FBC Boerne Youth
Messages from First Baptist Church Boerne's Youth Ministry. Visit us at https://www.fbcboerne.org/youth/
FBC Boerne Youth
Where is your treasure? // Matthew 6:19-24
Join us as we continue our Sermon on the Mount series in Matthew 6:19-24!
A little bit about me. You might know this, you might not, but before I was the youth pastor here, I was the youth pastor at a little church in Ferris, texas, called Community Baptist Church, cbc. It's kind of like the CBC here in San Antonio, except there are about 50 people and the entire building was about half this size. So you know, basically the same. But you know, we were gearing up for camp. This was the last summer before I would ultimately come down here and, man, this was like the biggest camp ever. Like we were pushing numbers, like we had 20 kids signed up which I joke, but in reality like that was huge for us and that was a huge blessing and we were really excited about what God was going to do. Some of these kids had barely ever even been to church before, and so we were so excited.
Speaker 1:But there was this one kid that I was trying to get to show up and I just couldn't get him to show up. His name was Trent and I pastored him, I pastored him, I bugged him, I bugged him and just time after time he's like no, he'd come up with an excuse, another excuse, like he did not want to come to camp, and so one day, finally, I asked him I'm like Trent, why don't you want to come? Bro, Tell me the truth. I'm not going to judge you, I'm not going to be mad at you. Why don't you want to show up? And I kid you not, he looked me in my eyes and he told me, straight face, because I don't want to be away from Fortnite for that long Dead, serious brother, like 100%. You can ask Christine, I am not making this story up. And it was really sad, though, honestly, because the more I learned, this kid really had a struggle with this game. In fact, I heard from his grandma at one point that he went and took her credit card and ran up about an $800 bill on V-Bucks. And this is a low income. Like $800 is like half a year, like this is bad. And so you know, we go to camp and we have a good time and God moves and it's an incredible experience.
Speaker 1:But when we get back, I still had this sadness for this kid, trent, because ultimately he would start coming to church less and less and less and then ultimately he didn't come at all and the reality was he missed out on something incredibly valuable God working in his life at camp. His sister went, god did some cool things in her life. He missed out on something incredibly value because he was giving his life to something that had no real value. Why do I tell you that story tonight? Because, if we're honest, that's a lot of our biggest fear. Not Fortnite addiction, not that, but giving our life to something that doesn't matter, wasting our life. Getting to the end of our life, we're laying on our deathbed looking back over everything we've done, everything we've spent time and energy and money on, and thinking I spent it all on nothing. It was a waste. I want to have a do-over. It was all pointless and thankfully.
Speaker 1:How to avoid that is our topic tonight, because we have been walking through the Sermon on the Mount in this whole year, actually, or this whole spring, and really, if you have your Bible, let's go ahead and flip over to Matthew, chapter 6, starting in verse 19. What the Sermon on the Mount is if maybe this is your first Wednesday or you've been coming recently it's a collection of Jesus's teaching about what it looks like to live in the kingdom of God. To put it more simply, what it looks like to follow him. And so we've gone through lots of different topics, and now we're on this idea and Jesus is going to teach us about what is truly worth giving our lives to, so that we can live a life that matters and not look back on it one day like it was completely pointless. So let's jump in Matthew, chapter 6, starting verse 19. This is what Sam read earlier Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moths and vermin destroy and where thieves break in and steal.
Speaker 1:Will you pray with me for just one moment? Everybody, heads bowed, eyes closed. Will you just take a moment to pray for yourself, pray for your heart, for your mind, that God would remove any distractions and he would help you to see clearly whatever it is he has for you through his word tonight. And then would you spend a moment to pray for me, that I would not try to preach with wise words or anything of that sort, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, and that this would be try to preach with wise words or anything of that sort, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, and that this would be helpful to you. Lord, we thank you for your word tonight and we pray that, as we just spend time in it, that it would get into us, that it would shape us and that we would leave here changed. Father, we love you and praise you. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Everybody said amen, thank you. So, love you and praise you, pray these things in Jesus' name. And everybody said amen, thank you.
