Let's have a look then, at the next reward. I want to look at a reward which Jesus also spoke about, which is: Treasure & Riches in Heaven. Jesus called us specifically to pursue treasures in heaven.
Matthew 6:19-21 – “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, whether neither moth nor rust destroys, and where the thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart is”.
Jesus makes it very clear: ‘laying up’ means to amass, to accumulate, to store up; and the word ‘treasure’ means wealth or substance, or valuable goods that you can exchange. He's saying very clearly: don't lay up treasures on earth, because they're corruptible; lay up treasures in heaven. One thing He's not saying, is that you should not seek to prosper in this life - He's not saying that. He's not saying that you should not grow wealth, because that puts you in a position of generosity, and a place to help others - He's not saying that. It's the setting your heart on it! The key thing here is, what you set your heart on… The heart needs to be set on eternal treasure. Why? Because earthly treasure: house, car, money, all the things that we can accumulate, can be lost in a moment. He said: they're corruptible, meaning they're not eternal, they're not lasting. Treasures in heaven can't be stolen, they can't be corrupted; so obviously there's a message there, or a mandate, that we should set our heart on eternal things.
Psalms 62:10 – “…if riches increase, don't set your heart on them”.
If you prosper, don't fall in love with the prosperity; keep your heart set on eternal things.
Luke 16:11 – “If you've not been faithful in unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust true riches?”
He's talking about money - He calls it ‘unrighteous mammon’, or a spirit; and just like God is a spirit, mammon has got a spirit or a power behind it. He's saying very clearly, that if we're not faithful in the management of the money we have, how will God entrust to us true riches? Money is ‘riches on earth’, but there must be another kind of riches called ‘true riches’. Most people, all they can think about is money, because money is a source of power and influence - and the love of it corrupts. He's saying there is also ‘true riches’ - what does He mean by that?
Matthew 19:21 – “If you want to be perfect, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you'll have treasures in heaven”.
Matthew 6:21 – “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be”.
There's earthly treasure, and then there's heavenly treasure. With earthly treasure, people seek it all their life, and never find it; or people become rich, they find it, and then they worry about losing their riches all the time. People trust their riches, rather than God. They start to trust, and they become secure in their money, rather than secure in God. When people become very wealthy, they tend to look down on others. He tells people who've become wealthy: not to set your heart on the riches, and to trust God, and do good on others, not look down on them.
1 Timothy 6:17- "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."
The problem is, if we make the pursuit of wealth our main goal, it then destroys our focus on eternal things. Paul also directed us to set our attention on seeking ‘treasure in heaven’.
Colossians 3:1 – “If you were raised with Christ, then seek those things which are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God”.
Set your affection on those things - things which are above, not on things of the earth. Don't let your affection be attached to things which are temporary; let your affection be on the things which are eternal. Jesus described treasure in heaven as the ‘true riches’ and I want to look at then what it is.