Title: Investing in the
Text: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:1921).
Introduction
Many think of Jesus only in terms of his being concerned about spiritual matters. Some have limited him to the life after death. They do not feel that he has a relevant message for life in this modern age. To think in these terms is to miss completely the impact of his wonderful life. He is more than a Savior of the soul. He wants to guide us into abundant life (John ). … “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
In the words of our text, Jesus gave utterance to a principle that should touch every area of your life. As heaven’s wonderful Teacher, he has a word for us concerning some safe investments. All of us are interested in making wise and profitable investments.
People’s acquisitive instincts are inborn and have not changed through the centuries. Because they want to walk by sight rather than by faith, they are constantly tempted to confuse the means of living with the end of living.
The pressures of making a living often crowd out the desire to live a great and significant life. Jesus had much to say about our relationship to the material world and our concern for the necessities of life. He warns us against the peril of letting material things separate us from God.
In the words of our text, the Savior assumes the role of our investment Counselor. He would advise us as to how we can invest our time, talents, and treasure so as to prosper permanently.
I. Jesus points out the insecurity of earthly treasure.
A. Earthly treasure is subject to destruction from within—by the moth. The moth was symbolic of all that can destroy on the inside. Wealthy people in the
B. Earthly treasure is subject to destruction from without—by rust. Much of that which we purchase will deteriorate with the passing of time. The sale value of a new car experiences a sudden drop the moment it is driven out of the showroom. Fire, storms, and floods can render our investments valueless. Most of the things for which people struggle are perishable.
C. Earthly treasures are subject to destruction from beneath—“thieves break through and steal.” There are many factors over which the individual has no control that can rob us of our valuables.
1. War or natural catastrophe can destroy our investments.
2. Inflation causes savings to shrink.
3. Depression causes investments to decrease in value. Earthly treasure alone is a bad investment. It is not permanent. One has to go off and leave it to someone else (Eccl. –19). “So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.”
D. Jesus is not prohibiting the saving or accumulating of money. The seventh commandment implies the right to accumulate property.
1. It is God who gives us the power to get wealth (Deut. ). “But remember the LORD your God for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant which he swore to your forefathers as it is today”
2. God wants to bless people with prosperity.
E. Jesus warns us against letting earthly treasure become the chief object in life.
1. Earthly treasure does not satisfy.
2. Earthly treasure is perishable (1 John ). “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”
3. Earthly treasure will have to be left behind.
4. Concentration on earthly treasure prevents one from laying up treasure in heaven.
II. Jesus pointed out the security of heavenly treasure (Matt. ). “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
A. The bank of heaven will never go broke.
B. Moths and rust will not corrupt.
C. Thieves will not break in and steal.
D. Invest your time in the service of God.
E. Invest your talents and energy in the service of God.
F. Invest your tithe as a minimum in the work of God.
1. Because of what it will do to and for you.
2. Because of what it will do for your church.
3. Because a lost and needy world waits.
4. Because God says that we are to do so.
A. Our heart follows our treasure. Our heart is always located where our treasure is located. “Where your treasure is there will your heart be also” (Matt. ). This is the whole point of this investment counsel of Jesus. He is encouraging us to invest in the
B. Christ wants us to make a wise investment.
(Luke 12:21). The parable of the rich fool
“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.
He thought to himself ‘What shall I do? I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grains and my goods, And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years, Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘you fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”
We could waste our substance by an unwise investment. He who lives for this world only is making a very foolish investment of his life and resources. The rich fool is a case in point. He was rich in the eyes of the world but a pauper in the sight of God.
Conclusion
“What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” (Mark ). Jesus encourages us to invest all that we are in eternal things—things that will pass through the strainer of death. By so doing we live the full life here, and heaven will be richer and more wonderful hereafter.
