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness. So woven throughout this section 
is that theme of loyalty to the kingdom. This is how the citizens 
of God's kingdom are to conduct themselves. So, as I said, we'll 
just take up the specific passage in verses 19 to 21, the pursuit 
of heavenly treasure as Grant Osborne has well said, Jesus 
now turns from piety to possessions. He now turns from religious observance, 
religious duty, acts of piety, to how the believer is to live 
in light of the world around him. God is good. He is gracious. He is generous in his providence. He gives us many good things 
to enjoy. But one of the problems that 
is innate in man because of sin is that oftentimes we obsess 
on the gift and we forget the giver. We obsess on the item 
and forget the one who graciously gave it to us. We obsess on the 
food or the drink. or the clothes, or we obsess 
on the world around us, forgetting the God of heaven and earth who 
has given us all things to enjoy. That's what Christ is addressing 
here. The Christian, the believer, 
the citizen of God's kingdom will be loyal with reference 
to these issues. He will accept the good gifts 
of God. He will use them responsibly, 
but he will not be possessed by them. Rather, he will give 
glory to God, honor to God, and he will give praise to God in 
his use of these things. So, as we consider the pursuit 
of heavenly treasure, notice first the prohibition. The prohibition. Jesus starts off with a warning. A prohibition means, kids, something 
you are prohibited from doing. You might see a house and on 
that or next to that house, you might see a fence. And then there's 
a big sign that says, beware of dog. That's a prohibition. The owner doesn't want you to 
jump the fence and go into the backyard because there's a big 
dog there that has a taste for little children. All the kids 
are going to go home scared of big dogs. Didn't mean that. Just 
trying to illustrate what a prohibition is. A stop sign is a prohibition. It is a warning. It is a beware. 
It is a call to us that we need to take heed. And the fact that 
Jesus addresses this and the entirety of God's revelation 
addresses this repetitively speaks to the present reality of its 
infiltration into our hearts. Remember, Jesus is addressing 
kingdom citizens, those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, 
those who are peaceable, those who are meek, those who hunger 
and thirst for righteousness. Nevertheless, have these Canaanites 
remaining in the land that would seek to cause them to turn their 
attention from God the Lord to the things that God the Lord 
entrusts to us. So there is a prohibition. Jesus 
says, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth 
and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal. There is, 
as R.T. Frantz says, a clear continuity 
of thought between the idea of a secret heavenly reward in verses 
1-6 and 16-18. Remember when Jesus is dealing 
with almsgiving and with prayer and with fasting. He says, don't 
do it openly to receive your reward from men. but rather do 
it in secret so that you will be rewarded from God. So the 
turn is natural here to this idea of treasure. Do not seek 
your treasure on earth, but rather seek that treasure which is above. He says in the subject of treasure 
in heaven, which opens this section of the discourse with its focus 
on the disciples attitude to material security. So the believer 
is not to engage in religious beauty in order to receive the 
accolades and praise of men. We got that verses one to 18. But the believer is not to use 
the possessions that God has entrusted to him in a self-centered 
manner. He is not to be loyal to those 
objects. He's not to give his heart to 
them. He is not to treasure them. He is not to create special places 
of worship where he can go and bow down to them. The Lord's 
prohibition is clear. Do not lay up for yourselves 
treasures on earth. The Lord God has graciously given 
us all things to enjoy. The sin is when we neglect him 
and focus and obsess upon the good things that he gives us. 
Of course, sinful pursuits are condemned here, but we need to 
realize legitimate pursuits are condemned if used improperly. God's good to give us wives or 
God's good to give us husbands. We sin if we idolize them. God's good to give us children. 
We sin when we idolize them. God is good to give us parents. 
We sin when we idolize them. And what do I mean by idolize? 
You can always test idolatry with two simple things. What 
do you spend the most time with and where do you give your money? 
Now, I'm not saying don't give money to your kids. But I'm suggesting 
that idolatry is evident in the way that we live our lives. If 
mammon, if possessions, if material objects are where our heart is, 
it is evident to God the Lord. It is evident, unfortunately, 
to those around us as well. John Scott says, with reference 
to this prohibition, he says that this verse does not prohibit 
being provident. That means making sensible provision 
for the future. We saw that when we looked at 
the petition, give us this day our daily bread. Jesus is not 
suggesting refrigeration is bad. Canning is bad. Having a storehouse 
or a pantry is bad. You can't store any food for 
next week because you need to be an absolute dependence upon 
God each and every day for your daily bread. That's not what 
he's condemning. Being provident, preparing, planning, 
is something held out by Solomon as a wise course of action. When 
he's talking about those four exceedingly small folk in the 
land, he highlights their wisdom. And he says the ant, they're 
not a strong folk, but how do they manifest their wisdom? They 
manifest wisdom by preparing food for the winter. They're 
not like the lion who has big fangs and big paws and can go 
out and kill and eat at any given moment. The ant is limited by 
his position and therefore his wisdom is seen in being provident. So John Stott again, he's saying 
that what is not prohibited is being provident or making sensible 
provision for the future, but being covetous like misers who 
hoard and materialists who always want more. That's the prohibition. Do not lay up for yourselves 
treasures on earth. Do not be greedy. Do not be covetous. Do not be the miser. Do not be 
the materialist who sees the measure of his life in the things 
that he possesses. In essence, Jesus is condemning 
the bumper sticker that says he who dies with the most toys 
wins. That is simply unbiblical thought. And it flies in the face of this 
prohibition to not lay up for yourselves treasures. on Earth. So what is again condemned? Not 
provident or not being provident, but being covetousness or covetous, 
being a materialist. Mark 8, 36 says, For what shall 
it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own 
soul? Or what will a man give in exchange 
for his soul? You see what Mark is highlighting 
or Jesus is highlighting there is that you will die. I hate 
to be the bearer of bad news for you this morning, but you 
will die. Every single one of you. I'm confident of that fact. 
