Investing in Eternity: What Do You Treasure?

Matthew chapter number six.

We're going to be in verse number 19.

Jesus says this.

Matthew chapter number six, verse number 19.

Lay not up for yourselves treasure upon the earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal.

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth, where thieves do not break through nor steal.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be be also.

Let's pray.

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you again for the group of people gathered here tonight.

God, we thank you for these students and the hard work they've put in all year.

God, I pray that you would continue to bless their summers.

And God that you would bless them as only you can.

And bless their parents, God, as they continue to raise them and nurture them.

God, that they would raise them in the way that God would have them to be raised.

And God that they would make sure that they take on this responsibility of being a parent, Lord, and that you continue to give them ease in their life, God, that you continue to strengthen them and encourage them in your word.

And God, we'll give you all the praise and honor for it.

Pray all these things in Jesus name.

Amen.

I heard that.

That was good.

Amen right there.

Some of these kids will amen better than some adults sometimes.

That's awesome.

But Matthew chapter number six.

We see Christ speaking here and he says something that's very important, very profound, something that we can apply to every single one of our lives as we examine ourselves that, hey, are you laying up for yourself treasures in heaven?

If you've been in church long, you've probably heard thousands and countless sermons on this very subject.

Where is your heart at?

Hey, where are you putting your time and investment in?

Hey, where is your focus at?

And this is one of the great reminders, this is one of the great obvious things that we can look to in that it says that for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

We're going to look at little things tonight what that treasure might be.

But it's just an amazing reminder to us that, hey, if you want to know really where someone's heart is at, really want to know where someone's mind is on constantly look where their treasure is.

Look at where their time, their finances, their effort, look to where they place all of that and you'll see really what's at the center of their heart most of the time.

But there's also something else that we see in this passage.

It's not just the idea of it, not just the Self examination of what we're supposed to see in our lives.

But we get the antidote to a very wrong mindset even in our lives.

Often we want to put treasures in our lives and place it on maybe our work, maybe it's on finances and money, maybe it's on some material possession.

And maybe we've been trying for years, maybe we've been trying for decades in our lives to get to the point where, hey, we're trying to get our mind and heart in the right place.

And we've done it a few times.

We've had it where we've been on fire for God.

We've had it to where we've had our hearts in the right place.

The focus towards our kids, the focus towards our families in the right place.

But you may be here tonight.

You may say my focus hasn't been in the right place all the time.

My focus hasn't been on Jesus Christ.

But let me tell you this, if you want your focus placed on Jesus, it tells you right here in verse number 21, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

You want your heart to be on certain things.

It's gotta become a treasure to you.

It's gotta become invaluable.

When the word of God becomes a precious treasure in your life, you'll find yourself reading your Bible as you ought to.

When church has become a treasure in your life, when you find yourself going to church and it's a delight for you, when you can't wait for it, when you make in your life to where you're giving towards your church, you're spending your time giving your effort and energy towards your church, you'll find that you'll have a heart for your church.

If you're spending time with your kids, if you are putting love and effort into them, your money into their finances, investing in their future.

And many of you here this morning can attest that y' all are investing in your kids in a very wise way.

But if you want to make sure that your heart is on your children, make sure that you're investing, make sure that they are a treasure in your mind.

It's very clear.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, things that are temporary, things that will never last, but lay up for something that will last in eternity.

So what do you treasure this evening?

I would like everyone to ask themselves that this evening.

What do you treasure?

It's a question that Jesus asks us in many ways throughout the Gospels, that God asks us throughout the entirety of Scripture.

We live In a world that teaches us to chase after things.

Money, success, reputation.

But Jesus redirects our focus.

He doesn't condemn work or success, but he does warn about it.

Earthly treasures fade, but heavenly treasures will last forever.

First point I want to make out tonight is that earthly treasure does in fact fade, but heavenly treasures will last all of eternity.

Jesus said not to store up treasures here on earth.

Why?

Because everything here will soon be gone.

It says in the Bible that our life is as a vapor.

Appeareth for a little time, then vanisheth away.

Things that we have here, our clothes will wear out, our money will lose its value.

