Matthew 6:19
• Jesus says to not store up for yourselves treasures on earth
• What does that mean? Why not do that?
• Does it mean that earthly treasures won’t last in this age?
• No, it means that they will not last into God’s age to come
• It’s vitally important to understand that earthly wealth is not bad in and of itself but it is ultimately dangerous if we do not understand that its worth is temporary
• Knowing the true value of something helps us to put its importance in proper perspective
• How can you tell whether you are storing up treasures in the economy of the temporal earth or in the economy of God’s reality?
• Where do you spend most of your time, energy, and effort in storing up treasures?
Proverbs 23:5
• What does this verse tell us about riches
• Imagine working extra hours and scrimping and saving for years to buy a prized possession like a luxury car
• Now imagine that right after you bought it, it sprouted wings and flew away forever
• The reality is, sooner or later, our possessions will be disappear
• Jesus didn’t give his warning in Matthew 6 because wealth might be lost
• He gave this warning because wealth will always be lost
• It will either leave us while we live or when we die with no exceptions
• Do you work for possessions and treat your wealth as a temporary reality or do you think of them as something that will last for eternity?
• How does viewing them as a temporary commodity change you’re the way you live your life?
Ecclesiastes 2:10-11
• The author says he spent a lifetime working towards possessions and accomplishments only to discover what truth about them?
• Why do you think he came to the perspective that possessions and accomplishments were meaningless?
• Do you agree with or disagree with the author of Ecclesiastes’ conclusions concerning wealth and accomplishments? Why do you agree or disagree?
Matthew 6:19
• Jesus clearly says not to focus on storing up treasures on earth, but let’s take some time to examine why?
• Imagine that you had reliable information that the US dollar was going to collapse and become worthelss within the next five years
• Would you hold onto and invest in the US dollar as much as possible or would you invest in something else like gold?
• The wise thing to do would be to keep just enough US dollars to get by but to invest as much as you could spare in gold
• There is nothing wrong with keeping some dollars around as long as you clearly understand its limitations and future
• Realizing that its value is temporary should radically affect your investment strategy
• Accumulating vast earthly treasures that do not have an eternal value in the age to come is equivalent to stocking up on US dollars even though you know they will soon be worthless
• Think of how many southerners were rich during the Civil War but lost almost everything because they invested all of their money in Confederate dollars that became worthless after the war
• Many people today are becoming rich in currency and possessions that will be of no value in God’s age to come
• How does the above analogy help you to change your perspective on earthly treasures?
• Do you invest more in earthly treasure than just enough to get by?
Convictions• What are some of the ways that you have over-invested in earthly treasures throughout your lifetime?
• What are some ways that you have changed those patterns since becoming a Christian?
• In what areas do you feel God is challenging you to see that you are still investing too much in earthly treasure?
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The thing that really strikes me about passages like Matthew 6:19 is how much I really want to tame Jesus' words and just store up a few less treasures on earth rather than embracing what he says which is just not to do it, period. It takes such a radical commitment and change of mind when it comes to what I trust in and what my life is about.
ReplyDeleteThe above US Dollar analogy helped me to see that insider trading is OK if done as a spiritual example. Just kidding, and back to my real point...Most of us don't consider ourselves storing up treasures on earth, rather trying to get our bills paid and food on the table, therefore required to focus on the temporal reality. It is easier to put spiritual food and treasures on the back burner, because we don't typically see the immediate effects.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the inclusion of Ecclesiates and the concept of storing up accomplishments. I am more tempted to try to work for status or accomplishment than for wealth or possessions. It is a good reminder to seek God's approval and to not put more energy into worldly status and recognition than in how God views me.
ReplyDeleteI guess I chase a dollar like everyone else. I think for me, many times it is not the idea that I am storing up wealth on earth, but more along the lines of me using it foolishly. I've looked at money with disdain for as long as I can remember. I think this gets me into a different kind of trouble. Aside from that, I think of Luke 16 - the shrewd manager using his money to gain friends. I don't always view my time, money, and possessions as a tool to bring people to God. I can grow in making the most out of every opportunity.
ReplyDeleteEcclesiastes hit me the most. There are certain things I would love to have. Some I go get and others I just dream about having. If I refuse my heart no pleasure, deny myself nothing, delight in all "my" labor and yet touch the lives of no one around me for God, with Him at the focus, then nothing will be gained under the sun. It will just have been a chasing after the wind. I feel that much prayer for God's guidance of whether I should do/have this or that is then needed. In that God has shown me many times which way I should go in relation to doing/buying certain things.
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