You know, they say two things are certain in this world, death 
and taxes. You can actually not pay your taxes. Write us a letter 
from prison, but you can actually not pay your taxes. Now, don't 
go from here saying, Pastor Butler said, I didn't have to pay my 
taxes. That will be no defense in a court of law. But one thing 
you and I will most certainly do is die. What you going to 
do on the day of judgment? God the Lord is looking upon 
you and says, why should you enter into this place? Well, 
I've got a lot of gold. I've got a lot of silver. I've 
got a lot of stocks. I've got a great portfolio. I've 
got lands. I've got property. I've got all 
this stuff that I can use to buy my way into heaven. Remember 
during the O.J. Simpson trial, Johnny Cochran 
defended O.J. After it was all said and done, 
that man admitted that the price of justice in America or the 
color of justice in America is green. What was the implication? You got enough money, you get 
a better lawyer, you can beat the rap. See, somehow we project 
that upon God. Oh, he'll never throw me into 
hell. I mean, look how he's blessed 
me on this earth. Look at the good things that he's given me 
on this earth. Look at how successful I've been 
on this earth. I will certainly bring that up 
before him on that day of judgment and say, but Lord, didn't you 
bless me on earth? Doesn't this carry over into 
the eternal state? Doesn't this mean my security 
forever and ever? Jesus says, What shall it profit 
a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what 
will a man give in exchange For a soul, there's nothing more 
valuable that you possess. There is nothing more intrinsic 
to who you are than that secret part, that invisible part called 
the spirit or the soul or the mind of a heart, the immaterial 
being of man. What are you going to give in 
exchange for that? This is well illustrated in Jesus' parable 
concerning that rich fool in Luke chapter 12. Jesus says the 
ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. I mean, 
we're already presented with the fact that he's rich, and 
then his ground yields plentifully. I mean, I'm sure he was the envy 
of the town, the talk of the town. He made Agrarian Weekly 
in terms of the news coverage. This guy is great. He's an up-and-coming 
star. He's Fortune 500. Whatever he 
touches turns to gold. He's got the Midas touch. The 
ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And the 
problem that presented itself to that man was where would he 
put all of his stuff? If he lived in 21st century North 
America, he could rent any number of storage buildings to put all 
that stuff. What's he doing? He scratches 
his head and he says, I know what I'll do. I'll pull down 
my old barns and I'll put up new barns and I'll put all my 
stuff in those barns and then I'll sit back. I'll take my ease 
and I'll say, soul, take thine ease. You have many, many goods 
laid up for many years. Well, what happens? He learns 
too late the lesson of Mark. He learns too late the lesson 
of what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but 
loses his soul. God says to him, you fool, your 
soul is required of you this night. All those barns, all those 
goods, all that property, all of that affluence, all of that 
prosperity, all of that ability does not avail with the High 
King of Heaven. You know what avails with the 
High King of Heaven? His Son. Jesus, thy blood and thy righteousness. He's a fool because he resisted 
and he rejected the only offer of grace there is. And it's in 
the person in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't be that 
fool. Jesus says, lay not up for yourselves 
treasures on earth. Or in first Timothy, chapter 
six, Paul is dealing with religious charlatans. He's dealing with 
those who try to make money off of religion. Again, a word that 
is appropriate in our generation. Well, not just in our generation, 
in all generations. You know, when you watch these 
televangelists or you see them and they look greasy and slimy 
and they're begging for money and they're hucksters and they're 
charlatans, there's nothing new under the sun. You know, we think 
we're the first generation that's ever faced him. Oh, it's terrible 
out there. It's horrible out there. Paul 
faced the same thing. First Timothy, chapter six. Verse 
nine, but those who desire to be rich fall into temptation 
and a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown 
men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root 
of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith 
in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many 
sorrows. This is Jesus point in the prohibition 
or the warning. Do not lay up for yourselves 
treasures on earth. Now, just to sort of bring this 
into a summary statement, I want to quote Martin Lloyd Jones. 