Homes will be in need of repair.

Even our accomplishments, our titles, the things that we hold in high regard in our lives, in a generation or two, they will be forgotten.

Heavenly treasures, though.

On the other hand, things like faithfulness, church attendance, love, mercy and obedience, they're eternal.

They'll have a lasting impact, not just here on this earth, but for all of eternity.

When we invest in the things of God, when we serve others, when we teach the Word, when we give generously, we're making deposits into a heavenly bank account rather than a physical one.

Be clear.

Nothing is more heavenly and nothing is more worthwhile.

Nothing is more lasting in eternity than leading a soul to Christ.

There is no soil more ready and no heart more tender, I would say though, than that of a child.

My second point here is raising children is a heavenly investment.

Now, I am not a parent.

There are so many in here in this audience that are parents, even grandparents.

And you will be understanding this far more than then.

Mr.

Day will have experienced this.

You'll be understanding this something far more than Mr.

Day can wrap his head around.

I may have an idea, according to the word of God, what parenting looks like.

I've had two godly parents in my life that have raised me in church and have been great Christian influences on my life.

But I still will not understand, to that extent and to that full understanding and fathoming what it is that to be a parent.

Psalm 127, verse number three, says, Lo, children are inherited of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

The greatest treasure that God entrusts to parents is children.

They are not distractions from your calling or purpose in life, from your ambitions, but they are your calling.

They are your ministry.

They are your ambitions in your life.

Every Bible verse you teach them, every prayer that you pray over them, every bedtime story that ends with Jesus, every correction that is done in love and for their betterment, every time that you bring them to church, you are laying up treasure in heaven.

Raising children in the fear and knowledge of the Lord isn't just parenting.

It's discipleship.

It's eternal work.

It's often quiet work.

It goes unnoticed, it's hidden work.

But it is still godly work.

The hidden work that you do now in your kids lives that many people may not see, many people may not understand to the fullest effect.

It will become obvious in your children's lives as they grow older.

It will be something undeniable that their parents, that people have had a godly influence on their lives.

Because it will be mirrored in their lives.

It will be mirrored in their lifestyles.

It will be mirrored in their hearts and minds and the way that they speak and the way that they treat others.

It will be obvious to other people that you have made a godly investment into your children.

Proverbs 22:6 says this train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.

You raise a child right according to the word of God.

You raise them according to the scriptures.

It doesn't say you'll give them the best chance to succeed for God.

It doesn't say that you you'll get put them in the right position to see God.

It says that they will not turn away from it.

They will not depart from the way that they should go.

They will remember it.

It'll be something written upon their hearts and minds forever.

Treasure that doesn't rust on this earth is your investment into the next generation.

A godly generation raised in your home is a crown that shines forever and one that will one day get to cast at Jesus feet.

My third point here would be the gospel, the greatest gift.

The Bible shows us very clearly that children are a blessing from the Lord.

But I want you to show something even greater than that.

As great as your kids are and as important as they will be in your life, there will be no job, there will be no ministry that you have that's more important than your work at the home, more important than the work that you put into raising your kids.

There will be nothing that compares to it.

You are ultimately responsible for your child and how they are raised.

We talked about laying up treasure in heaven.

We've talked about children as gifts from God.

But let me end by pointing us to the greatest treasure of all.

And that is Jesus Christ Himself.

John 3:16.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him who should not perish but have everlasting life.

How many of you could say, parents here in this audience, how many of you could say, I'm willing to give up my own children for the sake of another?

How many of you could say, I am willing to let my child be a sacrifice for someone else.

I'm willing to give them up, give them over for someone else's benefit, someone else's betterment.

I would say there's no parent in you that would be ever willing to do something like that.

There is no one more important in your life than your family.

Back when we see in Genesis, chapter number one, God did not start the world establishing government of a nation.

He did not establish anything close to that.

He established a family.

It's one of the most important things in all of your lives.

If you want America to succeed, if you want America to be in the place that it needs to be and have God's blessing upon it, we have got to start looking at our homes.

The gospel has got to be the center of it.