Speaker 1:So Jesus starts by telling his followers what not to do. Right, don't store up treasures on earth. Well, that poses the question. Well, what does he mean by treasures on earth? Well, the easy understanding would be like money and possessions, and that is the way that this text is taught most of the time, and I think that's what Jesus is getting at here. But I think there's another level to this where he's not just talking about money or stuff specifically, but the things of this world in general, and you'll see that a little bit later in the text and how the language is and all that sort of stuff. But really he's not just getting at stuff, right, having to have the nicest and newest things. You need a set of Lulu for each day of the week, the newest phone, the nicest car. But treasures of the world could also be status and influence.
Speaker 1:You want to be somebody, you want to be in that popular social circle. You want to be at that popular table. You want to get invited to the popular parties. You want to be a trendsetter, have people follow you, be an influencer, go viral, get the clicks, the likes, the shares, or maybe it's image. You want to be the hot one, the funny one, the one with the six pack. You want people to like you, think you're awesome, that you have it all together, that you have the good life, or it could be success.
Speaker 1:You want to make the team get the offers, get some stars, or maybe it's not athletics. You want to make the team get the offers, get some stars, or maybe it's not athletics. You want to get the grades. You want to get the GPA so that you can get the class ranks, you can get the scholarships, you can get in the right school, get in the right program, get some letters by your name, have a nice little house with white picket fence, retirement home in 30A Gulf Shores. You want to succeed in life. Or maybe it's a relationship seed in life, or maybe it's a relationship. You want to find that person who will complete you, who will make you whole. Or maybe, if you're honest, it's not so much about finding that person, as it is about not being single. Right that you want to be talking with five people at once. Have all the guys and girls on snap because, if you're honest with yourself, it makes you feel wanted and that's something that you crave deeply.
Speaker 1:And I could go on and on and on and on about all the different treasures and things that the world has to offer. But the point is that the temptation to chase after all that stuff is real. We all probably heard that list and could say, hey, this is me, this is me, this is where I'm at. So ask yourself, where are you when it comes to earthly treasures, things of this world, the pride of life, the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, those things that Scripture calls these worldly things. What are you most prone to be tempted to chase after?
Speaker 1:And I have to say this the phrase store up treasures is the key thing here. It's not saying that money is bad. It's also not saying that you need to go live in a monastery somewhere and be a monk and never interact with the world, but it's talking about this hoarding. And really the point here is when you set your entire life, heart and mind on chasing these things. It's an intentional pursuit and Jesus says it's a problem because ultimately it's going to let you down in the end. He uses this analogy of moth and thieves and obviously you know moth do not always destroy your money that would be really unfortunate and thieves do not always break in and steal your things.
Speaker 1:But the point is that all of this stuff is temporary. Success is forgotten. Guys image will fade away. The applause of this stuff is temporary. Success is forgotten. Guys image will fade away. The applause of the crowd is fickle. Those people you think like you right now are not always going to like you. Relationships end, someone always has more money and nicer things. And the reality is, guys, when something is temporary, you never truly own it, it's just a rental. And when you set your heart on pursuing it, no matter how much you try to get, you never quite grasp it. And not only do you not own it, but the truth is it owns you. You have to keep chasing, keep striving, keep putting forward this false image to make people like you. It's always more and more and more and never enough. And then there's always this undercurrent of anxiety where you're like what if I'm not enough? What if I can't keep up. What if I can't earn enough money, do enough things, be a good enough person so that people will like me? And it just leaves you in this miserable hamster wheel where all of this pressure is on your back and it's exhausting. Some of you feel that here tonight.
Speaker 1:I remember when I was in high school the thing that I desperately chased was relationships. I desperately always wanted to be dating or talking to someone, and so I bounced from relationship to relationship, thinking hey, maybe it's gonna fix this hole in my life that my parents' divorce left and that's a whole nother therapy session for a whole nother day. And so I bounced around from relationship to relationship. But I didn't realize that really all that was doing was making me miserable, because it came from the fact my heart and my mind were set on dating someone. I thought I needed a relationship to complete me and to make me happy, and because I thought that I needed it, I was afraid to lose it.
Speaker 1:And so I would get into this relationship and I'd have this constant anxiety Like what if they leave? Like what if they lose feelings? What if they don't care about me anymore? And that anxiety would then lead to this kind of bitter jealousy and possessiveness. Where I've got to protect what's mine, I got to, nobody's going to take this from me. They're not going to encroach on my territory. Where I've got to protect what's mine, nobody's going to take this from me. They're not going to encroach on my territory. And the reality is that person didn't owe me anything and they definitely didn't belong to me. And I'll side note on dating, like that's something that some people need to hear tonight. But that jealousy, that possessiveness all came from me chasing after this thing, making it the center of my heart.
