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 but where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there your heart will be also the eye is the lamp of the body so if your eye is healthy your whole body will be full of light but if your eyes bad your whole body will be full of darkness if then the light in you is darkness how great is that darkness no one can serve two masters for either he will hate one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and money father in heaven as we come to your word I pray that you would open our hearts and minds and change us in Jesus name amen now it's not a coincidence that this section follows the first 18 verses in which our Lord Jesus referred to God as our father ten times ten times in the preceding 18 verses he talks about God being our father a book I read years ago and I still recommend it to you is knowing God by J.I. Packer and he wrote this you sum up the whole New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one's holy father if you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity find out how much he makes of the thought of being God's child and having God as his father if this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his outlook on life it means that he doesn't understand Christianity very well at all for everything that Christ taught everything that makes the New Testament new and better than the old everything that is distinctly Christian as opposed to merely Jewish is summed up in the knowledge of the fatherhood of God father is the Christian name for God our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption so in this section of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus talks about money and our relationship to it and he essentially is what he's asking is that we trust our Father in heaven in this area of life so there's three things that I want us to see in this passage there's more than that but I want us to see three the first is that God loves us and desires our best the second is that earthly wealth is deceptive and temporary and the third is that we have to choose which to serve so the first is that God loves us and desires our best and the Bible is full of passages and verses that explain this one of the most familiar of course is John 3 16 which says for God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life and God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him in Romans 5 Paul wrote this while we were still weak at the right time Christ died for the ungodly for one will scarcely die for a righteous person though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die but God shows his love for us and that while we were still sinners Christ died for us since therefore we have now been justified by his blood and more much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God for if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more now that we are reconciled shall we be saved by his life more than that we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through him we have now received reconciliation the love of God is so great that he gave his only begotten son to live the life that we should have lived die the death that we deserve to die and then be raised from the dead with the promise that we too shall live forever in eternity with him if we believe that God loves us and desires our best then we're better able to trust him in all our areas of life including the area of money when we don't trust him and either don't believe or aren't sure that God is trustworthy we're in danger of believing the same lie that Adam and Eve believed in the Garden of Eden seems like I always go back to the goal not always but a lot of times go back to the Garden of Eden because it is the beginning of humanity is sinful remember the God have provided paradise for them as his image bearers he gave them dominion over all the earth he said let us make man in our own image after our own likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea over the birds of the heavens over the livestock over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth so God said he was going to make us in his image and then give us dominion power ruling authority over all the earth so he created man in his own image in the image of God he created them male and female he created them and God said be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it have dominion over the fish of the sea over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth so he put them in the garden in chapter 2 of Genesis says that he told Adam to cultivate it and keep it and after he had created Eve for Adam it he only forbid them from eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he actually gave that command to Adam and then created Eve see God desires our obedience some people say why why did he put that tree there why did he even take the chance that sin could enter the world he desires our obedience and our worship not because it makes us feel good but because he's worthy no matter how we feel but the devil in the form of the serpent tempted Adam and Eve by saying God is not really good to them chapter 3 verse 5 he says God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be open and you will be like God knowing good and evil so Satan was tempting them to say that God is not being good to you that's why he gave put this tree in there so that you would not eat of it and you wouldn't find out that you could be like God too but they went ahead and ate from it and despite being given paradise they doubted God and God's love for them and goodness to them and they were sinless until they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil now here's the difference we are not sinless we've never been sinless and so the temptation to doubt God's goodness to us is even greater and that's why Jesus is warning us and he warned us several places throughout the Gospels against these doubts your heavenly father loves you he desires your best and if you believe that your life will be different not easy but better Jesus puts it like this he says for where your treasure is there your heart will be also what you love most is where your treasure is is your love primarily earthbound it's okay to love what God has given us here on earth we live in a great country it's not perfect but it's still great it's beautiful and free and we have plenty to eat and most of us have jobs and homes and families these are good things and it is right that we should love them and be thankful to God for them as James wrote in his letter every good gift and every perfect gift is from above coming down from the father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change when Jesus was getting ready to go to the cross he was telling his disciples don't let your hearts be troubled believe in God believe also in me and my father's house are many rooms think of this Jesus saying there'll be a place for you if it were not so I would have told you that I go to prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again and take you to myself that where I am you may be also I will come again I will take you to myself that where I am you may be also think of that and you know the way I'm going and Thomas said Lord we don't know the way you're going how can we know the way Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the