The Joy of Discovering Hidden Treasure – 5

 The Joy of Discovering Hidden Treasure – 5

Subject – How to Start the Journey of Generous Giving

By Rick Welborne

Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
¹⁹  "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
²⁰  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
²¹  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

--Pastor Rick, I want to start this journey of generous giving but I am not sure how to get started. As always, let’s go to God’s Word and see what He says.

Leviticus 27:30 (NIV)
³⁰  "'A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.

--I love the story about the interesting soldier and politician Sam Houston. He came to Christ and after his baptism he wanted to pay for half of the local pastor’s salary. Someone asked him why?

Houston – My pocketbook was baptized too.

--The meaning of the word “tithe” is “a tenth part.” Ten percent was to be given (brought to) the Lord. There were to be freewill offerings but the tithe belonged to God and was mandatory. 

--Some argue this was just for the farmers but in 2 Chron. 31:5 it says the people of Israel brought a tithe of everything. We are to give to God first, not last.

Proverbs 3:9 (NIV) ⁹ Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 

--When God’s children were not giving as they had been instructed listen to what God said to them:

Malachi 3:8-10 (NIV)
⁸  "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings.
⁹  You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me.
¹⁰  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 

--But, Pastor Rick, everything you have read has been Old Testament. Let’s see what Jesus said about tithing:

Matthew 23:23 (NKJV)
²³  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

--There is much debate about whether tithing is for us today or not. Even websites dedicated to speaking against it. All examples of life in the New Testament actually went beyond the Old Testament. NT is harder. Example.

Matthew 5:21-22 (NLT2)
²¹  “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’
²²  But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! 

1. Giving in the Church

--Maybe you are one of those people who believe that each of us should only give what we feel in our hearts we should give. You may feel the early church fathers were wrong when they said the tithe was the minimal. 

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?”

--The truth is, the majority of Christians do not believe in or practice tithing, but instead, embrace “grace giving,” whether or not they use that term, let’s consider what that looks like for real.

--Most of the studies done over the last several decades indicate that American Christians give an average of 2 or 3% of their income to the church. One out of 4 protestants give no money at all, not even a token offering.

--What is troubling to me is that in such a wealthy society like ours, that our giving amounts only to a fraction of the First Covenant Standard (a tenth) and the Word of God.

--Sounds like to me if you want to call your giving “grace giving” that many do not have an appreciation for the amazing grace of God that has been poured out on us. How can we not be givers when God gave His Son Jesus?

--Could it be that what we have been teaching about giving (tithing and offerings) is either not true or the message is not getting through to a generation who says they depend so much on God’s grace?

--Tithing is God’s biblical and historical means of getting His people on the path of generous giving. It is only the gateway. It’s unhealthy to think tithing is a place to stop but instead, a place to start.

--Tithing is not the ceiling; it is only the floor of giving. It’s not the finish line, it’s the starting blocks. Tithing can launch us into a beautiful mindset and habit of generous giving.

--Nothing I read indicates that God has changed His mind about our giving. In Malachi 3:8 it indicates the Israelites were robbing God not only with the mandatory tithe but with freewill offerings too.

--The Apostle Paul talked about volunteer giving but he also indicated it was to be done in obedience. God still has expectations of us even when the offerings are viewed as voluntary. 

2 Corinthians 9:12-13 (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.
¹³  Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

--Don’t ever worry that you do not give the same amount as someone else but He wants us to give in proportion to how He has blessed us. I have always said, not equal giving but equal sacrifice.

Deuteronomy 16:10 (NIV) ¹⁰ Then celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you.

--I have heard preachers tell people and I have heard people say I will start with 5%. Remember robbing God? It is like saying I used to rob six banks a week but now I will only rob three. It is still stealing.

--The point is not to rob God less; it is to not rob Him at all. People would be giving more by the 5% and the church could benefit from it. Don’t forget God doesn’t look at just what you give, He looks at what you keep. 

--If you would talk to as many people as I have talked to who have found the joy of living a generous life style, you would catch the heart of giving. It’s fun to bless God and people.