Speaker 1:And the worst part is when I would self-sabotage a relationship and ultimately it would end. Then I would like it was. The sky was falling right. I hated being single. I thought my world was over. I'd mope around, tell myself I was depressed, all just to repeat the entire cycle next month. What I was pursuing to find satisfaction in my life was actually giving me slavery.
Speaker 1:Let me ask you, does that sound familiar for you tonight? Because maybe for you it's not relationships, but you can plug in any earthly treasure into that story and probably we've had some sort of experience similar to that in our lives. Because whatever earthly treasure you set your heart and your mind on, it's eventually going to end you up in the same exact spot. Earthly treasure you set your heart and your mind on, it's eventually going to end you up in the same exact spot. And many of you came in here tonight feeling the weight of that slavery, of feeling like you have to perform, feeling like you have to measure up, trying to chase something that you never quite get, whether it's the approval of people, the approval of parents, the approval of a relationship, actual money, success, whatever all those things I just listed. My offer to you tonight is that you can stop. You can get off that hamster wheel. You can stop chasing those things that are killing you. That well, that promises water but just keeps running dry. That thing that promises you life but keeps giving you death.
Speaker 1:Jesus is offering you something better, a different way of life, free from the striving, free from the worry, free from the anxiety. So what is it? Well, thankfully, that's where we go in verse 20. Let's jump back into the text, but store up for yourself treasures in heaven where moths and vermin do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there, your heart will be also, and so the alternative to storing up earthly treasures is to store up heavenly treasures, which again poses the question what in the world is he talking about when he says heavenly treasures? Well, scripture is never really specific about what these things are, but scripture is clear that when we get to heaven one day, we will receive rewards, eternal rewards, and I don't know what it's going to be specifically, but it sounds pretty sick Like I'm in, like that's something to be desired. But the emphasis that Jesus has here is not so much on the what the reward is, but how you get it. He's telling you what to do, not to hey, fixate on this thing, but instead here's how you earn, or this is what you should do. You should try to store up these treasures in heaven. And so then the question is well then, how do I store up treasures in heaven?
Speaker 1:And when we hear that question, a lot of us, our answer is well, I've got to do great things for God. Like I need to go like corner evangelism, lead a bunch of people to the Lord. I need to go like start an orphanage in Africa. Like I need to do amazing things Like Jesus is going to. We're going to get to heaven one day and we're going to stand before him and he's going to read off like the stat sheet you know the stat sheets you see at the end of video games. It's like, uh, three people led to Christ, five mission trips attended, that's pretty good. Two Bible studies led, uh, 25 sermons slept through and 10 cups of water spilled during worship and you're going to get like a midsize house, like baby house. You know, three max.
Speaker 1:And we think that it's all about. We need to do these extraordinary things because in our culture a lot of times we measure success by celebrity, right that we think the people with the platform, the podcast, those are the ones being used by God. If they're famous, then God likes them a whole lot, like they're the ones that really have an impact. What can I do? And who knows those? You know well-known pastors, well-known ministries. Maybe they are doing things for the Lord. That's not my place to judge.
Speaker 1:Depending on your motive, it's not necessarily bad to want to do great things for God, but that's not the answer that the Bible gives when it comes to storing up treasures in heaven. Look at Colossians 3, 23-24. Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. So Paul doesn't say build an orphanage or go be a foreign missionary Again not that he's not saying those things, but that's not the emphasis here. What Paul says is that whatever you do, do it for the Lord and you will receive a reward. Paul is saying that your reward in heaven doesn't necessarily come from being extraordinary. It comes from being faithful. What did you do with what you had, whatever that might be?