He says that treasures is a very large and all inclusive word. It includes money, but it is 
not money only. You don't sit here this morning, 
so I'm poor. This doesn't matter to me. I'm middle class. This doesn't matter to me. Treasure 
could be money. Treasure could be sin. Treasure 
could be something legitimate that you have inverted God's 
order with. Lloyd-Jones is bang on. He says 
it means something much more important. Our Lord is concerned 
here, not so much about our possessions as with our attitudes towards 
our possessions. You see, the answer of the text 
doesn't get rid of everything you have. Shave your head, put 
an orange sheet on, bang a tambourine at the airport, beg for pennies 
so that you can eat for that particular day alone. It's not 
the answer of the text. We'll see that tonight. I apologize 
to the people who are here on Wednesday night. We're going 
to look at that same passage again tonight because it goes 
so well with what we're studying this morning. God says to Israel, 
I'm going to bring you into the land. Here's the temptation that's 
facing you. The answer to the response isn't 
don't go into the land. The answer to the response isn't 
don't receive the good gifts God has given you. The answer 
to the response is to change the attitude with reference to 
the possession. Don't let the possession become 
the possessor and thus deny your God. Jesus is dealing with the 
heart as we find here in verse twenty one. He is not saying 
get rid of everything in your life. He is saying engage or 
regulate your life and control your life in such a way that 
you have a proper balance and a proper perspective concerning 
these items that the Lord has entrusted you with. He goes on 
to say it is not what a man may have, but what he thinks of his 
wealth, what his attitude is towards it. There is nothing 
wrong in having wealth in and of itself. What can be very wrong 
is a man's relationship to his wealth. And the same thing is 
equally true about everything that money can buy. It is a question 
of one's whole attitude towards life in this world. Our Lord 
is dealing here with people who get their main or even total 
satisfaction in this life from things that belong to this world 
only. He is warning against here, in 
other words, or what he is warning against here, in other words, 
is that a man should confine his ambition, his interests, 
and his hopes to this life. Confine it, not be a hard worker, 
not provide for your family. Do you realize if you went to 
the extreme with this text and you got rid of everything you 
have, you shaved your head and you hung out in airports, you 
would violate 1 Timothy chapter 5 verse 8. He who does not provide 
for his family is worse than an unbeliever. Don't be foolish 
in interpretation. Jesus is talking about the heart. 
See, the problem in this world isn't the world in and of itself. Now, there is a sense the world, 
obviously, that enmity against God which exists, but trees and 
materials and items and clothing and silver and gold, those are 
not immoral, ungodly, unrighteous things that the way to deal with 
it is to just avoid it. What's ungodly in this world? 
What's unholy in this world? What's unrighteous in this world 
is right here. It's your heart, your approach, 
your attitudes. It's the way you treat those 
things. We can take the good gifts of God and so convert them 
that they become abominable in a second. That's the thrust. That's the idea. What he is warning 
against here, in other words, is that a man should confine 
his ambition, his interests and his hopes to this life. Forget 
ambition in and of itself isn't bad. Proverbs says, do you see 
a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings. The 
book of Proverbs already mentioned the ant that is exceedingly wise. 
So is the spider. So is the spider. The spider 
is found in king's palaces. It's a godly ambition there. 
You may try to keep me out. You may try to keep me on the 
doorpost or outside, but I'm getting in. There's nothing wrong 
with that in and of itself, but it's the confining of that ambition. 
It's the confining of that interest. It is that love of things connected 
to the world that Jesus says, do not lay up for yourselves 
treasures on earth. And then in his grace and in 
his kindness, he doesn't have to. He could just leave it at 
the prohibition. He could just say, beware of 
God. But he adds reasons. We might expect the sign to say, 
beware of God, lest you get eaten. lest you get savagely ripped 
apart. That would be a reason for you 
to heed the general warning, beware of God. Jesus adds reasons 
for us. What is the reason that he gives? 
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth 
and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. What's the 
point? What you have here is temporary. 
What you have here is fleeting. What you have here is passing. 
What you have here does not avail in eternity. When he speaks of 
moths, he's probably speaking about garments. The rest of the 
language or the rest of the chapter indicates that clothing is a 
concern. Very often, clothing was passed 
from generation to generation. It was a possession that people 
prized. He says, when you tie yourself 
up or when you look at that as your earthly treasure, when that 
becomes your all in all, do you know how easy it is to get rid 
of it? Moths. Moths. Amazing, but a little tiny moth. 
A butterfly wannabe can be that which destroys our treasure. When he says rust, or we might 
translate it corrosion, he probably has the idea of precious metals 
in view. Right? What happens to even precious 
metals? They rust. They corrode. Your treasure is spent on something 
that is not lasting. The book of Hebrews describes 
Moses in this language, he chose rather or he did not choose the 
passing pleasures of sin, but rather he chose to suffer affliction 
with the people of God. It's passing. It's fleeting. The best thing, kids, that you 
have right now. Do you think you're going to 
care about it in 10 years? Parents are saying they're probably 
not going to care about it in 10 minutes. You've seen that 
before, right? You give a little kid a gift. And inside the box and under 
the wrapping paper is this beautiful item, this beautiful toy. What 
do the kids do? They play with the box, don't 
they? That's a great box. That's what I can do with my 
box. Parents are saying, why did I 
even purchase the gift to put in the box? Just put wrapping 
paper around the box. It's passing. It's fleeting. 
