“Where Is Your Treasure?”
Written December 17, 2022 at 7:26 a.m.
Thoughts: My dad preached a sermon on 12/11/20 entitled Where Is Your Treasure? It was referencing the bible story of a man who was asked to leave his treasures and follow Jesus. Matthew 19:16-22 says:
16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
In verse 22 the young man went away because he did not want to give up his earthly possessions to follow Jesus. It is not enough to hear of Jesus, or attend church services or just study the Word (because you can be hearers and not doers). James 1:22-25 says:
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
Have we surrendered our all to Jesus? Have you forsaken all others to follow Him? Do you value a relationship with Jesus more than earthly treasures? Let us not be like the foolish virgins in Matthew 25:1-13 who hung around the church, but did not prepare for Christ’s return. They did not have enough oil in their lamp to be ready when Jesus came back:
1“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom [a]is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
Let us not be like a person hanging around a full table of food, but not partaking and going away leaving the table hungry. Like the song lyrics says “Why not come to Christ? Why not make a great sacrifice? You’ve been wondering down in your mind if this is really the right time…YES, it is. Come to Christ.” REPENT and TURN from wicked ways.
