The Joy of Discovering Hidden Treasure - 9

 The Joy of Discovering Hidden Treasure - 9

Subject – Questions That Need to be Asked

By Rick Welborne

Matthew 13:44 (NKJV)
⁴⁴  "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 

--As a point of review, let’s look at some of the keys we have learned in this series. Maybe you have forgotten this but even one of our Distinctives as a church is Generous Giving.

Randy Alcorn – Our approach to money and possessions is central to our spiritual lives. 

--Anything we try to hang on to here will be lost. But anything we put in God’s hands will be ours for eternity. If that doesn’t take your breath away, you don’t understand it. 

Alcorn - You can’t take it with you—but you can send it on ahead of you.

Psalm 24:1 (NLT2) ¹ The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. 

--This is so powerful…even the poor can be generous.

2 Corinthians 8:1-2 (NIV)
¹  And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.
²  Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 

--Jesus is our example of ultimate giving and sacrifice.

2 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV) ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 

2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV) ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

--We learned from Jesus that it is absolutely okay to be motivated by receiving rewards in Heaven. His idea.

Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
¹⁹  "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…²⁰  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… ²¹  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

--My heart always goes where I put God’s money. What we do with our money doesn’t simply indicate where our hearts are, according to Jesus, it determines where our hearts go. Our hearts follow our treasure.

--Where we invest our treasure largely determines where we put our treasure (This earth or heaven). We have to realize that this earth is not our home, we are only passing through.

Philippians 3:20 (NIV) ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Alcorn – He who dies with the most toys still dies—and leaves his toys behind. When we die after devoting our lives to acquiring things, we don’t win—we lose. We move into eternity, but our stuff stays behind.

Missionary Jim Elliot – He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.

--When we start this journey of generous giving and laying up treasures in Heaven, maybe we should consider Alcorn’s prayer when he talked about what God required of Israel in regard to tithes and offerings.

Alcorn’s Prayer – “God, do you really expect less of me---who has your Holy Spirit within and lives in the wealthiest society in human history---than you expected of the poorest Israelite?”

--We need to consider our giving is absolutely worship to God, as much as, lifting our hands and shouting.

2 Corinthians 9:12 (NIV) ¹² This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 

--The modern church wants to excel in many areas, media, worship, ministries, outreach, missions, preaching…

2 Corinthians 8:7 (NIV) ⁷ But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 

John Wesley – Money never stays with me. It would burn me if it did. I throw it out of my hands as soon as possible, lest it should find its way into my heart. 

Alcorn – God prospers me not to raise my standard of living but to raise my standard of giving. God comes right out and tells us why He gives us more money than we need. It’s not so we can find more ways to spend it. It’s not so we can indulge ourselves and spoil our children. It’s so we can give---generously.

--A good question…Why does God give some of His children more than they need and others less than they need? So that He can use His children to help one another. He does not want us to have too much or too little.

--So many times when we look at spiritual gifts in the church we overlook what Paul said:

Romans 12:8 (NIV)
⁸  if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously;

--What our commitment should look like.

A. I affirm God’s full ownership of me and everything I own.

Psalm 24:1 (NIV) ¹ The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 

B. I will set aside the first fruits—starting with at least 10 percent of all I receive.

C. Out of the remaining treasure God entrusts to me, I will prayerfully seek to make generous freewill gifts.

D. I ask God to teach me to give sacrificially to His purposes.

E. Knowing, I cannot take earthly treasures with me, I determine to store up treasure in Heaven.

--As we come close to the end of this series on The Joy of Discovering Hidden Treasure and realizing our need to store up treasures in Heaven instead of here on earth, let’s look at a few questions:

1. Father, have you blessed me and shown me favor for such a time as this?

Esther 4:14 (NIV)
¹⁴  For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" 

--Think about this…Esther was where she was and was in the position God had blessed her with to keep the Jews from being annihilated. Maybe God has blessed us so much for a similar reason. 

--What if God has blessed us all financially with such great treasure and resources that we can keep people from perishing spiritually. Through our giving to missions thousands can be saved, just like the Jews of Esther’s day.

--The church in the US has been so blessed with such wealth and treasure during a time so many in the world are poor and unreached…what an opportunity to lay up treasure in heaven by giving to Life Church missions.

2. Lord, am I honoring you as the owner of everything I have?

--How are we treating God when it comes to Him owning everything we have? Remember, the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. Remember He is supposed to be Lord of all.

--Many of us act like we are the owners and Jesus is just a consultant who we pay a fee of 2% or 10%. We act like we own the store and that God simply works for us to bless us.

--Here’s a test…when was the last time you asked God what He wanted to do with the wealth He has entrusted to you? If He is the owner of it all, it might be good to check with Him.

--If we asked God if He wanted us to give more to missions or to build a bigger house, buy a newer car, or take another elaborate trip, what do you think His answer would be? Tough questions, Pastor Rick.

3. Lord, have I fallen for the lie that I can’t afford to be generous with my giving?

2 Corinthians 8:1-2 (NIV)
¹  And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.
²  Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 

--How do “severe trial,” “overflowing joy,” “extreme poverty,” and “rich generosity” all end up in one verse? Giving is not just for the rich, it is a joyous privilege of the poor.

--Unfortunately, I have seen people in such overwhelming debt they strangled their ability to be generous with God or missions. This hit me as I typed out unfortunately. Un-fortune. It is so sad.

--Remember it all belongs to Him and we are responsible with how we manage it. Extreme debt will choke out your ability to help the poor, give to missions, and most important, be obedient to God. Let me challenge you:

A. A good place to start is being faithful with the tithe and with something for missions.

B. If you have never made a Faith Promise to missions, do it. You will be so glad.

D. If the amount you give above your tithe to missions is merely a token, double it and watch God.

E. Look for and pray for opportunities to be generous in the church and outside the church.

F. Prayerfully ask God what it really means to lay up treasures in Heaven.

G. Finally, find someone or some ministry to bless this week with a generous love gift.