WEBVTT

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 Welcome again, and let's turn to the scriptures.

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! Let's open up to Matthew 6, verses 19-24.

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 Let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's word.

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! Heavenly Father, this passage which you have spoken to us,

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 have preserved in your word for us,

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 is a matter of eternal consequence.

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 And you say in your word that you are jealous

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 for your spirit that is within us,

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 and that you command and you demand

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 exclusive allegiance to you.

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 You call us to love you with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

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 Lord, right at the onset, Lord, we confess the poverty of our affections,

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 the deficiency of our love.

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 We ask that you would expose that and convict that,

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 but that you would go beyond that also to comfort us

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 with the mercy and grace that is found in Jesus Christ,

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 and that by his grace you would transform us to treasure you above all things.

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 In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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 If you're able, please stand so that we can honor God as we read from his word.

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 I'm going to read Matthew 6, verses 19-24.

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 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,

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 where moth and rust destroy,

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 and where thieves break in and steal.

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 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

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 where neither moth nor rust destroys,

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 and where thieves do not break in and steal.

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 For where your treasure is,

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 there your heart will be also.

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 The eye is the lamp of the body,

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 so if your eye is healthy,

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 your whole body will be full of light.

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 But if your eye is bad,

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 your whole body will be full of darkness.

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 If then the light in you is darkness,

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 how great is the darkness!

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 No one can serve two masters,

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 for either he will hate the one and love the other,

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 or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

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 You cannot serve God and money.

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 This is God's holy and authoritative word.

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 Please be seated.

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 Whether you are an atheist,

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 or an agnostic,

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 or an adherent of organized religion,

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 everyone worships something.

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 Sure, you might not make an altar

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 before which you bow down and make sacrifices,

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 but if you're still worshiping something,

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 because Jesus teaches us in this passage

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 that worship ultimately is about

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 what we treasure above all else.

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 When you treasure something,

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 you are preoccupied with that thing.

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 You prioritize it above other things in your life.

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 When you treasure relational and social status,

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 for example,

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 you do anything.

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 You'd pay any price.

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 You'd make any sacrifice to save face

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 and to avoid shame

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 and to be accepted and popular.

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 For some people,

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 that treasure is power or prestige.

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 They do anything,

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 pay any price,

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 and make sacrifices,

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 sacrifice even their own integrity

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 and the needs of their own family members

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 to climb that ladder of success

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 to be perceived as successful,

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 to gain power.

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 For some people,

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 that treasure is sex.

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 They pursue the pleasures of sex

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 even at great personal cost to themselves,

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 even if it destroys their marriage,

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 even if it's illicit

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 and includes committing crimes.

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 For some people,

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 that treasure,

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 as this passage focuses on money,

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 they're consumed with making

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 the greatest amount of money

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 in the shortest amount of time

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 and they're always scheming

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 to acquire more and more and more

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 and their entire life

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 revolves around the pursuit of money.

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 This passage is,

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 on the surface,

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 about money,

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 but it's also about more than money.

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 I think we know that

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 because in Matthew 12,

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 34 and 35,

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 Jesus uses the language of treasure again

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 and that time he says,

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 how can you speak good

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 when you are evil?

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 For out of the abundance of the heart,

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 the mouth speaks.

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 The good person,

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 out of his good treasure,

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 brings forth good.

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 And the evil person,

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 out of his evil treasure,

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 brings forth evil.

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 In that passage,

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 Jesus is clearly speaking

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 not about literal treasure,

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 but about figurative treasure.

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 He's speaking of the treasure of the heart.

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 So we need to ask ourselves,

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 when we peel away

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 all of the layers of pretending

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 and posturing

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 and when we peel away

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 our idealized versions of ourselves

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 that we present to others

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 and get down to our real selves

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 at the core,

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 what do we believe?

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 What do we value?

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 What do we love?

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 What do we find there

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 in the heart?

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 That is the treasure of the heart.

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 And that's what Jesus is referring to here

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 in Matthew 6, 21,

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 when he says,

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 where your treasure is,

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 there your heart will be also.

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 Where your treasure is

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 reveals where your heart is.

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 The main point of Jesus' teaching

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 in this passage is simple.

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 Make the God of heaven

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 your supreme treasure.

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 We're going to first talk about

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 how we should store up

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 our treasures in heaven.

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 And then secondly,

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 about how we should set our eyes on heaven.

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 And then third,

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 about how to serve our master in heaven.

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 Jesus commands us

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 not to lay up for ourselves

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 treasures on earth.

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 Why?

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 He gives the reason.

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 Moth and rust destroy

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 and thieves break in and steal.

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 Most modern people

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 keep their wealth in banks

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 and stock markets.

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 Nowadays,

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 there are still people,

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 maybe the wealthier among us,

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 who keep safes in their houses

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 because they have valuable stuff

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 to keep in there,

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 like gold and silver bars

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 and jewelry

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 and maybe watches

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 and heirlooms

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 and collectibles,

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 so on.

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 But all of these things

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 are susceptible

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 to decay and corruption.

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 The beautiful silk dress

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 that you have

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 or the stately wool coat

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 that you have

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 or maybe the luxurious fur scarf

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 that you have

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 can all be eaten by moths,

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 literally.

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 Rolex watches

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 and expensive jewelry

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 rust

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 and corrode.

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 The road salt

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 and the harsh climates

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 and the bad drivers

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 of Boston

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 do not make a distinction

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 between

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 cheap Toyotas

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 and expensive Rolls Royces.

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 Sorry if you drive a Toyota.

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 I drive a Toyota too.

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 That's okay.

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 Yeah.

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 Rolls Royces

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 get into fender benders.

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 Their suspension system

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 rust and fall off.

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 Their battery dies.

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 Their tires wear out.

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 It's the same thing

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 that happens to your car

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 happens to that.

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 Even real estate investments

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 are not safe.

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 Many of the mansions

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 of Hollywood stars

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 were destroyed overnight

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 by the Woolsey fire

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 of 2018.

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 All earthly treasures

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 are susceptible

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 to corrosion

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 and destruction.

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 And not only do moths

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 and rust destroy,

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 the thieves also

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 break in and steal.

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 In 2016,

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 Kim Kardashian

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 was robbed

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 of 10 million in jewelry

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 by armed thieves

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 during the Paris Fashion Week.

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 I don't know why

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 she had to bring

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 10 million dollars

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 worth of jewelry to that.

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 In 2019,

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 Tamara Ecclestone,

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 who is a daughter

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 of Formula One

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 mogul Bernie Eskelstone,

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 had an estimated

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 30 plus million dollars

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 in jewelry

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 stolen by burglars

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 from the Kensington Mansion.

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 All earthly,

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 I mean,

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 you would imagine

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 they would have

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 intense security

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 for those things.

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 And I'm sure they did.

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 And even then,

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 thieves break in

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 and steal.

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 All earthly treasures

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 that we possess

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 can also be dispossessed

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 of them.

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 And it can happen

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 just like that.

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 On October 29,

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 1929,

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 the history calls

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 Black Tuesday,

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 right?

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 It's not Black Friday.

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 It's not good.

00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:33.700
 U.S. stock market

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 crashed after years

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 of reckless speculation

00:09:35.660 --> 00:09:37.080
 and inflated stock prices.

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 That triggered

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 a collapse

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 in public confidence

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 in the market,

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 which sparked

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 a chain reaction

00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:43.800
 that led to

00:09:43.800 --> 00:09:44.600
 the Great Depression.

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 Investors started

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 panic selling

00:09:47.320 --> 00:09:48.519
 all their stock

00:09:48.519 --> 00:09:49.179
 because it kept

00:09:49.179 --> 00:09:50.159
 plummeting in value.

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 They didn't want

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 to lose any more money.

00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:53.699
 And when they did that,

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 some of the banks failed

00:09:55.340 --> 00:09:56.559
 because their investments

00:09:56.559 --> 00:09:57.939
 also took a nosedive.

00:09:58.360 --> 00:09:59.220
 And when the business

00:09:59.220 --> 00:10:00.360
 couldn't pay the loans

00:10:00.360 --> 00:10:00.819
 that they'd taken

00:10:00.819 --> 00:10:01.419
 out of the banks,

00:10:01.539 --> 00:10:02.159
 the more and more

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 banks fail.

00:10:03.139 --> 00:10:04.100
 And as the banks fail,

00:10:04.179 --> 00:10:05.379
 the people are afraid

00:10:05.379 --> 00:10:05.659
 that they're going

00:10:05.659 --> 00:10:06.379
 to lose the money

00:10:06.379 --> 00:10:07.259
 that they're keeping

00:10:07.259 --> 00:10:07.720
 in the bank

00:10:07.720 --> 00:10:08.279
 because this was

00:10:08.279 --> 00:10:08.899
 back in the day

00:10:08.899 --> 00:10:09.779
 when the federal government

00:10:09.779 --> 00:10:10.600
 did not insure

00:10:10.600 --> 00:10:11.860
 our bank deposits.

00:10:12.480 --> 00:10:13.120
 And so they pull

00:10:13.120 --> 00:10:13.620
 all their money

00:10:13.620 --> 00:10:14.179
 out of the bank

00:10:14.179 --> 00:10:14.740
 and then, of course,

00:10:14.819 --> 00:10:15.220
 then the banks

00:10:15.220 --> 00:10:15.939
 lose more money.

00:10:16.019 --> 00:10:16.939
 Even more banks fail.

00:10:17.240 --> 00:10:18.000
 More people lose

00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:18.480
 their money.

00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:20.820
 Over 9,000 U.S. banks

00:10:20.820 --> 00:10:21.820
 failed in three years.

00:10:24.259 --> 00:10:24.779
 An estimate

00:10:24.779 --> 00:10:26.419
 modern equivalent

00:10:26.419 --> 00:10:27.559
 of $30 billion

00:10:27.559 --> 00:10:28.519
 of people's

00:10:28.519 --> 00:10:29.600
 hard-earned savings

00:10:29.600 --> 00:10:30.340
 were wiped out.

00:10:32.440 --> 00:10:33.360
 Millions of people

00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:34.659
 lost their life savings.

00:10:35.019 --> 00:10:35.720
 Millions of people

00:10:35.720 --> 00:10:36.639
 lost their homes.

00:10:37.220 --> 00:10:38.559
 Approximately 15 million

00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:39.840
 people lost their jobs.

00:10:40.120 --> 00:10:41.299
 One in four workers

00:10:41.299 --> 00:10:42.000
 were unemployed

00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:42.639
 at the peak

00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:43.700
 of the Great Depression.

00:10:43.700 --> 00:10:48.800
 The insecurity

00:10:48.800 --> 00:10:50.520
 of wealth

00:10:50.520 --> 00:10:52.240
 is proven

00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:53.440
 in history

00:10:53.440 --> 00:10:54.940
 over and over

00:10:54.940 --> 00:10:55.520
 again.

00:10:56.520 --> 00:10:57.660
 And yet,

00:10:57.900 --> 00:10:58.420
 so many

00:10:58.420 --> 00:10:59.840
 are preoccupied

00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:01.440
 with hoarding up

00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:02.360
 this fleeting,

00:11:02.920 --> 00:11:04.379
 fading wealth.

00:11:04.379 --> 00:11:08.620
 And even if you

00:11:08.620 --> 00:11:09.480
 manage to

00:11:09.480 --> 00:11:10.779
 protect your wealth

00:11:10.779 --> 00:11:11.919
 for the duration

00:11:11.919 --> 00:11:12.659
 of your life

00:11:12.659 --> 00:11:13.659
 from moths

00:11:13.659 --> 00:11:14.220
 and rusts

00:11:14.220 --> 00:11:14.659
 and thieves,

00:11:15.519 --> 00:11:16.860
 you still cannot

00:11:16.860 --> 00:11:17.779
 protect your wealth

00:11:17.779 --> 00:11:18.620
 from one thing.

00:11:19.100 --> 00:11:19.860
 It is death.

00:11:22.679 --> 00:11:23.759
 In Luke 12,

00:11:23.860 --> 00:11:24.539
 13 to 21,

00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:25.179
 Jesus tells

00:11:25.179 --> 00:11:25.740
 the parable

00:11:25.740 --> 00:11:26.919
 of the rich fool.

00:11:27.919 --> 00:11:29.200
 After an unusually

00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:30.100
 abundant harvest,

00:11:30.299 --> 00:11:31.000
 this rich fool

00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:31.940
 runs out of room

00:11:31.940 --> 00:11:32.779
 in his barns.

00:11:32.779 --> 00:11:34.220
 What am I going to do?

00:11:34.279 --> 00:11:35.059
 I have so much

00:11:35.059 --> 00:11:36.079
 wheat to store

00:11:36.079 --> 00:11:36.620
 and I don't have

00:11:36.620 --> 00:11:37.259
 enough barns.

00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:37.740
 Oh, I know

00:11:37.740 --> 00:11:38.279
 what I'm going to do.