2. Don’t Throw Out Tithing.

--Tithing is often the means God uses to help people see how much they could truly be blessed. Because of how blessed our family has been from generous giving, it is hard to understood the animosity toward it.

--Yes, tithing has been abused but don’t throw out the baby of tithing with the bathwater of a few who abuse it. People abuse cars by driving reckless and speeding but I have no desire to walk or ride horses. God said…

Malachi 3:10 (NIV)
¹⁰  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

--It is ironic, many people say and suppose they can’t afford to give precisely because they are not giving and experiencing God’s blessings. What did God say to people when they failed to give.

Haggai 1:5-6 (NIV)
⁵  Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways.
⁶  You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.

--God didn’t allow their money to go far because they were stingy and disobedient to His commands of giving.

 Haggai 1:9 (NIV) ⁹ "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.

3. Obedient Faith Can Bring Breakthrough. 

--When we put God first (bringing the firstfruits – tithes and missions first), we invite the blessings of God to help us with our own finances and debts we owe. 

--How much of our harvest (our money) is blown away because we don’t make giving to God, to missions, and to others a priority? No wonder we don’t have enough. It’s a vicious cycle, it takes obedient faith to break out.

--If you say you cannot afford to tithe, think about this…If all of a sudden your income was cut by ten percent, would you die? It is possible with our new leadership. If your answer is no, you admitted you can afford to tithe.

--I say this to people quite often, is it better to live on 90% of your income with God’s blessings or on 100% of your income without God’s blessings. Truly, it all belongs to Him so why not have obedient faith. 

Leviticus 27:30-31 (NIV)
³⁰  "'A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.
³¹  If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value to it.

--Tithing is like a toddler’s first steps: they aren’t his last or best steps, but they are a good start. Pastor Rick, I am a New Testament giver! I am no longer under the law. Ok, let’s look at NT giving.

Acts 4:32& 34-35 (NIV)
³²  All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.
³⁴  There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales
³⁵  and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. 

Book of James – Chapter One - 4

 Book of James – Chapter One - 4

The Way to Conquer Trials & Temptations - 2

By Bob Yothers

James 1:5-12 

   To overcome and conquer trials and temptations we must ask God for wisdom, rejoice in our position, and remember the reward for persevering is a crown of life.

   ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.⁹ Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, ¹⁰ and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. ¹¹ For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.¹² Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. ESV.

   To overcome and conquer trials and temptations we must rejoice in our position: VV9-11.

   

   Revelation 3²¹ The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. ESV.

   

   Romans 8¹¹ If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. ESV.

 

   Matthew 19³⁰ But many who are first will be last, and the last first. NLT.

   To overcome & conquer we must ask God for wisdom, rejoice in our position and remember the reward for enduring is a crown of life - V12. 

   

   D.L. Moody described heaven this way: The paradise of Eden was as nothing compared with [heaven]. … Think of a place where temptation cannot come. Think of a place where we will be free from sin; where pollution cannot enter, and where the righteous shall reign forever. Think of a city … without griefs or graves, without sins or sorrows.³ 

   The Fellowship of the Unashamed

   "I am a part of the fellowship of the Unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit Power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals. 

   "I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer and labor by power. 

   "My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear. 

   I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. 

   "I won't give up, back up, let up, or shut up until I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until He returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. 

   "And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My colors will be clear for "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." Romans 1:16.⁴

   We can overcome and conquer as we ask God for wisdom, rejoicing in our position, remembering the reward for enduring is a crown of life.

The Joy of Discovering Hidden Treasure – 4

 The Joy of Discovering Hidden Treasure – 4

Subject – We Should not Live for the Dot but Live for the Line

By Rick Welborne

Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
¹⁹  "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
²⁰  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
²¹  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

Luke 12:15 (NIV)
¹⁵  Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." 

--Why is it that so many people have roadblocks to giving? We know Christ commands us to give and we know He promises great rewards for giving. Maybe we even believe that giving brings happiness.