Jesus Christ has got to be the center of your life, and it's got to be the center of your children's lives.

Romans 6:23, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God, aren't you glad salvation is a gift?

Aren't you glad Jesus Christ came to this earth to die for you?

We like to think of things in a very broad understanding that, yes, Jesus Christ came because he loved all the world.

Because God loved all of the world.

Yes, he loved a Heritage Baptist church.

Yes, he loved Hazlett, Texas.

Yes, he loved the United States, but he loved the entire world.

We put this in such a broad span, but I want you to make this a very individualized idea in your mind that, hey, God loved Isaac Day so much that he would send his son.

And I wanted to remind each one of my third graders every time that I got a chance in Bible class that, hey, God so loved you.

I wanted to remind everyone in my teen youth department out in Weatherford, I want to remind them that, hey, God loved you.

God made you with a specific purpose.

God, he would pour out his wrath on his only son because he loved you and he wanted to make an investment in your life that'll last all of eternity.

And I want to ask you parents, I want to ask you Sunday school teachers, I want to ask you teachers here at Heritage Christian Academy, grandparents, family members, friends, are you making an investment in your children's lives that will last eternity?

Are you having a gospel influence on these kids lives?

Are you having a godly influence?

Not just on your children's lives, not just on these students lives.

Are you having a godly gospel influence on people around you, on your neighbor?

Are you having a godly influence, maybe some of your siblings?

You having a godly influence on maybe some of your co workers?

There is someone around in your life that God has placed you in their life specifically so that you could show them the love of Jesus Christ.

So you could show them that he came and died on the cross for their soul.

And not just that he died for everyone.

And yes he did, but he died for them specifically.

I can't believe Jesus Christ would love someone like me.

I can't believe Jesus would come to die for someone like me.

I can't believe Jesus would lay aside a throne in heaven, that he would temporarily lay aside the show of his glory, come and submit himself, appear as a servant.

The Creator.

God became his creation and he died for it.

He laid down his life for it, willingly, lovingly.

That's the love of Christ that God has put into you, by the way parents, by the way teachers, by the way Christians.

He wants you to put that same love into everyone else around you.

Be it your kids, yes, they're the utmost priority in your life.

Be it your spouse, yes, they are a great priority in your life.

Be it those around you, yes.

But everyone you meet, you're responsible.

Not just are you encouraged, not just are you suggested you are responsible for showing them the love of Jesus Christ.

This whole year that I've been with these third graders and these other students, I have been responsible for showing them the love of Christ.

And I pray that I've done that to the best of my ability.

I pray that I've been a good teacher and I've taught them arithmetic, I've taught them science and history, and I've taught them to a great extent.

I pray that I've done that to a good, fair and decent job.

But more than that, I pray that I've had a godly influence on these kids because God's going to use them to do something even far greater than Mr.

Day could ever even dream to do.

It's amazing the intelligence of these kids.

It's amazing sometimes their love for God.

They come in with questions about the Bible, when they come in with stories about how they saw someone get saved at their church, when they saw the love of God in someone else's lives.

And not only that, they like to share it with other people.

I've told You.

I've had such a kind class this year, and many teachers wanted to instill that in me and make me aware that you have had such a special and sweet nature class this year.

And it was exactly true.

And each and every one of them, at least at one point in this year, multiple times this year, they have tried to show love to their classmates, tried to show love to their friends.

Not just because it was the right thing to do, not just because they wanted to be friendly and they wanted to be kind and have them be kind to them, but they wanted to show them the love of Jesus Christ.

And that is a great praise and hallelujah to God for it.

I'm so glad.

Salvation isn't something that we had to earn.

It's not stored in a bank or locked behind good deeds.

It's a free gift bought by Christ's blood and received by faith.

That's the message that your children need more than anything else.

That's the message this whole world needs more than anything else.

That God loves them.

That.

That they are sinners.

And that even though they have fallen short and even though they have done things that are unpleasing to God and they have sinned against God, God still loves them in spite of that.

God still loves Mr.

Day in spite of his sin.

God still loves you in spite of your sin.

And he always will.

There's nothing that will ever change that.

