The Three Most Important Questions in Your Life
Matthew 6:19-24
Introduction:
1. Those who had experienced the Great Depression save & dream about the good life.
2. Those born after WW II were the “I want it all now generation”.
3. But everything we accumulate in this life is only temporary - modern advertising tempts us to get caught up in it.
4. In order to evaluate what’s really important & permanent, you might ask yourself 3 most important questions:
I. v19-21 - Where is Your Treasure?
A. v19 - Is your treasure only on earth?
1. I used to have a safety deposit box. ILL: The procedure to get into it.
2. Bank robbers can rob safety deposit boxes too!
3. Possessions were not even that safe in ancient times.
a. v19 - Break in (διορύσσω) = dig through.
b. ILL: Robbing a 1st Century house by chiseling through.
c. ILL: Man Carried by Four (Mk 2:1-12)
3. ILL: The Foolish Farmer (Lk 12:16-21) v21 - This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.
4. I Pet 3:10 - But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
B. v20 - Is it in heaven?
1. ILL: The Rich Young Ruler (Matt 19:16-22).
2. How do you accumulate treasure in heaven?
a. On earth it’s by getting possessions & focusing in on yourself.
b. For heaven it’s by giving to those in need & focusing in on Jesus!
c. ILL: The Sheep & the Goats (Matt 25:31-46).
3. v21 - So - where your treasure is - there your heart will be also!
II. v22-23 - Where is Your Body?
A. v23 - Is it in darkness?
1. Jn 3:19-21 - This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.
2. Real darkness is separation from our Lord’s presence!
a. Is 42:6 - I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles.
b. Lord Jesus said, I am the light of the world - Jn 9:5.
c. Jn 8:12 - I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
d. ILL: The Unwelcomed guest at the wedding feast (Matt 22:11-13).
e. ILL: The Parable of the Talents (Matt 25:14-30).
f. If you are not connected with the Lord - you are in darkness where there is “weeping & gnash- ing of teeth”.
B. v22 - Is it in the light?
1. Matt 5:14 & 16 - You are the light of the world . . . let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
2. If you are in the light - you need to make it known!
III. v24 - Who is Your Master?
A. Is it money?
1. Money or “Mammon” (μαμωνᾶς) is an Aramaic word (the language Jesus actually spoke) = love of riches & material things.
a. Both rich & poor can be guilty. It’s an attitude of the heart.
b. v24 literally says, No one has the ability or power to be a servant to two authorities. He will hate & think little of the one but cling on to & give sacrificially & unconditionally to the other.
2. God’s word warns against loving money & possessions.
a. Jam 4:4 - You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
b. I Jn 2:15 - Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
3. Illustrations about the consequences of focusing on materialism.
a. ILL: The Rich Man & Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31).
b. ILL: Ananias & Sapphira (Act 5:1-11).
c. ILL: Judas Betrayal for It (Matt 26:47-49).
B. Is it God?
1. Rom 6:20-23 - When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2. Freedom from sin means service to God - but service to God means real life!
Let’s keep in mind what Jim Elliot said, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose!”
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