--So why is it so hard to give? The roadblocks can be unbelief, insecurity, pride, idolatry, and a lack of trust in God. Our culture and even some of our churches make it normal to keep more than we give. It’s my money!

--It appears that the greatest deterrent to giving is the illusion that this earth is our home. We must understand that Heaven and the future New Earth, not this earth, is our home.

--Think about it…the Bibles says we are pilgrims, strangers, aliens on Earth. We are just ambassadors here.

Hebrews 11:13 (NIV)
¹³  All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.

2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV) ²⁰ We are therefore Christ's ambassadors…

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

Hebrews 11:16 (NIV) ¹⁶ Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 

--Where we choose to store our treasures depends largely on where we think our home is. Let’s say America is your home but you are in Spain doing work and staying in a hotel for three months. 

--You are told you cannot bring anything back with you on the airline but you can make money and send it back home by making deposits. Would you buy expensive furniture for your hotel room?

--Of course not, you would only spend what you needed in your temporary residence, sending your money (treasures) ahead so they would be there waiting on you when you got home in America.

--The Bridegroom is getting ready for us by building us a place in Heaven. Everything we do for Him, everything we send on ahead, will be waiting for us there. Treasures in Heaven. 

--Jesus was a builder by trade. Can you even imagine what kind of place He has been preparing for us for the last 2000 years? We need to stop trying to furnish our temporary hotel room and send more to our eternal home.

1. We Should not Live for the Dot but for the Line.

--Think about this…everything that we put so much emphasis on will all be burned with fire. It will disappear.

2 Peter 3:10 (NKJV)
¹⁰  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

--Consider this…Our houses, cars, boats, motorcycles, phones, computers, furniture, private jets, everything will burn and be gone. We have heard, he who dies with the most toys wins. This is more accurate:

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, filling junkyards.

--Think about your lives in terms of the dot (0) and the line. Our lives have two phases: one a dot, the other a line. Our present life on earth is the dot. It begins. It ends. It’s brief.

0------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ETERNITY

James 4:14 (NIV) ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

--From the dot extends a line that goes on forever. That line is eternity, which Christians will spend in Heaven.

--Right now we are living in the dot but what are we living for? The shortsighted person lives only for the dot. The person with the right perspective lives for the line…eternity. Which are you living for?

2. Giving is Living for the Line.

Matthew 6:20 (NIV) ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…

--All of us will part with our money. The only question is when. We have no choice but to part with it later. But we do have a choice whether to part with it now. Say what?

--We can keep our earthy treasures for the moment and we may be getting some temporary enjoyment from them. But if we give them away, we’ll enjoy eternal treasures that will never be taken from us. 

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

--If you hear those words and think Elliot was just one of those super spiritual types who did not think about gain, you missed the point. Re-read. 

--Gain was exactly what he was talking about. He just wanted the gain he could not lose. He wanted his treasure in Heaven not here on earth. He was living for the line not for the dot. 

--People get caught up in living for the dot. Moms and dads spend about six times more time shopping than they do playing with their kids. More people in America file bankruptcy than graduate from college. 

--Listen to people whose treasures were in the dot and their responses, very sobering:

W.H. Vanderbilt – The care of $200 million is enough to kill a person. There is no pleasure in it.

John D. Rockefeller – I have made millions, but they have brought me no happiness. 

Andrew Carnegie – Millionaires seldom smile. 

John Jacob Astor – I am the most miserable man on Earth.

Henry Ford – I was happier doing a mechanic’s job.

--There have been shows on TV telling us about the misery of lottery winners a few years after they won. 

--We think we own our possessions, but too often they own us. Nothing makes a journey more difficult than a heavy backpack filled with nice but unnecessary things. Pilgrims travel light. Please know, money is not evil.

A.W. Tozer – As base a thing as money is, it yet can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor; it can keep a missionary actively winning lost men to the gospel and thus transmute itself into heavenly values. Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality. 