00:11:38.299 --> 00:11:38.819
 I'm going to tear

00:11:38.819 --> 00:11:39.839
 down all my barns

00:11:39.839 --> 00:11:40.539
 and then build

00:11:40.539 --> 00:11:41.939
 larger, bigger ones

00:11:41.939 --> 00:11:42.919
 so I can store

00:11:42.919 --> 00:11:44.399
 everything in my barns

00:11:44.399 --> 00:11:45.299
 and then I can say

00:11:45.299 --> 00:11:45.839
 to myself,

00:11:46.019 --> 00:11:47.059
 soul, you have ample

00:11:47.059 --> 00:11:47.740
 goods laid up

00:11:47.740 --> 00:11:48.399
 for many years.

00:11:48.539 --> 00:11:50.019
 Relax, eat, drink,

00:11:50.279 --> 00:11:50.740
 be merry.

00:11:51.720 --> 00:11:52.879
 But God says

00:11:52.879 --> 00:11:53.720
 to this rich man,

00:11:54.379 --> 00:11:54.679
 fool,

00:11:55.419 --> 00:11:56.220
 this night

00:11:56.220 --> 00:11:57.240
 your soul

00:11:57.240 --> 00:11:58.139
 is required of you

00:11:58.139 --> 00:11:59.299
 and the things

00:11:59.299 --> 00:12:00.059
 you have prepared,

00:12:00.679 --> 00:12:02.079
 whose will they be?

00:12:02.080 --> 00:12:05.200
 And after

00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:06.400
 telling this parable,

00:12:06.520 --> 00:12:07.280
 Jesus concludes,

00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:08.660
 so is the one

00:12:08.660 --> 00:12:09.580
 who lays up

00:12:09.580 --> 00:12:11.020
 treasure for himself

00:12:11.020 --> 00:12:13.100
 and is not rich

00:12:13.100 --> 00:12:14.139
 toward God.

00:12:15.660 --> 00:12:16.580
 None of us know

00:12:16.580 --> 00:12:17.400
 when we're going to die

00:12:17.400 --> 00:12:19.300
 but when that day comes

00:12:19.300 --> 00:12:19.920
 we can be certain

00:12:19.920 --> 00:12:20.379
 that we're not going

00:12:20.379 --> 00:12:20.940
 to take any

00:12:20.940 --> 00:12:22.240
 of our stuff

00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:22.860
 with us.

00:12:25.440 --> 00:12:26.600
 This is the folly

00:12:26.600 --> 00:12:27.420
 of the trending

00:12:27.420 --> 00:12:28.879
 fire movement.

00:12:29.620 --> 00:12:30.160
 I think Gary

00:12:30.160 --> 00:12:30.940
 told me about this.

00:12:30.940 --> 00:12:31.760
 F-I-R-E,

00:12:31.860 --> 00:12:32.160
 you guys know

00:12:32.160 --> 00:12:32.600
 about this?

00:12:33.380 --> 00:12:34.220
 If you're Gen Z

00:12:34.220 --> 00:12:34.760
 you probably know

00:12:34.760 --> 00:12:35.080
 about it.

00:12:35.960 --> 00:12:36.960
 It stands for

00:12:36.960 --> 00:12:38.160
 Financial Independence

00:12:38.160 --> 00:12:39.080
 Retire Early,

00:12:39.220 --> 00:12:39.980
 F-I-R-E.

00:12:40.400 --> 00:12:41.100
 And many among

00:12:41.100 --> 00:12:41.580
 the Gen Z

00:12:41.580 --> 00:12:42.000
 apparently,

00:12:42.120 --> 00:12:42.740
 this is what I hear,

00:12:42.800 --> 00:12:43.360
 are practicing

00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:44.680
 extreme frugality

00:12:44.680 --> 00:12:45.820
 and high savings

00:12:45.820 --> 00:12:47.340
 in order to achieve

00:12:47.340 --> 00:12:48.360
 financial independence

00:12:48.360 --> 00:12:49.380
 and retire early.

00:12:50.820 --> 00:12:51.620
 But as we have

00:12:51.620 --> 00:12:52.300
 seen already,

00:12:53.100 --> 00:12:53.900
 earthly wealth

00:12:53.900 --> 00:12:54.920
 is extremely

00:12:54.920 --> 00:12:55.500
 volatile

00:12:55.500 --> 00:12:56.940
 and insecure.

00:12:59.259 --> 00:13:00.779
 And many of those

00:13:00.779 --> 00:13:01.480
 Gen Zers

00:13:01.480 --> 00:13:02.740
 are going to die

00:13:02.740 --> 00:13:03.899
 before they can

00:13:03.899 --> 00:13:05.080
 retire and enjoy

00:13:05.080 --> 00:13:05.659
 their savings.

00:13:09.879 --> 00:13:11.019
 I often see

00:13:11.019 --> 00:13:12.159
 a funeral procession

00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:12.659
 because there are

00:13:12.659 --> 00:13:13.600
 several funeral homes

00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:14.299
 in East Cambridge.

00:13:14.720 --> 00:13:15.460
 I often see

00:13:15.460 --> 00:13:16.159
 a funeral procession

00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:17.259
 of cars going by,

00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:18.740
 going from the funeral home

00:13:18.740 --> 00:13:19.620
 to the grave site.

00:13:19.779 --> 00:13:20.720
 It's usually led

00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:21.879
 by a funeral coach,

00:13:22.019 --> 00:13:23.340
 also known as a hearse,

00:13:23.340 --> 00:13:24.700
 which is typically

00:13:24.700 --> 00:13:25.820
 a Lincoln or a Cadillac

00:13:25.820 --> 00:13:26.500
 that's been modified

00:13:26.500 --> 00:13:27.759
 to fit the long

00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:28.740
 casket in the back.

00:13:29.840 --> 00:13:30.780
 And I don't know

00:13:30.780 --> 00:13:31.240
 if you noticed,

00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:32.720
 but I have never seen

00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:33.800
 a hearse

00:13:33.800 --> 00:13:36.759
 with a U-Haul

00:13:36.759 --> 00:13:37.940
 cargo trailer

00:13:37.940 --> 00:13:38.899
 hitched behind it.

00:13:41.160 --> 00:13:41.680
 Why?

00:13:41.780 --> 00:13:42.879
 Because nobody

00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:43.600
 takes anything

00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:44.200
 to the grave.

00:13:45.680 --> 00:13:46.560
 Nobody takes

00:13:46.560 --> 00:13:47.540
 any of their stuff

00:13:47.540 --> 00:13:48.379
 to the life

00:13:48.379 --> 00:13:48.800
 thereafter.

00:13:48.799 --> 00:13:54.079
 And these pitfalls

00:13:54.079 --> 00:13:55.259
 apply not only

00:13:55.259 --> 00:13:56.559
 to material goods

00:13:56.559 --> 00:13:57.179
 and wealth,

00:13:57.299 --> 00:13:57.839
 but also to

00:13:57.839 --> 00:13:59.500
 all earthly treasures.

00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:02.659
 Social status

00:14:02.659 --> 00:14:03.339
 and fame

00:14:03.339 --> 00:14:04.339
 are also fleeting.

00:14:05.859 --> 00:14:07.079
 According to researchers

00:14:07.079 --> 00:14:07.679
 from Google,

00:14:07.839 --> 00:14:08.079
 eBay,

00:14:08.259 --> 00:14:08.959
 and UC Berkeley,

00:14:09.719 --> 00:14:10.459
 viral fame

00:14:10.459 --> 00:14:11.559
 that so many

00:14:11.559 --> 00:14:12.219
 young people

00:14:12.219 --> 00:14:12.979
 aspire to

00:14:12.979 --> 00:14:14.319
 usually lasts

00:14:14.319 --> 00:14:15.519
 seven days.

00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:19.360
 it's not

00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:20.819
 quite as short

00:14:20.819 --> 00:14:21.620
 as the proverbial

00:14:21.620 --> 00:14:22.840
 15 minutes of fame,

00:14:22.939 --> 00:14:23.840
 but that's pretty close,

00:14:23.879 --> 00:14:24.199
 isn't it?

00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:28.740
 That's because of

00:14:28.740 --> 00:14:29.840
 the oversaturation

00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:30.360
 of the internet.

00:14:30.759 --> 00:14:31.480
 Every minute,

00:14:31.659 --> 00:14:33.059
 48 hours of video

00:14:33.059 --> 00:14:34.120
 is uploaded to YouTube

00:14:34.120 --> 00:14:35.259
 and you think

00:14:35.259 --> 00:14:35.960
 that you can keep up

00:14:35.960 --> 00:14:36.259
 with that?

00:14:37.259 --> 00:14:38.699
 Our attention spans

00:14:38.699 --> 00:14:39.960
 are getting ever shorter

00:14:39.960 --> 00:14:41.419
 and the fickle audience,

00:14:41.899 --> 00:14:44.199
 they easily fatigue

00:14:44.200 --> 00:14:44.879
 and move on

00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:45.860
 from what they saw.

00:14:47.140 --> 00:14:48.460
 There are 27 million

00:14:48.460 --> 00:14:49.640
 paid content creators

00:14:49.640 --> 00:14:50.180
 in the U.S.,

00:14:50.180 --> 00:14:51.520
 200 million globally.

00:14:53.379 --> 00:14:54.800
 And according to Linktree,

00:14:55.259 --> 00:14:58.120
 72% of all content creators

00:14:58.120 --> 00:14:59.020
 full-time and part-time

00:14:59.020 --> 00:15:01.060
 make less than $500 a year.

00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:07.440
 Even if you become

00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:08.440
 the rare person

00:15:08.440 --> 00:15:10.540
 that finds enduring fame

00:15:10.540 --> 00:15:11.840
 throughout your life,

00:15:12.460 --> 00:15:13.920
 you will one day die

00:15:13.919 --> 00:15:15.159
 and then you will be forgotten.

00:15:16.939 --> 00:15:17.919
 Even if you are

00:15:17.919 --> 00:15:18.879
 immortalized,

00:15:18.939 --> 00:15:19.379
 quote-unquote,

00:15:19.579 --> 00:15:20.479
 with a statue

00:15:20.479 --> 00:15:23.959
 inducted into

00:15:23.959 --> 00:15:24.879
 the Hall of Fame,

00:15:25.639 --> 00:15:26.479
 have a building

00:15:26.479 --> 00:15:27.579
 named after you

00:15:27.579 --> 00:15:28.419
 in your honor

00:15:28.419 --> 00:15:29.639
 at a college campus,

00:15:30.279 --> 00:15:30.779
 someday,

00:15:31.259 --> 00:15:32.039
 someone will take

00:15:32.039 --> 00:15:33.479
 your name down,

00:15:34.139 --> 00:15:34.839
 raise that building

00:15:34.839 --> 00:15:35.579
 and build a new one

00:15:35.579 --> 00:15:36.519
 named after someone else.

00:15:36.599 --> 00:15:37.179
 Someone will take

00:15:37.179 --> 00:15:38.179
 that statue down

00:15:38.179 --> 00:15:39.399
 as the values

00:15:39.399 --> 00:15:40.399
 of the culture changes.

00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:43.819
 what is it that you

00:15:43.819 --> 00:15:45.500
 treasure in this life?

00:15:46.959 --> 00:15:48.539
 All pleasures fade.

00:15:49.459 --> 00:15:51.340
 All loved ones die.

00:15:52.379 --> 00:15:54.019
 All the treasures of earth

00:15:54.019 --> 00:15:56.240
 are by nature fleeting.

00:15:58.299 --> 00:15:59.319
 D. Martin Luther Jones

00:15:59.319 --> 00:16:00.579
 puts it helpfully.

00:16:00.740 --> 00:16:00.939
 He says,

00:16:00.940 --> 00:16:02.460
 your most beautiful flower

00:16:02.460 --> 00:16:03.640
 is beginning to die

00:16:03.640 --> 00:16:04.520
 immediately.

00:16:04.760 --> 00:16:05.380
 You pluck it.

00:16:06.460 --> 00:16:07.060
 You will soon

00:16:07.060 --> 00:16:07.940
 have to throw it away.

00:16:08.700 --> 00:16:09.480
 That is true

00:16:09.480 --> 00:16:09.900
 of everything

00:16:09.900 --> 00:16:10.980
 in this life and world.

00:16:11.340 --> 00:16:12.300
 It does not matter

00:16:12.300 --> 00:16:12.960
 what it is.

00:16:13.020 --> 00:16:13.720
 It is passing.

00:16:13.900 --> 00:16:15.100
 It is all fading away.

00:16:16.100 --> 00:16:17.360
 Everything that has life

00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:17.780
 is,

00:16:17.860 --> 00:16:19.020
 as the result of sin,

00:16:19.280 --> 00:16:20.980
 subject to this process.