It's temporary. Your money, it's going to be 
gone. Your clothing, it's going to 
be eaten by moths. As some of us get older, we see 
how fashions change. What was cool in my day was a 
members only jacket. No one would be caught dead wearing 
a members only jacket in 2012. Unless they were vintage. Vintage 
is the way we can bring old stuff out of the closet and re-wear 
it. Praise God, there is some conserving of energy and time 
and money there. Do you see what Jesus is saying? You put all of your emphasis 
on stuff. You treasure stuff. You love 
stuff. Stuff is your God. Stuff has 
your heart. Possessions possess you. Moths 
and rust destroy it. And if the moths and rust don't 
destroy it, thieves will. Thieves will break in. They'll 
get through the wall. It was common to have mud hardened 
as the wall in your home, thieves would dig into it. If you had 
something valuable, something that you possessed, perhaps clothing, 
perhaps precious metals, you would dig a hole in the ground, 
you would bury it. Thieves find those things. Right? Jesus says if the mobs don't 
get it, the rust don't get it, those thugs, they'll certainly 
get it. There are three enemies vying 
for your treasure. So don't lay up for yourselves 
treasures on earth. The material possessions we have 
on earth are temporary and passing. We cannot take them beyond the 
grave. You know, that idea of building 
these vast pyramids and loading them with stuff so that the pharaoh, 
when he went into the afterlife, would have all those items at 
his disposal is simply not true. Or else King Tut's treasure wouldn't 
be on display. He'd be using it in the afterlife, 
wouldn't he? He'd be decked out in all that 
regalia doing whatever it is pharaohs do in the afterlife. 
You see, that is a mindset that is foreign to and contrary to 
biblical revelation. The scriptures are clear. God 
owns everything. He gives you good things to enjoy 
while you're on this earth. You are to do so joyfully, praising, 
thanking, glorifying him. You are to do so responsibly, 
not being consumed by the items themselves. And you are to do 
so in a manner and with the disposition of loyalty to the giver rather 
than to the gift. But beyond that, brethren, everything 
you have is going to be gone. You ever go to the landfill to 
drop stuff off? There's a section where there's 
refrigerators. I mean, they do a good job there, right? They 
fill the land with your junk. It used to be a dump. You could 
see things, you know, for a long time. Or maybe it's just Chilliwack 
has a clean dump. Kind of a Nazi moron, clean dump. 
You know, you put it in the bin and then somehow later on they 
take it and they bury it. Right now you can see those refrigerators 
there. I'm sure when those refrigerators 
were first purchased, there were plenty of happy ladies. Look 
at that fridge. It's beautiful. It's wonderful. It's even got rounded corners. 
It's green. It's gorgeous. It's a sight to 
behold. It will serve us forever. It's 
at the Bailey Landfill now. Again, even if it weren't, no 
one would be caught dead with it in their house. What was it 
with olive green? You see, these things don't last. 
These things are fleeting. These things are temporary. These 
things are passing. You know, I think a passage like 
this ought to convict us. And I think it ought to make 
us reflect on how foolish we can be at times. We think that 
what we have is the bestest ever. It's passive. It's fleeting. 
I remember when computers, as we know them now, first came 
out. Wow! Amazing. I mean, they were as 
big as the piano, but that was great. Do you know the Americans 
sent men to the moon on, I think, 64K of RAM? That's amazing. Our iPhones or 
our regular phones do a thousand times more things than what those 
men had in rooms this big. And yet at some point and at 
some time, people gripped those things as if it was the answer. It was everything. We'll find 
our salvation here. Jesus says, don't lay up for 
yourselves treasures on Earth. What's going to happen, moths 
will get to it, rust will get to it, or those thieves, they'll 
come in and steal it. Notice then, secondly, as we 
consider the pursuit of heavenly treasure, the command. He says 
in verse 20, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither 
moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 
The command, the believer ought to engage in those things that 
bring glory to God and that help his fellow man. When he speaks 
here, he is not suggesting that by our good conduct, we secure 
a place in heaven. Remember, he's speaking to those 
accepted in the beloved. He is speaking to kingdom citizens. He is speaking to those who are 
saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. France says it this way, in a 
kingdom in which the first or last and the last first, there 
is no room for computing one's treasures in heaven on the basis 
of earthly effort. In other words, you're not doing 
15 units of good things today, and there are 15 units of good 
things stored for you in heaven. He says those treasures are stored 
up, not by performing meritorious acts, but by belonging to and 
living by the priorities of the kingdom of heaven. He is not 
inculcating here a mercenary spirit wherein the good that 
we do secures favor with God. Rather, what he is inculcating 
is the attitude of one who has been saved by grace through faith. one who has been brought out 
of darkness into marvelous light, who now finds his orientation 
changed, who now finds himself clothed in the righteousness 
of Jesus Christ, how he ought to live in this world is not 
by laying up treasures on earth, but by rather laying them up 
in heaven by doing those things which bring glory to God and 
good to our fellow man. Don't be tied and set to the 
earth. Don't be possessed by your possessions, 
but rather be a generous man, be a generous woman, be a generous 
brother or a sister. Proverbs 19, 7 says he who has 
pity on the Lord, pity on the poor rather, lends to the Lord. 