--If America being blessed with so much wealth is the disease, what’s the cure? If materialism is the poison, what’s the antidote? Paul answers:

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV)
¹⁷  Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
¹⁸  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
¹⁹  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

--Paul brings us back to what we have been trying to share about laying up treasure in Heaven. The giving of our resources here on this earth is laying a solid foundation in Heaven for us. A great retirement plan!

--Paul says that being “generous” and “rich in good deeds” allows us to “take hold of the life that is truly life.” This is the abundant life Jesus promised, in contrast to the superficial, money centered life that leaves us empty.

3. Giving is the Cure for Materialism.

--The very act of giving is a vivid reminder that life is all about God, not about us. It’s declaring that I am not the point, He is the point. He does not exist for me. I exist for Him.

--God’s money has a higher purpose than my material comfort. Giving is a joyful surrender to a greater Person (God) and to His greater agenda. Giving takes me off the throne and exalts Christ. It breaks the money god.

--As long as I have something in my possession, I’m tempted to believe I own it. But when I give it away, I relinquish control. Remember:

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

--When we give what we have away we recognize God as owner, ourselves as servants, and others as those He wants us to bless. I shift having my treasure here on earth to storing up treasure in Heaven. 

--I understand money is not all we can give. Time, wisdom, and meeting felt needs are all wonderful too. When we give these things out of love, these things will no doubt result in treasures in Heaven.

--Giving is the cure for materialism. Again, listen to Paul speaking to all of us who have been blessed:

1 Timothy 6:18-19 (NKJV)
¹⁸  Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,
¹⁹  storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

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

The Joy of Discovering Hidden Treasure – 3

 The Joy of Discovering Hidden Treasure – 3

Subject – My Heart Always Goes Where I Put God’s Money

By Rick Welborne

Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
¹⁹  "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
²⁰  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
²¹  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

--If you were to go to Cairo, Egypt, and find your way down one of their allies you would find an overgrown graveyard for American missionaries. You would find a name…William Borden 1887-1913.

--Borden was a Yale graduate and heir to great wealth. He rejected a life of ease in order to take the gospel to Muslims. He even refused to buy himself a car and gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars to missions.

--After only four months on the mission’s field in Egypt he contracted meningitis and died at the age of 25. As you dust off the epitaph, after talking about his love and sacrifice for the Muslim people the inscription said:

Epitaph for William Borden – Apart from faith in Christ, there is no explanation for such a life. 

--If you leave the graveyard you can drive to an Egyptian Museum where King Tut was buried. He died at the age of 17. He was buried with solid gold chariots and thousands of golden artifacts. 

--His gold coffin was buried within gold tombs within gold tombs. Ancient Egyptians believed that you could take your earthly treasures with you into the afterlife. 

--But all the treasures that were intended for King Tuts enjoyment in the afterlife stayed right there where they were buried for more than 3000 years until Howard Carter discovered them in 1922. 

--What a contrast of two graves. Borden’s grave was obscure, dusty, and hidden off a back street littered with garbage. Tut’s grave glittered with unimaginable wealth. Yet, where are these two men now?

--One who lived in opulence (luxury) and called himself a king now lives in eternity without Christ. The other lived modestly in service to the true King of kings, is enjoying his everlasting reward in Jesus’ presence.

--Tut’s life was tragic because he discovered too late that you can’t take it with you. Borden’s life was one of triumph because instead of leaving his treasures, he sent them on ahead. 

1. Our Eternal Rewards 

--If you think Heaven is just a place where you sit on a cloud and strum a harp for eternity, you will probably dread going there. Maybe laying on the cloud and sleeping for about a hundred years would be good. So tired.

--But on the other hand, if you read the Word and believe it, Heaven will be an exciting place of worship, of relief from pain and sorrow, of receiving rewards for our faithfulness, and most of all, seeing Jesus. Wow!

--Think about this; Jesus notices everything we do in His Name. God keeps very good records of all we do.

Matthew 10:42 (NIV)
⁴²  And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."

Malachi 3:16 (NIV)
¹⁶ …A scroll of remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored His name. 

--Try to imagine this…someone in Heaven has the responsibility to record the things you do here on earth to be a blessing. That bike you gave, the extra money you gave a waitress, money to missionaries, all recorded.