00:16:21.600 --> 00:16:22.420
 Moth and rust

00:16:22.420 --> 00:16:23.240
 doth corrupt.

00:16:24.040 --> 00:16:25.360
 Things develop holes

00:16:25.360 --> 00:16:26.200
 and become useless,

00:16:26.360 --> 00:16:26.900
 and at the end,

00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:27.460
 they are gone

00:16:27.460 --> 00:16:28.600
 and become utterly corrupt.

00:16:28.600 --> 00:16:30.620
 The most perfect physique

00:16:30.620 --> 00:16:31.820
 will eventually give way

00:16:31.820 --> 00:16:33.100
 and break down and die.

00:16:33.580 --> 00:16:35.320
 The most beautiful countenance

00:16:35.320 --> 00:16:36.220
 will in a sense

00:16:36.220 --> 00:16:36.960
 become ugly

00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:38.240
 when the process of corruption

00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:39.080
 has got going.

00:16:39.500 --> 00:16:40.700
 The brightest gifts

00:16:40.700 --> 00:16:41.560
 tend to fade.

00:16:41.840 --> 00:16:42.800
 Your great genius

00:16:42.800 --> 00:16:44.139
 may be seen gibbering

00:16:44.139 --> 00:16:44.840
 in delirium

00:16:44.840 --> 00:16:46.139
 as a result of disease.

00:16:46.840 --> 00:16:47.920
 However wonderful

00:16:47.920 --> 00:16:48.680
 and beautiful

00:16:48.680 --> 00:16:50.440
 and glorious things may be,

00:16:50.700 --> 00:16:52.279
 they all perish.

00:16:55.240 --> 00:16:56.960
 It is foolish, therefore,

00:16:56.960 --> 00:16:58.519
 to store up our treasures

00:16:58.519 --> 00:16:59.160
 on earth,

00:16:59.540 --> 00:17:00.740
 to make treasures

00:17:00.740 --> 00:17:02.560
 of the perishable things

00:17:02.560 --> 00:17:03.019
 of earth.

00:17:04.319 --> 00:17:04.779
 Instead,

00:17:05.019 --> 00:17:06.100
 Jesus says in verse 20,

00:17:06.220 --> 00:17:07.160
 lay up for yourselves

00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:08.220
 treasures in heaven

00:17:08.220 --> 00:17:09.600
 where neither moth

00:17:09.600 --> 00:17:10.660
 nor rust destroys

00:17:10.660 --> 00:17:11.440
 and where thieves

00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:12.460
 do not break in

00:17:12.460 --> 00:17:13.039
 and steal.

00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:15.940
 Matthew uses the word heaven

00:17:15.940 --> 00:17:17.279
 more than any other author

00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:17.720
 in the Bible,

00:17:18.420 --> 00:17:19.160
 Old and New Testament.

00:17:19.420 --> 00:17:21.259
 And in Matthew 5, 34,

00:17:21.720 --> 00:17:22.740
 Jesus told us

00:17:22.740 --> 00:17:24.400
 exactly what he means

00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:25.120
 by heaven

00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:26.819
 when he commended us

00:17:26.819 --> 00:17:27.899
 not to take an oath

00:17:27.899 --> 00:17:29.039
 by heaven

00:17:29.039 --> 00:17:31.099
 for it is

00:17:31.099 --> 00:17:32.739
 the throne of God.

00:17:33.959 --> 00:17:35.459
 That's how Jesus himself

00:17:35.459 --> 00:17:36.279
 defined heaven

00:17:36.279 --> 00:17:37.519
 in the Gospel of Matthew.

00:17:37.919 --> 00:17:39.879
 Heaven is the throne of God.

00:17:39.939 --> 00:17:40.519
 It's a place

00:17:40.519 --> 00:17:42.239
 from which God rules.

00:17:43.399 --> 00:17:44.199
 And that's why

00:17:44.199 --> 00:17:44.899
 the word heaven

00:17:44.899 --> 00:17:46.059
 is most often

00:17:46.059 --> 00:17:46.899
 associated

00:17:46.899 --> 00:17:47.979
 in the Gospel of Matthew

00:17:47.979 --> 00:17:48.959
 with expressions like

00:17:48.959 --> 00:17:50.139
 kingdom of heaven

00:17:50.139 --> 00:17:51.739
 or our Father

00:17:51.739 --> 00:17:52.939
 who is in heaven.

00:17:52.940 --> 00:17:54.500
 So what then

00:17:54.500 --> 00:17:55.640
 are the treasures

00:17:55.640 --> 00:17:56.299
 in heaven?

00:17:56.980 --> 00:17:57.840
 What does it mean

00:17:57.840 --> 00:17:58.680
 to lay up,

00:17:59.080 --> 00:17:59.820
 store up treasures

00:17:59.820 --> 00:18:00.420
 in heaven?

00:18:01.860 --> 00:18:02.680
 It means,

00:18:02.820 --> 00:18:03.940
 as it says in verse 33,

00:18:04.440 --> 00:18:06.080
 to seek first

00:18:06.080 --> 00:18:07.860
 the kingdom of God

00:18:07.860 --> 00:18:09.279
 and his righteousness.

00:18:11.360 --> 00:18:12.340
 Rather than being

00:18:12.340 --> 00:18:13.480
 preoccupied with

00:18:13.480 --> 00:18:15.240
 earthly and worldly concerns,

00:18:15.700 --> 00:18:16.500
 to lay up treasures

00:18:16.500 --> 00:18:17.120
 in heaven

00:18:17.120 --> 00:18:17.799
 then means

00:18:17.799 --> 00:18:18.860
 to make the God

00:18:18.860 --> 00:18:19.580
 of heaven

00:18:19.580 --> 00:18:21.400
 our supreme treasure.

00:18:21.400 --> 00:18:23.540
 to live for

00:18:23.540 --> 00:18:25.100
 his heavenly purposes

00:18:25.100 --> 00:18:27.420
 and his heavenly priorities

00:18:27.420 --> 00:18:29.180
 rather than our own

00:18:29.180 --> 00:18:30.060
 earthly purposes

00:18:30.060 --> 00:18:31.040
 and priorities.

00:18:33.720 --> 00:18:34.780
 It's similar to what

00:18:34.780 --> 00:18:36.560
 Jesus said in John 6, 27.

00:18:36.740 --> 00:18:37.420
 Do not work

00:18:37.420 --> 00:18:38.080
 for the food

00:18:38.080 --> 00:18:38.840
 that perishes

00:18:38.840 --> 00:18:40.040
 but for the food

00:18:40.040 --> 00:18:40.940
 that endures

00:18:40.940 --> 00:18:42.320
 to eternal life

00:18:42.320 --> 00:18:43.920
 which the Son of Man

00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:44.759
 will give to you.

00:18:46.220 --> 00:18:47.259
 Life is about

00:18:47.259 --> 00:18:48.259
 so much more

00:18:48.259 --> 00:18:50.240
 than making money

00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:51.380
 and then spending money

00:18:51.380 --> 00:18:52.960
 and eating food

00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:54.579
 and ingesting food

00:18:54.579 --> 00:18:55.819
 that you digested

00:18:55.819 --> 00:18:58.819
 and working

00:18:58.819 --> 00:19:00.700
 and then vacationing.

00:19:02.039 --> 00:19:03.819
 We are people

00:19:03.819 --> 00:19:05.779
 with eternal destinies.

00:19:08.460 --> 00:19:09.980
 And God wants us

00:19:09.980 --> 00:19:11.640
 to prepare for that reality.

00:19:11.640 --> 00:19:14.320
 If we take

00:19:14.320 --> 00:19:16.020
 such care

00:19:16.020 --> 00:19:17.100
 of ourselves

00:19:17.100 --> 00:19:18.900
 here and now

00:19:18.900 --> 00:19:19.920
 when our life

00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:20.340
 is only

00:19:20.340 --> 00:19:21.680
 70 to 80

00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:23.020
 years long

00:19:23.020 --> 00:19:27.020
 how much more

00:19:27.020 --> 00:19:27.860
 than should we provide

00:19:27.860 --> 00:19:28.720
 for and take care

00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:30.100
 for our eternal life?

00:19:33.600 --> 00:19:34.820
 Are you preparing

00:19:34.820 --> 00:19:35.800
 for eternal life?

00:19:37.180 --> 00:19:38.480
 Do you care

00:19:38.480 --> 00:19:39.860
 about the salvation

00:19:39.859 --> 00:19:41.899
 of the eternal souls

00:19:41.899 --> 00:19:43.319
 of your children?

00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:44.740
 Do you care

00:19:44.740 --> 00:19:45.619
 about the salvation

00:19:45.619 --> 00:19:46.939
 of the eternal souls

00:19:46.939 --> 00:19:47.899
 of your neighbors

00:19:47.899 --> 00:19:48.559
 around you?

00:19:54.559 --> 00:19:55.559
 This contrast

00:19:55.559 --> 00:19:56.619
 between earthly treasures

00:19:56.619 --> 00:19:57.699
 and heavenly treasures

00:19:57.699 --> 00:19:58.519
 is undoubtedly

00:19:58.519 --> 00:19:59.879
 connected to

00:19:59.879 --> 00:20:00.479
 the principle

00:20:00.479 --> 00:20:01.259
 that has dominated

00:20:01.259 --> 00:20:01.959
 chapter 6

00:20:01.959 --> 00:20:02.740
 up to this point.

00:20:03.779 --> 00:20:04.259
 Jesus said

00:20:04.259 --> 00:20:04.979
 early in verse 4

00:20:04.979 --> 00:20:05.619
 that we should give

00:20:05.619 --> 00:20:06.279
 to the needy

00:20:06.279 --> 00:20:07.059
 in secret

00:20:07.059 --> 00:20:08.019
 so that our Father

00:20:08.019 --> 00:20:08.979
 who sees in secret

00:20:08.979 --> 00:20:09.779
 will reward us.

00:20:10.439 --> 00:20:10.859
 He said

00:20:10.859 --> 00:20:11.579
 in verse 6

00:20:11.579 --> 00:20:12.419
 that we should pray

00:20:12.419 --> 00:20:13.079
 in secret

00:20:13.079 --> 00:20:13.799
 so that our Father

00:20:13.799 --> 00:20:14.879
 who sees in secret

00:20:14.879 --> 00:20:16.019
 will reward us.

00:20:16.299 --> 00:20:16.599
 And again

00:20:16.599 --> 00:20:17.299
 in verse 18

00:20:17.299 --> 00:20:17.659
 Jesus said

00:20:17.659 --> 00:20:18.419
 we should fast

00:20:18.419 --> 00:20:19.019
 in secret

00:20:19.019 --> 00:20:19.759
 so that our Father

00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:21.000
 who sees in secret

00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:21.959
 will reward us.

00:20:22.199 --> 00:20:22.679
 Repeatedly

00:20:22.679 --> 00:20:23.399
 we have been taught

00:20:23.399 --> 00:20:24.859
 not to practice

00:20:24.859 --> 00:20:25.559
 our righteousness

00:20:25.559 --> 00:20:27.319
 before other people

00:20:27.319 --> 00:20:28.579
 in order to be seen

00:20:28.579 --> 00:20:29.119
 by them

00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:30.099
 for then

00:20:30.099 --> 00:20:30.579
 we will have

00:20:30.579 --> 00:20:31.179
 no reward

00:20:31.179 --> 00:20:31.879
 from our Father

00:20:31.879 --> 00:20:32.299
 in heaven

00:20:32.299 --> 00:20:33.019
 who is in heaven.

00:20:33.799 --> 00:20:34.799
 The same idea

00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:35.759
 I think is present

00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:36.599
 in this passage.

00:20:37.219 --> 00:20:37.819
 If all

00:20:37.819 --> 00:20:38.879
 that we care about

00:20:38.879 --> 00:20:40.000
 are treasures

00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:40.819
 on earth

00:20:40.819 --> 00:20:43.019
 things you can see

00:20:43.019 --> 00:20:43.740
 and touch

00:20:43.740 --> 00:20:44.339
 and hold

00:20:44.339 --> 00:20:45.099
 and show off

00:20:45.099 --> 00:20:45.619
 to others

00:20:45.619 --> 00:20:46.960
 if that's all

00:20:46.960 --> 00:20:47.619
 that you care about

00:20:47.619 --> 00:20:48.200
 the treasures

00:20:48.200 --> 00:20:48.819
 on earth

00:20:48.819 --> 00:20:51.399
 earthly recognition

00:20:51.399 --> 00:20:51.339
!

00:20:51.339 --> 00:20:51.919
 and acclaimed

00:20:51.919 --> 00:20:52.500
 by men

00:20:52.500 --> 00:20:54.599
 then it betrays

00:20:54.599 --> 00:20:55.599
 where our heart

00:20:55.599 --> 00:20:56.959
 actually is.