And he will pay back what he has given. In Matthew 25, we 
see something of this principle as well. Again, it's not as if 
somehow we are purchasing our place in heaven. Jesus purchases 
our place in heaven. But as kingdom citizens, we're 
to store up treasures. We're to do those things God 
calls us to do. We're to engage in good works. 
We're to bring glory to God. And the Lord is pleased with 
that. In Matthew 25, we see that parable of the talents. Verse 
21, his Lord said to him, well done, good and faithful servant. 
You are faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many 
things. Enter into the joy of your Lord. Again, the same thing in verse 
23. His Lord said to him, well done, good and faithful servant. 
You have been faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler 
over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord. And then as we give that are 
given that snapshot of the return of Jesus Christ, when he judges 
the sheep and the goats, notice in verse 34, then the king will 
say to those on his right hand, Come, you blessed of my father, 
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of 
the world. For I was hungry and you gave 
me food. Again, we're not entering into 
heaven because we feed the poor. We feed the poor because we're 
entering into heaven. These things manifest, sanctification 
demonstrates, good works evidence that one has been transferred 
from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the sun of 
God's love. He says, for I was hungry and 
you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me 
drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you 
clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. 
I was in prison and you came to me. Paul teaches this in First 
Timothy, chapter six. We've already seen his condemnation 
of the religious charlatans seeking to make gain on religion. But then he tells or he shifts 
attention to Timothy with reference to the rich within the church. What are the rich in the church 
commanded to do? Sell everything they have. Get 
rid of everything they have. Shave their heads and join monasteries. 
That's not the biblical response. It's not the answer. First Timothy 
617. Command those who are rich in 
this present age not to be haughty nor to trust in uncertain riches, 
but in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they may 
be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing 
up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they 
may lay hold on eternal life. These are positive instructions. 
Don't be caught up in this love for mammon, 1 Timothy 6, 9 and 
10. Be content with such things as 
you have, 1 Timothy 6, 8. But if God has blessed you, He's 
given you a wisdom and an ability to make money. Now, the answer 
may be get rid of it because you can't handle it. But the 
answer may be, don't be haughty, don't trust in those things, 
but rather be benevolent, be generous, be large hearted, be 
looking for needs around you, freely give as you have been 
given. You see, the prohibition is do 
not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth. The positive statement, 
the command is lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. And again, 
Jesus and his kindness, Jesus and his goodness, Jesus and his 
mercy gives us reasons for this. He says in heaven, there is no 
moth, there is no rust and there certainly aren't no thieves. Which you want to go to heaven, 
doesn't it? I lock everything all the time. Brother, so-and-so, 
is he going to come over and steal your stuff? Jesus gives 
us a reason here. Lay up for yourself treasure 
in heaven. It's lasting, it's permanent, 
it's eternal, it's going to stand the test of time. Makes one think, I hope, of Romans 
chapter eight. Verses 38 and 39, where the apostle 
says, for I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor 
angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor 
things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created 
thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which 
is in Christ Jesus our Lord. You lay up treasures in heaven, 
it isn't going anywhere. You lay up treasures on earth, 
those three enemies will destroy. You lay up treasures in heaven, 
they are secure. God is gracious. God is glorious. He does not sting you. He doesn't 
give you something for a time and then withdraw it. But rather, 
it is laid up there forever and ever and ever, world without 
end. Amen. We sing in Trinity Hymnal 
number 335, change and decay. In all around I see, O thou who 
changest not, abide with me." Don't you see change and decay 
in everything around you? We already mentioned the dump. 
We already mentioned certain items that we think are wonderful. 
They change. They decay. They become outdated. 
They're something that no one would even dare to possess anymore. 
And yet, thou who changest not, abide with me. We have God the 
Lord. Seek your heaven, lay up your 
heaven, or your treasures rather, in heaven. And then thirdly and 
finally, notice the implication that Jesus draws out. He tells 
us the important point to remember here isn't necessarily a study 
about your stuff. Your stuff is the foil. Your 
stuff is the vehicle. Your stuff is the illustration. Your stuff is the way to get 
to what's really important, your heart. For where your treasure 
is, there's your heart. You want a good barometer of 
where your heart is? What do you value? What do you 
prize? What is most important? What 
is everything to you? If that's what you treasure, 
that's where your heart will be. Remember the central confession 
of Israel's faith, Deuteronomy 6.4. Hero Israel, the Lord our 
God, the Lord is one. What is the response to that 
central confession of faith in Deuteronomy 6 5? You shall love 
the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and 
with all your strength. Certainly, certainly in the new 
covenant that has not been minimized. It has not been done away with. 