father but through me later in chapter 15 Jesus said by this is my father glorified that you bear more fruit much fruit and so proved to be my disciples as the father loved me so I have loved you remember the father says about his son Jesus this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased listen to him and Jesus is saying the same love that the father has given me I have given you and that's how the father has loved you through me abide in my love if you keep my commandments you will abide in my love just as I've kept my father's commandments and abide in his love I know sometimes it's more difficult to believe that God loves us circumstances seem to be against us or we sin and we think how could God possibly love me I'm not worthy of God's love well you're right about that you're not but he loves you anyway remember we read from Romans 5 while we were still sinners Christ died for us but then at the end of Romans chapter 8 he says who shall separate us from the love of Christ and then he has a list of all the things all the circumstances all the perilous things in life that we would think would be an indication that God doesn't love us but he says shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword no in all these things we are more than conquerors he says about himself for your sake we are being killed all the day long we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us and then he has another list for I'm sure that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers or things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord God other loves you he wants you to know that he desires your best and he says it over and over and over again in the scriptures because we are sinful and we are prone not to believe and if we look at our own hearts it's easy to not believe because our hearts are what John Calvin called idol factories but if we look at him it's easy to believe or easier to believe nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord the next thing I want us to see from this passage is that earthly wealth is deceptive and temporary do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal wealth can be an idol and it can be an idol whether you're rich or poor rich people it can be an idol because they're they they're trying to get it and they get it and then they want to hold on to it and they want it to be more and it's never enough poor people it's an idol because they don't have any and they need it and they want it and they are willing to do almost anything for it in his book counterfeit gods Tim Keller writes about what he calls four motivational drives that lead us into idolatry into sin and those for a power approval comfort and control some of us want power power over others power over our circumstances power over our lives we want to be the ones that are moving the chess pieces around on the board some of us want the approval of others and we're willing to sin at times in order to get it some of us want comfort when Tracy and I were with the ministry of campus crusade for Christ we were at a conference and this one woman confessed she said my problem is that I want to be at my optimum comfort level at all times and some of us are like that don't bother me too much just leave me alone let me have my comfort and others of us want control control over circumstances control in our families we want things to go our way the thing about all of these core motivations is that all of them in part we think can be obtained through money in this book or it could have been in in a sermon Tim Keller talked about the difference between him and his wife and how different core motivations caused them to sin Tim said his core motivation is approval so he'd been asked to do something for a staff member or a parishioner or somebody that he was fairly close to to write a letter or do something like that and they called him and asked him if he was done and the truth was he had forgotten all about it but instead of saying oh I'm sorry I forgot I'll get right to it he said you know I was just finishing that up I'll get it to you tomorrow he hung up the phone and his wife Kathy looked at him and said you haven't even started that why did you lie Kathy on the other hand Tim says wants comfort so somebody calls a friend and says I'm really upset about something can I come over and talk to you about it Kathy says well you know I'm dealing with another important ministry issue tonight's not a good time what she really had planned was a movie and popcorn night with Tim so she gets off the phone and he said why did you lie well in the case of both of them in that moment and see if you resonate with this in that moment there was something more important to them than Jesus and when we pursue wealth first that's what we're saying something is more important than Jesus I love money more and we might never come on admit that we might even deny it but our life and our actions say otherwise we might think we love Jesus most but our pursuit of wealth tells another story and Jesus is wanting us in this sermon and other places in the scripture to see the real value of things so he tells these parables in Matthew 13 beginning in verse 44 two very short ones he says the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field which a man found and covered up then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys the field verse 45 again the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls who on finding one pearl of great value went and sold all that he had and bought it he's telling us that if you see the value of things correctly then the kingdom of heaven eternal life a relationship with God who he is Jesus Christ is that pearl of great price is that treasure in the field and you should be willing to sell everything that you have in order to get it well he's telling us that if you see the value of things correctly you'll have a different relationship with money than the world does he's telling us that if you see the value of things correctly you will have a different relationship with money lay up for yourself treasures in heaven where neither moth and nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there your heart will be also Psalm 34 seven says delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart and I have heard people say you see God wants to give you everything that you desire so if you desire a big house and a fancy car and a swimming pool and and and to travel the world that's what God wants you to have but you need to delight in him first that is just not the case if you delight yourself in the Lord he will give you the desire of your heart because if you delight yourself in the Lord he is the desire of your heart and finally the third thing I want us to look at is the question who will you serve no one can serve two masters for 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 you see it all the time people who say they want to follow Christ choose something else they choose an idol and oftentimes it comes down to money Jesus explains this very well in Mark chapter 10 as he was setting out on a journey a man ran up to him and knelt before him and asked good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life keep in mind the question what must I do to inherit eternal life Jesus said why do you call me