The Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 6 Part 10 Are We Choosing Earthly Pleasures Or Heavenly Treasures?

Jesus exposed impotent religious activities in order to show that men must be born again.

Matthew 6:16-18  Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17)  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18)  That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. 

Whenever scribes and Pharisees fasted, they did so in a manner that drew attention to their religious activity.

They appeared sad as if saying "Woe is me for I am fasting for God" which is a terrible attitude to have.

They disfigured their faces which is the idea of making their face into an unnatural distorted appearance.

Jesus specifically said that they did this so that others would notice how religious they seemed to be.

It was a worthless display of attention seeking behavior that greatly dishonors our God.

Psalm 40:1-3  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2)  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3)  And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. 

Why would any professing Christian ever be sad and unhappy when serving the Lord?

David described the joyous state of all who put their trust in Jehovah.

Remember that all who call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved and this is David's account of what salvation is like.

It is acknowledging our sin and crying out to God for deliverance.

A sinner is pictured as a man sinking in a quagmire of muddy quicksand, pulling him down under to certain death.

The sinner realized his plight and called out to God to save him and the LORD brought him out of that sinking quagmire and set his feet on a rock.

God established a new life direction for that repentant sinner, showing him the straight and narrow path that he must walk on.

This man was not melancholy, depressed or unhappy because of serving the LORD.

Rather, he had a new song of worship in his mouth and he was joyfully praising God and telling others what great things God did for him.

Our depraved and corrupt hearts tend to pursue worldly pleasure and earthly treasure.

Matthew 6:19  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 

Jesus unfolded the divine intention of all His teaching from the sermon on the mount in a beautiful way.

I suggest beginning at Matthew 5 and reading through to this point in Matthew 6, because Jesus is wrapping all truth that He taught into some very profound statements.

Treasures, or wealth among the ancients, consisted in lavish clothes or having many changes of raiment.

Gold, silver, gems, wine, lands, and oil were also treasures. 

This idea of laying up treasures generally meant having an abundance of anything that was essential for a comfortable, lavish life.

The ancient custom was for people to display their finest attire, jewelry or to show others their accumulations of gold, sliver or precious stones that they treasured.

Jesus reminds us that moths can destroy even the finest materials and rust can take away the gleam of gold or silver.

Jesus is aiming at those who wrongly hoard good things for themselves rather than choosing to live as good stewards of what God entrusted to them.

Listen to what King Solomon teaches us about trusting wealth and riches instead of God.

Proverbs 11:4  Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.

Proverbs 11:28  He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

Proverbs 23:5  Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

King Solomon was the wisest man according to scripture and he had more riches than any other king in recorded history.

You can read about his lavish lifestyle and wealth in 1 Kings 9-10.

Yet, notice Solomon's warnings about wealth.

Riches cannot help a sinner escape eternal damnation if they die without Christ.

Those who trust their wealth will ultimately fall because wealth cannot save them, nor can it atone for their sins.

Wealth and riches are often temporary, flying away like an eagle, and taking away the hope of those who put their trust in wealth.

Listen to the apostle James warning about rich men who trust their wealth instead of God.

James 5:1-3  Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2)  Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth eaten. 3)  Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 

The apostle James also spoke about esteeming wealth and possessions too highly.

The day will come when all the wealthy shall howl because the day of judgment will bring fire that consumes all their treasures. 

Like Jesus said, their gold and silver will be eaten away by rust and the gleaming luster shall be lost.

Luxury garments and expensive attire will be as worthless as if moths ate holes in them.

A new, transformed heart is needed in order to lay up heavenly treasures. 

Matthew 6:20-21  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21)  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 

Jesus quickly showed that hoarding wealth and putting one's trust in riches is an issue of a depraved heart.

Instead of trusting riches and finding satisfaction in a luxurious lifestyle, Jesus tells His disciples to lay up treasure in heaven.

What an amazing contrast. 

Things on earth are temporal in nature and they will pass away when Christ returns in flaming fire to take vengeance upon all who reject the gospel of Christ (See 2 Thessalonians 1:5-80.

Instead, the believer in Christ must lay up treasure in heaven that will not fade away, nor be stolen by thieves. 

We must concern ourselves with seeking after heavenly treasure, the riches of glory, the joys and glories of another world, which infinitely excel everything that is valuable on earth. 

Heavenly treasure can never be corrupted, or taken away. It will never lose its value because it is eternal in nature. 

Laying up treasure in heaven is making provision for our eternal life with God in heaven. 

We must not pour all our strength or spend each day focused on gaining wealth. 

Our main concern must be to be prepared for eternity. 

What are some of the heavenly treasures we should pursue?

Worshiping God in Spirit and in truth (See John 4:23-24).

Allowing the scriptures to tell us what we should or should not do (1 Samuel 15:22; Acts 5:29; Romans 6:16).

Seeking the way that God wants us to walk by studying His Word (Psalm 25:4-5; 19:105).

Learning to cherish the Word of God (See Psalm 119:97; 165; 165; Psalm 1:2-3).

Learning to be Christ's faithful witnesses (See Matthew 28:18-20).