Speaker 1:So Christine and I went on a cruise this last week and we had a chance to unplug and unwind and we didn't get the internet package, and so we had two sailing days at the end and I was trying to do some reading and I picked up this book that I had never really heard about until I saw it on Instagram a while back and so bought it, started reading it. It was really really good, and in it this author is writing about how he went to this ministry conference. It's like this for pastors and church leaders, and he goes and they're doing that networking thing where they're all talking to each other and getting phone numbers or whatever, and he asks, because this conversation comes up, that they start talking about legacy you know I'm going to leave a legacy like this or I'm going to leave a legacy like that and he asks well, how do you measure legacy? And the answers that they all gave him were the things you normally hear from some businessman or if you've ever seen those, like motivational self-help videos on Instagram or TikTok. Like you know, you've got to have buy-in and numbers and longevity and cultural impact.
Speaker 1:And it caused this author he writes, it caused him to ask the question, because he's hearing these answers in a church setting. Like these are pastors. This is not the answer you would think they would give. And he asks like is everybody just waiting to make it big? Like is everybody just waiting to become the next big thing? And in a way, it created a desire in him to chase this sort of celebrity. That success in life was really only measured like box office numbers, by spectators and status. And so he finally talks.
Speaker 1:When he's talking about his own personal testimony, he comes to this conclusion when he really realized okay, I think I have this whole thing wrong. And so I'm actually going to read this quote. I've edited a little bit because it's a you know it's a book so it doesn't really work well to read it, but it'll also be on the screen so that you can follow along with it, because it's a little bit long. But he says this the myth of the ordinary Christian is basically gone. Everybody's trying to be something so that they can be someone. It feels like the kingdom is built on hype and followers like your walk with God only counts if people are watching.
Speaker 1:Main character syndrome, it's that quiet belief that if we really give our lives to Jesus it should lead to attention, recognition or at least a little clout. And if it doesn't, if there's no stage, no spotlight, no one cheering us on, then we start to wonder am I even doing this right? But that's not how it works. We're not the main character in the story of life, and that's an important lesson. And so he continues to develop this train of thought over a few chapters and then he reaches really this big conclusion at the end. And again, I've edited this quote. If you really want to read it, go back and read the original one, because it doesn't do it justice.
Speaker 1:But he says this we're told that success and fame and a big platform will satisfy us that if enough people see and celebrate us, we'll finally feel loved and all of our pain will disappear. But the truth is very different. Most people who've ever lived are forgotten. Maybe we'll be remembered by our kids or our grandkids, but eventually even our stories fade, and that sounds depressing. But there's a twist. Jesus said those who lose their lives will find them, and I think he meant this. When we live how we were made to live, even if it costs us everything, we find real life.
Speaker 1:And so here's the invitation Let go of the need to be famous or noticed. Stop chasing the lie that you have to be extraordinary. Instead, pay attention to the life that's right in front of you your family, your school, your church, your neighborhood. People don't need a celebrity. They need you right where you are. God wants to work through your everyday life, your place, your story, to show the world who he is.
Speaker 1:Real change doesn't come through influencers, programs or popularity. It comes through ordinary people doing faithful, local work. Most revivals, they don't start on a stage. They start in secret places, in living rooms, classrooms and quiet conversations. So that's a lot. Let me get to the point. How do you store up treasures in heaven? Be faithful. To put it another way give the ordinary parts of your life to God, not just the Wednesday, not just the Sunday, not just the five-second interview after a game when you win. Every single part, every moment of every day is an opportunity to be used by God in the lives of people around you.
Speaker 1:So, with strangers, listen to them, hear their story. Don't just pass by, don't come with your agenda of how I'm going to perform this rehearsed thing. Hear their story. How is the gospel good news to them? Are they dealing with a sickness? Talk about how Jesus offers healing, and not just physical, spiritual, true healing. Are they poor? Talk about how Jesus says that, hey, true healing. Are they poor? Talk about how Jesus says that, hey, contentment and satisfaction and fulfillment in life has nothing to do with real wealth. How is the gospel good news for them? In your school guys? This is for all of you. Let your life be an example.
Speaker 1:Be different and not different, weird, different, bad, different, good. Look different than everybody else and that's gonna put you on the outside looking in good. That's the history of the church. That's Christianity. That's what it means. Jesus got killed for it. Invite others into your Jesus community. Invite them to church, invite them to your small group.