good no one is good except God alone you know the commandments do not murder do not commit adultery do not steal do not bear false witness do not defraud honor your father and mother and he said teacher I've kept all these from my youth Jesus looking at him loved him so the what he's about to say is out of love he says you lack one thing sell all that you have give it to the poor you will have treasure in heaven and come and follow me now remember the question is what must I do to have eternal life eternal life there can't be anything more important there can't be anything bigger there can't be more at stake than that question what must I do to have eternal life and when Jesus tells him sell everything you have give it to the poor and follow me the next verse says disheartened by the saying he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions why does he go away sorrowful he had the choice he could either keep his wealth or follow Jesus he could either have eternal life or not and he went away sad because he wanted eternal life he wanted Jesus Christ on his own terms and you don't get to do that this story appears in three gospels and again it's a warning against the love of money it's an encouragement to view things in their proper place first Timothy 610 says the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life what's at stake here eternal life it doesn't get bigger than that and Jesus loved this young man and looked at him and loved him so what would be too much to ask in order to have eternal life you would think that Jesus could ask anything and he would say yes remember when Peter was fishing before he was called by Jesus and there was a great catch of fish and Peter said depart from me for I'm a sinful man and Jesus said from now on you'll be catching men so Peter followed him along with James and John you lack one thing so all that you have give it to the poor you'll have treasure in heaven and come and follow me it's a hard ask but it's eternal life do you trust him or do you believe do you believe that he loves you and desires your best disheartened by the saying he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions he can't serve two masters you cannot serve God and money recently I had an occasion to have an ECG electrocardiogram so I was at the Halifax infirmary and a young lady in her 20s was doing the ECG and before she put all the things on me I noticed that she had a cross and I said that's a that's a beautiful cross she said oh thanks I said are you a Christian she said yes and started to describe how she had been pursuing her faith more recently and she went into pretty much detail or quite a bit of detail and she told me that the church that she attended I won't name it she said she was concerned because they seem to be letting things slide they weren't following the Bible and she talked about how her and her fiance went to this church every Sunday I said well is your fiance a Christian she said yes I said well was he a Christian when you started dating him and she said probably not I said well are you sure that he loves Jesus or he just wants to be with you she said well I'm I'm pretty sure that he wants Jesus because he's kind of now taken over and leading in this area I said okay that's good then I asked this question probably most of you wouldn't ask it I said are you living with him and her head kind of dropped and she said yes I said well you know you're not supposed to do that and she said yeah I know she said but his things are just so expensive and it's so much more affordable see there's the money it's so much more affordable if we split the cost I said well I got a question for you I said when the Bible was written do you think people were poorer or richer than you do you think people were better off financially then or now she said well now I said so even though they were poorer then and you're better off financially now then then do you think that they were supposed to follow those commands she said yes I said then why aren't you she said no you're right you're right then she gave me an ECG which I think turned out okay because I haven't heard anything from anybody but you see her part of her excuse for violating other commands was that money was at issue so am I saying to you sell everything you have and give it to the poor no I'm not saying that at all but Jesus might tell you to do that that's between you and him am I saying it's wrong to be rich no Proverbs 10 says the blessing of the Lord makes rich and he adds no sorrow to it so you don't have to feel guilty about being rich if you arrive there in a legitimate way what then are you supposed to do if you do have wealth God answers that question in Paul's first letter to Timothy as for the rich in this present age verse 17 charged them not to be haughty nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches haughty is prideful but on God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy there to do good be rich and good works to be generous and ready to share thus storing up treasures for themselves as a good foundation for the future so they may take hold of that which is truly life what's he telling them to put true to have treasure that's in heaven you cannot serve God and money so what do I do if I have not been generous whether I'm wealthy or not what do I do if I haven't been generous see it isn't generous I think it's fair to say if it doesn't cost you anything it isn't generous if it doesn't curtail any of your spending plans it isn't generous if it doesn't cost you something you're going to spend money on if you are able to go ahead and purchase everything you planned on if you're able to go on all the vacations you planned on it's not really generous you know if I were to give the church a certain amount of money I'll just pull a number out a thousand dollars let's just say you know in addition to my regular giving if I were to send a thousand dollars to the church that would mean that there would be certain things that I couldn't do because I sent that money somebody else could send 10,000 it wouldn't bother them a bit they wouldn't even notice it some of some people could send a hundred thousand wouldn't bother them a bit but some people if they sent a hundred it would be like my thousand so generosity is in part based on what you have and nobody has been more generous to you than your heavenly father which is the point that Jesus is making he gave us his only son so that we might have eternal life and it cost he humbled himself by becoming a man dying in our place on the cross going to hell for us rising again from the dead so that we can have eternal life what shall we say to these things Paul wrote if God is for us who can be against us he who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all how will he not also with him graciously give us all things let's pray father in heaven thank you for your word thank you for the warning and the encouragement of Jesus here in this sermon we live in a wealthy country and by comparison with the rest of the world we are wealthier than most comparison with the rest of humans who've lived throughout history we are vastly more wealthy than most so I pray that you would make us generous generous in our giving generous with our time generous with our love for others out of love for you we pray in Christ's name amen