00:21:00.339 --> 00:21:01.299
 That we are not

00:21:01.299 --> 00:21:02.019
 citizens of the

00:21:02.019 --> 00:21:02.799
 kingdom of heaven

00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:04.199
 but citizens

00:21:04.199 --> 00:21:04.659
 of the kingdom

00:21:04.659 --> 00:21:05.119
 of earth.

00:21:06.639 --> 00:21:07.659
 That our Master

00:21:07.659 --> 00:21:08.359
 is not the God

00:21:08.359 --> 00:21:08.779
 of heaven

00:21:08.779 --> 00:21:09.599
 but mammon

00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:10.559
 money.

00:21:11.480 --> 00:21:12.359
 That our Father

00:21:12.359 --> 00:21:13.259
 is not the Father

00:21:13.259 --> 00:21:13.759
 in heaven

00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:14.859
 but the ruler

00:21:14.859 --> 00:21:15.579
 of this world.

00:21:18.859 --> 00:21:19.559
 Paul writes

00:21:19.559 --> 00:21:20.619
 in 2 Corinthians 4.18

00:21:20.619 --> 00:21:21.139
 we look

00:21:21.139 --> 00:21:22.439
 not to the things

00:21:22.439 --> 00:21:23.299
 that are seen

00:21:23.299 --> 00:21:24.459
 but to the things

00:21:24.459 --> 00:21:25.379
 that are unseen

00:21:25.379 --> 00:21:26.399
 for the things

00:21:26.399 --> 00:21:27.139
 that are seen

00:21:27.139 --> 00:21:27.899
 are transient

00:21:27.899 --> 00:21:28.579
 but the things

00:21:28.579 --> 00:21:29.379
 that are unseen

00:21:29.379 --> 00:21:30.199
 are eternal.

00:21:31.099 --> 00:21:32.000
 Immediately after that

00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:32.519
 Paul goes on

00:21:32.519 --> 00:21:33.079
 to talk about

00:21:33.079 --> 00:21:33.639
 our eternal

00:21:33.639 --> 00:21:34.539
 heavenly dwellings.

00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:36.459
 So what do you

00:21:36.459 --> 00:21:36.979
 treasure?

00:21:37.899 --> 00:21:38.659
 Do you treasure

00:21:38.659 --> 00:21:39.759
 things that are seen

00:21:39.759 --> 00:21:41.479
 or things

00:21:41.479 --> 00:21:42.479
 that are unseen?

00:21:45.699 --> 00:21:46.939
 In verse 21

00:21:46.939 --> 00:21:48.059
 Jesus shifts

00:21:48.059 --> 00:21:48.779
 this is

00:21:48.779 --> 00:21:49.559
 from the

00:21:49.559 --> 00:21:50.079
 using the

00:21:50.079 --> 00:21:50.759
 second person

00:21:50.759 --> 00:21:51.659
 plural pronoun

00:21:51.659 --> 00:21:52.960
 to using

00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:53.859
 the singular

00:21:53.859 --> 00:21:54.960
 second person

00:21:54.960 --> 00:21:55.319
 pronoun.

00:21:56.700 --> 00:21:57.119
 You just have

00:21:57.119 --> 00:21:57.759
 to take my word

00:21:57.759 --> 00:21:57.940
 for it

00:21:57.940 --> 00:21:58.379
 because you can't

00:21:58.379 --> 00:21:59.039
 tell it in English

00:21:59.039 --> 00:22:00.519
 because you

00:22:00.519 --> 00:22:00.919
 and you are

00:22:00.919 --> 00:22:01.299
 the same

00:22:01.299 --> 00:22:01.720
 in singular

00:22:01.720 --> 00:22:02.059
 and plural.

00:22:02.059 --> 00:22:02.119
 plural.

00:22:04.119 --> 00:22:04.960
 But in Greek

00:22:04.960 --> 00:22:05.659
 that's distinct

00:22:05.659 --> 00:22:06.619
 and I think

00:22:06.619 --> 00:22:07.519
 Jesus makes

00:22:07.519 --> 00:22:08.379
 that shift

00:22:08.379 --> 00:22:10.039
 to single

00:22:10.039 --> 00:22:11.059
 each of us

00:22:11.059 --> 00:22:11.679
 out.

00:22:13.679 --> 00:22:14.220
 Talks about

00:22:14.220 --> 00:22:14.659
 treasures

00:22:14.659 --> 00:22:15.700
 in heaven

00:22:15.700 --> 00:22:16.899
 but then now

00:22:16.899 --> 00:22:17.619
 he turns to

00:22:17.619 --> 00:22:18.059
 asking

00:22:18.059 --> 00:22:19.379
 what do

00:22:19.379 --> 00:22:20.259
 you

00:22:20.259 --> 00:22:20.899
 treasure?

00:22:22.220 --> 00:22:22.740
 Now what do

00:22:22.740 --> 00:22:23.179
 you all

00:22:23.179 --> 00:22:23.599
 treasure?

00:22:23.919 --> 00:22:24.759
 What do you

00:22:24.759 --> 00:22:25.720
 as an individual

00:22:25.720 --> 00:22:27.119
 treasure in your

00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:27.559
 life?

00:22:31.500 --> 00:22:32.159
 Because the

00:22:32.159 --> 00:22:32.719
 point is

00:22:32.719 --> 00:22:33.639
 not that we

00:22:33.639 --> 00:22:34.299
 should accumulate

00:22:34.299 --> 00:22:35.399
 many rewards

00:22:35.399 --> 00:22:35.839
 in heaven

00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:36.639
 although other

00:22:36.639 --> 00:22:37.219
 passages of

00:22:37.219 --> 00:22:37.639
 scripture do

00:22:37.639 --> 00:22:38.279
 speak of that

00:22:38.279 --> 00:22:38.679
 and there's a

00:22:38.679 --> 00:22:39.299
 place for that.

00:22:40.199 --> 00:22:41.159
 In this passage

00:22:41.159 --> 00:22:41.699
 the point is

00:22:41.699 --> 00:22:42.219
 not that you

00:22:42.219 --> 00:22:42.959
 should accumulate

00:22:42.959 --> 00:22:43.959
 many treasures

00:22:43.959 --> 00:22:44.419
 in heaven

00:22:44.419 --> 00:22:45.479
 but that you

00:22:45.479 --> 00:22:46.239
 should have

00:22:46.239 --> 00:22:47.779
 one singular

00:22:47.779 --> 00:22:48.319
 treasure

00:22:48.319 --> 00:22:52.619
 namely God.

00:22:52.619 --> 00:22:56.599
 Jesus saying

00:22:56.599 --> 00:22:56.939
 that we

00:22:56.939 --> 00:22:57.500
 should work

00:22:57.500 --> 00:22:57.859
 for the

00:22:57.859 --> 00:22:58.379
 food that

00:22:58.379 --> 00:22:59.299
 endures to

00:22:59.299 --> 00:23:00.139
 eternal life.

00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:01.859
 The treasures

00:23:01.859 --> 00:23:02.399
 of heaven

00:23:02.399 --> 00:23:02.919
 in this

00:23:02.919 --> 00:23:03.500
 passage

00:23:03.500 --> 00:23:04.459
 are figurative

00:23:04.459 --> 00:23:05.179
 for the

00:23:05.179 --> 00:23:05.899
 eternal life

00:23:05.899 --> 00:23:06.279
 that Jesus

00:23:06.279 --> 00:23:07.359
 speaks of

00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:07.819
 elsewhere.

00:23:08.399 --> 00:23:08.859
 Later in

00:23:08.859 --> 00:23:09.519
 Matthew 19

00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:09.919
 29

00:23:09.919 --> 00:23:10.439
 Jesus says

00:23:10.439 --> 00:23:11.099
 everyone who

00:23:11.099 --> 00:23:11.459
 has left

00:23:11.459 --> 00:23:12.039
 houses or

00:23:12.039 --> 00:23:12.539
 brothers or

00:23:12.539 --> 00:23:13.079
 sisters or

00:23:13.079 --> 00:23:13.839
 father or

00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:14.379
 mother or

00:23:14.379 --> 00:23:15.119
 children or

00:23:15.119 --> 00:23:15.899
 lands for

00:23:15.899 --> 00:23:16.719
 my name's

00:23:16.719 --> 00:23:17.500
 sake will

00:23:17.500 --> 00:23:18.139
 receive a

00:23:18.139 --> 00:23:19.000
 hundredfold and

00:23:19.000 --> 00:23:19.500
 will inherit

00:23:19.500 --> 00:23:20.539
 eternal life.

00:23:21.639 --> 00:23:22.139
 Again in

00:23:22.140 --> 00:23:22.860
 Matthew 16

00:23:22.860 --> 00:23:23.840
 25 to 26

00:23:23.840 --> 00:23:24.380
 for whoever

00:23:24.380 --> 00:23:24.980
 would save

00:23:24.980 --> 00:23:25.400
 his life

00:23:25.400 --> 00:23:26.280
 will lose

00:23:26.280 --> 00:23:26.740
 it but

00:23:26.740 --> 00:23:27.480
 whoever loses

00:23:27.480 --> 00:23:28.120
 his life for

00:23:28.120 --> 00:23:28.940
 my sake will

00:23:28.940 --> 00:23:29.640
 find it.

00:23:29.980 --> 00:23:30.720
 For what will

00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:31.640
 it profit a

00:23:31.640 --> 00:23:32.320
 man if he

00:23:32.320 --> 00:23:32.780
 gains the

00:23:32.780 --> 00:23:33.520
 whole world

00:23:33.520 --> 00:23:34.640
 and forfeits

00:23:34.640 --> 00:23:35.080
 his soul?

00:23:35.840 --> 00:23:36.600
 Or what shall

00:23:36.600 --> 00:23:37.180
 a man give

00:23:37.180 --> 00:23:38.120
 in return for

00:23:38.120 --> 00:23:38.780
 his soul?

00:23:40.580 --> 00:23:41.520
 This is not a

00:23:41.520 --> 00:23:42.320
 choice between

00:23:42.320 --> 00:23:43.040
 greater

00:23:43.040 --> 00:23:44.120
 sanctification and

00:23:44.120 --> 00:23:44.380
 lesser

00:23:44.380 --> 00:23:45.720
 sanctification or

00:23:45.720 --> 00:23:46.720
 greater obedience

00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:47.180
 and lesser

00:23:47.180 --> 00:23:47.600
 obedience.

00:23:47.820 --> 00:23:48.600
 It is the

00:23:48.600 --> 00:23:50.120
 contrast that

00:23:50.120 --> 00:23:50.540
 Jesus is

00:23:50.540 --> 00:23:51.280
 presenting to us

00:23:51.280 --> 00:23:51.860
 here is the

00:23:51.859 --> 00:23:53.219
 stark ultimate

00:23:53.219 --> 00:23:54.619
 choice between

00:23:54.619 --> 00:23:55.519
 God and

00:23:55.519 --> 00:23:55.839
 money.

00:23:56.419 --> 00:23:57.599
 You cannot

00:23:57.599 --> 00:23:58.859
 serve both

00:23:58.859 --> 00:23:59.779
 God and

00:23:59.779 --> 00:24:00.059
 money.

00:24:02.459 --> 00:24:03.459
 It's a

00:24:03.459 --> 00:24:04.119
 question of

00:24:04.119 --> 00:24:04.679
 ultimate

00:24:04.679 --> 00:24:05.459
 spiritual

00:24:05.459 --> 00:24:05.959
 allegiance.

00:24:10.299 --> 00:24:11.839
 1 Timothy 6

00:24:11.839 --> 00:24:12.899
 17 to 19

00:24:12.899 --> 00:24:14.339
 it is asked

00:24:14.339 --> 00:24:15.059
 for the rich

00:24:15.059 --> 00:24:15.519
 in this

00:24:15.519 --> 00:24:16.139
 present age

00:24:16.139 --> 00:24:17.219
 charge them

00:24:17.219 --> 00:24:17.899
 not to be

00:24:17.899 --> 00:24:19.079
 haughty nor

00:24:19.079 --> 00:24:19.740
 to set their

00:24:19.740 --> 00:24:20.579
 hopes on the

00:24:20.579 --> 00:24:21.619
 uncertainty of

00:24:21.619 --> 00:24:22.480
 riches but

00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:23.299
 on God who

00:24:23.299 --> 00:24:24.179
 richly provides

00:24:24.179 --> 00:24:24.480
 us with

00:24:24.480 --> 00:24:25.000
 everything to

00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:25.399
 enjoy.

00:24:26.059 --> 00:24:26.419
 They are to

00:24:26.419 --> 00:24:27.319
 do good to

00:24:27.319 --> 00:24:27.899
 be rich in

00:24:27.899 --> 00:24:28.500
 good works to

00:24:28.500 --> 00:24:29.259
 be generous and

00:24:29.259 --> 00:24:30.000
 ready to share

00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:31.019
 thus storing up

00:24:31.019 --> 00:24:31.599
 treasure for

00:24:31.599 --> 00:24:32.319
 themselves as a

00:24:32.319 --> 00:24:33.039
 good foundation

00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:33.779
 for the future

00:24:33.779 --> 00:24:34.720
 so that they may

00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:35.460
 take hold of

00:24:35.460 --> 00:24:36.119
 that which is

00:24:36.119 --> 00:24:37.240
 truly life.

