Tuesday, January 17, 2017

January 18, 2017

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21

In the middle of His first great public teaching that came to be known as The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gets to the heart of a central issue with the human heart - MATERIALISM. Your heart and my heart is drawn to money and material possessions.

You have no interest in a certain bank. You drive by bank buildings everyday without even noticing. But that changes when you open a savings account and put your money in there. All of the sudden you find yourself drawn there frequently to make deposits or withdrawals. You want that bank to be secure and financially solid.

The New York Stock Exchange has no significance to you until you buy a stock or invest in a mutual fund. Then you will go online every day and track how your money is doing.

You know you need a place to live. Everyone needs shelter and safety and privacy. So, you begin looking at houses and you try to keep your emotions at bay so you can make a rational and intelligent decision. After you have searched for awhile you find a house that meets your needs and fits in your budget so you put money down and buy the house. Immediately, your attitude changes toward that house! It is no longer a house it is a HOME - your HOME! 

Why?

What changed?

You put a lot of your treasure into that house and your heart followed your treasure! Right?

That's the reality than Jesus knows about you and wants you to understand about yourself! Your heart follows your treasure. So if you want to get your heart in the right place put your treasure there and your heart follows!

So, let's go back to Matthew 6:21 and put it into context. I mentioned that this verse comes out of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. And what is the main topic of the Sermon on the Mount?

Here's a hint from several verses later in this chapter:

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33

Jesus, in Matthew 5, 6 and 7 is describing the Kingdom of God. AND, He is calling you and me to be a part of that Kingdom because within that Kingdom is the blessed life!

How do I get into that Kingdom, Brad?

You throw your heart and your treasures into His Kingdom, His Kingdom principles and His Kingdom purpose. 

A high jumper was interviewed by a reported following his world record leap. The reported asked, "How did you manage to jump higher than any human being has ever been able to jump before?"

The new record-holder replied, "I just threw my heart over the bar and my body followed."

That's what Jesus is saying! Throw what you treasure most into the Kingdom of God and your heart will follow. And then keep doing it! That's what Jesus means when He said, "Seek first His Kingdom...." put your first things and best things and most precious things into God's Kingdom and your heart will be invested!

By the way, there is a promise Jesus tossed in there at the end did you get it?

"and all these things will be added to you as well."

What are "all these things"?

If you back up to the previous few verses you will discover that "all these things" refers to food, clothing, shelter - the things we naturally treasure with our hearts. When you get your heart in the right place He will be able to place the right things in your heart and also in your hand!

So, where is your heart this morning?

The better question is, "Where is your treasure because that's where your heart will be."