It has not been sent off into another place for another day 
and another age. We see in Jeremiah 31 the promise 
of the New Covenant. God will write his law on our 
hearts. What law? The Decalogue, the 
Ten Commandments, the moral law of God. Summarized by these two 
precepts, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, 
with all your soul and with all your strength. The New Covenant 
believer, loving God, laying up for himself treasures in heaven, 
that is where his heart is to be. D.A. Carson says, the point 
is that the things most highly treasured occupy the heart, the 
center of the personality, embracing mind, emotions and will, and 
thus the most cherished treasure subtly but infallibly controls 
the whole person's directions and values. It's easy to see 
that when somebody treasures crack cocaine, isn't it? It's 
easy to see that when somebody treasures alcohol. It's easy 
to see that when somebody treasures possession. It's not so easy 
to see when it's something that you and I might treasure that 
is a gun. May not be your stuff, may not 
be your money. Might be prestige, might be power, 
might be the praise of men, might be the esteem of others. I mean, 
look at the patheticness of verses one to 18. People give alms, 
people pray, people fast to be seen by men. Before we look down 
at our noses at that and say, wait a minute, how could people 
ever do that? Have you ever done anything to be seen by men? I'm not a bastard. Good. Praise God, I'm glad. You're a holy specimen. You should 
have Bible studies and teach us all how to be just like you. 
Instead of being facetious, because I think there is in our hearts 
that desire to be seen by men. Or else Jesus wouldn't teach 
on it. Spurgeon says, the heart must 
and will go in the direction of that which we count precious. What happened when that pearl 
merchant found that pearl of greatest price? What do you do? I hope he puts it on eBay and 
there's a buy it now and I can get it for cheap. He sells everything 
he has. He gets rid of everything immediately 
because he must have that pearl of greatest price. Virgin's right 
on the heart must and will go in the direction of that which 
we count precious. The heart indicates our priority. For where your treasure is there, 
your heart will be also. Now, listen, quoting men, you 
need to listen to this one, not hopefully you're not listening 
to the others, but listen to what Calvin says with reference to 
this. The heart indicates our priority. 
He says if honor is reckoned the supreme good. In other words, 
if you in your life treasure, in an earthly sense, your own 
honor, if that's what is primary, if that's what is first, if that 
is what is uppermost and foremost in your mind or in your heart, 
he says, the minds of men must be wholly occupied with ambition. See, Calvin's point is simply 
this. What we treasure, what we want, what we love and desire 
and delight in, our hearts will pursue it. He says as well, if 
money, covetousness will immediately predominate. If you treasure, 
value, prize and must have money, your heart's going to follow. Covetousness. If pleasure, it 
will be impossible to prevent men from sinking into brutal 
indulgence. We have all a natural desire 
to pursue happiness, and the consequence is that false imaginations 
carry us away in every direction. But if we were honestly and firmly 
convinced that our happiness is in heaven, it would be easy 
for us to trample upon the world, to despise earthly blessings 
and to rise towards heaven. You see, what Calvin is saying 
is a helpful antidote to this mindset of laying up for yourselves 
treasures on earth. He is saying, be consumed with 
God, be consumed with Jesus. Realize where your real happiness 
lies. It's not tied to your stuff. 
It's not tied to this earth. It's not tied to your possessions, 
where this trinity of enemies can affect it and destroy it, 
but rather your happiness. Your treasure, your joy, is to 
be tied up in God. And therefore, that is where 
your heart will be. You see this very pattern in 
Paul's letter to the Colossians, chapter 3, verses 1 to 4. The 
apostle tells us to set our mind on things above, to fix our minds 
at the right hand of God, where Christ is. And then life on Earth 
will reflect such a disposition. Men will love their wives in 
this manner. Wives will submit to their husbands in this manner. 
Parents will relate to their children in this manner. Children 
will relate to their parents in this manner. Slaves and masters 
in this manner. You see, when we treasure Christ 
above all, when we treasure Christ as we ought and our hearts are 
firmly rooted there, then We can live the Christian life the 
way we should. Well, in conclusion, just a couple 
of thoughts. First, there is an obvious implication 
in this passage. When we go through these three 
metaphors, the two treasures, the two eyes, the two masters, 
it's either or. It's either or. We're most familiar 
with verse 24. You can't serve God and man. 
But the either or motif is present in this issue of treasure. You 
can't lay up for yourself treasures on earth and heaven. You're to 
lay up treasures in heaven, enjoying the things God has given you, 
blessing him for having given them to you, but holding on to 
them with less than a death grip. Right? If you hold your stuff 
to the point where there are white knuckles showing, you might 
have a problem. The obvious implication in the 
passage is that it's either earthly treasure or heavenly treasure. Remember 
that earthly treasure does not necessarily mean money. It can 
mean anything on the earth. Sinful pursuits, to be sure, 
but legitimate pursuits as well. I mentioned that quote from C.S. 