Luke 16:9-10 (NLT2)
⁹  Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.
¹⁰  “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. 

--This blows my mind…the people I help on this earth through random acts of kindness or through my mission’s giving will welcome me into their homes in Heaven. They will be my friends for eternity. Wow!

--Yes, we will celebrate and worship Jesus as our eternal reward but we will also have fellowship with those we have blessed financially and those we have led to the Lord. Heaven will be so exciting.

2. Store Up for Yourselves Treasures in Heaven.

Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
¹⁹  "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
²⁰  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
²¹  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

--You cannot understand what Jesus is trying to say in this passage as long as you think it is wrong to value treasure in Heaven. You must believe it is right to do what Jesus tells you to do…Store up for yourselves…

--People often say that they believe it is wrong or ungodly for us to want rewards even if it is in Heaven. The Word is filled with promises about rewards for those who are faithful to God. 

Alcorn – If it were wrong to want rewards, Christ wouldn’t offer rewards as motivation. Rewards are God’s idea, not ours. Love for God, love for people, and compassion for the poor are all vitally important. But these motives for giving are in no way contrary to the fact that God calls us to be motivated by rewards. 

--Sometimes we want to give to people who can give us something back. If we give to those who can’t reward us, Christ guarantees He will personally reward us with treasures waiting on us in Heaven. Verses please!

Luke 14:12-14 (NLT2)
¹²  Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward.
¹³  Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.
¹⁴  Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”

--I believe this includes helping those who are poor but also those who are poor spiritually, giving to missions.

3. Our Hearts in the Right Place.

--God promises us wonderful rewards in Heaven and on the New Earth free from the curse…no more tears, sorrow, pain, or even death. We will be with the One Who gave Himself for us!

--Even though this is absolutely true, many Christians dread the thought of leaving this world. Why? We have stored up so many treasures here on this earth. Each day brings us closer to death and closer to losing our…

--I remember my father-in-law sitting on our porch out in the country and saying something, in light of this sermon, that was powerful and sobering. “Why would you want to ever leave this and go to Heaven?”

--How tightly are we hanging on to the things, the treasures, of this world? How many treasures are we laying up in Heaven by our extreme generosity? Why is that important? It shows us where our hearts are.

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

Alcorn – My heart always goes where I put God’s money.

--Yes, Pastor Rick, my heart goes toward the 10% (tithe) I give and the amount I give to missions. Please, let me remind you a couple of verses from last week. All your money is God’s money.

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

Haggai 2:8 (NIV) ⁸ 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty.

--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…show me your financial records and I can show you where your heart is. 

--Imagine you invest in or buy shares in GMC or Ford, what happens? You suddenly develop an interest in what happens with those companies. If you hear their names on the news, you perk up.

--On the other hand, let’s say you are investing in Impact Africa or Missionary Ann Steward through your mission’s giving, and you hear about those countries you pay attention. Where your treasure is your heart goes...

--As surely as the compass needle follows north, your heart follows your treasure. This is such a remarkable truth. If I want my heart somewhere, all I need to do is put my money there. 

--People say they want more of a heart for missions and seeing the lost come to Christ. Jesus says the easy solution is to put your money (your treasure) into missions and your heart will follow.

--If you want your heart to gravitate toward eternal things, then, reallocate some of your money, a bunch of it, from temporal things to eternal things and your heart will follow your investment. Souls are eternal investments.

Matthew 13:44 (NIV)
⁴⁴  "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 

--In his joy he got rid of all his worldly wealth and treasures to gain a better eternal treasure. God is looking for disciples who for the sake of eternal treasures are investing their money, time, and prayers where they matter…

Hebrews 11:24-26 (NIV)
²⁴  By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
²⁵  He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.
²⁶  He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

--If we believe each places us closer to the time we leave all our treasures behind, we will be miserable. If we believe each day we live moves us closer to our eternal reward and treasure, we will have joy.

Alcorn – My heart always goes where I put God’s money.