Speaker 1:Guys, do you realize that healthy relationships are one of the most impactful things that we can offer as Christians? How many of your friends at school are miserable because they have nobody they think they can trust or talk to or who cares about them? You can show them something else At work or in your activity or extracurricular, in your sport. Work harder than anybody else. Just do a good job, and not to gain attention or not to climb the ladder, not to benefit yourself, but just to benefit others, to bless other people. Pick up people's shifts. Help people understand something when they're missing. Take ownership when you mess up In your family. Strive to be the most loving, encouraging, generous person that your family has ever met.
Speaker 1:You're not always going to be perfect, but aim for it, strive for it, serve them, build bridges. If you have a family that doesn't believe, they're going to be looking for every little inconsistency and everything that you preach. But don't do to try and pick and poke and prod. And again, you're not going to be perfect, but how do you respond when you aren't Right? Show them that what you believe is real and not just lip service. Show them that what you believe is real and not just lip service, every day, in and out. Ultimately, let the example of your life and the connection that you have with people around you open the door to share the gospel.
Speaker 1:Evangelizing, sharing your faith, is so much more than just rehearsing a 25-second speech. It's building bridges, it's getting to know people. That's what opens the door. And so if you do that, you will have treasure in heaven. And I don't know exactly what that looks like, but it's treasure that won't fade, it won't let you down, it won't turn on you, it won't break up with you and it certainly won't enslave you. It's real treasure.
Speaker 1:And so, in summary, ask yourself where are you storing your treasure? Where's your heart? Because in Jesus, in verse 21, says are you storing your treasure? Where's your heart? Because in Jesus, in verse 21, says for where your treasure is there, your heart will be also. And at the end of this passage you'll notice I've kind of skipped over two big chunks of text and it's really two images that Jesus has used to hammer his point home and we don't have time to cover all of it, but the first one's about a lamp and he says that our eye is like a lamp for our body, and what he's really talking about is much more than eyesight.
Speaker 1:He's talking about your heart, your focus, your attitude, what you're living for, and he's saying if those things are off, then everything else about your life is going to be off. What you shape your or what you set your heart on will shape your life and your character. You set your heart on God and you get life. You set your heart on the world and you get death. And at the end he says that you can't serve both God and money, and that word for money is the word mammon and it talks about possessions, wealth. It's much more than just money. It's the things of the world really like what we've been talking about. He says you can't serve both of them. You got to pick one to set your heart on, and so you see he's getting this point home.
Speaker 1:At the end of the day, it all boils down to one question when is your heart? Be honest with yourself. When you walked in here tonight, where is your heart? What are you chasing? Is it the world or the God who made it? Because the good news for you tonight if you walked in here exhausted from chasing everything that the world has to offer, just for it to leave you disappointed or feeling like your life has been spent on meaningless, just pointlessness, junk. Jesus has something better. Hear me, I'm not lying to you. I'm not selling you snake oil.
Speaker 1:That satisfaction, that fulfillment that you've been running to guys or money or status or image to try and give you, it's actually found in Jesus, the one you were made to know, the one you were made to have a relationship with. He is the treasure above all treasures. He gives your life meaning, he gives you purpose. He died so that he could make you his. That on the cross, he became our sin. God punished him for our sins, so that Jesus doesn't just sweep our sin under the rug to forget about it. No, it was looked in the face and all of its filth and all of its grossness and all of its messiness. And he says I forgive you because I choose you so that you would become his child. And if you become his child, you're not getting kicked out of the family.
Speaker 1:If you're truly in the faith, then it's no longer you trying to hold on to Jesus, it's Jesus holding on to you. And so when we talk about a treasure that won't rust, a treasure that won't fade. We're talking about Jesus, the offer that you can have him. Nobody can take you away from him. No suffering, no death, no trials. Nothing you can go through in this life can put a dent on the fact that the God of the universe loves you and calls you his kid.
Speaker 1:And it all starts with making the decision to follow him. Saying Jesus, I'm done trying to run my own life. I'm done trying to make my own decisions. I'm done chasing after everything that this world has to offer, because it's left me nothing but dark and depressed and hurt and broken. I want you, and if you need to make that decision tonight, I would encourage you to find a leader. After this, before we go to small groups, find me. I usually hang around the stage up front for a little bit to talk afterwards, because later in Matthew, jesus himself says verse 25, for whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. So don't waste your life chasing things that won't last. Give it to the one who offers you life to the fullest, the one who gave his life for you. We pray with me.