00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:39.179
 So here is a

00:24:39.179 --> 00:24:40.179
 sure way to

00:24:40.179 --> 00:24:40.939
 lay up for

00:24:40.939 --> 00:24:41.779
 ourselves treasures

00:24:41.779 --> 00:24:42.240
 in heaven.

00:24:42.919 --> 00:24:43.619
 One way to do

00:24:43.619 --> 00:24:44.139
 that is by

00:24:44.139 --> 00:24:44.960
 giving away our

00:24:44.960 --> 00:24:45.220
 money.

00:24:45.220 --> 00:24:49.819
 riches are

00:24:49.819 --> 00:24:50.400
 uncertain

00:24:50.400 --> 00:24:50.960
 anyway.

00:24:52.100 --> 00:24:52.480
 It could

00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:53.640
 disappear in

00:24:53.640 --> 00:24:54.079
 a flash

00:24:54.079 --> 00:24:54.720
 anyway so

00:24:54.720 --> 00:24:55.940
 why hoard

00:24:55.940 --> 00:24:56.940
 up uncertain

00:24:56.940 --> 00:24:59.100
 riches when

00:24:59.100 --> 00:24:59.360
 you can

00:24:59.360 --> 00:25:00.900
 instead lean

00:25:00.900 --> 00:25:01.319
 on and

00:25:01.319 --> 00:25:02.039
 depend on

00:25:02.039 --> 00:25:03.140
 the certainty

00:25:03.140 --> 00:25:03.779
 of a God

00:25:03.779 --> 00:25:04.460
 who provides

00:25:04.460 --> 00:25:05.039
 for his

00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:05.860
 children.

00:25:08.759 --> 00:25:09.680
 Being rich

00:25:09.680 --> 00:25:10.000
 in this

00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:10.559
 life does

00:25:10.559 --> 00:25:11.259
 us no

00:25:11.259 --> 00:25:11.720
 eternal

00:25:11.720 --> 00:25:12.980
 good but

00:25:12.980 --> 00:25:13.539
 being rich in

00:25:13.539 --> 00:25:14.220
 good works

00:25:14.220 --> 00:25:15.240
 does do

00:25:15.240 --> 00:25:15.680
 us eternal

00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:16.039
 good.

00:25:16.659 --> 00:25:17.200
 Whenever we

00:25:17.200 --> 00:25:17.879
 are generous

00:25:17.879 --> 00:25:18.480
 toward others

00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:19.099
 our earthly

00:25:19.099 --> 00:25:20.240
 wealth decreases

00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:20.940
 that's true

00:25:20.940 --> 00:25:22.659
 but our heavenly

00:25:22.659 --> 00:25:23.500
 wealth increases.

00:25:25.319 --> 00:25:26.319
 In a sense

00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:27.139
 the only money

00:25:27.139 --> 00:25:27.700
 we get to

00:25:27.700 --> 00:25:29.440
 keep is the

00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:29.899
 money that we

00:25:29.899 --> 00:25:30.359
 give away.

00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:34.920
 And that's

00:25:34.920 --> 00:25:36.500
 an unfairly

00:25:36.500 --> 00:25:37.500
 advantageous

00:25:37.500 --> 00:25:38.240
 trade for

00:25:38.240 --> 00:25:40.680
 us because

00:25:40.680 --> 00:25:41.240
 we get to

00:25:41.240 --> 00:25:42.539
 exchange expiring

00:25:42.539 --> 00:25:43.359
 currency which

00:25:43.359 --> 00:25:44.459
 is worldly

00:25:44.459 --> 00:25:46.000
 money for

00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:46.539
 eternal

00:25:46.539 --> 00:25:47.079
 currency.

00:25:50.579 --> 00:25:51.299
 And we

00:25:51.299 --> 00:25:51.679
 should make

00:25:51.679 --> 00:25:52.259
 that trade as

00:25:52.259 --> 00:25:52.759
 often as

00:25:52.759 --> 00:25:53.399
 possible and

00:25:53.399 --> 00:25:54.059
 use earthly

00:25:54.059 --> 00:25:54.639
 wealth as

00:25:54.639 --> 00:25:55.279
 much as we

00:25:55.279 --> 00:25:55.759
 can for

00:25:55.759 --> 00:25:56.259
 heavenly

00:25:56.259 --> 00:25:57.379
 causes for

00:25:57.379 --> 00:25:58.039
 the cause of

00:25:58.039 --> 00:25:58.819
 Christ for

00:25:58.819 --> 00:25:59.479
 the sake of

00:25:59.479 --> 00:25:59.979
 his kingdom.

00:26:00.519 --> 00:26:01.539
 That Jesus

00:26:01.539 --> 00:26:02.159
 says is a

00:26:02.159 --> 00:26:02.559
 worthwhile

00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:03.199
 investment.

00:26:06.159 --> 00:26:07.039
 Storing up

00:26:07.039 --> 00:26:07.819
 treasure for

00:26:07.819 --> 00:26:08.500
 ourselves in

00:26:08.500 --> 00:26:09.139
 heaven it says

00:26:09.139 --> 00:26:09.639
 in 1 Timothy

00:26:09.639 --> 00:26:11.379
 6 17 lays a

00:26:11.379 --> 00:26:12.339
 good foundation

00:26:12.339 --> 00:26:12.699
 salvation for

00:26:12.699 --> 00:26:14.119
 the future so

00:26:14.119 --> 00:26:14.559
 that we may

00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:15.459
 take hold of

00:26:15.459 --> 00:26:16.179
 that which is

00:26:16.179 --> 00:26:17.759
 truly life.

00:26:19.059 --> 00:26:20.399
 It paves the

00:26:20.399 --> 00:26:21.539
 way for

00:26:21.539 --> 00:26:23.339
 eternal life.

00:26:23.339 --> 00:26:26.319
 not because we

00:26:26.319 --> 00:26:27.759
 are saved by our

00:26:27.759 --> 00:26:29.259
 charitable deeds or

00:26:29.259 --> 00:26:30.199
 by almsgiving.

00:26:30.199 --> 00:26:31.759
 No we are saved by

00:26:31.759 --> 00:26:32.799
 the grace of God

00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:34.159
 alone through faith

00:26:34.159 --> 00:26:34.959
 in Jesus Christ

00:26:34.959 --> 00:26:36.459
 alone but because

00:26:36.459 --> 00:26:37.679
 storing up treasures

00:26:37.679 --> 00:26:39.000
 in heaven is the

00:26:39.000 --> 00:26:40.379
 way we guard and

00:26:40.379 --> 00:26:41.740
 keep our hearts from

00:26:41.740 --> 00:26:42.500
 idolatry.

00:26:44.500 --> 00:26:45.980
 Proverbs 4 23 says

00:26:45.980 --> 00:26:47.159
 keep your heart with

00:26:47.159 --> 00:26:48.459
 all vigilance for

00:26:48.459 --> 00:26:49.439
 from it flows the

00:26:49.439 --> 00:26:50.159
 springs of life.

00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:51.640
 that's what we're

00:26:51.640 --> 00:26:52.500
 doing when we

00:26:52.500 --> 00:26:53.320
 store up treasures

00:26:53.320 --> 00:26:53.840
 in heaven.

00:26:54.279 --> 00:26:54.900
 Jesus will say

00:26:54.900 --> 00:26:55.560
 later on in

00:26:55.560 --> 00:26:56.720
 Matthew 19 24 that

00:26:56.720 --> 00:26:57.840
 it is easier for a

00:26:57.840 --> 00:26:58.620
 camel to go through

00:26:58.620 --> 00:26:59.180
 the eye of a

00:26:59.180 --> 00:26:59.759
 needle than for a

00:26:59.759 --> 00:27:00.480
 rich person to

00:27:00.480 --> 00:27:01.180
 enter the kingdom

00:27:01.180 --> 00:27:01.620
 of heaven.

00:27:02.220 --> 00:27:02.660
 Why?

00:27:04.740 --> 00:27:05.580
 He explains in

00:27:05.580 --> 00:27:06.900
 Matthew 13 22 that

00:27:06.900 --> 00:27:07.700
 when the word of

00:27:07.700 --> 00:27:08.900
 God the gospel of

00:27:08.900 --> 00:27:10.120
 Jesus Christ is

00:27:10.120 --> 00:27:11.820
 sown as a seed into

00:27:11.820 --> 00:27:12.980
 people's hearts

00:27:12.980 --> 00:27:14.860
 sometimes it's like

00:27:14.860 --> 00:27:16.279
 a seed that grows

00:27:16.279 --> 00:27:17.440
 among thorns and

00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:20.400
 is choked up by the

00:27:20.400 --> 00:27:21.180
 thorns so that it

00:27:21.180 --> 00:27:21.799
 doesn't grow.

00:27:23.640 --> 00:27:24.720
 And Jesus explains

00:27:24.720 --> 00:27:26.019
 that the deceitfulness

00:27:26.019 --> 00:27:28.279
 of riches choke the

00:27:28.279 --> 00:27:29.940
 word and it proves

00:27:29.940 --> 00:27:30.779
 unfruitful.

00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:32.920
 If you are

00:27:32.920 --> 00:27:34.000
 preoccupied with

00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:35.019
 storing up treasures

00:27:35.019 --> 00:27:36.240
 on earth you are

00:27:36.240 --> 00:27:37.779
 surrounding yourself

00:27:37.779 --> 00:27:39.059
 you're the gospel

00:27:39.059 --> 00:27:40.580
 seed that you have

00:27:40.580 --> 00:27:42.720
 heard with choking

00:27:42.720 --> 00:27:44.920
 suffocating thorns

00:27:44.920 --> 00:27:45.060
 thorns.

00:27:48.560 --> 00:27:49.480
 Is that what you

00:27:49.480 --> 00:27:50.039
 really want?

00:27:53.140 --> 00:27:54.660
 No we should hack

00:27:54.660 --> 00:27:55.300
 away at those

00:27:55.300 --> 00:27:55.640
 thorns.

00:27:57.580 --> 00:27:58.580
 Store up treasures

00:27:58.580 --> 00:28:00.640
 in heaven and give

00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:01.620
 the word of God in

00:28:01.620 --> 00:28:02.759
 our lives room to

00:28:02.759 --> 00:28:04.100
 breathe room to

00:28:04.100 --> 00:28:05.000
 grow and bear

00:28:05.000 --> 00:28:05.539
 fruit.

00:28:07.600 --> 00:28:09.000
 So continuing on in

00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:09.880
 that same passage that

00:28:09.880 --> 00:28:10.640
 I read earlier 1

00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:11.720
 Timothy 6 9 to 11

00:28:11.720 --> 00:28:12.860
 it warns us sharply

00:28:12.860 --> 00:28:14.300
 those who desire to be

00:28:14.300 --> 00:28:14.900
 rich fall to the

00:28:14.900 --> 00:28:15.720
 fall into temptation

00:28:15.720 --> 00:28:17.380
 into a snare into

00:28:17.380 --> 00:28:18.500
 many senseless and

00:28:18.500 --> 00:28:19.940
 harmful desires that

00:28:19.940 --> 00:28:21.060
 plunge people into

00:28:21.060 --> 00:28:22.380
 ruin and destruction

00:28:22.380 --> 00:28:24.019
 for the love of money

00:28:24.019 --> 00:28:24.860
 is a root of all

00:28:24.860 --> 00:28:25.880
 kinds of evils.

00:28:26.500 --> 00:28:27.300
 It is through this

00:28:27.300 --> 00:28:28.320
 craving that some have

00:28:28.320 --> 00:28:29.259
 wandered away from the

00:28:29.259 --> 00:28:30.040
 faith and pierced

00:28:30.040 --> 00:28:30.800
 themselves with many

00:28:30.800 --> 00:28:31.240
 pangs.

00:28:33.320 --> 00:28:34.680
 If any Christian

00:28:34.680 --> 00:28:36.700
 loves money and

00:28:36.700 --> 00:28:38.120
 desires to be rich

00:28:38.120 --> 00:28:41.320
 this warning should be

00:28:41.320 --> 00:28:42.160
 a splash of cold

00:28:42.160 --> 00:28:43.060
 water in our faces

00:28:43.059 --> 00:28:45.119
 to wake us up.

00:28:47.079 --> 00:28:48.559
 Those who desire to be

00:28:48.559 --> 00:28:50.539
 rich it says fall into

00:28:50.539 --> 00:28:52.019
 temptation into a

00:28:52.019 --> 00:28:53.779
 snare into many

00:28:53.779 --> 00:28:54.859
 senseless and harmful

00:28:54.859 --> 00:28:55.700
 desires that plunge

00:28:55.700 --> 00:28:56.679
 people into ruin and

00:28:56.679 --> 00:28:57.039
 destruction.