They need to understand that Jesus died for them.

He gave his life for their sakes.

He gave his light for your sakes.

We ought to give our lives right back to Him.

That is the treasure that will never fade.

That is the treasure that will last beyond this world.

So church, so parents, so Christians.

Lay up treasure in heaven by investing in things that last.

Treasure your children as a heritage from the Lord.

Treasure your calling upon your life as something you can use to spread the gospel.

Above all, give everyone that you may the greatest treasure of all.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let your heart be where your treasure is.

Let it not just be in the things of God, but let it be in Christ himself.

Getting to know him more.

Philippians 3.

Paul shows us all the things that he had done as a Pharisee.

He had kept the law.

He had done all these things from his youth.

He had made sure that he had lived a good life.

But guess what?

None of that mattered in the end.

He said it was worthless.

He said his good deeds, none of it would have mattered.

None of it would have earned him any right to go to heaven.

It was Jesus Christ himself.

He said that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.

So I could be more like Jesus Christ and my prayer Even after school year is done we go into this summer Students, I hope you have worked so hard this year.

You have earned a well fund summer, one that you enjoy, one that you get to have fun, play with your friends, enjoy your vacation times with your family.

But I also want to remind you, you're still going to live for God this summer.

Even as students, they can do great things for God.

In fact, they can sometimes do things that are far greater than things we could ever do.

I want to show a couple of things here, things I wanted to get to that I probably won't get to tonight, but just a few things on raising children Proverbs 22:6 I've already read this Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Ephesians 6:4 Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Colossians 3:21 very similar verse Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

Deuteronomy 6:6 7 and these words thou shalt teach them diligently gave an award for diligence unto one of my third graders.

I think they're all deserving for it, for their hard work they've had this year.

But in that same way they worked hard.

But how hard working are you towards teaching your kids about Christ?

Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children when thou sittest, walkest, liest down, and when thou risest up.

Psalm 78:4 we will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord.

2nd Timothy 3:15 and that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation not wise to be the smartest person in the world, most successful person in the world most athletic, talented person in the world.

But make thee wise unto salvation, something that will Last eternity.

Luke 6:35 but love ye your enemies, and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the highest.

Parents, let your kids come unto Christ.

Let your kids see the love of Jesus Christ.

Christians, let others in your life, let them see Christ in you.

Christ's own words reveal the high value that he places on children.

And they should have a high value in our hearts and minds that we raise them according to the word of God.

Christian, I want to charge you tonight that you are making an impact that will last eternity in other people's lives.

Parents, I want to charge you tonight to make continue investing in your kids.

Continue teaching them that which is right.

Continue showing them the right example that they should live by.

I want us all to examine our hearts this evening and I pray that if there is someone here that has not accepted the greatest treasure, the greatest gift that has ever been given Jesus Christ, the gospel, his death on the cross, if you have never accepted that great gift of salvation, I pray that tonight would be the night.

The love of God is overwhelming.

The love of God is eternal.

The love of God is life changing.

Let it have a change in someone else's life.

Christian tonight, are you having that impact?

Parents, are you having that impact?

Soul, have you accepted that greatest treasure in Jesus Christ?

Let's make sure our hearts and minds, not only this summer, not only in the years to come, but for the rest of our lives on heavenly things more so than they are on the physical things.

Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for tonight.

God, we thank you for these students that have poured their lives into their work this semester and this year.

God, not just working hard for good grades, but working hard, Lord, that they would glorify you with their abilities, that they would glorify you with their talents.

God, I continue to pray it would be over these students that you would keep a hedge of protection about them.

That God, you would always keep a godly influence in their lives by way of their parents, by way of their teachers, by many that they meet, by their pastors and their youth pastors and children's pastors.

God, that you would continue to have a godly influence in their life.

God, I pray that you'd be with everyone here, that you would bless them as only you can.

And God, if there is someone here tonight that has not accepted that free gift of salvation, I pray that tonight would be the night that they would see your love and that they would accept it and have their life changed forever and their eternity changed forever.

God, I pray that you'd continue to bless as only you can and pray all these things in Jesus name.

Amen.