Lewis before. Again, I don't recommend him 
on all things theological, but he says oftentimes a man of this 
world is making his way in the world in terms of his business 
pursuits, in terms of his business endeavors. He's making his way 
in the world, Lewis says, but more often than not, the world 
is making its way into his heart. Not condemning ambition, not 
condemning hard work. The Bible everywhere enjoins 
diligence, but it's easy for us to get sidetracked. It's easy 
for us to get self-centered. It's easy for us to shift the 
focus from heavenly treasures to earthly treasures. In sum, 
what Jesus is condemning here is what we would call worldliness. Now, before you start to offer 
up a prayer for somebody in the church that struggles or succumbs 
to worldliness, before you start to pray for your children or 
pray for your parents or pray for that person that's worldly, 
just remember what our passage is teaching here. I think that 
Lloyd-Jones again hits the nail on the head. We tend to label 
worldliness as meaning certain particular things only. Now get 
this. We tend to label worldliness 
as meaning certain particular things only and always the things 
of which we are not guilty. It's easy to see worldliness 
in everybody else, isn't it? It's easy to see devotion to 
earthly treasure in your neighbor. It's easy to see devotion to 
earthly treasure in your parents, in your children, in that poor 
guy that you've been praying for for so long in your church. Lloyd-Jones continues. We therefore 
argue that this has nothing to say to us. We're not worldly, 
are we? But worldliness is all pervasive 
and is not confined to certain things. It does not just mean 
going to theaters and cinemas or doing a few things of that 
nature. No, worldliness is an attitude 
towards life. It is a general outlook, and 
it is so subtle that it can come into the most holy things of 
all. That man in chapter six is giving 
alms. That man in chapter 6 is praying. That man in chapter 6 is fasting. And it's worldly to the core. It's easy to see worldly out 
there. You know where I think much of 
evangelicalism has gone astray in worldliness? It's in the house 
of thought. The centrality of the preached 
word, the acceptable and reverent and awe-filled worship of the 
triune God has been replaced by rock bands, by celebrity preachers, 
by men who have countless multitudes following every word they say. 
If that isn't worldliness, brethren, I don't know what is. So be careful about pinning somebody 
with the badge of worldliness when your own heart may be attached 
to an earthly treasure. But because it's not the cinema, 
it's not the theater, it's not rock music, it's somehow acceptable 
before God. If your attitude is fixed upon 
something other than God, it's worldly. You know what I think that does, 
it condemns every one of us. We had a theology meeting here 
yesterday morning. I mentioned something again, probably not 
the best of news to anyone here. I'm sure that the older brethren 
can confirm this or affirm this with me. For any student of Holy 
Scripture can confirm this or affirm this with me. I don't 
believe, even as Calvinistic reformed people, we have even 
begun to scratch the surface of how bad sin is. And how much 
is in our own hearts? We need to be the most careful 
people about condemning others. We need to be the most careful 
people about writing other people off. Do you know how much is 
in your own heart? When we do good things, we want 
the praise of men. When we do good things, we want 
God to observe it. When we do good things, we want 
credit. You're undoing the good. I don't think we've even begun 
to penetrate. You might be a visitor here, 
you might have come sometimes. You know these guys that we're 
talking about is sin. Sin is a lot worse than I can ever imagine. I think it was Luther who said, 
if we understood sin for just a second, we'd probably explode. 
The full weight of it. The fact that it works its way 
into everything. The fact that it affects us in 
every fiber of our being. And I'm talking about Christians. 
Remaining corruption. We got the Apostle Paul saying, 
the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit lusting 
against the flesh. And these two are contrary to one another 
in your own heart. Guard yourself from this idea 
that they're worldly, but I'm not. The emphasis of the passage is 
that the Lord Jesus is calling, in the language of Donald Hagner, 
absolute and unqualified discipleship on the part of his people. Absolute 
and unqualified discipleship on the part of his people. I 
think if we were just to take a quick survey from the beginning 
to the end of the scriptures, if we did a quick biblical theology 
of what God says concerning stuff, I think we would get this conclusion. 
We are to bless him for his provision. I've already mentioned this, 
but we need to hear it again. because the bad or the improper 
responses just get rid of everything. That's what monks did, and they 
didn't get rid of the sin problem. In fact, they sometimes compounded 
it in the monastery. Bless God for it. What does Paul 
say? In the latter days, there will 
be doctrines of demons in 1 Timothy 4. What are these doctrines of 
demons going to do? They're going to forbid marriage. 
They're going to forbid eating certain things that God has given 
us. the response. God gives you something 
good, praise Him. I mentioned this on Wednesday night, 
some of us struggle, we come from a background that was heavily 
guilt ridden. We get something nice now, we 
feel like, you know, it's a nice bowl of soup, pour some ashes 
in it, because why should I eat anything good? I got to wear 
a hair shirt underneath, so I'm really uncomfortable. Can't possibly 
be happy in this world. Is that God's intent? Does God 
want you to wear hair shirts and put ashes in your suit? Who? Any more than when a father or 
a mother gives their child something wonderful. Let's rip it away 
from them and say, well, too bad for you. I don't want you 
to be. No, I want you to enjoy it. I want you to be happy, but 
I don't want you to forgive me when you're playing with it. 
It gives us these things to enjoy. We are to bless him. We are to 
praise him. We are to engage in a responsible 
use of his provision, but we are never to let that provision 
take us away from the giver himself. Now, there's a lot more that 
could be said, of course, in a biblical theology of possessions. 
But I think that touches on and hits the major sections and the 
major heads. This is the emphasis of Proverbs 
30. Give me the poverty and the riches. Let me be middle class. Barack 
Obama, don't attack the middle class. Don't attack those who 
just don't want poverty or riches. Because if we have poverty, what 
are we tempted to do? We're tempted to steal and profane 
God. But if we're rich, what are we 
tempted to do? Forget God. Why do I need God? More on that tonight. Believer, 
when we study a passage like this, believer, Christian, those 
who have believed the gospel, professing faith in Jesus Christ, 
we come to a passage like this. Again, I really believe we ought 
to reflect on our foolishness. How can we think this stuff is 
going to last into the future age? How do we think this stuff 
is going to come with us into the eschaton? I'm going to load 
up my pockets. I'm going to load up my case. 