00:28:57.200 --> 00:28:58.299
 People do not fall into

00:28:58.299 --> 00:28:59.139
 a pit because they

00:28:59.139 --> 00:28:59.659
 want to.

00:29:01.779 --> 00:29:02.819
 Animals don't get caught

00:29:02.819 --> 00:29:03.940
 in a snare because they

00:29:03.940 --> 00:29:04.419
 want to.

00:29:04.480 --> 00:29:06.119
 They are caught unawares.

00:29:06.119 --> 00:29:10.079
 The seductive power of

00:29:10.079 --> 00:29:11.259
 money is subtle.

00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:12.739
 It is gradual.

00:29:13.319 --> 00:29:14.959
 It is camouflaged.

00:29:18.099 --> 00:29:19.879
 It can ensnare you and

00:29:19.879 --> 00:29:20.379
 ruin you.

00:29:22.379 --> 00:29:24.219
 So if you have ever had

00:29:24.219 --> 00:29:25.279
 the thought in your mind

00:29:25.279 --> 00:29:27.659
 you know I want to

00:29:27.659 --> 00:29:28.339
 become a millionaire.

00:29:28.659 --> 00:29:29.399
 I want to become a

00:29:29.399 --> 00:29:32.319
 billionaire so that I

00:29:32.319 --> 00:29:33.159
 can do all these good

00:29:33.159 --> 00:29:34.299
 things that I want to do

00:29:34.299 --> 00:29:34.759
 in my mind.

00:29:38.960 --> 00:29:39.940
 Be warned.

00:29:41.639 --> 00:29:43.740
 Your temptation isn't

00:29:43.740 --> 00:29:45.099
 merely in the future

00:29:45.099 --> 00:29:46.859
 when you are rich.

00:29:47.740 --> 00:29:49.299
 No your temptation is

00:29:49.299 --> 00:29:51.299
 now when you desire to

00:29:51.299 --> 00:29:51.839
 be rich.

00:29:56.940 --> 00:29:59.579
 Take heed lest you fall

00:29:59.579 --> 00:30:00.720
 for where your treasure

00:30:00.720 --> 00:30:02.559
 is there your heart

00:30:02.559 --> 00:30:03.759
 will be also.

00:30:06.720 --> 00:30:07.819
 In his sermon on this

00:30:07.819 --> 00:30:09.019
 passage D.

00:30:09.059 --> 00:30:09.639
 Martin Lloyd-Jones

00:30:09.639 --> 00:30:11.079
 relays an illustration

00:30:11.079 --> 00:30:12.059
 that he once heard

00:30:12.059 --> 00:30:13.419
 another preacher use

00:30:13.419 --> 00:30:14.599
 in his sermon and now

00:30:14.599 --> 00:30:15.399
 I'm relaying that to

00:30:15.399 --> 00:30:15.980
 you third hand.

00:30:16.659 --> 00:30:18.119
 Here's the it's the

00:30:18.119 --> 00:30:19.740
 story of a farmer who

00:30:19.740 --> 00:30:20.859
 one day went happily

00:30:20.859 --> 00:30:22.619
 and you know and with

00:30:22.619 --> 00:30:23.639
 great joy in his heart

00:30:23.639 --> 00:30:24.679
 to report to his wife

00:30:24.679 --> 00:30:26.279
 that his most healthy

00:30:26.279 --> 00:30:28.000
 best cow has just

00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:29.599
 given birth to twin

00:30:29.599 --> 00:30:30.200
 calves.

00:30:30.899 --> 00:30:31.419
 Amazing.

00:30:31.420 --> 00:30:33.600
 It could change your

00:30:33.600 --> 00:30:34.320
 fortunes if you're a

00:30:34.320 --> 00:30:35.340
 farmer to have a twin

00:30:35.340 --> 00:30:35.860
 calves.

00:30:36.900 --> 00:30:39.039
 One was a red calf and

00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:39.960
 the other one was a

00:30:39.960 --> 00:30:41.880
 white calf and he said

00:30:41.880 --> 00:30:43.539
 you know I feel so

00:30:43.539 --> 00:30:45.019
 blessed by God and I

00:30:45.019 --> 00:30:46.000
 have this sudden feeling

00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:46.820
 I feel like God is

00:30:46.820 --> 00:30:47.460
 calling me.

00:30:47.580 --> 00:30:48.640
 I know this is what God

00:30:48.640 --> 00:30:49.200
 wants me to do.

00:30:49.460 --> 00:30:50.779
 I'm going to give one of

00:30:50.779 --> 00:30:51.960
 these calves to the

00:30:51.960 --> 00:30:52.200
 Lord.

00:30:52.200 --> 00:30:58.600
 And then the wife asks the

00:30:58.600 --> 00:31:00.539
 sensible question which

00:31:00.539 --> 00:31:02.039
 one are you going to

00:31:02.039 --> 00:31:02.539
 give to the Lord?

00:31:03.819 --> 00:31:04.700
 And he said oh no no you

00:31:04.700 --> 00:31:06.019
 don't have to decide that

00:31:06.019 --> 00:31:07.559
 now because we're going to

00:31:07.559 --> 00:31:08.640
 treat them and love them

00:31:08.640 --> 00:31:09.900
 the same way and they're

00:31:09.900 --> 00:31:11.720
 going to grow up and as

00:31:11.720 --> 00:31:12.840
 soon as we're ready I'll

00:31:12.840 --> 00:31:13.660
 make the call and then

00:31:13.660 --> 00:31:16.340
 we'll sell one and give

00:31:16.340 --> 00:31:17.220
 all the proceeds to the

00:31:17.220 --> 00:31:17.360
 Lord.

00:31:17.359 --> 00:31:23.559
 And then sometime later he

00:31:23.559 --> 00:31:25.479
 came back to his wife from

00:31:25.479 --> 00:31:29.259
 his farm despondent and he

00:31:29.259 --> 00:31:36.419
 said to her I am sad to

00:31:36.419 --> 00:31:39.279
 report this bad news but the

00:31:39.279 --> 00:31:40.659
 Lord's calf is dead.

00:31:40.660 --> 00:31:47.480
 And the wife is smart.

00:31:49.860 --> 00:31:51.340
 Wait a minute but you never

00:31:51.340 --> 00:31:52.519
 picked which one was the

00:31:52.519 --> 00:31:53.279
 Lord's calf.

00:31:55.060 --> 00:31:56.080
 How do you know that the

00:31:56.080 --> 00:31:57.360
 Lord's calf is dead?

00:31:58.420 --> 00:32:00.040
 Oh yeah yeah but you know I

00:32:00.040 --> 00:32:01.580
 had always decided in my own

00:32:01.580 --> 00:32:02.960
 head that it was going to be

00:32:02.960 --> 00:32:04.300
 the white one and it was the

00:32:04.300 --> 00:32:05.019
 white one that died.

00:32:05.220 --> 00:32:07.360
 So the Lord's calf died.

00:32:10.660 --> 00:32:12.420
 Why does it seem that it's

00:32:12.420 --> 00:32:13.920
 always the Lord's calf that

00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:14.279
 dies?

00:32:19.680 --> 00:32:21.259
 Why does it seem that when

00:32:21.259 --> 00:32:23.620
 our times are hard and

00:32:23.620 --> 00:32:24.920
 budgets are squeezed that it's

00:32:24.920 --> 00:32:26.300
 always the tithes and

00:32:26.300 --> 00:32:27.519
 offerings that are first to be

00:32:27.519 --> 00:32:28.240
 on the chopping block?

00:32:37.120 --> 00:32:38.700
 Choose your heart to treasure

00:32:38.700 --> 00:32:39.259
 carefully.

00:32:39.259 --> 00:32:42.059
 Make the God of heaven your

00:32:42.059 --> 00:32:42.779
 supreme treasure.

00:32:43.839 --> 00:32:45.299
 For where your treasure is

00:32:45.299 --> 00:32:46.579
 there your heart will be also.

00:32:49.299 --> 00:32:51.200
 And then in verses 22 to 23

00:32:51.200 --> 00:32:52.799
 Jesus pivots to make another

00:32:52.799 --> 00:32:53.500
 related point.

00:32:53.619 --> 00:32:55.000
 He says the eye is the lamp of

00:32:55.000 --> 00:32:55.359
 the body.

00:32:56.079 --> 00:32:57.480
 So if your eye is healthy your

00:32:57.480 --> 00:32:58.660
 whole body will be full of

00:32:58.660 --> 00:32:58.920
 light.

00:32:59.220 --> 00:33:00.619
 But if your eye is bad your

00:33:00.619 --> 00:33:01.799
 whole body will be full of

00:33:01.799 --> 00:33:02.200
 darkness.

00:33:02.700 --> 00:33:04.119
 If then the light in you is

00:33:04.119 --> 00:33:05.539
 darkness how great is the

00:33:05.539 --> 00:33:05.900
 darkness?

00:33:07.019 --> 00:33:08.720
 Having spoken of the heart now

00:33:08.720 --> 00:33:10.039
 he speaks of the eye.

00:33:10.460 --> 00:33:12.420
 At first glance this seems kind

00:33:12.420 --> 00:33:12.839
 of random.

00:33:13.039 --> 00:33:13.900
 What's the connection here?

00:33:14.299 --> 00:33:16.019
 But in the Bible the eye and the

00:33:16.019 --> 00:33:18.019
 heart are often linked together.

00:33:19.100 --> 00:33:21.799
 The eye sees what the heart

00:33:21.799 --> 00:33:22.620
 seeks.

00:33:24.460 --> 00:33:26.980
 The eye looks at what the heart

00:33:26.980 --> 00:33:27.660
 loves.

00:33:27.660 --> 00:33:32.779
 the heart's affections and the eye's

00:33:32.779 --> 00:33:34.820
 attentions go hand in hand.

00:33:38.420 --> 00:33:40.100
 For example when Solomon builds

00:33:40.100 --> 00:33:41.300
 the temple and dedicates to the

00:33:41.300 --> 00:33:42.660
 Lord the Lord says of this temple

00:33:42.660 --> 00:33:45.840
 in 1 Kings 9 3 my eyes and my

00:33:45.840 --> 00:33:48.140
 heart will be there for all time.

00:33:48.820 --> 00:33:50.720
 Why will God's eyes be on that

00:33:50.720 --> 00:33:50.920
 temple?

00:33:51.019 --> 00:33:52.180
 Because his heart is there.

00:33:52.180 --> 00:33:56.980
 Psalm 19 7 to 8 makes the

00:33:56.980 --> 00:33:58.220
 connection between the soul the

00:33:58.220 --> 00:33:59.299
 heart and the eyes.

00:33:59.860 --> 00:34:00.940
 There's a law of the Lord is

00:34:00.940 --> 00:34:02.700
 perfect reviving the soul.

00:34:03.259 --> 00:34:04.420
 The presets of the Lord are

00:34:04.420 --> 00:34:06.000
 right rejoicing the heart.

00:34:06.440 --> 00:34:07.500
 The commandment of the Lord is

00:34:07.500 --> 00:34:09.500
 pure enlightening the eyes.

00:34:10.760 --> 00:34:12.579
 The word of the Lord enlightens

00:34:12.579 --> 00:34:14.180
 the eyes and rejoices our hearts

00:34:14.180 --> 00:34:15.800
 is referring to the same thing.

00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:16.780
 They go hand in hand.

00:34:18.659 --> 00:34:20.780
 Similarly Psalm 119 36 to 37

00:34:20.780 --> 00:34:22.800
 says incline my heart to your

00:34:22.800 --> 00:34:24.920
 testimonies and not to selfish

00:34:24.920 --> 00:34:25.320
 gain.

00:34:25.740 --> 00:34:28.940
 Turn my eyes not turn my eyes

00:34:28.940 --> 00:34:30.340
 from looking at worthless things

00:34:30.340 --> 00:34:32.180
 and give me life in your ways.

00:34:32.580 --> 00:34:34.720
 The direction of the eyes always

00:34:34.720 --> 00:34:36.200
 follows the orientation of the

00:34:36.200 --> 00:34:36.500
 heart.

00:34:41.320 --> 00:34:43.800
 The haughty eyes and the proud

00:34:43.800 --> 00:34:44.820
 heart go together.

00:34:44.940 --> 00:34:46.220
 Proverbs 21 4 says.

00:34:46.960 --> 00:34:49.040
 Psalm 131 1 says the same thing.