Learning how to live a holy life (See Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

Spending much time in prayer (See 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 12:12).

In heaven nothing corrupts, nothing terminates and no enemies plunder or destroy. 

Laying up treasure in heaven is possessing evidence that its purity and joys will be ours. 

It is knowing that we are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, anticipating an incorruptible, undefiled inheritance that never loses its value (See 1 Peter 1:4). 

Jesus is teaching us where our heart must be focused. 

We must set our affection and desires on things above, not on things of this world (See Colossians 3:2).

We must seek those heavenly things where Christ is enthroned at the Father's right hand in heaven (See Colossians 3:1).

No doubt this is why Jesus gave the parable of the good steward which we will study later on. 

Our heart must be changed and the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation that brings new birth and a new life to live.

We are born depraved, corrupt sinners with hearts, will and emotions polluted by the Fall.

Isaiah 64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 

I try to be consistent in helping us all understand that God is not interested in our efforts to live by a set of rules or self reformation.

Why? Because our best efforts even with the best of intentions, will always come up short.

As Isaiah says, our own righteousness from our own efforts are as filthy rags in the sight of God.

From Genesis to Revelation, God is always focused upon transforming our hearts, minds and soul.

Thus, Jesus speaks to all mankind as God manifested in the flesh and He is always zeroing in on transforming our heart.

We cannot change our sin nature, nor can we do enough good works to earn God's favor.

Jeremiah 13:23  Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. 

Jehovah asked rhetorical questions through His prophet Jeremiah, in order to help His people see that they are spiritually helpless unless God intervenes to save their souls.

Can an Ethiopian man change the color of his skin from dark to light? The answer is not, he cannot.

Can a spotted leopard change its spots and get rid of them? The answer is not it cannot.

Can a sinner accustomed to doing evil acts ever change himself to become righteous in the sight of God? The answer is no, he cannot.

We must be born again into the family of God by the regenerating work of God's Spirit.

John 3:5-8  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6)  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7)  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8)  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 

This is why Christ said "Ye must be born again" because we need a new heart and a new spirit from God.

The words born again literally mean born from above because this is a spiritual work of God, through repentant faith in Jesus Christ. 

God the Father did everything necessary to save all humanity from their sins. 

He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to suffer, die and shed His eternal blood for us as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (See John 1:29; 3:15-18).

The only requirement is for a sinner to have repentance over their sins and faith, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, for salvation.

This is why the scriptures say "The just shall live by faith" taking God as His Word and trusting that He will save us when we call upon Him.

This is a spiritual work involving the living truth of scripture and the mighty ministry of the Holy Spirit.

All who call upon the name of the Lord for salvation shall be saved (Se Acts 16:31; Romans 10:8-13).

Heart transformation is the central focus of all that Jesus said and did and if we keep our eyes open when reading the gospels, we will see this very clearly.

Think about this important theme that runs through the prophet Ezekiel's message to unbelieving Israel.

"If you reject Jehovah's call to repent of your sin and return to Him, then He will bring judgment upon you. If you repent and return to Him, He will give you spiritual life!"

The promises of God are fulfilled in the Christ. Sinners can be born again into the family of God.

Ezekiel 11:17-20  Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. 18)  And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. 19)  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 20)  That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 

Here is what God promised to do and will do in the future, when Israel is converted to Christ.

The present application of this truth is evident when the Holy Ghost came down from heaven at the feast of Pentecost and thousands of Jews were converted to Christ (See Acts 2:1-47).

All gospel preaching must preach about sin, condemnation and eternal separation from God.

All gospel preaching must hold high Jesus Christ, the sinner's substitute who paid the price of our sins by suffering and dying for us, so that when we believe on Him, we can receive eternal life. 

All gospel preaching must emphasize that we need a new heart and a new spirit from God because we are born as sinners without any spiritual life in us.

True repentance comes first followed by calling upon the LORD with all sincerity.

Ezekiel 18:30-32  Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. 31)  Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 32)  For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. 

Notice what Ezekiel says in this text. God takes no pleasure in sinners that die and go to Hell. 

God is longsuffering with the world, desiring that every man, woman and young person repent of their sins and turn to Christ in faith in order to be saved (See 1 Peter 3:9).

God promises that all who repent and turn to His Son, Jesus Christ, trusting Him by faith, shall be saved.

They shall receive a brand new heart from God and a brand new spirit.

They receive the gift of spiritual life, which is eternal!

God will give all who repent and trust Christ a new heart, new spirit, new life and a fresh start!

Ezekiel 36:26-27  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27)  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 

One more time, look at what God promises to do for repentant sinners who call upon the LORD for salvation from sin.

He will remove our sin hardened heart and give us a new heart that is tender toward God.

He will send His own Spirit to live in us, to teach us, and show us the way God wants us to live.

He will put a desire in us to obey God's moral law and He will pour strength into us that we might pursue a holy life. 

Thus, Jesus gets right at the root issue about money, lands, possessions and earthly status.

It is an issue of our heart and He shows us we must come to God through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, in order to be forgiven and regenerated.

Bob