I'm going to load up my luggage so that when God calls me, there 
I am with all my stuff. It causes us to reflect on our 
folly. Just let go of stuff. Don't hold 
it with the death grip. Don't whine and grumble and mumble 
at every step of the way if stuff isn't flowing into your lives. But I think as well, as we consider 
a passage like this, I've already mentioned conviction. The purpose 
here isn't simply to bring conviction. Oh, you should feel horrible. But while we're on that theme, 
do you ever feel a little bit guilty when you sing certain 
hymns? No, I don't even think about what I'm saying. I just 
say, don't do that. Think about the hymns. You know 
that singing is supposed to be intelligently. We're going to 
be teaching and admonishing one another while we sing our psalms, 
hymns, and spiritual songs. You're not supposed to say, well, 
this is the 30 minutes where I can just tune out, just sing 
some hymns. Do you ever feel a little bit 
guilty when you sing hymns? Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise. Thou and thou, mine inheritance. I'm sorry, thou, mine inheritance, 
now and always. Really? Really? Let's be honest for a moment. Riches I heed not, nor man's 
empty praise. You may be a poor man. You may 
be a middle class man. Riches may not be your thing, 
but you never heed man's empty praise ever. Thou mine inheritance now and 
always. Really? Every, every single moment 
of every single day, every millisecond. Again, some of you may be the 
few, the proud and the extra holy among us. It goes on to 
say, first in my heart, high king of heaven, my treasure, 
thou heart. Now, this is certainly the mindset 
that Jesus is conveying to us. But if we look long and hard 
at our hearts, and probably for most of us it's not long, it'd 
be a quick short trip, we'd have to admit that when we sing this 
particular hymn, we cannot say it perfectly honestly that every 
moment of every day in everything we do, we always only do it for 
the glory of God and we only always do it for the good of 
man. See, this is where I want us to move from conviction to 
appreciation. There was one who lived who did 
not lay up for himself treasures on earth. There was one in his 
entire 30 years who only ever laid up for himself treasures 
in heaven. When we get a view of ourself 
and we get that conviction of sin and we repent by the grace 
of God and we resolve not to do it anymore, let us not forget 
to praise, to wonder, to celebrate, to rejoice in the blood of Jesus 
Christ, his son, which cleanses us from all sin. He was loyal. He was undivided. He engaged 
in unqualified submission to his father from the cradle to 
the grave, metaphorically speaking. He always did the will of him 
who sent him. His meat was to do the will of 
him who sent him. I don't say this so that we can 
say, well, Jesus paid it all. I can go out and focus on earthly 
treasure now. But I am suggesting that as New Covenant believers, 
as Christians who have been saved by God's grace, when we come 
under the effect, the penetration and the scurrying work of the 
law of God by the power of the Holy Spirit, don't stop there. 
Go to Calvary. Go to Christ. Praise, wonder, 
celebrate and adore him who loved you and who gave himself for 
you. And finally, to those who are 
without Christ this morning. I guarantee you, you treasure 
something. There's something that you love. 
Something that you're fixed upon, something that gets your attention. 
Something that has your heart. And if that something isn't God, 
if it isn't the Lord Jesus Christ, that something will ultimately 
take you to the pit of hell itself. Do not lay up for yourselves 
treasures on earth, whether it be money, whether it be possessions, 
whether it be sex, whether it be worldliness, whether it be 
you. Don't do it. Lay up for yourselves rather 
treasures in heaven. In some believe on the Lord Jesus 
and you shall be saved. See, the call this morning to 
you isn't go get rid of everything. Stop doing this. Don't do that. 
Believe. And then he'll clean up all that 
other stuff. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be 
saved. That's the best news you'll ever 
hear. Not that you won the lotto. Not 
that you got a great deal on a house. Not that you got a college 
scholarship. But that Christ came into this 
world, sinners to save. And that by God's grace, when 
you believe on him, you receive everlasting life. Where moth 
and rust do not destroy, and where thieves don't break in 
and steal. Praise God for his son. Well, let us pray. Father, 
thank you for your word. Thank you for this lesson from 
our Lord Jesus. God, we confess at times it is 
so easy to get sidetracked in this world, to get caught up 
in the gift rather than the giver, to lay up for ourselves treasures 
on earth. We confess it. We want to repent. 
We want to glorify you. We want to pursue heavenly treasures. And we pray that you would just 
captivate our hearts, that we would be so caught up in our 
love for Christ and our desire for him, that we would pursue 
those things which matter into eternity. And do forgive us, 
God, that we so often come woefully short. Forgive us and cleanse 
us afresh in the blood of the Lord Jesus. For those here this 
morning that value other things over you, we pray that you would 
do that work which is impossible with men. By your spirit, convict 
them. By your spirit, cause them to 
see their sin and their need. By your spirit, give them the 
graces of faith and repentance that they may indeed close with 
the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's in his name that we 
pray. Amen.