00:34:49.039 --> 00:34:51.840
 The preacher of Ecclesiastes 11 9

00:34:51.840 --> 00:34:53.500
 counsels a young man to rejoice in

00:34:53.500 --> 00:34:54.920
 the days of his youth and he tells

00:34:54.920 --> 00:34:57.360
 him walk in the ways of your heart

00:34:57.360 --> 00:35:00.400
 and the sight of your eyes but know

00:35:00.400 --> 00:35:02.000
 that for all these things God will

00:35:02.000 --> 00:35:03.039
 bring you into judgment.

00:35:08.480 --> 00:35:11.539
 In John 12 40 Jesus speaks of how God

00:35:11.539 --> 00:35:14.380
 has blinded people's eyes and hardened

00:35:14.380 --> 00:35:16.579
 their heart lest they see with their

00:35:16.579 --> 00:35:18.299
 eyes and understand with their heart and

00:35:18.299 --> 00:35:19.759
 turn and I would heal them.

00:35:20.500 --> 00:35:22.440
 All that to say Jesus is using the word

00:35:22.440 --> 00:35:24.619
 eye in a figurative sense here.

00:35:25.360 --> 00:35:28.299
 Blind eyes and hardened hearts go

00:35:28.299 --> 00:35:28.699
 together.

00:35:29.619 --> 00:35:32.139
 Which is why Paul prays for the

00:35:32.139 --> 00:35:34.159
 Ephesian church in Ephesians 118 that

00:35:34.159 --> 00:35:37.920
 God would enlighten the eyes of their

00:35:37.920 --> 00:35:38.819
 hearts.

00:35:38.820 --> 00:35:39.000
 hearts.

00:35:40.680 --> 00:35:42.840
 This is why Jesus is saying the eye is

00:35:42.840 --> 00:35:44.280
 the lamp of the body.

00:35:44.820 --> 00:35:46.900
 The eye is the organ the sensory organ

00:35:46.900 --> 00:35:48.740
 through which we receive life through

00:35:48.740 --> 00:35:51.039
 which we receive sight and in that

00:35:51.039 --> 00:35:54.519
 sense it is accurate that the eye is in

00:35:54.519 --> 00:35:56.220
 a sense the window to our souls.

00:35:59.800 --> 00:36:02.039
 For this reason if your eye is healthy

00:36:02.039 --> 00:36:04.180
 your whole body will be full of light

00:36:04.180 --> 00:36:06.260
 but if your eye is bad your whole body

00:36:06.260 --> 00:36:07.380
 will be full of darkness.

00:36:09.060 --> 00:36:12.620
 The word healthy in this passage is

00:36:12.620 --> 00:36:14.380
 actually the word that normally means

00:36:14.380 --> 00:36:19.140
 single, sincere, without guile,

00:36:19.660 --> 00:36:22.320
 straightforward, not having a hidden

00:36:22.320 --> 00:36:22.780
 agenda.

00:36:24.400 --> 00:36:26.500
 The ESV rendered it healthy to fit with

00:36:26.500 --> 00:36:28.840
 the metaphor better but in doing so I

00:36:28.840 --> 00:36:30.140
 think they actually made the verse more

00:36:30.140 --> 00:36:32.120
 difficult to understand.

00:36:32.119 --> 00:36:36.420
 Do you remember the sixth beatitude of

00:36:36.420 --> 00:36:37.659
 Matthew 5.8?

00:36:38.139 --> 00:36:41.279
 Blessed are the pure in heart for they

00:36:41.279 --> 00:36:42.400
 shall see God.

00:36:42.500 --> 00:36:44.440
 The heart is the organ of spiritual

00:36:44.440 --> 00:36:46.900
 sight and only those who are pure in

00:36:46.900 --> 00:36:48.440
 heart see God.

00:36:49.119 --> 00:36:51.199
 And what do we say is the meaning of

00:36:51.199 --> 00:36:52.259
 being pure in heart?

00:36:53.139 --> 00:36:55.519
 James 4.8 commands cleanse your hands

00:36:55.519 --> 00:36:58.000
 you sinners and purify your hearts you

00:36:58.000 --> 00:36:59.139
 double-minded.

00:36:59.139 --> 00:37:04.179
 Being double-minded is the opposite of

00:37:04.179 --> 00:37:05.559
 being impure in heart.

00:37:05.819 --> 00:37:07.799
 That means to be pure in heart is to be

00:37:07.799 --> 00:37:08.719
 single-minded.

00:37:11.199 --> 00:37:13.980
 Instead of having two minds, two wills,

00:37:14.119 --> 00:37:16.059
 what God wants and then what I want,

00:37:16.359 --> 00:37:17.980
 what God wants and what these people

00:37:17.980 --> 00:37:20.219
 want, what God wants and what the

00:37:20.219 --> 00:37:20.879
 devil wants.

00:37:22.559 --> 00:37:24.980
 Instead of that, have single will.

00:37:24.980 --> 00:37:27.740
 As David prays in Psalm 86,

00:37:27.940 --> 00:37:29.860
 unite my heart to fear your name.

00:37:30.219 --> 00:37:32.260
 Give me an undivided heart that I may

00:37:32.260 --> 00:37:33.179
 fear your name.

00:37:33.679 --> 00:37:35.599
 The purity of heart is to will one

00:37:35.599 --> 00:37:37.519
 thing, as Soren Kierkegaard said.

00:37:39.740 --> 00:37:42.119
 I think that means, so then to have a

00:37:42.119 --> 00:37:44.960
 single eye is to have a pure heart.

00:37:45.300 --> 00:37:47.880
 To will one thing, namely to please God.

00:37:48.880 --> 00:37:52.199
 A person with a single eye does not try

00:37:52.199 --> 00:37:53.799
 to serve two masters.

00:37:56.019 --> 00:37:57.480
 For either he will hate the one and

00:37:57.480 --> 00:37:58.559
 love the other, or will he be devoted

00:37:58.559 --> 00:38:00.980
 to the one and despise the other.

00:38:02.079 --> 00:38:05.019
 So brothers and sisters, I want to ask

00:38:05.019 --> 00:38:07.159
 you, is your eye single this morning?

00:38:07.159 --> 00:38:13.079
 Let's ask ourselves, where do our eyes

00:38:13.079 --> 00:38:14.019
 tend to wander?

00:38:15.779 --> 00:38:19.219
 Whether that's literally or figuratively.

00:38:20.179 --> 00:38:24.079
 If our eyes constantly wander to beautiful

00:38:24.079 --> 00:38:26.920
 women and handsome men on the streets and

00:38:26.920 --> 00:38:30.699
 on the web, then it betrays the lusts of

00:38:30.699 --> 00:38:31.159
 our hearts.

00:38:31.159 --> 00:38:36.639
 If our eyes are always straying toward the

00:38:36.639 --> 00:38:40.159
 next big thing, the next promotion, the

00:38:40.159 --> 00:38:43.099
 next job, the next rung on the ladder of

00:38:43.099 --> 00:38:45.420
 success, it betrays the worldly selfish

00:38:45.420 --> 00:38:46.480
 ambitions in our hearts.

00:38:48.159 --> 00:38:51.879
 If our eyes are fixated on the next trip,

00:38:52.299 --> 00:38:56.019
 the next vacation, and if that's your

00:38:56.019 --> 00:38:58.339
 great hope in life, it betrays a heart that

00:38:58.340 --> 00:39:00.980
 is distracted by the pleasures and the rest

00:39:00.980 --> 00:39:03.340
 that this world offers, and not the

00:39:03.340 --> 00:39:05.340
 pleasures and the rest that God offers in

00:39:05.900 --> 00:39:06.300
 Christ.

00:39:09.360 --> 00:39:11.500
 Brothers and sisters, where is your

00:39:11.500 --> 00:39:12.220
 attention?

00:39:13.340 --> 00:39:16.059
 The attention of the eye reflects the

00:39:16.059 --> 00:39:17.900
 affections of the heart.

00:39:19.200 --> 00:39:21.440
 So let us set our eyes on heaven.

00:39:22.420 --> 00:39:24.400
 Have a single eye for God and his kingdom.

00:39:24.400 --> 00:39:28.220
 Set your minds.

00:39:28.340 --> 00:39:30.000
 Seek the things that are above where

00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:31.900
 Christ is, seated at the right hand of

00:39:31.900 --> 00:39:32.200
 God.

00:39:32.960 --> 00:39:35.840
 Set your minds on things that are above,

00:39:35.980 --> 00:39:37.920
 not on things that are on earth.

00:39:38.460 --> 00:39:40.880
 For you have died and your life is

00:39:40.880 --> 00:39:42.559
 hidden with Christ in God.

00:39:44.039 --> 00:39:45.720
 Colossians 3, 1, 2, 3.

00:39:46.860 --> 00:39:49.720
 Jesus continues in verse 23, but if your

00:39:49.720 --> 00:39:51.840
 eye is bad, your whole body will be full

00:39:51.840 --> 00:39:52.340
 of darkness.

00:39:52.340 --> 00:39:55.120
 If then the light in you is darkness, how

00:39:55.120 --> 00:39:56.420
 great is the darkness.

00:39:57.620 --> 00:39:59.900
 If the eye, which is the lamp of the

00:39:59.900 --> 00:40:04.000
 body, is itself evil, then that person is

00:40:04.000 --> 00:40:05.539
 full of darkness and evil.

00:40:07.000 --> 00:40:07.960
 Through and through.

00:40:09.840 --> 00:40:13.980
 The single eye is contrasted with the bad

00:40:13.980 --> 00:40:15.920
 eye or the evil eye.

00:40:16.519 --> 00:40:19.000
 And that expression evil eye comes up again

00:40:19.000 --> 00:40:21.300
 in Matthew 20, verse 15, where Jesus

00:40:21.300 --> 00:40:24.640
 describes those who are stingy and begrudging

00:40:24.640 --> 00:40:27.460
 of God the Father's generosity and grace

00:40:27.460 --> 00:40:29.860
 as having an evil eye.

00:40:31.220 --> 00:40:33.180
 The ESV doesn't translate that literally

00:40:33.180 --> 00:40:33.420
 either.

00:40:33.500 --> 00:40:35.000
 So if you want to find the translation evil

00:40:35.000 --> 00:40:36.480
 eye, you'll need to look at the King James

00:40:36.480 --> 00:40:36.780
 version.

00:40:38.220 --> 00:40:41.800
 So then a bad eye or an evil eye is a

00:40:41.800 --> 00:40:44.860
 double eye of being of two mind.

00:40:44.860 --> 00:40:48.240
 It is stingy because on the one hand, it sees

00:40:48.240 --> 00:40:50.079
 the plight of the needy.

00:40:51.079 --> 00:40:53.800
 But on the other hand, it's calculating costs

00:40:53.800 --> 00:40:54.880
 and personal loss.

00:41:00.420 --> 00:41:01.579
 That might be why

00:41:01.579 --> 00:41:06.160
 varying forms of the word single used here in

00:41:06.160 --> 00:41:08.820
 the single eye is translated elsewhere in Romans

00:41:08.820 --> 00:41:13.620
 12, 8, 2 Corinthians 8, 2, 9, 11, James 1, 5 as

00:41:13.619 --> 00:41:14.460
 generosity.

00:41:16.779 --> 00:41:19.239
 Because a generous person is a person who has a

00:41:19.239 --> 00:41:22.719
 single eye, who is open-handed, guileless,

00:41:22.960 --> 00:41:25.759
 sincere, gracious, and generous because they're

00:41:25.759 --> 00:41:28.559
 not thinking of themselves but only thinking of

00:41:28.559 --> 00:41:29.199
 the other person.

00:41:29.199 --> 00:41:38.839
 That's how Jesus is commanding us to seek the

00:41:38.839 --> 00:41:41.659
 righteousness and the kingdom of God above all

00:41:41.659 --> 00:41:42.000
 else.

00:41:45.039 --> 00:41:46.899
 That brings us to my final point.

00:41:47.039 --> 00:41:48.119
 Serve your master in heaven.

00:41:48.239 --> 00:41:51.460
 Jesus says in verse 24, no one can serve two

00:41:51.460 --> 00:41:54.439
 masters for either he will hate the one and love

00:41:54.439 --> 00:41:57.719
 the other or he will be devoted to the one and

00:41:57.719 --> 00:41:58.619
 despise the other.

00:41:58.879 --> 00:42:01.179
 You cannot serve God and money.

00:42:02.159 --> 00:42:05.379
 Notice how Jesus personifies money in this verse.

00:42:05.980 --> 00:42:09.679
 He describes money as a master that someone can

00:42:09.679 --> 00:42:12.879
 serve and please and love.

00:42:14.879 --> 00:42:19.139
 Jesus is using this literary device to highlight the

00:42:19.139 --> 00:42:23.059
 conflict and the necessity of making a choice.

00:42:23.059 --> 00:42:27.320
 In one sense, people serve more than one masters all

00:42:27.320 --> 00:42:27.920
 the time, right?

00:42:28.699 --> 00:42:32.099
 Some of you work two jobs, two part-time jobs.

