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Red Letters: Treasure and Heart - Pastor Josiah Elias




Before Pastor Josiah spoke, he invited Brian and Pamela Jordan to the platform to share their hearts for the enslaved in other parts of the world like Pakistan and Zimbabwe. They are serving those who have been enslaved and helping to break the yoke. In Pakistan, they were feeding up to 7,000 people a day; in Zimbabwe, they adopted three orphaned children. They are putting their treasures where their hearts are. Pamela and Brian Jordan encourage us to do the same.


FC’s mission is to culture like Christ, and our vision is Jesus. The topic of this week’s sermon

was “Treasure and Heart.” In the “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus taught His followers how to

delve deeper in their walk with the LORD. He emphasized that the LORD looks at our

motivation and our hearts.


In Matthew 6:19 Jesus reminded them “not to store up treasures here on earth, where

moths eat them and rust destroys them, where thieves break in and steal.” (NLT) In other

words, treasures can be divided into two categories: temporary treasures that disintegrate and eternal treasures that last forever. Jesus wanted his listeners including us to set our minds on the eternal treasures. “There’s a better bank, giving you a far better interest rate than what the earth can deliver.”


“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

(NLT) “Your values (treasures) are connected to your heart.” For example, I used to collect

Precious Moments figurines. I had so many that my living room looked like a Hallmark store. As the years have gone by and my interest in PM has waned, I have given so many away. I do not treasure them like I used to. That was a temporary value. It was okay to like the PM figurines but not to be obsessed with them and to desire more and more of them.


What is long lasting treasure: love, joy, peace, your love for Jesus, your desire to be more like Him and less like the world, your surrender of your treasures to Him, the only Son of God. Where you spend your money reveals your heart. Pastor Josiah reminded us, “It is okay to have money; it is not okay for money to have you!” If you get more of a thrill when an Amazon package is delivered than you do spending heart time with the LORD, what does that response say about your heart? How does this verse fit with your reaction? “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Matthew 15:8 (NLT) May we learn to honor Jesus with our lips, our hearts, and our actions.


Further in Matthew 6, the Lord Jesus said,


”No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love

the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You

cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:24 (NLT)


Whom do you serve? Have you figured that out yet? Money and God are opposing masters

,and one will win over the other. Which is the temporary one and which is the eternal?


“Worship will always be connected to sacrifice.” In Mark 12, Jesus told of a poor widow who

gave two small coins for offering. Whereas many rich people gave larger amounts, this widow sacrificed. “For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given

everything she to live on.” Mark12:44 (NLT) The widow’s sacrifice revealed her heart and

values.


In addition, the way we give is important. “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart,

not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NKJV)

When your sister gives you a present, does it make a difference in what manner she gives it? If she grouchily hands you the gift and grumbles about how much she sacrificed, do you even want the present? The LORD looks at our hearts and loves a cheerful giver, so may we give with a good attitude our best to Him. “When we give to the Lord, we should be giving Him our first and our best.” If we value Him, we give differently than if we give through obligation or if He is not a priority. Solomon reminded us to “Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase.” Proverbs 3:9 (NKJV) God does not want our leftovers. He wants our first fruits. Pastor Josiah stated,


“I will honor the Lord with all that I am and all that I have.

My trust is my faith given as a gift of worship to God even

in my finances.”


We often limit the idea of worship to singing and praising the LORD, but it is more than that.

Worship includes how you serve like Danny Beaman or Bertha Haffey and their teams with Meet the Need or Joanne Northcutt and her team serving the homeless. Or Ed and Debby Jarrell and their team as they imagined and made the sets for VBS. These are just a few people whose words and actions in serving are worship to our Father.


The Paramount Point is “My treasure and my heart are aimed at the same target.” “Money is

an agent of honor in the hands of the generous.” “The tithe is a great place to start living

financially obedient but a terrible place to stop.”


The Word reminds us “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all

these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) Those are eternal treasures.

From this teaching may we be salt and light in this very dark world.

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