00:42:36.219 --> 00:42:39.420
 However, what Jesus has in view here is a relationship

00:42:39.420 --> 00:42:43.500
 not of that kind of division of work and allegiances

00:42:43.500 --> 00:42:46.559
 but of a relationship between a master and his slave.

00:42:46.559 --> 00:42:55.299
 No man should be a slave of another man.

00:42:56.719 --> 00:42:59.900
 No man is fit to be a master because they are sinful.

00:43:01.519 --> 00:43:05.759
 But our Lord and God is the one person to whom we owe that

00:43:05.759 --> 00:43:06.380
 kind of allegiance.

00:43:06.380 --> 00:43:13.940
 In his book, Slave of Christ, Murray Harris writes about

00:43:13.940 --> 00:43:20.160
 slavery, what that image entails when it's used in

00:43:20.160 --> 00:43:20.440
 scripture.

00:43:20.920 --> 00:43:23.619
 And he said a slave is someone whose person and service

00:43:23.619 --> 00:43:26.079
 belong wholly to another.

00:43:29.320 --> 00:43:33.280
 We are possessed by God in the sense we are Christ's

00:43:33.280 --> 00:43:34.760
 movable property.

00:43:37.519 --> 00:43:40.680
 Slavery to Christ entails humble submission to the person

00:43:40.680 --> 00:43:44.519
 of Christ, unquestioning obedience to the master's will,

00:43:44.880 --> 00:43:48.100
 and an exclusive preoccupation with pleasing Christ.

00:43:48.120 --> 00:43:51.880
 Because you cannot be a slave of one person and have the

00:43:51.880 --> 00:43:53.480
 interests of another master in mind.

00:43:58.120 --> 00:44:01.120
 This is why we cannot pledge our allegiance to money and at

00:44:01.120 --> 00:44:02.680
 the same time pledge allegiance to Christ.

00:44:02.679 --> 00:44:03.940
 Christ, we can only have one master.

00:44:05.799 --> 00:44:10.219
 I'm not saying that Christians are never distracted or derailed

00:44:10.219 --> 00:44:11.799
 sometimes in their service to the Lord.

00:44:11.839 --> 00:44:12.819
 Of course we are.

00:44:13.879 --> 00:44:20.339
 But still, for every true Christian, their true and highest

00:44:20.339 --> 00:44:22.519
 goal in life is to please their master.

00:44:25.440 --> 00:44:29.859
 If your overriding goal in this life, your greatest goal in this

00:44:29.860 --> 00:44:37.039
 life is to get rich, then you cannot be a Christian.

00:44:41.680 --> 00:44:44.960
 If your greatest desire in life is fame and fortune, then you

00:44:44.960 --> 00:44:47.880
 cannot desire God as your supreme treasure.

00:44:48.340 --> 00:44:50.260
 And that's what it means to be a Christian.

00:44:50.260 --> 00:44:59.100
 19th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was wrong about

00:44:59.100 --> 00:44:59.700
 many things.

00:45:00.520 --> 00:45:04.360
 But he was also insightful and prescient about a few things.

00:45:05.180 --> 00:45:10.100
 And in his book, The Dawn of Day, he predicted that the growing void

00:45:10.100 --> 00:45:15.600
 created in Western culture by the displacement of God would be

00:45:15.599 --> 00:45:18.739
 increasingly filled, he predicted, with money.

00:45:21.539 --> 00:45:22.259
 He wrote,

00:45:22.260 --> 00:45:27.400
 What induces one man to use false weights, another to set his house on fire

00:45:27.400 --> 00:45:31.560
 after having insured it for more than its value, while three-fourths of our

00:45:31.560 --> 00:45:33.700
 upper classes indulge in legalized fraud?

00:45:34.020 --> 00:45:35.760
 What gives rise to all this?

00:45:36.480 --> 00:45:41.440
 It is not real want, for their existence is by no means precarious, but they are

00:45:41.440 --> 00:45:46.920
 urged on day and night by a terrible impatience at seeing their wealth pile up

00:45:46.920 --> 00:45:54.240
 so slowly, and by an equally terrible longing and love for these heaps of gold.

00:45:55.159 --> 00:46:02.240
 What once was done for the love of God is now done for the love of money, for the love

00:46:02.240 --> 00:46:07.619
 of that which at present affords us the highest feeling of power and a good conscience.

00:46:12.820 --> 00:46:14.860
 That's the place that it's taken in our culture.

00:46:16.920 --> 00:46:21.539
 Jesus is not telling us that we're supposed to hate money, despise money in an emotional

00:46:21.539 --> 00:46:23.200
 sense and not wanting anything to do with it.

00:46:23.240 --> 00:46:26.840
 If that were the case, then we would all have to take a vow of poverty and become itinerant

00:46:26.840 --> 00:46:28.280
 beggars, right?

00:46:30.539 --> 00:46:31.960
 That's not what Jesus is saying.

00:46:32.420 --> 00:46:40.260
 He's using the love-hate duality, which is a common Jewish, Aramaic idiom, to indicate

00:46:40.260 --> 00:46:44.659
 a decisive choice of one over the other between two options.

00:46:44.659 --> 00:46:50.480
 Instead of expressing an order of preference and priority between two things in terms of

00:46:50.480 --> 00:46:54.539
 differences in degree, which is what we do, I like that more than the other thing.

00:46:55.159 --> 00:46:56.879
 I like that less than this other thing.

00:46:57.659 --> 00:47:00.659
 Ancient Jews would often express it in terms of categorical contrasts.

00:47:02.199 --> 00:47:08.259
 So when an ancient Jew says, I love God and I hate money, he means I choose God over money.

00:47:08.260 --> 00:47:13.980
 And that's what Jesus is telling us to do.

00:47:14.980 --> 00:47:19.360
 Jesus says in Matthew 12, 30, whoever is not with me is against me.

00:47:19.700 --> 00:47:22.400
 Whoever does not gather with me scatters.

00:47:22.780 --> 00:47:24.940
 There are only two spiritual realms.

00:47:25.080 --> 00:47:28.360
 You're either a member of the kingdom of heaven, you're a member of the kingdom of this world.

00:47:28.360 --> 00:47:33.019
 There's no neutral ground in this spiritual war.

00:47:34.440 --> 00:47:40.059
 To abstain from making a decision and to abstain from making a commitment is to make a choice

00:47:40.059 --> 00:47:45.340
 against God because you are not choosing to submit to him and to worship him and to follow

00:47:45.340 --> 00:47:47.220
 him as all of his creatures ought to.

00:47:49.340 --> 00:47:55.980
 Trying to straddle both earth and heaven, one foot on earth and one foot in heaven, is not

00:47:55.980 --> 00:47:59.059
 only inadvisable, it is impossible.

00:48:00.960 --> 00:48:06.240
 Because there is an impassable gap between heaven and earth.

00:48:07.500 --> 00:48:11.300
 And you will fall through the crack if that's what you're trying to do in life.

00:48:19.420 --> 00:48:21.059
 It's hard for us to live this way.

00:48:21.059 --> 00:48:28.159
 Because I think we don't really believe that the good news that God has given us in Jesus

00:48:28.159 --> 00:48:29.880
 Christ is as good as it really is.

00:48:33.759 --> 00:48:37.059
 This parable, a short parable is helpful in Matthew 13, 44.

00:48:37.259 --> 00:48:43.699
 Jesus says, the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found

00:48:43.699 --> 00:48:44.639
 and covered up.

00:48:45.279 --> 00:48:50.639
 Then in his joy, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

00:48:51.059 --> 00:49:00.579
 If you found that a plot of land had unimaginable riches buried underneath it,

00:49:02.019 --> 00:49:07.559
 trillions upon trillions of dollars worth of treasure buried in that plot of land,

00:49:08.059 --> 00:49:13.539
 no matter how expensive that real estate is, it doesn't compare to the value of that treasure.

00:49:13.539 --> 00:49:19.940
 And even if it's Cambridge real estate market, and that plot of land is like a million dollars,

00:49:20.500 --> 00:49:25.099
 you will beg for money and take money and earn money.

00:49:25.179 --> 00:49:28.719
 You'll save everything you can to buy that land.

00:49:28.779 --> 00:49:34.500
 You'll sell everything you have to buy that land because what you find in it

00:49:34.500 --> 00:49:37.960
 more than compensates for everything you have given up.

00:49:44.340 --> 00:49:48.420
 On our own, we can never hope to have any treasure in heaven.

00:49:49.159 --> 00:49:50.719
 We have sinned against God.

00:49:50.800 --> 00:49:52.039
 We've rebelled against him.

00:49:52.039 --> 00:49:59.860
 We have made the lesser creatures and the lesser things of earth our supreme treasure.

00:50:00.199 --> 00:50:02.159
 That is what God calls sin.

00:50:02.940 --> 00:50:08.599
 And it's because of sin that God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins,

00:50:09.420 --> 00:50:12.759
 to redeem us from sin, to redeem us from death.

00:50:12.760 --> 00:50:24.660
 And then he was raised from the dead so that all of those heavenly riches is promised to those who would simply repent and believe in Jesus Christ.

00:50:27.360 --> 00:50:31.040
 Do you really believe that all of those heavenly riches are offered to you?

00:50:31.039 --> 00:50:45.000
 Christianity is not about skimping and making sacrifices and settling for lesser treasures because that's just the right thing to do.

00:50:48.179 --> 00:50:58.599
 No, Christianity is about finding the greatest treasure, the supreme treasure worth giving up everything in your life for

00:50:58.599 --> 00:51:04.839
 so that when you have given it all up and you have pursued it with all of your heart, you find that you have lost nothing.

00:51:11.539 --> 00:51:14.219
 And isn't that what God has given us in Jesus Christ?

00:51:15.179 --> 00:51:16.380
 In James 1, he says,

00:51:16.380 --> 00:51:21.039
 Every good and perfect gift is from above, from the Father of lights.

00:51:22.079 --> 00:51:25.960
 Everything good that you have ever experienced in life comes from God.

00:51:25.960 --> 00:51:27.740
 It has its origin in God.

00:51:27.960 --> 00:51:32.579
 And in heaven, in eternal life, in fellowship with him, you have that in infinity.

00:51:36.619 --> 00:51:40.980
 All of our treasures here, everything you value is fleeting and passing away.

00:51:41.059 --> 00:51:47.639
 But in heaven, it says in 1 Peter 1, we have an inheritance that is imperishable and undefiled and unfading.

00:51:47.639 --> 00:51:56.719
 We were singing about this.

00:51:56.920 --> 00:51:58.440
 Better is one day in your house.

00:51:59.259 --> 00:52:08.019
 I would rather be a doorkeeper at the house of my God than to dwell in the luxurious courts of the wicked.

00:52:08.019 --> 00:52:12.780
 Psalm 27 verse 4 says,

00:52:12.780 --> 00:52:32.160
 The God who gave his only son for us.

00:52:32.160 --> 00:52:36.780
 Jesus who willingly took that cross and died for our sins to redeem us and save us.

00:52:37.840 --> 00:52:39.780
 Eternal life means union with him.

00:52:39.780 --> 00:52:44.160
 Eternal life means fellowship with the triune God.

00:52:44.700 --> 00:52:47.860
 Eternal life means we get to see God.

00:52:49.620 --> 00:52:52.720
 Know him like we have never known him before.

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 Are you willing to give up the trinkets of this world for that supreme treasure?

00:53:03.619 --> 00:53:13.719
 I hope all of your answers are resounding yes.

00:53:13.960 --> 00:53:14.480
 Let's pray.

00:53:14.480 --> 00:53:14.500
 Let's pray.

00:53:14.500 --> 00:53:14.500


00:53:33.619 --> 00:53:46.299
 Father, I testify this morning before this congregation

00:53:46.300 --> 00:53:59.560
 that when I decided to leave the world to follow you,

00:54:00.480 --> 00:54:04.200
 ever since I've done that,

00:54:05.480 --> 00:54:08.980
 that every single day of my life, it has been worth it.

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00:54:08.980 --> 00:54:09.100
 Amen.

00:54:09.100 --> 00:54:09.480
 Amen.

00:54:09.480 --> 00:54:09.600
 Amen.

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00:54:16.300 --> 00:54:17.180
 Amen.

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00:54:17.179 --> 00:54:19.940
 Life hasn't always been easy,

00:54:20.859 --> 00:54:24.659
 but I've never regretted that decision, Lord.

00:54:31.219 --> 00:54:35.619
 Lord, won't you give us eyes of faith,

00:54:36.899 --> 00:54:38.739
 a single eye,

00:54:43.480 --> 00:54:46.179
 to take hold of that supreme treasure

00:54:46.179 --> 00:54:48.559
 found in you alone, Father,

00:54:49.779 --> 00:54:56.239
 that we might conform all of our lives to that singular desire.

00:55:07.919 --> 00:55:10.079
 In Jesus' name we pray, amen.